Chapter 60: Hidden Realm

The so-called Alley Currency is actually a currency jointly issued by major guilds. One Kill Field currency can be exchanged for 14 hundred-dollar Alley banknotes, roughly equivalent to the value of a US dollar.

It can be used to purchase goods in the Alley and also exchanged back into Kill Field currency.

After all, Kill Field currency has too high a value—fine for bulk purchases, but utterly impractical for daily expenses due to lack of small change.

However, some players view this currency printing as economic plunder—game currency earned through life-or-death effort simply swapped away for a few pieces of paper—and someone even wrote a book called “Currency War” condemning the financial exploitation by the guilds.

Upon learning Li Cheng intended to settle with Alley Currency, the gun shop clerk showed slight disappointment but still diligently packed all weapons, gear, and ammunition into ten briefcases.

Li Cheng stored all the briefcases in his backpack slot, stepped out of the gun shop, and nodded gratefully toward Changsun Yao.

“I never thought you’d become a player.”

Changsun Yao now wore a blue-and-white uniform with a nuclear explosion emblem embroidered on the chest—presumably the standardized attire of the World Nuclear Peace House. Sensing Li Cheng might misunderstand, she added, “I recognized you by your nightwear.”

【Chosen Player Changsun Yao sent you a friend request】

【Accept?】

After selecting accept, Li Cheng walked and chatted with Changsun Yao and the others—the World Nuclear Peace House group was headed to dinner.

The first was a slender twenty-something youth wearing a top hat, dark sunglasses, and a long robe, resembling a folk artist from last century like Abing. His player ID was 【Still Holding Sword】.

The second was a round-faced youth in a white down jacket, with a glossy lacquered gourd hanging at his waist. His player ID was 【Didn’t Take My Medicine Today】.

The third was a two-meter-tall giant nearing forty, bald-headed, bronze-skinned, squint-eyed, and perpetually smiling. His player ID was 【Iron Gu】.

The fourth was the kimono-clad girl who had appeared in the company’s official advertisements. Her ID was 【Ozaki Aozora】.

Out of politeness, Li Cheng added them all as friends and learned more about the Alley through casual conversation.

The red-and-black building shaped like a demon’s horn is the headquarters of the civilian guild 【Demon Scientists Alliance】; the tallest reinforced concrete tower is the headquarters of the United Nations-backed 【Global Supernatural Alliance】.

Changsun Yao said casually, “Since the Alley’s area is limited and every inch of land is precious, the larger a guild’s building, the stronger its power.”

Li Cheng nodded. “So that’s why. I never imagined the UN, so insignificant in the real world, could rise to prominence in the Kill Field.”

“Haha, yeah, it’s pretty bizarre.”

Changsun Yao smiled. “On one hand, the emergence of the Kill Field posed a serious threat to every nation; even permanent Security Council members couldn’t isolate themselves or survive alone—they had to cooperate.

On the other hand, there really are people on Earth who believe in ‘human civilization’s great unity.’ Among them emerged several top-tier players. That’s how this arrangement came to be.”

Li Cheng thought for a moment and asked, “I saw in the info interface that the current player level cap is Lv40. Has anyone reached it? What’s the strength of the top-tier transcenders?”

“Player levels in the Kill Field are pyramid-shaped—the higher you go, the fewer there are. My guess is Lv40? Maybe ten people at most? Their strength? Think of them as nuclear bombs walking upright, human disasters. With enough time, they could destroy a modern nation.”

Changsun Yao said casually—she herself was Lv25, already in the top 10% of transcenders. When serious, she could obliterate a full-strength armored brigade.

As they chatted along, they arrived at a Chinese restaurant. Still Holding Sword and the others went to the front to order, while Changsun Yao continued explaining hidden rules not covered in forums to Li Cheng in a private room.

“As a new player, buying firearms was a wise move—cheap, easy to use, and quickly boosts combat power. You can practice at shooting ranges to improve proficiency.”

“Also, the deadliest mission types for new players are supernatural horror ones. Spend about a hundred game coins on talismans, peachwood swords, or amulets to improve your ability to handle spirits.”

————

Meanwhile, in the private room next to the Chinese restaurant, Yuan Zhixia, who had just become a player today, rubbed her forehead and sighed, “So… my cousin is now your Eye of Heaven system?”

“More accurately, your cousin is the core around which our Eye of Heaven system was built,” said Liao Guangming, Deputy Director of the Yinshi Special Affairs Bureau, Party Committee Member, Deputy Director of the Emergency Command Center, and Second-Class Police Superintendent.

“Three years ago, a 19-year-old female college student from Hangzhou, Yuan Donglian, was in a car accident. Her body vanished mysteriously while being transported to the hospital by ambulance. The local Special Affairs Bureau classified this as a Yellow Alert-level anomaly.

A month later, a Special Affairs Bureau agent exploring the Kill Field suddenly heard a voice in his head. After repeated verification, they confirmed the voice originated from Yuan Donglian, declared missing.

According to her account, she lost consciousness in the ambulance and woke up in a sealed room. Pipes on the walls periodically delivered water and food; a toilet in the corner ensured survival.

She tried everything but couldn’t escape. After prolonged experimentation, she learned how to operate the control panel.

It was a 24/7, zero-latency, multi-window, god’s-eye surveillance system.

By pressing a button, she could see and hear specific areas and establish communication with designated targets.

The only problem: she couldn’t see her own location. And the Kill Field was too vast—finding her in infinite space was like searching for a needle in a haystack.”

Yuan Zhixia glanced at the hand-drawn sketch Liao Guangming handed her and said slowly, “So… you recruited her into the Special Affairs Bureau.”

Yuan Zhixia glanced at the hand-drawn picture handed over by Liao Guangming and said slowly, “So, you brought her into the Special Affairs Bureau.”

Liao Guangming said gravely, “Over these three years, she has saved countless lives and made outstanding contributions to the Special Affairs Bureau, the nation, and all humanity. She is a proud member of our bureau.

Your disappearance was actually our failure—we promised her we’d protect her family, but at the time, most of our local bureau’s resources were focused on another anomaly, and we failed to notice your absence. We apologize.”

Yuan Zhixia said nothing, frowning, “But you never told her parents she’s still alive.”

Another Yinshi Special Affairs Bureau leader, Kong Raoran, said, “That was her own wish. She’s trapped in the Hidden Realm and can’t escape anytime soon. Telling her parents would only cause them ongoing distress—we respected her choice and altered their perceptions to ease their grief.

You grew up together, inseparable. She specifically instructed the Special Affairs Bureau to ensure your safety.”

Yuan Zhixia instantly realized, stunned: “Wait—you’re monitoring me?!”

“We maintain minimal surveillance via the Sky Net system and AI programs—no humans involved, no privacy invasion.”

Liao Guangming quickly explained, “First, anomalies attract each other.

Any act of focused attention makes the targeted individual more likely to be drawn into anomalies, increasing their chance of being selected as a player in the Kill Field.

Becoming a player isn’t good—in the early days of the Kill Field, over 80% of new players died within three months. Even now, the numbers remain grim.

If not for that, and your cousin’s special request, your talent would have drawn the Special Affairs Bureau’s attention long ago, and you’d have been recruited as a reserve.”

“.Alright.” Yuan Zhixia sighed, pressing her palm to her forehead. Since the Special Affairs Bureau had been watching her for years, her homemade gun couldn’t possibly be hidden. “By the way, what exactly is the 【Hidden Realm】?”

“【Hidden Realm】 refers to certain special buildings in the Kill Field with clear functions and powerful effects—like the 【Alley】 we’re in now, where players cannot attack each other.

For example, the Whale Song Organization controls the 【Root Domain】, using its supercomputers to lay cables, set up signal stations, and build a network inside the Kill Field, filling the communication gap for players.

The Global Supernatural Alliance occupies the 【Horn Chamber】—a horn-shaped automated factory that mass-produces automated guards with strength comparable to mid-tier players.

Our Special Affairs Bureau has also taken over a Hidden Realm called the 【Simulated Star Corridor】. It outputs massive clean energy without producing any pollutants or waste heat.

Beyond these, there are legendary buildings in the Kill Field: the 【River of the Dead】, which perfectly resurrects the dead; the 【Wish Room】, which grants any desire; and even the 【Origin House】, which can alter worldlines, rewrite the past, and create new futures.”

Director Xing Hechou of the Yinshi Special Affairs Bureau said, “Some of our strategists speculate that our current world exists precisely because of the 【Origin House】’s effect.

Evidence? Before the Kill Field appeared, Earth experienced large-scale memory anomalies—like the Mandela Effect.

In 2013, before the former South African president Mandela died, many people believed he had already passed away—but he hadn’t.”

Before the death of South Africa’s former president Mandela in 2013, many believed Mandela had already died, but in fact he had not.

(End of Chapter)