The Human Game

人间游戏

the-human-game

Chapter 9

In the game, the slaughter continued.


 "Shield of Zeus" began hunting Qin Chuan all across the server.


 Every time Qin Chuan logged into the game, someone would find his location within five minutes. Then, before he could even get a clear look at his killer, his screen would be stained blood-red.


 A low-level alt with his combat power had practically no room to resist when facing a Nascent Soul stage expert.


 But, no matter how realistic this cultivation world was, it was still just an online game.


 No matter how furious "Shield of Zeus" was, he couldn't actually snatch The Kaleidoscopic Spirit Bloom from Qin Chuan's hands, nor could he truly kill Qin Chuan.


 He could only, time and time again, carry out this one-sided slaughter, killing Qin Chuan until he no longer wanted to log into the game.


 "Shield of Zeus" didn't just kill Qin Chuan; he also targeted "Peppermint Tea" and "Eight Whiskers." Whenever they were alone or in a wilderness map, he would hunt them down.


 He wasn't acting alone, either. Although "Shield of Zeus" didn't have the best reputation in the game, his combat power was undeniable. He had a group of friends from allied guilds, and the game was never short of people who fanned the flames and enjoyed the drama.


 In comparison, Qin Chuan's side only had three people. They were outnumbered and isolated, the difference in strength obvious at a glance.


 However, "Peppermint Tea" and the others weren't low-level alts that could be slaughtered at will. "Peppermint Tea" in particular had footwork and positioning slipperier than a loach; ordinary people couldn't kill him at all. Often, just as "Shield of Zeus" had whittled down half his health, "Peppermint Tea" would have already vanished without a trace.


 But this also meant "Peppermint Tea" and the others couldn't join random teams for quests anymore. Every time they joined a party, "Shield of Zeus" and his group would catch wind of it shortly after and arrive, directly enabling PK mode to harass their team. Many innocent players were dragged into it as a result.


 To avoid implicating innocent people, "Peppermint Tea" and the other two could only form their own party to do solo or three-person quests. This way, they invisibly lost out on a lot of experience and item drops. They often couldn't even get their full daily experience cap, making any increase in combat power out of the question.


 In a way, "Shield of Zeus's" goal was achieved.


 In his mind, after this happened a few times, "Peppermint Tea" and "Eight Whiskers" would soon get tired of sticking up for a low-level alt.


 They would either wash their hands of the matter or come to negotiate a truce.


 No one wanted to play a game just to have no peace, living every day in the thrilling fear of being hunted down at any moment.


 But "Shield of Zeus" had miscalculated.


 "Peppermint Tea" seemed to have started a game of hide-and-seek with him.


 Sometimes, he would deliberately go to a wilderness map to bait them into killing him, then use his slick footwork to run circles around them. Even if he was killed in the end, his pursuers had to pay a considerable price—not just by consuming lots of potions, but also by wasting a great deal of time.


 Many people couldn't afford to play like this. Soon, the number of people following "Shield of Zeus" to hunt them down dwindled significantly.


 At the same time, a post appeared on the official game forums.


 The title was "A Bloody Feud Sparked by a Kaleidoscopic Spirit Bloom."


 The post detailed the whole story of "Shield of Zeus" hunting Qin Chuan and his two friends. The author explained how "Shield of Zeus," green with envy after Qin Chuan rolled the rare item, had tried and failed to buy it for a price far below market value. Consequently, he had grown resentful, twisted the truth, and had been hunting the low-level account ever since.


 The direction of public opinion in the game quietly began to change.


 When Qin Chuan noticed this post and followed the in-game discussions to find it, the thread was already over a dozen pages long, with countless comments.


 The author used both images and text, the narrative was clear, and even the chat log of "Shield of Zeus" wanting to buy the item for ten thousand was posted.


 Although the poster claimed to be a random player who had been in the party at the time, Qin Chuan knew at a glance that his master must have written the post.


 Because he had only sent that chat log to "Peppermint Tea."


 The replies below were initially dominated by "Shield of Zeus" and his friends. Relying on their numbers, their comments once held the mainstream view. But gradually, as normal passersby joined in, the tone of the thread began to shift.


 More and more people read the post and told their friends in the game. The hype quickly flowed from the official forums back into the game. People who didn't know the truth before started to condemn "Shield of Zeus" for being too tyrannical. His combat power wasn't even number one on the server, yet his arrogance and dominance were second to none. Furthermore, players who had been dragged into the conflict and died undeservedly began to speak out one after another. The crowd's anger surged in wave after wave, growing ever higher.


 No matter how much "Shield of Zeus's" people insulted him, the author remained neither haughty nor humble, always polite and measured. This earned him the goodwill of many, and even those who didn't know the full story could see the clear contrast between the two sides.


 Just then, the server's third-ranked Nascent Soul stage high-combat-power player, "An Endless Stream," suddenly released an announcement. He claimed that he had successfully purchased The Kaleidoscopic Spirit Bloom, and from now on, anyone who continued to hunt the seller and "Peppermint Tea's" group of three over this matter would be making an enemy of him.


 The entire server was in an uproar.


 After equipping The Kaleidoscopic Spirit Bloom, "An Endless Stream's" combat power immediately surpassed the two players ahead of him, with whom the gap had already been small. He leaped to become the number one Nascent Soul stage expert on the server.


 The undisputed number one on the entire server.


 But "Peppermint Tea," staring at his screen, furrowed his brow at the announcement, feeling that something wasn't right.


 He opened the message window with his disciple and typed a line: What exactly is your relationship with An Endless Stream?


 His disciple, "Chuan Chuan," quickly replied: Why do you ask?


 Peppermint Tea: A lot of top players must have asked to buy the Spirit Bloom from you during this time. I'm sure some were willing to offer more than thirty thousand, yet you gave it only to An Endless Stream. That's one thing.


 Chuan Chuan: And the second?


 Peppermint Tea: Didn't you say you were a rich beauty? It doesn't make much sense for a rich beauty to play such a small alt and take all this abuse. But if you had a main account, that would make sense.


 This was clearly said in a half-joking tone.


 Chuan Chuan: You're so smart, Master.


 Receiving such a direct, affirmative answer, "Peppermint Tea" was actually stunned for a moment.


 He pressed on: You're not messing with me, are you?


 Just as he sent the message, he received a system notification: Player An Endless Stream has sent you a friend request.


 "Peppermint Tea" clicked the button to accept the request.


 The other party immediately sent a message: Master.


 In this game, there was only one person who would call "Peppermint Tea" Master.


 And that was his quiet and cute female disciple, "Chuan Chuan."


 The connection between the two accounts wasn't completely untraceable. Both had the character "Chuan" in their names.


 An account with such high combat power, covered in glittering, god-tier whale equipment, also seemed to fit his disciple's identity as a rich beauty.


 ...


 Qin Chuan waited and waited, but got no response from "Peppermint Tea."


 After he had called him Master, the other party had been silent.


 He waited for a long time, from afternoon until evening. The computer he used for gaming was on the entire time, but he still hadn't heard anything further from "Peppermint Tea."


 Qin Chuan thought that the other party was probably a little bothered by it after all.


 Anyone who suddenly learned that the disciple they had been protecting actually didn't need any protection would feel a bit uncomfortable.


 What's more, "Peppermint Tea" had opposed "Shield of Zeus's" group for his sake, getting hunted down every day, and even helping him post on the forums to clear his name. But in the end, as soon as "An Endless Stream" showed up, all the problems were solved effortlessly. This, in turn, made the loyalty of "Peppermint Tea" and "Eight Whiskers" seem a bit ridiculous.


 Qin Chuan didn't want to lose these two friends.


 In their circle, there were many fair-weather friends and many superficial acquaintances. Very few could be considered real bros, and even fewer were people he could confide in.


 Although the ethereal internet was faceless, it seemed, conversely, to reveal a more genuine side of human nature.


 After "Eight Whiskers" found out about his main account, he wasn't angry. Instead, maintaining his usual boisterous style, he joked with Qin Chuan, saying he would be clinging to his thigh from now on.


 Only "Peppermint Tea" remained silent.


 A huge clap of thunder boomed outside the window. Qin Chuan looked up.


 In the living room of the suite he was in, one wall was a massive floor-to-ceiling window that originally faced the sea, offering a superb view and boundless scenery.


 It was five in the afternoon, a time when it should still be light outside.


 But now, the sky had completely darkened, accompanied by the howling of the wind.


 The sea was invisible. Only in the far distance, a tiny light flickered, like a lighthouse in the sea, appearing and disappearing.


 Soon, even that speck of light was swallowed by the overwhelming darkness.


 After the last sliver of light vanished from the horizon, the world seemed to congeal into a giant block of blackness, enveloping all things within it, washing and baptizing them with a rainstorm, vowing not to rest until all filth was cleansed.


 The sudden downpour had no effect whatsoever on the people inside.


 But Qin Chuan discovered that his concern for "Peppermint Tea" seemed to surpass the normal care one would have for a gaming friend.


 Because he had his dedicated gaming computer on while working on another, but in the past two hours, he had glanced at the in-game message list more than ten times.


 Qin Chuan clicked his tongue and reached out, closing the lid of the gaming laptop.


 With a soft snap, it was out of sight, out of mind.


 The phone rang.


 "Buddy, there's a huge storm over there, my flight's delayed. I reckon I won't make it to tomorrow's opening ceremony. I'll definitely bring some Maotai to make it up to you next time. But no worries, I've prepared a gift for you today. It'll be delivered to your hotel room door at ten p.m. sharp!"


 The boisterous voice from the other end of the phone slightly distracted Qin Chuan from the game.


 If Qin Chuan had few friends he could truly confide in, then Shen Rui on the other end of the line was definitely one of them.


 Shen Rui's personality, style, and even his life trajectory were the complete opposite of his own. But the fact that two such people could get along so well, and even have a decent friendship, was an absolute miracle in the eyes of many in their circle.


 For this conference, Shen Rui had said early on that he would come to show his support. This phone call now obviously meant he couldn't make it.


 Qin Chuan raised an eyebrow. "Since when were you so well-mannered, even giving gifts?"


 Shen Rui laughed heartily. "Isn't this a case of 'the thought arrives even if the person can't,' to express my love for you? Don't worry, this one's definitely a surprise. It won't disappoint you, just you wait!"


 Given Shen Rui's constantly unpredictable behavior, Qin Chuan found it hard to believe that his so-called "surprise" would be his own.


 Just as he was about to say more, another huge thunderclap sounded outside, and the phone signal cut in and out before disconnecting completely.


 Qin Chuan had no idea that his master, at this very moment, was braving the storm, having just struggled back from the brink of death.

The Human Game

The Human Game

Chapter 9 - Chapter 9

Ember