Gamers Are Fierce-Chapter 684 - 682 Grudges

None of the players present were fools; they immediately understood this aspect. This was especially true since the System had specifically emphasized during the prompt that friendly fire immunity would be temporarily disabled. This meant players could attack, harm, kidnap, and extort each other, or even kill one another to ensure their own survival, without any restrictions—not even those normally imposed within a guild.

Most players promptly raised their weapons, warily watching each other. The atmosphere instantly became charged.

"The fourteen Supremes stood facing each other, their expressions menacing. With every move, it was as if the universe itself had just been born, chaotic forces surging, ready for a battle that would reach the desolate edges of the cosmos, shatter the Starry River, and obliterate the Grand Path."

A husky, deep, and powerful male voice narrated from a corner. When the players turned, they saw a man in a white lab coat wearing a Dragon Head Mask. He had cupped his hands around his mouth like a megaphone and was solemnly proclaiming, "I wonder which Supreme will ascend to become the Heavenly Emperor in this battle—to make flowers bloom with a single thought, reign supreme over all creation, and suppress every foe in the world!"

The other players stared, momentarily speechless.

Startled by this interruption, the players, who had been on the verge of open conflict, found the aggressive atmosphere unsustainable. They reluctantly lowered their weapons slightly.

"'The Supremes present have seemingly, by unspoken consensus, dispelled their hostility,' Li Ang intoned, maintaining a solemn expression and his robust, powerful voice. 'It is unknown whether this was achieved through subtle Divine Power Fluctuations or if they sensed enemies lurking in the Outer Realm, on the dark side of the Starry River.'"

The players present wore stiff expressions, but inwardly, they were all rolling their eyes.

A handsome man standing in the corner adjusted the gold-rimmed glasses on his nose. He sighed, took a rectangular metal card from his pocket, stepped forward, held up the card, and said, "Everyone, let's calm down for a moment. I am an Intelligence Analyst from the Special Affairs Bureau. You can call me Bai Haozheng.

This script mission is very strange. Not only are there many participants and a restriction against using summoned creatures, but the friendly fire immunity between players has also been disabled. Right now, we don't know the mission mode, the enemy types, or the clearance conditions. Given that we know nothing, it's unnecessary to treat other players as potential enemies—this isn't a deathmatch mission."

Intelligence Analyst?

Li Ang narrowed his eyes. Liu Wu Dai's voice, faint as a mosquito's buzz, reached his ears, confirming that this man was not an imposter but indeed a member of the Special Affairs Bureau.

This was a mixed blessing. The good news was that having an officially recognized Intelligence Analyst could offer considerable help with reasoning and solving puzzles for the vulnerable player team present. The bad news, however, was that the longer one interacted with this Intelligence Analyst, the more likely one was to expose minute details in their behavior and speech. It was possible that, through meticulous observation and a powerful information-gathering network, he could trace someone back to their real-world identity.

Tch. Li Ang nodded, his mind racing.

Perhaps it was the authority of the Special Affairs Bureau's official ID, or maybe the players present felt Bai Haozheng's words made sense. Either way, the players remained silent.

Seeing this, Bai Haozheng continued, "This script mission might be an irrational supernatural type. To dispel misunderstandings and hostility, why don't we all display our player nicknames first? I'll start."

A line of text appeared above his head: [Lv17][Yunyao·Bai Haozheng].

The so-called "irrational supernatural," also known on player forums as "unsolvable supernatural" or "fundamentalist supernatural," refers to a type of paranormal phenomenon that cannot be understood or communicated with through conventional means. It's less like a conscious entity and more like an "Aberration"—a natural phenomenon bound to specific objects or locations.

For example, "Ju-On."

The opposite of irrational supernatural phenomena are, naturally, those Ghosts and Evil Spirits born from the reincarnation of malevolent human souls. While also terrifying and powerful, they, unlike the former, retain human memories, emotions, and grievances. To some extent, they can be understood, communicated with, and even exploited.

For example, a certain Chaichai that had degenerated into a domesticated Shiba Inu.

Official classifications don't clearly distinguish between these two types of supernatural entities. However, the player community generally believes that fundamentalist supernatural entities are far more terrifying and difficult to deal with than rational ones. Still, one might have a fighting chance against evil spirits that have haunted for decades or centuries.

But if one were to step into a place dominated by a Ju-On... they might be dragged into darkness and vanish from the world without ever even knowing what the enemy looked like.

Bai Haozheng, having analyzed the external pressures, set an example by openly displaying his player information. The other players followed suit, revealing their nicknames.

The person wearing the Evil Spirit Mask was [Black Holy Son].

The burly, shirtless man was [Ghost of Hidden Eye].

The three players of African descent were [Danfei], [Bob], and [Kafei].

The one holding a snake staff and wearing a plague doctor mask was [Plague Doctor].

The East Asian girl in a Sailor uniform was [Yuyi Xinzhong].

The South American youth was [XZ13mark].

The one wearing a spherical fishbowl on their head and draped in a red robe had the most unique nickname: a single letter, [Ω] (Omega).

As everyone else displayed their IDs, Li Ang and his group naturally did the same.

Player nicknames couldn't be faked, and since everyone present had been teleported simultaneously, this measure likely prevented any Aberrations from disguising themselves as human and infiltrating the player group.

However... there were quite a few acquaintances in this script mission. He'd encountered Black Holy Son in a previous Abnormal World 3v3 mission. Back then, Li Ang and Little Brother Dao had teamed up. Just before leaving, they'd tricked the opposing side, nearly getting Black Holy Son killed. That had certainly created a grudge. Plague Doctor had been an ally during the Longheng Mall mission and the "Omagatoki" mission in the Japan Islands schools—definitely a familiar face. And Bob... judging by his appearance and nickname, it was almost certainly the same elderly black man, Bob, from the twisted fairytale script mission. Li Ang had tragically tricked him, leaving him with a Worm stuffed in his belly. It was surprising he'd even survived. Judging by his position, he was probably teamed up with the other two African players. Could it be that this script mission had gathered pre-selected teams from different guilds?

After Li Ang and his companions revealed their IDs, Plague Doctor glanced over and gave an almost imperceptible nod, signaling goodwill.

When Bai Haozheng saw Wanli Fengdao and Liu Wu Dai, both known to have Special Affairs Bureau backgrounds, he remained expressionless, pretending not to recognize them.

Black Holy Son and Bob, who were, in a sense, his enemies, showed no strong reaction upon seeing Li Ang's nickname, merely giving him a couple of extra glances.

It was unclear whether they had completely let go of past grudges or if, as Bai Haozheng had just said, the script mission had only just begun, and any scores could be settled slowly...

"Very well. Transparency and cooperation are crucial if we're to face this unsolvable supernatural threat and make it back alive," Bai Haozheng said with a faint smile. "The first phase objective is to enter the Dolphin Hotel. We've only been given a twenty-minute time limit. We have a little over ten minutes left. Why don't we use this time to quickly scout the hotel's surroundings before we go in?"