Chapter 40

Chapter 40 – Sea Without Light 40

A cursory glance at the forum’s front page showed that posts related to Remover 233 only comprised a small portion of the content; players had their attention caught by the newly emerged Remover 777.

You need to read through each post one by one and investigate matters case by case. Kui Xin first opened her own thread.

The forum was filled with all sorts of miscellaneous and meaningless posts; some were nothing more than expressions of shock without any substantial information, making them reading unimportant. Threads with high reply counts often contained numerous discussions or analyses, which were precisely what Kui Xin needed to look over.

The hottest thread had over five hundred replies.

Title: “Beware Remover 233!!! The first time they kill someone might be explained as an accident or coincidence, but what about the second time? I have reason to believe they are deliberately targeting players for hunting!”

Such an invigorating title… It seemed that many players shared this view in the community.

The first time could be a coincidence, but what about the second time? Too many coincidences would be hard to explain. Furthermore, Kui Xin’s status was extremely sensitive—she was the first Remover whose number was exposed on the forum, the first player to kill a fellow game participant. Most players had never even shed blood, let alone killed anyone similar before.

Kui Xin clicked into the thread to read the replies.

First post: All I have to say is in the title. Don’t expect any sympathy from me, right?

Reply 1 (1L): You’re right, I think the same way too.

Reply 2 (2L): My mom always taught me to give people the benefit of the doubt, but I guess I need to change that. Honestly, when we discussed Remover 233 previously, I thought this player might have a good reason for killing. No normal person would kill, right? Now, I get slapped in the face.

Reply 3 (3L): I’ve been thinking that everyone has the potential to do evil. People sometimes call me selfish and dark, but I know why—it’s because there are demons out there, and I fear experiencing those terrible fates myself someday. That’s why I tend to see the worst in others.

Reply 4 (4): In a sense, this is also about having strong awareness of dangers and self-defense. It might make these people more tired, but they may live longer than others.

Reply 5 (5L): Between living a hard life and living longer, I’d choose the latter.

Reply 6 (6L): Who wouldn’t want to live longer?

Reply 7 (7L): Why does Remover 233 kill people?

Reply 8 (8L): Isn’t it obvious? For Extraordinary Abilities, surely. This Proxy must have exposed themselves, and Remover 233 snatched the opportunity to kill them.

Reply 9 (9L): How can Remover 233 identify a player within just three days? How did they do that?!

Reply 10 (10L): I’m also wondering how Remover 233 pinpointed another player among so many. Was it simple coincidence, or do they possess special tracking skills? It’s frightening. We’ve been away from the real world for just three days.

Reply 11 (11L): I’m planning to quit my job in the big city and move to the countryside. I’ll submit my resignation tomorrow. In cities, encountering a Remover seems more likely. In rural areas, where populations are sparse and neighbors are familiar with one another, things might go better. At least, I won’t starve.

Reply 12 (12L): It’s like cutting off your hand… But I don’t think it’s necessary. There are so many people in the world.

Reply 13 (13L): Perhaps my avoidance plays a part. Returning home lets me care for parents and avoid danger. I think it’s worth it.

Reply 14 (14L): Don’t go back! Rural areas might have lots of vegetation, but if you’re buried in the wilderness, no one will find your body for years.

Reply 15 (15L): Many players are already thinking of retreats… This might not be necessary. We’re far away from any authorities; we don’t even know which country Remover 233 is from.

Reply 16 (16L): What if there are multiple Removers? What’s the ratio of Removers to Proxies? Only one Remover has been reported on the forum so far. That doesn’t mean there’s only one in every ten thousand players. More Removers might still be unreported because they haven’t killed anyone yet.

Reply 17 (17L): It’s like playing werewolf in the real world. Wolves hide among us, ready to take us down at any moment.

Clearly, when this thread started, Remover 777 hadn’t killed anyone yet. The open Remover was only Kui Xin, and the focus of the forum discussion was solely on her. No one could prove there were multiple Removers.

The player from Reply 11 wanted to return to their hometown to escape danger. This sparked considerable agreement from other players. However, most weren’t seriously considering going back to their hometowns; they were discussing how to stay hidden from Removers in modern society.

Players intensely debated methods of staying hidden for dozens of posts. Kui Xin skimmed quickly until Reply 89, where meaningful information reappeared.

Reply 89 (89L): Excuse me, is there any player from Jingchu who’s working on a regional quest? I’m from Jingchu, and I received a failed task alert. At the time, I couldn’t check the forum properly, so I don’t know when the killing notice for Remover 233 was posted. Anyone know?

Reply 90 (90L): What? Are you suggesting Remover 233 completed the regional quest?

Reply 91 (91L): No way, someone really took the quest!

Reply 92 (92L): No misunderstanding, taking the quest isn’t dangerous, but completing it is. They can leave the task undone; it won’t result in punishment.

Reply 93 (93L): Not doing a quest? I did not see that coming!

Reply 94 (94L): Let’s get back to the point: Do we think the death announcement for Remover 233 came with the regional quest failure announcement from Jingchu? If so, then the quest executor was Remover 233, and the Proxy killed, 1286, is the criminal Fang Zhi that authorities are offering a reward for.

Reply 95 (95L): Damn, so Remover 233 was a hero?

Reply 96 (96L): Thinking big, maybe Remover 233 is in Jingchu! Searching online, I found Fang Zhi escaped to Tonglin City. The hunt narrows! Remover 233 could be in Tonglin City!

Reply 97 (97L): Is Remover 233 from Tonglin City, or did they chase Fang Zhi there?

Reply 98 (98L): What a plot twist! I can picture a two-hour crime action film here! Isn’t this more exciting than Hollywood movies?

Reply 99 (99L): Even if we can’t lock down Tonglin City, could we at least narrow it down to Jingchu? The range has already shrunk a lot!

Reply 126 (126L): Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Other key information has yet to be revealed. Whether the task failure and death announcements coincide depends on the testimony of an insider.

Reply 127 (127L): Main poster still around? What format is the task failure message? Would other players receive the same message if a region-based task was completed by someone else?

Reply 128 (128L): Yes. The system says, “Detection identifies target as deceased, and another player within the area has preemptively completed the task.”

Reply 129 (129L): Finding someone like that is tough. A lot of players might initially reject the task out of instinct, not knowing they can ignore failing the task or get a notification.

Reply 130 (130L): Waiting for someone who knows the exact details.

Reply 131 (131L): Waiting.

Reply 250 (250L): I’m a witness. I took the task and followed the forum. I can confirm the task failure and death notifications were simultaneous. As soon as I got the failure, I refreshed the page, and the updated death list became the top post… I rule out the possibility of coincidence. Remover 233 must have finished the region task and killed Fang Zhi.

Reply 251 (251L): Damn.

Reply 252 (252L): Holy cow.

Subsequent posts were flooded with expressions of surprise, causing Kui Xin to frown slightly.

Reply 320 (320L): With what purpose did Remover 233 kill Fang Zhi? To complete a mission? For Extraordinary Abilities? Or perhaps… justice?

Reply 321 (321L): A reversal; Remover 233, a hero bringing justice?

Reply 322 (322L): No way, are you trying to whitewash him? Just because he killed a murderer? Maybe that murder victim happened to interfere with his plans, but that doesn’t make him a hero, especially considering he killed two players!

Reply 323 (323L): If he’s truly justice, why didn’t he report it instead of killing directly?

Reply 324 (324L): Frankly… I don’t think our police can handle a possibly superhuman criminal. Fang Zhi killed so many and evaded capture, he isn’t weak. He might have incredibly powerful abilities. Normal people face no chance. So, Remover 233’s actions save our police.

Reply 325 (325L): Unexpectedly… what Remover 233 did could be considered a form of good, in a roundabout way.

Reply 326 (326L): The world changes too fast; I struggle to keep up.

Reply 327 (327L): I’m in Jingchu, working here but not originally from here. I rejected a regional task notification. But now, I hadn’t thought Remover 233 could be from Jingchu. No point in staying; I’ll resign immediately and return to my hometown nearby. My advice to all: Stay out of trouble and don’t count on luck.

Reply 328 (328L): Good luck to you.

Reply 359 (359L): Given that Remover 233 is in Jingchu, can’t we find and eliminate them?

Reply 360 (360L): Are you insane?

Reply 361 (361L): If you want to die, go yourself.

Reply 362 (362L): Go on, whoever kills Remover 233 will be hailed as a hero; a week of glorious tales will follow.

Reply 363 (363L): Don’t exaggerate. Remover 233 has killed two players. They likely possess multiple powers. It’s suicide to approach.

Reply 426 (426L): Wrote a long analysis of Remover 233’s character despite not being a psychology expert. Given their actions in the game, much can be inferred about their character.

One, they have a steady mind. Normal people experience psychological discomfort after killing. Even soldiers or police need extensive counseling, or severe consequences can arise. Yet, Remover 233 killed in-game and again in reality with a short gap between events, showcasing remarkable stability. This could be seen as tough-mindedness or cold-heartedness.

Two, decisive and highly effective. From the release of the regional task until Fang Zhi was killed, it took several days. Remover 233 found and eliminated Fang Zhi, demonstrating extreme resolve and high execution efficiency. It’s plausible Fang Zhi fled to Tonglin City precisely to avoid Remover 233’s pursuit.

Three, confident. Actively engaged, Remover 233 is bold. How many players from Jingchu dared to accept tasks, and among them, how many went through with it? Most are ordinary folk, fighting ordinary opponents, let alone possible combat against a superhuman criminal. Yet, not only did Remover 233 accept the task, they completed it too, showing supreme confidence. They knew Fang Zhi posed no threat, equipped with formidable strength, which allowed their fearless stance.

Most importantly, knowing the forum would announce their murders, Remover 233 took the risk anyway. Why was he so confident? Because he held absolute power. They fear nothing—no scorn for being labeled an adversary, no worry over identity exposure or pursuit. All who challenge him merely contribute targets.

I even suspect the death announcement was intended as a show of power, a provocation or warning… He warns us—to avoid crossing him.

He warns us—don’t provoke his wrath.