Chapter 74

Chapter 74: Artificial Souls (Part 1)

After posting, Kui Xin did not waste time waiting for replies. She exited the post and opened another thread titled “Announcement of Deceased Player List.”

She scrolled down to the bottom to view the death toll on August 9th.

As expected, the deaths on August 9th were several times more than the total from August 3rd to 8th. The list was long, with numbers of deaths that seemed unbelievable. From the 3rd to the 5th, there were fewer casualties, but on the 6th, the deaths spiked noticeably before exploding on the 9th.

Kui Xin surmised that this surge was due to actions taken by the federal government and certain organizations. Around June 6th, they started implementing a capture plan. After arrests, the players divulged significant information under interrogation, revealing their return cycles and game mechanics. Knowing that many would come back on August 9th, some players might leak this, prompting retaliation—eliminate them before they returned to the First World.

Only dead players could keep secrets.

Kui Xin’s heart sank.

The pressure to survive weighed heavily on everyone. As one of the first batch of beta testers, everything was unknown; they were explorers of a new world. If batches of new testers were released later, following guidance from previous waves, they should fare better in hiding.

Several lines in the death list from the 3rd to 8th garnered Kui Xin’s attention:

Just as the game administration posted about Zejian’s death through Kui Xin last time, someone else was reported killed this time, and there were multiple instances.

“Proxy 7980 number was killed by Remover 233 on August 6th.”

This report was unsurprising as it pertained to her own incident. However, the next line caught her eye—

“On August 6th, Proxy 5122 number was killed by Remover 777.”

Remover 777 managed to kill a player on the same day, making the narrative convoluted and complex. Kui Xin’s eyes narrowed as she read further.

“On August 9th, Proxy 6803 number was killed by Remover 777.”

“On August 9th, Proxy 9689 number was killed by Remover 777.”

“On August 9th, Proxy 612 number was killed by Proxy 129.”

Surprisingly, Remover 777 was mentioned three times in the reports.

On the most deadly day, August 9th, Proxy 129 eliminated another proxy.

This Remover 777 must have a critical identity. How did he gather so much information and succeed in his kills? Was he after supernatural abilities?

If Remover 777 wasn’t a psychopathic murderer, and if he valued his life, then such frequent killings in such a short period were questionable.

Drawing parallels, did Remover 777, like herself, have hidden motives?

Locating three players within seven days suggested Remover 777 was either an exceptional hacker or had significant backing from a group. Yet, even knowing identities wasn’t enough; planning the attacks and escaping the Investigation Bureau required precise coordination.

Reflecting on these complexities, Kui Xin returned to the homepage.

Apart from the deceased player list, no other official posts filled the forum.

Scanning the newer threads below,

Her warning post already had 200+ comments within five minutes and was still climbing. Anxiety spread among players, initiating numerous discussions centered around her initial post.

Speculations about Remover 233 and Remover 777 ran wild.

“Were Remover 233 and Remover 777 trying to see who could kill the most players? Could they actually know each other?”

Some replied: It’s unlikely; the likelihood they recognize each other is only slightly higher than a meteor hitting Earth.

“Aren’t Remover 233 and 777 the only ones whose IDs have surfaced online? What about the others?”

Someone commented that exposing IDs was now suicide unless you were extraordinarily skilled.

“If Remover 777 got his info by targeting native residents rather than NPCs, then Remover 233 and 777 must be outlaws,” someone remarked.

Another person speculated whether those two were mentally unstable.

A user noted that some claimed Remover 777 wouldn’t continue killing to hide their identity, but they were wrong. There was no sign of stopping.

Old posters shared thoughts before Kui Xin’s warning, but the forum changed focus after her warnings.

Threads with Remover mentions declined while fear-driven posts grew in volume. Some players even began documenting final messages.

Amidst this, a fresh thread grabbed her attention.

“Speculating, could Remover 233 and Remover 777 be affiliated with government agencies?”

Someone opined that it was plausible, noting players had taken diverse roles. Thus, a government agent crossing over wasn’t impossible.

Others discussed the difficulties and risks involved, questioning if government officials hunting players made logical sense.

One recalled a sci-fi scenario where humans create artificial souls, only to use them for hunting their own kind.

A commenter argued against romanticizing such actions, insisting fairness mattered.

The discussion took a serious turn.

An anonymous poster added that Remover 233’s revelations implied a federal role, though they could be misinterpreting intentions.

One responded, “Whether it is safe or not, he is risking exposure to expose the truth for others’ safety.”

Someone urged deletion of this dangerous speculation.

Deletion debates ensued regarding the poster’s safety.

Finally,

The thread was erased.

Kui Xin exhaled deeply, opening her own post. Comments had surged past 400. The debate continued.

One commenter raged at players’ exposures.

Another expressed disbelief at such quick captures by the Federation.

Someone else pointed out mutual distrust among players.

A valuable comment emphasized vigilance against pervasive tracking tech in the Second World.

In conclusion, paranoia rose with concerns over potential traitors leaking critical data.

Yet, others encouraged solidarity against inevitable threats, warning that one slip could endanger all.