Chapter 234

Chapter 234: The Two Ends of the Scale 15

Like most players, Augus did not foresee that this game would bring such a huge impact to the world and the players who participated in the game. He had an unspoken intuition that his life would change because of this game.

He lurked on the forum and read numerous threads but found little comfort; most players were also in a state of confusion, which was only partially alleviated when they entered the game. They participated in the game, yet they also stepped into a new world teeming with danger.

The first week after entering the game was filled with black screens, unexplored and unreadable memories.

However, in the week after returning to real life, his memories became clearer.

Right after returning, Augus rushed to the forum to check the posts. The news about “Remover 233 kills Proxy” sent a wave of shock through him. This realization cooled down his prideful feeling after entering that world instantly. He felt like he lost, lost to Remover 233.

Others were crazier than him, and others were stronger than him. He had killed several people but was shocked to learn that another player garnered significant attention for killing. This ignited his curiosity, as he considered them to be of the same kind. With a strong urge to know more about this player causing major disturbances, he made a resolution— he could not let himself lose to Remover 233’s achievements.

For every person Remover 233 killed, he intended to kill twice as many, surpassing Remover 233’s name and reputation.

Killing ordinary people held no meaning; it was only through killing other players that the action would be reported on the forum.

Augus began searching for his own prey.

Ox had an advantage in that he already possessed Extraordinary Abilities: “Mark of Strong Enemies” and “Mental Command.” At this moment, one ability was at level E and the other at level D.

Through “Mark of Strong Enemies,” he had luckily found a target with Extraordinary Abilities. In his vision, the light emanating from the target clearly distinguished them from normal people. This capable target led him to another, this target being friends with a player who was part of the game “Crimson Soil.”

He spent a considerable amount of time tracing the targets and understood their activity patterns and living locations. Finally, he decided on his move, aiming for something more interesting and attempting to test out his abilities.

Utilizing “Mental Command,” Augus controlled the target with Extraordinary Abilities. Due to the sheer disparity in ranks, the target could not resist. Then, he made the controlled player personally kill their friend, watching them suffer, before finally finishing them off himself.

As the system alert flashed, Augus trembled with excitement.

How would they evaluate him on the forum? Would it be fear, worship, or curses?

Without waiting to test his newly acquired E-grade “Material Reorganization,” he opened his mobile phone and checked the forum. To his surprise, information on the killings by Remover 233 had already been released hours ago, and at that moment, he was busy scoping out the area, thus missed these updates.

He was once again one step behind Remover 233.

Augus’ face darkened instantly, and the police were already surrounding him. With his Extraordinary Abilities, the gunshots were nearly silent, making it almost impossible for ordinary people to harm him.

Indeed, he walked out unscathed, the affected police officers standing in stunned silence, oblivious to his departure.

Once again transitioning between worlds left his memory blank.

Then he returned to the First World and was much more composed this time, having upgraded his abilities and killing players in the Second World.

With loot from robberies, he left his previous life and wandered the cities, following clues and traces online to find potential preys.

He became like a keen wolf that truly located several heedless players, some who had already awakened.

But he did not kill them; instead, he interrogated their activities in the Second World and imprisoned them, awaiting the return date.

Again, transitioning, returning, and those under his captivity, a few died suddenly, some changed their mental states subtly…

Augus ignored those still alive.

Soon, players第二批内测的消息传来，他在 Second World 完成了任务，获得了个人称号…此称号名为“背叛者。”

He used this title to open a personal section alongside the Black Snake’s, and posted a recruitment ad, inviting any Removers to join his group.

Sure enough, Remover 233 contacted him, despite the initial language barrier.

During this week after returning, Augus continued his wandering and capturing endeavors. He even controlled an ordinary player, instructing them to post on forums under the guise of recruiting teammates to collect personal information. Once information was confirmed, Augus would intercept and control those players.

As before, he didn’t kill them but kept them confined.

Transition.

Return.

The players trapped by Augus, a few more died directly. Some experienced a shift in their mental states.

Augus’s abilities had grown much stronger.

He casually demonstrated his Extraordinary Ability “Material Reorganization” in the outskirts, reshaping matter at his will. Touching a large tree’s bark, it instantly disintegrated into dust, and within seconds, the whole tree was gone. When used on living things, the ability yielded similar positive outcomes; it operated at the atomic level, allowing Augus to annihilate or rearrange anything he touched.

Routine work resumed.

Interacting with other Removers on the forum, locating players, imprisoning and interrogating them, awaiting transitions back to the Second World.

Exchange of thoughts with other Removers was entertaining; Augus enjoyed such interactions.

In his personal section, there were eight Removers total.

Unfortunately, the Removers sharing his interests were few.

Of the four Removers among the第一批玩家测试，

Remover 4 was reckless and foolish, with a weak mind.

Remover 5116 was overly cautious and weak; Augus advised him to kill someone to elevate his abilities, but he firmly rejected the idea. There was no trace of him on the forum.

Remover 9908, while mentally stable, had never done anything substantial and remained a nonentity on the forum.

Only 233 numbered Remover intrigued Augus.

Of the第二批测试玩家，

Remover 10050 had bad luck, captured just two weeks into the game, losing contact with Augus. Though fortunate to have survived, his future looked grim.

Remover 12345 was a coward, who stayed silent since entering the forum, ignoring Augus’s messages. But Augus did not want to kick him out of the section, confirming him as a genuine Remover.

Remover 58691 would not kill and was similarly a coward.

Remover 99660 seemed to protect himself first, acting like a startled bird, incapable of any actions.

Augus’s interest lay primarily with Remover 233, with whom he conversed frequently, receiving timely responses. Most importantly, she matched his intellectual level perfectly. Privately, Augus firmly believed that Remover 233 was his destined rival.

Augus’s work of arresting and confining players lasted until last week’s return.

Remover 9908 finally seemed determined to break through and reached out via the forum, proposing a trade transaction.

The terms of the deal were simple: Augus provided a player with flesh regeneration abilities to 9908, and in return, 9908 would help Augus infiltrate a secret Federation research facility to harvest abilities. According to 9908, this facility housed various experimental subjects whose Extraordinary Abilities were invaluable and a significant asset of the Federation.

Augus was enticed and sealed the deal after negotiation.

During the week, the appearance of Dark Realms caught everyone off guard.

Tonglin City became a hub for players. While it wasn’t the only instance globally, the Chinese player population was the largest, most dense, and most cohesive, leading many to congregate there.

The other two Dark Realms occurring abroad seemed deserted, one in a war zone and another in chaotic Latin America.

After Remover 4’s death, Augus pondered deeply. He had a nagging desire to enter Tonglin City, where the player count was greater. Important intelligence indicated Remover 233 might be there as well.

Returning from another trip through the realms, the time had come to this week.

He captured a Heterogeneous Blooded individual and planned his route into Tonglin City.

Yet, his purpose changed.

Not a transaction, nor confrontation with Remover 233, but…making a choice.

“Red Gem and Blue Gem, which do you choose?” he murmured, his head bowed. “Is this truly a choice, or a trap?”

…

Kui Xin broke free from Augus’s memories, drenched in cold sweat and a throbbing temple, unable to rest, rushing to make sense of everything.

A crucial piece of information surfaced: Augus had an organization backing him in the Second World.

He worked on behalf of a larger group that continuously provided him with Extraordinary Abilities to take.

His practice of not killing captured players immediately but gathering their information and tracking their movements in the Second World suggested the organization could use these details to lock onto players.

They screened the players, brainwashing the useful ones and disposing of the others.

Augus’s provision of information brought him rewards, Extraordinary Abilities, explaining why his prowess grew significantly each time he returned.

He had access to sources beyond just himself — his organization provided essential insights, explaining how he managed such accuracy in targeting multiple players.

Whoever controlled such a powerful organization must be formidable — Federation, Secret Cult, or even Mechanized Dawn?

Unbelievable as it might seem, the Federation had the capacity and perhaps, the need to recruit Augus. However, would they truly rely on him when they had the ability to clear players themselves?

Augus might not be so easily controlled unless his organization played a pivotal role in controlling him…

For now, discovering the identity of Augus’s backing organization was crucial.

His goal in heading to Tonglin City would be the next piece of critical intelligence.

Kui Xin judged that Augus likely knew partial truths about the Dark Realms’ emergence.

Memory readings displayed first-person perspectives — she could see and feel the emotions but couldn’t directly understand the thoughts.

From her standpoint, she only saw Augus thinking deeply alone before deciding to go to Tonglin City, without insight into his internal dialogue during that period.

Kui Xin steadied her breath and quietly left the room.

On her way, she used Data Manipulation to pinpoint Augus’s location, finding him on a highway heading towards Tonglin City, likely having commandeered a driver.

It was now three in the morning.

Kui Xin hastened to meet Yu Hansue.

She planned to depart for Tonglin City early tomorrow morning.