The middle-aged man smiled and found a chair to sit in. "You already have the answer in your hearts, don’t you?"
"Because of... that game?" Shen Xing said slowly.
The middle-aged man smiled and nodded.
"But... how can dying in the game affect reality?" Qin Lang still found it hard to accept.
"Then how do you explain monsters from the game showing up in reality?" the middle-aged man retorted.
Qin Lang was at a loss for words. He opened his mouth, but nothing came out.
"Alright, I’ll stop teasing you. You young men need to toughen up a bit."
The middle-aged man pulled a pack of cigarettes from inside his windbreaker, stuck one in his mouth, and began to explain:
"This is a completely real game. We don’t know where it came from, only that it involves a Power we can’t comprehend."
"Every so often, the game will randomly release a number of slots, and in different forms."
"For example, a pair of glasses, a helmet, or even an activation code can be your ticket into the game."
"So you aren’t an isolated case."
After a pause, he continued, "Now, about the game itself. The Skills, items, and equipment inside can all be brought into reality."
"You can even manifest Soldier Types from the game to fight for you in reality."
"By the same token, if your character dies in the game, your physical body will die as well."
"Not only that, but when players die in reality, they release a large amount of Fog, and there’s a certain probability that a monster from that world will be born."
"Although that Fog isn’t as potent as it is in the game, it will still render ordinary people unconscious instantly. Prolonged exposure can even lead to death."
"And the monsters from the game will indiscriminately slaughter ordinary people."
"For this reason, the country established the Anomaly Handling Bureau to deal specifically with these kinds of incidents."
"Do you all understand now?"
The three of them looked at each other, nodding and then shaking their heads.
"It’s fine if you don’t. You’ll have plenty of time to learn more about it later."
The middle-aged man pulled a few documents from his coat. With a flick of his wrist, the papers slid across the table to stop in front of the three of them. "Here, sign this agreement."
Shen Xing glanced at it. A line of conspicuous, bold black text was printed on the top of the document: Mist Reincarnation Pioneer Management Regulations.
Below it were dozens of articles listed out.
Among them were clauses stating that Pioneers were forbidden from abusing their abilities in public, disturbing social order, using their in-game abilities to commit crimes, and so on...
"Does everyone have to sign this?" Shen Xing asked.
"Correct." The middle-aged man nodded. "Anyone who has entered that game, as long as they are within the borders of Hua Country, must sign this agreement."
"Then can we quit? And not play this game anymore?" Qin Lang asked tentatively.
"Quit?" The middle-aged man gave a meaningful smile. "I’m afraid not. From the moment you entered the Land of Mist, the option to quit was no longer available."
"The monsters in the Fog will attack relentlessly, each wave stronger than the last, until your camp is completely destroyed."
"I don’t need to explain what that means, do I?"
The three’s faces turned ashen once again.
They understood. It was as if the moment they entered the game, they had stepped onto a path of no return.
The only way was to keep moving forward; otherwise, they would be utterly destroyed.
"So there’s no other way?" Qin Lang asked, still unwilling to give up hope.
"Of course there is."
The middle-aged man lit his cigarette and took a deep drag. "You just need to get stronger in the game. Strong enough to withstand the attacks of most monsters. Then you can survive."
The group rolled their eyes. ’What’s the difference between saying that and saying nothing?’
"Be more optimistic."
The middle-aged man chuckled reassuringly. "Look on the bright side. This is your chance to become Extraordinary. Most people never get an opportunity like this."
"The abilities you master and the Soldier Types you develop in the game can all be used in reality."
"Just like that Holy Light Spear I threw out earlier. Wasn’t that cool as hell?"
The three of them remained silent, but they felt a stir in their hearts.
After all, that was Extraordinary Power.
As people of the modern age, who hadn’t fantasized about possessing such power?
Although the price was the constant risk of death, at least...
Shen Xing reached out, picked up the pen on the table, and was the first to sign his name.
The other two hesitated for a moment before gritting their teeth and signing the agreement as well.
The middle-aged man nodded in satisfaction and spoke cheerfully, "Alright, business is done. If you have any other questions, feel free to ask."
"But don’t ask me for game guides or anything. You’ll get a text message on your phones in a bit."
"It’s a link to an internal forum set up by the Hua Country government. There are a lot of pioneering experiences shared by veterans on there, and plenty of highly-rated guides."
Shen Xing pondered for a moment before speaking up. "I have a question."
"Since this game is so dangerous and can even threaten public safety, why doesn’t the government ban it?"
"Good question."
The middle-aged man clapped his hands and continued, "You must have seen the recent news, right? All sorts of anomalous incidents are happening frequently around the world."
The three all nodded. They had seen such news on their phones.
It was just that at the time, it had all been covered up by various explanations from Experts. Now, they understood.
"In fact, this game appeared many years ago. No one currently knows how long it’s been active."
The middle-aged man explained slowly, "In the first few years, not many people came into contact with it, so the situation was still in a controllable state."
"As the number of Pioneers grew, deaths in the game led to frequent incidents of the Fog spreading in reality, which gradually caught the attention of the higher-ups in various countries."
"But because its slots are given out completely at random, with no discernible pattern, it’s impossible to control it at the source."
"Besides that, there’s another, more important reason."
His expression suddenly turned grim, and his voice dropped. "There are many Pioneers all over the world who have come into contact with this game, but the first batch to enter has already grown to an unimaginable level of power."
"Shattering mountains, splitting seas, and wiping out cities are not difficult for them."
"A few years ago, there was an incident where a top Pioneer from another country launched a cross-border attack, wiping an entire military base off the map."
"In the end, it was suppressed by all the world powers and publicly declared an earthquake."
"Today, every top-tier Pioneer is a strategic-level deterrent force."
"So it’s like nuclear weapons. Everyone knows the things are dangerous, but you can’t afford not to have them."
"If you don’t develop, others will be quietly developing on their own. If you ban it, other countries won’t."
Shen Xing nodded thoughtfully.
The game between nations was never just about overt military and economic confrontation.
Now, there was simply a supernatural battlefield that ordinary people couldn’t see.
After a pause, the middle-aged man’s tone softened a little. "Additionally, the country provides corresponding subsidies and support for excellent Pioneers."
"Including but not limited to materials, equipment, blueprints, Skill Books, and so on."
"If you can break through to Tier Two and formally enter the Extraordinary Domain, you can even join the Anomaly Handling Bureau and enjoy all sorts of benefits."
Hearing this, the three showed no reaction.
They hadn’t even figured out the game yet, let alone breaking through to Tier Two.
"Alright, all questions have been answered. You can go back now." The middle-aged man stood up and shook out his windbreaker.
"Go back... what about my friend?" Qin Lang asked, gesturing to Lu Xiang’s remains.
"There’s nothing to be done. It can only be treated as an accidental death." The middle-aged man glanced at the body on the floor. "Be more careful in your next life."
The three fell silent, a flash of grief on each of their faces.
They took a deep breath, composed themselves, and walked out of the private room.
Too much had happened today. They needed to go back and properly digest it all.
As Shen Xing was pushing his wheelchair toward the exit, he suddenly asked, "Sir, may I have your name?"
"Zhou Zheng," the middle-aged man answered curtly.
Shen Xing nodded slightly, then pushed his wheelchair out the door.
After the three had completely left the Sichuan Pavilion, the wooden door to the private room was pushed open again, and a tall, slender young woman in a black uniform walked in.
"Captain Zhou, the scene has been handled."
The woman flipped open the tablet in her hand to report. "All affected civilians have been sent to the hospital. The Fog has erased their memories, so there will be no social impact."
The middle-aged man called Zhou Zheng nodded slightly.
"Other than that, I have a question for you."
"Ask away."
The black-clad woman glanced around and said slowly, "With your strength, you could have easily manifested a Tier Two Extraordinary Level Soldier Type and instantly killed that Three-Star Lost One."
"Why waste a [Holy Light Spear] Scroll worth thirty thousand?"
Zhou Zheng took a deep drag from his cigarette. "Min, there are some things you shouldn’t ask so much about."
"The waters here run deep. You can’t handle it."
The black-clad woman gave him a thoughtful look, then began writing on her document with a pen. "So, I’ll just record that Captain Zhou, in order to show off in front of the rookies, deliberately wasted the team’s resources. How does that sound?"
The middle-aged man froze, the corner of his mouth twitching a few times.