Su Ming’an sat on the chair, staring at [Estimated Lifespan: 20 years], organizing his thoughts.
First of all, this instance is divided into the present world and the ga.
By advancing the main storyline in the ga, the black mist of the present world can be dispelled. If one lacks the ability to advance the main storyline, behaviors like conversing with NPCs and completing side quests in the ga can also earn Dream Patrol Spirit Points, a large amount of which can also dispel the black mist of the present world.
So, many mbers of the Dream Patrol Family will continue to enter the ga even if they cannot clear the first Chapter. Even completing just one side quest can dispel a little bit of the black mist in the present world, even if it’s insignificant.
But if Su Ming’an doesn’t clear [Chapter One - White Lotus Doomsday], then Chapter Two will never appear, and the side quests in Chapter One will eventually be completed. Once the speed of the black mist’s spread exceeds the speed at which Dream Patrol mbers complete the side quests, humanity is dood.
"A tug-of-war..." Su Ming’an grasped a 2B pencil, writing down this term on the practice book.
——In other words, clearing a Chapter in Dream Patrol is equivalent to a perfect pass in the world ga. Advancing side quests in Dream Patrol is like ordinary players saving up for the progress bar of human survival points.
"It really is like the world ga." Su Ming’an put down the pencil: "I must first find the main quest target—Su Luoluo."
Having clarified his thoughts, he stood up and pulled open the heavy curtains of the room.
As soon as he opened the curtains, he was startled by the scene outside.
He originally thought that he was in a modern-style room, so the scenery outside should also be of a modern city. But looking outside, it was filled with unfinished buildings and ruins. Steel bars and broken cars were piled like trash. A few tall buildings could be faintly seen, but most were bombed-out buildings, with extending steel pipes swaying like iron birds.
Groups of two or three people walked cautiously on the road, carefully avoiding the broken bricks and holding black bread in their arms.
This place looked like a post-war city, with broken wine bottles, bombed-out cars, scattered bullets, and shell craters everywhere.
People’s expressions were sowhat numb, focusing only on the bread in their arms, in a state of hopelessness for life.
"Anjiang, according to online information, this place you are in is indeed a war zone." The wristband Du said: "This city’s na is Dao Ya City. An Exotic Species has taken root in this city, and the military is incapable of eliminating it, so it has beco an area abandoned by the governnt. People often die in this city, and this situation has persisted for several years."
"Why don’t they escape?" Su Ming’an said. If an Exotic Species is rooted in the city, why don’t people flee?
"Anjiang, have you heard of siege warfare?" Du said: "Throughout human history, there have been many brutal siege battles. Because the army cannot eradicate this Exotic Species, and doesn’t want it to harm other cities, they have besieged this city, not letting anyone out. People living in this city can only rely on airdrops and scavenging to survive. The land is also very barren, and without external trade, even farming will leave them hungry."
"...Is that so?" Su Ming’an said.
It seems this city has already beco an abandoned city. To put it nicely, it’s "the army has laid siege, waiting for a chance to evacuate the residents," but to put it badly, it’s "the residents of this city are left to fend for themselves, and the army won’t rescue them anymore."
So the Exotic Species really is this terrifying—the humans would rather sacrifice a city to contain it here and not let it out.
Moreover, with the city’s residents as food, why would the Exotic Species roam around? It’s more like the Exotic Species has been kept in this city, like keeping a pet, except the food for the Exotic Species is "Dao Ya City’s humans."
Su Ming’an had a preliminary glimpse of the darkness of this world.
Feeding humans to the Exotic Species, hoping it won’t leave the city, is just like... live human sacrifices in primitive tis. Obviously, technological developnt has reached a modern level, yet it’s taking a backward step in history.
"I must find a way to kill this Exotic Species." Su Ming’an thought.
However, Exotic Species are like ghosts, only encountered at specific tis. He can only wait for it to co to him.
He took a step back, his elbow hitting the radio button, and a crackling sound erged, followed by a news broadcast:
"Old Day 827th year, February 3rd, sunny, here to report today’s news."
"At eight o’clock this morning, the Human Self-Rescue Alliance made a statent, declaring that humans’ destiny does not belong to deities and welcoming the ambitious to join the alliance in resistance. The Union Governnt strongly condemned this irreverent act against deities. We believe that human destiny has been destined by the great deities, and those who attempt to defy it will never reincarnate."
"At ten thirty this morning, the Anti-Destiny Alliance again expressed negative comnts, claiming ’only in death can one glimpse the truth’ and stated their large-scale slaughter in Nita City was to save the people. The Holy Alliance Army has gone to suppress the Anti-Destiny Alliance, and the deities will protect Their people, not letting absurd statents bewilder the public."
"The Believer Ship, during its voyage passing through Uthers Glacier, fortunately did not make any navigation errors and arrived at the port a few hours ago."
"The number of Dream Patrol Family mbers is increasing, with registrations reaching four hundred and seventy million. The Dream Patrol business is flourishing, which represents a good developnt."
"..."
"Urgent news! Urgent news!"
At this point, the broadcaster’s voice suddenly beca hurried:
"According to the latest Dream Patrol progress ranking, [Ga: Louyue Nation]’s [Chapter One - White Lotus Doomsday] was cleared by an anonymous Dream Patrol Family mber at noon, breaking through a year’s stagnation in human ga progress. Currently, twenty-four independent governnts have issued statents offering high rewards aiming to recruit this anonymous Dream Patrol Family mber. Among them, the Nee Democratic Union and Weina Republic have expressed a willingness to offer any terms to this Dream Patrol Family mber..."
Su Ming’an listened to the broadcast, suddenly realizing that he seed to have done sothing that shocked the world.
He opened his smartphone, and the top trending topic was #Breaking! Anonymous Dream Patrol mber Clears Chapter One#. The top ten trending topics were all about this: #White Lotus Doomsday Cleared#, #Union Governnt Yvette Obeys Destiny#, #Lamb of the Deity· Yvette#, #World-wide Search for Number One Dream Patrol mber#.
Wherever he looked, there were reports on this matter.
He randomly opened one, and it was a continuously refreshing forum.
[Clock Tower: The Dream Patrol Family ranking is going to change drastically^^]
[Dream Patrol Elves: This new ’Number One Dream Patrol Family mber’ must be His Highness Bivis of the Lairo Empire! Only he has the qualification!]
[Yaji Yang Hao: Why would the ’Number One Dream Patrol Family mber’ stay anonymous? Is he a very famous Dream Patrol Family mber deliberately concealing his na? I don’t think it’s a newcor.]
[Longevity Soup: Does anyone rember the Eldest Prince’s face? Why can’t I rember it?]
[Yuqing: ’The Number One Dreamwalker Family’ must have possessed the Eldest Prince, he must be an Eligible. If his true identity is discovered, he’ll never have peace in his life. Who wouldn’t want the blood of an Eligible?]
[Kang Yu: But that’s illegal...]
[Virus Killer: Law? In front of big shots, what does that count for? Once this anonymous Dreamwalker Family’s real identity is discovered, there’s only a path of death!]
...
Su Ming’an furrowed his brow slightly.
The more he read, the more these comnts seed familiar. It was just like the old bullet-screen debates on "who exactly is the Number One Player".
He put away his phone and put on the "Wang Han’s Human Skin Mask".
"Ding Dong!"
[You have put on "Wang Han’s Human Skin Mask". In this instance, when you wear this item, you will beco the original host "Su Wensheng".]
...
Su Ming’an understood. The original host’s na was Su Wensheng. Only when wearing the mask was he the original host. Without the mask, he was Su Ming’an in his true form.
He still didn’t quite understand what the original host did. He appeared to be just an ordinary student? Compared to Qin Wang, Su Rin, and Acto, utterly unremarkable.
He left the room and was t with a simply furnished living room.
A checkered cloth dining table, four chairs in pale yellow wood, a light bulb hanging from a long wire, and bright white tiles on the floor with a shoe cabinet in the corner holding several pairs of slippers.
Su Ming’an looked around. This ho was about ninety square ters. It had a style from the early 2000s, with plain white walls and light bulbs that had to be pulled to "click" on.
"Ring ring ring—" At that mont, the phone rang. Su Ming’an glanced at the screen, it was [Xia Jiawen (Note: horoom teacher)].
"Hello?" Su Ming’an answered.
"Is this Su?" A gentle voice: "I couldn’t get through to you before. Have you thought about what we discussed earlier?"
"What?" Su Ming’an asked.
"Don’t beco a Dreamwalker." Xia Jiawen said: "I know young people are passionate. You told before you really want to beco a Dreamwalker, but I truly believe your family background and personality are not suitable for it. I’ve seen many people, so students are obstinate about becoming Dreamwalkers and their final outcos were... regrettable."
Su Ming’an turned back and looked at the helt on the bed. It seed the original host didn’t listen to the teacher’s advice and still chose to beco a Dreamwalker.
"I understand," Su Ming’an didn’t argue. The horoom teacher didn’t know he had beco a Dreamwalker anyway.
"That’s good." Xia Jiawen was pleased: "Su, let say a few more words. You know—human negative emotions are a power source for Exotic Species. Dreamwalkers are exposed to many people’s views. Even when they feel terrible, they can’t show it. Even if they break down, they have to force a smile, or else they’ll spread negative emotions to many people.
"Su, you are outstanding in your studies, enough to beco a stable civil servant, I have high hopes for you, I don’t want you to beco a Dreamwalker and have your every move watched, this world is too harsh on Dreamwalkers. Besides, you have your grandma and father at ho, you are their only hope, please don’t take risks."
"Okay, teacher," Su Ming’an replied perfunctorily.
"That’s good. Rember to attend the class in the afternoon. You’ve already skipped two days, even though it’s the warti now, learning shouldn’t fall behind," Xia Jiawen said.
"Oh." Su Ming’an said.
—Only then did he realize the other role of being a Dreamwalker.
Entertainnt.
After hanging up, Su Ming’an stared at his phone, wordless.
Du said: "Anjiang, in a sense, Dreamwalkers are also a kind of online strear, they’re essentially playing a ga. They also have live broadcast rooms and bullet screens. Humans have already researched a thod to negate people’s negative emotions—by concentrating most of the negative emotions onto a few people."
"Concentrated onto a few people?" Su Ming’an repeated.
"Yes. Because negative emotions make Exotic Species stronger. So if one person can accept the negative emotions of many, using one person’s pain to offset that of many—that’s the best way to reduce negative emotions," Du said: "So even if there’s malice from viewers in the live broadcast, Dreamwalkers can’t help it. If they get angry, it affects more people."
"...I see," Su Ming’an said.
So, Dreamwalkers are also divided into two kinds; one kind is those with great strength wanting only to clear the ga like strong players such as Yi Zhongyu from Dragon City.
The other kind is the entertainnt Dreamwalkers, who are like ordinary online strears, bearing the audience’s negative emotions. Through the dream-walking devices, this emotional transmission is possible.
"It’s increasingly becoming like the World Ga." Su Ming’an said flatly.
Players at the top seeking a Perfect Pass, while ordinary Adventurer Players just want to earn so Live Streaming Points.
The forr can help dispel the Black Mist in the real world, while the latter can share the burden of the audience’s negative emotions.
Su Ming’an pushed the door open and stepped out.
Yellow sand blew against him, Su Ming’an coughed a few tis and suddenly saw a pink figure.
A girl stood by his door, with very dark purple pupils, wearing dark-colored long sleeves and jeans, her face half-hidden under a hat, highlighting the shadows between her brows and eyes.
Seeing him push the door, she lifted her head.
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