The desolate and dilapidated buildings stood in stark contrast to the bustling activity of this place. Many shops were constructed in peculiar ways.
For example, there was a restaurant with entrances on both sides of the street, and pedestrians would pass through the middle while diners sat on either side.
Another example was a cybercafe located in a half-collapsed mud villa. It looked precarious, with a rickety wooden staircase connecting the floors. One couldn't help but worry about safety while surfing the internet in such a place...
The atmosphere of the abandoned city was incredibly strange.
But that's precisely what defines the Chaotic Realm.
Inside a skyscraper hundreds of floors away, a man in a sharp suit sat gazing out the window.
This man was Yang Tao, the vice president of the Horns of Battle Guild.
He had experienced numerous hardships and managed to find a job in this abandoned city. It was quite an achievement to secure a stable and respectable position in the Chaotic Realm. For players, it came with significant benefits!
A knock on the door interrupted his thoughts.
"Come in."
Yang Tao straightened his clothes in front of the semi-transparent glass window.
He turned around to see his beautiful secretary entering the room, followed by a disheveled man with a sinister smile on his face.
"Vice President, did you call for me?" the man said as the secretary exited the room according to Yang Tao's instruction.
"Have a seat."
Yang Tao gestured, not minding the man's dirty appearance.
"I called you here to discuss someone with you."
Baal sat down on the sofa, crossing his legs.
"Who?" he asked.
"Zhao Yi."
Baal looked puzzled.
"Who?"
Yang Tao threw a copy of a report on the coffee table in front of Baal.
"The Forgotten Angel."
Baal examined the information on the report, his sinister smile fading away.
The shadows from the lights cast a gloom over his face.
"He's here too?"
Yang Tao nodded.
"Yes."
"Do you know him?"
Baal seemed reluctant to talk about Zhao Yi. He felt uncomfortable.
"Vice President, our family... we have an illness."
"But I prefer to call it a talent."
"Our blood carries a thirst for slaughter that has remained unchanged for generations."
"It's because of this that my father became an arms dealer."
"Because arms are accompanied by blood and guilt!"
"His talent was the most exceptional I've seen. He traversed numerous battlefields, and my father's shadow was behind many wars. He has killed thousands, regardless of women, children, or the elderly..."
"Since I was young, surpassing my father has been my lifelong goal!"
"Until..."
Baal's voice trailed off, filled with a sense of melancholy.
Sitting across from him, Yang Tao raised an eyebrow as he lifted his coffee and said, "So, your father, the arms dealer king Kapar, was cured of his homicidal tendencies by the Forgotten Angel?"
Bar's face remained impassive, hiding any trace of emotion. To him, it was a disgrace! Killing was ingrained in their genes! How could such a thing be cured? Yet, his father Kapar was indeed cured of his homicidal tendencies by the Forgotten Angel. And because of that, Bar killed his own father Kapar!
Bar couldn't accept that his once-revered father, the warlord at the top of the food chain, had suddenly transformed into a caring old man who spent his days fishing and playing chess. He would rather not have such a father!
"How much do you know about his treatment?" Yang Tao asked, and Bar pondered seriously for a moment.
"Their treatment was conducted in secret," Bar replied. "And although they spent a lot of time together, the actual treatment was very short... It took the person who cured my father of his homicidal tendencies probably less than a day, maybe within an hour... It was because of this brief encounter that I clearly felt my father had become a completely different person!"
Yang Tao squinted his eyes. "You never had any contact with him?"
Bar seemed to recall a shameful memory, and his fingers trembled slightly. "I had one encounter with him."
"How did it feel?"
"Fear."
As a serial killer who considered himself at the top of the food chain, an extremely cruel madman, Bar admitted to being afraid! Yang Tao was greatly surprised and became even more intrigued by Zhao Yi!
"Was he so cruel that he made you fear him?"
Bar clenched his fist tightly. After a long while, he let out a breath. "Vice President, where is he?"
Clearly, he didn't want to remember the various encounters he had with Zhao Yi. Moreover, those memories, not too distant, were mysteriously fading away. Everything about Zhao Yi was dissipating. The only thing that remained deeply ingrained was the festering fear!
"He's currently in the 'All Scoundrels' Guild, as you know... Although the guild has few members and poor development,..." Yang Tao paused and smiled at the pensive Bar. "Alright, go rest well and prepare yourself. In a month, the 'Tide of Demon Spirits' will appear. Suppress your level a bit and perform well inside. Perhaps you can salvage something from the Tide of Demon Spirits in the end..."
"I understand... If I have the chance, I will personally wash away the shame of my family!" Bar's eyes filled with a chilling murderous intent!
...
Inside the experimental base of Shishan University.
Zhao Yi sat in the x-2 experimental cabin, trying to operate the instruments. After completing the side quest, he returned to the x-2 experimental cabin and used some medical measures here to simply disinfect his wounds and amputate his rotten leg.
Yang Linlin beside him marveled at his skill! Performing self-amputation without anesthesia, not blinking an eye from start to finish. It was simply awe-inspiring!
After completing these tasks, Zhao Yi began learning how to use the machinery. He learned quickly.
"Especially when the 'God's perspective' is opened, this becomes even more apparent.
Yang Linlin brought back a meal from the secret passage, and there were still plenty of reserves in the school cafeteria.
"The mission is already over, why did you take the risk to communicate with it?"
Zhao continued to dig into his rice as he replied,
"There's an ancient saying, 'Courtesy calls for reciprocity.'"
"They placed such a curse on me, it would be impolite if I didn't reciprocate with some gifts!"
Upon hearing this, Yang Linlin seemed to understand something, but not completely.
"Do you want to use x-2 to deal with the organization behind Li Sheng?"
"I think it's unlikely."
"The forces behind them must be astonishingly powerful if they can create such terrifying curses. A mere experimental subject in chaos..."
In fact, Yang Linlin had more to say.
x-2 had a fatal weakness.
That is its true form.
No matter how powerful that chaotic quantum state outside may be, as long as Chen Qiong dies inside the experimental chamber, it will also die!
Zhao operated the machine, revealing a chilling smile.
"Yes, that's why I want to... teach it."
"Teach... what?"
"Teach it some very ordinary and sparse knowledge!"
Zhao grinned.
..."
Three days later, just before the main mission ended, inside the experimental cabin, X-2 unexpectedly returned.
Yang Linlin was nearly scared out of her wits and quickly drew her small pistol, aiming it at the rampaging experimental subject. However, the subject completely ignored her and turned to bow respectfully to Zhao Yi.
Yang Linlin was dumbfounded.
The audience in the live stream was also dumbfounded.
Damn! Did they really turn the boss of the copy into a student?
Is this even possible?
But it did happen.
As the two figures gradually faded into white light and disappeared, a slow smile spread across X-2's lips.
He turned around and revealed a brilliant smile.
This smile was taught to him by Zhao Yi.
"No matter what happens, never forget to keep smiling!"
Outside Shishan University, a large group of heavily armed soldiers arrived with various special equipment. After getting off the vehicles, a soldier saluted the officer.
"Sir, preliminary investigation shows that the curse of Shishan University was indeed shut down ahead of time."
"However, our instruments detected no signs of life inside."
The officer standing on the rear of the vehicle took off his sunglasses and made a gesture.
"Very well... Let the Alpha team proceed in advance."
"If any situation arises upon entering the laboratory, report immediately!"
"Yes, sir!"
Soon, a group of armed operatives headed towards the interior of Shishan University.
However, they had no idea what terrifying presence awaited them...
Congratulations, Player Zhao Yi!
Main mission "Survive Seven Days in the University" completed!
Hidden task "Investigate the Truth behind Shishan University" completed!
Side mission "Break the University Curse" completed!
Story Exploration Degree 60
Worldview Exploration Degree 100
Rating: SS
Rewards: 75 experience points, Substitute Doll, 8000 points (including a live popularity discount of 544)
Items Obtained: Pandora's Box (fake), T-202 (liquid state)
Titles Acquired: Rule Breaker, Mentor Extraordinaire
Evaluation: Your every move exudes an extraordinary eccentricity. Although you took a shortcut to complete the mission, your outstanding performance still earned you a very high rating. As for your profanity (data deleted), take care of yourself!