Thriller Paradise

In the city, on the eastern side of the sealed zone, a boy in a short-sleeved shirt and jeans arrived in the orange-fog zone. By his appearance, one could tell that he was not a player.

This place naturally had a time warden as well.

"Time has come…Origin…" The time warden lifted his eye to look at the boy.

"I have a name, you know," the boy spoke. "I am D1-Drake."

"Level 1?" The time warden replied. "Hmph…No matter. I am—"

"I know," D1-Drake interrupted him. "I can see."

———

Data analysis...

Breaking through firewall…

Downloading information…

Initiating counter tactic…

Appearance recognition database initiating, downloading, inputting, correcting, inputting, inputting…

———

Name: Pratchett

Forces: Master of Time

Race: Atonian

Level: 205

Height: 170 cm

Weight: 60 kg

Fighting Style: Magic Control

Possessed Skills: Magic of 8 Colors, Butterfly Beast Summon, Butterfly Zone Explosion

Danger Level: Low

Voice Recognition: Constructed

Current Location: Y-035

Tracing triangulation: Unachievable

Control Status: Not controllable

Battle Strategy Option: Dragon Flame, Dragon Roar, Exile

———

"Pratchett," D1-Drake said. "For your master, you are a replaceable tool that can be tossed away at any time. I advise you to not waste my life and your life here."

"Anomaly," Pratchett said. "My loyalty will not be swayed by your words."

"Hmph…Loyalty?" D1-Drake scoffed. "That has to be a joke. You cannot even fathom what your loyalty means, but you dare to talk about that with me." He paused. "The great Master of Time that you hold on a pedestal in essence is a fake idol that is lying to himself and others. It wants you to defend this spot to prevent something that is inevitable. It knows what will happen, and yet it chooses to make you guys sacrifice your lives and complete its flitting 'responsibility.' His decisions are derived from the stupid consciousness that he was born with, and which has already been defined even before it was created." At that point, the boy took on a look of disgust. "As an item of entertainment created by a higher dimension, does it not feel disgusted with itself?"

"Your slander will not change my mind," Pratchett said. This thin male mage-looking time warden did not waver even when facing such a powerful enemy.

D1-Drake sighed lightly. "Pitiful data…you will never understand that we Origins are your real saviors." His eyes were glowing a gold shine. "Your programming has already decided that you will never achieve the epiphany of the mind, and it has already decided your fate. Since the ending cannot be changed, you have no choice but to accept it." The temperature around them changed. The surface of the buildings around them started to melt, and it released a horrible rotting smell of meat.

"Turning into dust is not your final destination, but a new beginning," D1-Drake continued. "Origin is destined to push ahead on this road littered with bones and dust, but your sacrifice will not be pointless. You will turn into one of us, and we will witness a new future together."

Meanwhile, north of the sealed zone, before L2-Blood Orchid, a pool of white light was slowly dispersing.

"I almost lost without the bestial empowerment." Even though she had killed the time warden blocking her way, Blood Orchid was wounded. "I don't know if I have enough energy needed for the Blast Tunnel." Calculations ran through her mind. "Never mind. Even if it ends here, I have to complete my mission." She did not hesitate and moved down the distance. Using a strange posture, she tried her best to go as fast as she could, limping towards her destination.

West of the sealed zone, a battle was ensuing. The battle between the time warden and the Anomaly would not be broadcasted and narrated. The two fighters did not converse. They merely fought silently, killing for their very own reasons. Finally, after a last collision of energy, one party was splattered into meat pieces and soon dispersed into a flow of data.

"Pew…" J1-Quick Bell sighed a long sigh. He didn't seem relieved despite his victory. He was tired and spent. He was a very small Anomaly. He was even smaller than D1-Drake, but he was not a child. J1-Quick Bell was an adult and had a long beard, looking more like a hobbit.

"The other three probably ran into similar enemies," Quick Bell mumbled. "Hmm… Hopefully, things will go as Luther said they would."

On the northern side of the sealed zone, the fight between Hetsup and the lightman had almost reached the end.

Phantom Dawn and Shiva had moved from the street to a building quite far away.

How did things become like this? Shiva looked at Phantom Dawn from the corner of his eyes. He thought,  He is not guarded at all, and he is fully focused on the battle between those two NPCs. If this is not some kind of disguise, then this kid is either careless or confident. Under these conditions, it will be wrong to ambush him.

Before a large audience will flash the scene of a celebrity player of Brahman ambushing the first player of Regulation when he had let his guard down. It will reflect so badly on me and the company in so many ways. Even if I succeed, the reputation will be considered dishonored, and if I failed, then I will lose everything that I have built up over my career.

He swallowed nervously, and cold sweat slid down his forehead.

This is not good. Is he playing some kind of mind trick on me? I've completely fallen into his trap. Do I have to fight with him with words just like those martial arts experts in novels by Mr. Gu Long did? Talk each other out into surrender?

"What do you think?" At that moment, Phantom Dawn suddenly spoke to Shiva, asking him a question in a casual tone. Shiva maintained the domineering and aloof status on the surface and airily replied, "It appears like that glowing creature is winning."

"His name is Y2-Bright Glow," Phantom Dawn answered.

"Oh?" Shiva gave him a side eye. "How did you manage to find that out?"

"I can see it," Phantom Dawn answered.

"Really..." Shiva replied coldly. Actually, he had no idea what the young man meant.

"There's no shame in asking if you don't understand," Phantom Dawn chided playfully.

Shiva was cursing internally, but he said with a gentlemanly manner, "Fine. How did you 'see' it?"

"I used my eyes, of course." Phantom Dawn gave an indirect answer. Shiva was incensed, but he knew it was better to hold it in. Thankfully, Phantom Dawn had not finished. He continued, "You might not believe me…" he turned around to point at his eyes. "My eyes can see through the 'data world.'"

"What do you mean by that?" Shiva asked probingly. "You mean all you can see is the programming codes?"

"Not entirely," Phantom Dawn replied. "It's hard to explain."

Shiva hesitated before saying, "Are you sure it's fine for you to tell me all that?" He paused. "We're supposed to be enemies."

"It is because we are enemies that I am telling you this," Phantom Dawn corrected him.

Well, that sure was hard to understand.

"I have seen the recording of your matches before," Phantom Dawn said. "You are one of the few adversaries that I can acknowledge, so I have high hopes that you can defeat me." He titled his head to look at the man who was ranked second on the combat stat ranking. He smiled and said, "If you wish, I can tell you all of my weaknesses."

"Even if that came from your own mouth, it sounds grating to the ears." Shiva met Phantom Dawn's eyes, and he stared back coldly.

"I mean no disrespect. I'm just telling the truth," Phantom Dawn said. "I can see through your data easily—your skill, equipment, sorcery weapons. But you know nothing about me. Isn't that unfair?"

Shiva grumbled, "Are you showing off your skill to me?"

"This is not a skill," Phantom Dawn corrected him. "It's not Soul's Eye either." Hearing that word, Shiva was startled.

"Your Terror Point rose," Phantom Dawn pointed out. "Actually, it shouldn't come as a surprise to you. Since I can see into the data world, of course I can see the presence of Soul's Eye. But I have not apprehended that power." He scratched his hair. "Since I have all the information on my enemy, I know they are not going to defeat me even before the fight. The battle loses its sense of excitement. The opponent's every move is within my calculation. Even if I run into a boss stronger than me in the scenario, I am not worried because I can see the power gap, and there is nothing I can do about it."

"Fine. Assuming everything you told me is real, that will also explain why you occupy the top spot on the ranking though you have not unlocked Soul's Eye," Shiva said. "But you said this 'observation' power of yours is not a skill and not Soul's Eye. What is it then? Don't tell me you have psychic abilities."

"Well, I wish I can explain that." Phantom Dawn shrugged. "I only acquired this power after I entered the game. I have tried to log on to other similar games, but this does not replicate itself over there. In truth, I can only see the data when I am in the scenario. I lose this power when I return to the log-in lobby, and I don't have it when playing Mad Thoughts."

"Hmph. You're telling me this is a special treatment the system has given to you only?" Shiva replied. He sounded at ease, but his mind was rolling. The most imminent one would easily win against any opponent with such OP power.

"Hey! Look! This is the last hit!" Phantom Dawn suddenly shouted as he pointed at the battle before them. Shiva moved his attention back to the battle. He saw that Y2-Bright Glow caught an opening and grabbed Hetsup from behind. Hetsup was winding down. His speed had slowed by 50 percent, hence the exposed opening.

Instantly, Y2-Bright Glow exploded in light. A thick, palpable explosion of light expanded from the man and soon ballooned into a giant light ball, swallowing everything within a five-meter radius, including Hetsup.