Netherworld Investigator

The king promulgated a "Limitation Order".

Due to the limited area of ​​grassland vegetation between the city-state and the desert, the supply of dead grass is in short supply, so after the sun rises tomorrow, all freshly born lambs in the city-state will be slaughtered.

A crimson flame-like bird flew out of the pillar of fire. This is a kind of animal with human nature and extremely high spiritual power. It has unparalleled eyesight and is called the "Holy Bird".

That night, the sacred bird hovered around the fire pillar all night, and its sharp sight passed through the open skylight on the roof.On the next day, when the first light of dawn rose from the sky, the soldiers of the city-state held brand-new cold guns and went door-to-door to inspect. According to the number of times the holy bird pecked at the door, it was judged how many sheep would be killed in this family.

Joker also climbed to a high place and overlooked the city that was about to be destroyed. Unexpectedly, he saw several black mourning birds flying through the sky.

You know, the mourning bird is a signal to bring the game player back to the birth point, that is to say, some players are born as sheep.Qiao Kejun couldn't help laughing. These players with prominent identities in reality have become lambs to be slaughtered in the game. This scene is really more interesting than the shapeshifter.

According to the decree, not only must the newborn lamb be slaughtered, but the owner of the sheep has to pay the soldiers a high slaughter fee, which is equivalent to the price of half a sheep.

Those with connections choose to supply the lambs to the dignitaries, which not only saves the cost of slaughtering, but those who are lucky can also get privileges and be able to preserve a few of them.Countless sheep used for bribes were driven to the place where the nobles lived, but the soldiers turned a deaf ear to it. These lambs slowly advanced on the long official road, as if pouring into a narrow and hungry throat.

People without connections could only watch the lambs being slaughtered on the spot. During the six days after the decree was promulgated, the air was always filled with the smell of dust mixed with sheep's blood.

Finally, some nobles couldn't hold back and condemned, claiming that the execution of this decree was too rough, especially when the dry brown soil was soaked into red soil, which would inevitably contaminate the delicate flowers in their back gardens, affecting the fragrance and flowering period.

So the king announced that the slaughter would be stopped, and on the seventh day, the lambs were burned to death under a pillar of fire, and then the residents of the entire city-state shared and ate them.

On this day, in the center of the big city, a mountain of firewood was lit, and the smoke curled up like clouds.

On the tall buildings of the nearby ring-shaped building, the nobles wore gorgeous dresses, sitting or standing, as if they were in a grand banquet.Some of them couldn't bear the curiosity and looked down. After a while, they couldn't stand the sweltering heat, they retracted their heads, and picked up their wine glasses to sip the fine wine again.

The king sat upright at the top and waved his hand lightly.

Accompanied by loud trumpets, the soldiers moved in unison to throw the live sheep with their limbs bound into the fire.

The flames are like ravenous gluttons devouring the weaklings.The wailing that tore everything apart, the lingering wailing, instantly turned the entire city into silent ruins.

The sky is bright and white as fangs and bones.

The sudden change is but an instant.

The resentment of the sheep spirit rises from the smog, and gathers to grow into a long channel pointing to the sky, forming a mysterious vortex under the curtain of the sky. As the mist continues to rise, a clear outline appears in this vortex.It was a huge sheep's face, and thousands of heads grew out of the huge sheep's eyes.

The ground shook for a moment, and the face of the resentful spirit tore violently, as if something wanted to rush out.

The nobles panicked and fled in all directions. Seeing a strong wind, the flames spread among the crowd, burning the wine-spattered robes that were dragging all over the ground, and irresistibly led them towards themselves.

Under the feet is the purgatory on earth, Joker stood on a high place and stared at it without sorrow or joy, and a floating frame popped up in front of him:

Option 1: Do nothing, let the evil spread, and the city-state is destroyed.

Option 2: Suppress the Wraith, become the blade of justice, and save the city-state.

He sighed, he didn't expect that the so-called blade of justice was actually himself.

What you have been looking for, becomes what you have been looking for.

Although Joker really doesn't think it is necessary to save a city-state that has rotted to such an extent, overthrowing it is a better choice, but considering that he must complete the game and return to reality as soon as possible, he still stretches out his long finger and gently Clicked option 2.

It doesn't matter, it's just a game.

Everything in front of me is an illusion, and the purpose of the game is to pass the level first without indulging in it.

Thinking of this, he held the lamp and jumped into the fire.

The scorching power froze on his back, and in the countless panicked eyes of the people, he saw the raging fire grow into a human form, and then turned into a light blade piercing the air, and slashed straight at the king's celestial cap sitting on the high platform.

When Joker opened his eyes again, he found himself lying in a narrow and translucent crystal coffin.

"Poet?" He shouted, and immediately heard his familiar and unfamiliar voice echoing in the cramped space, but the bard's continuous response did not resound as he expected.

With a muffled "bang", he forcefully pushed away the baffle that was pressing on his body, and slowly sat up.Looking around, Joker realized that this was not his birth point.

It turns out that he didn't die, but passed the level?

Joker calls up the database, and clicks in the floating box to view various values ​​of his body.

He finally knew the reason why he felt something wrong after waking up. The sensitivity of the five senses was more than doubled.

It's just that the memory seems to be covered with a veil.He closed his eyes hard, and the previous episode slowly flowed in his mind with faded and rough images, and only a vague impression remained of his perception of being burned by the fire, as if many years had passed in a flash.

When I opened my eyes again, the prosperous and desolate scene of the ancient city-state was no longer in sight. Instead, there were porcelain floors, glassware, leather conveyor belts, nickel-plated storage cabinets, electric lights with sufficient wattage and precisely adjusted indoor temperature.Clearly, he's in a scenario that can only happen in the age of technology.

Looking down, the oil lamp in his hand was also advancing with the times, and instantly transformed into a torch-shaped flashlight.

Looking around, the room he was in was huge, with no end in sight at a glance. Hundreds of cabins were like hollow capsules neatly sealed in aluminum-plastic panels, and they looked like densely packed milky white ant eggs.

The light bulb hanging above his head flickered suddenly, and then, a bizarre scene appeared in front of him.Accompanied by chaotic and dull sounds from all directions, countless babies broke out of the grave-like capsule capsule like a resurrected zombie.

At this time, two women in yellow and white uniforms pushed the door in, and behind them followed a group of humans with rigid facial features and whose gender was hard to identify.Under the command of the two women, the group loaded the babies in the cabin into the trolley one by one like harvesting leeks.

Joker dodged into the narrow gap between the two rows of cabinets, pricking up his ears to listen to their whispered conversation——

"Another batch of new servants has been born." The woman in yellow sighed quietly.

"I just burned a batch of old ones." The woman in white said in a normal tone, "It just happens to be the culture fluid for this batch."

"That's really great. I was worried that the culture fluid in stock was not enough. It was enough..." While speaking, the woman in yellow raised her index finger and made an upward gesture, "It's just that they paid in advance last time. some."

"In the final analysis, the process of life and death is too trivial and complicated." The woman in white shook her head, "Why bother? It's just a creature that has been mass-duplicated in the capsule warehouse. Say, it would be great if this experiment can be successful..."

"Shh." The woman in yellow made a silent gesture, and exchanged secretive glances with the woman in white.

Joker stepped out of the capsule warehouse, took the elevator to the ground, and immediately saw a bustling and well-organized scene.At this moment, he seemed to be in a bright and clean commercial plaza, where practical and well-designed public facilities were busy running, and everyone passing by had a happy expression on their faces.

These are probably what the woman in white called "people born in the beta", and they are the offspring who were voluntarily conceived and born by the beta of the previous generation.

Similar to the previous illusion, Joker is not given a clear identity by the system, so he can move around at will before triggering the relevant plot.

He took the elevator and wandered up and down floor by floor.

This is a huge translucent tower-like building with natural lighting. The higher the number of floors, the fewer people it can accommodate. It's just that it can't go up after reaching the seventh floor, and it seems that it hasn't reached the highest point yet.

Compared with the previous primitive and disorderly illusion, this is obviously a highly civilized future society, where people speak softly and behave gracefully and gracefully.Countless rippling murmurs converge into an ocean of sound, creating an illusionary stillness.A world without noise may be a kind of torture for some minds, but for Joker, who has an oversensitive hearing at this moment, it is undoubtedly a rare liberation.

Joker felt an inexplicable chill in the air. This was not a vague metaphor, but a straightforward description.The temperature here is low, which is probably related to the popular dress style. As far as the eye can see, everyone is wearing clothes made of unknown materials. The cut style is a bit bloated, and most of the body parts are exposed All wrapped up.

Joer stepped towards a door that led to the outside, intending to bask in the sun.

When he got closer, he saw a warning sign erected in front of the door, which explained the dangers of unfiltered sunlight: it can cause skin ulceration, damage eyesight, cause irreversible damage to the nervous system, and finally, in a stern tone Warn those who go out of the door at their own risk.

It's not really banning people's exposure to sunlight, Joker thinks, it's just a fairly lenient rule.

"Well, young man, he always refuses to admit defeat and wants to give it a try." An old gentleman passing by saw him standing in front of the door and sneered, "Just like me back then. When you try it, you will know gone."

Joker ignored him and went straight out the door.

First, there was a scorching tingling sensation on the skin, and the unspeakable pain oppressed his eyeballs, followed by bouts of dizziness and nausea, as if he could feel the energy of life flowing away from his limbs and bones.He tried to move his feet to escape the terrible trap, but an involuntary sense of powerlessness caused him to fall, unable to move.

He was like a drowning man, about to sink under the sun from which there was nowhere to escape.

"How could you come outside the door without wearing a protective suit, you're dying!" A crisp, bean-like voice sounded from his ears.

Inexplicably, it was as if someone breathed him a breath of air before he suffocated.

It was a little boy of seven or eight years old, with dark skin, like a ball of coal, and a pair of round eyes on his face with sparkling eyes.

"Then you..." Joker wanted to say, then you came outside the door without wearing a protective suit.

"Of course I will save you." The little boy waved a slingshot in his hand like a majestic little hero, "Don't be afraid."

Before he finished speaking, he took half a step back, took a run-up, and slammed into Joker's waist with all his strength.This unexpected attack made Joker suddenly unsteady, fell through the door, and fell heavily to the ground.

He was rather annoyed in his heart, but he couldn't care less about such a young child, so he said indifferently: "Thank you, but I can go by myself."

"You can't go." The kid followed him into the door, closed it, and retorted crisply, "The light is like glue, you will be stuck there, did you feel dizzy just now? , want to move but can’t move? If yes, that’s right.”

Joker glanced at him.

"I am an important result of their experimental plan, so I am not afraid of the sun." The child jumped forward and explained, "There are ten suns in the sky, as many as my fingers, and I have to shoot nine of them. One. In this way, everyone can leave this place together without being afraid of the sun."

"Use this?" Joker glanced at the slingshot on his waist, thinking that the savior's equipment was too much for a joke.

"Well, that's right." The little savior took out a toffee, peeled it off and stuffed it into his mouth, and stuffed another piece to Joker, "Please eat."

"Thank you." Joker took it and asked his name again.

The child pointed to a string of serial numbers on the back of his neck. His tanned skin almost covered the color of the tattoo, but it was still vaguely recognizable. It said J-08.

"I'm number eight, you can call me Baba." The child shook his head triumphantly.

Dad, Dad?

Joker was choked for a moment, so he could only prevaricate: "Then let me call you Xiaoba... okay?"

"Little ba ba?"

"Xiaoba." Joker made a firm conclusion.

"Okay." Xiao Ba quickly accepted the title, "What about you, what's your name?"

"My ID is Joker, of course you can also call me..."

"Coco." Without thinking, Xiao Ba happily chose the title of duplication, as if his love for duplication was written in his genes.

At this moment, an anklet on Xiao Ba's ankle vibrated and made a sound.

"I'm leaving." Xiao Ba was a little reluctant.

Joker asked, "Where are you going?"

Xiao Ba sighed with a heavy heart: "I'm going to class."

Joker laughed: "Are you so afraid of class?"

Xiao Ba nodded, suddenly his eyes lit up, and he shook Joker's hand, "Why don't you go to class with me?"

Joker and Xiaoba came to the class place together. There is no imaginary school scene here. Instead, it is a prison-like corridor with densely packed rooms on both sides, and the place where Xiaoba will go to class is convenient. one.

As soon as he stepped into the empty room, Xiao Ba slightly lowered the corner of his mouth, the light in his dark eyes flickered, and he stared straight ahead, showing a numb and obedient state.This subtle but familiar camouflage made the seemingly innocent child show a bit of cunning and austerity, and it also made Joker, who is keenly aware of this change, realize that this is not an environment where people can let their guard down.

But the strange thing is, does he actually think that just staying with Xiao Ba can completely let go of his guard?

Xiaoba, is it really just an NPC in a game?

I saw Xiaoba standing in the middle of the room, facing the huge standby screen on the wall and making a strange gesture: he made a fist with his left hand, raised his little finger and index finger like a horn, and his right hand was in the shape of a knife, making a cutting gesture sheep head.

The screen lit up, and a synthetic electronic sound sounded from somewhere in the room: "Did you bring someone here today?"

"Yes, teacher." Xiao Ba replied dryly, "He is my friend."

"I will give your friend permission to visit the school until the end of your class today." The teacher who only had a voice rejected him before Xiao Ba asked for class together. "Go."

Xiao Ba pursed his lips, turned around obediently, and waved stiffly at Joker.

Joker noticed Xiao Ba's frustration and embarrassment, and even a little anxiety, maybe because he was worried that his new friends would leave.He promised lightly: "I'll look around and wait until you finish class."

Xiao Ba's eyes lit up slightly, and he nodded.

Despite his unkind attitude, Xiaoba's teacher who only has voice provided Joker with a voice guide, so that he can pass this long and empty time while walking around.

Obviously, this is a world reshaped by artificial intelligence and biotechnology. When observing the teaching mode of the people here, Joker confirmed this again.

The learning method of slaves is the simplest, and it only takes seven hours.

Their embryonic form was born in the capsule warehouse, like shriveled seeds soaked in the culture solution, and slowly expanded.After the physical growth reaches a certain level, the servants will fall into a special mental state for a long time. They are awake, but at the same time, their brains stop functioning. For them, repeated operations are equivalent to deep sleep. .

In terms of action, they do not need external force in the physical sense, and they acquire basic survival skills in mechanical and meaningless labor.After seven hours of intensive study, these slaves will form a perfect reflex arc and become a tool that can be driven.

In the eyes of many betas, these servants are like low-quality and inefficient machines. The reason why they have not been completely replaced is because the maintenance costs of the machines are relatively high.

Relatively speaking, the education for beta is more complicated and takes up to seven days.

The class that Joker happened to meet was about "instinct" training.

In a specially built airtight room, the temperature and humidity of the air are precisely adjusted, creating a sensory illusion of being grilled, making Beta in it feel like he is in a house on fire.They were extremely thirsty, and without any explanation, they opened the cans stacked at the foot of the wall, allowing water to refill the dry cells.

What is contained in the jar is a special drink, after drinking, it will gradually adjust Beta's physique to photosensitivity.They believe that appropriate injury is also an important means of protection, and artificially creating allergies is to give everyone a psychological warning to stay away from danger when they are close to real sunlight.

Electricity, drugs, and bewitching sounds are whips and blood that make people grow, supplemented by sweet smells and flowers, melting the intuitive perception of the world into the nervous system of betas, thus replacing those incompletely evolved in their genes. part.

The group named after the J number that Xiao Ba belongs to is a group of betas selected by the system, and their shaping process will be much more tortuous and complicated than the above two.

It's just that Joker has no way of knowing about this.

In the room he left just now, one of the walls slowly rose like a banner before Xiao Ba's eyes, and a row of targets suddenly appeared behind the wall. They were not human-shaped playing cards, but real people who were bound alive.

"Deal with these defectors, they are the seeds of chaos." Xiao Ba's teacher ordered solemnly, "Remember your mission and become the best weapon."

Hachi's mission is not to shoot down the sun, but to become a weapon, he deceived his friends, Hachi thought sadly.

"Number Eight, you are the best child, but you are always too hesitant." The voice with electricity sounded again.

"sorry."

Xiao Ba raised the "Glory" in his hand - this is the name of the laser gun.

"Please continue." The voice urged firmly.

Xiao Ba numbly aimed at those terrified faces, and silently pulled the trigger.

One of them was frozen in fear, and then his plump body weakened at a visible speed, and finally returned to silence and calm, like a shriveled bag that fell to the ground.

Xiaoba doesn't actually know this person. To him, these people are virtual, yet extremely real.

He was indeed hurting someone, and knowing this, Xiao Ba felt pain for no reason.This cognitive pain has no reason, nor does it come from instinct—he has never experienced Beta's instinct training.

"I'm so cold, my blood is frozen." Xiao Ba whispered.

"please continue."

Xiao Ba has no choice, the air here has the power to obey.

The figures on the opposite side were knocked down one by one.

For a long time after class, Xiaoba hung his head down, looking sullen.

"Here, I'll give you a present." Joker put his hand to the side of his ear, and quickly played a trick between his fingers.Xiaoba felt a blur in front of his eyes, and when he came back to look carefully, Joker's palm was spread out in front of his eyes, and a toffee suddenly appeared in front of him.

The haze on Xiao Ba's face finally faded, and he became happy again.

"Let's go." Xiao Ba suddenly smiled. "I'll take you to a nice place."

Joker asked, "Where?"

Xiao Ba narrowed his eyes, and said two words mysteriously.