Chapter 7: Chapter Six: World Forum
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Today was the first day of the World Game.
Those who had been eliminated could only retreat to their own small spaces, choosing either to observe or to post on the forum.
Since not many players had died, the World Forum was still without a clear leader.
All kinds of players were posting, with content mostly consisting of breakdowns, condemnation, confusion, shattered world views, and discussions about whether the organizers were the legendary high-dimensional beings, and what the aliens' actual purposes were.
No one knew who managed the World Forum. Despite countless posts appearing every second, meaningful posts were automatically highlighted, while meaningless spam quickly sank out of sight.
Plus, posts came equipped with a translation feature, and for those who were illiterate, a voice feature was available, so reading barriers didn't exist.
Atop the forum now was a highlighted post calling for all players to unite against the organizers. Its effect in boosting morale was indeed not poor; the wording was passionate and inspiring.
"...High-dimensional beings want us to devolve into barbaric animals that know only the survival of the fittest, but we are intelligent, rational beings!
——We must not submit, we must not just go with the flow!"
Beneath were hundreds of thousands of responses.
Since it was the first day of the World Game, those who had died were kind, ordinary people.
Their words were filled with hopes for tomorrow.
[That's right, complaining is useless to others and does nothing for the situation. We must be strong!]
[The original poster is right! I was so scared before. I couldn't even contact my family, and didn't know what to do. Now, finally having a goal, I will persevere... persevere until victory!]
[Damn the game organizers, I really wish I could thoroughly kiss these monsters' asses with my boot!]
[On the other hand, this might also be an opportunity for human evolution, a spark of collision with the thoughts of high-dimensional beings.]
[Every major leap in human history has faced the unknown; maybe now is no different.]
[I'm too cowardly to fight those monsters in the game. But I will silently support from the background, providing support for every brave player who dares to fight for their life in the game!]
[Can the players see our World Forum? Or do they have to wait until a world is over?]
[I've tried it, but you cannot reveal any clues related to the game in the live stream.]
[Let's prepare our knowledge and write strategies, waiting for players to finish the game to see them!]
[That's right, we can find patterns to clear the game, becoming information supporters from the rear!]
[...]
[...]
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Su was one among many, just an ordinary Dragon Country university art student, but she didn't hate the World Game like most humans did.
Because, just before she was dragged into the game, a rope from a stalker had just been slipped around her neck.
Just as it was about to tighten, she entered the game and saved her life.
However, on the first day the first world opened, she still died—killed by a marauding gang, at the hands of her own human peers as soon as she entered the game.
After regaining consciousness, she found her awareness floating in the small space she was in before entering the game, her personal space.
The orb was controllable; she could still immerse herself as an observer in others' games.
Watching was not through a screen. Viewers could choose the first-person or third-person perspective, or even view everything from the broadcaster's viewpoint, as if they were still adventuring themselves, yet without fear for their lives.
——Perhaps in the future, many would become addicted to this mode, imagining themselves as powerful players, never willing to enter the arena themselves.
While the majority of players were still whining and bemoaning on the World Forum, she saw a post.
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[(Critical) Brief Analysis on How Players Can Save Themselves]
"I'm glad you clicked in, but I'm just an ordinary person who suddenly thought about this issue.
——Will the occurrence of the World Game truly become a historical finale?
Frankly speaking, from ancient times to the present, humanity has been making the same mistake, which is the inability to see their own faults.
We are the smartest of all creatures, the rulers of Zhai Xing, which leads us to only compare ourselves with our own kind and not think much beyond that.
Humanity has always been exploring outer space, driven by the curiosity and adventurous nature of intelligent beings.
We have eagerly hoped for extraterrestrial beings to respond to the olive branches we've extended—although the responses now seem less than friendly.
The differences in dimensions mean we cannot imagine the power of the Organizers, just like two-dimensional beings on paper cannot fathom our existence.
So, facing all these unknowns and uncertainties, what we can do is perhaps only explore everything within the limited space—we must draw circles within the boundaries set by the Organizers.
The crowd is excited, venting their anger, clamoring to overthrow the Organizers… These thoughts aren't wrong.
But currently, our future is a blank slate, we do not have the power to oppose them.
We can't even see our own homeland, Zhai Xing, at this moment.
This isn't about going with the flow, nor is it about promoting the law of the jungle.
It's just that, for the future, we need to make compromises, maintain our bottom line within the set rules, and enhance ourselves.
——We have to reach a certain pass mark to earn our ultimate survival.
Now that the viewpoint is clear, let's talk about the actual strategies.
I believe Players need to establish rules; a system is essential for measuring everything, even in chaotic times.
First, all Players should participate in the game as much as possible. Based on my observation, engaging in forums for strategies and watching live streams do not earn many individual Points, whereas participating in adventures yields significantly more Points.
Second, even if you are scared yourself, please respect those Players who dare to participate; they are the true Warriors and should not be subjected to blame or moral extortion.
They are experiencing things we can't even imagine, and it is normal for them to have selfishness and desires.
(For instance, if a Player's task is to kill another Player, you can criticize them if you like the Player being targeted, but you should not blame them from a moral standpoint of species killing each other)
Third, those who are afraid to participate should not get addicted to the live streams of Adventurer Players, as those are not reality shows for your entertainment.
Please gather information relevant to the game in the forums afterward and support them, as we need more information that can assist them.
Fourth, as far as I know, this is a competitive game, and although the leaderboard hasn't opened yet, it probably won't be long.
I hope that everyone will respect those on the leaderboard when the time comes and not seek to sensationalize by exploiting their vulnerabilities found in live streams; the last ones standing might emerge from them.
Fifth, I really agree with the words of the Number One Player at the opening ceremony, although everyone is criticizing what they said, but after careful consideration, I believe it is indeed the truth.
I don't yet know who the Number One Player giving the speech is, but I think they can go far.
Human history has never lacked Heroes, and I hope it is the same now; more Players can stand up and understand the current situation.
——And then, become Heroes on all levels.
...
Thank you for reading this far."
Beneath this post were countless replies.
Various thoughts intertwined and clashed, creating a vibrant scene.
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[World Game·Current Number of Surviving Players: 999,536,685]