Chapter 123 - 108: Baptism

Chapter 123: Chapter 108: Baptism

Chen Qi nodded, satisfied, and vanished inside the old fortress.

...

Things had settled down on Chen Qi’s end, but Talin City had erupted into chaos.

It was all because a certain someone’s supersonic flight had been far too flashy, far too brazen.

As luck would have it, Chen Qi flew right over the heads of several tabloid reporters.

While trembling in fear, the reporters managed to snap their photos with lightning speed.

Now, images of a certain someone soaring through the sky in a Purple Exoskeleton Armor were going viral across all of Talin City’s media outlets.

If Chen Qi hadn’t been so completely encased, with none of his features visible, Chris Tower would have already become a tourist hotspot.

Even so, rumors were already circulating that "Iron Man" was from Chris Tower.

Yeah, the media wasn’t very creative with their names.

The employees at Chris Tower naturally denied it, claiming the tremors that shook the building earlier were just because their boss had bought a new bird.

The Red Falcon King successfully became a trending topic.

Such clamor was confined to the common folk. The real power players of Talin City, however, were already trembling in their boots.

They weren’t your average citizens. They had naturally guessed "Iron Man’s" true identity.

What they didn’t know was who had offended the great Executor, provoking him to such anger that he would reveal himself in broad daylight.

Generally, despite possessing all sorts of incredible powers, Executors tended to be quite low-key.

This awe-inspiring display of power meant he must have been truly furious, making an example to intimidate the rabble.

Soon, reports from various sources were compiled, all pointing to one conclusion.

A major battle had broken out in the Fadir Mine.

While there were no further eyewitness accounts, the sound of explosions carrying from the mining district was enough to prove the battle’s intensity.

Something big was happening!

Terrified of being implicated, the city’s elites immediately started spreading the word and pulling every string they could.

As a member of Talin City’s elite circle and the actual owner of the Fadir Mine, Chen Qi’s communicator was nearly blown up with calls.

...

’This is so damn annoying.’

’These old foxes are all craftier than the last.’

’And they actually bought that story of mine, which was full of holes.’

Inside the metal fortress, Chen Qi hung up the communicator, which was hot from constant use.

He had to quell the public fervor and give the gossiping masses an explanation—but mostly, he just wanted these people to stop bothering him.

Chen Qi had racked his brain to concoct what he felt was a reasonable response.

The gist of it was that he didn’t know the Executor, he had abandoned the Fadir Mine long ago, and there was no production of any kind happening there.

Instead, a group of foreign militants had occupied it to conduct illegal activities aimed at subverting the Kingdom.

As a good citizen of the Lanyu Kingdom, he had reported it immediately upon discovery.

Then, the Kingdom sent its people to eliminate the militants in one fell swoop.

It must be said, Chen Qi’s story was deceptively plausible.

After all, the intelligence they’d gathered did show traces of armed militants in the area.

Furthermore, as members of the Kingdom’s upper echelon, they were vaguely aware that the Lanyu Kingdom was not on good terms with its smaller neighbors.

Foreign forces would stir up trouble every few years, and according to past precedent, the timing was just about right.

Perhaps due to the influence of the King’s Game, they accepted Chen Qi’s explanation as a matter of course.

Of course, there were still sharp minds among them. A few of the old foxes didn’t believe for a second that Chen Qi didn’t know the Executor.

They all ran in the same circles; who didn’t know how the others had made their fortunes?

Would you, Jomoya Chris, really pass up such a golden opportunity to cozy up to someone so powerful and build connections?

In any case, by the end of their conversations, their attitude toward Chen Qi had become inexplicably more respectful.

Chen Qi couldn’t be bothered to argue with them. If it weren’t for the sake of the Kingdom’s stability, he wouldn’t have even bothered to invent an excuse.

...

’Damn it all, today was a real eye-opener!’

’I knew the Lanyu Kingdom was under the purview of the King’s Game, but I only thought about it in terms of players and Superpowers.’

’By inadvertently stirring things up this time, I’ve finally seen how terrifying the King’s Game really is!’

Just as "Iron Man" was hitting the headlines in Talin City and becoming the talk of the town...

...Chen Qi, who was back in the old fortress studying his spoils, suddenly felt a terrifying presence lock onto him.

From somewhere beyond his perception, a dreadful presence had him targeted.

For a moment, Chen Qi thought he was facing the classic scenario of ’kill the minion, summon the boss.’ He figured some powerhouse was about to show up to avenge Telu.

Fortunately, after reaching a certain intensity, the feeling of being targeted began to slowly recede, and the sense of crisis in Chen Qi’s heart vanished.

Chen Qi was completely bewildered, with no idea what had just happened.

But soon, as he collected himself, he realized the targeting had come from the King’s Game itself.

’Did I accidentally trigger some kind of game mechanic?’

When in doubt, it’s natural to ask a superior for help.

So, Chen Qi contacted Lin Biyun to ask for guidance.

Lin Biyun’s answer was that he must have done something to affect everyone in Talin City.

She advised him to check the media, clean up the mess he’d made, and put out the fire quickly.

Only then did Chen Qi discover that "Iron Man" was trending in Talin City, and that all sorts of wild speculation were causing public unrest.

His flashy display wasn’t the big problem. Even killing all those grunts was fine.

Even flying at a low altitude wouldn’t have mattered, as long as word didn’t spread too far.

But being photographed by tabloid reporters and sparking a massive public discussion—that was the crucial issue.

This drastic, short-term shift in public sentiment had alerted the King’s Game—or more accurately, it had triggered one of the game’s mechanics.

That was why he had been targeted.

According to Lin Biyun, he had likely attracted the attention of His Majesty the King and probably had a point docked from his performance review.

Luckily, the situation was still controllable and within manageable limits. As long as he resolved it quickly, there would be no lasting consequences.

During their call, Lin Biyun also congratulated him on finally becoming "a true player."

Because the experience Chen Qi just had was something almost every new player went through.

Only after undergoing this "baptism" do players develop a healthy fear of the King’s Game and learn how to be a proper player.

The King’s Game was never just about fights between people with Superpowers.

The game was created for one reason: to maintain the Kingdom’s stability.

To which Chen Qi’s reaction was, ’F— me!’

...

To quell public opinion, Chen Qi had to drop what he was doing and order Taruno to deal with the tabloids.

After that, he had to come up with a plausible reason to placate and deceive the gossiping public of Talin City.

Originally, Chen Qi hadn’t intended to "offer any explanation," but after his "baptism," he finally understood the "necessity" of maintaining the Kingdom’s stability.

Through this incident, Chen Qi truly felt the "constraints" imposed by the game.

If things were like this now, then wouldn’t the so-called [King’s Judgment] be an even greater "baptism"?

People are not equal, and neither are players. As long as there is order, there will be oppression.

So, did that kind of oppression exist within the King’s Game?

Chen Qi was absolutely certain it did.

The experience from a moment ago had served as a rude awakening.

Intoxicated by his status as a player and reveling in his Superpower, Chen Qi had thought that escaping the slums meant he could finally control his own destiny and be free from oppression.

But that was clearly just a comforting lie he told himself.

Before, Chen Qi’s understanding of the so-called [King’s Judgment] had been purely conceptual. Now, however, he had a taste of what it felt like.

In a year and a half, was he really going to let Gutaf decide whether he lived or died?

Even if he was lucky enough to survive, what then? Wait for the next five-year Reincarnation?

Chen Qi felt it was time to make a decision.

This incident solidified a thought he’d had before.

’Since the Card’s power was never truly mine, I might as well make the Red Heart 7 spit out the Source Ore it consumed. If I can manage to fleece some extra Superpower out of it in the process, even better.’

It was an incredibly difficult decision, one that went against a player’s every instinct.

But Chen Qi was resolved.

Because a complete Source Ore was far more important to Chen Qi.

He had to endlessly increase his own strength, independent of the Card.

Only the power you hold completely in your own hands is truly yours.