Chapter 112: The Origin of the Game

Chapter 112: Chapter 112: The Origin of the Game

Shi Zhile laughed in exasperation and snatched the piece of fish from his hand.

"If you’re not going to be sincere, then you don’t get to eat."

Chuyi coughed lightly, his expression turning serious. "Is that your only question? Brother Nan won’t tell you what you want to know, and that simpleton Wang Peng is even less likely to talk. But... I can tell you everything."

His gaze shifted to the fish. Shi Zhile looked at him. "What do you want from me?"

She didn’t believe Chuyi was compromising just for a piece of fish.

From the very beginning, the only one who could make the moody, smiling tiger’s expression change was Jiang Yuxing.

She could guarantee it; his demand had to be about Jiang Yuxing.

Chuyi scoffed. "I just want Brother Nan to live! And only if you live will Brother Nan not die."

’Just as I thought!’

Shi Zhile lowered her gaze, carefully mulling over his words.

There was a hidden meaning in Chuyi’s words. At first, she thought her life was bound to Jiang Yuxing’s—that if he died, she would die too. Now, it didn’t seem to be the case.

If she died, Jiang Yuxing would die. It was more like his life was tied to hers.

’Is this the system’s doing? Or do interstellar people have to bind themselves to a human to enter the game?’

When she had tentatively suggested the three of them were from an interstellar civilization, Chuyi hadn’t refuted it. This meant they were, in fact, from an interstellar civilization.

Although she had never seen the development of interstellar civilizations with her own eyes, novels always described them as highly advanced.

A game that interstellar people would enter at any cost must contain something their civilizations lacked.

’What is it that they want so desperately?’

’Green vegetables!’

’To be precise, land capable of growing plants!’

’Things made up in novels aren’t necessarily all fake. With rapid interstellar technological advancement, the air and land must have become severely polluted.’

’The soil would be barren, crops unable to grow, and people would have to survive on nutrient solutions.’

’They want fertile black soil and good seeds, but their knowledge is limited, so they can only obtain them through humans.’

’Perhaps... I am the means by which they obtain these things.’

She had the black soil. She also had the good seeds.

All things considered, the arrival of the game was a form of interstellar invasion targeting Earth.

The more Shi Zhile thought about it, the more her killing intent spiraled out of control.

’I have to kill them!’

Seeing Shi Zhile fall silent with a grim expression, Chuyi frowned.

"What are you imagining now? Your persecution complex is really working overtime."

Shi Zhile reined in her thoughts. "When I don’t know your objective, isn’t it normal to speculate?"

Chuyi snatched the fish back and continued roasting it.

"The three of us traveled to this time and space through a wormhole. In our timeline, Earth exploded, and all animal and plant life on the planet was wiped out in that explosion."

"According to the current timeline, the interstellar War Faction is about to launch its first official invasion. In fact, years ago, the sleeper agents they cultivated had already infiltrated every country on Earth."

"All sorts of items not from Earth were transported here, causing energy conflicts and magnetic field instability. All it would take is one small trigger, and Earth would explode."

He paused, his gaze toward Shi Zhile exceptionally complex.

"You Earth people are insane. After years of going undercover in interstellar society and finally gaining a foothold, you all went crazy after witnessing Earth’s explosion and the extinction of humanity. You actually tried to destroy us at any cost."

"Although our Peace Faction didn’t help you resist the War Faction’s attacks, at least we didn’t kick you while you were down."

"But you people!"

He was clearly furious. His chest heaved violently as he closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

Shi Zhile leaned against the side of the boat, her eyes fixed on the flickering flames.

"If we Earth people cease to exist, then no animal or plant life should exist, whether on Earth or any other planet."

Chuyi said, "You really haven’t changed one bit!"

"After traveling back in time, this game is the Peace Faction’s strategy for dealing with the War Faction."

"There are too many humans on Earth, and no planet in interstellar space is suitable for you to live on. Only by continuously improving your bodies through the game can you adapt more quickly to the interstellar environment."

"So you can dial back your persecution complex. This game is also a way for our Peace Faction to save ourselves."

"In any case, we have no desire to provoke you lunatics."

The charred aroma of the fish wafted out. He picked it up, took a bite, and sneered.

"You Earth people are truly interesting. I used to think you were united, but I never expected the infighting to be so severe inside the game."

"Right now, the player death rate is as high as 70%, but 50% of those deaths are caused by your own infighting. The number of players who die to natural disasters or monsters is negligible, but an attack by other players means certain death."

Without his mecha, he couldn’t gain an advantage when surrounded by those players. This was also the reason he was so insistent on squeezing onto Shi Zhile’s boat.

Shi Zhile was ranked second on the leaderboards. With her as a target, his own seventh-place ranking paled in comparison.

She had a spatial ability to save her life, so she wouldn’t be dying anytime soon.

Shi Zhile’s expression grew even colder. "So the Peace Faction’s method of self-preservation is to have a large number of Earth people die?"

’You’re not trying to help us; you’re just culling our fighting force. As long as enough of us die and only a few remain, we won’t have the power to destroy your interstellar civilization.’

’Selfishness is selfishness. Don’t you find it disgusting to wrap your selfish motives in the excuse that it’s all for our own good?’

’If you really wanted to save yourselves, the best way would be to stop the War Faction’s ambitions, not to use our deaths to buy your Peace Faction a little more time to eke out a meager existence.’

Chuyi clenched his fists, his nails digging deep into his palms. He was so angry he laughed.

"If we hadn’t expended a huge amount of energy to create this game and pull you all in, many more of you would already be dead. What right do the beneficiaries have to call us disgusting!"

Shi Zhile retorted, "Beneficiaries? You’re the real beneficiaries!"

"Did you ever ask our opinion? What gives you the right to drag us into this game on your own authority? So what if we get a do-over? At worst, we’ll just drag you all down with us again!"

"You... There’s no talking to you!"

Chuyi fell silent and ate his roasted fish.

Shi Zhile toyed with an Arrow Fletching in her hand, her gaze fixed on Chuyi’s neck.

’One stab with this and he’ll die, right?’

’But what if he doesn’t die?’

’They created the game, so they hold all the cards right now. If I kill him rashly, will it cause other problems?’

’Besides, is Chuyi really a member of the Peace Faction?’

’If he were, shouldn’t he be trying to make his own side look good and vilify the others?’

’In his words, he subtly attributed all the malice to the Peace Faction while not mentioning a single word about the War Faction’s reasons for invading. No matter how you look at it, his intentions don’t seem good.’

’Every word he spoke was meant to provoke her hatred for the Peace Faction. That’s not how someone who supposedly loves peace would act.’

’If the interstellar civilization really exists, then the War Faction and the Peace Faction must also exist. But... are there really only two factions?’