Chapter 270 ·Starsea Knowledge and the Assault on Old Wan

The ‍​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‍next day.

The ‍​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍real world.

Special ‍​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍Investigation Bureau.

“Director ‍​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍Zhou, please have a look. This is Team Leader Wang's latest physical test data and examination report.”

Feng ‍​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍Ying handed the documents to Zhou Zhengming. “Compared to the last physical examination, his bones, muscles, organs, and even cellular vitality have all improved by roughly twenty to forty percent!”

Wang ‍​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍Yue (Raise a Cup to the Moon), commander of the Immortal Dragon Soul Legion of the Calamity Army, had been one of the Special Investigation Bureau's earliest Special Investigation Officers to enter the game. He was now also the government's most important “undercover agent” inside the game.

After several rounds of restructuring and expansion.

The Special Investigation Bureau had now established two Special Investigation Teams.

Everyone's work revolved around these two teams.

Wang Yue had already been promoted to leader of the First Special Investigation Team.

Under his command were fifteen Special Investigation Officers, along with an assistant team of nearly two hundred people.

The Second Investigation Team was personally led by Zhou Zhengming himself. He would oversee and coordinate the bureau's four or five other secretly established small and medium-sized legions within the game, aside from the Immortal Dragon Soul Legion.

Zhou Zhengming read through the report.

Although he had known changes would occur.

He still found it difficult not to be astonished!

Wang Yue underwent a physical examination once every week, and the current data reflected changes from just one week earlier.

In other words, in merely one week, on top of already possessing physical capabilities nearly twice the limit of an ordinary human, all of his physical attributes and overall bodily functions had increased by another twenty to forty percent.

Wang Yue could now easily clean and jerk weights more than twice the world weightlifting record, while the hardness of his bones had reached ten times that of ordinary steel and possessed even greater toughness.

What shocked those in the know was not the change itself.

But the fact that there was not the slightest sign of the rate of change slowing down.

According to Academician Xia, these players' potential had not yet been fully released. What they currently displayed was perhaps only ten or twenty percent of their true potential. The vast majority of their power still lay dormant, gathering strength within every single cell.

Once they encountered the right opportunity.

And all that dormant potential awakened.

That might well be the moment true transcendence descended upon the real world.

Wang Yue had only participated in the game for just over two months, while the game itself had been online for only three months, yet it had already brought about such tremendous changes... It was now impossible to predict what the world would look like in several weeks, several months, or even half a year later.

Current life sciences.

Could not explain any of this.

Fortunately, however, no negative effects had been observed so far. On the contrary, it actually seemed to make people younger and extend their lifespan.

Feng Ying continued her report. “In addition, the game's official website has released its latest announcement. A new round of player recruitment will begin tonight. Two thousand slots are expected to be released each day, with a total recruitment target of twenty thousand players.”

Zhou Zhengming said, “It hasn't been long since the Calamity Army's previous recruitment drive. They're already launching another one so quickly? Not only has the frequency increased dramatically, but the number of recruits has multiplied several times over.”

Feng Ying nodded. “Players around the world who have preregistered are going crazy. At this rate, within three to five years, we may enter a full-scale public beta where everyone participates and the entire population wages war against the Abyss.”

Zhou Zhengming nodded slightly. “Although it's progressing faster than expected, at least we still have some buffer time. The higher authorities have recently begun planning discussions with the foreign affairs and intelligence heads of various countries.”

Feng Ying asked, “Are we going to reveal the truth about Weird Three Kingdoms?”

Zhou Zhengming replied, “I think our current strategy is still to stall for as long as possible. If we can throw out smoke screens, we'll throw out smoke screens. Even if the truth reaches the point where it can no longer be concealed, we still won't announce it to the public so quickly.”

The Weird Three Kingdoms game had become extraordinarily popular recently.

Its popularity and influence had already surpassed every game in history and was gradually reaching the level of the biggest entertainment franchises, even approaching the global frenzy of the FIFA World Cup.

Yet it still remained within the bounds of what people could understand and accept.

To the public, it was still merely an incredible high-tech game.

The mission of the Special Investigation Bureau was not only to investigate and gather intelligence, but also to minimize and conceal any effects that exceeded their control, as well as prevent the uncontrolled spread of truths that could disrupt public order.

However, as the Calamity Army continued its massive recruitment drives.

The number of overseas players also continued to increase.

No matter how slow the intelligence agencies of other countries might be, they had certainly already picked up some clues.

If they could delay it for one more day, then they would.

If they could no longer delay, they would reveal the truth and begin negotiations.

By then, every major force around the world that knew the truth would, for the sake of their own interests, silently choose to continue concealing it while making preparations behind the scenes.

If one day ordinary people everywhere came to know the truth.

Then either the game's influence on reality would have overflowed to the point where it could no longer be hidden.

Or every major force around the globe would already have prepared for the arrival of a new order and a new era.

Hopefully it would be the latter.

That was what Zhou Zhengming hoped.

“Director Zhou, it's time for the regular meeting.”

Zhou Zhengming and Feng Ying arrived at the conference hall.

Wang Yue's game character was currently resting, so he also attended the meeting.

Although the Special Investigation Bureau spent a great deal of time in meetings every day, every one of those meetings was necessary.

“We have a tremendous amount of work to do, and every minute and every second is precious, so let's skip the formalities and get straight to the point!” After sitting down, Zhou Zhengming said directly, “Let's begin with reports and the latest findings from the Intelligence Division and Research Division.”

The Special Investigation Bureau had now become a major department.

In addition to Investigation Team One and Investigation Team Two, it consisted of four Intelligence Groups, four Research Groups, as well as Technical, Logistics, Scientific Research, Operations, and numerous other departments, with total personnel approaching two thousand.

And that only counted the bureau's internal staff.

If all the affiliated departments and external personnel were included, the number would likely be ten times greater.

The Intelligence and Research Groups each had large numbers of personnel.

Each group had its own distinct responsibilities and research direction.

The bureau's deputy director was named Zhang Wei. He currently oversaw both the Intelligence and Research Divisions, and he immediately stood up to deliver his report.

“Our Intelligence and Research Divisions have achieved numerous results recently. We obtain new intelligence and discoveries almost every day. Today, we will focus on reporting three major areas of progress.”

Zhou Zhengming nodded. “Which three areas?”

Zhang Wei answered, “The first concerns our latest research on the Land of the Stars, as well as some speculation regarding the identity of Lords.”

“This time, Team Leader Wang and more than eighty members of the Calamity Army entered the hidden map, Sacred Azure City, together. The intelligence and clues they gathered exceeded those from the previous expedition by more than tenfold.”

That was indeed the case.

When the hidden map had opened for the first time.

Only Ye Limeng, Black Pupil Brother Rui, Little Bell, and Raise a Cup to the Moon had participated. At that time, player levels were low and Contribution Points were limited, so there had not been many interactions available.

This time, however, eighty-five players participated.

Not only had they interacted with many more Lords and factions, but they had also enjoyed four to five hours of free exploration.

During that time.

The players took a vast number of photographs and videos, interacted with the inhabitants of Sacred Azure City, and documented countless local customs, cultural traditions, and much more.

Whether in quantity, depth, or breadth, the information far surpassed what had been gathered during the first expedition. At present, millions of Arcane scholars across the internet were analyzing every frame with magnifying glasses.

As an investigative agency.

How could they possibly slack off?

Yet as the research deepened.

Everyone increasingly felt just how internally consistent Sacred Azure City—and indeed the entire Land of the Stars—was. Although its style was completely different from Earth, every detail radiated authenticity.

Zhang Wei continued, “We have observed that the Calamity Army is unique, and Lord Hang Yu is also unique. So what is the reason behind this uniqueness?”

Upon hearing this.

Both Zhou Zhengming and Wang Yue fell into deep thought.

If Weird Three Kingdoms were merely a game, then it would be understandable for the players to possess certain unique or even illogical characteristics. After all, it was only a game and could never achieve perfect logical consistency.

But now, every sign indicated that Weird Three Kingdoms was very likely not a game at all. Both the Abyssal Plane and the Land of the Stars might genuinely exist.

Then surely.

There had to be a reasonable explanation for all the extraordinary traits of the Calamity Army.

Zhang Wei continued, “From beginning to end, the Lord never seemed bothered or even curious about the various strange traits possessed by the players. He also openly told them that the Calamity Army's immortal bodies and high drop-rate blessings had been granted by him.”

Wang Yue asked, “Are you saying that the Lord has known our origins as members of the Calamity Army from the very beginning? It's even possible that the Lord is the mastermind behind this game!”

“That is merely one possibility.”

Zhang Wei said, “It would also explain why the Lord is so important. Even if he is not the creator of the game, he is undoubtedly its most crucial core.”

Everyone present exchanged glances.

Zhou Zhengming said, “As the most unique NPC, the Lord certainly hides far more secrets than we can imagine. Even if someone claimed he was a deity disguised as a human, a messenger guiding humanity's evolution, it wouldn't be surprising.”

“Precisely because of that, we must act even more cautiously within the territory and do everything possible to uphold its order, especially to ensure the Lord's personal safety!”

“At this point!”

“The purpose behind this game no longer matters!”

“Because we can already clearly see that this game can lead humanity into an entirely new era, perhaps even into an entirely new world!”

“We can no longer bear the consequences of losing it!”

At that moment, Zhou Zhengming asked, “How are the internal relations within the Calamity Army?”

Zheng Qiu, leader of Intelligence Group One, immediately replied, “During the past three days, the major legions have experienced nine separate conflicts, resulting in a total of twenty-three player deaths. However, all incidents were coordinated and suppressed by the middle and upper management of their respective organizations.”

As the number of people increased.

Managing the organization naturally became more difficult.

The Calamity Army now possessed more than a dozen legions.

Conflicts and friction between these player factions had begun increasing, with even group fights and deadly clashes becoming more frequent.

Among them, conflicts were most frequent between members of Ye Limeng's Hall of War Gods and Black Pupil Brother Rui's Wings of Freedom.

Even though their senior leaders maintained good relations and had fought side by side many times.

Competition over interests had already created cracks between them.

Under such circumstances, it was only natural for lower and middle-ranking members to dislike one another. Since fighting and killing were common in the game, PvP clashes were inevitable.

Minor skirmishes among ordinary players were not particularly concerning.

What worried them was the possibility of conflicts escalating into full-scale hostility or even open warfare between entire legions, something that would undoubtedly affect the unity of the Calamity Army and the development of the territory.

In the past.

Internal conflict between legions might not necessarily have been a bad thing.

It would have allowed the official faction to profit amidst the chaos and emerge as the dominant power.

But now, the official faction led by the Immortal Dragon Soul Legion had quietly risen and was developing quite smoothly.

Considering that overseas player factions were also expanding rapidly.

And considering the value and significance of this game.

Naturally, no one wished to see internal strife erupt.

The territory had already implemented a series of regulations.

For example, fighting within the safe zones of cities was strictly prohibited. Violators would be arrested by the Azure Dragon Guard and thrown into the dungeon. The most severe punishment could even strip players of their closed beta qualification.

These rules effectively prevented players from causing battles within cities.

However, they still failed to fundamentally suppress conflicts between legions, meaning the possibility of larger and more serious confrontations remained.

They could not afford to lower their guard.

If anything happened that harmed the collective interest.

The government also needed sufficient contingency plans in place.

“We'll discuss that later,” Zhou Zhengming said. “Continue the report.”

Zhang Wei then proceeded to present the remaining two major areas of intelligence and research.

One concerned a summary report on monster distribution across the territory's latest map, resource production, and the functions of newly added buildings. It was highly valuable intelligence for player development.

The other was a comprehensive research report on the territory's newest skills, latest cultivation technique combinations, and newest cultivation methods.

Among them.

The appearance of new buildings and new skills.

Was one of the latest updates to the game.

At present, the game forums and major social media platforms were filled with discussions and analyses of the new facilities and skills. However, the information on the internet was highly fragmented. After organizing the data and conducting internal research, the Research Division had produced an exceptionally clear and detailed report.

Zhang Wei said, “Following the Corpse Lich Territory campaign, several new facilities have gradually appeared throughout the territory. Among them, one facility called the ‘Starsea Library’ deserves particular attention!”

As he spoke.

He pressed the remote control for the presentation.

An image of a building located within the territory appeared on the screen.

Zhang Wei said, “This facility is currently the most popular one in the territory. Whether for the Calamity Army or the territory's other inhabitants, it is an extremely useful facility, and its value will continue over the long term!”

Zhou Zhengming nodded.

There had already been extensive analysis.

Regarding the Starsea Library.

Based on the intelligence currently collected, the Starsea Library placed no restrictions on who could enter. All inhabitants of the territory could enter it. By paying a certain amount of Contribution Points and Essence, they could randomly obtain a Starsea secret manual bestowed by the library.

A facility with such a function.

Had never appeared before.

Some players had learned from Lord Hang Yu.

That the “Starsea Library” was a facility connected to a portion of the knowledge and wisdom of the Will of the Stars.

It was precisely because of this that once a territory possessed a “Starsea Library,” its inhabitants gained the opportunity to acquire more Starsea knowledge.

Zhang Wei continued, “The Starsea Library can only be entered once every Starsea Week—that is, approximately once every thirty to forty days. Each visit allows a person to obtain one secret manual condensed from Starsea knowledge.”

“The library currently has three floors.”

“Each floor requires different costs.”

“Anyone can enter the first floor. It only requires 500 Contribution Points and 500 Essence.”

“The second and third floors require Second-Order and Third-Order cultivation respectively. The required Essence and Contribution Points are also ten times those of the previous floor, namely 5,000 and 50,000.”

“Although higher floors have higher entry requirements and greater costs, the quality and grade of the Starsea secret manuals that can be condensed also increase accordingly. Furthermore, there is a greater chance of obtaining rare books.”

“...”

Zhou Zhengming asked, “How many kinds of books appear in the library, and what are their respective draw rates?”

“The Research Division has already collected every sample currently available.”

Zhang Wei took out a report and said, “As of now, nearly two thousand players have entered the library. More than half of them have publicly disclosed the secret manuals they obtained. After conducting a statistical analysis of the relevant data, we discovered the following.”

“The Starsea Library contains a vast variety of ‘books.’”

“We have broadly divided them into five major categories: Cultivation Books, Attribute Books, Skill Books, Production Books, and Others.”

“Among them, ‘Cultivation Books’ have the highest appearance rate at roughly forty percent. They are further divided into several types with different functions. Some rapidly increase skill cultivation progress, while others increase the success rate when comprehending skills.”

“As for ‘Attribute Books,’ they account for about fifty percent. There are six different types: Life, Mana, Strength, Agility, Spirit, and Will.”

“These two categories account for the overwhelming majority of appearances, but they cannot be traded.”

“They are bound to the individual and can only be used personally.”

“”

“As for ‘Skill Books’ and ‘Production Books,’ their appearance rates are approximately six percent and less than one percent respectively.”

“The former grants various random combat skills.”

“The latter grants cultivation methods related to forging, alchemy, and cooking. Although they appear to be incomplete compared to the production skills possessed by NPCs and are extremely difficult to cultivate, they are currently the only way for players to obtain secondary professions.”

“Finally, there is also a small chance of obtaining knowledge-type items such as alchemy formulas, Forging Secret Scrolls, and cooking recipes. These items are tradable, although their individual drop rates have yet to be determined.”

“That concludes the basic overview of the Starsea Library.”

“Since the number of available samples is still limited, there may be other, even rarer Starsea secret manuals that have yet to appear. The drop rates for the various categories of books may also require further adjustments and revisions as more data becomes available.”

“...”

After hearing the report.

Everyone nodded quietly.

Even Zhou Zhengming commented, “It seems this ‘Starsea Library’ truly is an excellent place. No wonder it has become the most popular building in the territory recently.”

Of course.

The main reason players considered the Starsea Library so valuable.

Was because players could obtain Essence relatively easily.

For ordinary Lords, however, the biggest drawback of this facility was its Essence cost.

And the amount consumed was far from small.

A Third-Order visit alone required fifty thousand Essence. If someone happened to draw an Attribute Book, although it would permanently increase their attributes, compared to the cost, any ordinary Lord would consider it an enormous loss!

The Human Territory was different.

Zhou Zhengming asked, “Team Leader Wang, what do you think about the appearance of this new facility?”

Wang Yue evaluated it, “In the long run, I believe Attribute Books have the highest value, because like Attribute Pills, they directly increase our attributes. Moreover, Attribute Books appear to be stackable.”

Zhou Zhengming nodded. “Indeed. Humanity's attribute growth is simply too weak, to the point where many powerful skills and cultivation techniques cannot even be learned. Having one more channel to obtain attributes is tremendously significant!”

Humans were born with deficiencies.

If they wished to contend with the top races in the future.

They had to find ways to stack their attributes.

Besides cultivating skills and using Attribute Pills, the territory's inhabitants had now gained an entirely new source of attributes.

That alone was enough to strengthen the territory's overall foundation and make its forces even more powerful!

There were six kinds of Attribute Books.

Each corresponded to one of the six attributes.

The amount of improvement also differed according to the tier of the book.

A First-Order “Book of Life” and “Book of Mana” increased Life or Mana by only 5 points, while the “Book of Strength,” “Book of Agility,” “Book of Spirit,” and “Book of Will” increased their respective attributes by only 1 point.

Second-Order books granted 12 Life or Mana, or 2 points in one of the four primary attributes.

Third-Order books granted 40 Life or Mana, or 8 points in one of the four primary attributes.

The increases were small!

But they stacked!

If someone persevered for ten or twenty years.

And visited the Starsea Library every cycle to obtain books.

Given the drop rate of Attribute Books, they would eventually accumulate a considerable number of attribute increases.

Wang Yue continued, “Furthermore, there is also a small chance of obtaining production profession books from the Starsea Library, such as forging, alchemy, and cooking. Although they can't compare with NPCs, they are still of tremendous significance!”

In the past.

For a very long time.

Many players had wanted to learn life skills and develop secondary professions.

Yet they had never found a way.

Now, with the appearance of the Starsea Library, players finally saw a glimmer of hope.

The only problem was that the chances of obtaining Alchemy or Forging books from the Starsea Library were simply too low.

Although a few had appeared.

They were all Basic Alchemy and Basic Forging.

These life professions could only be cultivated to Level 10.

Moreover, since players were merely ordinary Starsea Followers rather than true Starsea Citizens, they could not receive the blessings of the Will of the Stars. Consequently, cultivating life professions was far more difficult for them than it was for NPCs such as Yan Ling and Bai Mu.

For example.

At the same level.

Players needed to consume ten to twenty times more Essence to improve.

Although there were all sorts of limitations, at least people could finally see hope, couldn't they?

The major legions could fully cultivate their own production specialists while also recruiting and training talented natives.

Wang Yue also said, “Since this ‘Starsea Library’ is open to all inhabitants, I suggest we place greater emphasis on cultivating natives and allow the natives within our legion to enter the library and try their luck as well.”

“If they manage to obtain secondary profession skill books or secret manuals that assist in cultivating secondary professions, we can not only train players within our legion into logistics personnel, but also select talented natives for specialized cultivation.”

“Although the initial investment is enormous!”

“It is absolutely worthwhile!”

“It will increase our faction's foundation and competitiveness!”

Zhou Zhengming agreed with Wang Yue's proposal.

At the current stage, players were still limited in number.

Therefore, every major legion had been searching among the native population for talented individuals to cultivate.

Among those natives were quite a few with excellent talent.

They would undoubtedly prove extremely valuable in the future.

Zhang Wei continued his report.

Next, he discussed skills.

This section was extremely complex.

It included not only the territory's newest Fusion Skills, but also evaluations of the brand-new Skill Stone abilities that had appeared following the Corpse Lich Territory campaign.

After the Corpse Lich Territory campaign.

Four major blue Secret Techniques had appeared within the territory.

These four blue Secret Techniques were extraordinarily difficult to learn.

Nevertheless, some players and NPCs had already mastered them.

In addition to the “Starsea Library.”

Another facility called the “Necromancy Skill Tower” had also appeared.

It was a special Skill Tower where Necromancy skills could be cultivated much more quickly.

Furthermore, the tower itself contained three Skill Stones: “Skeleton Summoning,” “Zombie Summoning,” and “Wraith Summoning.”

Summoning skills were rare.

Moreover, all three were Green-quality skills.

Overall, they were not particularly difficult to learn.

Many players had already mastered them.

Each of these skills possessed its own unique strengths and characteristics.

There were numerous combinations and applications worth researching.

Whether it was the Special Investigation Bureau or the player community at large, everyone had to admit that the cultivation of cultivation techniques, martial arts, and spells was undoubtedly one of the most complex subjects within the field of Arcane Studies.

As the territory's collection of skills continued to expand, players were also discovering more and more ways to play.

Take Monks for example.

Even now, several different schools had already emerged.

There was the “Transformation Build,” which specialized in fighting with Dragon Lizard Transformation and could eventually learn the Hundred-Eyed Corpse King Transformation, making it both durable and offensively powerful.

There was the “Summoner Build,” which learned various summoning techniques such as Thunderhorn Eagle, Skeleton, Zombie, and Wraith Summoning, allowing it to respond flexibly to different opponents.

There was the “Alchemy Build.” These Monks focused primarily on studying Zhang Zhongjing's alchemy arts. The Alchemy Build itself was divided into the Support Build and the Poison Pill Build, the latter specializing in the Pill Devouring Secret Art.

Naturally, there were also the more conventional “Healing Build” and “Spellcaster Build,” which followed the traditional route by using various healing spells to serve as the team's healer, or learning offensive Sorcerer-style skills to gain magical damage output.

The other classes were much the same.

Moreover, they could all cross into one another's fields.

Different foundations could also be combined to develop different Fusion Skills or even entirely new cultivation techniques.

If this trend continued.

No two members of the Calamity Army would ever be exactly alike.

In the future, players' abilities would undoubtedly become unimaginably diverse.

One of the Research Division's primary tasks at the Special Investigation Bureau was to collect data on every skill and evaluate their effectiveness, ultimately identifying several of the most cost-effective development paths for the organization's future talent cultivation.

...

The meeting lasted for a full four hours.

Although every minute had been packed with valuable information and not a second had been wasted.

More than half of the recent updates to Weird Three Kingdoms still remained undiscussed.

Even Zhou Zhengming had to admit that, despite the Special Investigation Bureau's intelligence network and research capabilities, it was impossible to completely grasp every piece of information and data.

The development of this game contained far too many unknowns and unpredictabilities.

Wang Yue could no longer remain at the meeting.

Because.

He had suddenly received a message.

“Bovang has come under attack by Abyssal forces.”

“All Legion Commanders must log into the game immediately!”

Wang Yue's in-game body had already fully recovered.

As one of the five Legion Commanders, he had naturally participated in drafting the plan to capture Old Wan City.

Many of his subordinates were currently assembling at Bovang, the city closest to Old Wan.

This battle.

Was of critical importance.

And Old Wan had clearly discovered the Starsea forces' movements.

Although Dian Wei could not leave the Core Pollution Zone.

He could still dispatch his subordinates into battle.

He was most likely attempting to recapture Bovang.

Bovang absolutely could not be lost!

At this moment, the main force of the Calamity Army had already completed its preparations.

According to the plan.

They would capture Old Wan City within the next twenty-four hours.

If Bovang fell.

There was no way they could capture Old Wan according to schedule.

Without a second thought, Wang Yue immediately logged into the game!