Chapter 1 Other invited guests had no expression on their faces, and it was impossible to tell what they were thinking.

They probably guessed what Li Ang was thinking, but they maintained a tacit silence.

Smith didn't mind this interlude, coughed, and said, "Let's start with introductions. I've seen the information Mule gave me, but it's better for you to get to know each other and have names to call each other."

"I'll go first,"

A tall woman dressed as a forest ranger said, "Just call me Catwoman. I'm a psychic, specializing in prediction and divination. I can predict what will happen in the near future."

Li Ang glanced at her. The camera in Catwoman's hand looked vaguely familiar,

A bit like the 【Divination Polaroid】that Forest Cat had in the Williams mansion.

The Title skill of the Digger was activated,

A line of transparent words appeared above Catwoman's head,

【Nono's desserts have been so bad lately... how can I subtly tell her?】

The Digger didn't reveal the other person's personal information this time, but Li Ang wasn't in a hurry,

This Title skill is a bit inaccurate, but it has a short cooldown time, refreshing the hidden secrets in each living being's heart every 10 minutes,

There's still plenty of time before the end of the scenario mission, so he can always find one or two useful pieces of information.

"Just call me Witch."

The blonde girl in wizard attire said indifferently, "I specialize in various witchcraft and reasoning."

Yo, a player specializing in reasoning.

Li Ang activated the Digger, and a line of words appeared above her head.

【Tsk, as expected, the witch profession is annoying. It consumes too many resources! The professor even told me to support myself and find a job! Damn old geezer!】

Professor?

Li Ang silently noted the title. It sounded like this Witch was affiliated with some organization?

"Next is me,"

The leather-clad man pushed up his sunglasses and said hoarsely, "I specialize in reconnaissance and intelligence gathering. You can call me Terminator."

He really is the Terminator.

Li Ang laughed. "Brother, your Schwarzenegger cosplay is pretty good. The costume is very similar, but your physique isn't muscular enough to pull it off."

"...Just knowing that I'm cosplaying is enough."

The leather-clad man looked at Li Ang, who was dressed in all black, and complained with some pain, "But brother, your outfit... could it be that you're also cosplaying a famous anime character..."

Li Ang nodded, patted his chest, and said in a deep voice, "I never change my name or my ways.

I am the legendary Kuroko, Little Black.

I am agile, quick-witted, and my age, gender, and level of gore are unknown. I specialize in conspiracy, assassination, and murder. To date, I have committed countless crimes.

My accomplice is a high school detective who doesn't want to be named. He cooperates with me to make innocent people at the crime scene scapegoats, allowing me to get away with it time and time again."

"Hey, isn't that Kuroko from Detective Conan?"

The leather-clad man rubbed his eyebrows and said, "In a way, your description is subtly in line with the plot in the manga and anime..."

The leather-clad man, or rather, Black Trojan, was also an old acquaintance of Li Ang. The last time they met was when they were solving the cognitive bias curse caused by the radical elements of the Whale Song organization in Yin City.

That time, he escaped the Special Affairs Bureau's search, developed in a low-key manner, and rose a lot in the Whale Song organization with his personal ability.

His equipment has also been completely updated.

The magic mirror he's wearing now is an improved version of the 【Code Observer】, coupled with the mechanical eyeball in his left eye socket,

He can browse everything in the outside world in the form of code, just like in The Matrix.

Flowers, plants, insects, fish, players, and monsters are no longer in their original form in his left eye, but in piles of code,

Different existences have different code languages, different forms, and different coding methods.

The more powerful the extraordinary existence, the more magnificent and massive its code,

Among all the players Black Trojan had seen,

Some players' code is like a pile of ancestral shit, looking like a steep cliff, towering into the clouds, but in reality, it is chaotic, disordered, and collapses at the first touch,

Some players' code is simple, clear, concise, and yet has infinite potential and is almost perfect.

When Li Ang used the Digger skill to see that the secret in his heart was 【I never thought that I, Black Trojan, would have to work for someone to make a living... I knew I shouldn't have owed Mule a favor】,

Black Trojan's gaze was also sweeping over the players present.

This programmer from the Whale Song organization didn't show it on the surface, but silently evaluated the strength of his "companions" in his heart.

'Mule's code strength is the same as an ordinary person. It should be because of the role-playing scenario that he has been sealed.

Catwoman's code scale is about the same as mine, but slightly weaker, and her conciseness is not as good as mine. It's more chaotic. Is she a lone wolf player from a small sect?

Hmm... this little witch's code strength is surprisingly high, almost equivalent to a main battle player around Lv17-19, and it's quite concise and perfect. There are no loopholes or bugs to be seen. She should be a member of a large organization and the thigh Mule hired this time...'

As Black Trojan thought this, his gaze settled on Li Ang.

"Ugh—"

Black Trojan groaned, the mechanical eye in his left eye socket couldn't help but twitch violently, and even the 【Code Observer】disguised as a magic mirror made a "crack" sound, and a crack appeared.

What... what exactly is that...

Black Trojan subconsciously covered his mouth, blocking the cry in his throat, and his whole body was soaked in cold sweat.

If the witch's code is a beautiful church made of gold, silver, diamonds, and jewels,

Then, behind Li Ang, Black Trojan saw a towering black tree reaching into the clouds.

That tree was definitely not any kind of plant on earth,

Countless giant black vines, intertwined and piled up, formed its trunk, branches, and even leaves,

Every vine was breathing, wriggling, trembling,

Greedily absorbing sunlight and moisture,

Bearing some indescribable evil power.

On the trunk of the tree, there were countless large and small circular scars and holes,

The holes were as black as ink,

As Black Trojan stared, countless trunk holes suddenly grew blood-red eyeballs, blinking their eyelids, and looking at him in unison.

There was clearly no emotion in the gaze of the flesh-and-blood eyes,

But it made Black Trojan tremble all over, feeling like he was a prey targeted by some giant creature, weak, helpless, and would be swallowed by endless greed at any time.

Can't look, can't look, can't look, can't look...

Black Trojan closed his eyes tightly, desperately turning off the 【Code Observer】effect that was turned on by default, and his body floating in mid-air trembled slightly.

"Hey, are you okay?"

Li Ang, who learned that he was Black Trojan through the Digger skill effect, kindly reminded him, "Didn't you say that the players who are invited in won't be harmed? What's wrong with you..."

"I'm fine..."

Black Trojan suppressed his fear, looked up to meet Li Ang's eyes, and forced a smile, "Eye spasm, it's an old problem."

His reason was screaming and shouting like crazy, telling him to escape from here, escape from Li Ang, by any means possible.

What terrifying thing is actually living inside this man's body...