'Is she even human???'
'So skilled!'
'Bai Zhiyuan, are you a devil??!'
'This can be done as a speedrun?!'
'A devil has appeared among us players!'
'I didn't use time-space conversion, I jumped down myself, sob sob (┯_┯)'
'What talent'
'Oh wow??? It's done like this, I'm shocked!'
'Front welfare, listen carefully.'
...
As the video volume was turned up slightly, the subtle gasps of Bai Zhiyuan could even be heard.
Whether it was due to immense physical exertion or the excitement of successfully challenging the limit, voice-activated viewers exclaimed that it was truly explosive!
After conversing with BT, Bai Zhiyuan followed the upward prompt to the vertically downward ventilation shaft.
At this spot, at least 95% of players have failed today!
Many players have developed PTSD from this section of the pipe; seeing the whirring fan blades made their muscles twitch as if in pain, and the flames made their skin feel hot, as if smeared with chili oil.
What appeared to be a vertical ventilation shaft was actually internally curved with a slight inclination, a freefall in abnormal conditions.
Even a physics teacher would struggle to calculate the falling time for each section of the pipe in a short period.
Even if calculated, switching time-space in tenths of a second based on real-time status would not be easy.
Just as the audience was silently calculating how many times Bai Zhiyuan would die here—
She jumped directly down!
'The clumsy ones declare death!'
'Here it comes!'
'????'
...
A few scattered comments drifted by; the audience hadn't even reacted before she jumped.
Hum~~ Swish~!!
The pipe, blazing with fierce flames, abruptly transformed into rapidly spinning fan blades.
When less than half a meter away, the time-space switching effect sound rang out again—
Hum~~ Swish~!!
The scene switched back to the pipe wall ablaze with flames.
Hum~~ Swish~!!
With almost no pause, Bai Zhiyuan decisively pressed the device button.
The fan blades reappeared before her. Due to a slight gradient buffer in the final section of the pipe, she was now less than two meters away from the fan blades.
At this point, it was clearly impossible to switch time-space immediately as before.
Otherwise, she would undoubtedly be engulfed by the sea of fire.
Closer!
Closer!
As she neared the fan, time seemed to stand still.
The audience in front of the screen clenched their fists, as if hearing their own heartbeats.
Hum~~ Swish~!!
Time-space switched
again.
Stomp—!!
The sound of Bai Zhiyuan's feet hitting the ground struck every viewer's heart like a heavy hammer—it was the sound of cardiac arrest!
'So practiced it's heartbreaking!'
'How many years have you been single for this??'
'Please accept my kowtow!'
'This is truly cool!'
'My family is shocked by this hand speed!'
'Good job, UP!'
'Whoa, so that's how you do it!'
...
Witnessing this scene, the audience's eyes widened in shock, especially the players who had experienced it, who now revered Bai Zhiyuan as a deity.
Even Lu Li was momentarily stunned by this scene; this technique, this reaction, would take him considerable time to replicate.
"As expected of players who enjoy torment, their motivation is different."
Lu Li admitted he couldn't achieve Bai Zhiyuan's level of focus. If he were younger, maybe. Lu Li's physical age was what it was, but his mental age was that of a nearly thirty-year-old uncle.
He could no longer achieve such extreme focus and pursuit of perfection in a game.
However, seeing such spirit in Bai Zhiyuan moved him.
It was passion!
"AOOOOOOO!!"
Zhou Jie's stream was completely hyped!
Although Zhou Jie, with her 2G internet, hadn't reached this point yet, the visual spectacle alone was enough to excite viewers like her.
'Gotta say, that's impressive!'
'If Bai Zhiyuan starts streaming, Zhou Jie's status as the top streamer might be in jeopardy.'
'Hmph, anyone with hands can do this.'
'The classic "anyone with hands can do it."'
'A classic, but games produced by Lingjing repeatedly prove that just having hands isn't enough.'
'I'm watching Zhou Jie stream on her channel while watching Bilibili game videos, this is so surreal!'
...
In Zhou Jie's stream, Bai Zhiyuan had switched time once again.
Anderson's projection reappeared, "They used this planet's moon as a test target. This damn thing is just a test!"
Anderson was furious: "Our planet is the next target—they're going to attack Harmony."
"I have to get this information to Sarah."
With that said, a projection of a fully armed soldier holding a pistol suddenly appeared behind Anderson.
"Stop right there, Pilot."
The soldier, holding his pistol, approached step by step, and Anderson feigned raising his hands.
IMC Security: "I found-"
Seizing the moment the soldier announced their findings, Anderson clenched his fist and struck the soldier's face.
Simultaneously, he grabbed the gun in the soldier's hand, and they began to wrestle.
The pistol dropped to the side during their struggle.
At the same time, a crackling sound echoed through the scene, as if some device's circuitry had failed.
After they separated, the soldier drew a dagger from his waist and charged fiercely at Anderson.
"Ugh... Ah!!"
Anderson attempted to switch his time-space device, but due to some malfunction, his equipment failed. He cried out, and his projection vanished.
The lunging soldier, unable to stop himself due to inertia, fell from the high platform.
BT's voice chimed in timely: "This is the Major's last recorded segment."
This scene completely bewildered the viewers.
'So... this is the direct reason Anderson became the pinnacle Pilot?'
'Anderson was pretty pathetic, couldn't even beat a regular soldier. Shouldn't Pilots only die facing powerful armies and other Pilots?'
'This little soldier might be a quasi-Pilot like Cooper, trading kills with Anderson (don't take this seriously)'
'Anderson was likely on a perfect infiltration, but Cooper was discovered, which led to Anderson being discovered as well.'
'That makes sense. This also explains why the soldier said "Stop right there, Pilot" at the beginning; he mistook Anderson for the escaping Pilot Cooper.'
'So... Cooper's arrival caused Anderson's perfect infiltration plan to be exposed, indirectly leading to Major Anderson's death. After all, if Security hadn't come to apprehend Cooper, none of this would have happened.'
'Wait... wait... the more I listen, the more confused I get... Didn't Cooper arrive after Anderson died?'
'Let's just wait until the game is cleared and see how the streamers analyze it, and how the designers resolve this increasingly outlandish plot hole.'
...
At this point, the viewers were starting to get confused. Even players who had played the game were a bit bewildered. They engaged in heated discussions.
However, since it wasn't a live broadcast, no one could provide answers, so they could only calm down and watch patiently, afraid of missing even a single detail.
There was a recording device on the desk. Bai Zhiyuan pressed it, and General Mott's voice boomed from the broadcast: "I want to take some time today to talk about the value of human life... Human life has no value."
A topic devoid of substance, she walked while listening.
Bai Zhiyuan reached the bottom of the high platform, where she could still see the soldier's body, still fresh, with bright red blood nearby.
Hum~~ Swish~!!
After switching time-space, the soldier's body had already turned green!
Faintly visible were bare bones, clearly indicating a very long time since death.
Green grass had grown around the area—very detailed!
Having done this,
Bai Zhiyuan wasted no more time. Anderson's objective for this trip and the subsequent mission were clear, and she prepared to rendezvous with BT.
BT, based on scanning the residual Ark energy clues from the double-ring device, had made a new discovery.
The mystery that had cast a shadow over all players... the cause of Anderson's death... the function of the Ark...
Were about to be revealed!
...