T0 Gaming Guild Saves the World

According to official records, she was "Contact Zero".

The first version of "Lord of the Stars and Bonfires" no longer appears in any surviving archives due to her dissatisfaction.

In our daily interactions, she referred to herself as "Candlelight".

Chen Shaoyu admired his own composure, or perhaps, ever since he learned of the existence of the candlelight, his sensitivity to the unknown had become increasingly heightened.

He didn't know how the official records described candlelight; in his mind, candlelight wasn't a person.

It might be laughable to describe it as aliens, but such a narrow human understanding is all that can describe what we see, hear, and feel.

Shortly after joining the company, Chen Shaoyu learned a terrifying truth.

The medium through which the stars bear witness is the candlelight itself.

Information from all over the world converges within her through various media.

To use an inappropriate analogy, this is a server that can move, think, and has a human-like form; its processing power is beyond Chen Shaoyu's comprehension.

A torrent of data surged through her body without delay or lag; the only problem was the increasingly frequent bugs.

He believed that the first people in the world to come into contact with candlelight would experience a range of emotions, including fear, doubt, and despair, after witnessing its power.

Where did she come from?

Why did you come?

Trying to interpret the reasons, causes, and purposes of a game's existence is futile.

Trying to understand her power is utterly ridiculous.

Her existence is the biggest reason why the game "Proof of the Stars" runs smoothly.

There is no other way but to cooperate.

The only thing that everyone on this planet can be thankful for is that the candlelight never showed the slightest bit of malice from beginning to end.

As the operator of the Chinese server, Chen Shaoyu's appointment by the Candlelight organization gave him the opportunity to interact with important figures he could only see on television.

The focus of the conversation between the candlelight and them was only one thing—games.

The final result was the smooth operation of the Proof of the Stars, with the support and cooperation of all government agencies.

From the people he met afterward, Chen Shaoyu was certain that Zhu Huo had engaged in a fairly equal exchange with them despite their unequal social status.

Otherwise, no one would dare to impulsively run to her office and question her.

and so……

The candlelight shone on them, or rather...

What did they promise to the world they live in?

Her long, black hair, which had been blown about by the wind stirred up by the light stream, gradually fell down, becoming disheveled and scattered.

The head slowly descended, fitting seamlessly into the torso, and the hands returned to their places at the same time.

The nightmare-like scene in the office, reminiscent of a horror movie, vanished.

Candlelight, her appearance perfectly conforms to human aesthetics, she is a very beautiful girl with long black hair.

Whether she was naturally like this, or whether she did it intentionally to fit into this world, Chen Shaoyu had no idea.

The only thing he knew was that this beautiful young woman was his boss and managed his salary.

A monthly salary of 6 yuan is an astronomical figure for someone who has wasted time after graduation.

The operating dividends are settled every six months, and given the size of the game, they're quite well-off.

I feel a little guilty taking this money.

Honestly, all the operations team needs to do is enter the game to assist with data monitoring and arrange offline events.

These are things that the bigwigs at the top often worry about, but they don't actually do much of the work themselves.

Chen Shaoyu stared intently at the candlelight, whose eyes were hazy, as if it had just woken up.

"How are they progressing?"

The candlelight asks about the boundary between reality and illusion.

Originally, the information about the boundary between the virtual and real worlds was to be checked by Candlelight herself, but the recent second round of qualification lottery review seemed to have left her no time to be distracted, so some of the key game progress information that she was concerned about was handed over to him.

In a sense, is this a manifestation of trust?

"They entered the game at 12:08 today."

"Current progress: Dungeon, Level 9 of the Underground Temple of the Clarity, [Nest of the Ever-Changing Dolls] not yet cleared."

"With a plot impact factor of 'world-class,' the 'Anna Rebellion' has essentially locked in one ending."

"They haven't decided how to use the key you gave them last time."

"The Rebellion of Anna has continued, and the Source of Faith has progressed to the point of returning to the Great Snow Mountain. The ending branches are still unclear and are still in flux."

"Special role, confirmed according to the permissions you granted."

"The Fallen Star Siren Kshasa, the compatibility and anchor point values ​​are currently both 100%".

"Potion Master Mint, compatibility, anchor value, and permission display are all question marks and unclear."

With a monthly salary of 6 yuan, Chen Shaoyu is highly motivated at work and completes his tasks diligently, handling all data with ease.

"Currently, in these key data points you mentioned, the seven players at the virtual-real boundary are unmatched across the entire server, far ahead of all other players on the planet."

The candlelight seemed to be stuck in a delay again, taking a full half minute to respond.

"Wait a little longer, wait a little longer... we haven't reached the node yet."

Chen Shaoyu had long since learned how to handle situations he couldn't understand, so he didn't delve too deeply into them, treating them as fleeting memories.

“You have many questions.” Candlelight suddenly raised its head and looked directly at Chen Shaoyu.

In those eyes, there seemed to be a deep, dark sea of ​​stars, drawing Chen Shaoyu's thoughts into it.

"Curiosity is the root of human progress," Chen Shaoyu said frankly, "but I know how to control it."

“You can indulge yourself this once,” Candlelight said. “You can ask a question as a reward for your meticulous work.”

"Asking won't reduce my salary or deduct my bonuses, will it?"

"will not."

"I asked something I shouldn't have. Won't they fire me from the company?"

A monthly salary of 6 is a rare find, especially at this time when jobs are so hard to come by.

"will not."

Chen Shaoyu fell into deep thought.

He had too many questions about the candlelight and the game, far more than one question could answer.

If I choose to ask the candlelight to answer more of my questions, then tomorrow my memory will be erased and I'll be thrown out of the company...

Don't tempt fate for a monthly salary of 6.

After careful consideration, Chen Shaoyu asked the question.

Why were we chosen?

Chen Shaoyu never understood why he, an insignificant speck of dust among dozens of people in the company, was selected by the candlelight and became a member of the list on the desks of those important figures.

Their only commonality seems to be their age.

Generally between 18 and 24.

Located at the time between entering and exiting the school gate.

He still can't forget the moment when the door to his rented room was knocked on and several plainclothes officers checked his identity.

Compared to the increasingly prominent focus on the boundary between reality and illusion by candlelight, what exactly is essential for these young people who have been selected and trained in detail by teachers with experience in game operation and internet operation?

"The answer will be revealed in the future, so don't waste the opportunity."

Chen Shaoyu's mouth was slightly open, but he didn't dwell on it any longer.

He thought for a moment and then asked a second question.

A question that had lingered in his mind ever since he learned of Candlelight's identity led him to search for many videos.

"How many civilizations exist in this universe we inhabit?"

Silence filled the room.

He could almost see the candlelight shining with brilliant starlight.

Almost a minute has passed; even if it's delayed, I should answer by now.

Did I ask a question outside the norm, and that's why I got silence as the only answer?

Lost in thought, the candlelight spoke.

"One."

Chen Shaoyu paused, as if an electric current had flashed through his brain.

He swallowed hard: "One other than us?"

"You are the only ones."

Chapter 187 Whoever blocks the way dies

Is it more frightening if there is more than one civilization in the entire universe, or is it more frightening if there is only one intelligent civilization on Earth in the entire universe?

If forced to choose between the two, Chen Shaoyu would choose the latter.

My curiosity, which I had been suppressing so well, was about to burst forth.

"No civilization existed before us?"

The candlelight simply stared silently at Chen Shaoyu, offering no reply.

Chen Shaoyu seemed to have discerned the answer hidden behind the silence. He took a deep breath and whispered a thank you.

No candlelight was needed to remind him; the person who had previously leaked information had already forgotten everything that happened in this building, and he was a very tight-lipped person.

Chen Shaoyu has left; he needs to enter the deeper dream realm to return to the Proof of the Stars.

Tonight, the boundary between reality and illusion is very likely to pinpoint the first outcome of the "Anna Rebellion" incident, and he needs to take the place of the candlelight to complete the observation.

……

……

Upon returning to the game, Jiang Heyi waited for a full half-day before the emperor's secret envoy arrived.

It's that old Deng who always talks about young people.

Perhaps because Jiang Heyi's rebuke was very effective last time, the old man in the black robe did not use the term "young man" again. He seemed to have learned how to restrain himself from using this catchphrase.

"Let's do it tomorrow."

It happened faster than anyone had imagined at the boundary between the virtual and real worlds, and everyone was eager to get started.

"Without rehearsals or drills, if it fails, even His Majesty cannot help you."

“You’re either underestimating us,” Jiang Heyi said, “or you’re underestimating Kesha.”

Kesha was now occupying the entire soft chair, comfortably sprawled on it. Upon hearing this, it immediately raised its head, its tail slapping happily against the floor.

Orange Tea suddenly raised her hand: "Your Majesty, are you sure that we won't face any more trouble after this is done? If someone causes trouble and we are forced to retaliate, don't blame us."

"His Majesty is not so old that he can't control people," the old man in black robes scoffed disdainfully. "You should worry more about yourselves."

He casually tossed Jiang Heyi a sound transmission crystal and a photo scroll.

"We'll contact you using this tool tomorrow. Good luck!"

After the old man in the black robe left, the boundary between reality and illusion opened, revealing the scroll that captured the image.

Still in the council hall, this time, Kurien summoned all the nobles, and after a heated debate among them, he made a decision.

“Since you insist on this, then Giza and the other eight shall immediately pay their atonement and, upon their release from prison, bear the cost of compensating the Fallen Star Siren.”

These words signify that this protracted tug-of-war has finally ended with Kurion stepping in to clean up the mess.