Su Qi looked at his gray and dim Personal Space, all the matching options had been locked with chains.
Only a dark, bloody handprint was displayed before him,
waiting for the players to press it.
Su Qi pondered, not yet having entered Paradise, certain things were hard to say and judge, but he felt that what Xu Linqiu narrated might not be the whole story; there seemed to be many unknowns involved.
He reached out and pressed it.
[Player Su Buxian is about to enter the Twelve Worlds competition]
[You will be randomly assigned to a competition area]
[The assigned area is: Fantasy Universe]
[The matching mechanism will match algorithms according to your current ranking.]
[Please note that the competition will employ a Points system; all player performances in the instance will affect their points.]
blood began to seep through the gaps of the room and the windows, engulfing Su Qi in an instant.
Su Qi woke up on a bus.
but one of those incredible ones that flew in the sky, and the passengers around him were far from ordinary.
People wearing prosthetic eyes and limbs,
a green-headed Monster in a suit and tie, with a burly figure,
Xiao Huang wearing a construction hat.
"This... it caught me off guard."
Su Qi's gaze shifted from the bus interior and then outwards to the massive neon-lit skyscrapers, the air tram tracks stretching across the sky—everything was so Cyberpunk.
on many skyscrapers were enormous screens, holographically rolling out advertisements.
[New Prosthetic Assembly Packages Now Available, Hot Sale!]
[The Glimmer and Glamor of Stars Hall, Tickets Pre-sale 500,000 Cyber Coins]
[If you encounter any violations in the City, please alert the authorities immediately, handling personnel will come upon call to solve your problems]
Meanwhile, in the largest Grand Square, a holographic image was flashing in a rock style!
[A City of Bliss Where the Bizarre and Technology Coexist!]
[In ten days, a superstar who commands the attention of tens of thousands will be hosting the annual auction of death, madness, and joy! Location: Stars Hall in Night City! Stay tuned!]
Su Qi withdrew his gaze, muttering to himself, "So this is Cyberpunk City?"
But it seemed somewhat different.
Because this city was not only inhabited by humans; there were various abnormal, eerie, and bizarre races.
But everyone was busy, much like office workers.
He himself was wearing a badly fitted suit with wrinkles.
a super-thin strap on his wrist popped out a holographic image.
"Dear Citizen Su Buxian, a reminder that your current balance is only 100 Cyber Coins; in ten days... the costs you will have to pay include citizen status fee, rent, water, electricity, clothing leasing, internet fees, totaling up to 8213.23 Cyber Coins. To avoid violating the rules, please deposit the full amount in time."
"If the fees are insufficient, your citizenship will be revoked, and you will be expelled!"
He quietly processed the information, realizing he was indeed broke.
Even the suit he wore was rented.
And now... what was he supposed to be doing?
The bus slowly stopped at a Cloud Platform.
Meanwhile, his wristwatch also reminded Su Qi,
"You have arrived at your destination! 20 Cyber Coins deducted, balance now 80."
Su Qi raised an eyebrow, "What kind of expensive crap is this?" He grabbed his briefcase and disembarked from the bus.
"I understand now... this is a world where prices skyrocket and capital inflates."
Su Qi glanced at the interview materials and advertising signs prepared in his briefcase, "Seems like I'm going to a company interview to preserve my identity?"
[Current instance player count: 1000]
[Each player will start with 10 points]
[Note, if your points drop to zero, you will be eliminated from the competition and can't participate in the Conquest]
[Current world's key term for increasing points: 'Consumption']
Su Qi quietly noted the system prompt.
This city apparently had thousands of players and, based on appearances, should be divided into different areas.
Regarding the keyword.
"Consumption?" Su Qi mused, "The bus fee seemed to only add 0.1 points."
"What can my remaining 80 Cyber Coins buy? A lollipop?"
Su Qi found himself mistaken.
Because a freaking lollipop cost 199 Cyber Coins.
He couldn't afford to buy one.
"Pathetic, freaking pathetic, not just broke but also having a pile of fees to pay."
Su Qi decided to first check out the company where he was about to interview.
Thousands of players were competing in this city, and since the way to earn points was to spend, they would inevitably work frantically to earn money.
the higher the luxury, the more points earned.
Of course, the first thing to do,
Su Qi had to successfully secure this job.
He quickly reached the company he was interviewing for—Mysterious Processing Containment Company!
The area was crowded with prospective employees.
In the fast-paced Cyber City, money is everything!
No beating about the bush, money was the real boss and without contracts, wages are settled daily; failure to meet the requirements or death meant another person would replace them.
Everyone seemed desperate to get into this company.
Su Qi quickly entered the hallway outside the interview venue.
He noticed the presence of other players, his arrival catching their attention.
In a city with thousands of players, if most of their starting conditions were similar, the chances of encountering each other would greatly increase.