"Miss Alien, do you plan to cooperate with us, or... be our enemy?"
White Jack stared at Xia Wenna, enunciating every word.
Beneath their feet drifted a residential building, like a lonely planet in space. The rooftop they stood on was its absolute pinnacle.
White Jack sat imposingly on the highest railing, his hands clasped over his Magic Cane.
He looked relaxed but couldn't stop glancing around, unable to hide his excitement—like the first astronaut stepping onto the moon.
Even though he knew this was nothing but a dream, the feeling of standing at the peak of a planet was incredible.
If he could, White Jack would have snapped a picture to share with Red Lotus. Back home, only that thick-nerved sister Nezha might be willing to chat with him for a bit.
It was a pity he hadn't brought his phone—though he knew meeting an alien face-to-face would ruin it sooner or later. Better to leave it behind and save some money.
Right now, a woman completely covered in black-and-white static stood at the other corner of the roof, her pupils obscured by deep blue noise. Behind her, mechanical tentacles drifted toward the sky.
The panel was similarly shrouded in faint static, rendering every character mysterious and blurry.
[Codename: Alien Colonial Pioneer: Z12235]
[Type: Extraterrestrial Lifeform]
[Danger Rating: ???? Rank]
[Note: Once an "extraterrestrial species" leaves Earth, they are no longer counted among the player's task extermination targets. If an alien spacecraft invades Earth, then any Fangongta Aliens located on Earth will be counted as extermination targets.]
Reading the note, White Jack raised an eyebrow.
"From the looks of it, there really is room for negotiation with this alien mom. If we can just get her to leave Earth temporarily before the time limit ends, she won't become an extermination target."
He scratched his chin, thinking out loud.
"And if I really do form a partnership with Mom, it won't just delay the alien fleet's invasion; it could also prevent a certain scenario—one that would be incredibly fatal to us."
"For example, on the final day of the player task, if some native Earth super-human species gets a bright idea and flees to some corner of the universe... then, if we can't find and kill them, we players will be completely wiped out."
"But if Mom is willing to keep an eye on things from space and stop them from leaving Earth, that would be like deploying a safety net, completely eliminating the risk."
At this thought, White Jack lifted his hollow eyes to stare at the alien woman, who was still completely covered in black-and-white static.
The rooftop fell into absolute silence. He received no response. She stood on the floor like a statue, turning her static-flickering eyes to quietly stare at him.
No emotion could be read from her gaze. She was unnervingly calm.
"So... what's your answer, Miss Alien?" White Jack prattled on. "It's quite rude not to speak."
He paused. "Uh, at first I thought you just looked airheaded on the outside but were wild on the inside. I didn't expect you to be so consistent inside and out, like a literal robot. Uncle White Jack is very disappointed."
Just as his voice fell, White Jack's vision went dark.
The world felt like a television that had suddenly lost its signal. In an instant, his vision was swallowed by a violent storm of static.
Bzz...
Bzz-bzz...
Amidst the intermittent static, he felt his body acting like a malfunctioning appliance, slowly losing all responsiveness.
"Oh, did it get dark? Wait... does the concept of night even exist in space?"
White Jack muttered to himself.
When he snapped back to his senses, he opened his eyes and looked forward. He discovered that his body had been separated from his head, drifting off to who knows where.
White Jack raised a nonexistent eyebrow. For some reason, he suddenly remembered a lyric from a children's song: "Goodbye Mom~ I'm sailing far away tonight~"
He turned his head to watch his pale body drift further and further into space. The flame on his Magic Cane gradually went out, and finally, both were crushed into fragments by a passing meteor.
In the next instant, mechanical tentacles covered White Jack's eyes.
A cold, refreshing sensation seeped into his cheeks. Xia Wenna's tentacles held his head up, drawing him into her embrace.
Xia Wenna stood silently atop the roof, her head bowed as she cradled White Jack's head against her chest. One by one, her mechanical tentacles wrapped around his head, blindfolding him.
It felt as if they were connecting directly to his cranial nerves.
Just then, Xia Wenna's gaze changed. She was no longer as indifferent as before; a strange flicker of emotion flashed through her static-obscured eyes.
Sensing something was wrong, White Jack tried to use the top hat left in the real world to transfer himself, but it was no use. He couldn't move an inch.
At the same time, on the other side of the world, Ke Mingqing suddenly felt incredibly sleepy and exhausted, like a swaddled infant.
The world swayed. Drowsiness settled heavily over him, and accompanied by the hoarse whispers of a woman, he slowly closed his eyes.
This was the first time Ke Mingqing had been personally affected by a puppet.
Before this, he had always been able to completely separate his mental state from the Theater Puppet. Therefore, no matter how dangerous White Jack's situation became, he could remain calm.
It was like sitting in front of a computer, controlling a digital character in a video game; you would never expect the character to have any impact on your actual self.
So whether he made the character climb a mountain of daggers and plunge into a sea of fire, or jump into a volcano for a lava bath, it was no big deal.
But this time was different... Ke Mingqing felt as if an invisible hand had reached through the screen, grabbed him while he was sitting smugly at his desk, and seized him by the throat.
He could barely breathe. The entire universe felt like it was collapsing, closing in on him like a circular wall. His mind teetered on the brink of losing control.
"????, why...? Why? now??, if you just wait???? it'll be fine??..." Suddenly, he heard the previously silent woman speak. It was an unfamiliar language, chaotic and disordered, and he couldn't make out its meaning.
Xia Wenna slowly released the head from her embrace. Mechanical tentacles lifted White Jack's head in the air, gently caressing it like a mother would. A moment later, White Jack slowly closed his eyes.
As if falling into a deep slumber, he never opened them again.
...
...
At Wanxiang City Cinema, Ke Mingqing woke up in his red seat.
[Prompt: Your Theater Puppet No. 02 has died. It requires a minimum cooldown of 12 hours before it can be summoned again.]
He stared blankly at the panel, his mind in complete disarray. Without exaggeration, he felt groggy and completely disoriented, as if he had just undergone a lobotomy.
Right at that moment, a pair of hands suddenly reached out from the darkness, covering his eyes and plunging his vision into pitch black.
Ke Mingqing was horrified. Recalling the scene in space just moments ago, cold sweat instantly soaked his back.
Holy shit, did Mom's hands reach all the way over here? he thought.
However, at that moment, a girl with a bun hairstyle leaned close to his cheek and spoke in a haunting tone:
"You fell asleep the second the movie started. What were you sneaking off to do last night?"
It was his third sister, Xia Ningzhi's voice.
Ke Mingqing froze, only coming back to his senses a moment later. Turning his head, he asked, "Let go of me, can you? Aren't you being childish?"
"Ah Qing, you've hit your rebellious phase."
Saying so, Xia Ningzhi puffed out her cheeks slightly and released her hands from his eyes.
Ke Mingqing opened his eyes and quietly stared at his third sister's clear, delicate face, and the slightly comical bun tied atop her head.
A moment later, he let out a yawn and said listlessly, "Sis, I was already dead tired, and you two still dragged me all the way out here. Don't you think that's a bit cruel?"
"How tired?" Xia Ningzhi asked with a deadpan expression.
"Tired enough to drop dead."
"Alright, then your big sister will reluctantly lend you her shoulder. Get some good sleep, but once we're out of the cinema, no more looking so lethargic."
"Oh wow, this is the first time I've felt having an older sister is even slightly useful. I'm so moved."
Ke Mingqing spoke with an utterly deadpan expression and unceremoniously rested his head on Xia Ningzhi's shoulder.
Yet the moment he leaned his head over, Xia Ningzhi suddenly cupped her hands like a megaphone, tilted her head close to his ear, and whispered:
"I'm charging you for this, you know."
"Then I'll just go borrow my little sister's shoulder instead. She's a cheap sister; she doesn't charge," Ke Mingqing said casually.
Xia Zili seemed to find them unbearable. She turned her head to glare at the two of them before looking back up at the massive cinema screen.
Ke Mingqing stared blankly at Xia Ningzhi's shoulder for a moment, suddenly feeling very at ease. He rarely felt that something like 'family' could provide him with comfort. This was a first.
Or rather, no one besides Xia Wenna could pose such a profound psychological threat to him...
In the dark cinema hall, the young man slowly closed his eyes, untangling his chaotic thoughts.
The three were watching Godzilla vs. Kong. By general standards, it was a terrible movie, but Xia Ningzhi was just really into giant monsters.
The scenes flashing across the screen were bizarre and dazzling. Occasional screams and laughter rang out across the theater, while the surround sound effects were deafening.
"So heartless." Xia Ningzhi reached out and fed Ke Mingqing a piece of popcorn. "How about I give you a discount then?"
Ke Mingqing didn't open his eyes, merely catching the popcorn in his mouth. "Your shoulder is worth three bucks max. Go buy your favorite Chocliz ice cream, sis. No need to thank me."
"But because of that Vending Machine Specialist stuff the past two days, Chocliz prices went up," Xia Ningzhi grumbled.
Ke Mingqing stopped talking. His mental state was terrible right now; talking any more might expose that fact. If Mom asked about it when they got back and found out he was acting weird at the movies, she might point her suspicions directly at him.
What exactly did Mom mean...
What did she say to me just then? What the hell kind of language was that?
It felt like she did something to my brain, but that was the puppet's brain. Logically speaking, it shouldn't have exposed any information, just like that time Second Sister used a helmet on the puppet in the theater.
Did Mom figure out that I'm White Jack?
If she did figure it out and knew her own child was taken over by a player, what would she do...? If she holds any affection for Ke Mingqing, would anger completely consume her, ruining any chance of cooperating with me?
Ke Mingqing's thoughts drifted endlessly. A massive sense of dread still lingered in his heart.
He rested his head on his third sister's shoulder with his eyes closed. Xia Ningzhi occasionally offered him popcorn, but he ignored it.
Even in the pitch dark, he could still see the system icon in the upper right corner of his vision.
Taking a deep breath, Ke Mingqing kept his eyes closed. Maintaining this posture, he used his mind to open the Skill Shop.
To distract himself, he looked at the five skills that had refreshed today.
[Skill 1: Gate of Death (D Rank) (3,000 superhuman coins): Open a door connecting to hell and summon skeletons to fight for you.]
Summoner builds are absolutely the worst trash. Recalling how the Invisible Giant teenager had performed in actual combat, Ke Mingqing couldn't help but sigh.
[Skill 2: Snap Pistol (D Rank) (3,000 superhuman coins)]
Why hasn't anyone claimed Brother Li Wei's relic yet? Are they scared of me, Jin Chengwu? Ke Mingqing wondered.
He clearly remembered getting severely beaten by the player Li Wei using this skill, bleeding profusely from his nose.
Unfortunately, other players seemed to lack an eye for value. This skill was still riding the bench in the shop to this day, unbought.
[Skill 3: Cola Master (D Rank) (3,000 superhuman coins): Upon use, turns the cola in your hand into a time bomb. Once you open the bottle cap, the countdown will rapidly shorten. It is recommended to throw it away before time runs out.]
If it were Sprite, I'd have bought it—at least it'd have some sentimental value. Ke Mingqing bumped his head against Xia Ningzhi's shoulder, prompting his sister to flick him lightly on the forehead.
[Skill 4: Run! (E Rank) (1,000 superhuman coins): Greatly increases the player's running speed for a short duration, allowing you to ignore most obstacles along the way.]
Seems mediocre... I have I Am Lightning, so I'm already fast enough.
Ke Mingqing continued scrolling down the panel, his eyes stopping on the very last skill.
[Skill 5: Skill Supply Master (B-Rank Skill) (10,000 superhuman coins): This skill is a passive skill. Its effect allows you to use three low-grade skills stored in your Skill Repository.]
[Note 1: The category of "low-grade skills" ranges from C Rank to E Rank skills.]
[Note 2: Skill Supply Master will occupy one slot on your Skill Bar.]
Ke Mingqing raised his eyebrows slightly.
The importance of the Skill Bar went without saying. Players only unlocked a new slot every 10 levels. Currently, Ke Mingqing only had six Skill Bar slots. Bear in mind, his Rainbow Bubbles was still gathering dust in the Skill Repository.
But if he purchased Skill Supply Master, it would be equivalent to having two more usable skill slots than a player of the same level—two, because Skill Supply Master itself took up one slot.
What perfect timing. I was just stressing over not having enough skill slots to use... With this, I can toss low-grade skills like It's Raining and Position Shift into the Skill Repository, then rely on Skill Supply Master to open a little backdoor window to use them.
Ke Mingqing's eyes lit up as he formulated his plan. From now on, keeping a few high-level skills on the Skill Bar will be enough.
At this thought, he decisively raised a finger and long-pressed the skill icon.
[Congratulations. By spending 10,000 superhuman coins, you have successfully purchased the B-Rank Skill: Skill Supply Master.]
[Current superhuman coin balance: 4,500 coins.]
[Your Skill Bar is full. Which slot would you like Skill Supply Master to replace?]
Slot 5, Ke Mingqing declared mentally.
[Operation complete. The E Rank skill It's Raining originally located in Slot 5 has been deposited into the Skill Repository, and Skill Supply Master has been equipped in Slot 5.]
[The player's current Skill Bar status is as follows:
1. Theater Puppet (B Rank) 2. Phantom Shift (E Rank) 3. I Am Lightning (D Rank) 4. Gate of Truth (C Rank) 5. Skill Supply Master (B Rank) 6. Wall of Ten Thousand Armies (B Rank) 7. Unlocks at Level 20.]
[Skill Repository: 1. Rainbow Bubbles (D Rank) 2. It's Raining (E Rank)]
Excellent. I'm no longer a 2B player, I'm a 3B player, Ke Mingqing thought as he gazed at the three B-Rank Skills on his panel.
He closed the panel, his vision once again shrouded in darkness.
The young man rested his head on Xia Ningzhi's shoulder in a daze for a while, her hair gently tickling his cheek.
A moment later, his mental state gradually stabilized.
Oh right, I haven't really tested out the Calamity Dice's abilities yet. From now on, I should start rolling it every day to see what each number triggers.
At that thought, Ke Mingqing opened his eyes inside the theater. On the massive cinema screen, Godzilla and Kong were roaring as they brawled, the IMAX sound system blaring deafeningly.
He squinted slightly as the glare from the screen pierced his eyes.
"Aargh, arrghh..."
Xia Ningzhi was watching with absolute focus. As she munched on popcorn, she quietly dubbed over the two giant beasts on screen with a volume low enough not to disturb anyone else.
Xia Zili raised a hand to massage her temples.
"I am absolutely never coming out to watch a movie with you two again," she muttered. "One sleeps through it, and the other acts like a psycho."
"Fine, next time go find Second Sister and Big Bro. Go watch a movie with them and enjoy the absolute luxury," Ke Mingqing yawned, sarcastically advising her.
He still remembered exactly what went down in this very cinema last time. After that day, he had never again accepted an invitation from Ke Linye and Xia Lingxue.
"I'd rather watch a movie with a dog than with Big Bro." Xia Zili rolled her eyes at him and asked softly, "What are we eating for lunch?"
"Don't know."
"Good question," Xia Ningzhi hummed. "Mom just texted the group chat saying she cooked." Saying that, she opened her phone and flashed it to the two of them.
Whether because the air conditioning in the theater was blasting too cold or not, Ke Mingqing suddenly shivered. He said:
"Forget it, by the time we get home, I'll be so starved I'm just skin and bones. Let's just find some random dim sum place in the mall and make do."
Xia Ningzhi nodded, giggling. "That works too. It'll be my treat. We can't let our delicate little Ah Qing go hungry; what if he gets heatstroke later?"
"He runs like lightning. I say we just ignore him," Xia Zili said, taking a sip of her cola.
"Oh right, Sis, how are you suddenly so rich?" Ke Mingqing asked casually.
"Because my college entrance exam scores came out last night. Guess what score I got?" Xia Ningzhi blinked playfully. "And guess how much Dad and Big Bro sent me in red envelopes?"
"How much?"
"Are you talking about the money or the score?"
"Whichever is higher, tell me that one."
"Dad sent me five thousand, and Big Bro sent me three thousand. I'm rich!"
How does a masked vigilante live so broke? Sure enough, these days it's much more lucrative to rely on the Super Hero Company and farm traffic, Ke Mingqing thought.
"Looks like you did pretty well, then." He shrugged. "Congratulations. Will you be leaving Leijing once you start college? Little Sis will definitely miss you so much she'll be in tears, unable to sleep at night."
Xia Zili stomped on his foot without saying a word.
"What are you saying? I'm going to a local university. I won't be that far from you guys..." As Xia Ningzhi spoke, her voice suddenly trailed off, and the smile on her face faded slightly.
She knew she didn't have much time left. She had to leave this place before everything spiraled out of control. This was the destiny of a mythic vessel.
"What's wrong?" Ke Mingqing asked.
"Nothing..." Xia Ningzhi said, resting her head on his shoulder. "Your sister is just getting a little sleepy too. Good night."
Ke Mingqing remained silent, picking up his cola to take a sip before putting it back.
He suddenly heard some movement, but it wasn't coming from this body. So, he slightly lowered his eyelids and synchronized his consciousness with the Theater Puppet on the other side of the world.
...
...
Meanwhile, in Tokyo, Japan, just above a layer of clouds.
The time difference between Tokyo and Leijing was only one hour, so the scorching sun was high in the sky here as well. At this moment, a massive snow-white bird was soaring through the clouds, flickering in and out of sight. It was a Boeing 787 passenger plane departing from China.
"In one hour, the aircraft will arrive at Tokyo International Airport." A multi-lingual broadcast suddenly rang out through the cabin.
Giovanni woke up at the sound, slowly opening his eyes. Right now, Bai Ziling was napping against his shoulder. The girl's breathing was faint, and her snow-white hair covered her eyes.
"She needs a haircut," Ke Mingqing said through Giovanni, speaking to the person in the seat ahead. "Do you speak Japanese? We'll have to rely on you once we get off the plane."
"I don't speak Japanese, but I can make a real-time translation app to handle the talking for us," Heimeng replied. She was still wearing her black hoodie today, a handheld gaming console gripped in her hands.
"Sounds convincing enough," Ke Mingqing said.
"I heard from the boss that the newbie he's looking for is right in Roppongi," Heimeng said. "We can stay here for a few days."
Ke Mingqing thought for a moment. "Oh right, what about Bai? She didn't take the same flight as us?"
"She said she had something to take care of and would come over in a few days. She also left you a warning..."
"A warning about what?"
"To keep a close eye on Bai Ziling. Other people might want her heart."
Ke Mingqing fell silent for a moment, looking down at Bai Ziling's sleeping face. The cabin swayed slightly, making the girl's snow-white hair flutter and tickle his neck like a blade of grass.
"Her heart?" he asked. "What does that mean?"
"After you were cleaved in half back then, if it weren't for Bai's suturing skills and Bai Ziling's blood, you'd likely be dead already," Heimeng said expressionlessly.
"Who would target her?"
Heimeng spoke slowly. "Currently, only vampire hunters know how precious Bai Ziling's blood is. She's the sole remaining descendant of an extinct vampire clan. If they obtain her heart, it would mean 'immortality' or even 'eternal undying life' for them."
She paused. "And information regarding Bai Ziling's blood has very likely already fallen into the hands of these players."
Ke Mingqing froze slightly. Looking at the white-haired girl sleeping beside him, he fell into silence. Only after a long while did he ask:
"What is a player?"