2 Sunless Sea 02

Wei Xin curled up in bed, staring at the glowing screen of her phone.

It was midnight, and she couldn't sleep.

The events of the day were somewhat strange, leaving her feeling uneasy and unable to sleep.

All day, Wei Xin had been refreshing the forum to read posts from beta testers. She couldn't understand foreign languages, so she tried to take screenshots and translate them using a translation app, but her phone prompted that screenshots were prohibited. Wei Xin had to type each post individually.

The number of forum registrations and posts was increasing, and many shared her confusion. Some were already asking what the "Six-Point Announcement to Players" and the bloody 10,000 survivor count at the top of the forum meant.

Some beta testers had also received the silver cards. Like Wei Xin, they hadn't entered their addresses on the official game website, yet the silver cards had been delivered to their addresses accurately.

Wei Xin clicked on the Chinese post with the most replies.

Original Poster: Although privacy is virtually nonexistent in the age of big data, isn't this a bit excessive for the game's officials? If the authorities don't address the issue of obtaining the address, I don't mind pursuing legal action.

This post was met with widespread agreement.

But then someone replied: "I think this is weird, like it's haunted. I live in the countryside, and courier deliveries only every few days, but guess how my game cards arrived? My cat went for a walk and inexplicably brought something back. I took it and saw it was my game card. My real name and forum ID were written on it. It's outrageous!"

24L: "I also live in the countryside. I saw the card when I went to the chicken coop to get eggs. I was shocked..."

36L: "I bought an appliance online. When I opened the packaging, I found an extra box inside. I thought it was a gift from the store, but it turned out to be a game card!"

This is not only outrageous, but also bizarre.

The numbers are assigned based on the order of forum registration. Card production takes time. How could someone register and get a number and then have their card delivered immediately?" Moreover, the ways players received their cards were so varied, and an inexplicable, eerie aura enveloped everyone.

Wei Xin exited the thread and opened a card-sharing thread.

The poster had censored their real name and player ID on their card and then displayed it.

The poster's card was slightly different from Wei Xin's.

The silver card in the thread didn't have a mechanical hand on the front, but a pair of scissors, a pair of scissors that looked sharp.

Wei Xin's card had the prefix "Depriver," but the poster's card had the prefix "Agent," not "Depriver."

Why was that? Was there a difference between Depriver and Agent?

Wei Xin frowned, pondering.

After browsing the forum for a while, Wei Xin noticed something.

In all the card-sharing threads, the prefix for the cards was "Agent." Not a single card had the prefix "Depriver" like hers. Wei Xin pulled out a card from the bedside. It glowed silver, her real name and ID number engraved on it. It was like her ID card. She had both her name and ID number, but the only thing she couldn't understand was the meaning of the three words "Depriver."

The events of that day left Wei Xin in a state of confusion.

She glanced at the time: 11:59 PM. Less than a minute until midnight, the official closed beta test day approaching. Wei Xin sighed, rubbed her temples wearily, and prepared to go to bed. She had to find a part-time job tomorrow to earn some money for the summer vacation...

The life of a poor person is so plain and dull.

Just before Wei Xin put her phone down, it suddenly vibrated. She looked closely and saw it was an announcement on the forum.

"It has been detected that all 10,000 closed beta testers have registered, and the game ID cards have been issued."

"This closed beta is a free, open-ended test. There are no shortcuts. Please remember these six tips and explore your own ending."

"Happy gaming, everyone." Now, the game begins.

The game begins?!

Wei Xin was caught off guard by these words, startled beyond words. Before she could react, she noticed the scene around her had changed.

Wei Xin's hand felt empty, the weight of her phone vanishing from her grasp. She was no longer lying on her side in bed, but now stood in endless darkness. Looking up, she could see nothing, hear nothing.

The old house with its peeling walls was gone, the windows shimmering with streetlights were gone, the whirring of the fan was gone, and everything returned to silence.

The darkness enveloped Wei Xin like a tide, swallowing her inch by inch. She instinctively tried to call for help, but like a drowning person, no sound emanated.

Finally, she lost consciousness.

…

"You have entered a new world."

"Please check your identity settings in this world."

"Name: Wei Xin

Faction: Federation - Resistance

Identity: Core member of the Mechanical Dawn, trainee patrol security officer of the 7th Squadron of the Federal Investigation Department's Field Operations Division, a top-tier Federal wanted criminal, and a Resistance undercover agent." Mission: Steal confidential intelligence from the Investigation Department, gain their trust, and provide intelligence support for the Mechanical Dawn's covert operations.

A faint electronic sound echoed in her ears, and in her hazy state, she seemed to see rows of text flash before her eyes...

Wei Xin gasped in pain, her head splitting with pain.

It felt as if an axe had split her skull open; she felt her head was about to explode with pain.

"Sutures," a man beside her said. "Sew her up. Give her another shot of the special painkiller; she can't hold on any longer." "Is she on the operating table?" Wei Xin couldn't open her eyes, but she remained surprisingly conscious. She felt a sharp needle pierce the skin of her arm as the drug was pushed into her body. The painkiller was very effective and took effect quickly, relieving her headache significantly. She wasn't dreaming. No dream had ever given her such a clear feeling. Wei Xin knew that the current situation was definitely not normal, that what she was experiencing defied common sense. Perhaps she had truly experienced something that only appeared in fantasy novels or films—time travel. She had traveled from her small, shabby home to an unknown location. The painkiller she had just received had alleviated the pain in Wei Xin's body. The pain allowed her to focus her thoughts. She was anxious and panicked, but anxiety and panic wouldn't help her. She knew she had to calm down.

The Crimson Earth beta forum announced the game's launch, and then she suddenly jumped to another location.

Wei Xin guessed she had traveled to the Crimson Earth game world.

She had another identity in this world.

Wei Xin focused her mind, and a light curtain suddenly unfolded in her pitch-black vision.

The light curtain displayed the identity she had just heard about in this world.

"Core member of the Mechanical Dawn organization, trainee patrol security officer of the 7th Squadron of the Federal Investigation Department's Field Operations Division, a federally wanted criminal, and an undercover agent for the Resistance." "

Wei Xin: Ah, this... I seem to have a very complicated identity."

She read it over and over again, feeling somewhat bewildered.

She didn't understand what the Mechanical Dawn was, but the term "core backbone" was enough to indicate its importance. And then there was the Federal Investigation Department... it should be an official organization. Even more terrifying was that she was actually a top-tier federal wanted criminal. What the hell was this? Being an undercover agent in the Resistance, a traitorous identity at first glance, was even more terrifying.

There was no future in being a traitor!

Wei Xin had seen countless spy films, and when Undercover work rarely ends well. She felt her future was bleak, a tragic end beckoning.

The clinking of medical instruments continued, and Wei Xin could vaguely feel the suture needle digging in and out of her flesh, tearing at her blood.

Wei Xin's heartbeat, which had been intense upon regaining consciousness, gradually became steady and regular. Her mind raced, and her emotions calmed as she thought.

After an unknown amount of time, Wei Xin suddenly felt she could control her eyelids again. The anesthetic was wearing off.

The man who had been operating on her said, "The drug's wearing off. It's almost time for you to wake up." Wei Xin had to give up the idea of pretending to be unconscious and slowly opened her eyelids. The incandescent light made her uncomfortable, and a silver light flickered before her eyes. Wei Xin blinked with difficulty, adjusting to the light for a moment, then realized that the flickering silver light wasn't the light itself, but the reflection of the surgeon's glasses. She moved her head slightly, rolled her eyes, and looked blankly at the doctors and nurses standing around her at the operating table. "Are you awake?" The bespectacled doctor nodded to Wei Xin. "The operation was a success." Wei Xin decided to feign ignorance. She summoned her acting skills, pretending to try to recall the situation: "What happened to me?" The doctor looked at her with sympathy, "You're so unlucky! On your first field trip as an intern, you encountered an armed robber... Alas, you didn't catch the robber, and your head was split open, with a skull fracture..." "Skull... fracture? Wei Xin appeared confused, but in reality, she was ecstatic.

A skull fracture—such a serious injury—she could easily feign amnesia! She hadn't regained her original body's memories after traveling through time, and she'd be exposed if she wasn't careful.

"Yes, a skull fracture. There's a big hole in your head, and blood is pouring out." The doctor said affably, "But it's okay. Out with the old comes the new!"

"What do you mean by out with the old?" Wei Xin asked, puzzled. "Sorry, I seem to have forgotten a lot..."

"A little confusion is normal. It will get better after the anesthetic wears off. Your skull fracture is quite severe, making it difficult to repair. We've replaced that part of your skull," the doctor said with a smile. "It's the Federation's latest technology, an ultra-light alloy skull. With this replacement, you won't have to worry about your head getting ripped open while out on the field catching criminals!"

Wei Xin: "???" "

Wow, has she acquired the legendary iron head? Love it!

Next time I fight someone, I'll headbutt them and they'll definitely have a buzzing sound!"