15. Falling out of the top spot
The player nicknames on the virtual screen were flashing by so fast that all that could be seen were afterimages of them flying by. Everyone involuntarily held their breath.
The winner is—
[Player is having a lot of fun being cheeky!]
When the lottery screen froze, the virtual anchor in the live stream excitedly called out Pi Min's nickname, his face beaming with joy.
Snap—
Pi Min's heart, which had been hanging in suspense, finally died.
Murphy's Law is indeed true; what you fear most is what happens most often.
I've participated in countless raffles before, and never won a single one. How come I won at this particular time?
"Hahahahaha..." It turns out that people do laugh out loud when they are extremely embarrassed.
How embarrassing! I just righteously refused, and then I won the lottery myself.
Hahaha, stay strong, hang in there! She absolutely cannot let anyone see how embarrassed she is right now. As long as she's not embarrassed, it's everyone else who's embarrassed.
Help! I can't take it anymore, I'm so embarrassed I'm scalp tingling and my toes are digging into the ground.
She couldn't even imagine the expression on that man's face right now.
Given his temper, he'd probably be laughing so hard he'd be rolling on the floor, unable to straighten up.
[Congratulations to player "Playing the Fool is Fun" for winning the exit card! In addition to safely exiting the game, you will also receive a substantial resettlement allowance, enough to start a brand new life in the new world.]
Pi Min closed her eyes briefly and typed her question in the chat: "Can I choose not to use the exit card for the time being?"
"Of course, that's your prerogative." The virtual streamer remained all smiles.
This game does indeed possess some kind of magical teleportation technology. The virtual streamer held up the exit card, made a forward-raising motion, and the next second, the exit card that Pi Min had once met appeared in front of her.
She instinctively reached out and caught it; it was indeed the same card that the man had tried to force on her earlier.
Neither gold nor jade, with a strange material, it features a dazzling galaxy on a colorful black background.
Luck, or a conspiracy?
She frowned subconsciously, feeling no joy at winning the lottery, but rather an inexplicable irritation, as if being scratched by a cat.
That man has once again successfully manipulated the emotions of all humankind.
Other players who didn't win were also in a bad mood and went to the forum to vent their frustrations.
"It's fun being a little cheeky. Why does this nickname look so familiar?"
"She's number one on the player leaderboard! She was already number one, and she's still so lucky. Is there no justice in this world?"
Was it really just luck?
"Having fun with a joke again? There's something fishy going on! There's definitely something fishy going on! It can't be such a coincidence!"
...
Pi Min also wanted to know if there was anything fishy going on. If it weren't for the fact that the game didn't allow creating alternate accounts, she would have been tempted to personally join in and fuel the fire.
The resentment of those who didn't win was immense, and the forums were filled with complaints and accusations that grew louder and louder, ultimately forcing the game's official team to issue a public clarification.
[WARNING! The Cosmic Drift game is a cosmic-level game developed by Fantasy Star Technology and supervised by the Cosmic Enforcement Bureau. Every step is open, transparent, and absolutely fair and just; there is no possibility of any behind-the-scenes manipulation! Players are advised not to make unfounded speculations that could damage our company's reputation!]
Alright! Since the official statement says it's fair and just, then let's assume it is.
Pi Min held the exit card with a look of disgust, as if it were a hot potato.
She can only blame herself for her own impulsive actions.
Using it feels really uncomfortable; not using it feels like a waste.
After agonizing for a while, she finally decided to put it up for sale in the online store, out of sight, out of mind.
[A rare card has been detected. Considering the special nature of this type of card, we recommend that players participate in a server-wide auction, with the highest bidder winning.]
agree.
Available now.
Preparing for auction.
As the card in his hand vanished in a stream of light, Pi Min breathed a sigh of relief.
With some time to go before the next supply pod arrives, and having nothing else to do, she decided to watch some live streams to calm her chaotic emotions.
She expected to see a series of animal faces as usual, but to her surprise, the first thing she saw when she opened the live stream was a human face.
A baby's face.
It was a very special live stream room. The streamer had no nickname and did not use any animal effects. He just lay there quietly with his face flushed and his eyes closed. If it weren't for the fact that his small chest was heaving at an abnormal frequency, one might even doubt whether the baby in the picture was still alive.
The top of the live stream room was flashing a red warning that the player's vital signs were critical.
This is an abandoned baby. In this world, abandoned babies would be sent to an orphanage by patrolling law enforcement robots for unified care. Unfortunately, this child was unlucky and was caught up in the game before the patrolling robots could find him.
The tiny baby can neither set a nickname, nor use special effects, nor capture supply pods; it can only lie helplessly in an incubator, drifting alone in the vast space.
Thankfully, there was a certain amount of formula milk in the incubator; otherwise, the little guy would probably have starved to death long ago.
However, enduring four days alone in space is clearly the limit for a tiny baby. The diaper was already soaked with feces and urine, and the clothes underneath the little one were wet. It is possible that the choking on milk was not treated in time, which led to pneumonia. Judging from the little one's breathing rate, his life was obviously in danger.
After figuring all this out, Pi Min's heart was instantly gripped with anxiety.
What a cruel game! It doesn't even spare the elderly and children.
In places she couldn't see, countless people had already died silently.
If the other person were an adult, she might have to think twice about whether to save them, but the other person was an infant.
She couldn't bear to watch an innocent baby die.
"System, can the exit card be transferred?"
Sure, that's your prerogative.
"Okay, then cancel the auction, I won't sell the exit card!"
[According to the mall rules, abandoning an auction requires paying a penalty of 1% of the item's estimated value. At the current auction price, this withdrawal card is valued at 5,000,000 points, so the 1% penalty is 50,000 points. Please confirm whether you can afford to pay the penalty.]
Penalty for breach of contract?!
Pi Min glanced at his account and then smiled with relief: "Little guy, you're really lucky! I can actually afford it."
Are you sure you want to withdraw from the auction?
yes!
She would definitely feel bad if she had earned the points herself through hard work, but those points were stolen from that man, which was ill-gotten gains, so she didn't feel bad about spending them.
With the penalty for breach of contract deducted, "Playing a Little Bit Happy" who was originally ranked first instantly fell out of the top three of the player rankings.
She acted as if nothing had happened, but the viewers in her live stream went wild.
[Ahhh... We're all intelligent beings, so why is there such a huge difference between people? Some people fall off the top of the rankings to save a baby they've never met, while others climb to the top by killing innocent people.]
[I told you long ago you'd misunderstood Bunny. Bunny is so kind, how could she possibly kill a cat! There must be more to this story!]
[The bunny is so gentle; it warms my heart.]
...
Just as Pi Min was about to press the transfer button, a video call interface suddenly popped up in the lower right corner of the game panel.
After hesitating for a moment, she finally decided to answer the call.
The image shows a man with dragon horns on his head, who looks like a dragon god from mythology, but in a more handsome version.
Before Pimin could speak, the other party began introducing himself: "Hello, I am Calcifer, the Lord of Illusionary Stars and a close friend of the Lord of Earth. I'm kindly reminding you as a friend that you have no idea how much that guy paid to get this withdrawal card. I advise you to think carefully!"
Lord of the Illusionary Stars? An alien!
Good heavens, it turns out that Earth in this timeline has already entered the interstellar age, while the residents of the underground city are still clueless. No wonder they were sold off in a package deal.
The man in front of her had just said something very revealing, which could easily expose her. Pi Min was startled and couldn't help but glance at her live stream. After seeing the buffering warning, she breathed a sigh of relief.
"Thank you for reminding me, but I've already thought it through."
She shook her head and decisively pressed the transfer button.
[Do you wish to give the withdrawal card to user ID DQ6523118061 and have them used?]
"yes!"
"System, the promised resettlement allowance is still valid, right? You'll take good care of this child, right?"
Players can rest assured that the game's official team will properly handle all players who have legally withdrawn.
The game system gave an affirmative answer.
On the contrary, the man in the video call looked disapproving: "What a kind child, but I still have to remind you, you will regret it."
It's that same line again. Why does everyone think she'll regret it?
Pi Min shook her head, giving the same answer as before: "I'm an adult, and I never regret my decisions!"
"Clap clap clap!"
Upon hearing her words, the man with dragon horns on his head clapped excitedly.
"So touching!" Unfortunately, while he was praising it, the expression on his face was unmistakably sarcastic.
Considering the other person is that man's friend, this reaction is understandable. If she had a friend who was incredibly kind to a man, but that man didn't appreciate it, she would probably react the same way.
Not wanting to get into a pointless argument, Pi Min remained silent.
The man with dragon horns on his head stared intently at her, his eyes filled with amusement.
“I finally understand why he chose you instead of His Majesty. It’s because you are the same kind of person as him. You are just as foolish and ridiculous as him, yet you shine brightly.”
That Your Majesty?
What kind of person would be addressed as "Your Majesty" by a higher civilization?
What does it mean to choose her over that emperor?
Could it be that she stole the man of some emperor of a higher civilization without her even knowing it?
This is not good news.
Alarm bells rang in Pi Min's mind, and he became even more determined to keep his identity a secret!
"Um, I have a question, please don't take offense."
"Ask away."
"Aren't there reproductive barriers between different civilizations?"
It's not that she lacks boundaries; she's just incredibly curious.
Pi Min was worried that her question might offend the other party, but she didn't expect that the Lord of Illusion Stars in front of her had a better temper than she had imagined.
“They usually do, but His Majesty and you don’t.” He smiled slightly, his eyes looking at a child who had asked a foolish question. “Actually, it doesn’t matter if they do. You’re underestimating the technology of advanced civilizations.”
Meeting the man's smiling gaze, Pi Min awkwardly scratched his head.
How bizarre! She's talking about reproductive isolation with an alien she's never met before.
"Since you've chosen to stay in the game, then work hard. You'll have the chance to see a whole new world."
"Don't care about the player leaderboard, and don't be sad if you're overtaken. I hate those people who have no principles. They're just talking animals and don't deserve to be called intelligent beings."
She wasn't upset about being overtaken. Having been used to losing since childhood, she simply didn't have a "top-tier syndrome."
Pi Min looked up in surprise.
Is this Lord of Illusions trying to comfort her?
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