Chapter 104 Access to Meta Domain [VIP]
The players don’t know, but who cares? Just go in first and see.
Based on Lin Chen's observations over the past few hours, the Yuan Domain can be used on a light screen like an ordinary communicator, or it can simulate physical entry like a hologram - of course, this requires a more advanced communicator.
The newly upgraded communicator in the player's hand has this holographic function.
The moment he connected, Lin Chen felt as if he was thrown into a vortex of pure information.
The senses of the physical world have been greatly diminished, replaced by a pervasive torrent of data. Countless bizarre "nodes" float, spin, connect, and disconnect in the void, each representing an application, a forum, a game, a virtual space, or even an anonymous chat room.
The speed at which information is updated is breathtaking. Words, images, sounds, and even pure emotional impulses are like stardust after the Big Bang, being born, colliding, and annihilating at a terrifying speed.
"Goodness," Lin Chen's consciousness (a small, black-haired, blue-eyed creature, identical to her real-life self) floated in this sea of information. Her face was expressionless, but her mind was incredibly active. "The people on this planet are truly in the late stages of internet addiction... Everyone's using hundreds of smurf accounts to spam the screen, right?"
She scanned and looked at a data light ball next to her that was constantly flashing and splitting into dozens of different image IDs, and she agreed with it.
Lin Chen drove his thoughts and began to wander around the "surface" of the Yuan Domain.
It's like a reflection of the real world online, but even more... brazen. Huge virtual billboards hover in the "air," their content even more outrageous and explicit than real-life neon signs, eager to shove "Click me!" directly into your consciousness. Forum portals are densely packed like a honeycomb, each headline more lurid than the last:
[Breaking News! Logos breaches Spade's firewall, openly challenging them by calling them "weak as can be"!]
[Inside news! "Scavenger" is about to upgrade its anti-hacking protocol! Attention everyone who hasn't updated yet!]
[Rusty Nail Arena: A life-or-death game tonight! Bet and win millions of credits!]
[Newbie must-read! How to survive three days of starvation in the neon city of Punkloder! (Includes black market ID channels)]
The last headline made Lin Chen's attention pause.
ID? Identification number?
Ah... She hadn't paid any attention to this before.
Her system permissions are higher than this game, allowing her to access the Internet and purchase things without any obstacles. The communicator and cassette on her wrist are the best passes.
But at this moment, combined with the ubiquitous discussion fragments in the Meta Domain about "black market ID", "illegal access", and "scavengers hunting down those without ID", Lin Chen realized belatedly - I seem to be an illegal resident?
This "Punk Lord Spirit" game system is so irresponsible! Not only are players forced into playing the game, but they don't even have a starting identity?!
It’s so bad, I’m going to glare at him.
If a creature does not have a legal and verifiable ID code, it may not matter in an unattended area like the "Garbage Mountain", but it will be unable to move forward in the neon city.
They cannot access most public services, cannot trade in regular stores, cannot rent equipment, and may even be directly cleared out by ubiquitous "scavenger" drones as illegal data streams.
Where can I get a proper ID? It's said that it's only available in a few tightly guarded core urban areas. The procedures are cumbersome, the background checks are strict, and the lines are so long that they'll drain the ocean of data.
It is easier for minors to handle it, but for those who have no background before reaching adulthood, it is extremely difficult.
"No wonder..." Lin Chen's consciousness curled his lips, thinking of Chuuya, Ranpo and others who had been dragged into this, a total of 20,000 unlucky players.
There is nothing at the beginning, not even an 'ID card' is issued, and the tasks are so outrageous, the system is heartless!
She could almost imagine the gravity user Chuuya's frustration as he was going crazy over the main quest, but was forced to explore cautiously because he had no identity in a strange world.
The way the Punklod people solve their ID problems is full of the characteristics of this planet - self-reliance or looking for the black market.
Most hackers choose to break into the system and handle it themselves. The authorities also turn a blind eye to this and do not completely cut off the path for those at the bottom to move up.
However, this method also has higher risks. The authorities will not conduct a thorough investigation, but they will not leave it alone either. It is okay to screen it from time to time.
Once the hackers are detected to be abnormal by the "Scavenger" AI, they will often face a catastrophic disaster.
Official: Only powerful hackers can be my citizens^^
More common are “identity artisans” who buy counterfeit or simply stolen “clean” ID codes.
Risks also exist, point.
These two methods,
She is now free here, and
The player quickly convinced himself and began to enthusiastically search for the knowledge he needed.
Her goal has always been clear: to upgrade the etheric editor and go back to tear down the three graffiti that look down on her!
She began to explore the "deep" area of the Metaverse. It was no longer a chaotic information bazaar, but more like a maze consisting of countless "private servers" and "encrypted nodes."
The channels are narrower, the data flows are more condensed, and they are filled with various defensive codes and detection traps.
The "residents" here are obviously more technologically advanced and more vigilant.
Lin Chen was like a ghost, carefully avoiding those detection pulses that were obviously malicious (the [Scan] passively indicated the risk level), looking for signs of "technical exchanges".
She quickly locked onto an inconspicuous node marked with an abstract image resembling a soaring bird—"White Dove Workshop." A virtual sign hung at the entrance:
We offer paid answers to basic Ethereum editing questions. Reasonable fees, fair competition. Serious questions only, technical idiots, please get out.
"It's you." Lin Chen pushed the door open and entered without hesitation.
The space inside was simpler than expected. A crude workbench made of flowing code, and behind it sat a guy... whose avatar was a mechanical rabbit wearing only overalls and goggles.
Rabbit was holding a virtual welding torch (spewing data sparks) in his mouth, tinkering with the tangled data structure floating in front of him, cursing: "...This broken permission wall can actually work in this kind of Shishan code. The most bizarre thing is that it can't escape if I change it even a little bit! ...What genius designed this..."
Sensing someone coming in, Rabbit pointed his virtual welding gun to the side without even looking up. A light screen popped up with a price tag clearly marked on it:
[Basic Question Answering: 500 Credits/question]
[Algorithm optimization consultation: 2000 credit points or more]
[Actual Vulnerability Analysis: Negotiable, Price is Amazing]
[Technical Idiot Assessment: Free (with a bonus sarcasm)]
"What are you asking? Scan the code and pay first." Rabbit's muffled voice came from the helmet, and he still didn't look up.
Lin Chen didn't waste any time and just used his mind to "scan the code" and paid 500 points.
Then she spoke, her voice her signature flat, smooth voice: "Reconstruction level 1, experience gain is slow. Observing advanced operations (city modeling, engine debugging) is inefficient, and [Analysis] progress is insufficient. How can I improve quickly?"
Rabbit finally stopped "welding" and the red light behind the goggles (probably eyes) turned to the image of Lin Chen's consciousness, looking up and down at this little kid with black hair and blue eyes who looked harmless.
Obviously, Rabbit has a good understanding of the gaming terms used by players. Hackers of Game of Life, no matter what type of gamers they are, have their own unique understanding of the game.
This cub-like guy is obviously an RPG player.
The rabbit simply understood her current skill level and started to mock her without hesitation.
"Huh?" It let out a short, clearly mocking laugh. "You're already at level 1 reconstruction, and you're thinking of analyzing advanced operations? Little brat, reaching the highest level overnight isn't that easy."
It knocked its mechanical skull with a welding torch.
"Listen up! A broken foundation will shake the whole thing! [Reconstruction] Want to upgrade quickly? Don't aim too high for those fancy things! Go find the most basic, fundamental 'data garbage'! Abandoned terminals, faulty streetlights, outdated vending machines... Those things are simple in structure and full of holes, just like a broken house, perfect for beginners to practice dismantling!"
It paused, the red light of its goggles flickering for a moment, as if scrutinizing it. "There's something... interesting about you. The data flow is incredibly clean, like a newbie straight out of the factory, but you're very efficient at paying credit points. Customized cartridges? Tsk, a rich kid out to experience life?"
"Take my advice, don't even think about competing with those textbook legends. More geniuses have been drowned in Punklord's ocean of data than you've ever eaten in a synthetic protein bar. Start honestly by picking up trash! Next question is 50 points!"
Rabbit stopped paying attention to Lin Chen and went back to wrestling with the tangled data structure, mumbling again, "...this permission chain...where's the nesting doll..."
The player nodded in understanding and continued to move closer to the rabbit. "Do you have any teaching materials? The kind that comes in a package from level 1 to level 3!"
The rabbit glanced at her sideways and pushed her face aside forcefully to avoid getting in the way of its work. "No, there isn't any. Even if there is, you can't buy it here. You have to go to university to find professionals to teach you. With our unconventional ways, I'm afraid your guardian will beat me to death if I teach you!"
"If there's nothing wrong, just leave quickly and don't interfere with my business here!" The rabbit glared at her warningly and turned his head away.
"Oh." The player responded dejectedly, and his consciousness instantly disappeared from the "White Dove Workshop".
On the signal tower platform, Lin Chen opened his eyes, and the never-extinguished neon lights of Punklord were reflected in his sapphire-like pupils.
She stood up, brushed off the non-existent dust, and cast her gaze towards the distant edge of the city, a place called Gear Alley on the game map.
It sounds like a good place to pick up bargains. Maybe you can find a lost mecha or something there?
Lin Chen hummed a song and skipped towards his destination.
Gear Alley.
This place is like a festering scar beneath Punchlord's shiny skin.
The air was filled with the thick smell of motor oil, the fishy odor of rusted metal, and the pungent smell of some expired industrial lubricant mixed with the decaying of low-quality synthetic food.
The huge remains of abandoned machinery, like the skeletons of prehistoric monsters, were piled up into continuous steel mountains. The rusty shells glowed a dull reddish-brown in the dim skylight, which was not sure whether it was natural or artificial.
——They were like silent tombstones, burying his slim hope of completing the task.
Geto Xia Yu leaned against an old server chassis, its outer shell violently disassembled, revealing a tangle of cables. His fingers unconsciously twisted a piece of rusted metal. His dark hair fell across his forehead, partially obscuring his dark eyes.
Naoko Ieiri folded her arms and leaned against a huge, long-stopped industrial fan blade opposite her. The scalpel flipped flexibly at her fingertips, reflecting the pale green light of the neon tube above.
"...Jie, how's it going?" Glass broke the silence, her voice a bit cold in the empty metal canyon. She raised her chin, gesturing to the tin shack at the end of the alley, where a faint yellow light shone and a crooked sign reading "Gear Alley Recycling Center" hung on the door.
Geto threw the metal piece into the nearby scrap pile. It made a soft clang, sending several metal-clad mice scurrying off. He rubbed his brow, his tone thick with fatigue: "...not quite."
He paused, as if trying to organize his words, and finally let out a deeper sigh: "Ms. Ashes said it very clearly."
Geto Suguru's voice was low, with a hint of subtle irritation. "Without an ID, we're 'illegal residents.' The 'scavengers' have been checking more strictly lately, so she doesn't dare to keep us." He glanced at Naoko Ieiri, who was also leaning against the wall next to him, her hands in the pockets of her white coat. "Where's your clinic?"
Glass raised his hand and rubbed his brow, his face showing obvious fatigue and helplessness: "I haven't been there yet. That place sounds... not very formal. And..."
She paused, her voice lacking inflection. "'Reversal spells are prohibited.' I can only faintly sense the presence of the cursed energy, but I can't call upon it. Perhaps the mission forces me to repair those metal lumps by hand... But my knowledge of mechanics is limited to dismantling alarm clocks."
She looked down at her clean fingers, imagining them covered in oil and metal shavings. The corners of her mouth twitched slightly. "A thousand kilograms of scrap... a hundred basic maintenance operations... Is this a serious task?"
She seemed to be asking Geto Suguru, and also seemed to be asking this inexplicable world.
Silence reigns here.
"Let's leave here first." Xia Yujie made the decision, his voice filled with a suppressed irritation, "Ms. Ashes is right, it's too dangerous to stay here."
He took the lead, heading towards the relatively bright main road at the alley entrance. Glass followed silently, the soles of his shoes rolling over the oily ground, making a slight sound that was particularly clear in the silent alley.
The two men walked silently through the narrow passage of Gear Alley, one in front and one behind. The mountains of metal junk on either side cast distorted shadows, as if ready to collapse and swallow them at any moment. The fear of the unknown and the heaviness of the mission weighed on their hearts like invisible boulders.
Just as the two underage high school students, enveloped in confusion and anxiety, were about to walk out of the dark entrance of Gear Alley and onto the relatively bright but equally unfamiliar streets outside—
“Yohoo!”
A crisp and energetic cheer, accompanied by the sound of brisk footsteps coming from afar, broke the silence at the alley like a small stone dropped into a stagnant pool.
Geto Suguru and Nozomi subconsciously looked in the direction of the sound.
I saw a small figure, like a nimble black panther, rushing out from a narrower maintenance passage nearby with an almost reckless yet extremely agile posture!
Geto Suguru took a step back and stood in front of Nozomi.
She was a girl who looked no more than eleven or twelve years old, with short black hair and a pair of blue eyes that shone astonishingly bright under the psychedelic neon lights of Punk Lord, as if they contained the broken diamonds of the entire galaxy.
She was wearing a simple black outfit made of a special material, and on her wrist was a complex device that looked familiar and was flashing with a faint light.
The girl seemed to be completely oblivious to the two people standing at the entrance of the alley. She jumped and skipped towards the depths of Gear Alley - the mountain of waste that had just rejected Geto Suguru and Nozomi - with a clear goal in mind. She was singing some strange songs, and her expressionless face strangely revealed... uh, a kind of pure and passionate excitement... ?
"La la la, my enthusiasm is like a fire burning the entire desert—!"
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