Chapter Four: The Sacred Relic of the Heart-Eater

Page 1 of 3

A cabin in the woods.

Jiang He carefully inspected the interior. As he did, a second notification from the Origin Battlefield echoed in his ears; it seemed he had encountered a chain quest.

[Mission trigger conditions met]
[Mission Type: Daily Mission]
[Mission Name: The Secret of the Heart-Eating Tribe]
[Mission Objective: Destroy the Heart-Eating Relic]
[Mission Reward ①: 150 Experience Points, 150 Game Coins]
[Mission Reward ②: Random Rare-Quality Scroll *1]
[Mission Penalty: None]

Jiang He pushed open the door to the main room. The layout was quite spartan, containing only four iron-frame beds and the necessary bathroom and kitchen facilities. After confirming there were no remaining zombies, he checked the toothbrushes and found a cigarette case and a lighter. This observation post was staffed by three people; the Leviathan Corporation’s manpower was not as abundant as he had imagined.

As the notification ended, Jiang He chose to accept. Once the mission was initiated, more detailed information became available to him. Missions in the Origin Battlefield were divided into three categories: [Daily Missions], [Derivative Missions], and [World Missions].

[Daily Missions] required specific conditions to be met in daily life. Every player was required to participate in one every two weeks; otherwise, a forced deployment would be triggered. During these, time flowed at the same rate as the player's location.

The content of [Derivative Missions] was currently unknown. They were not mandatory and had a two-week cooldown period. They were relatively dangerous but offered rich rewards. Regardless of how much time passed within the mission, only one second would elapse in the real world.

[World Missions] had the least amount of information available. Participation required a "Pass," and the cooldown and time flow were the same as those for [Derivative Missions].

Death was real during the execution of all three types of missions. However, in general, the Origin game provided some players with the leeway to slack off, as the penalty for daily missions was usually none, and one could even request aid if they disregarded the consequences.

After all, in the year since the game began, various nations had certainly implemented countermeasures.

However, the mechanic where killing players granted qualifications made the Origin Battlefield more like a dark, primitive jungle. Furthermore, game coins could not be exchanged for real-world currency, a fact destined to impact existing monetary systems in the future.

"Gold might appreciate in value."

Jiang He suppressed the urge to make a quick profit. In the long run, compared to supernatural power, worldly money was merely petty gain.

He went to the kitchen and found two household propane tanks. This isolated island belonged to the nation of South Vietnam, and power development was inadequate. The Leviathan Corporation adopted a semi-closed model, requiring stationed personnel to provide their own food and water.

According to relevant data, a 10-liter household propane tank had an explosive power equivalent to 150 kilograms of TNT. It could destroy a two-story building. The explosion would occur in two stages: the first was the tank rupture causing a shockwave, and the second was the chemical explosion triggered when the leaked petroleum mixed with air and encountered an open flame.

Jiang He took everything out of his item pouch, unscrewed the valve of a propane tank, gave it a hard kick, and quickly placed it inside. He then raised his hand, gathered air from the surrounding environment, pressed the lighter, and tossed it in to keep the propane tank company.

In an instant, his body felt a sudden jolt.

The interior of his item pouch was ablaze with red light, but the player interface withstood the explosion as expected.

Page 1 of 3

Page 2 of 3

The second propane tank was inserted, and the crimson glow intensified. Merely gazing at it seemed to convey the scorching heat. As the flames rose and oxygen was consumed, an intense thermal radiation was generated.

Jiang He raised his hand like a gun. He had a premonition that he could deliver a remarkably beautiful attack; the energy from the two exploding propane tanks would be concentrated and blasted from his fingertips, at the cost of suffering a bit of the aftermath himself.

For the final step, he inserted his great saber at an appropriate angle, like a solid shot in a cannon barrel.

"I might need to look for explosives later..."

[Detection: A loophole in the surface regulations of the Origin Game has been identified. Player 79966 is seeking improper benefits. Immediate initiation of deep-layer response protocols... The Pillar of Eternal Essence is conducting internal notarization. Pursuant to Regulation 10001: The game shall ensure the fairness of competition.]

[Internal notarization complete. The Origin Game has issued the following judgment: ① Fix the error caused by the player's item pouch. ② Seal Player 79966. Duration: One hundred eternal years.]

Jiang He frowned and said coldly, "Protest. This is an issue with the Origin Game; why should I pay the price? The normal result derived from several rational steps has been labeled as improper. This is a mistake."

[Detection... Regulation 10003: Ensure reasonable player benefits... Program initiated... Pillar of Eternal Essence...]

[Internal notarization complete. The Origin Game has issued the following judgment: ① Fix the error caused by the player's item pouch. ② Player 79966 is granted special usage rights for the item pouch.]

Jiang He was speechless. This kind of judgment reminded him of "spaghetti code" in software.

Half an hour passed without any external attack.

During this time, Jiang He thoroughly re-examined the computer at the stronghold. After replenishing his fresh water, he re-entered the dense forest. His crossbow, pistol, and dagger were all present. He changed into the suicide victim's company uniform; the tactical gloves, patrol backpack, helmet, and night-vision goggles were all free gains.

According to the files on the computer, the island was currently a chaotic mix of company employees, death row inmates, and program guests. They were mainly concentrated on the side of the island near the territory of South Vietnam, where there was a small town used for rest. For the guests and inmates, passing through the town to return to the ordered world was their only path to survival. Unsurprisingly, the company employees were intercepting them and had built trenches and bunkers. Once the Leviathan Corporation's reinforcements arrived, everything would be a foregone conclusion.

Jiang He tracked them, pushing two miles to the side, and found the corpse of a strange civet in a natural stone cave. A crossbow bolt had pierced its chest and major surrounding blood vessels, leaving a thick pool of blood. He took out his dagger and skinned the creature's heart; since the mission involved the Heart-Eating family, this item might be useful.

...

At dawn, thick fog covered the island.

In the northern town, two rows of residential blocks appeared dilapidated, with flames burning in several of the houses. A death row inmate dashed across the street, only to be shot dead by staff in the distance.

Taking advantage of this gap, another person rushed out of the block and quickly entered a car on the roadside. The tires spun wildly, kicking up white smoke. Just then, a sniper in the shadows fired, accurately hitting the driver in the chest.

Twelve fully armed staff members guarded the makeshift port at the end of the town. In addition to the sniper, they had set up a heavy machine gun. Their firepower was complete, and the group had dug a trench; piles of zombies lay dead not far in front of them.

After the driver died, the car seemed to lose control, veering toward a house on the other side of the street and crashing into a wall. The car door flew open.

Jiang He crawled out quietly from the back seat, using the car body and the distant firelight to conceal himself. Using his great saber, he pried open the isolation net on the ground nearby. Below was a vertical passage mentioned in the stronghold records. He climbed in, spread his limbs to brace against the walls of the passage, descended at a steady speed, and landed softly in a rainwater collection cistern.

The entire residence was the surface structure of a bunker.

Inside the bunker, a brawny man was leisurely eating breakfast. The bacon was fried to a golden brown, served with milk, a soft-boiled egg, and several pieces of steaming buttered bread, as if he were on a vacation in the wilderness.

"Captain Honey, two death row inmates were just shot," reported a staff member serving as the deputy team leader.

Page 2 of 3

Page 3 of 3

Honey nodded and took out a satellite phone to contact the company’s troop units. From Western Europe to South Vietnam was a long distance; the troops had changed vehicles while passing through Central Asia, causing a slight delay.

"Guard the port. Leave those two boats as bait; you may decide whether to detonate them if necessary. Continue contacting every stronghold. Reinforcements arrive tomorrow evening. Be sure to capture that freak who controls the dead. The defensive line is left to you."

"Understood." The deputy team leader saluted. Being solely responsible for the island incident was undoubtedly an opportunity to impress the company's senior management.

Seeing the other man leave, Honey wiped his mouth with a napkin and rose to walk into the sealed interrogation room. The lighting was dim. Of the three prisoners, two women were already dead, and the only remaining middle-aged man was firmly bound and covered in wounds.

Honey sneered, picked up a barbed whip from the side, and swung it hard at the middle-aged man’s face. A bloody welt appeared instantly; this lash tore away nearly half of the man's nasal bridge.

The middle-aged man wailed in pain, but before he could make a sound, Honey grabbed a bottle of chili water and poured it down his throat.

"Dr. Ryan, we are old friends. Tell me the method to become a player." Honey leaned down and said kindly, "The times really are different. Before, who would dare say that one person could destroy five strongholds? I would have just taken it as a joke. Who wouldn't want such power? You should voluntarily contribute your supernatural power, and I will give you a chance to escape."

Dr. Ryan roared silently; the chili water had destroyed his sense of taste and left his eyes bloodshot.

Honey said patiently, "When the company's troops arrive and you are arrested, you certainly won't give up on taking revenge on me. So, before that happens, I will absolutely kill you, unless you give me what I want, and we go our separate ways."

Honey removed a pocket watch from the man's neck, opened it, and revealed a photo of a boy hidden inside.

"This is your son, right? I remember him. He’s quite pretty; suitable for being sliced one piece at a time."

Honey’s expression turned fierce again. He brought down a hammer-like torture instrument with a thud. Blood splattered, and a sound like something shattering echoed in the interrogation room. Most men could not endure such pain.

Dr. Ryan’s mouth hung open, the veins on his forehead bulging. His entire body arched like a shrimp, the excruciating pain bringing him to the brink of fainting.

Honey clapped his hands, looking pleased.

After a long while, Dr. Ryan began to whimper in his throat, his voice intermittent.

"Supernatural... player..."

"Wouldn't it have been better to be sensible sooner?"

Honey leaned in, and Ryan suddenly tilted his head and bit down on the man's ear.

In shock and rage, Honey delivered a hand-blade strike to the man's ribs, forcing Ryan to abandon the attack. But at that moment, an arm reached out from the shadows. A dagger slashed across Honey’s neck, severing both the carotid artery and the trachea. Blood sprayed out.

Jiang He sheathed his dagger. Having just come out of the cistern, he was soaked from head to toe. If he missed the carotid artery, the enemy could still struggle; if he missed the trachea, the screaming would alert others. Only by severing both was it a qualified sneak attack from behind. The sensation was no different from butchering a fish.

Page 3 of 3