AI Crisis (1): Special copy

[Congratulations to player Li Yue for clearing the Ghost Building instance, with an A-grade rating.]

[Congratulations to player Zhang Kong for clearing the Qiaotou Village instance, with an A-grade rating.]

……

Several A-grade clearance announcements were broadcasted in a row. Seeing that there were promising newcomers, various organizations and teams extended their olive branches.

Some of the high-rated players were veterans who, after achieving excellent results, had their respective organizations use their success to attract other outstanding players.

Because some instances were cleared quickly while others took longer, the descent of the god game into reality had been almost half a month. Both the real world and the in-game factions had developed at an astonishing speed.

Due to the arrival of the mist, the real world underwent mutations, and the official authorities were significantly weakened. Corporations and individual factions began to rise.

Of course, with the sudden emergence of the god game, the long-stagnant social hierarchy began to shift once again. Regardless of one’s previous status or background, whether weak or strong, poor or rich, players with powerful talents and abilities became the targets of recruitment by various factions.

Capital began to reshuffle, and those with foresight seized this opportunity to rapidly develop.

Those wild, high-potential new players were pursued by all sides. Some would grow increasingly powerful, while others would shine briefly like meteors before fading away.

After all, the god game was an extremely dangerous game. Great power came with the constant risk of death.

Before resurrection items appeared, if luck was too poor, even the strongest players could die in an instance at any moment. In this regard, the reshuffling in the god game was much faster and more brutal than in reality.

[Congratulations to player Li Xiao for clearing the Rusty Lakeside beginner instance, with an S-grade rating!]

As soon as this announcement was made, many lurking players exploded in the forums.

“Another S-grade in a beginner instance! This is the second S-grade newcomer after Tan Xiao, right?”

“Both their names have ‘Xiao’ in them. Should I change my name too? Maybe I’ll get an S-grade rating next time!”

This sudden S-grade newcomer attracted a lot of attention, but they quickly joined an official organization. To be precise, Li Xiao was already part of the official organization in real life.

Most people with good brains and strong physical abilities had long been recruited by the state. Moreover, because they usually dealt with complex situations and had outstanding skills, their overall performance was stronger than that of ordinary people. Given this, it was normal for an S-grade to appear.

Compared to the sudden emergence of newcomers, people were more concerned about Tan Xiao.

After all, Tan Xiao was the first S-grade in the instances, followed by a second S-grade, and was known for being mysterious and aloof.

“Why hasn’t Tan Xiao made any announcements for so long? I sent him a message, but he didn’t reply. Did he die in one instance?”

“Probably not. If he died, his ID would turn gray. Right now, his ID is still colorful.”

Since no one knew Tan Xiao’s appearance, gender, age, or other information, many players were jealous of him: “Maybe he’s just not performing well anymore. Only A-grade and above ratings get system announcements. It’s normal for him to get B, C, or D grades.”

“What are you talking about? You’d die before the boss does!”

Wang Mingming, who had just come out of an instance, passionately defended Tan Xiao, clashing with those who spoke ill of him. He furiously typed on his keyboard, one fan fighting ten haters.

“I ran into the boss in this instance, and he carried me. I got a B-grade, so the boss must have gotten at least an A-grade or higher. The boss is tackling high-difficulty instances that take a long time. It’s normal for him not to have announcements frequently.”

Wang Mingming posted his clearance rating, and immediately received a flood of messages. Some asked about Tan Xiao, while others tried to recruit him.

But in reality, those who tried to recruit him were only interested in getting information about Tan Xiao.

For the official organizations and certain elite-only factions, getting a B-grade rating didn’t mean much. They also considered the player’s potential and skills. After all, instance difficulties varied, and some players were just lucky to have been carried by a strong teammate.

As soon as Wang Mingming finished speaking, the system began broadcasting news about the large-scale instance “Parasite.”

Wang Mingming got a B-grade, but many players in this instance received A-grades.

They couldn’t do much against the Parasites, but some players were influential figures in City A. They made significant contributions to fighting the Parasites, maintaining city security, and relocating many players to safe zones.

“Why are there so many A-grades in ‘Parasite’ instance? Too bad we didn’t see Tan Xiao. Did he get a B-grade this time?”

“I was also in this instance. I know these A-grade players. They’re all influential figures in our instance. No one has heard of Tan Xiao.”

In that instance, players used their real names and appearances, though some might have used items or innate abilities to disguise themselves.

But for those highly influential players, their names were definitely exposed to other players in the same instance.

After the broadcast, the system paused for a while, then issued a new, glowing announcement.

[Congratulations to player Tan Xiao for achieving the first S+ rating!]

[Congratulations to player Tan Xiao for achieving the first triple instance collapse achievement, earning the unique title “Ultimate instance Breaker.” This title automatically activates without needing to be equipped, granting +50 attack and +50% critical rate.]

As soon as this announcement was made, Wang Mingming, who was typing furiously, froze for a moment, then triumphantly counterattacked.

“Just an A-grade? The boss got an S+!”

So what if a newcomer got an S-grade? Tan Xiao got an S+.

“Tan Xiao is the eternal god, the one true god!”

This message caused the forum to erupt. Recruitment posts, item sales, and discussions about newcomers were all overshadowed by discussions about Tan Xiao.

“What the hell did this boss do to cause the instance to collapse? And he collapsed three instances in a row?”

“Yeah, every time he finishes an instance, it has to be closed for maintenance. Is Tan Xiao some kind of warmonger who did something terrible in those instances?”

“What do you mean ‘terrible’? Those are just NPCs in the game, not real people. As long as he doesn’t attack players, it’s fine.”

“Earlier, some fat guy said the boss carried him. In the first beginner’s instance, many people said the boss seemed like a good, positive person.”

“What kind of positive person would collapse instances? That’s just a rumor.”

Wang Mingming was indignant on Tan Xiao’s behalf. What kind of people were these, making malicious speculations about the boss? Although he didn’t know why the instances collapsed, the boss was definitely on the side of good and order. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have asked Wang Mingming to use his influence to save more citizens.

Clearly, the game was evil. The instances collapsed because evil was defeated!

The game system, deemed evil, protested! It didn’t want the instances to collapse either. In fact, learning from past lessons, the core NPC in “Parasite” instance wasn’t Wen Yi, the heir of the CS Group, but Yan, the leader of the Parasites!

Moreover, due to the racial traits of the Parasites, even if Yan disappeared, another member of the race would quickly grow to replace him.

But Wen Yi went too far. Driven by a strong desire to protect his lover, he activated a special devouring skill and ate all the Yan.

With the core NPCs devoured, how could “Parasite” instance not collapse?

Tan Xiao was a significant factor in causing this event, indirectly leading to Yan’s demise. Additionally, due to his influence, he saved many citizens who would have been parasitized, earning him the S+ rating.

Aside from discussions about Tan Xiao, some envious players commented:

“Am I the only one jealous of this unique title? +50 attack and +50% critical rate? That’s 50! I’ve only cleared three instances, and my attack is still in the single digits. With this title, I’d be unstoppable.”

“The boss was already unstoppable without this title. This is just the icing on the cake.”

In real life, Wang Mingming’s door was suddenly knocked on.

“Open up! Is Wang Mingming home? I’m from the community. We need you to register something.”

Wang Mingming opened the door to find familiar community staff and several people in military uniforms.

“You’re a player, right? We heard you were in the same instance as Tan Xiao and had some contact with him. Can we ask you a few questions?”

Wang Mingming couldn’t help but slap himself. “Why did you have to run your mouth!”

He stammered, “I only met the boss in the instance. I’m not really close to him, and he’s not even on my friends list!”

No wonder the boss refused to add him as a friend. The speed at which the authorities came knocking was too fast.

The official personnel spoke gently, “Don’t be nervous. We mean no harm to you or Tan Xiao. We just want to understand the situation and confirm if he’s from our country.”

The mist was a global phenomenon, and the god game was a global game. Once players entered the game, they could naturally understand each other’s languages, and the text in the forums was also universally understandable.

Although Tan Xiao’s name suggested he was from their region, they still wanted to confirm.

What could Wang Mingming do? He was just an ordinary guy who had gained a little something. Besides, the authorities seemed reliable, so he chose to cooperate.

The officials didn’t ask too much about Tan Xiao. Instead, they slowly relaxed Wang Mingming’s guard during the conversation and sincerely invited him to join the official organization.

Finally, the officials presented some documents: “Here are several profiles related to Tan Xiao. Which one do you think might be the boss you know?”

Having just joined the official organization, Wang Mingming was naturally willing to cooperate. After all, compared to the uncertain chance of meeting the boss again, the benefits of joining the official organization were much greater.

He picked up one profile after another: “This isn’t him. The boss is male.” “This isn’t him either. This person is too old.”

Wang Mingming kept flipping through until he reached the last profile. His eyes lit up: “This one! This is him! The boss looks exactly like this, though he seems older.”

In the instance, Tan Xiao was a 27-year-old office worker, more mature and composed. In real life, Tan Xiao was a young high school graduate, full of youthful energy and positivity.

The officials looked at each other.

“This Tan Xiao disappeared into the mist and has been declared dead.”

Although it was called a disappearance, with the restoration of order and the internet in real life, everyone knew that those who disappeared in the mist were likely dead.

At least, the authorities could find information on all the players they had located in real life. Tan Xiao was different. There was evidence that he had “died” in the meteor shower and mist.

That’s why, among all the profiles, the one of the high school student Tan Xiao was placed last—because he was deemed the least likely candidate.

Someone speculated, “Maybe player Tan Xiao died and became an NPC in the game.”

“NPCs can’t appear in player forums. I think he might have hidden himself.”

The authorities could find players who were active and visible after being announced by the game, but most players’ information in the forums was confidential.

A powerful player who obtained an item to conceal their identity in the game wasn’t impossible.

Tan Xiao had no idea that he had been indirectly exposed in real life. The turmoil in reality had nothing to do with him. He was like a sleeping beauty, quietly resting in the mist.

This time was different from the last. Tan Xiao in the small room was also asleep, and he slept for a very long time.

Tan Xiao couldn’t feel the passage of time in the small room. He slept until he naturally woke up.

During his slumber, the TV automatically switched channels, finally selecting a special instance for Tan Xiao.

[Detected that player Tan Xiao has obtained the special title “Ultimate instance Breaker” Current strength far exceeds the average player level. Adjusting instances for player Tan Xiao… Searching for instances.]

[Detected an instance matching player Tan Xiao’s strength: “AI Crisis.” This is a special solo instance for the player. Success will unlock the job change function early, and the system shop will be upgraded.]

[instance mission: ??? (Please explore on your own.)]

[Clearance time: None]

This instance was carefully selected by the game system. As a solo instance, there was no specific clearance time. Tan Xiao wouldn’t leave after a month. If he couldn’t find the mission, he would be trapped in the instance.

This wasn’t the system’s fault. This guy had already collapsed three important instances in the god game. Delaying him for a while was better than nothing.

[Failure penalty: Failure in this instance won’t result in death, but the next instance will be a penalty instance.]

Penalty instances restrict the use of backpack items.

[Do you choose to enter this instance? The countdown has started. The player will automatically enter the instance.]

Yes, this instance could be declined, as it was considered a promotion task.

Of course, Tan Xiao was lying on the ground, fast asleep, and didn’t hear any of this. When the countdown ended, the sleeping Tan Xiao was forcibly sucked into the instance by a white light from the TV.

When he opened his eyes again, the cozy room had transformed into a high-tech environment.

“Master, it’s time to wake up and eat!”

Tan Xiao was forcibly awakened by a robot nanny. He felt like he had had a very long dream about the “ancient world.”

He dreamed that he had traveled back 200 years, becoming an ordinary person who had to work hard in a classroom, studying for ten years just for a chance to attend a prestigious university.

But suddenly, a meteor shower fell from the sky, rendering his ten years of hard work meaningless.

Tan Xiao climbed out of the nutrient pod, his head aching from the chaotic memories.

It was now July 1, 1225 in the Spirit Calendar. Two hundred years ago, the technological explosion and the advent of artificial intelligence drastically changed people’s lives.

Due to the rapid development of technology, the world experienced multiple wars before finally stabilizing under the rule of a federal government.

Tan Xiao’s residence was Unit 188 in Jihua Garden, District 7.

The world was now divided into 11 districts, each with tens of millions of people.

Although there were 11 districts, Tan Xiao had never left District 7 since birth.

He was a citizen of District 7, born, educated, and employed in this district. Perhaps he would never leave District 7 until his death.

The technological explosion also had a significant impact on society. Two hundred years later, both the marriage and work systems were vastly different from those of 200 years ago.

The emergence of artificial wombs greatly impacted the marriage system. Newlyweds who wanted their own offspring had to pass complex exams to register and adopt genetically superior, healthy children cultivated by the government.

Of course, this was the lifestyle of the upper class. For the majority of ordinary people, they could still reproduce naturally.

But this was clearly not cost-effective, as the “defective” children produced this way would end up at the bottom of society, living in slums.

There was no helping it. During the 200-year technological explosion, the world experienced numerous wars, which had negative effects on humanity.

Naturally born children often had severe genetic defects, possibly being mentally disabled or, more commonly, physically deformed.

Most citizens in this world were mass-produced by the government or corporations, raised in welfare institutions until the age of 16, then sent into society to become cogs in the machine.

Due to the rapid development of technology, most ordinary jobs had been replaced by robots.

Dangerous, repetitive, and meaningless labor was handled by robots. Robots drove cars, cleaned floors, and even cooked in restaurants.

Tan Xiao had no biological parents in this world, only adoptive ones.

Like most ordinary people, he was a mass-produced cog, an average-looking, average-intelligence individual.

But he seemed to have won the genetic lottery, being good-looking and smart, so he was adopted by a wealthy couple and given a family.

But in this societal environment, families were naturally distorted and cold. The wealthy couple adopted him for reputation and career purposes. After they had their own healthy biological child, Tan Xiao, the adopted son, was sent away.

At 16, just as he reached adulthood, he was thrown out and sent to this small house in Jihua Garden.

However, two years had passed, and Tan Xiao had adapted well. He found a work-from-home job as an original artist for a game studio.

With the real world in chaos, people immersed themselves in virtual reality games. Although AI-created art was exquisite, it always carried a cold, mechanical feel. Thus, skilled original artists with unique styles were still in demand by major companies.

Thanks to this well-paying job, Tan Xiao’s life outside wasn’t too bad.

Tan Xiao had recently completed a large-scale ancient-themed game for the company. To be precise, it was set in the near-modern era before the technological explosion, 200 years ago.

Due to the disruptions caused by wars, people were fascinated by life during that period.

The streets weren’t filled with robots, and human interactions were filled with warmth. Houses weren’t built as tall as they were now, and social classes weren’t as rigid.

While the current society seemed safe, beneath the surface, undercurrents were turbulent.

There were anti-robot factions, rebel armies, and advocates for mechanical immortality and digital life.

These chaotic matters seemed unrelated to Tan Xiao. He was just an ordinary original artist, without family, love, or friendship. Only his house and a bunch of cold robots accompanied him.

Cleaning robots handled sweeping and mopping, kitchen robots cooked and shopped, and medical robots acted as family doctors.

For serious illnesses, one had to spend a fortune to stay in a hospital with a medical pod that could treat broken limbs. These pods were expensive, with even the basic models costing nine figures, something ordinary people couldn’t afford.

Of course, with current medical technology, a severed head couldn’t be saved.

Shortly after waking up, Tan Xiao opened the window to breathe fresh air, only to hear the noisy sounds of a protest outside.

It was another anti-robot demonstration organized by the anti-robot faction.

“Destroy the robots! Give jobs back to humans!”

“Strongly demand better treatment for ordinary workers!”

“The prophecy of the gods: Robots will destroy the world! We must eliminate all robots!”

What an annoying scene. Tan Xiao coldly closed the window, instantly blocking out the noise.