Zhang Dong persisted in navigating through the computer, extracting as much information as possible. He stumbled upon a few intriguing details, including the responsibilities of these moderators. They were primarily tasked with system-holder scouting, recruitment, and monitoring. Furthermore, they had the ability to adjust the stakes of the scenario, making things more challenging or easier with a few clicks.
According to his findings, individuals with higher star ratings were granted more options. There were packages rated from bronze to platinum. With a superior package, the system would offer better features, such as weakening opponents or influencing the probability of success in various endeavors.
The moderators had access to an extensive list of human beings, involving millions of individuals whom they contacted and observed. There appeared to be intriguing criteria that they emphasized. The system-holder candidates were typically loners with a chip on their shoulder, individuals with few ties to their original world or even harboring a hatred for it. Many of these candidates were outright shut-ins who had experienced bullying or simply didn't fit in with the rest.
This was a familiar concept for him, as he had been a loner himself before being spirited away. Wang Long appeared to harbor lots of animosity toward his original world, which he vented on the people in the new one. It didn't seem that having a moral compass was a requirement, considering both Wang Long and Zhang Dong couldn't have been more different in that regard.
It all felt surreal, and he couldn't shake the suspicion that the reason he had nearly died when confronting his first real foe was due to one of these moderators playing around with the statistics. If he hadn't obtained the hacked system and freed himself, he might have met a different, perhaps fatal, fate. It appeared that individuals with a higher moral compass, like him, were rated slightly lower than the rest. This could be the reason why he was left to face death without much assistance.
‘There isn't really more that I can learn here. This DSP thing is also an unknown factor.’
He thought, having gone through everything and discovered a strange number labeled as 'DSP'. There was no explanation for what it was, but each system holder had this number assigned to them, constantly increasing. It seemed to be another rating distinct from the star system, but he couldn't find an explanation for its significance.
The clicking of the puppets resonated throughout the office area as he stepped out of the cubicle he had been occupying. Once inside, all noise had been canceled out, likely to maintain focus among the puppets on their work. Thanks to this phenomenon, the other puppets wouldn't really notice that his workstation was empty.
For now, it seemed that there weren't any defensive measures or security protocols in place. It was evident to him that whoever created this place wasn't concerned about people snooping around. They were either very confident that no one would reach this place or simply didn't care. Either way, his new opponent seemed to be underestimating potential threats, which worked in his favor.
The endless rows of cubicles extended as far as he could see, but there was an end to them on the sides. Other corridors and rooms likely led to various points of interest. Outside these confines, he might find the administrator. If the administrator was also a weak puppet, gathering more information could be relatively straightforward. With this in mind, he set out to explore further while maintaining the appearance of a puppet.
While other system holders were leaving their worlds and heading elsewhere, he couldn't spot any of them here. It was conceivable that the backdoor he used brought him into an entirely new dimension or realm. There was still a possibility that these individuals weren't truly his enemies and the entire scenario was crafted for the system holders to have a thrilling time. They were granted a fantastic adventure where they could be heroes or villains if they chose. Yet, that DSP number was causing him concern. It was as if they were compelled to earn something that the entity behind all this required or desired.
It took him some time but he managed to slip away from this large section to start exploring. Thanks to his mapping system he was able to keep himself from getting lost in this strange yellow business building. As Zhang Dong moved through the labyrinthine corridors, he came across different sections of the building. Some rooms seemed to be dedicated to specific tasks, while others housed more mysterious equipment and machinery. One thing was clear though, most of them were never intended for use and had been placed to simulate an office requirement.
‘Could the person that created this have been some type of disgruntled businessman, stuck in a cubicle for most of his life?’
This was his best guess regarding the nature of this place. Typically, people created things based on their memories, and perhaps the creator of this place had one in a similar setting. It gave him some hope that he was confronting another human being and not some interdimensional, godlike being that could erase him from existence at any moment. As long as this entity wasn't omniscient or omnipresent, he felt he had a fighting chance. Otherwise, nothing really mattered, and his entire journey could come to an abrupt end at any moment.
He swiftly navigated through the corridors, hoping to find something of substance. The building was incredibly vast, and even after wandering through it for more than a week, there seemed to be no end in sight. While there were windows on the side, they only revealed an empty void. Going outside wasn't an easy task, as there was nothing to open the windows with. The place was also reinforced, so the only way outside would be by blasting through with force - a method he wanted to avoid unless he was under attack.
His map had rapidly filled up with the three-dimensional depiction of the office building. One revelation he made was that it wasn't actually flat; it took the shape of a spiral winding up into what seemed like infinity. The further he ventured, the tighter the spiral became, giving him the impression that he was heading in the right direction. With a bit of luck, he might discover a new section, perhaps even the room with the administrator. So, he pressed on, and after another week of searching, he finally reached something new: the building had begun transforming into what resembled a hospital.
He felt like he had entered a new biome, the switch being somewhat abrupt. The yellow paint that covered most of the walls was abruptly cut off by the white walls. Everything started shifting, and even the doors were different. The ones he was looking at now were double doors with rectangular glass windows through which he could see inside. To no surprise, there were no salarymen in there anymore; they were replaced by two different puppet types.
‘So, a nurse or a doctor, which should I go with?’
Zhang Dong contemplated while peeking through, observing a long corridor with what seemed like a lounge area at the end. A few nurses were behind a counter, engrossed in some task, moving around and feigning work. Similar to the businessmen, he needed to alter his appearance. Fortunately, the women here also looked the same, and examining them from his vantage point was straightforward. On the other hand, there was a doctor in a long white coat facing the other way, making it challenging to copy his appearance.
‘I guess, for now, I’ll have to be a nurse…’
At first, it might have seemed like it was better to change into the persona with more authority like the doctor but the nurses were far more active. He could still move through every area without being discovered so he quickly shifted into the image of a blond nurse that was wearing a somewhat reduced uniform.
‘Why do they have to wear high heels in a hospital… I hope it’s not one of those hospitals… I should really get a look at one of those doctors.’
Now in his new guise, Zhang Dong cautiously pushed open the double doors and stepped into the hospital section. The atmosphere was different here; instead of the sterile office environment, the air carried the faint scent of antiseptic. The low hum of medical equipment replaced the constant clicking and typing sounds of the previous area.
As he strolled down the corridor, he noticed that the puppets in this section were engaged in different activities. Some were pushing empty gurneys, while others were reading medical charts or typing on computers. The puppet nurses moved with purpose, attending to tasks that seemed as repetitive and monotonous as those in the office.
Zhang Dong mimicked their movements, trying to blend in seamlessly. He knew that any deviation from the norm might draw attention. As he walked, he observed the different rooms and departments of the hospital. There were operating rooms, examination rooms, and even a pharmacy area. The attention to detail in recreating these spaces was remarkable.
Yet, something made him stop as he noticed that something was actually going on here. While the rooms for the patients were empty the puppets were actually talking to each other. Curiosity compelled Zhang Dong to approach one of the puppet nurses engaged in conversation with another. Their exchange was mundane at first, discussing the routine tasks of the day, but as he got closer, he began to overhear a peculiar detail.
“... The new patients will be arriving soon, the doctor asked us to proceed to room 237.”
‘A patient?’
This was not something that he expected but this was a hospital section and it wouldn’t really be one if there were no patients. Was it possible that other puppets played the role of patients and it wouldn’t lead to nothing or could there be something more to it? Without giving himself away he followed after the group of nurses that numbered well above ten.
‘This is quite the group of nurses just to see one patient, what could this really be about?’
As he trailed after them, the group continued to grow, all heading in a specific direction. Staying towards the back, he maintained a position where he could escape at any given moment. Soon enough, he got an answer to the question of where they were going.
“What are you doing!? This is all wrong!”
‘Huh? Whose voice is that? It doesn't sound like a puppet.’
The nurses opened a large set of doors, and he heard a man's voice that didn't match any of the doctors he had seen so far. It seemed like an event was unfolding that might finally shed some light on what was happening in this place.
This 𝓬ontent is taken from fre𝒆webnove(l).𝐜𝐨𝗺