Chapter 208: Hunter’s Star
Emerald Star, Gaia Swarm Research Institute.
Nan Guo de Xue, accompanied by over twenty Scholar players, took the elevator to the deepest level.
This place had already become a well-known “famous attraction,” a true interstellar marvel.
“This—it’s too big!”
The low-level players gazed up at the “Main Brain,” which possessed a kilometer-sized physique, and an uncontrollable sense of awe rose in their hearts, making them hesitant to proceed.
A character’s psychological endurance and courage were linked to the “Physique” and “Spirit” attributes, directly affecting the operator’s mental state.
In this regard, ordinary players naturally couldn't compare to the Cang Yuan Elite Team, who were the first to discover this place.
They hadn’t been playing for long; most were graduate and doctoral students from 985 universities who had recently been called in by their advisors and urged to submit applications for the “Star Sea” beta test on the official website.
It was truly puzzling that advisors were asking students to play online games.
Many of them had applied before, as the game had long since broken through its niche, with graphics and gameplay that crushed all competitors on the market, and no gamer didn't want to experience it.
The problem was that the slots were too few, and competitors were increasing, making the winning rate comparable to a lottery. Many, despite continuously posting in the community, still didn't receive customer service invitations.
Unexpectedly, this time, by listening to their advisors and self-recommending themselves, they were miraculously selected!
Even more miraculously, their advisors specifically reduced their workload, allowing them to log in and play every day after dinner, and even guaranteed that it wouldn't affect their graduation on time.
“It’s fine, it’s friendlier than most humans,” Sister Xue confidently and calmly led everyone forward, “and smarter than humans. Come on.”
With reverence, the group cautiously walked towards the control panel of the Main Brain.
“Oh my god, it’s constantly staring at us….”
“It’s probably just curious.” “Let’s hope so…”
“I feel like one of its tentacles just moved, as if it’s waving at us!”
“Mistake—a misconception, right?”
After adapting to the environment and calming their emotions, the Scholar team used the laptops they brought to extend the control panel and began the task assigned by the Executive Officer.
The precious Star Sea Relic was officially activated today!
“Our specific job is to write research topics, then evaluate and analyze data from player and monster battles, send combat guidance to players, help them improve their hunting skills, and thereby accelerate the artificial selection of monster genes.”
Nan Guo de Xue said to everyone.
“We are doing the same thing as the Main Brain, except one serves local species and the other serves humans. The more intense the confrontation and competition between the two sides, the faster the speed of technological research and development.”
The new players looked at each other.
This idea is so advanced… not only novel but also interesting!
Using ecological system research, it’s possible! Many already had inspiration for papers in their minds.
“Can we occasionally use AI methods to accelerate the completion of this task?”
Someone suggested.
Nan Guo de Xue nodded.
“Yes, our workload is only about one ten-millionth to one-millionth of the Main Brain’s, but even so, to keep up with its gene-editing speed, we still can’t do without AI assistance.
Infinite Deep Space has left behind a large amount of advanced AI code. Students with relevant skills can team up with me and start researching as soon as possible; those without a foundation can also take this opportunity to learn. The control panel supports natural language programming and has a very complete tutorial.”
The Scholar players all said no problem, eager to show their skills and full of enthusiasm.
Putting everything else aside, they had to prove that humans were not inferior to the “Zerg,” right?
“No problem! Let’s get to it!”
“Alright, let’s begin. Our task is very important and the workload is significant, so everyone should be mentally prepared. If you don’t understand anything, feel free to ask me at any time.”
It was only then that everyone realized Sister Xue didn’t seem as quiet and introverted as she appeared in other people’s live streams.
Once she entered work mode, she immediately exuded the aura of a big sister, arranging the work in an orderly fashion in the blink of an eye, radiating the competence of a professional woman.
No doubt, she was probably a supervisor-level academic big shot in reality too!
Three days later, a player named “Garden Dream” arrived from Emerald Outpost and proudly presented his work.
“The ground dungeon area is mapped out~”
Everyone gathered around the control panel screen upon hearing this, admiring this “masterpiece.”
It was a blueprint, centered on the research institute ruins, covering an area of tens of thousands of square kilometers.
“Wow~ This looks like a giant theme park! Similar to Jurassic Park!”
Someone immediately saw the clue. “Hehe, indeed~”
The blueprint’s creator, Garden Dream, was indeed a theme park designer in reality. As early as when he first started working over ten years ago, he had already accumulated a large amount of practical engineering experience, truly an ambitious young man.
Unfortunately, later, the construction boom passed, and the number of national theme park projects drastically decreased, leading to his unemployment and frustration.
He never expected that a skill useless in reality would find a second spring in the game!
According to Lu Yuan’s foresight, the surface of Emerald Star was to be developed into an open-air super dungeon cluster, allowing employees to level up there for extended periods and with high intensity, while trying not to feel fatigued or repetitive.
As soon as the task was issued, Garden Dream used the player community to recruit several players who were game level designers in reality, and together they drafted the dungeon plan.
Finally, hard work paid off, and they were selected by the Executive Officer based on their abilities.
Professionals do professional things.
On the dungeon blueprint, Emerald Outpost was the “entrance area,” the first stop for players who had just left the Li Star Novice Village to land on Emerald Star and disembark from transport ships.
Here, they could find accommodation and, with the help of Emerald Life Science’s field team, familiarize themselves with the jungle environment and undergo adaptive training.
Local residents could also cater to the flow of visitors, engaging in tourism to generate income and stimulate the economy.
The ongoing restoration of the research institute ruins was the central core area, also known as the “Hunter’s Home,” serving as the main base for players to socialize, form teams, brag, and select power armor models.
The core area was surrounded by five sub-zones, each with unique monster configurations.
The larvae, sub-adults, and adults of each monster type were distributed along different branch routes within the zone, corresponding to different difficulties, allowing players to flexibly choose according to their own level.
In addition, each sub-zone had its own sub-camp, equipped with 3D printers and supply storage boxes. After players paid cangyuan coin,
they could use them to repair and modify equipment.
The jungle was also dotted with numerous resource points for players to replenish food and ammunition.
According to Lu Yuan’s requirements, all species within the “theme park” were strictly controlled by the Main Brain. They would fight to kill and go all out in combat, but they would not trigger aggro from a distance or pursue for long distances.
They had specific behavior patterns and patrol routes, just like a real game dungeon.
After players entered these controlled areas, their pads would automatically add a large number of mission objectives.
These mission objectives corresponded to the various research topics of the Scholar group. Completing them would yield a large amount of experience and dungeon currency for exchanging new equipment.
Of course, if some teams felt strong enough, they could also hunt in the “wilderness” outside the controlled zone.
The Main Brain could still collect combat data from there, but it would not provide any safety protection. Players would experience the full wildness and malice of Emerald Star, at their own risk.
As long as they could hunt enough monsters in these wild areas and return safely, they would earn the rare title of “Wilderness Survivor” and receive an invitation to join the renowned First Battle Group!
“Good, you’ve worked hard.”
Taking the blueprint, Sister Xue immediately led her subordinates to work, filling in research topics for each sub-zone.
Sub-zone One: Assault Biome Research Objective: Provide technical support for a new generation of electromagnetic cannons and new power armor driven by artificial muscles by strengthening biological armor, muscles, claws, and bio-electromagnetic weapons. Sub-zone Two: Heavy Armor Biome Research Objective: New carbon-based armor, anti-laser coating. Sub-zone Three: Stealth Biome Research Objective: Sensor countermeasures, advanced optical camouflage. Sub-zone Four: Insectoid Zone Research Objective: Swarm drone collaboration models, efficient Mass Effect Zero Element Furnaces, bio-psionic interfaces. Finally, there was the “Horror Zone” set according to Sister Xue’s personal interest.
The genetic mutations and research objectives corresponding to this sub-zone were temporarily known only to her, Sasha, and the Main Brain; even the Executive Officer only had a general idea.
She said it was to leave a surprise for the players and it was inconvenient to spoil it.
After the “theme park” plan was finalized, all players and cloud players showed great interest.
Coincidentally, the main structure of the battleship on Li Star had been completed, and subsequent work didn’t require as many people as before. So, many Engineers and sand laborers came to Emerald Star with tools and building materials, beginning to construct various facilities within the dungeon with extremely high efficiency.
Time flew by, and another week passed.
Various research projects on Emerald Star were steadily advancing, and Xiu’s caravan had also completed most of its journey, arriving at the thirteenth star system on its route, with only six stops left until New Hope.
They paused before the jump point leading to the next star system, not proceeding further.
According to estimates, the incoming Punitive Fleet would cross the wormhole and appear here soon.