Chapter 177 : Two Major Events Begin! The Authorities Pretend to Be the Game Developers!
Chapter 177: Two Major Events Begin! The Authorities Pretend to Be the Game Developers!
Real World.
Headquarters of the Special Investigation Department.
Zhou Zhengming was once again browsing the official forum during work hours.
How many days had it been since the Special Map Sacred Cang City shocked the players?
Even now, screenshots and photos of Sacred Cang City still occupied the top positions on social media trending lists. They were reposted daily by countless media outlets. Various bloggers were analyzing the details with magnified images, while art professionals and designers discussed its visual design.
Yet in just a few days, many new major events had already occurred.
Since the official launch of the third round of closed beta testing for Twisted Three Kingdoms, the pace of the game had been extremely fast.
On the game forum homepage alone, there were dozens of hot threads posted within the past three or four days, each receiving thousands or even tens of thousands of replies. Every one of them discussed major recent developments.
Zhou Zhengming glanced through them:
“Zhou Cang VS Wen Pin! Frame-by-Frame Analysis of the Duel Between Two Famous Generals!”
“Hidden NPC Appears! The Sage of Medicine Zhang Ji! Player ‘Uncle Big Tree’ Accidentally Triggers a Hidden Quest in a Deep Valley!”
“New Map Screenshot! I Declare the Coolest Monster in Twisted Three Kingdoms Is Jueying!”
“Jia Xu, Zhang Xiu, or Wen Pin—Who Is Stronger? Comprehensive Analysis of the Current Situation in the Wan City Map!”
“Incredible! Screenshot Proof! Feather God Breaks Wen Pin’s Defense With One Strike! Can Anyone Explain How Powerful Feather God Is Now?”
“Good News! Zhang Ji Officially Joins the Territory! Our Main City Gains Another Powerful NPC!”
“The Final Boss of the Wan City Map Identified! The One Blocking the Calamity Army Is the Super Fierce General Dian Wei!”
“Deep Story Analysis of Twisted Three Kingdoms — Part Six!”
“…”
“The Hardest-Core Skill Analysis Post on the Internet! Full Skill Compilation and Major Reveal! Comprehensive Study of Public Skills, Hidden Skills, and Known Combination Builds!”
As the head of the Special Investigation Department, Zhou Zhengming had eighteen alternate accounts on the forum.
Every day he spent at least three to four hours browsing it.
This was definitely not slacking off at work.
Mainly because the players were all talented and spoke pleasantly… Their ability to analyze storylines and interpret details was extremely strong. In many cases, they did better work than this special department.
A large amount of crucial intelligence and massive overlooked details were discovered through the analyses of these so-called “Twisted Scholars”.
This was the wisdom of the crowd.
After scanning the list of posts, the one claiming to be “the hardest-core skill analysis on the internet” caught Zhou Zhengming’s attention.
The poster was a player named “Sword God of Shilipo”.
He had joined the game in the final round of Phase 2 testing and was considered a relatively new player. Now he had already been recruited by Black-Eyed Rui Ge and had become a member of the Wings of Freedom Legion.
Sword God of Shilipo was famous for being a game fanatic. He especially loved researching hidden mechanics and hardcore strategies. He belonged to the same type of player as Black-Eyed Rui Ge and Salted Fish Thrust, which was why they got along so well.
Sword God of Shilipo wrote in the post:
“Hello everyone!”
“I’m Sword God of Shilipo from Wings of Freedom!”
“First of all, I want to thank our boss Black-Eyed Rui Ge, Salted Fish Thrust, Midnight Pig Slayer, and several other top players for their strong support. I also want to thank Chimera Wraith and Dawn from the neighboring Divine Feather Palace Legion for providing valuable data!”
“I’m making this post today to talk about the skill system of Twisted Three Kingdoms!”
“As everyone knows, the skill system in this game is extremely free. There are no rigid class restrictions and no theoretical limit on the number of skills.”
“As long as players meet the learning conditions and have enough Essence, they can learn as many skills as they want!”
“Not only that, ever since the Enlightenment Tower was unlocked, creating new fusion skills has become a trend among players. Everyone can build their own unique skill system according to their needs.”
“This kind of design has never been seen before. It brings enormous fun and challenges to players. The gameplay and depth are maxed out. There have already been too many discussions about this on the forum, so I won’t repeat them here. Let’s once again praise the development team and thank the authorities for creating such an incredible game!”
“Alright!”
“No more nonsense!”
“Let’s get straight to the point!”
“The game has been running for nearly two months. Everyone knows there are many skills available to learn, but no one can say exactly how many there are!”
“In Twisted Three Kingdoms, skills fall into two categories.”
“The first category is public skills. These are the skills embedded directly in the Skill Tower. Anyone can learn them anytime as long as they meet the conditions and pay the learning cost.”
“The second category is hidden skills. These do not appear in the Skill Tower but can be learned from NPCs.”
“These skills require higher learning conditions, higher costs, and good relationships with NPCs. After all, each NPC can only teach one skill per day, and there are limited Skill Transmission Rooms in the Skill Tower, making them extremely difficult to obtain.”
“With the help of the players mentioned above, I spent a lot of time researching and compiling skill data.”
“Now I will release the preliminary statistical results.”
“Currently there are 18 public skills.”
“There are at least 32 known hidden skills, of which at least 17 meet the conditions for learning.”
“Please note that hidden skills all come from NPCs. Because they involve NPC privacy, accurate statistics are impossible and many omissions likely exist. This post will continue to be updated with further investigation.”
“Next I will analyze these skills one by one.”
“I will discuss their characteristics and learning requirements.”
“Finally I will reveal the currently known self-created skill combinations.”
“This post is packed with high-energy information and useful data. After reading it, you will gain a completely new understanding of the skill system and how to use skills effectively!”
“…”
After reading the entire post, Zhou Zhengming could not help feeling amazed.
The analysis was extremely hardcore.
It almost analyzed every skill in the game.
It also introduced every skill that had appeared in the territory.
Without this post, Zhou Zhengming would not even have known that so many skills had already appeared.
Some skills were unique abilities of NPCs.
For example, Wei Ji from Hexi Village possessed Soul Capture Talisman Techniques.
Meanwhile Feng Yi from Sanxiang City and the local soldiers used several sword techniques and archery techniques.
Even skills that NPCs had only used occasionally—and had not yet met the requirements to be taught—had been investigated by players and analyzed based on their performance.
It was both impressive and fascinating.
After analyzing dozens of skills, Sword God of Shilipo began introducing known self-created combination skills.
Currently the territory had already produced around twenty different player-created skills.
But potential combinations were countless.
There could be hundreds—or even thousands.
Because theoretically—
Skills could evolve infinitely.
Different skills could combine and innovate.
And newly created combination skills could continue evolving further.
At present the territory only had two Tier-Two Skill Towers.
Some skill slots were still empty.
Meanwhile the territory continued recruiting new NPCs.
For example, the recently recruited Zhang Ji possessed several high-quality secret techniques.
If players built a good relationship with him, they could theoretically learn these precious abilities.
The system was simply too complex.
Too massive.
The skill system of Twisted Three Kingdoms was a system capable of infinite innovation.
If “Twisted Studies” was becoming a large academic field—
Its subfields were growing rapidly.
Some people studied story background.
Some studied folklore and culture.
Some studied art and design.
Others studied gameplay.
Skill analysis posts like this represented a subfield of gameplay research.
Even this single subfield could develop into an entirely new academic discipline.
Sword God of Shilipo’s post—
Was essentially a high-quality academic paper in this field.
It possessed both high research value and practical value.
As the game progressed, no two players would possess exactly the same abilities.
In fact, the higher the level players reached, the greater the differences would become.
Individualization would become increasingly obvious.
Such an extremely high degree of freedom—
And such vast and rich content—
Greatly stimulated players’ desire to explore.
Zhou Zhengming had to admit—
If he had not learned the terrifying truth behind the game—
He too would believe that Twisted Three Kingdoms was a perfect game with infinite freedom.
“There are truly capable people among the players.”
“This Sword God of Shilipo is also quite talented.”
Zhou Zhengming felt that players like him deserved special attention.
Knock knock.
Someone knocked on the office door.
Feng Ying entered and said,
“Director, the latest physical test results for Wang Yue are out. Please attend the briefing meeting.”
A few minutes later.
Zhou Zhengming arrived at the conference room.
After reading the reports and data placed before him, he frowned deeply.
His expression was complicated.
There was surprise and excitement—but also fear and concern.
Finally his gaze turned toward the elderly man in a white lab coat.
“Academician Xia, what do you think?”
Academician Xia sighed.
“Wang Yue hasn’t been playing the game for long.”
“Yet his bone strength has increased by 64%.”
“Muscle strength has increased by 42%.”
“Cardiopulmonary function has improved by more than 40%.”
“The activity of all body cells has increased by at least 35%.”
“And his body has become 5 to 7 years younger.”
Zhou Zhengming inhaled sharply.
Wang Yue had been selected from among the most elite soldiers.
Due to years of brutal training, his physical condition was already far beyond that of ordinary people.
But now—
According to the test results—
His cardiopulmonary ability rivaled world-class swimming champions.
His running speed and explosive power rivaled sprint champions.
His muscular strength rivaled weightlifting champions.
Academician Xia continued,
“To be frank, the effects of this game are almost comparable to the super soldier serum in movies.”
“And so far we have not detected any side effects.”
Everyone in the room exchanged uneasy looks.
More and more players were discussing physical changes on the forum.
Although the authorities could temporarily explain it away with “advanced technology”—
The improvement speed was simply too fast.
Zhou Zhengming asked,
“What is the limit of this enhancement?”
Academician Xia shook his head.
“There is no visible limit yet.”
“This transformation cannot be explained scientifically.”
“And there are no signs of slowing down.”
“I believe that within two to three months, Wang Yue’s physique will surpass the theoretical limits of human beings.”
A researcher could not help but say,
“Once players become strong enough… is it possible that the skills learned in the game might eventually be usable in the real world?”
Academician Xia replied,
“It’s hard to say.”
“But the possibility definitely exists.”
“However, the transformation from mortal limits to superhuman abilities may take longer.”
Zhou Zhengming suddenly thought about the skill analysis post he had just read.
When the long list of skills flashed through his mind—
His head began to ache.
If humans could evolve through the game and gain supernatural abilities—
That would normally be something worth celebrating.
It could push humanity into a new era.
Its significance would surpass multiple industrial revolutions.
The problem was—
Some of these skills were far too dangerous.
Many possessed enormous destructive power.
Others could control minds or manipulate mental states.
As the saying goes—
When one holds a weapon, murderous intent arises.
How much more so when people gained superhuman bodies and supernatural powers?
The Special Investigation Department had to prepare in advance.
Not only must they monitor every player closely—
They must also prepare contingency plans in case superpowered individuals lost control.
Zhou Zhengming asked,
“How is public opinion domestically and internationally?”
A staff member immediately replied,
“Everything is still within expectations.”
“The smokescreens we released recently are working.”
“More and more insiders now believe Twisted Three Kingdoms is a secret mega-project created by the authorities.”
Zhou Zhengming nodded.
“The creators behind Twisted Three Kingdoms don’t seem to mind us borrowing their name.”
“In that case, we might as well continue pretending to be the official development team.”
“What do you mean?”
“There’s still a lot we can do.”
“For example, we could establish authoritative publications to collect research articles from the Twisted Scholars and reward them.”
“This would encourage more players to study the game while also helping us uncover more intelligence.”
“Or we could organize offline events in the name of the official team.”
“This would help us build relationships with players.”
“At the same time, we could reinforce a message to the outside world.”
“That the Twisted Three Kingdoms development team is the authorities.”
“In this way, many inexplicable phenomena could be covered up.”
“At least we can delay people suspecting alien conspiracy theories.”
Everyone looked at each other.
The authorities were truly determined to impersonate the developers.
Pretending to be a game studio that did not even exist.
It sounded absurd—
But it was an effective way to maintain stability and buy time.
Although the identity was fake—
Players did not know this.
They already believed the game was a massive national project.
As long as this illusion remained—
Even if players awakened supernatural abilities in the future—
They would still maintain respect for the authorities.
After all—
Anyone capable of creating such a supernatural game must possess unimaginable power.
In short—
The mission of the Special Investigation Department was twofold.
First, to uncover more secrets about the game.
Second, to hide the shocking truth behind Twisted Three Kingdoms for at least one or two years.
This would give every sector time to prepare.
Meanwhile they would also develop their own power inside the game.
By the time the truth was revealed—
The game would likely have fully spread across society.
The forces cultivated by the Special Investigation Department would also be strong enough.
Humanity could then transition naturally into a new era.
The game would still be a game—
But its meaning would change completely.
Order would not collapse into chaos.
Perhaps—
This was also what the mysterious mastermind behind the game wanted.
Otherwise there would have been no need to disguise everything as a game.
Zhou Zhengming turned to Wang Yue.
“Have there been any notable developments among players recently?”
Wang Yue thought for a moment.
“Recently missions have been frequent.”
“Players are still getting along fairly well.”
“But since the Legion System was introduced, factions have begun forming.”
“In the future, major competition between legions is likely.”
One department member said,
“Perhaps we could secretly provoke conflicts between legions to maintain balance.”
“Wouldn’t that cause trouble?”
“What if the lord notices?”
Another replied,
“What’s the problem?”
“The lord created the legion system to encourage competition.”
“Even if we do nothing, legions will compete for honor and benefits.”
“True. As long as internal conflict remains controlled and does not harm the Calamity Army’s development, the lord probably won’t intervene.”
“We should discuss this carefully.”
“For now the Undying Dragon Soul Legion must focus on competing for core assets.”
After saying this—
Feng Ying pressed a remote.
A map of the Luoshui Main City appeared on the conference room screen.
The main city area was divided into dozens of blocks.
Two of them were highlighted in red.
Zhou Zhengming said,
“These two commercial zones will soon be completed.”
“There will be ten shops near Lord Avenue and dozens of valuable properties available for bidding.”
“War God Hall, Divine Feather Palace, and Wings of Freedom are all preparing.”
“The Undying Dragon Soul Legion started late, but we cannot give up these important assets.”
Wang Yue immediately replied,
“Don’t worry, Director.”
“I’ve already accelerated the collection of Contribution Points.”
“We won’t lose to the three major legions.”
Properties in Luoshui Main City would definitely become extremely valuable.
Especially those located in prime locations.
Once these shops and houses were released—
Players would fiercely compete for them.
Owning property was deeply ingrained in human thinking.
These plots were located along Lord Avenue in the city’s central axis.
Their future value would skyrocket.
As the city population continued to grow—
Especially with more players joining—
The city would expand even further.
But the core districts and layout would remain fixed.
Once millions of people passed through Luoshui City—
The value of these properties would explode.
They could cooperate with Alchemy Workshops or Forging Workshops—
Or operate other businesses to earn enormous profits.
The Undying Dragon Soul Legion still lacked the resources of the three major legions.
After all—
In this game, money alone could not solve everything.
Real-world power could not easily penetrate the game.
The only method was to purchase Contribution Points from ordinary players with real money.
Recently—
Ordinary players were benefiting greatly.
By selling Contribution Points, they could easily earn thousands or even tens of thousands daily.
For many ordinary players—
Their real-world lives had already changed.
Twisted Three Kingdoms was no longer just a game.
It had become a high-paying job.
A golden rice bowl.
Soon after the meeting ended—
Wang Yue was about to summarize the results.
But his assistant rushed in with urgent news.
During the meeting—
The territory had released two large-scale quests.
Wang Yue immediately checked the details.
A player had already posted them on the forum.
——————
Quest Name: Attack Xinye County!
Quest Description: After the territory expanded into the Wan City Nightmare, the Calamity Army still lacked a foothold in the Wan City Region because there was no resurrection point. After negotiations with New Wan City forces, the lord plans to personally lead troops to attack Xinye County.
Quest Objective: Assist the lord in conquering Xinye and activate the Fate Stone.
Quest Time: Mission begins tomorrow at 9 AM.
Quest Rewards: Based on performance, players can earn 3000–100000 Essence, 5000–200000 Contribution Points, and random treasure chests.
——————
When Wang Yue saw this quest—
He became excited.
Another large-scale mission comparable to clearing Centipede Valley.
If successful—
The strength of the Calamity Army would rise dramatically.
The highest player levels were currently around Level 16.
After completing this mission—
Many players would likely reach Level 17, and a few might even reach Level 18.
But most importantly—
If Xinye were captured—
Players would gain a resurrection point.
This would be crucial for the Calamity Army’s expansion.
Wang Yue continued reading the second quest released simultaneously.
Quest Name: Prepare for Battle!
Quest Description: According to the latest intelligence, the Day of Absolute Darkness in the Wan City Nightmare will descend in 3–4 days. At that time Dian Wei will lead an Abyssal army to attack. All members of the Calamity Army must prepare and improve their strength.
Quest Objective: Level Up at Full Speed!
Quest Time Limit: 71 hours 59 minutes 59 seconds.
Quest Reward: All Calamity Army members below Tier Two will receive bonus Essence every time they level up.
——————
A very special quest.
If the Xinye mission was aimed at Level 10+ players—
Then this one was a welfare event for lower-level players.
During the next three days—
Leveling up would grant additional rewards.
Players would undoubtedly rush to grind monsters.
Many would temporarily pause skill training plans.
After three days—
The overall level of the lower and middle tiers of the Calamity Army would increase significantly.