World’s End: My Keyword is One More Than Others

Inside the business car.

Du Ge kept his eyes on his nose, his nose on his heart, pretending to be invisible.

Xu Wan's easy surrender made him suddenly aware of Du Ge's influence. Therefore, with his low-profile keyword, he must remain even more hidden. Pan-Universal Entertainment assigned him a low-profile keyword, probably to prevent him from recruiting teammates under Du Ge's name.

Luo Yan looked at Xu Wan across from him and asked, "Xu Wan, what's your keyword?"

"First, tell me who informed you about these things, and I'll cooperate with you." Xu Wan crossed her arms, showing a stance of refusal. "With just the three of you and that mecha behind, you can't stop me. The military will be here soon, and with my abilities, I'm sure they'll be happy to have me."

"We received an anonymous email containing detailed information about you players," Luo Yan said. "In fact, you are the first player we've contacted."

This was the story he and Du Ge had agreed on beforehand.

Before understanding these players' abilities, Luo Yan wouldn't betray the first player to surrender to them.

As Du Ge said, at the critical moment of Bi Xing's survival, there must be no internal chaos.

Although Bi Xing had established a Federation, the struggle for power was always brutal. Even if Bi Xing's lifespan might only have two years left, the president's position was unstable. Under the pressure of the Hill Civilization, the open and covert struggles had turned into hidden undercurrents.

On Bi Xing, which was fully committed to war, there were even factions advocating surrender.

Therefore.

They must discreetly and swiftly recruit these players who might change the situation.

At least before the players' information becomes transparent, they need to gather a powerful force in their hands to establish an early advantage. Otherwise, once the players' information becomes widely known, some people might become even more restless.

Moreover.

The longer he interacted with Du Ge, the more he felt a thick fog shrouding the other person. Until this fog was lifted, he dared not act rashly.

"What about Ten Steps to Kill One?" Xu Wan didn't believe Luo Yan's words, her brows slightly furrowed. "Since you could find me, there's no reason you couldn't find him. The address I gave to the military wasn't my home, yet you found my home precisely. Other than Battle Network positioning, I can't think of any other way."

"Your guess is correct; there's nothing wrong with the Battle Network."

Xu Wan's words were mature, but her body was that of a little girl, making Luo Yan feel a bit awkward talking to her. He tried hard to suppress the awkwardness in his heart and explained, "The first person we wanted to find was indeed Ten Steps to Kill One, but all traces of him have been erased from the Battle Network, as if he never existed.

We suspect he either found a loophole in the Battle Network or awakened the skills you players talk about. Personally, I lean towards the latter. I don't know who this Du Ge you mentioned is, but if Ten Steps to Kill One is related to Du Ge, I hope you can provide us with the relevant information so we can prepare early."

Luo Yan was chosen by the president to form the Strategic Defense Bureau, indicating his high psychological resilience. He lied without changing his expression, not even glancing at Du Ge.

"Concealment abilities?" Xu Wan's brows furrowed even more, her gaze sweeping over the people in the car before looking out the window, muttering softly.

"What kind of concealment abilities?" Luo Yan pressed.

"Keywords like hiding, eliminating, erasing," Xu Wan said. "Those who awaken skills with such keywords can easily erase traces of their existence. Ten Steps to Kill One stirred up a massive wave of public opinion on the Battle Network, creating a huge impact, and then disappeared, fitting the characteristics of such keywords."

He hasn't disappeared; he's just contacting us in another way.

Luo Yan muttered in his heart.

From the beginning, he never believed Lin Hong's keyword was trend.

Lin Hong told him that analyzing a keyword should be inferred from the player's words and actions, so he had been analyzing what his real keyword might be.

But Xu Wan's reasoning also ruled out the possibility of Lin Hong's keyword being related to hiding.

After all, he was the first to expose himself.

Therefore, his way of hiding his identity probably didn't rely on skills, and he likely wasn't afraid of being exposed.

No one would be foolish enough to hand over their leverage to someone they couldn't control.

"What's your keyword?" Luo Yan asked again.

"Reveal," Xu Wan said.

"Reveal?" Luo Yan repeated.

"It means straightforward and exposed," Xu Wan smiled. "Otherwise, why would I be the first to expose myself after Ten Steps to Kill One and contact the military? It's just to fit the keyword."

Saying this.

She winked at Luo Yan and suddenly pulled down her T-shirt.

Luo Yan was stunned, "What are you doing?"

"Enhancing keyword attributes!" Xu Wan laughed, "As long as I'm willing to go all out, running naked in the International Trade Mall could earn me a lot of attribute points."

"You better not do that," Nalan Li frowned, looking at her coldly. "No matter who you were before body possession, you're a girl now. Doing this would have a negative impact on society."

"Sister, do you believe everything I say?" Xu Wan laughed, letting go of her T-shirt, allowing it to bounce back and cover her exposed skin. "Didn't you see that Director Luo didn't believe it either? His eyes didn't even blink!"

"Xu Wan, I'm not joking with you," Luo Yan frowned. "We are an official national department, and the reason we approached you is to cooperate..."

"Frankly, I don't see your sincerity," Xu Wan said seriously, her smile gone. "I know you have a lot of power, but I still don't know what your department does or what benefits I can gain from it."

"The National Strategic Defense Bureau aims to recruit and regulate you players, preventing you from endangering the world. Based on your characteristics, we tailor growth plans for you, using your strength to defeat the Hill Civilization," Luo Yan glanced at her and said.

"So that's your plan," Xu Wan raised an eyebrow, spreading her arms and leaning back lazily in the business seat. "Did the anonymous letter you received tell you how many of us players will win in the end?"

"Three," Luo Yan said.

"He even told you that? That guy's keyword must be manipulation or planning!" Xu Wan was somewhat surprised. She looked at Luo Yan and said, "Since you know only three will win in the end, what makes you think you can manage us?"

"Players who don't comply with management will die," Du Ge suddenly spoke up, looking at Xu Wan provocatively. "When we have some free time, let's spar. I want to see the abilities of you players."

Hearing Du Ge's words, Nalan Li, despite having good expression management skills, couldn't help but twitch at the corner of her mouth. This bastard is mimicking Wang Zheng, pretending to be one of us!

"Sure!" Xu Wan glanced at Du Ge, then turned to Luo Yan, complaining, "Director Luo, I told you, you lack sincerity. I still don't know who these two people are."

"Nalan Li, Director of the Liaison Office of the National Strategic Defense Bureau, responsible for task allocation and liaison coordination for you players," Nalan Li said calmly.

"Lin Hong, ace mecha pilot, responsible for the security of the Strategic Defense Bureau," Du Ge said.

Security?

Xu Wan's eyebrows twitched slightly when she heard these two words. She shook her head and said, "I hope you can maintain this confidence after our match!"

Du Ge snorted, closed his eyes, and stopped talking.

Xu Wan shook her head again, looking back at Luo Yan, "Director Luo, you might not understand how terrifying players can be. I don't believe you can suppress them. Cooperating with you would expose me to danger..."

This statement matched Lin Hong's concerns. Indeed, every player was calculating against others to preserve themselves.

Luo Yan was silent for a moment, then said, "There are several departments like mine. Players will balance each other, forcing peace among you through mutual restraint."

"..." Xu Wan.

"The anonymous letter we received mentioned that the environment for players is extremely harsh. Staying in the game arena for one more day allows you to enjoy one more day, more comfortable than returning to your world after the game ends. You did the same in previous game arenas," Luo Yan said.

"Not Du Ge," Xu Wan was stunned for a moment, frowning.

"Who exactly is Du Ge?" Luo Yan asked.

"A madman who stops at nothing," Xu Wan said. "To win, he will establish an early advantage as quickly as possible, plunging the entire world into disaster, not caring about your lives. If you have information on him, I suggest you eliminate him at all costs."

Ha!

It's not time for you to enjoy the benefits I bring.

Du Ge didn't even blink. A bunch of white-eyed wolves, if I get ruthless, everyone on your planet will starve...

Luo Yan looked at him, eyes filled with amusement. When he knocked on Xu Wan's door, he said nothing, and this guy exposed Du Ge himself, then got scared and surrendered.

If Du Ge were truly as she described, the correct course of action would be to resist to the death, right?

Previously wanting to rely on Du Ge, now wanting to use them to eliminate Du Ge...

Heh!

From the meeting until now, this guy hasn't spoken a single truth, and like Lin Hong, her psychological resilience is terrifyingly stable, with her heart rate unchanged throughout. Subduing these players and using their abilities for Bi Xing is a long and arduous task!

"Xu Wan, now that you have a preliminary understanding of us, can you tell us what your keyword is?" Luo Yan smiled, "Only by telling us your keyword can we tailor a growth route for you, helping you gain a leading advantage among all players."

"Imitation, my keyword is imitation," Xu Wan glanced at Luo Yan and said, "I've currently awakened a skill called 'fake it till you make it.' As long as I've seen the opponent's techniques and skills, I can perfectly replicate them. You should have seen my video; my actions, gun timing, and speed aren't much different from Ten Steps to Kill One."

Imitation?

Is it true?

Luo Yan frowned slightly.

Xu Wan's explanation of imitation was as flawless as Lin Hong's explanation of trend.

Moreover, her earlier explanation of reveal also fit her behavior. It's too difficult to figure out these players' true keywords using conventional methods.

Nalan Li looked at Xu Wan, pulled out a dagger from her calf, spun it a few times in her palm, then placed her hand on the seat, quickly tapping the dagger on her fingertips. Then she put the dagger away and handed it to Xu Wan, "Imitate my actions."

Xu Wan smiled, took the dagger, and neatly replicated Nalan Li's movements in front of Du Ge and the others.

Seeing Nalan Li's surprised expression, she smiled, "Did you see clearly? If not, I can do it again."

"No need."

Nalan Li glanced at her, took the dagger back from her hand, and casually inserted it back into her calf.

Du Ge watched Nalan Li's testing method and sighed inwardly. These natives underestimate the Alien Star warriors. With such simple actions, any Alien Star warrior with slightly higher mental power could perfectly replicate them.

However.

Judging from Xu Wan's adept handling of Luo Yan and her easy imitation of Nalan Li's actions, this guy has probably been to the Alien Star Battlefield at least once.

The game rules have changed, and to win, other planets are also sending veterans back to the battlefield!

"How does a keyword like imitation grow?" Luo Yan asked.

"Naturally, by imitating those with prestige. The more accurately you imitate, the higher the feedback," Xu Wan smiled. "Who are we going to find next? General Feng, Black Cat Hero, or that madman?"

"Nalan Li, who's closer?" Luo Yan asked.

"Mo Shengmin," Nalan Li said.

"Then let's find him," Luo Yan said. Xu Wan's sudden contact with the military made him realize the urgency. He must quickly get these exposed individuals under his control.

"Who is Mo Shengmin?" Xu Wan asked.

"A madman," Luo Yan said.

"Oh," Xu Wan nodded, looking at Luo Yan, suddenly asking, "Since the Battle Network isn't broken, do you have the ability to change my Battle Network ID, to change it to Ten Steps to Kill One?"

"What do you want to do?" Luo Yan asked.

"Borrow Du Ge's name to scare people," Xu Wan said. "As long as I appear under the name Ten Steps to Kill One, recruiting others will be much smoother."

"There's no way, unless the account holder cancels, the ID can't be duplicated," Luo Yan said.

"It's just a piece of data. You control the Battle Network server; can't you help him cancel it?" Xu Wan pleaded.

Trying to borrow my fame, or further probing?

This one plays a good game, Du Ge glanced at her and shook his head inwardly. As expected of a veteran, her calculations are sharp!

"Xu Wan, Ten Steps to Kill One is also someone we want to recruit; we won't antagonize him," Luo Yan looked at Xu Wan, answering flawlessly, "Unless it's confirmed he won't be recruited by us, we won't tamper with his ID."

"Don't you think taking his ID would make it easier to flush him out?" Xu Wan smiled.

"It might also push him to cause greater harm to society. His mecha skills surpass those of an ace pilot..." Luo Yan said.

"I also have ace pilot skills and can help you suppress him," Xu Wan said.

"Xu Wan, the purpose of forming the National Strategic Defense Bureau is to keep the danger you pose under control, not to provoke conflict," Luo Yan frowned, looking at Xu Wan seriously. "Your abilities might be strong, but are you really confident in opposing a nation?"

"..." Xu Wan gave a wry smile and said nothing.

Two foxes!

Du Ge watched the two of them spar and muttered in his heart.

However, Luo Yan's abilities are strong. Xu Wan's multiple probes were lightly resolved by him, and he never leaked anything about him...

Indeed, every world has its talents.

If this guy became an Alien Star warrior, he would be a formidable opponent.

...

After Luo Yan showed his strength, his conversation with Xu Wan became much more amicable.

Mostly revolving around Du Ge and keywords.

Du Ge knew Luo Yan wanted to verify the information he provided through more Alien Star warriors, but he didn't mind. From the moment he decided to cooperate with the president, every word he said was true.

Even when Luo Yan's questions weren't thorough enough, he would interject a word or two to help fill in the gaps, striving to play his role as a native agent well.

Through their Q&A, Luo Yan's mental image of Du Ge gradually became more three-dimensional, listing him as the top unstable factor in his mind, while temporarily ruling out Lin Hong as Du Ge.

During this time.

Nalan Li kept an eye on the hot news on the Battle Network and the summary of messages from various places.

Twenty minutes after they left, the military arrived in Jinchuan City but found nothing. Without the Battle Network coordinates and unable to contact Xu Wan online, they chose to wait in Jinchuan City.

It must be said, with the Battle Network's assistance, Luo Yan's special operations team had a significant advantage.

This also made Du Ge grateful for his timely realization. Otherwise, if he had followed the initial plan and exposed Ten Steps to Kill One's identity, being approached by the state, it would have been impossible to negotiate terms as proactively as now.

The low-profile keyword clashed too much with his personality.

He still needed to find an opportunity to develop the skills of the romantic keyword for safety. Luo Yan was too shrewd. Once he felt he could control him or figured out his keyword, he might turn around and sell him out.

Probing wouldn't work either!

On the Battle Network.

Several more Alien Star warriors appeared using the Petrel mecha for advanced battles, probably those who couldn't resist the urge to rush attributes. After all, some keywords aren't suitable for lying low. Once they lose the initiative, they might never rise again.

Moreover, Du Ge's rapid victory flow won three Alien Star Battlefields. Even if the rules changed, many would want to replicate his successful path.

But at this time, there were still over 1,400 Alien Star warriors left, and those who showed up on the Battle Network were still a minority.

"Director Luo, someone named 'Du Ge Himself' appeared, using the Petrel mecha, achieving a 15-win streak in the intermediate training module, only to be taken down by 'General Feng.'"

Nalan Li reported the information to Luo Yan without hiding it from Xu Wan.

"Fake," Xu Wan sneered, "That invincible man represents the trend whenever he appears. How could he be defeated? This impostor lacks intelligence and isn't worth recruiting. I think he could be my experience."

"Those not worth recruiting will be sent to the experimental department," Luo Yan said. "Don't get any ideas about them."

"..." Xu Wan was stunned for a moment, pouting, "Director Luo, is it okay to say such things in front of me?"

"There's nothing to hide," Luo Yan chuckled, "If the same thing happened on your planet, you might do even worse."

Clap! Clap! Clap!

Xu Wan clapped lightly, looking at Luo Yan with admiration, giving him a thumbs up, "Director Luo, I now feel you indeed have the means to subdue the players on the planet."

You're overestimating me; this was a suggestion from your own people!

No matter how strong your individual abilities are, as long as you're not united, we can still manipulate and control you...

Luo Yan smiled without answering her.

Thank you to the alliance leader "Someone Watching Too Slowly" for the reward. There will be an extra update tonight for the alliance leader! ^_^!