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

"Suggestions for Optimizing the Phantom Linkage System"

"Simplified Modifications to the Wolf Walker Mecha Plugin System and Framework"

"Optimization Suggestions for Vulnerabilities in the Flamingo Transmission System Affecting the Defense System"

"Material Modification Suggestions for the Night Owl Mecha Transmission System and Framework"

...

One paper after another was released.

From entry-level mechas to high-end mechas, the reading fee ranged from low to high. The papers on high-end mechas like the Night Owl were priced by Du Ge at five thousand Battle Network coins.

With the backing of the National Strategic Defense Bureau,

Du Ge could easily secure funding, but the more people involved, the greater the risk of exposure.

So, Du Ge never planned to get money from Luo Yan.

Now, with his many responsibilities, he didn't have much time to compete on the Battle Network to earn coins, so he still needed to rake in some money.

After all, knowledge is priceless, and Du Ge couldn't just let them get his wisdom for free.

...

"Have you gone crazy for money?"

"Only a fool would pay to read this nonsense."

"I've never seen someone so shameless."

"Questioning Truth is right, he pretends to know what he doesn't. Finding flaws in one or two mechas is one thing, but suggesting improvements for everything from entry-level to the latest models? Who's he kidding?"

"Besides the Petrel, he probably hasn't even seen other mechas!"

"This is pure fantasy. I almost believed he was a genius."

"With the skill of Ten Steps to Kill One, wouldn't it be better to be an ace pilot? Now he's lost all his public favor."

...

"The Most Arrogant Clown in History—Ten Steps to Kill One"

"Watch How One Person Becomes a Joke in the Shortest Time from an Internet Celebrity"

"Shocking! What Did Ten Steps to Kill One Do in the Mecha Design Module?"

...

Many who like to jump on trends didn't even look at the content of Du Ge's papers. They just edited a title and posted what happened.

In no time,

Ten Steps to Kill One was once again famous online, but this time with infamy instead of praise.

More people learned about what Du Ge did in the mecha design module and began to mock him.

In most people's minds, those mature mechas were already set in stone.

Unless there was a breakthrough in technology, further optimization was impossible, and even if it were, it couldn't be done by an outsider.

So, even though Du Ge scored full marks in the intermediate designer exam and broke records,

Most people still saw him as a clown seeking attention, criticizing him without any verification.

Even Du Ge's previous combat achievements with the Petrel were questioned, with claims that he didn't want to be an ace pilot because he lacked the ability to advance, so he switched paths to try and replicate his past success in the mecha design module, only to end up making a fool of himself.

...

In the mecha design module, there were also many designers willing to use facts to prove a point.

Unwilling to be fooled by a clown, they actually spent money to buy Du Ge's articles, intending to modify the mechas as he suggested.

Then they could nail him to the pillar of shame and gain some traffic to fatten their wallets, which would be the last bit of heat contributed by Ten Steps to Kill One.

...

Even with mature plans, adjusting mechas takes time, and Du Ge ignored those barking madly on the Battle Network.

After sending all the papers, he logged off and contacted Nalan Li.

"Lin Hong, what are you doing? Can't you go a day without causing trouble?" Nalan Li also knew about what Du Ge did on the Battle Network, her voice tinged with helplessness. "Do you know the Strategic Defense Bureau was just established, and I'm very busy?"

"How can I help you find gamers without being high-profile?" Du Ge chuckled. "Nalan, help me locate the one called Questioning Truth. I suspect he's a gamer, with keywords like questioning, rebuttal, arguing, and guiding.

He used my fame online to start a trend, and he might awaken a skill and have a surge in attributes. I need to deal with him quickly. If his skill is related to public opinion, it could cause big trouble."

From the first Simulation Field manipulated by Feng Zhong, skills that control public opinion have always been top-tier, capable of inciting war in minutes.

These keywords can cause chaos, and compared to public opinion skills, attack and defense skills, though powerful, pose much less societal harm.

"Alright, I'll get back to you soon." Nalan Li said.

...

After ending the call with Nalan Li, Du Ge turned his attention back to the Battle Network's trending topics.

The top-ranked videos were all related to him, but most were criticizing him, focusing on his attention-seeking, with no one caring about the romantic things he said.

This time, his attempt to brush up on his romantic skills was a complete failure.

His second low-key skill also didn't activate, and Du Ge sighed lightly, feeling constrained by his main keyword.

Low-key is a matter of comparison.

Now, because most people on the Battle Network don't recognize his worth, he's become a negative figure, with few caring about who he is in reality, and his low-key attribute isn't increasing much, let alone romance.

But Du Ge knows that once his points are verified, the more mud they throw at him now, the brighter his future will shine.

By then, his low-key attribute will surely rise again,

And the romantic things he said today will definitely be revisited and studied, so he's not in a hurry.

Du Ge scanned through the hot topics, looking for traces of Alien Star warriors, trying to see how many were using the Battle Network to boost their reputation.

...

"General Feng, undefeated in a hundred battles, promoted to ace pilot in three days, unprecedented and unmatched."

"A generation's gambling god, Fallen Leaves Know Flowers, shows great strength, gambling in every battle, earning the title 'Gambling Warrior.'"

"I Am the Sea God establishes the Sea God Gang, aiming to create the number one division on the Battle Network."

"Five Horses Dismember seeks out female pilots, dismembering them in every battle. Experts suggest he may have severe psychological issues in reality."

"Following the Masked Hero and Black Cat Hero, another superhero emerges, reforming criminals with tough methods, earning the name 'Benevolent Hero.'"

...

Gambling, betting?

Gathering, leading, assembling?

Brutality, savagery?

Benevolence?

Du Ge matched these news items with keywords.

Seeing more and more Alien Star warriors emerging, his head began to throb slightly.

The Battle Network is too friendly to Alien Star warriors; as long as they become internet celebrities, their attributes will skyrocket.

At this rate, it won't be long before these Alien Star warriors on the Battle Network reach the level he was at in the last Alien Star Battlefield.

In the last Alien Star Battlefield, even with the promotion of great nobles, it relied on word of mouth, which couldn't compare to the speed of the Battle Network.

So far, there are still over 1,400 Alien Star warriors, and Bi Xing's total population exceeds 6 billion. With such a large population base, accommodating over a thousand internet celebrities is no problem.

But over a thousand supermen would be unsustainable.

If any of these people feel their strength is sufficient or have control over a powerful force, they could definitely stir up chaos on Bi Xing.

After all, he led the fast-push flow; he can't be the only one doing it and not let others do it!

To suppress their growth, he'd have to cut off the Battle Network's spread...

But would the president agree to shut down the Battle Network? Even if the president agreed, the public wouldn't.

He was supposed to lead everything and suppress everyone!

Damn low-key!

He wondered if any of these emerging figures were from Qi Yuan Star. If it were Feng Zhong or Gao Ming leading the fast-push flow, he might be able to secretly support them...

Du Ge was lost in thought.

Suddenly, his phone rang; it was Nalan Li.

Du Ge answered.

Nalan Li's voice came through: "Questioning Truth, real name Zhang Xueqi, from Huazhou City, 34 years old, unemployed, suspected gang member, home address: Building 10, Unit 3, Room 801, Lufeng Community, Lianfeng Street."

"I got it," Du Ge replied. "Thanks, Nalan."

"Lin Hong, what are you planning? Are you going to eliminate him?" Nalan Li asked.

"I haven't decided yet. Maybe I'll go see what the situation is over there first!" Du Ge laughed.

"Lin Hong, don't act rashly. The higher-ups haven't decided how to deal with you gamers yet," Nalan Li said. "Don't act recklessly and cause trouble that can't be contained."

"I understand," Du Ge said. "If I really go to Huazhou City, I'll report to you. By the way, you should have information on those like I Am the Sea God, right? Send it to me as well!"

"...," Nalan Li hesitated for a moment, then said, "I need to consult with the higher-ups. If Luo Yan agrees, I'll give it to you, but I must emphasize again, don't act on your own before that."

"Nalan, rest assured, I'm not a combat-oriented keyword, and I don't have the noble spirit to risk my life," Du Ge chuckled. "Gamers' skills are unpredictable, and I can't just march in with a mecha!"

"Good to know," Nalan Li snorted. "Also, if you find any other suspicious individuals on the Battle Network, notify me immediately."

"No problem," Du Ge replied with a smile and hung up the phone.

Without stronger skills awakening,

Du Ge wouldn't provoke those Alien Star warriors. No matter how strong the attributes, encountering a countering skill would be futile.

Not to mention, in the last Alien Star Battlefield, Yu Xia's control and Feng Zhong's deception were skills he couldn't handle now. If only he could awaken a skill that was immune to mental manipulation.

...

The reversal came very quickly.

Senior designers have their own design studios, complete with intelligent tools and assistants.

The structure of entry-level mechas like the Petrel is relatively simple.

In just over two hours,

With the help of his assistant, Old Ghost had completed the modification of the Petrel mecha.

After testing, he was astonished to find that the Petrel's performance had indeed improved by 20%.

"Teacher, everything Ten Steps to Kill One said is true." Old Ghost's assistant looked at the test data of the Petrel mecha, dumbfounded, and after a long pause, turned his stiff neck to look at Old Ghost.

Old Ghost's eyes were bloodshot: "Genius, he's truly a genius. I must find him. A mecha design genius like this shouldn't be a pilot..."

"Teacher, Ten Steps to Kill One has published many other papers," an assistant said. "If the Petrel's concept is true, could the others be true as well?"

"There are more?" Old Ghost was taken aback, grabbed the virtual computer, and browsed through the papers Du Ge had published.

At this point, he had logged off the Battle Network and no longer had review permissions.

But he couldn't care less. Senior designers have plenty of money, and with red eyes, he quickly purchased all the papers.

Old Ghost skipped the papers on entry-level and intermediate mechas and directly opened the modification suggestions for the Phantom, scanning through them quickly, his breath quickening: "Brilliant, why didn't I think of approaching it from this angle... Liu Lu, contact the mecha department immediately and have them bring over a Night Owl..."

The assistant named Liu Lu hesitated: "Master, your authority isn't enough to request a Night Owl, and besides, the Night Owl is expensive. Shouldn't we verify it on the Battle Network first?"

"It can't be wrong," Old Ghost glanced at the assistant and quickly said, "These improvement points were previously proposed by Tang Houming, but at the time, several parameters couldn't be reconciled, so the improvements were halted. Everyone thought the Night Owl couldn't be improved further, but in this paper, these parameters were resolved in another way..."

"Is he really that amazing?" Liu Lu was stunned.

"More than amazing, he's a revolutionary genius," Old Ghost glared at him fiercely, hysterically saying, "I damn near want to take him as my master. Give me the communicator, I need to call the principal. We must recruit such talent to our school..."

"Master, people on the Battle Network have been cursing Ten Steps to Kill One terribly," the assistant said hesitantly. "Shouldn't we help clear his name first? Otherwise, if he gets too upset and quits the network, it'll be hard to find him again..."

"Clear his name, clear it immediately. You post a video with all our experimental data," Old Ghost said urgently, but soon, he dropped the communicator in his hand. "Don't move, let me do it. I want to be the first to clear his name and leave a good impression on him."

...

Ling Jiuxiao's speed was not much slower than Old Ghost's.

When the Blade's experimental data came out, he was also stunned by the results.

Like Old Ghost, he immediately realized a genius had emerged in the mecha design world and quickly browsed through all of Du Ge's papers.

There were some mechas he didn't understand, but he had participated in designing the Wind Walker mecha and immediately saw that Du Ge's improvement suggestions were completely valid.

He didn't rush to clear Du Ge's name like Old Ghost but instead made a phone call to the company's CEO, urgently explaining the situation and insisting that they recruit Ten Steps to Kill One at all costs.

...

"Shocking, an unprecedented achievement, Petrel mecha performance improved by 20%, Ten Steps to Kill One is a true genius."

"A decade-long problem solved, Night Owl performance may see a significant boost."

"A revolutionary genius—Ten Steps to Kill One emerges, mechas may experience a performance leap because of him."

"Linhai University needs you, Ten Steps to Kill One, please come teach at Linhai University."

...

Old Ghost hated sensational headlines, but to clear Du Ge's name, he didn't hesitate to stake his own reputation and used sensational headlines.

Besides him, many well-known designers on the Battle Network also came forward to prove the correctness of Du Ge's papers.

Among them were special-grade mecha designers who had participated in the research of high-level mechas like the Night Owl, Wind Walker, and Phantom...

When these well-known designers collectively came forward to clear Du Ge's name, everyone on the Battle Network was dumbfounded.

One person might lie, but it's impossible for all designers to collectively forsake their reputations to lie for Ten Steps to Kill One.

Especially when universities and the military also extended olive branches to Du Ge through the Battle Network, offering various enticing benefits.

Everything proved that Ten Steps to Kill One was truly a genius in mecha design, not a clown, and those mocking him were the real clowns.

...

"How is this possible?"

"Who is this guy, skilled in both mecha combat and design? Is there really such a genius in the world?"

"How can he remain so composed? Such great fame, yet he still hasn't revealed his name!"

"The most crucial thing is, he casually published these papers, any one of which could earn him a university president's position!"

"At least an academician's position."

"Great God Ten Steps, forgive my ignorance. I actually said your papers were a scam. I'll buy all your papers now, even if I don't understand them. Just for your righteousness, I am convinced."

"An ordinary person couldn't possibly have access to so many types of mechas. Ten Steps to Kill One must have deep research on so many models, maybe he's a hidden bigwig in the military, playing with us under a small account."

"Or maybe he's a super second-generation wealthy, and these mechas are his toys."

"Regardless of his identity, as long as he can improve mechas, he is my god. The appearance of Great God Ten Steps gives me hope against the Hill Civilization."

"I must repent to Great God Ten Steps!"

...

Tang Houming of Imperial Capital University was woken up by a series of phone calls. Looking at the papers Du Ge published, he was going crazy.

Others might not know who Ten Steps to Kill One is, but he does!

Now he finally understood why Du Ge specifically requested a mecha training ground from him!

But this guy doesn't take Imperial Capital University seriously at all!

Why publish these papers publicly?

Couldn't they be published under the name of Imperial Capital University?

With these papers, Imperial Capital University's ranking on Bi Xing could at least enter the top three!

These are his achievements!

Even if you're not from Bi Xing, you possessed the body of a student from Imperial Capital University, and Old Tang was your matchmaker with the president!

I gave you enormous support!

Is this how you repay me?

Tang Houming, trembling, dialed Du Ge's number, his voice hoarse: "Lin Hong, come over, I have something to discuss with you."

"Principal Tang, if it's about revealing my identity, there's no need to talk," Du Ge laughed. "You know my identity is special. Once revealed, those gamers will come after me, which will only harm Imperial Capital University."

"...," Tang Houming thought of the terrifying gamers, took a deep breath, and said with difficulty, "I can request the president to provide military protection for Imperial Capital University. As long as you show up, Imperial Capital University will surely become the most popular university on Bi Xing..."

"No, the military can't stop gamers," Du Ge said. "Principal Tang, with the technologies I've provided, Bi Xing's mechas can take a big step forward, and that's good enough, isn't it?

Principal Tang, one day I'll leave Bi Xing. Before I leave, I just want to live peacefully and quietly contribute what I can to Bi Xing, and that's enough.

Fame means nothing to me; it's a burden. Principal Tang, please let me be, okay?"