Chapter 27: Playing Too Much 'Honkai'
[99.6%]
[99.7%]
[99.8%]
[99.9%]
...
The moment the progress bar ticked over to [100%], the man named Owen was consumed by a violent, agonizing transformation.
His skin bleached to a stark, corpse-like white, and his hair, once a mundane brown, turned the color of freshly fallen snow. The sclera of his eyes flooded with inky blackness, a void from which his pupils now burned like bloodthirsty crimson embers.
[Ding! Your Honkai Energy infection progress has reached 100%. Species change → Death Soldier.]
[Ding! Your base attributes have doubled. When leveling up, all attributes +2, free attribute points +4!]
"What?!" A wild, ecstatic grin split Owen's face. He never imagined that reaching full Honkai corruption would actually change his in-game race to that of a Death Soldier.
He couldn't believe it—his base attributes had doubled. Not only that, but every level he gained from now on would grant him twice the stats of a normal human player. This was a shortcut to immense power!
However, the series of system prompts that followed felt like being plunged into an ice cellar, freezing the triumph in his veins.
[Ding! Note: You can no longer gain experience through conventional means. Experience can only be obtained by killing beings of the "Human" race.]
[Equipment system disabled.]
[Inventory system disabled.]
[Skill system disabled.]
[Quest system disabled.]
[Title system disabled.]
[Acquired Exclusive Weapon: Scythe of the Death Soldier (Uncommon)]
[Scythe of the Death Soldier (Uncommon): Strength +10]
[Remaining Death Count: 10]
[When the remaining death count reaches zero, you will face permanent death.]
'Permanent... death?'
The words echoed in his mind, chilling him to the bone. What the hell did that mean? Was it just a character wipe, or... something more? Something final?
A frantic, heavy rhythm hammered against Owen's ribs. If he could only level up by killing humans... did that mean he was now an enemy of all humankind?
Forcing a shallow breath, Owen willed his attribute panel to open, his new crimson eyes scanning the data.
[Name: Owen]
[Level: 1]
[Level Cap has been removed]
[EXP: 0/100]
[Race: Death Soldier]
[HP: 200/200]
[Honkai Energy Infection Progress: 100%]
[Constitution: 20]
[Strength: 20+10]
[Agility: 20]
[Intelligence: 20]
[Honkai Energy Resistance has been removed]
[Remaining Death Count: 10]
[Equipment: Scythe of the Death Soldier (Uncommon)]
The numbers were staggering. With stats like these, he was a god among the starting players. He could crush anyone who stood in his way.
'Maybe... I could give it a try?' he thought, a dark temptation taking root.
Even if the death count was real, he could just... not log in again if it got too low. He could simply walk away.
Owen swallowed hard, his gaze fixed on the wickedly curved scythe that now felt like a natural extension of his arm. For someone like him... wasn't this a golden opportunity?
The memory of his miserable life as a test subject surfaced—a disposable lab rat, forced into high-concentration Honkai zones just to see what would happen when the infection hit 100%. The bitterness, the resentment... it all came flooding back, twisting into a dark resolve.
Finally, his grip tightened on the scythe's haft. He took a step, then another, his path aimed squarely at the nearby city.
"A Death Soldier! It's a Death Soldier!"
A terrified scream shattered the street's calm. A player had spotted him, their face a mask of panic as they turned to flee for their life.
'Right...'A slow, cruel smile stretched Owen's pale lips.'NPCs count as "human," don't they?'
He raised his scythe, the polished blade glinting under the virtual sun. Then, with a burst of inhuman speed, he lunged toward a fleeing NPC.
The heavy blade met no resistance, shearing through the man and splitting him cleanly in two. A geyser of crimson erupted—not the polite fizzle of data he expected, but a hot, visceral spray that spattered across his face.
The warm blood didn't sicken him. Instead, a strange, exhilarating thrill surged through him. The hunger for more was immediate, intoxicating. A bloodthirsty grin spread across his features, and his crimson eyes seemed to glow with an inner fire.
[Killed NPC Bystander (Level 1), EXP +10.]
As the system notification chimed, Owen's gaze swept over the screaming, scattering NPCs and players. He no longer saw them as people. They were just walking, talking bags of experience points.
With his attributes all soaring past the 20-point mark, he was an unstoppable force of nature here.
[Killed NPC Bystander (Level 3), EXP +20.]
[Killed Player (Level 2), EXP +15.]
...
He became a whirlwind of death. Each swing of his scythe was a final, brutal sentence. NPCs and players alike fell before him, their screams cut short. Within moments, a triumphant chime announced he had reached Level 2.
The chaos didn't last long. Soon, the piercing wail of sirens filled the air as police cruisers screeched to a halt, forming a perimeter around him.
The sight of a dozen dark muzzles all trained on him sent a primal jolt of fear through his new form. He instinctively recoiled, taking several steps back.
The officers stared, momentarily stunned.
'The Death Soldier... it's afraid?' one of them thought, bewildered.
Owen knew his limits. The city police were generally Level 10 or higher. Even with his boosted stats, he couldn't possibly survive a volley from that many handguns.
Without a second thought, Owen spun on his heel and bolted.
The police, having never witnessed a monster exhibit such clear self-preservation, were caught flat-footed for a second before their training kicked in. They scrambled back into their cars, giving chase.
But Owen's new, enhanced body was a blur of motion. He vaulted over fences and scrambled up walls with inhuman agility, weaving through the city's complex alleys until he finally shook the pursuing patrol cars.
Watching the monstrous figure vanish, the police captain immediately reported the incident to his superiors. A city-wide manhunt was initiated. A standard Death Soldier was a terrifying threat; one with intelligence was a disaster-level event.
...
Meanwhile, Owen wasn't the only one. Across the game, other players who had been recklessly experimenting with Honkai Energy exposure began to report the same transformation.
The news hit the official forums like a bomb, igniting a firestorm of debate that spread across the globe. The topic was quickly dubbed the 'Death Soldier Plague'.
"HOLY SHIT?! Did you guys see the stats?! You DOUBLE everything when you turn into a Death Soldier! That's insane!"
"Settle down, genius. Did you even read the fine print? You can only level up by killing humans. You become a PK-only monster."
Some players, however, remained rational.
"So what? NPCs are just code. And players respawn. Who cares? It's just like playing GTA. You guys are taking this way too seriously."
This opinion was instantly met with widespread agreement. Most treated the game as just a game, so the moral implications meant nothing to them.
"Hey, the servers have been open for three days. Haven't you guys noticed that the AI for the NPCs in this game is ridiculously high? They're no different from us players!"
"Yeah, and did you see the videos online? When a Death Soldier kills an NPC, the way they die is completely different from how we die. It's... messy."
"I have a bold guess. Maybe we're just descending into this world with our game interfaces... but the Honkai World itself is actually real."
Such remarks, however, were instantly buried under a wave of ridicule.
"Fake as hell. The guy above has been playing too much 'Honkai'."
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