Earl glared at Earnest, pressing him further."Tell me, how did you escape?"
Though his tone was casual, his mind was racing. Tonight, a major biochemical lab had gone up in flames, with heavy casualties among the security forces. Could these two unlucky souls be connected to it?
But then he shook his head. These two didn't look like special forces or elite agents. How could they have pulled off something so massive?
Earnest, though chilled to the bone, grew increasingly suspicious as he observed Earl's reactions. Was this truly some kind of hunting game? Or was it about earning"points" for advancement—like a brutal competitive game where they were merely NPCs awaiting slaughter?
"We don't know much," Earnest said, trying to downplay their background."The lab caught fire, so we decided to leave. There was no way to continue working there." But Earl wasn't ready to let it go.
"Do you know who started the fire?"
"Of course we do," Dr. Chan glanced at Earnest but stayed silent.(Ref The city in the Shadows- Nightmare at Dawn 2)
Earnest, feigning speculation, said,"We only saw a few young men with guns. They weren't from the lab, nor were they soldiers…"
"Could it be Lee?" Earl wondered."In this area, it's just me and Lee's group. Lee has plenty of lackeys. Could they have attacked the lab to score points? But the lab had professional mercenaries. Could Lee really pull that off?" He found it hard to believe.
Then again, if it meant earning high points, destroying a lab was nothing. Even if the corporate overlords demanded accountability, Lee's family background would shield him from any real consequences.
The more he thought about it, the more plausible it seemed. He couldn't help but feel a pang of regret—fortune favors the bold, after all.
Instinctively, he glanced back toward the burning lab. Flames still flickered, smoke lingered, and the air reeked of charred remains.
Earnest's heart grew colder. His probing confirmed that other hunters were indeed in the area, and their capabilities likely surpassed this lone wolf's. It was time to stoke the fire further.
Clenching his teeth, Earnest said in a low voice,"Are those people your teammates? They're impressive!"
"Bullshit! They're a bunch of losers! No way they pulled this off. You're lying!" Earl's gun pressed closer to Earnest's face.
"But if you want high points, killing isn't the only way."
Earl squinted, glancing at the satellite camera on his chest. A ripple of doubt crossed his mind."Why does this guy sound just like my father?"
His eyes filled with uncertainty, his finger alternately resting on and leaving the trigger.
"You're not the first to talk to me about the rules," he said softly, his words cutting like a blade."And you won't be the last."
"But I might be the first to grasp the core of the rules." Earnest didn't back down, his tone tinged with calculated audacity.
Earl narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing him for a few seconds, as if trying to gauge his hand.
"You're right. There are points," Earl finally admitted, his tone softening slightly."But the points themselves don't matter. What matters is… whether the right people take notice."
"So it's a selection process," Earnest replied, his voice lowering as if they were conspiring."Like a grand hunting ground where everyone's a hunter—and could become prey at any moment."
Earl didn't nod, but he didn't refute it either. Slowly, he lowered the gun from Earnest's chest, shifting it down by a few centimeters.
Earnest noticed this subtle change and felt a slight relief. He knew this wasn't a sign of lowered vigilance but rather that Earl's interest in him was shifting toward"value assessment."
He had to strike while the iron was hot.
"You don't actually enjoy this killing, do you?" Earnest suddenly changed the subject."It's more like you're enduring a trial… one you can't refuse."
Earl's smile faded, replaced by a weariness he couldn't hide. He glanced down at the camera on his chest, as if checking whether those eyes were still watching.
"Don't try to understand me," he said quietly."You wouldn't want to know how much someone would sacrifice… just to prove themselves."
For a fleeting moment, Earnest thought he saw a trace of sorrow in Earl's eyes, but it vanished as quickly as it appeared.
Earl abruptly dropped his smile and asked coldly,"You mentioned there's a way to score higher than killing?"
Earnest nodded, his voice dry."Yes. But I need to know—what are the limits of the rules?"
Earl was silent for a few seconds before countering,"Can you lie?"
Earnest hesitated.
Earl's lips curled into an almost playful smile."True high scores never come from killing. They come from—spectacle."
He raised a remote control, pointing to a dot on the ground."The camera isn't here to monitor me. It's here to watch me."
"Watch you?" Earnest echoed softly.
"They're not interested in winning or losing," Earl said calmly."They're interested in the process."
Earnest's heart stirred. He had guessed correctly—Earl's actions weren't entirely his own. His behavior was under the scrutiny of a higher power.
Earl lowered his gun."Interesting. What's your suggestion?" Earl, who indeed disliked killing, didn't want to repeat past mistakes that had left him sleepless for nights.
"What's your idea?" Earl stepped closer."Tell me, and I might let you both go."
"First, could you help me disarm the mine under my foot? My brain's starting to go numb."
"No way. What if you two ambush me?"
"This guy's still on high alert," Earnest concluded from the interaction.
He shrugged."Fine. But you'll have to tell me—what are the rules?"
In that moment, the dynamic between hunter and prey began to shift subtly.
---
Earl shrugged. This wasn't the first time he'd encountered such an animated"prey." The satellite camera on his chest faithfully recorded everything. He knew full well that the more dramatic and intense the conflict, the higher the score. And more importantly—he relished the feeling of being in complete control.
In fact, the camera on his chest was transmitting the footage live to the top floor of a skyscraper in District 19. In front of the screen, a middle-aged man in a suit watched intently, his fingers tapping the desk silently.
After a while, he turned slowly to look at an elderly man reclining on a sofa, eyes closed in thought. The old man's silver hair was neatly combed back. Behind him stood a woman in her forties, still elegant, gently massaging his head.
"Boss, your nephew's condition remains unstable. Sometimes he's completely immersed in this'hunting game,' believing himself to be the hunter. Other times, he falls into manic episodes. When he returns, we'll need to adjust the program to suppress the aggression in his brain."
The boss opened his eyes slowly, his gaze sharp as a blade.
"Dr. Qiu, you previously said that implanting the neural interface chip would improve his condition. Now you want to modify the program? What's going on?!"
Dr. Qiu, peering through gold-rimmed glasses, observed the old man silently for a few seconds.
At this moment, Mr. Park was no longer the seemingly drowsy elder. His eyes were fierce and profound, like a wolf ready to strike. The sight sent a shiver down Dr. Qiu's spine, reminding him that this man was no ordinary businessman but someone who seamlessly intertwined commerce with the underworld.
Clearing his throat, Dr. Qiu chose his words carefully."Sir, think back. A month ago, he was a wreck—drinking all day, addicted to games, flipping day and night, smashing things to vent. Now, at least he has a goal, a drive. Isn't that an improvement?"
Mr. Park was momentarily speechless. After a pause, he sighed.
"He's now treating reality as a game, still flipping day and night, still gaining'experience points' through killing. Is this really an improvement?"
Dr. Qiu adjusted his glasses, his tone steady."As long as your power remains, does it matter? Who's to say reality isn't a game? Aren't we all just playing our roles?"
The boss's gaze shifted slightly, a hint of danger in his eyes."Doctor, don't lecture me on philosophy."
"This isn't philosophy," Dr. Qiu replied with a faint smile, his tone calm."As long as he plays well, this game of reality can make him as successful as you. Isn't that a good thing?"