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

"Where's Lin Hong?" Nalan Li immediately contacted the spy at Imperial Capital University.

"At the training ground," the spy hesitated for a moment, glanced at the training ground, and said, "He's been in there all day, constantly modifying the Windwalker mech, and hasn't rested yet!"

"Did he leave at any point?" Nalan Li asked.

"No!" the spy replied, "His life is very simple. Apart from the last time he left with you, he's either in his dorm studying mech data or tinkering with mechs in the training ground, with almost no interaction with the outside world."

"Are you sure he hasn't left at all?" Nalan Li asked.

"Positive," the spy confirmed, "Li Tao and I have been keeping watch outside. He's been in the training ground the whole time. Nalan, what's going on?"

"Contact Tang Houming as fast as you can and get me a copy of the training ground's surveillance footage," Nalan Li frowned and instructed.

...

Du Ge listened to everyone's conversation, shook his head with a smile, and let them retrieve the surveillance footage.

Nalan Li's call came through: "Lin Hong, what were you doing between 1:57 AM and 2:05 AM?"

"Nalan Li, are you spying on me?" Du Ge was taken aback and countered.

"Just tell me what you were doing," Nalan Li pressed.

"Using the bathroom," Du Ge snorted, "Nalan Li, is this how you cooperate with me? Do I need to be under your watchful eyes at all times for you to feel secure? If that's necessary, then there's no point in us working together."

"Lin Hong, I need you to come to the Homeland Defense Bureau," Nalan Li said.

"No," Du Ge replied, "Nalan Li, who do you think you are? I'm cooperating with you because I want a stable life. If you can't even meet this basic requirement, then we might as well part ways. I think there are plenty of people on Bi Xing who are more reasonable than you, and changing the president isn't impossible."

"..." Nalan Li was suddenly stunned.

"Nalan Li, who do you think you are? Do you think I really care about this planet?" Du Ge said, "Even if Bi Xing is thrown into chaos by the players, I can still live well. But you should be able to imagine what the ultimate fate of Bi Xing will be."

"..." Nalan Li held her phone, speechless.

"I'm very busy now, don't bother me if there's nothing important," Du Ge said impatiently and hung up the phone with a snap.

Nalan Li stood there holding her phone, stunned for a moment, then left the National Strategic Defense Bureau and drove straight to Imperial Capital University.

On the way to Imperial Capital University, she received information about the destruction of an underground organization. She stopped by the roadside for a moment, watched the scene video of the gang organization, and frowned: "Masked Hero?"

Then, she began to retrieve surveillance along the way. There was no trace of movement from Imperial Capital University to the gang, but after the Masked Hero left the gang, surveillance captured his trajectory heading straight for the Homeland Defense Bureau without stopping. After leaving the Homeland Defense Bureau, he didn't head towards Imperial Capital University but disappeared into the darkness again.

"Isn't it him?"

Looking at the route of the Masked Hero on her microcomputer, Nalan Li murmured and still drove to Imperial Capital University.

It was still dark when Nalan Li parked her car on the road outside the university, climbed over the wall into the campus, and went straight to the training ground to find Du Ge.

"Heh, you came to find me," Du Ge sneered when he saw Nalan Li, operating the mechanical arm to attach a piece of armor to the Windwalker before taking off his goggles and looking at her, "So, what's going on?"

"Mo Shengmin is dead, suspected to be the work of the Masked Hero," Nalan Li came up to Du Ge, opened the microcomputer on her wrist, and displayed the footage of Mo Shengmin's death, "A one-hit kill. The perpetrator is very familiar with the layout of the Homeland Defense Bureau."

As she spoke, her nose twitched slightly.

Du Ge knew she was sniffing for the scent of blood, but he didn't care.

Although he couldn't openly use the Power of Poseidon, he could create a thin layer of mist to block the scent of blood in the night, and no one would notice.

Now he was clean, with only the smell of lubricant and machine oil on him.

Du Ge took off the mechanical arm and asked, "So, you suspect that the Masked Hero is me?"

"I'm just here to confirm the possibility," Nalan Li had seen the Masked Hero write on the wall with the blood of the gang leader, but she didn't smell blood on Du Ge, reducing her suspicion of him, "After all, during the time the Masked Hero committed the crime, you happened to be using the bathroom."

"Nalan Li, are you joking? Do you think I could run from Imperial Capital University to the Homeland Defense Bureau, kill someone, and then rush back in a few minutes?" Du Ge laughed, looking at Nalan Li as if she were an idiot.

"The Masked Hero is very fast," Nalan Li said, "Maintaining such speed throughout, he could indeed accomplish these things in a few minutes."

"Alright, assuming I am the Masked Hero, what's my motive for doing this?" Du Ge shook his head and asked.

"I don't know," Nalan Li replied, then quickly shook her head, "No, Lin Hong, don't misunderstand, I've already determined it's not you. I'm here to ask for your help in speculating about the Masked Hero's abilities."

"Is there even a need to speculate? It's a speed-related keyword, with an awakened acceleration skill," Du Ge said, "He's quite famous in the Imperial Capital recently, and his attributes must have surged. It's not difficult for him to know information about the Homeland Defense Bureau through some special means."

"What special means are you talking about? Your perception?" Nalan Li asked.

"It could also be something else, like some technological means," Du Ge said, "Players have a very strong learning ability, and you can't know what kind of person he's possessed, or what level of knowledge they have."

"Why would he kill Mo Shengmin?" Nalan Li asked.

"Players killing each other doesn't need a reason," Du Ge looked at Nalan Li and smiled, "Moreover, he won't allow the National Strategic Defense Bureau to recruit more players, as that would be a threat to him. So, eliminating the people you recruit serves as a demonstration against you, and secondly, he can seize the power of other players to grow himself; today he kills Mo Shengmin, tomorrow he might kill Xu Wan..."

Suddenly.

Du Ge paused, his expression changing slightly: "Nalan Li, did you come straight from the Homeland Defense Bureau?"

"Yes," Nalan Li nodded.

"What a fool, are you trying to expose me faster?" Du Ge scolded, "Does the president not test your intelligence before employing you?"

Nalan Li's expression suddenly changed as she looked at Du Ge: "Lin Hong, Ten Steps to Kill One has such a big influence on the network, with your abilities, you shouldn't be afraid of him, right?"

"I'm not a combat type," Du Ge said irritably, "Didn't you see that all my battles rely on mechs? If it weren't for safety, why would I be modifying the Windwalker in the middle of the night?"

"Lin Hong, can you defeat the Masked Hero with the Windwalker?" Nalan Li looked at the mech behind Du Ge and asked.

"As long as he can't break through the mech's defenses, he can't do anything to me," Du Ge replied.

Nalan Li looked at Du Ge and asked, "Lin Hong, can I know what skill you've awakened?"

"Tides Rise and Fall," Du Ge looked at Nalan Li, hesitated for a moment, and said, "When I trigger the tide, everyone who goes with the flow will benefit when the tide rises, and everyone will lose the unseen support when the tide falls.

So, Nalan Li, there's no need to suspect me. A stable country is more beneficial to me, and I am interdependent with Bi Xing. However, now, you might be losing control of the situation..."

"Why?" Nalan Li asked.

"I can grow quickly through the Battle Network, and so can others," Du Ge sighed, "Many people have been led astray by Du Ge, and after gaining an early advantage, they like to push quickly, eliminating others as fast as possible to end the game.

The Masked Hero suddenly killing someone is probably someone from this playstyle, and once it starts, he won't stop. Nalan Li, you need to speed up, or if Bi Xing falls into chaos, it will be uncontrollable."

Nalan Li looked at Du Ge, her usually clear mind clouded with confusion. She frowned and asked, "Lin Hong, can you help us?"

Du Ge smiled, "Nalan Li, what do you think I'm doing? From telling you about the players to improving the mechs, I've been helping you all along. But you, you've been guarding against me. To be honest, tonight, I've started to lose faith in you. Working with you might be worse than going solo!"