There Must Be Something Wrong With This Game!

Duan Fei, the Lone Ranger, Anna, the Bartender, and Lear were all crammed together, forming Hyena’s shadow.

This was one of the Lone Ranger’s Professional Skills as a Shadow Assassin. He could transform himself into a shadow and bring his companions along with him.

Being flattened into two dimensions didn’t feel cramped or uncomfortable, just that the world within the shadow felt... thin.

Assessing their current situation, Duan Fei asked, "Can’t you make this a little roomier? This feeling brings back some bad memories."

"Master, are you talking about that time we messed things up from inside Junko’s body?" Yan Yuan asked.

"You’re not wrong, but couldn’t you phrase that a little less weirdly?"

"A wise man sees wisdom; a dirty mind sees filth."

The Lone Ranger listened to Duan Fei and Yan Yuan’s exchange with a frown, wondering if they were even playing the same game.

’Isn’t *Abyss* rated 15+? What the hell are you two playing at!’

Outside, Hyena, wearing his badge, began to walk through the Glazed Tower.

For some unknown reason, the blurry figure on his back became much clearer after they entered the Glazed Tower. It was vaguely possible to make out a slender man.

The man was not the brawny type. His muscles looked as if they were wrapped layer by layer in cloth, giving off the sleek, sinuous feeling of a snake.

According to Lear’s judgment, this muscle structure would make the man exceptionally agile. The muscles within his body could interact to generate force, forming a martial power unique to the East: Inner Strength.

A mass of shadow clung to Hyena’s back, and Lear’s voice sounded from within it: "Inner Strength is a terrifying power. It can only be realized within a specific kind of body, and the martial art that integrates this power is known as Mecha Technique. However, this technique is extremely difficult to master. On one hand, it requires training from a young age. On the other, the body must be implanted at birth, allowing the organic and mechanical parts to fuse. Only then can one infuse their breath into the machine and learn Mecha Technique."

"Uncle Li, isn’t that a bit far-fetched?" Hyena asked in disbelief. "How can a machine and a human body grow together?"

"The human body is a miraculous thing. Modern technology is too focused on mechanical augmentation and neglects the potential of the human body itself. In my opinion, they’ve got their priorities backward."

"I agree," the Bartender spoke up. "Technology has gone down a dark path. It’s a complete and utter regression. We must use war to destroy the entire ruling class and usher in a new era."

"You’re a bit extreme," Hyena said helplessly.

"No, I believe a small-scale discussion is in order. I’ll start."

While the group began to discuss philosophy, Duan Fei was observing their surroundings.

Although he couldn’t stray too far from Hyena’s back, he could still see a lot.

Coming out of the maintenance worker’s room, Duan Fei discovered that the inside of the Glazed Tower was frighteningly spacious.

It was a city within a city. The towering dome could even accommodate flying vehicles, and the interior was filled with lush vegetation. People sat beneath the plants, reading and studying in serene comfort.

Holographic text floated above the heads of passing residents, displaying their names and citizen levels.

Here, the lowest rank was a Level 1 citizen. It seemed that obtaining citizenship was a prerequisite for entering the Glazed Tower.

Unlike the rampant cybernetic modification outside, the citizens here had very few augmentations. Most had only replaced body parts due to illness, disability, or old age.

Outside, people got modifications to better adapt to work. Here, they got them to live better lives.

One was about survival; the other was about living.

This point alone marked a fundamental difference between the citizens here and the people outside.

However, when they tried to sneak up to the 300th floor, the elevator attendant stopped them.

"Sorry, I haven’t received any maintenance notice. Maintenance workers are not allowed up."

Seeing that the attendant had already placed her hand on the alarm button, the group had no choice but to retreat and figure out their next move in a nearby park.

Even though it was night, the park’s artificial light sources were still working, bathing the area in a soft, natural-looking glow.

Looking at the lights above, the Bartender remarked, "The electricity usage here is so extravagant. I wouldn’t dare use this much power in my bar."

"The casinos wouldn’t dare either; they have power restrictions," Lear added.

"How many Morality would the electricity bill alone cost each day?" Anna asked, puzzled.

Just as the Bartender was about to explain, someone suddenly said, "Good evening, Mr. Maintenance Worker."

The greeting broke their train of thought. Looking toward the voice, Hyena saw an old man in a white wool sweater standing before him.

After a moment’s hesitation, Hyena asked, "Excuse me, can I help you?"

The old man smiled elegantly. "Not at all. I just happened to trigger a Morality Quest: ’Care for the Marginalized.’ The reward is one hundred Morality. If you don’t mind, here’s my sandwich. You can have it."

Staring at the sandwich, which still had bite marks in it, Hyena barely managed to restrain the urge to shove it up the man’s ass, let alone eat it.

When he saw Hyena wasn’t moving, the smile on the old man’s face slowly vanished.

Finally, his face turned cold as he said, "Are all maintenance workers like this? I’m trying to show you concern."

"Did I ask for your concern?" Hyena shot back, frowning.

The old man recoiled half a step as if he’d heard something utterly blasphemous, then said angrily, "How dare you refuse my help, you savage piece of trash! You scum!"

Hyena politely raised his middle finger, forcefully shoved the sandwich into the man’s mouth, and walked away, leaving the old man to curse at his back.

After they had walked some distance away, Anna muttered, "One hundred Morality... they get what I earn for a whole day of back-breaking work just by giving away a sandwich."

"I think ’rental fee’ is more accurate. You’re just a tool, and you’re just renting yourself out," Duan Fei said.

"Yeah, you’re right... Now I’m even more depressed."

Anna had originally felt a certain yearning for this place, but now she saw it was completely different from what she had imagined.

Before long, Hyena saw someone giving a speech in a small plaza in the park.

Hyena stopped to listen and found that the speaker was calling for an increase in the price of meat to reduce the consumption of natural meat and stop the slaughter of livestock.

"All life is equal! A cow’s life is still a life, and we need to respect them just as we respect people. We can already synthesize artificial meat that has a similar texture, so why must we continue to harm the lives of cattle?"

This dream-like rambling actually drew cheers from many in the crowd, making Hyena feel like these people were just bored out of their fucking minds.

He turned to leave, but the speaker noticed Hyena in the crowd and called out, "You there, the maintenance worker! Yes, you! Do you eat meat?"

Put on the spot, Hyena could only nod. "I do."

"Artificial or natural?"

"Artificial."

"See that! Even a maintenance worker knows to cherish life! So why can’t I do the same? All life is equal! All life is equal!"

Watching the crazed youth shouting slogans, Hyena suddenly felt his anger flare.

He strode onto the stage, snatched the microphone from the speaker, and stared him down. "Do you know why I eat artificial meat?"

"Because you have a beautiful heart?"

"Wrong! It’s because it’s cheap! A slab of artificial meat costs a tenth of what natural meat does, you pampered young master who knows nothing of real hardship! And let me correct you, the texture of artificial meat is absolute crap. No matter how you cook it, that stuff tastes like a sock that’s been soaking for ten days."

"...Um..."

"Shut up and listen to me! Let me ask you something. Do you have any idea what’s happening outside right now?"

"Um... a fireworks show?"

"You dumbass!" Hyena couldn’t stop himself from cursing. "People are out there dying! A bunch of people are fighting for their lives for a few hundred Morality, risking cyberpsychosis to attack this place, and to you, it’s just a goddamn fireworks show? You’ve got the time to worry about some goddamn cow you’ve never even met, but you don’t have time to give a shit about what’s happening to the people outside?"

The young man’s face flushed red, but he latched onto a minor point. "You’re swearing! That’s not moral at all!"

"Fuck your morals! Fuck you! Fuck off and die! Yeah, I’m swearing, so what! I’ve finally figured it out. You’re all a bunch of self-righteous hypocrites, a pack of useless wastes of space who are bored out of your goddamn minds! If I had a gun... oh wait, I do have a gun!"

At the same time, Duan Fei, who knew they couldn’t get up by conventional means, said, "Alright, let’s do this!"

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