T0 Gaming Guild Saves the World.

Chapter 186, Section 185: The Lord of the Proof of the Stars—The Candlelight

Chen Shaoyu had a dream.

In my dream, I traversed the starry sky at an incredible speed, and what flashed past at the edge of my vision were countless dazzling bubbles.

Clear and authentic.

Tranquility and solitude are the only colors of the stars.

It's like being in a vast wilderness, wandering aimlessly without seeing a single person.

As if abandoned by the world.

That's why he woke up trembling from the folding bed.

At 2 a.m., the office on the floor where the Chinese server of StarCraft operates was empty.

Only a few people could approach her room, and Chen Shaoyu was one of them.

Chen Shaoyu wasn't hallucinating. The sound of whistling wind came from her private office, somewhat noisy, like the white noise he usually listened to to help him fall asleep.

There aren't many options available.

1. Push the door open and go in to take a look.

Second: Turn around and leave.

Three: Continue sleeping.

Chen Shaoyu chose two and three, and picked up his pillow, deciding to go down to the next floor to continue sleeping.

The Chinese server's user base is not large, with a total of no more than fifty people.

Initially, the number was greater than that, but after some events, they became ordinary people who knew nothing about the Stars Campfire and forgot that they had once worked there.

Those still in their positions today are all people she carefully selected and who have passed the test.

Chen Shaoyu still doesn't know what they all have in common.

The sound of pushing open the wooden door abruptly stopped the whistling wind.

Vibrant colors, like an overturned paint box, poured out from her slightly ajar office door, sweeping across every workstation and occupying every space.

With his back to the dazzling light, Chen Shaoyu suppressed his curiosity and turned the handle.

The moment she stepped out of the staff office, her ethereal voice echoed.

"Please come in."

Chen Shaoyu hesitated for a moment, took a deep breath, and turned around.

The dazzling light receded like a tide behind that door, and the staff office was plunged into darkness once again.

He gently pushed open the half-closed door, as if opening a stone door leading to another world.

The dazzling, multicolored light seemed to materialize into countless threads, flowing around her.

The moment Chen Shaoyu looked at it, the flowing light rapidly magnified in his field of vision. His consciousness seemed to open up to the other person, and the image was imprinted into his mind not through sight, but in a more direct form.

This seems to be... the scene he just dreamed about.

Chen Shaoyu believes that 99% of people on this planet would either be speechless or scream if they saw this scene.

Her head was suspended in mid-air, her torso sat upright in an office chair, and her hands had already left her body, wandering over her torso like a katydid, weaving the light and shadow of the sky into her body—at least that's how Chen Shaoyu imagined it when he saw this scene.

According to official records, she was "Contact Zero".

The first version of "Lord of the Stars and Bonfires" no longer appears in any surviving archives due to her dissatisfaction.

In our daily interactions, she referred to herself as "Candlelight".

Chen Shaoyu admired his own composure, or perhaps, ever since he learned of the existence of the candlelight, his sensitivity to the unknown had become increasingly heightened.

He didn't know how the official records described candlelight; in his mind, candlelight wasn't a person.

It might be laughable to describe it as aliens, but such a narrow human understanding is all that can describe what we see, hear, and feel.

Shortly after joining the company, Chen Shaoyu learned a terrifying truth.

The medium through which the stars bear witness is the candlelight itself.

Information from all over the world converges within her through various media.

To use an inappropriate analogy, this is a server that can move, think, and has a human-like form; its processing power is beyond Chen Shaoyu's comprehension.

A torrent of data surged through her body without delay or lag; the only problem was the increasingly frequent bugs.

He believed that the first people in the world to come into contact with candlelight would experience a range of emotions, including fear, doubt, and despair, after witnessing its power.

Where did she come from?

Why did you come?

Trying to interpret the reasons, causes, and purposes of a game's existence is futile.

Trying to understand her power is utterly ridiculous.

Her existence is the biggest reason why the game "Proof of the Stars" runs smoothly.

There is no other way but to cooperate.

The only thing that everyone on this planet can be thankful for is that the candlelight never showed the slightest bit of malice from beginning to end.

As the operator of the Chinese server, Chen Shaoyu's appointment by the Candlelight organization gave him the opportunity to interact with important figures he could only see on television.

The focus of the conversation between the candlelight and them was only one thing—games.

The final result was the smooth operation of the Proof of the Stars, with the support and cooperation of all government agencies.

From the people he met afterward, Chen Shaoyu was certain that Zhu Huo had engaged in a fairly equal exchange with them despite their unequal social status.

Otherwise, no one would dare to impulsively run to her office and question her.

and so……

The candlelight shone on them, or rather...

What did they promise to the world they live in?
Her long, black hair, which had been blown about by the wind stirred up by the light stream, gradually fell down, becoming disheveled and scattered.

The head slowly descended, fitting seamlessly into the torso, and the hands returned to their places at the same time.

The nightmarish scene in the office, like something out of a horror movie, vanished. The candlelight revealed her; her appearance perfectly conformed to human beauty standards—a remarkably beautiful young woman with long, straight black hair.

Whether she was naturally like this, or whether she did it intentionally to fit into this world, Chen Shaoyu had no idea.

The only thing he knew was that this beautiful young woman was his boss and managed his salary.

A monthly salary of 6 yuan is an astronomical figure for someone who has wasted time after graduation.

The operating dividends are settled every six months, and given the size of the game, they're quite well-off.

I feel a little guilty taking this money.

Honestly, all the operations team needs to do is enter the game to assist with data monitoring and arrange offline events.

These are things that the bigwigs at the top often worry about, but they don't actually do much of the work themselves.

Chen Shaoyu stared intently at the candlelight, whose eyes were hazy, as if it had just woken up.

"How are they progressing?"

The candlelight asks about the boundary between reality and illusion.

Originally, the information about the boundary between the virtual and real worlds was to be checked by Candlelight herself, but the recent second round of qualification lottery review seemed to have left her no time to be distracted, so some of the key game progress information that she was concerned about was handed over to him.

In a sense, is this a manifestation of trust?
"They entered the game at 12:08 today."

"Current progress: Dungeon, Level 9 of the Underground Temple of the Clarity, [Nest of the Ever-Changing Dolls] not yet cleared."

"With a plot impact factor of 'world-class,' the 'Anna Rebellion' has essentially locked in one ending."

"They haven't decided how to use the key you gave them last time."

"The Rebellion of Anna has continued, and the Source of Faith has progressed to the point of returning to the Great Snow Mountain. The ending branches are still unclear and are still in flux."

"Special role, confirmed according to the permissions you granted."

"The Fallen Star Siren Kshasa, the compatibility and anchor point values ​​are currently both 100%".

"Potion Master Mint, compatibility, anchor value, and permission display are all question marks and unclear."

With a monthly salary of 6 yuan, Chen Shaoyu is highly motivated at work and completes his tasks diligently, handling all data with ease.

"Currently, in these key data points you mentioned, the seven players at the virtual-real boundary are unmatched across the entire server, far ahead of all other players on the planet."

The candlelight seemed to be stuck in a delay again, taking a full half minute to respond.

"Wait a little longer, wait a little longer... we haven't reached the node yet."

Chen Shaoyu had long since learned how to handle situations he couldn't understand, so he didn't delve too deeply into them, treating them as fleeting memories.

“You have many questions.” Candlelight suddenly raised its head and looked directly at Chen Shaoyu.

In those eyes, there seemed to be a deep, dark sea of ​​stars, drawing Chen Shaoyu's thoughts into it.

"Curiosity is the root of human progress," Chen Shaoyu said frankly, "but I know how to control it."

“You can indulge yourself this once,” Candlelight said. “You can ask a question as a reward for your meticulous work.”

"Asking won't reduce my salary or deduct my bonuses, will it?"

"will not."

"I asked something I shouldn't have. Won't they fire me from the company?"

A monthly salary of 6 is a rare find, especially at this time when jobs are so hard to come by.

"will not."

Chen Shaoyu fell into deep thought.

He had too many questions about the candlelight and the game, far more than one question could answer.

If I choose to ask the candlelight to answer more of my questions, then tomorrow my memory will be erased and I'll be thrown out of the company...

Don't tempt fate for a monthly salary of 6.

After careful consideration, Chen Shaoyu asked the question.

Why were we chosen?

Chen Shaoyu never understood why he, an insignificant speck of dust among dozens of people in the company, was selected by the candlelight and became a member of the list on the desks of those important figures.

Their only commonality seems to be their age.

Generally between 18 and 24.

Located at the time between entering and exiting the school gate.

He still can't forget the moment when the door to his rented room was knocked on and several plainclothes officers checked his identity.

Compared to the increasingly prominent focus on the boundary between reality and illusion by candlelight, what exactly is essential for these young people who have been selected and trained in detail by teachers with experience in game operation and internet operation?
"The answer will be revealed in the future, so don't waste the opportunity."

Chen Shaoyu's mouth was slightly open, but he didn't dwell on it any longer.

He thought for a moment and then asked a second question.

A question that had lingered in his mind ever since he learned of Candlelight's identity led him to search for many videos.

"How many civilizations exist in this universe we inhabit?"

Silence filled the room.

He could almost see the candlelight shining with brilliant starlight.

Almost a minute has passed; even if it's delayed, I should answer by now.

Did I ask a question outside the norm, and that's why I got silence as the only answer?
Lost in thought, the candlelight spoke.

"One."

Chen Shaoyu paused, as if an electric current had flashed through his brain.

He swallowed hard: "One other than us?"

"You are the only ones."

(End of this chapter)