In the dead of night, suddenly, loud sirens blared everywhere, and the city that was supposed to be sleeping was unexpectedly wide awake in dread and panic.
Police cars and ambulances lined the streets as everyone tried to make sense of the terrifying event that had happened in the span of a single night.
All the local news channels were going crazy, repeatedly reporting the same news. For the first time in a while, something other than the popular video game had occupied the headlines.
"Two hundred men killed overnight! Who is the prime suspect in the Gu family massacre?"
"No witness alive! No evidence left behind! Police are helpless! Was this a gang fight between rival families?"
"Gu family mass murder! There is a serial killer loose in the city! All the residents are advised to stay inside and lock the doors. Call the police if you see any suspicious activity on the streets."
"One of the three big families of the city was erased out of existence in a single night. All Gu family heirs abroad are in a panic. Will there be more murders?"
"Nighttime horror! Gu family stocks have plummeted overnight. Gu family guild, Jade Mountain, one of the top guilds of the game 'Evolution Online', disbanded because of insufficient members. From riches to rags. What will the Gu family's young heirs abroad do now?"
When the entire city was panicking about this horrendous development, one person alone calmly sipped the green tea in his mug and looked outside through the window.
"Though we live quite far away, we can still hear the noises all the way over here, huh?" Liam smiled as he placed the mug on the table and stood up. He also switched off the TV and walked over to the balcony to smoke.
Since their apartment was on the tenth floor, he could see things happening in the distance. Bright red lights and blue lights brightly flashed. The whole city was really in a state of terror.
But for him… at least a part of him was finally at peace. However, it did not make as much difference as he would have thought. He took a long drag of the cigarette and then let out a sigh.
He did indeed care about getting revenge or whatever that was, but the thing was… when the apocalypse descends, the ugly side of humanity was revealed.
It was not just the Gu family that was out to exploit the weak and the innocent. They were just one of the many organizations fondly labeled as Dark Guilds. They exploited everyone they could and also held a lot of power.
There were also constant clashes between the so-called Dark Guilds and the so-called Hero Guilds. When Liam thought back to this, he was still embarrassed by the foolishness displayed by humanity.
Of course, he could only think in this manner because he had the gift of hindsight, but still… The fact that the human beings thought that they were superhumans and now belonged to the top of the food chain, meant to rule the whole universe, made him cringe.
When the real threat arrived, these so-called superhumans, the top powerful players, were wiped out in a flash because everyone was too busy fighting each other and trying to establish themselves as the rulers of the new world.
No one stopped to think that there was something beyond them.
Liam shook his head, not wanting to think about this nightmare again. This time, it was going to be different. History was not going to repeat itself. He was prepared for it.
He took another long drag from the cigarette when a pair of warm hands wrapped around him from the back. "Liam, are you okay?" It was Shen Yue's voice.
"Mmm. I am fine." He didn't turn around and simply answered her, continuing to look outside at the dazzling lights.
Shen Yue let out a small sigh. She had only come here to check on him because, by now, everyone inside the game had also heard the big news.
And as soon as she heard the name 'Gu family,' she instantly couldn't shake the feeling that this had something to do with Liam. So she quickly logged out.
Just like she feared, she also found Liam outside the game, but otherwise, he seemed normal. Perhaps she was worried for no reason?
"Shall I leave?" Shen Yue asked again.
Surprisingly, Liam shook his head. "No, stay here with me for a bit." He pulled her to the side, wrapped an arm around her, and put out the cigarette with the other hand.
Shen Yue smiled with a blush as the two of them stood side by side, watching the lights in the distance. The night was freezing, but she felt warm as she silently enjoyed this moment.
After a while, she absent-mindedly snuggled closer to Liam while mumbling in a low voice, "I wonder who did this… Do you think it could be something related to the game?"
"No. Nothing related to the game." Liam also offhandedly replied.
"How are you so sure?" Shen Yue looked at him with confusion. Almost everything happening in the real world right now was related to the game, so she wasn't convinced that this was something unrelated to the game.
She was prepared to argue over this logically with Liam, but then his reply came…
"Because I did it."
Shen Yue's pretty eyes instantly widened ten times in size. "You… You mean you killed the entire Gu family?"
Liam sighed as if he was disappointed. "No, I couldn't get everyone. Some of the bastards are living abroad."
What the… Shen Yue was even more shocked by this response. Everything she had guessed at the beginning was indeed correct! Liam was the one responsible for all of this!
And here he was, standing as if nothing at all had happened!
One of the loud blaring sirens that passed by snapped her out of her trance as she frantically looked at him. "What are you saying? Is this true? Liam! The police! What if they catch you!"
"Thank you for worrying about me." Liam smiled and did not say anything else. He simply leaned over and kissed the girl, drowning all the other questions she had.
