080. A Hallucinatory World
Based on his experience, this was the correct approach.
This task had a strange quirk.
No matter the choices made, one of the two children would trigger an alarm, resulting in the missed opportunity to assassinate Kalmets. But if the assassination mission was completed first, it would at least secure a thirty-minute window.
If this opportunity were missed, Kalmets would experience negative changes—his children's kidnapping would cause him to lose all reason, making him crazed and paranoid. Under intense pressure, he would actively provoke a direct confrontation with Velazi.
Velazi, overconfident and pressured by narrative-level forces, would impulsively launch an offensive against Kalmets, aiming to behead him, resulting in the players' mission failure.
Not only that, but Kalmets's beheading would ignite Fanlenkov's national anger. The long-standing resentment toward Velazi's encroachment on the local market and their staff's atrocious behavior would explode entirely.
During this critical moment, word of "Nakis Blood" would somehow spread through narrative-level civilizations.
Nakis Blood, it turned out, was not a singular item but a mysterious substance that formed naturally like a mineral within the Fanlenkov Autonomous State.
The Fanlenkov lineage was believed to originate from some lifeform beneath the Abyss. The Omega-tier powerhouse "Nakis Fanlenkov" was the clan's leader, who once led them to glory before their decline, with some splintering off to form an alien race and establish the autonomous state.
When the fortress of the state was first constructed, a vertebra from Nakis Fanlenkov was buried as an energy amplifier. For reasons unknown, it created a unique substance within the Fanlenkov Autonomous State.
As for the actual effects of Nakis Blood, it wasn't particularly rare.
—It mainly enhanced individual genetic adaptation to the path forward, essentially boosting potential.
Similar substances and genetic serums were openly sold by all major narrative-level civilizations, so it wasn't extraordinary.
However, Nakis Blood had a few minor distinctions.
Li Aozi infiltrated near the office, scouting the surroundings while reviewing the information Nikita had provided and mapping out the route in his mind.
Beyond that, he took a moment to recall the plot of"Yesterday's Yesterday Was Spring".
First, Nakis Blood bypassed racial limitations, requiring no prior complex genetic testing or custom-configured drugs. Even elemental lifeforms could use it, which broadened its market considerably.
Second, Nakis Blood had impressive effects: players who used it gained the [Destined Fate] talent, which had a straightforward, powerful effect of directly increasing primary attribute growth.
Third, Nakis Blood couldn't be extracted by machines—it had to be absorbed into the human body, then surgically removed outside the area. While this might seem complicated, how profitable was it, actually?
According to data from the Interstellar Alliance, Nakis Blood had a Return on Equity (ROE) that could reach as high as 17,900%.
This was an astonishing figure, enough for most of the lower class to risk their lives for it.
Just obtaining a portion of Nakis Blood could ensure freedom from labor and a leap in social class. Whether used personally or sold, it promised instant wealth.
Its significance shook all of Abyss, and narrative-level civilizations quickly realized its importance. However, constrained by agreements set by the Interstellar Alliance, they couldn't intervene directly. The three great narratives could only support Fanlenkov's resistance or bolster Velazi's strength through weapons and resources.
The core objective was to seize Nakis Blood.
Everyone understood its terrifying value. The Interstellar Alliance feared an escalation of war leading to cosmic conflict, so they quickly set barriers, prohibiting interstellar civilizations from entering the Fanlenkov conflict zone and banning access for anyone at the Zeta-tier or above.
But this did nothing to prevent mercenaries and ordinary civilians from the lower classes of civilization from flooding in due to the staggering profits.
In fact, since Zeta-tier and higher powers tended to have stable incomes and status, they had little interest in risking their lives for mere wealth. Even Delta-tier individuals with steady jobs had no desire to enter.
The end result diverged entirely from what the Interstellar Alliance had anticipated.
Only Gamma-tier civilians, or those below that level, people from primitive civilizations, Alpha, and Beta-tier commoners—these were the ones pouring into the conflict zone, with ten thousand dying every four hours in a battle so brutal that even [Society] wouldn't risk infiltration, as citizens would likely be shot upon arrival.
Waves of desperados poured in. Humanitarian volunteer groups initially maintained rationality, striving to aid and evacuate civilians—but later, it seemed as though the civilian exodus was endless.
Interstellar volunteers' equipment improved, and many mercenaries entered under the guise of humanitarian aid, taking advantage of the opportunity to gather Nakis Blood, merging with others to exploit the situation.
Some even shifted focus to profit from arms and supplies for these "Blood Seekers" or established service industries near the conflict zone—all under the indifferent watch of the Alliance and the narrative powers.
Various gray industries flourished here, turning the Fanlenkov Autonomous State into an apocalyptic grinder where only a rare few would strike it rich and reach their dreams.
The majority either perished within an hour of entering the conflict zone, running only a few steps before dying, or lived an entire life without ever finding Nakis Blood.
Even without Nakis Blood, for those from underdeveloped civilizations, taking electronic equipment, magical artifacts, alchemical potions, advanced weapons, or even the corpses of powerful beings from the battlefield offered lucrative trade opportunities.
Eventually, people began accepting the region as a place of release, sending troublemakers there whenever issues arose. Whether they were treasure hunting or left to survive or die, it posed no harm to themselves.
For the Fanlenkov people, however, this outcome was unbearable.
Initially, they fought only against Velazi's "Sweepers," and for a time, enjoyed a brief period of comfort thanks to weapon support.
But as time went on, the mix of people involved grew more complex. Criminals from various fields poured in, turning the "Blood Seekers" into an industry empowered by relentless adaptation. The survivors among the criminals became elite fighters and ruthless executioners.
Even the Fanlenkov people themselves were influenced by outsiders, with some splitting off to sell Nakis Blood and cooperate with outsiders. Their objective was no longer to resist Velazi but to amass profits for themselves.
Compared to them, Velazi seemed almost civilized.