I’m a Max-Level Taoist Master, and You’re Throwing Me Into a Rules-Based Horror Game?! - Chapter 163

Chapter 163: If This World of Strange Tales Can Breed Despair, Then I Am Despair! 

Most chosen ones were still in the third-floor arena.

To gain authority, they needed to earn the commander’s favor.

Their only chance to save this infuriating individual—whom they often wished to strike down—was to wait for the commander to be attacked by sub-humans and require assistance, or to create a scenario where the commander needed help.

At this moment, Zhang Yangqing had already progressed to the next stage.

Viewers believed Zhang Yangqing had chosen to avoid witnessing such a bloody scene.

They could understand his actions. Even if it were Zhang Yangqing at his peak, without any restrictions, he would likely be powerless in such a situation.

After all, the four rules were like four immense mountains, crushing the chosen ones, leaving them gasping for air.

The chosen ones had no choice. They could either abandon their humanity, harden their hearts, and become pure killing machines—like Argentina’s chosen one, Ramirez, who disregarded everything and cared only about completing the mission, indifferent to who died—or they could struggle to observe while enduring the horror, or simply unable to bear it, leave the area.

Many chosen ones shared similar thoughts.

Pitying these sub-humans was useless; they could barely protect themselves.

Just as everyone thought Zhang Yangqing was avoiding the situation, everything was unfolding according to his plan.

The fear of the sub-humans was precisely what Zhang Yangqing needed.

When fear reaches its extreme, one either falls silent or erupts.

When the sub-humans witnessed this scene, they realized their lives were merely playthings in the hands of the green-skinned beings.

If they did not want to die, their only option was to cooperate with him.

The more afraid they were, the more they needed him.

Because they had no choice! They could only be used by him!

This was Zhang Yangqing’s plan.

To Zhang Yangqing, in this world of strange tales, everyone except him could die.

He did not care about the rest. He had learned this from the very first instance he entered.

If this world could spawn disasters, then he was the disaster.

If this world could breed despair, then he was despair!

Zhang Yangqing’s understanding of this world had reached a new height.

If you did not want to be tormented by the people in this world, then you should torment them instead.

Other chosen ones might be filled with rage but remained helpless.

Zhang Yangqing, however, was different. He had long known that changing one’s identity could change the rules.

Moreover, this instance of the world had subtly hinted to the chosen ones what to do, though most could not see it—and likely never would.

This was what Gregorio called experience: observing from the outside versus being inside made a significant difference.

The first four rules of this world appeared to be absolute.

But one of them, Zhang Yangqing could change.

[Rule 1: As a mechanical guard, if you use your weapons or control other weapons to attack humans, the self-destruct system will activate immediately, resulting in failure.]

The other three rules were too rigid, possibly tied to clearing the instance.

This one seemed absolute but could actually be flexible.

Because the rule stated that as a mechanical guard, you could not attack humans.

So, by finding a way to change your identity and obtaining a special role, you could kill the green-skinned beings.

As for how to do it, another rule provided a clue.

[Rule 8: When abnormal images appear before your eyes, seek out the mechanical maintenance workers of Skyline City. Note: Only those on the fifth floor are trustworthy.]

This rule vaguely mentioned a crucial profession: mechanical maintenance workers.

Zhang Yangqing noticed that Skyline City had many mechanical beings.

Mechanical guards were specialized for combat, but others might not be.

By finding a suitable identity, he could change the rules.

The mechanical maintenance worker was clearly a role that could facilitate this change.

When returning to Skyline City, Zhang Yangqing had asked many mechanical beings about their identities.

However, these roles came with various restrictions—some even more limiting than being a mechanical guard.

So, everything depended on finding the mechanical maintenance worker.

While pondering, Zhang Yangqing followed the map on his goggles to the central area of Skyline City.

The sound of machinery turning echoed everywhere, with all sorts of marvelous steel structures towering magnificently before him.

The upper three floors were different from the lower three.

The lower floors could be accessed directly via spiral staircases.

To reach the upper floors, one had to use the central elevator shaft.

Without the proper authority, entry to the central elevator shaft was impossible.

As Zhang Yangqing stepped into the central elevator shaft, the glass door closed.

The elevator ascended, bringing him to the fourth floor. The shaft only went as high as the fourth floor.

The fifth and sixth floors were undoubtedly reserved for higher-ranking green-skinned beings.

They would never allow direct access to the highest levels.

The upper floors also had guards, and one could ascend via spiral staircases.

The fourth floor served as the garrison for the green-skinned city guards—the military base.

Upon arriving here, Zhang Yangqing felt as if he had entered another world.

Indeed, it was nothing like the floors below, which reeked of machine oil.

Here, it felt as if he were on solid ground.

The ground was paved with bluestone, with trees and flowers lining the pathways.

Automated mechanical irrigation systems were sprinkling water.

Numerous well-dressed mechanical gardeners were trimming the nearby plants.

The mechanical beings here appeared more advanced, including mechanical butlers, servers, chefs, and others.

In addition, patrols of green-skinned city guards moved in groups of three to five, with mechanical soldiers following behind them, ready to charge fearlessly at their command.

When Zhang Yangqing arrived, thanks to the deputy commander’s chip, no guards questioned him.

The deputy commander’s authority was already considerable.

Other chosen ones would be stopped by patrols after taking just a few steps, wasting precious time.

Upon arriving, Zhang Yangqing’s first goal was to find the entrance to the next floor.

Along the way, he carefully observed his surroundings and noticed something unusual.

Intel was like that—every place had unique information, but its importance varied for each chosen one.

The so-called “green-skinned city guards” appeared numerous, with over a thousand members.

But most were mechanical beings; only about a hundred were actual green-skinned individuals.

This showed how reliant—or trusting—they were of mechanical beings.

They controlled this massive aerial fortress by commanding mechanical beings.

Even a hundred green-skinned city guards were a formidable force for other chosen ones.

These guards were tall, muscular, and wore light metal armor.

They appeared to be well-trained professional soldiers, undoubtedly skilled in combat.

But to Zhang Yangqing, this was all? Not even enough for him to kill.

Mechanical beings did not need to eat, but the green-skinned ones did.

When they gathered for meals, wouldn’t that be the perfect opportunity to eliminate them all?

Once he obtained command authority, wouldn’t Skyline City belong to him, Zhang Yangqing?

Who would want to live as a mere tool for killing ? Let someone else do that dirty work.

After all, the daily maintenance, repairs, and operations of Skyline City were handled by mechanical beings following well-established procedures.

The green-skinned beings only gave orders.

So Zhang Yangqing felt that these green-skinned individuals were unnecessary.

Changing the city’s ruler would not make much difference.

While other chosen ones worried about how to infiltrate the upper floors and the risks of the next stage, Zhang Yangqing was already preparing to take over Skyline City.

The moment he did, every race in this world would despair.

This was perhaps Zhang Yangqing’s interpretation of the journey of despair.

The one despairing would never be him—it would be others.

Having made up his mind, he proceeded to the fifth floor, the domain of the mechanical maintenance workers.

This floor was less of a level and more of a mechanical being manufacturing plant.

Here, a complete assembly line processed resources plundered from various places, manufacturing mechanical beings.

These mechanical beings were then used to plunder more resources—a cyclical way of thinking for the green-skinned beings.

Zhang Yangqing was in no hurry. He had always been a chosen one who excelled at observation.

After exploring this floor, he approximately understood its layout.

The fifth floor housed several dozen green-skinned researchers responsible for using plundered resources to develop mechanical technology.

This ensured the green-skinned beings’ technological superiority over other races.

The sixth floor was the navigation control room, where the high-ranking green-skinned beings resided—commanders and the like.

Zhang Yangqing did not yet have the authority to enter, nor was he in a hurry. Soon, he would not need permission.

Arriving at the fifth-floor mechanical maintenance center, he found that the workers here were also mechanical beings.

Seeing this, Zhang Yangqing could not help but marvel at the power of technology.

In summary, Skyline City had fewer than two hundred green-skinned individuals, but their technological prowess allowed them to easily destroy cities with hundreds of thousands of sub-humans.

Here, Zhang Yangqing finally found the turning point he needed.

The mechanical maintenance workers, being here, possessed a wealth of knowledge.

According to them, changing one’s identity as a mechanical guard required a chip.

Mechanical guards were the lowest combat units and had no chips.

Mechanical soldiers, responsible for guarding the upper floors, had soldier chips.

With this chip, one could unlock more powerful weapons.

Next were the special mechanical guards, few in number, who served as the city ruler’s personal guards. They could execute any green-skinned individual who disobeyed, except the ruler himself.

The ruler feared rebellion and used these mechanical beings to sanction other green-skinned individuals.

This was a form of layered control.

Of course, these chips required a certain amount of merit points—combat performance—to obtain.

Hearing this, most chosen ones would understand that this was a journey of promotion.

From the beginning, the hidden rules of this world had hinted that merit points were crucial.

But merit points were for other chosen ones. Since they could not defeat higher-level mechanical beings, they had to accumulate merit to please the commanders and the ruler.

They needed to exchange merit for promotion chips.

With higher-level chips, they could gain enhancements and greater safety.

But Zhang Yangqing thought, wasn’t this simple? Grinding for merit was tedious—why not just take what he needed?

Others might not be able to steal, but he could.

As for where to find the mechanical guards, it was even simpler.

Just report to the city ruler and falsely accuse a commander of planning a rebellion.

Commanders had the highest authority after the ruler.

Even if the accusation was baseless, the ruler would send mechanical guards to arrest and investigate the commander.

After all, who would suspect a mechanical guard of lying?

Compared to their own kind, the green-skinned beings probably trusted mechanical guards more.