消息于凌晨2:47出现在Adrian的屏幕上.
系统通知:
用户ID:A-7719因异常性能加速被标记.
阿德里安盯着那些字,昏暗的蓝光映在他眼中.他的心跳没有加速.反而放慢了.
他一直知道这一刻终将到来.
在过去的六个小时里,他的排名跃升了三个层级.不是因为他更拼命.也不是因为他敢于冒险.
因为他比任何人都更懂这个体系.
而系统们非常讨厌这一点.
随后传来轻微的震动——又一条信息,这次标注为"机密".
"不要回应.观察期开始."
观察.
那一个字承载着分量.这意味着他不再是隐形的.
阿德里安关闭了界面,靠在安全屋冰冷的金属墙上.外面,莱里斯城从不沉睡.霓虹脉络在街道上脉动,远处玩家们互相猎杀,争夺积分,合同和生存.
他缓缓呼出一口气.
"开始了,"他低声说.
到了早晨,世界已经改变.
不明显.不大声.
但很微妙——就像捕食者调整姿势.
当阿德里安再次登录时,他平时匿名的访问路径比平时多停了0.3秒.几乎没人察觉.
对他来说,不是.
"潜伏期激增,"他低声说."你在看着."
紧接着弹出了通知.
新活动解锁:
公开审判:玻璃竞技场
资格:第四级及以上
奖励:等级提升+稀有权威令牌
公共.
那是新的.
直到现在,阿德里安一直避免参加所有公开场合.曝光是一种货币——而且是危险的.但这...这显然是刻意安排的.
一个考验.
或者是陷阱.
通讯器在他还没决定前就响了.
"阿德里安,"米拉的声音传来,紧张."告诉我你看到了这个."
"玻璃竞技场?"他平静地回答.
"是的.大家都是.但资格名单刚刚更新了."她停顿了一下."你上了头版."
阿德里安闭上眼睛半秒.
头版意味着关注.关注意味着叙事.而叙事则是武器.
"形式是什么?"他问.
米拉咽了口口水."一对一淘汰赛.现场观众.绩效指标实时显示."
"所以他们想给我量身子,"阿德里安说."或者激怒我."
"或者揭露你,"她轻声补充.
He didn't deny it.
The system didn't punish strength. It punished uncontrolled anomalies. Adrian had grown too fast, too cleanly, without the expected chaos.
And chaos was the system's favorite camouflage.
Three hours later, he stood at the entrance of the Glass Arena.
It was exactly as the name implied—a massive dome of transparent crystal panels suspended above the city. Inside, platforms floated like fractured mirrors, constantly rearranging.
Tens of thousands watched remotely.
Millions more would see the clips.
As Adrian stepped inside, the interface overlaid his vision with live data:
Participant: A-7719
Alias: Unregistered
Win Rate: 92.4%
Behavioral Pattern: Pending Analysis
Unregistered alias.
That alone caused a murmur among spectators.
Most players crafted identities carefully. Names carried reputations, alliances, fear.
Adrian had none.
A voice echoed through the arena.
"Welcome to the Glass Arena. Today's trial will determine who deserves to rise—and who was never meant to."
The first opponent materialized across the platform.
A tall man clad in adaptive armor, his status banner glowing gold.
Alias: BlackHelix
Tier: Upper Tier-4
Specialty: Crowd Combat
He smiled confidently.
"So you're the mystery player," BlackHelix said, his voice broadcast to the audience. "No name. No past. Just numbers."
Adrian said nothing.
"People like you either burn out fast," BlackHelix continued, spreading his arms as the crowd reacted, "or get crushed when reality hits."
Adrian tilted his head slightly.
Reality, he thought, was overrated.
The countdown began.
3.
BlackHelix's armor plates shifted, locking into an aggressive formation.
2.
Adrian calculated twelve possible opening moves.
He discarded ten.
1.
The platform shattered.
BlackHelix charged forward, weapons deploying in a dazzling display meant for the audience.
Adrian stepped sideways—not back, not forward.
The crowd gasped as BlackHelix overextended, his momentum carrying him into empty space.
Adrian moved then. One precise strike. Not lethal. Not flashy.
Efficient.
BlackHelix crashed onto a lower platform, stunned.
The system hesitated.
Match Result: A-7719 — Victory
Duration: 4.2 seconds
Silence followed.
Then uproar.
Adrian barely heard it.
He was watching something else.
A new data stream had appeared in the corner of his vision—one that should not exist.
Observer Channel Active
Source: Unknown Authority
Not the system.
Something above it.
Adrian's fingers clenched.
So that's who you are, he thought. The ones who don't usually interfere.
随后是一条未加密的信息.
"克制得真厉害."
他没有回答.
又一个对手上场,接着又一个.阿德里安每场比赛都干净利落,可预见地获胜,从不透露多余.
B