No matter how ridiculous the premise of a transmigration is, he has entered a real world filled with humans and language and words he understands. Then itâs probably fine to say itâs something like a parallel universe.
From the cultural festival, thereâs ancient Greek mythology; thereâs also the tale about Beauty and the Beast. There are similarities between the civilisation in this world and Earth where he is from. He canât help but wonder if Mr. Marx and Mr. Lenin have already passed away or are they not even born yet.
He has prayed to any and all gods for a world-changing proletariat revolution, to turn this twisted ruin of a world on its head.
After watching the documentaries, his heart sinks deep gradually.
He dared not take any physical records, so he tries his best to remember all the information in the documentaries in his brain. So the next day, his eyes are bloodshot and swollen, his skull has a dull pain, all symptoms of staying up overnight. Though it ended up being just like those people who had fun, and he doesnât stand out.
Everyone is returned to the show. Bright is dozing off quietly in the room. His roommate has come back as well. From 500 to 50, the rate is only 1 in 10. Their dormitory room sure is quite lucky .
His roommate immediately hits the bed. As it is currently afternoon, Bright is afraid he wonât be able to sleep at night. So he washes his face and all that, then goes for his daily training.
âYouâre here.â Hearing the voice, Bright slows his treadmill down, and looks at the ginger teenager, putting up a kind expression.
âRonald, congratulations on passing.â He says.
The ginger laughs in happiness. He probably has Caucasian ancestry, and his skin is white. He also has freckles which are more cute than unsightly. He looks like your typical older boy down the street.
âEveryone is sleeping right now, so I wanted to try my luck.â
He does not want to disturb Brightâs training, so he walks onto the treadmill next to his. His speed is low, and his posture looks awkward. Bright guesses that he was a participant of some intense physical exercise yesterday.
âIâm done warming up, going to the machines now.â
Ronald looks a bit nervous, as if he is afraid he might be disliked. Though when Bright lets him rest by the side while he trains with an exercise bench. After receiving these kind gestures, his eyes look as if they are glimmering.
Looking at the youngster who is clearly affectionate for him, Bright is feeling complicated. If the world offers him pure, unadulterated malice, he can still deal with it being himself. Yet all these criminals, gangsters, gamblers, people from the bottom rungs, as contestants who are abandoned by society one way or another, still have a bit of humanity left. Even if itâs weak, itâs still there.
They didnât talk further than that. Ronald stayed with Bright until he finished his training, then they waved goodbye at each other and went to rest.
The second episode of the show has just aired. Bright cooperated with Old Veteran and co. and successfully advanced. The mischievous show edits several clips in which the two fall out and Bright tries to kill Old Veteran into the previews.
The resolute and quiet man is showing a vengeful look, âyou killed my parents and family!â
Old Veteran sinks into the swamp, and you can see shock, fear and regret sewn across his face. His body is swallowed up by the swamp mercilessly.
âThatâs impossible! How is there a coincidence like that?!â The audience are screaming loudly into their screens, then they start asking for more, âwhenâs the next episode going to air?!â
At this time, the privileged class has already acquired a sample tape of the third episode and information on the related individuals.
The Old Veteran is named Neil. He enlisted at 20, and served for 10 odd years. He was discharged early when he was severely injured. His hobby burns quite a bit of money and sent all his insurance and remuneration into the bowels of the casinos, and also racking up quite a bit of debt. Then he was sold to the show by the casino.
The Cityâs military, besides daily rounds and peacekeeping, also has missions to dispatch beasts and mutant giant insects outside the city. When he was in service, he had to do such missions every once in a while.
Historically, the City had no such extermination missions. Though there was an invasion by Outsiders who attempted to pillage resources in it. They, of course, failed facing the advanced technology inside the City. Yet the enraged citizens became more active afterwards in military affairs and defensive strategies of the City.
Neil did not understand how clearing the beasts and insects away can weaken the Outsiders, and mocked the idiocy of the upper brass with his mates before. Perhaps it was to make them starve by not being able to find food? It wasnât until the system which assisted his battles malfunctioned once when he was in battle did he know the truth.
What was really the case was that the military wanted to make soldiers more obedient and efficient in their missions, and prevent PTSD among the discharged soldiers, so they developed a military system designed to assist the soldiers. By inserting a chip into the soldiersâ brains, it stabilises them by adjusting the hormone release in their hypothalamuses. They can keep their calm even in a dangerous environment.
Soldiers who were injected with the chip have real-time information displayed before their very eyes. From enemy distribution, terrain, battlefield formation to drone interceptions, everything was on there.
At the same time, however, the chip transforms the enemy into beasts and insects who were roaring or hissing at them preparing for attack. Being unable to identify human faces and expressions made soldiers able to follow orders without psychological damage or potential PTSD emerging.
That is to say, when Neil thought he was killing beasts and insects, he was actually killing men all along.
He thought about his friend who was into collecting animals and making taxidermies, and thought about how his captain had once poured gasoline onto a bunch of insect larvae, and burnt them alive for funâŚ
The day he learnt the truth, he knelt on the ground, his body arched backwards, then puked until he was unconscious. Even his bile was coughed up.
Then he asked the military to replant a new chip into him.
When he finished listening to the Old Veteranâs story, Bright was silent for a long time.
In the choking atmosphere, he said in a low voice, âit was you⌠I saw you when I was young. A group of soldiers barged into the cave my family and I lived in, and killed everyoneâŚâ
Old Veteran did not react in time, âwhat do you mean? I donât understand, I didnâtâŚâ
âNo, it was you!â Bright was angry because of Old Veteranâs denial. He was livid, and hate burned in his eyes.
Something has broken the peace and calm that he had.
Old Veteran quickly caught a glimpse of something in his mind, so this was it! This is what Brightâs plan was!
He looked at Bright with an expression of extreme shock.
Bright appears to have become immersed in his memories, âthe soldier was strange; his gaze changed looking at me, as if I was something extremely horrifying. Then he let me go. He told me to run.â
Old Veteran appeared as if he canât believe it, and murmured, âitâs really you?â
âYou killed my parents and my family!â He did not shout. His firm fists were shaking slightly. It was plain to see he was suppressing his hate with all he had, but his voice had given it away.
The camera recorded the extreme pain and struggle on the man greedily.
At last, the man attacked the Old Veteran, and looked on coldly as he sank into the swamp. He closed his eyes. When he opened them again, all traces of his emotions were gone. His self-defence barrier was up.
The Inner City aristocrats commented on the show with interest.
A voice sounding like the crawling of a snake, cold and slippery, says, âa saviour who saved his life and yet the mortal enemy that killed his parents and relatives. How dramatic. The audience will like that, even if itâs fake. Howâs the ratings, Statistician?â
The one who was nicknamed âStatisticianâ answered, â0.2 points more than usual. The commercial value of number 199 is limited. Iâve ordered the show to make both scripts of successful revenge and mutual destruction. The Director recommended the former, believing thereâs more value to dig up; his whole body oozes Outsiderness. If we crack those hard bones of his and set him into script of tragedy, we can make some more money.â
Another person says, âhe did make a story up and used the show. He needs a lesson.â
âAgreed.â
That person sounds somewhat surprised, âGentleman, you were interested too?â
The âGentlemanâ affirms so. The other person backs off respectfully.