Gu Shanhai witnessed this great world of numerous heavens and discarded his third life. The gods of the human realm forged an eternal utopia with blood and fire. The King of the Red Dragon led his knights, patrolling the never-setting empire. The scholar, with a smile and a sword stroke, depicted thousands of miles of rivers and mountains, while monsters opened their eyes and stretched forth claws, giving birth to all manners of demons. ... 'Everyone here is a player; you can't call me abnormal just because I haven't been digitized, right?'
"Ugh, that rat was as big as a washbasin, really quite a spectacle."
"You must be talking about the one that attacked someone last night, I remember it happened right around here. I heard the victim's face got gnawed off, terribly frightening."
"Yeah, it was just on the next street over, the incident made the headlines. The city will probably need to clean out the sewers in the next few days."
"Still, that rat was outrageous; it even popped a manhole cover off the street. After it bit someone, it could still run away."
"Could it be the work of those gamers, with all their odd skills? Some should have the power to control rats, right?"
"Who knows, but it's better to speak less of it. Gamers are not exactly the friendly sort."
On the bus, Gu Shanhai listened to the exchange between the passengers, his expression somewhat strange.
Rats?