Chapter 040: Renowned Throughout the Lunar Base

Day 23 of the game, around 1:00 AM.

JL Province, China.

This was deep within the Changbai Mountains.

In the vast, dark mountain range, countless points of light flickered in the distance. One hundred points of light soared skyward together, slow at first and then accelerating rapidly. These were the long, brilliant tails of rockets, blazing starkly against the night, like a hundred meteors streaking across the heavens.

Within a fifty-kilometer radius, dozens of the Chosen were scattered, and among them, three or four witnessed this spectacular, almost unimaginable sight.

Like fireworks bursting at their zenith, the hundred streaks of light scattered in every direction, crossing the skies above cities sheltering the Chosen. Anyone who looked up would see one or several meteors cutting through the darkness.

That night, many people saw this glow, but none knew what it was, nor guessed that each falling star symbolized death.

The Moon.

The hundred human survival bases.

When Zhao Ming pressed the button and the hundred streaks of light arced across the sky, every base erupted in a frenzy.

At that moment, these people—each an elite in their own field—etched the name of a Chosen into their memories: Huang Feng, an unremarkable-looking man from China.

On Earth, perhaps most of the Chosen would never know, nor ever learn, of Huang Feng, or what mad feat he accomplished. But over a hundred thousand people on the Moon witnessed this scene with their own eyes, bearing witness to a moment that was destined for the annals of history, regardless of its outcome.

Within one of the survival bases clustered with Chinese, all the top leaders had already gathered. Their moods, usually inscrutable, brimmed with rare excitement. The moment those hundred streaks of death slashed through the night, some of the elders even burst into unrestrained laughter. Fortunately, the absolute vacuum outside the Moon’s bases muffled all sound—otherwise, their laughter would have carried far, alerting the other bases nearby.

The square-faced, middle-aged military officer once again stood at the front, beneath the screen, making his report.

“This operation led by Huang Feng,” he said, “has been calculated: the nearest target will not be reached for at least half an hour. Meanwhile, discontent from the other bases is mounting. Many have already sent us formal letters demanding an explanation about Huang Feng.”

Although the officer delivered his report with measured composure, the excitement in his voice betrayed his own exhilaration.

“What explanation?” an elder below interrupted, his smile vanishing as he huffed and glared. “Those outsiders have always harbored ill intent. Ten years ago, they resented our rise and sought to suppress us at every turn. Looks like they need another lesson.”

“Be careful, Elder Ye,” another reminded quietly. “Some things are better left unspoken.”

“What’s there to be careful about?” Elder Ye retorted. “We’re all on the same side here—who’s going to overhear? And even if they did, I wouldn’t care. If they have the guts, let them come—after their Chosen are dealt with on Earth, we’ll handle them here as well.”

“Calm yourself, Elder Ye. Young Huang’s action is just the preliminary stage. Until the dust settles, we shouldn't be too conspicuous,” another elder interjected, looking at Ye.

“Yes, Elder Xu is right. We must see how things turn out. For now, we need to discuss what explanation to give to those outside. If they unite against us over this, it could be troublesome. Any suggestions on the best course of action?” said the elder beside the central leader.

At this, the room fell silent, the elders turning to deliberate on how best to respond to the outside world.

On the Moon, the reaction in other bases to Huang Feng’s actions was fierce.

In survival bases dominated by DY, BZ, and M nations, curses and condemnations filled the air.

“Damn that Huang Feng. He and his backers have enraged everyone. They’ll die miserable deaths!”

“Huang Feng’s a criminal, unforgivable!”

Many voices clamored against Huang Feng’s deeds, with the DY faction the most incensed. After all, nine of the hundred deadly missiles were aimed directly at their nation, covering the nine regions with the highest concentration of the Chosen—enough to wipe out nearly all their contenders.

How could they not be furious? Had they not reacted in this way, it would have seemed unnatural.

Still, these voices were a minority. Most turned their anger not just on Huang Feng, but on the military conspiracies presumed to back him.

Some even claimed this could only be the result of premeditated orders—how else could Huang Feng act so decisively, or possess such skills?

Common refrains echoed:

“This was certainly not an individual act. It was plotted in advance.”

“Yes, this is a conspiracy against all nations. We should unite and expel every Chinese from the survival bases.”

“Huang Feng must have been directed by someone behind the scenes.”

In the M nation–dominated base, the calls were harsher:

“Huang Feng’s crime is unpardonable. He should be executed on the spot.”

“My God! He’s a madman—a demon.”

“This man has utterly destroyed the fairness and balance of the game. I demand he be erased immediately.”

Many fair-haired foreigners voiced their outrage, painting Huang Feng as a nightmare incarnate and calling upon “God” to strike him down.

“We should unite and sue the nation behind Huang Feng on the Moon. None of them can wash their hands of this.”

DY and BZ, in particular, fanned the flames, seeking to rally everyone against the country standing behind Huang Feng.

For, leaving aside his nationality, Huang Feng was also a soldier—a special forces operative. This connection made the situation all the more delicate. Who could say what role the military played behind the scenes?

Most critically, even if they wanted to punish Huang Feng on Earth, they were powerless to do so. They could only direct their anger at the country and people associated with him on the Moon.

The Chinese lunar base quickly issued a statement.

First, it denied any involvement with Huang Feng’s actions, emphasizing that everything he did on Earth was solely his own responsibility. The statement also obliquely warned that those intent on spinning conspiracy theories “would meet a bad end.”

The military’s stance, the statement said, was aligned with everyone else: Huang Feng had committed the greatest crime in human history and was unforgivable.

It was subtly noted that since the start of the game, Huang Feng was no longer acting as a soldier; everything he did on Earth was his personal responsibility.

Finally, the statement warned that if anyone used this incident as an excuse for nefarious actions against them, they would not tolerate it and would ensure any troublemakers paid dearly. In this moment of humanity’s greatest crisis, it urged all nations to remain rational and not act rashly, lest they regret it forever.

All this, of course, was the official Chinese position.

Within the Chinese-majority bases on the Moon, the mood was very different from elsewhere. The inhabitants were elated; ever since the morning, when Huang Feng began his fighter jet patrol, excitement had run high.

Previously, in the multi-ethnic base, many believed that when faced with the law of the jungle, the Chinese—though numerous—were timid, most choosing to hide or flee at the first sign of danger, earning them the ridicule of others. By contrast, some countries, particularly M and ELS, showed remarkable adaptability, with their Chosen actively hunting others from the very start. Most casualties had come from these nations, while the vast Chinese contingent had seen few losses.

As a result, many outside observers predicted that, despite their numbers, the Chinese were unlikely to win the game.

But that all changed after Huang Feng’s exploits—flying his fighter jet the length of China, subduing two adversaries with ease, and killing a tiger barehanded that night. The mockery ceased, replaced by grudging respect.

Now, in mixed bases, the Chinese voices grew louder. Every conversation seemed to center on Huang Feng. Some boldly predicted that he was now the strongest of all the Chosen. Others declared that with his fighter jet, victory in the decade-long life-and-death hunt was all but assured.

Clearly, some were becoming overconfident, their words brimming with swagger.