Chapter 83

In the following days, Qifeng was completely engrossed in the game, almost to the point of neglecting sleep and meals. Of course, for Qifeng, this was not just a simple game; it was the stepping stone to the space age, the compass for the vast universe, and the guidebook to save a galaxy. Indeed, Qifeng had never felt such a great sense of mission and responsibility while playing a game. Even the approaching final exams could not shake his determination to complete the game as soon as possible.

The game had many side quests, but Qifeng, focused on speed, had no interest in them. The game would be there for him to explore in detail later. He wanted to see how Shepard defeated the Reapers. He saw the Normandy, the pinnacle of galactic technology, which he almost got to board. He encountered various strange alien races and different types of planetary terrains. Of course, there was also the Citadel, the center of the galaxy, which Shepard often mentioned.

"Truly an incredible space age!" Qifeng couldn't help but exclaim as he looked at the screen, where the Citadel, a massive artificial structure composed of five giant arms connected by a central ring, was displayed.

As for Shepard's enemy, the Reaper known as the "Sovereign," Qifeng also saw it. It was completely different from what he had imagined. The "Reaper" was not a robot of human size like the "Terminator," but a colossal mechanical life form, a warship measured in kilometers... well, if you could call that beetle-like shape a warship.

The only thing that surprised Qifeng was... the game ended early!

Qifeng clearly remembered that Jacob, one of Shepard's subordinates, had once said that Shepard had already defeated "Sovereign" and saved the galaxy, and was now continuing to track the Reapers. But in the game he was playing, defeating Sovereign marked the end of the game.

As the credits for the game's creators began to roll, Qifeng confirmed that he had indeed completed the game. "What's going on?" Qifeng quickly asked, "Old Five, when is the sequel coming out?"

Old Five, who had also been engrossed in Mass Effect, was lying on the bed with headphones on, playing on his laptop. Hearing Qifeng's voice, he took off the headphones and looked down. "You finished it so quickly?... Ah, what a waste... Like Zhu Bajie eating the ginseng fruit, you finished it so fast. It's a masterpiece, such a vast world. Take your time to appreciate it!"

Qifeng waved his hand. "I'll have plenty of chances to appreciate it. I just want to know if the sequel is out."

Old Five, thinking Qifeng meant starting a new game, didn't pay much attention. "Are you kidding? This game has only been out for a few months. The sequel usually takes at least a year or two."

A year or two? Although Qifeng knew this was normal for game development, he wasn't willing to wait that long. Since that was the case, he decided to take it one step at a time. Although the future plot was unknown, at least he had a good understanding of the basic knowledge of the Mass Effect universe after these few days of gaming, so he wouldn't act like a wild man from the deep mountains again.

He went to the bathroom, changed into the equipment he brought back from the Sword and Fairy world, checked everything to make sure it was correct, and quietly activated his abilities, mentally locking onto Omega. He pushed the door open...

...

He was back in the Mass Effect world, on Omega.

In the first version of Mass Effect that Qifeng played, there didn't seem to be this place. "Maybe it's a map that will be opened in the sequel or later..." Qifeng speculated to himself. He followed the stairs up, through the same door and the same route as before.

When he came out of the passage, he arrived at the place where he had met Shepard before. This time, there were no alien thugs trying to rob him. The ugly Volus from the blood pack who had tried to rob him and called their comrades for revenge were nowhere to be seen. It seemed that after so many days, the news had died down. On Omega, a lawless place, countless people died every day, and these few small fry were probably long forgotten.

Perhaps because it was his second visit, or because he had some understanding of the world from the game, Qifeng was finally able to observe his surroundings with a relatively calm mind.

There was no sky here, and the gaps in the metal walls revealed the towering rock formations behind. Looking up, he could see some buildings hanging down from the top, like stalactites. Of course, with humanity already beyond the Kuiper Belt, this level of architecture was not surprising.

What should Qifeng do first? Find the protagonist, Shepard? Of course not.

Shepard was tracking the Reapers across the galaxy. After so many days, how could she still be here? Besides, he didn't even have her phone number. In fact, this era didn't use phones anymore.

She had mentioned going to find the ruler of Omega. Perhaps the ruler of Omega could contact Shepard, but how could he meet the ruler of Omega? He was just a poor, new arrival with no special title like a Spectre. The ruler of Omega was like the president of a planet, and you couldn't just meet them whenever you wanted.

Actually, Qifeng didn't think it mattered whether he found Shepard or not. From the first game, Shepard was a born hero, a battle-hardened and fearless protagonist, not some inexperienced rookie like Li Xiaoyao. Even without his help, she could probably defeat the Reapers. After all, she had already defeated one. Instead of following her, he might as well explore what good things this world had to offer.

Qifeng walked through the dark red-lit Omega, wearing a Taoist robe and clutching the Golden Child Sword. His unusual attire didn't stand out in this multi-racial world. Most passersby didn't even glance at him, which made Qifeng feel much more at ease.

Qifeng wandered around for a bit and stopped a human on the street to ask about the location of the commercial district. The human spoke Chinese, but Qifeng now knew that everyone speaking Chinese wasn't because Chinese had spread throughout the galaxy. Instead, everyone in this world had a god-like smart device called the omni-tool. (To be continued. Search for Piaowen.com for better updates and faster updates!)