Earl narrowed his eyes at Mavrick, pressing him for answers."Come on, spill it. How did you two manage to escape?"
His tone was casual, almost indifferent, but inside, he was burning with curiosity. A massive biotech lab had gone up in flames tonight, security guards had been wiped out—it couldn't just be a coincidence that these two unremarkable souls were right in the middle of it… right? Then again, Earl shook his head. No way. These guys didn't look like elite soldiers or secret agents. They barely looked capable of winning a bar fight, let alone pulling off something this big.
Mavrick shivered inwardly, but something about Earl's reaction only deepened his suspicions. Was this really just some messed-up hunting game? Some brutal competition where players earned"points" for survival? And if that were the case… were they merely disposable NPCs in someone else's twisted game?
"We don't really know," Mavrick tried to play it cool."The lab caught fire, so we figured there was no reason to stick around. No work, no reason to stay, right?" He was hoping to make their involvement seem totally boring, but Earl wasn't letting go that easily.
"Do you know who set the fire?"
"Oh, we know," Dr. Chan glanced at Mavrick but said nothing. In his head, though, his thoughts were loud and clear:"The real culprit? The seemingly harmless guy standing right in front of you—the one who always calls himself a'well-behaved young man.'"
Trying to sound unsure, Mavrick said,"We saw a few young men with guns. They weren't from the lab. They didn't look like soldiers either."
"Lee's people?" Earl muttered."In this area, it's just me and Lee's group. He has plenty of goons. Did they attack the lab to earn points? But the lab had trained guards... could Lee really pull that off?"
He didn't want to believe it—but in this world, chasing points made anything possible. Even destroying a lab. Lee's family had power. They could clean up his mess.
Earl looked back toward the flames. Smoke still rose into the sky. The air stank of ash and burnt flesh.
Mavrick's chest tightened. Earl had confirmed it: other hunters were nearby. Stronger ones. That was dangerous—but also useful.
He spoke up, his voice low."Your friends are tough. That was an impressive move."
"Lies!" Earl snapped. He pressed the gun closer to Mavrick's face."They're idiots! No way they did this. You're lying!"
"As expected, the two groups weren't exactly on friendly terms—there was tension, competition, and plenty of opportunity to exploit. Mavrick mulled it over.'Still, if you want a high score,' he thought,'killing might not be the only way to get it.'"
Earl's eyes narrowed. He glanced at the camera on his chest. For a moment, he looked confused, like someone remembering an old argument.
"Why does this guy sound like my father?" he murmured.
His hand twitched over the trigger.
"You're not the first to talk about the rules," Earl said coldly."You won't be the last."
"But maybe I'm the first to understand them," Mavrick replied, not backing down.
Earl stared at him, thinking hard.
"You're right," he finally said."There are points. But the points don't really matter. What matters is… who's watching."
"So it's not just about surviving," Mavrick said."It's about being noticed."
Earl didn't answer, but he lowered the gun slightly. Not much—but enough to mean something.
Mavrick saw the change. Earl wasn't thinking of him as prey anymore. He was wondering if Mavrick was worth keeping alive.
He pressed on.
"You don't like this, do you? The killing. It's not fun—it's just something you have to do."
Earl's grin faded. His eyes looked tired. He glanced down at the camera again, like checking if someone was still watching.
"Don't try to understand me," he said."You wouldn't want to know what people give up… just to be seen."
For a moment, Mavrick saw something human in his eyes. But then it vanished.
"You said there's a better way to earn points," Earl said."Tell me."
Mavrick nodded."I will. But first, can you help me with the mine under my foot? My leg's starting to go numb."
"No chance. You could be planning something."
Mavrick could tell Earl was still alert, still unsure.
"Fine," he said."But then tell me—what are the rules?"
Something was changing now. Slowly, the power was shifting between them.
Earl rolled his shoulders. He had met talkative prey before. But this one was different. The camera on his chest kept recording everything. The more drama, the more points. And truth be told—he liked the feeling of being in charge.
What the others didn't know was that the footage was being sent live to a tower in District 19. Inside, a man in a sharp suit sat watching the screen. He tapped his desk slowly, eyes fixed on what Earl was doing.
Behind him sat an old man, eyes closed, resting on a sofa. A woman stood nearby, gently massaging his head.
"Sir, your nephew's condition is still unstable," said the woman softly."Sometimes he fully believes in this hunting game. Other times, he breaks down. When he comes back, we'll need to adjust the program to calm his brain."
"Dr. Qiu, you said before that implanting the neural interface chip would improve his condition. And now, you're changing the program? What the hell is going on?!"
Through his gold-rimmed glasses, Qiu silently observed the old man for a few seconds.
At this moment, Mr Park no longer looked like the sleepy old man he had seemed before. His eyes were fierce, deep—like a wolf ready to strike. A chill ran down Dr. Qiu's spine as he reminded himself: this man wasn't just a businessman. He was someone who seamlessly blended commerce with the underworld.
Dr. Qiu cleared his throat, choosing his words carefully.
"Sir, think back. Just a month ago, he was nothing but a drunken, game-addicted, nocturnal wreck who smashed things to vent his frustration.
Now, at least he has a goal, he has drive. Isn't that an improvement?"
Mr Park was momentarily speechless. After a pause, he sighed.
"He treats reality like a game now. Still reversed day and night, still gaining'experience points' through killing. Is that really what you call improvement?"
Dr. Qiu adjusted his glasses, his tone steady.
"As long as your influence remains, does it really matter? Who's to say reality isn't just a game? Aren't we all just playing our roles?"
The boss's gaze shifted slightly, a trace of danger flickering in his eyes.
"Doctor, don't talk philosophy with me."
"This isn't philosophy," Qiu said with a small smile, his voice calm."If he plays well, this'game' we call reality can make him as successful as you. Isn't that a good thing?"