World of Insanity

Chapter-Seven: Loosing Control

Opening the post, Zander's gaze fell on a game screenshot accompanied by a peculiar photograph. 

The screenshot was sparse in content, displaying nothing more than a stark game warning: 

**[Warning: The second bloodline you've merged with conflicts with the first one and will spiral out of control in 42 hours. Seek a resolution immediately.]**

However, it was the photograph that captured Zander's attention—a disturbing image of a hand, its palm entirely cloaked in dark, coarse hair, resembling a bear's paw at first glance. 

What was truly unsettling was that the arm attached to this monstrous paw was unmistakably human. 

"A bear paw? This looks so damn real, it almost got me, the poster's Photoshop skills are commendable—it's certainly that of a grand master level editor," Zander mused, though skepticism lingered. 

"The second bloodline is already unstable? The game's barely been out a week, and many players haven't even completed their novice tasks. How on earth did you manage to merge a second bloodline so quickly?" 

"Bow to the legend, poster! You shall forever be crowned the pioneer of losing control. Share your strategy, master!" 

The forum replies were more entertained by the absurdity of the bear-paw image than alarmed, though many marveled at the poster's rapid progression. 

Yet, Zander studied the photo with a wary expression. 

Having recently witnessed the White-robed Youth lose control in the game—a memory that lingered vividly—he couldn't shake the eerie parallel. 

"The individual responsible for this 'photo' must have encountered an NPC losing control in-game. That realism is no coincidence," Zander speculated. 

Examining the post once more, he noticed the user's name: **Rick Daniel.** A curious detail—this poster happened to reside in the same city as Zander. 

"As far as I understand, bloodlines are primarily earned through novice and mainline tasks. Could it be that this person has already tackled a mainline task?" 

The thread replies were brimming with speculation: 

- "No chance. Get ready to delete your account and start over. If even the game's NPCs can't mitigate losing control, what hope does a player have?" 

- "Look at the background—the transformation from human to monstrous beast is inevitable. If you want to excel in this game, preserving control is paramount."

- "Best of luck, poster. Let's see if you can miraculously pull through." 

- "Three minutes of silence for our brave poster." 

Sifting through the banter, Zander found little value in the thread's comments and decided to move on. 

For now, the threat of losing control wasn't his concern. His focus was fixed on unraveling the potential benefits of novice task rewards. 

His suspicion? The map he currently occupied was an advanced-level zone. Escaping would require an immediate enhancement of his capabilities. 

"The rewards are predominantly categorized into bloodlines, demon sutras, and Dao/primeval power," Zander noted. 

"Bloodlines and demon sutras are symbiotic—you can't cultivate a demon sutra without a corresponding bloodline. The progression of a sutra strengthens the bloodline, amplifying a player's overall power." 

"Primeval power serves a simpler yet indispensable function. Analogous to experience points in other games, it's primarily used to advance the levels of demon sutras." 

The forums, though scarce in activity due to the game's nascent player base, yielded a shred of clarity after nearly a quarter-hour of browsing. 

Zander finally pieced together the foundational mechanics: 

To thrive in the game's unforgiving world, one must prioritize strengthening their abilities. This progression hinged on three pillars: bloodlines, demon sutras, and dao power/primeval power. 

"Huh.. weird, why is everything related to demon but the points are called dao/primeval power, does it mean anything or I am just overthinking."

While bloodlines and demon sutras were coveted rewards obtainable only through novice and mainline tasks, primeval power had a more accessible, albeit limited, avenue: Daily Tasks. 

However, the returns on primeval power from Daily Tasks were meager—mere crumbs. Rank-one tasks barely offered a single point, while the slightly more demanding Rank-two tasks yielded three to five points. 

Complicating matters, many players struggled to complete even Rank-two tasks. 

"I genuinely hit the jackpot with that Rank-Five task," Zander reflected, a satisfied glint in his eyes. 

The stark contrast dawned on him—he had been rewarded with an astounding 30 primeval power points. For most players, amassing such wealth required completing six to ten arduous two-star tasks. 

As Zander prepared to log off the forums, a newly posted thread caught his attention. 

The poster's name was **Kaeler.** 

Beneath the post was a game screenshot showcasing a demon sutra titled "Green Wolf Sutra" accompanied by the word 'Perfection.' 

"It's him!" Zander exclaimed internally, recognition sparking instantly. 

He recalled Kaeler's earlier post from before he had entered the game—a thread proudly proclaiming Kaeler's achievement in advancing his sutra to the Great Accomplishment level. That was three days ago. 

"I can only imagine how many demon power points it must have taken to elevate the sutra from Great Accomplishment to Perfection. One thing's certain—it wasn't a trivial amount," Zander thought, his expression tinged with respect. 

"Kaeler is no ordinary player. His ability to accrue demon power at such an impressive rate is… remarkable." 

Predictably, Kaeler's post had already become a magnet for forum activity: 

- "Kaeler, the deity of progress! None can rival your prowess." 

- "O mighty one, guide us mere mortals!" 

- "Please add me, great master Kaeler. Consider my humble request." 

The people of the forums were going crazy after Kaeler, Zander won't be surprised even if someone agrees to suck Kaeler's zick.

Kaeler's meteoric rise to fame did little to incite envy in Zander. On the contrary, it fueled his own anticipation. Why would he even get envied, Kaeler is just another fool to surpassed by my foot. His mind was only occupied by one thing, What heights could he reach with his extraordinary immortal inheritance.

The game said that it is left by a great immortal, and he could bet his life that it won't be something useless or stupid.

"Ten o'clock. Time for rest," Zander murmured. 

Closing the forum and glancing at the clock, he decided against waiting for the game's midnight reset. With work looming, prioritizing a good night's sleep took precedence. Late nights, after all, were a habit best left avoided.