World’s End: My Keyword is One More Than Others

The Alien Star warriors were full of energy. As long as they had enough stamina, they could go without sleep, making five days feel like ten.

The disparity in troop strength between the enemy and us was too vast.

Even if Du Ge could stir up his soldiers' ferocity and greed, facing an enemy several times their number would likely be futile.

Therefore.

The key to winning this war still lay with him. In this world, individual combat power could determine the outcome of a war.

Cao Lin was the spiritual pillar of the Cao family army. Defeating him would strip his troops of their fighting spirit.

Without logistical support, they would surely be swiftly defeated.

For an Alien Star warrior, enhancing attributes was the fastest way to grow. Luo Shuang's foundation was too small. Even in times of crisis, sticking by her side wouldn't yield much in terms of loyalty attributes.

Since loyalty wasn't an option, he would focus on trends.

The reason Du Ge always stood out was largely due to the rich cultural heritage of Earth behind him.

Without interference from Pan-Universal Entertainment, Earth's culture was diverse and flourishing, unlike Qi Yuan Star, which had been oppressed by Pan-Universal Entertainment for over two hundred years. The people there were numb and only focused on Keywords.

Stirring up a trend of wolf-like culture among the soldiers was just one part.

Wolf-like culture spread too slowly.

The most suitable trends to influence were not lofty ideals like gender equality, enlightenment, or economic trends, but rather entertainment and fashion that the general public could easily accept.

High-end academic pursuits were effective but too slow, requiring a lot of effort to popularize and teach, and they were easily resisted. If not handled well, they wouldn't spread and would die prematurely.

Forcibly popularizing them would take years, even decades.

But popular things were different.

The entertainment tools Du Ge introduced in Linyang City, such as Pai Gow, Mahjong, cards, and chess, spread among the people in just a few days. No matter how severe the situation, entertainment was indispensable. Moreover, these games were simple, easy to replicate, and highly addictive.

Promoted by the government, they spread easily.

In just a few days, they became popular in all the towns under Luo Shuang's jurisdiction...

At the same time.

Du Ge also launched the "Linyang Daily," constantly promoting the latest news from various places to the public.

For example, the movements of various countries, the current situation of the Heavenly Demon, news from the battlefield, and so on.

Public opinion could most influence trends.

Du Ge had to control public opinion at all costs.

The gameplay of Pai Gow, Mahjong, and other entertainment tools was promoted through the Linyang Daily. Along with Mahjong and Pai Gow, Du Ge also introduced the concept of astrology.

When Du Ge was in school, his classmates were very keen on this stuff.

Back then.

To please a girl, Du Ge had studied these things extensively, so he was quite adept at it.

So, every experience in life is a valuable asset; you never know when it might come in handy.

Aries, Taurus, Gemini... these simple and easy-to-understand zodiac signs, combined with people's birth dates and fortunes, sparked a new trend among the public, rivaling the popularity of entertainment games like Pai Gow.

These vague, simple things were much more acceptable than mystical divinations.

Aries were carefree, lively, and energetic but too impulsive and impatient;

Taurus were stable, reliable, and good at managing finances but too stubborn and possessive;

Gemini were smart, witty, and adaptable...

When the concept of astrology spread through the Linyang Daily.

The people of Linyang City easily found their corresponding zodiac signs and eagerly followed their fortunes;

"Capricorn's monthly fortune: Four stars... At the beginning of the month, Mercury enters Taurus, Libra's full moon, Mercury retrograde. This month, your stable relationships may undergo changes, showing a tendency towards polarization. You might face conflicts in emotions or cooperation, or have disputes with friends and family. Be cautious with your words and actions, and adjust your communication style..."

"Cancer's monthly fortune: Four stars; Benefactor zodiac sign, Taurus; Adversary zodiac sign, Aries; At the beginning of the month, pay extra attention to family-related matters..."

"Aquarius's monthly fortune: Five stars..."

...

The public was enthusiastic about free divination.

The Barnum effect, using vague and general statements to describe a person, made people easily believe that the description was about themselves...

This was the reason why astrology spread so quickly.

Trends and trade were similar; the same group of people could be repeatedly influenced, unconsciously leading their behavior and changing their thoughts without them realizing it.

Du Ge's attributes soared, doubling in just a few days, growing much faster than the painstaking efforts he had previously put into gender equality.

Du Ge's sudden change in style left all the Alien Star warriors bewildered.

What was going on?

Du Ge's Keyword should be reform, rebellion, or public opinion, right?

How did he come up with a set of entertainment tools and astrology?

Could his Keyword be related to entertainment and trends?

But if it were related to trends, how did he manage to climb to the top in the first month without creating any trends?

Moreover, if it were trends, he had no reason to cultivate a fallen princess, putting himself in such a passive position.

What exactly was his Keyword?

Everyone was confused. Du Ge's actions were so erratic that no single Keyword could match his behavior.

Not just the Alien Star warriors inside.

Outside.

The audience of Pan-Universal Entertainment, watching Du Ge and the Keywords trailing behind him—loyalty—were equally puzzled. They clearly understood the game rules.

But Du Ge's growth trajectory didn't match his Keyword attributes at all.

...

"Does Du Ge's behavior align with loyalty? I seriously suspect Pan-Universal Entertainment of manipulating the game and breaking the rules."

"If this kind of loyalty can take first place, it's unfair to the other contestants."

"Scandal, Pan-Universal Entertainment is forcibly blurring the definition of Keywords to create a traffic star. Please disclose Du Ge's real Keyword, or I will blacklist this show forever."

"Scandal, scandal."

"I demand a refund of my previous bets; this is an unfair gamble."

...

Last time, Du Ge helped Pan-Universal Entertainment recover its ratings on the Alien Star Battlefield.

This time, the audience for the Alien Star Battlefield was particularly large. They could clearly see the Keywords and rankings of the contestants.

The top ten were their main focus and where they placed most of their bets.

Du Ge's sudden rise and his growth trajectory, which didn't match his Keyword at all, caused a massive uproar on the forums.

After all, not everyone had bet on Du Ge.

Those who had bet on other contestants saw Du Ge's actions and Keywords not matching at all, yet he firmly held the first place. Naturally, this sparked their dissatisfaction, and protests filled the forums.

If it were just for entertainment, people would laugh it off. But when it involved the casino and interests behind it, it was different.

Once the scandalous voices emerged, betting on other contestants almost completely stopped. No one wanted to participate in an unfair gamble.

Even betting on Du Ge became cautious due to the rampant scandalous voices, gradually reducing the amount of bets...

Seeing the most profitable betting pool shrink because of Du Ge.

Pan-Universal Entertainment's executives were in a frenzy, and the technical staff worked overtime, analyzing Du Ge's actions and the data behind them, only to find everything normal.

The backend showed his Keyword was indeed loyalty, with no detected loopholes or bugs.

In response.

Pan-Universal Entertainment had no choice but to issue a forced announcement:

"The game data is all normal. Rankings are influenced not just by attributes but also by the impact on the world, a comprehensive data assessment. The backend data will be made public after the competition for anyone to verify.

A moment of glory doesn't guarantee lasting success. Du Ge's odds will be adjusted accordingly. Please feel free to place your bets. If Du Ge wins in the end, Pan-Universal Entertainment will pay out all amounts truthfully."

Nothing could prove the authenticity of the data more than adjusting the odds.

After all.

If Du Ge won, Pan-Universal Entertainment would have to pay real money.

One announcement silenced all the gamblers, and then a large amount of money was bet on Du Ge.

Gamblers, hoping for Du Ge's final victory, even began to lavishly reward him with mental power through live streaming platforms.

Of course, some gamblers were willing to bet on other dark horses, placing bets on other contestants.

After all, the odds for underdogs were higher, and to ensure their victory, they also started mass rewards.

Pan-Universal Entertainment's betting pool finally returned to normal.

Meanwhile, on Qi Yuan Star, Bai Long wore a grim expression as he supervised the technical staff on Pan-Universal Entertainment's spaceship, analyzing every frame of data from Du Ge's Simulation Field and reviewing past recordings of Qi Yuan Star's victories on the Alien Star Battlefield, trying to find any loopholes.

Not just the audience, even he felt that Du Ge's use and growth of Keywords were somewhat abnormal.

After all.

He had been on Qi Yuan Star for two hundred years, knew its culture best, and understood its training mechanisms.

Mahjong, Pai Gow, and astrology were not things from Qi Yuan Star, yet Du Ge could introduce them in such a short time. This was inherently abnormal, not matching his age and experience.

If the past recordings of Qi Yuan Star didn't have these things, then Du Ge indeed had a problem. No matter how talented, he couldn't conjure knowledge out of thin air.

If Du Ge had a problem, it could potentially affect the company's operations in future Alien Star Battlefields...

To appease the public, the company forcibly raised Du Ge's odds, leading to a flood of bets. If he took first place, the company would definitely lose money.

At this point.

Bai Long even felt the urge to have Du Ge die on the Alien Star Battlefield to prove the game's fairness.

But he couldn't interfere with the game's progress. If they forcibly intervened and it got exposed, it would be a real disaster for the company.

...