Chapter 45: Player's First Day
As a professional gamer, XB had been paying close attention to Apocalypse, a game hailed as a second world, ever since its announcement. Not only did he become a popular figure on the forums with a professional review post, but his good luck also landed him one of only 200 closed beta slots available worldwide.
The game did not disappoint. The moment he entered the game world through the official hardware, he was stunned by the hyper-realistic experience.
He felt like he was actually standing on the streets of medieval Europe. An engineering shop was at his back, and a busy vegetable market was just a short distance away. The air was thick with the smell of fish, punctuated by the calls of passing hawkers.
A few steps away was the bustling city street, where the crowd moved forward slowly, like a colony of ants. Although it was raining, the visibility was remarkably high. He could even make out the facial contours of the three heroic statues over twenty meters tall in the distance.
What surprised XB the most was that, just as the trailer had shown, the other side of the street was covered in heavy snow. A stark black-and-white line on the ground separated the blizzard from the drizzling rain just a few feet away—a spectacular sight completely unlike the static, pre-rendered scenery in other virtual online games.
When did Blue Star's technology get this advanced? Wait, did I actually travel through time?
XB suddenly remembered something and nervously reached down to feel around.
Phew, thankfully, the little guy is still there.
He gave it a little pinch.
It even hurts! This is awesome!
I just don't know if it's functional. I heard there's a red-light district in this game. If I ever get the money, I have to go check it out.
Passersby stared in horror at the man with his hand in his crotch, muttering to himself, and quickly gave him a wide berth.
XB's face flushed red. He shamelessly pulled his hand out, brought it to his nose, and took a whiff. Tsk, it stinks.
Smells exactly the same as usual. This is so damn real. My mind is blown!
Then, following the beginner's guide from character creation, he called up his stat panel.
Name: XB
Race: Human
Age: 24
Level: 1
Occupation: Engineer Apprentice
Natural Force Affinity: 42
Arcane Affinity: 25
Talent: None
Personal Attributes: Strength 12, Agility 9, Stamina 10, Will 12, Spirit 12, Charm 45
Health: 10
Willpower: 12/12
Mana: 0
Skills: None
Personal Expertise: None
Clan Motto: None
Influence: None
Legend: 0
The panel attributes were excellent. Not only did he have the Engineer Apprentice profession right from the start, but his Natural Force Affinity had also reached 42. XB felt that his future in Apocalypse was looking very bright.
Before playing, XB had studied the official information. Players would either be assigned to one of a few fixed starting points and begin from scratch, or they would have a completely random start, including their occupation and initial identity.
Looks like I'm one of the lucky randoms. According to the official info, a Natural Affinity of 42 would be great for a Warrior. However, the ambitious XB shrugged it off. What's so cool about Warriors? I wouldn't be caught dead playing one. If I'm going to play something, it's going to be a Gunner!
XB clenched his fists, his eyes gleaming with ambition.
"This closed beta only lasts three days. I have to devote all my energy to exploring this world's quests, gaining enough experience, and latching onto my husband—bah, I mean, latching onto Wayne Stewell's thigh. The official promo claims this is a 'living, breathing world,' that our progress from the beta won't be wiped for the official launch, and that NPCs' memories and favorability will be preserved. But a game is just a game. It can't really breathe..."
XB scoffed inwardly, brimming with confidence. Just as he was about to set off on his grand adventure, a roar erupted from the engineering shop behind him.
"You worthless bum! If you want to get paid, get your ass in here and work! I don't pay slackers in my shop!"
"Hey, coming!" XB responded reflexively, hurrying into the store.
A few hours later, XB finally clocked out. He looked at the money he'd earned and his Engineer Apprentice skill, now at level 3. A sense of grievance washed over him as he sighed.
This game... is so fucking fun!
That same day, the entire world of Apocalypse was in chaos. Many areas were flooded with what seemed to be identity-less refugees who behaved in bizarre ways.
Some were openly hitting on women in the street, others were talking to themselves, and a few even dropped their pants in public.
Of course, such foolish players were a minority. In other countries, cities, and novice settlements across the world of Apocalypse, most players, like XB, were diligently trying to level up.
These players either inherited the identity of an NPC or gathered in groups at the designated starting areas, running around and enthusiastically completing quests according to their own whims.
The game's beginning was incredibly varied, immersive, challenging, and interesting. The completely authentic world had players unknowingly addicted from the start.
…
Meanwhile, Zhou Ning lay on his bed, scrolling through the posts on the official forum.
The Apocalypse forum was buzzing with activity.
The closed beta had been live for nearly ten hours, and countless game-related posts had appeared, though most were of little value. However, a common sentiment echoed through them all: every player had experienced the true charm of Apocalypse.
That charm was its realism.
This was a completely real world. Players could feel that authenticity in every aspect of the game—something no other title could offer.
> [Anyone else feel like leveling is way too slow? It took me 10 hours just to reach level 3!]
> This game is seriously addictive. I planned to log off at 10, but next thing I knew, it was the middle of the night. I think I might be a masochist. I get chewed out by NPCs all day, and I'm secretly enjoying it.
> [Has anyone noticed how much this game is like the real world? I talked to a bunch of NPCs, and every single one has their own backstory. Wow.]
After browsing for a while, Zhou Ning came across an interesting post.
The author was named XB, an old acquaintance of his and a well-known figure on the forum. The post was short and, much like its author, dripping with arrogance.
> Hey everyone, first day of the closed beta here. I spawned on the streets of Docklands, not far from the game's protagonist, Wayne Stewell. I started with a stable job and a way to grind experience right off the bat. I'm already level 4.
>
> The realism in this game is just insane. Take my in-game boss, for example. He's this cranky old man, and I spent the whole afternoon getting yelled at by him, but he never repeated a single line of dialogue. What the hell.
>
> I was starting to think he was a real person.
>
> Hahaha, tomorrow morning I plan to head to Wick University to get close to the protagonist and see if I can trigger any quests.
>
> By the way, looking for other players who spawned in Docklands. We can team up and go together tomorrow.
Zhou Ning couldn't help but laugh. After all this time, the player who spawned closest to me is this guy.
Below XB's post, quite a few people had already replied.
> "XB, get lost! Go back to your pro scene! You not only got a beta key but also a prime spawn location. Can you please stop rubbing it in?"
> "Spawned in the Ruins. Just passing through with tears in my eyes."
> "I'm even worse off. I started in Mortel, in the far north. It's more than a half-month journey just to get to the Kingdom of Bryston."
> "XB, after you meet Wayne, can you start a live broadcast for those of us who couldn't get into the game?"
Then came XB's own reply: "Dear viewers, rest assured, the live broadcast room is already open. The room number is: XXXXX."
Watching the exchange between these players, an idea began to form in Zhou Ning's mind.
There shouldn't be many players in Docklands, so they won't cause any real trouble, but there's not much profit to be made from them either. I'll just focus on completing my own missions.
But there is one thing... if XB really starts a live stream, it could be my chance to attract another wave of fans...
…
The next morning, Zhou Ning woke up early.
He went to the bathroom to wash his face, then picked out his most decent-looking outfit: a white shirt, a black vest, and a black jacket. For a rare occasion, he even tied on a bow tie.
Looking at his reflection in the mirror, Zhou Ning thought he looked even more handsome and scholarly than before.
When he walked out of his room, John was already up, sitting in a chair in formal attire and teasing Polly.
Zhou Ning wasn't surprised to see him up so early. Today was freshman registration day. As a self-proclaimed playboy, John naturally had to join the festivities and see if there were any pretty new classmates—in truth, most of the boys had the same idea.
Seeing Zhou Ning, he couldn't help but whistle. "Looking sharp!"
"Thank you." Zhou Ning put on his black half-top hat and smiled.
The two walked down the stairs and headed slowly toward the campus gate.
It was only seven in the morning, but the atmosphere was entirely different from the previous day. If yesterday was a warm-up, today was a full-blown festival.
A large welcome banner hung over the main gate, and reception tables for each department had been set up. Long queues had already formed in front of many tables, while older students bustled about, handing out flyers.
Zhou Ning glanced around and first spotted Cherry. The girl was tall with a curvy figure, making her stand out in the crowd. Then he found Ian, who was much harder to recognize. Compared to yesterday, he was now wearing a wig that conveniently covered his receding hairline.
They were both dressed in Wick University student uniforms, sitting at the registration table for the Alchemy Department.
They're certainly brave.
John muttered to Zhou Ning, slightly confused, "Is that beauty from the Alchemy Department? Why haven't I seen her before?"
"Well, she's sitting there, so I assume so," Zhou Ning replied with a helpless twitch of his lips.
He knew what John's next sentence would be.
Sure enough.
"Come on, let's go take a look." John grabbed Zhou Ning's arm and started squeezing through the crowd.
Their eyes met Cherry's. Zhou Ning smiled and gave her a slight nod before letting John drag him over. Polly wasn't there, and the two seats beside Cherry were empty. John immediately sat down next to her and began to chat her up.
Cherry was a little surprised, but she had a job to do, so she had to greet new students while entertaining John's advances.
What made matters worse, and what Cherry failed to notice, was that John's "son" had gotten bored and was crawling around under the table. Finally, it lifted its leg and urinated on the corner of her skirt.
Zhou Ning looked up at the sky in silence. Is it really just marking its vehicle?
He didn't have the heart to warn her, nor did he join John at the table. Instead, he stood back and scanned the area.
By now, more and more freshmen were arriving to register. According to the schedule, the various departmental orientations would begin around nine o'clock.
Sherlock had said the alchemical bomb would be large. Zhou Ning scanned the area but didn't see any suspicious individuals. He did, however, see a familiar, sneaky-looking figure in the distance, with a player ID floating over his head.
Zhou Ning blinked in surprise. Isn't that XB?
---
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