Chapter 46: First Contact with Players
Meanwhile, on the other side of the campus, a player named XB was bragging to his fans.
He had no idea it was orientation day at Wake Forest University. After finally earning enough money from part-time jobs to buy a map of Dockland and reveal the entire city area, he had decided to walk over to the university early that morning and start a live stream. He never expected to walk into such a lively scene.
"My dear viewers, it looks like we got lucky! It's orientation day at Wake Forest. You've all seen the Apocalypse TV series, so maybe today's the day the Life Alchemy Society throws the alchemical bomb. You know, what the officials call a 'major event.' If I accidentally get blown up, you all owe me some tips."
He scanned the crowd. "Hey, look at that girl! She's gorgeous—long legs, great figure. Her whole vibe is different from everyone else. Let's go say hi, see if we can get a quest."
As he spoke, XB quickly cast a reconnaissance spell.
[Based on your level, you have obtained the following information:]
[Rosie Lily - Alchemy Department Sophomore]
[Level: ?]
[Attributes: Spirit 21, Others ?]
[Danger Level: Medium]
Just as I thought, she's special, XB thought, his face flushing with excitement. He hurried to catch up with Luo Xi. After finally falling into step beside her, he mustered up the courage to speak. "Excuse me—"
Before he could finish the sentence, a line of text ruthlessly appeared above the NPC's head.
[Favorability -5]
XB: "???"
What did I even do?
"lololol, I guess the NPC thinks you're too ugly."
"She's the bane of all e-girls, her reputation is well-deserved."
"XB, baby, don't cry. Mommy still loves you. A mother never thinks her child is ugly."
"Simp moms, get out!"
Facing the ridicule from his fans, XB remained undeterred. His eyes soon lit up again as he spotted a new target.
"That looks like the second female lead from the official trailer, Chrissy Bredenholzer. Forget the last one; this is the real meal ticket."
XB put on a gentlemanly air and stepped in front of Chris Bredenholzer. He cleared his throat, but before he could speak, another notification popped up over her head: [Favorability -7]. She shot him a disdainful look, snorted, and walked away.
"lololol, confirmed, he's kryptonite for e-girls."
"Don't cry, XB, stand up and be strong!"
XB: "?????"
At this point, even he was starting to feel insecure. Am I really that ugly?
He began to question his life choices and opened his game panel to check his stats. His Charm was listed as 39 (-6 for Disheveled Appearance).
A minus six penalty?
XB: "…"
Only then did he realize that in his rush to get online that morning, he was still wearing yesterday's clothes, and his shirt buttons were misaligned.
Whoa. This game's attention to detail is insane.
He quickly ducked to the side to fix his shirt, frantically explaining to his stream, "Guys, that was just an accident. We were in a bit of a rush to get the stream going this morning… What the hell?"
From his new vantage point, he spotted a familiar figure. Damn, he's handsome! Isn't that the protagonist, Wayne Stewell? The artists definitely spent extra time on his model. Even I think he's good-looking.
XB quickly switched his stream to a first-person perspective. "Look who I found, guys!"
"HOLY CRAP!"
"My husband…"
"XB, go say hi! See if you can get in good with him!"
…
Seeing his follower count skyrocket, XB couldn't stop grinning. He quickly slicked his hair back with a bit of spit, straightened his collar, and swaggered over.
As he got closer to the game's protagonist, XB felt a wave of pressure. The man's appearance was just that striking.
"Hello, husband! My name is XB. I'm your idol—no, wait, you're my idol." Overcome with nerves, XB stumbled over his words.
Zhou Ning had been wondering how he was going to make contact with XB, so he was surprised when the player came running right over. He was even more taken aback by the streamer's opening line.
Zhou Ning: "…"
Dude, act normal. You're creeping me out.
Zhou Ning noticed a 'Favorability' button appear next to XB's player ID. He tapped it, and a new prompt appeared on his panel: Favorability: 0.
Tapping the number again revealed an adjustable slider. Left was for decreasing favorability, right was for increasing it. The interface was crystal clear.
[Adjust favorability for player [XB]?]
Zhou Ning decided it was safer to lower it for now. He clicked the bar and dragged it slightly to the left.
[Wayne Stewell's favorability toward you has decreased by 5. Current status: Cold.]
"No!!!"
XB felt like he'd been struck by lightning. He wanted to slap himself. Losing favorability with other NPCs was one thing, but this was the main character! Who knew what would happen if his standing dropped too low?
Although he found the player's behavior off-putting, XB was the only one he could currently contact. Zhou Ning thought for a moment, then asked, "I don't believe we've met. Are you a tourist here for the welcome ceremony?"
"Yes, yes!" XB snapped out of his panic and nodded frantically, trying to salvage the situation.
"Oh. In that case, could you do me a small favor?" Zhou Ning asked with a smile.
In the real world, asking a complete stranger for a favor would earn you a weird look, if not an accusation of being a scammer.
But gamers were not normal people.
Upon hearing the question, XB's eyes lit up. He nodded even more vigorously. "Sure, sure! Anything you need!"
[Issue a quest to player XB?]
Zhou Ning took a deep breath. It was time to test the quest system.
"Yes."
[Please set the mission level, requirements, and rewards. The highest level is A, and the lowest is E.]
[Mission rewards can be set to anything: money, items, experience, skills, etc.]
[Your current daily experience pool for rewards is limited to 20,000. The maximum reward for a single quest is 4,000. Refreshes every 24 hours.]
He tapped 'Edit Quest,' and a complex interface popped up. On the left, he could set the quest type—ordinary, random, chained, faction, series, and so on. On the right was the quest name, with the description below.
I guess being an NPC isn't so easy, Zhou Ning mused. You practically need to be proficient in Excel.
He thought for a moment, then created an E-level limited-time quest with a ten-minute timer.
"I'm a bit busy at the moment and haven't had time to get breakfast. Could you bring some back for me?"
"Okay, okay! I'll go right now!" At that moment, XB received the quest notification.
[You have triggered the E-level mission: Breakfast Run. Accept? Yes/No?]
[Quest Description: Wayne Stewell is hungry and has asked you to buy him breakfast. Will you help him or walk away? The choice is yours.]
[Quest Level: E]
[Quest Objective: Buy a delicious breakfast.]
[Reward: 800 Experience, 1 Roshen.]
XB was a little confused by the meager rewards, but he keenly sensed this was his chance to redeem himself. It could even be a prerequisite for a much larger questline! The reward was pitiful, but this had to be a test!
Seeing the ten-minute countdown begin, XB didn't dare waste a second. He sprinted to the breakfast shop across the street and spent all his money on the most expensive meal they offered before running all the way back.
"Your breakfast," XB said, panting as he handed the food to Zhou Ning. At the same time, he received the quest completion notification.
"Thank you," Zhou Ning said with a smile, then nudged the favorability slider slightly to the right.
…
[Wayne Stewell's favorability toward you has increased by 3. Current status: Indifferent.]
XB breathed a sigh of relief. His investment had paid off, at least a little. He was about to speak when the NPC in front of him spoke again, and his words made XB's heart leap.
"You seem like a good person. I'm in a bit of trouble and could use some help. Can I trust you?"
"Yes! Of course! You can count on me!" XB patted his chest excitedly. I knew it! I'm a pro. This has to be a chain quest!
"An attack is going to take place at the orientation ceremony today. There should be four suspicious individuals carrying alchemical bombs. If you see anything, do not act rashly. Notify me immediately."
Zhou Ning began editing the quest box again.
[You have triggered the D-level mission: Terrorist Threat. Accept? Yes/No?]
[Quest Description: Assist the protagonist, Wayne Stewell, and the Day Watchers in finding four suspicious individuals.]
[Quest Level: D]
[Quest Objective: Resolve the crisis.]
[Reward: 2,000 Experience, Access to Wayne Stewell's personal shop.]
"I knew it! Hahaha, I, XB, am the chosen one!" The quest reward made XB's eyes turn red as he roared internally. He couldn't believe he'd stumbled into a major story event so soon after starting the game.
The moment the quest appeared on screen, his live stream chat exploded.
"WTF, this idiot has the best luck! It's not fair!"
"Go back to pro gaming! Stop teasing us like this!"
"See? I told you Wayne Stewell was the protagonist! The quest description confirms it!"
The smug streamer ignored the salty comments and accepted the mission. With his eyes wide and his ears perked, he began scanning the crowd for anyone who looked suspicious.
Watching XB's retreating back, Zhou Ning smiled softly. He didn't actually care if XB found any clues. The goal of this contact was to test the NPC functions and, more importantly, to motivate the players. The results were very satisfying. He could already think of countless new ways to make money.
XB probably has a lot of viewers, he thought. When they see the benefits he's getting, they'll be stimulated to play more. Isn't he just helping me cultivate a new crop of leeks?
---
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