"Hey, Guildmaster, what's our next move?" A burly young man with severe acne suddenly asked.
Luo Dian vaguely remembered this guy. His codename was "Bear," and he'd served as the main tank in Jia Shuai's team for a long time, one of Jia Shuai's two key lieutenants.
Jia Shuai already had a plan ready. "Given our team is still weak," he replied without hesitation, "my suggestion is to tackle a few low-level Illusions first. We need to accumulate experience and points. Only with a solid foundation can we go further... Zai Pang, any suggestions for the Illusion?"
"Zai Pang" was the codename of the nerdy, chubby Stark Shi. His deep knowledge of anime and games had earned him a spot in Jia Shuai's team after their last Illusion, focusing on intel gathering and strategy analysis.
Pushed up his thick, black-rimmed glasses with deliberate flair when called upon by the "Guildmaster," Stark Shi surveyed the group. "As the Guildmaster said, our fledgling team lacks the strength and experience for overly complex Illusions right now. So, I propose we start with something familiar..."
"You mean going back to that 'Zombie Siege' Illusion? But I heard re-entering a previous Illusion requires a rare special item," challenged a tall, wiry guy with dark skin – Jia Shuai's other lieutenant, codenamed "Miner."
"Not at all! Not at all!" Stark Shi shook a stubby finger, a hint of smugness on his face. "Familiar doesn't mean the same Illusion. It means Illusions with similar worldviews and enemy types."
"The 'Zombie Siege' Illusion we just survived falls under the category of modern urban, biohazard-type Illusions. If we target other Illusions within that classification, we can leverage the experience and skills we gained last time. That significantly boosts our survival odds."
The group nodded silently. While most weren't fond of the slightly pretentious little guy, they had to admit his skills in Illusion intel collation and analysis were solid.
"So, Zai Pang, any specific Illusions fit the bill?" asked the team's sole female member, codenamed "Cutie-Duo" Wang Ke.
The chubby guy was prepared. He pulled several photocopied sheets from his pocket, distributing them. "I checked the official registry. While biohazard Illusions are a broad category, setting the preconditions to modern urban scenes narrows it down considerably... I've listed the viable options here, with notes on their characteristics and potential rewards. Take a look."
The team grabbed the lists, sparking heated debate as they scanned the names.
"How about the World War Z Illusion?" "Get lost! The zombies there run faster than you! Go die alone if you want, don't drag us!" "Hey, there's a Walking Dead Illusion? Let's go there! Those zombies are famously weak..." "No way! Didn't you read the notes? The challenge isn't the zombies; it's dealing with hostile NPCs. I don't want my head cut off in my sleep!" "What about Dawn of the Dead? I remember seeing that one. Zai Pang, why isn't it on your list? Did you miss it?" "You didn't read the damn details! The Dawn of the Dead Illusion has low difficulty and player caps. The US authorities claimed it as a training ground for their own rookies ages ago. Off-limits to foreign players." "Seriously? Each Illusion's file is like a novel. Who reads all that?"
Sometimes, democracy wasn't ideal. The debate within Jia Shuai's team dragged on fruitlessly, devolving into sniping and rising tempers. The atmosphere grew so tense a fight seemed imminent.
Bang!
A large hand slammed down on the table. Jia Shuai stood, his face dark as he scanned the suddenly silent team members. "Enough!" he barked. "I asked for discussion, not petty squabbling and insults!... Zai Pang! Next time something like this comes up, present only two or three pre-vetted options. No more open lists!"
"Uh... y-yes, Guildmaster," Stark Shi stammered, surreptitiously wiping sweat from his brow, caught off guard by the rebuke.
Just then, a line of urgent red text scrolled across the LCD screen mounted on the cafeteria wall. A ripple of movement went through the room. Players eating paused; many simply dropped their trays and headed for the exits.
"What's happening?" Wang Ke ("Cutie-Duo") looked around, confused by the sudden activity, then shot a questioning glance at Stark Shi.
"Probably an emergency alert popped up in the Mission Hall," Stark Shi explained quickly. "See, the risk and reward of each Illusion isn't fixed. Some are low-risk, high-reward; others are the opposite."
"Naturally, players flock to the good deals and avoid the bad ones. The Mission Hall exists to balance that out. Usually, the authorities offer points or gear as incentives to steer players towards less popular Illusions. Sometimes private individuals post tasks too."
"The more urgent the task, the higher the pay... but the risk spikes too, obviously."
"Questions later," Jia Shuai cut in, standing abruptly after a moment's thought, his voice grave. "This alert feels unusual. We're checking it out."
...
At the next table, Luo Dian had heard every word. The mention of an urgent task piqued his interest. In his past life, he hadn't been at the Player Market during this time, so this event was entirely new to him. But Stark Shi was right: high urgency often meant high reward. Since he hadn't decided on his next Illusion destination anyway, heading to the Mission Hall couldn't hurt. With luck, he might stumble upon something unexpected.
Following the signs, he reached the Mission Hall. The cavernous space, easily half the size of a soccer field, was already jammed wall-to-wall with players drawn by the alert.