"Even veterans might not possess such skill. Nightmare's intelligence analysis abilities are more than enough to serve as the strategist for any team."
Though the Boxer wasn't one for many words, he saw things more clearly, and his assessment of Luo Jie was even higher.
Luo Jie forced an awkward smile, suddenly realizing his earlier performance might have been a bit much.
Back before his rebirth, not trusting any so-called temporary alliances was an unspoken rule all players knew by heart. But at this point in time, most players, not yet seasoned by the cutthroat deceptions of the Illusory Realms, still clung to naive trust in morality and human decency.
In short, they were trapped in the inertial thinking fostered by long years of peaceful living.
In contrast, someone like Jia Shuai was far more suited to the Illusory Realms' naked law of the jungle. He'd discarded all moral baggage at the speed of light, embracing the brutal rule of the strong preying on the weak with ruthless efficiency.
While this might have made him stand out (fēngmáng chūlù - showing the first signs of one's talent), Luo Jie had no intention of deliberately hiding his light.
He'd already sized up the Ivory Mountain Chief's team: a typical casual group, bound more by friendship than any serious ambition to build a real team.
In the ever-shifting Illusory Realms, three types of people were indispensable for a player team to grow strong.
First, an experienced leader with the resolve to make tough calls in crises.
Second, a quick thinker, unafraid to entertain bold ideas—the wise one, the brains.
Third, core combat members who fought in perfect sync and harbored unwavering loyalty to the team.
The Chief had the potential to be the first. As for Dancer and Boxer, their true strength remained unclear, but their loyalty was beyond question.
The only missing piece was a strategist—someone who could devise plans based on specific situations and secure the maximum benefit for the entire team.
If Luo Jie wanted to integrate into this team quickly, even become an irreplaceable member, the wise one role was his best entry point.
Once the three recognized his wisdom, given the Chief's easygoing nature, Luo Jie could largely control the team's pace in the upcoming Illusory Realm, ultimately achieving his strategic goals.
Luo Jie admitted he had a good impression of the Chief and the others, and he genuinely wanted to help them—at the very least, ensure they survived this Illusory Realm. But that didn't mean he was willing to play the babysitter, endlessly cleaning up their messes.
If, after demonstrating his information analysis and tactical planning abilities, the Chief and the others still refused to delegate authority or trust his plans, he wouldn't mind once again becoming a lone wolf in the Illusory Realms.
…
There were still a few minutes left before the assembly deadline, yet all mission teams were already present. The large conference room buzzed with a cacophony of voices, packed with people.
"Since everyone is here, we'll start the mission briefing early."
At the front podium, a middle-aged man in a suit tapped the microphone. The dull thud from the speakers reverberated through the room, gradually quelling the noise.
Mission briefings weren't like other pointless meetings; their content was intelligence paid for in the blood and even lives of previous players. In the perilous Illusory Realms, a single sentence might mean the difference between life and death. No one dared to be inattentive now.
The suited man wasted no time on pleasantries. He directly fired up the projector behind him, his decisive manner betraying a military background.
"Take a look. These photos depict the Illusory Realm for this mission."
He pressed a controller, and a series of vividly colored modern cityscapes appeared on the projection screen:
A clear blue sky, towering skyscrapers, streets lined with cherry blossoms in bloom… and youth-invincible high school girls.
A murmur rippled through the players below.
Of course, their reaction wasn't due to the long, eye-catching legs peeking out from sailor uniform skirts.
It was because the images on the screen looked less like photographs and more like exquisitely rendered 2D animation backgrounds—high-definition, hyper-detailed ones, reminiscent of Makoto Shinkai's animations.
"Sir, did you put in the wrong slides? Maybe show us some HD uncensored instead?"
A wisecrack from somewhere in the audience triggered a wave of laughter.
The suited man remained unfazed, shrugging indifferently. "Regrettably, I checked this presentation three times before coming here. No mistakes… In fact, this is exactly what the Illusory Realm you're about to enter looks like—a genuine 2D animation world!"
This statement ignited a flurry of discussion. All previous Illusory Realms they'd encountered were indistinguishable from the real world; they couldn't fathom what a 2D animation-style Illusory Realm would be like.
Watching the confused expressions around him, Luo Jie couldn't help but curl the corners of his mouth upward.
A 2D animation world. It was a relatively special type of Illusory Realm, with internal rules no different from others.
The only magical aspect? Everything within was composed entirely of 2D animation forms—even real-world players would automatically be converted into corresponding 2D animation avatars upon entering.
Of course, such an Illusory Realm was more like a three-dimensional world disguised as 2D animation.
Everything inside, when viewed from different angles, still possessed length, width, and height. The two-dimensional planar effect only held from fixed perspectives.
Anyone familiar with 3D models rendered in 2D would easily understand the true nature of this 2D animation world.
Illusory Realms with this 2D animation visual style weren't actually that rare; over 90% of them, however, were concentrated in that island nation east of China. Other countries saw them only occasionally. Hence, Chinese players at this time had rarely, if ever, encountered one.
The suited man let the players discuss for a moment before raising his hand to quiet them, continuing, "The specifics of what a 2D animation Illusory Realm entails, you'll find out once you're there… Now, let's focus on the mission details and some important notes."
"According to data provided by the Japanese Defense Agency, the theme of this mission's Illusory Realm is Highschool of the Dead. The world background and main storyline follow the original anime of the same name. It depicts a global zombie virus outbreak, where Takashi Komuro, a second-year student at Fujimi Academy in Bedtown, leads a group of companions in a desperate struggle for survival in the apocalypse… You can review the database for specific details; I won't belabor them here."