Chapter 45: NPC
Jiang Ping took a swig from the bottle of elixir, forcing down the unpleasant taste. Despite his current dislike for it, the elixir had become his creed, a belief he couldn't afford to forget.
Raising an intrigued eyebrow, he was already aware that the official organization was searching for the first batch of test players. However, he paid little attention to it, as he had anticipated this development.
After all, it was impossible for such an overtly abnormal game to go unnoticed. It stood out like a blazing flame in the darkness. Nevertheless, he hadn't expected the information leak to be discovered so quickly.
The game itself revealed no information, only the players themselves did. But this game was more than just an interface on a computer screen; it was bound to their very souls. The icons were mere decorations, and the 100kb memory was more than just data.
"Treasure this opportunity to play the game. It may be a game, but it's no laughing matter," Jiang Ping mused to himself while scrolling through the games forum.
The forum was currently abuzz with excitement, with numerous official personnel and even foreign forces lurking within. The game's setting, was rooted in Chinese mythology. The first 100 players were all Chinese.
The veil of secrecy surrounding "The Heavens and Worlds: Primordial" slowly lifted, gradually revealing a startling truth. Beyond the surface, where a mere hundred players immersed themselves, innumerable beings traversed the game's landscape. It didn't require a fool to discern that this virtual realm transcended the realm of ordinary gaming.
Following the experiment, other players' attempts to log in proved futile. Lin Qing, amidst an audience, cautiously clicked in. As the screen went black, he lost all sense of his physical body.
Suddenly shaken awake by a courier, the game system prompted him to exit.
Once outside, he promptly accepted the package and bid the courier farewell.
Following a brief examination, it became unequivocally clear that this was an extraordinary leap in technological advancement.
Lin Qing reentered the prehistoric world, embarking on a journey of exploration. He leaped and bounded, continuously delving into the mysteries of his new body, even attempting to defeat a small monster resembling an adorable dolphin.
Observing the group of players' adventures from the comfort of his home, Jiang Ping remarked, "Finally, some unpredictability has been introduced to the prehistoric world."
Mengtun was truly remarkable. Among the initial test players, he was the first to acclimate himself to his new form. Such an individual was a seasoned gamer in the modern era, potentially possessing the qualities of a future swordmaster in a realm of swords and sorcery.
Sometimes, one's inadequacies were not a reflection of their personal worth, but rather a result of being misplaced in the wrong world. The fault lay with the world, not with them.
They simply hadn't discovered their true potential yet.
As the first test players began to die one by one, their spots were immediately snatched up by those who relentlessly clicked to gain entry. Tonight was destined to be restless.
The Steam platform was flooded with a myriad of players, ranging from genuine enthusiasts to those who were more pretentious in nature.
Meanwhile, on Weibo, a captivating post emerged, proclaiming the wonders of the game. It hailed the game as a masterpiece, skillfully crafted by the hands of god. Urging readers to seize the opportunity, the post encouraged them to secure their positions.
Jiang Ping sat on his Diaoyutai, watching the players burn the midnight oil as they continued their explorations. He would soon observed the birth of deities.
"With all due respect to the indigenous deities, it would be unfair to compare them to this group of players," he remarked with a touch of irony.
Beiming Youyu, an ardent gamer, sensed that something was amiss with "The Heavens and Worlds: Primordial." He furiously clicked, finally securing a place among the first test players after someone's demise.
"Why must I stay up all night just to reserve a slot?" he lamented.
Before he could even grumble about his unfamiliar new body, he found himself abruptly thrust into a new world.
"Prepare yourselves!" he declared.
Beiming pressed on, oblivious to the countless kilometers he covered. Thanks to the extraordinary physical abilities bestowed upon his in-game character, fatigue was a distant concept. Along his journey, he stumbled upon edible items, devouring them with insatiable greed.
Unbeknownst to him, his body grew in size, and his speed doubled. "Did I consume some sort of elixir?" he wondered in amazement.
However, his current priority was finding an NPC with whom he could communicate. There was no time for idle thoughts as he documented peculiar plants and fruits through his travels.
Little did he realize that this was the genesis of the world itself, with an abundance of spiritual treasures scattered across the earth. A simple bow of the head would grant bountiful treasures, enough to move future immortals to tears.
Moreover, the prehistoric creatures born from the initial test players' reincarnations possessed unparalleled power, a rarity in the game's later stages. As time passed, subsequent players would not be as fortunate.
Beiming Youyu wandered tirelessly, his size growing with each step. Eventually, he encountered a humanoid creature and eagerly approached, calling out, "Great deity, I humbly request your presence!"
This humanoid being possessed flowing emerald hair, reminiscent of a graceful willow branch. Clad in a verdant Taoist robe, her long eyebrows danced like willow leaves swaying in the wind.
Beiming found himself inexplicably comforted by her presence, as if a sense of familiarity enveloped him.
However, when he attempted to probe her further using his newly acquired divine senses, he found nothing. It was as if this person didn't exist at all!
The green-robed Taoist chuckled softly. "You need not address me as a 'great deity.' My friend, your aura is peculiar, distinct from any other creature I've encountered. Could it be that you too emerged from the primordial chaos?"
Beiming Youyu was taken aback. "Primordial chaos? Are you referring to some sort of chaotic entity? Is this NPC intentionally designed to respond with such ambiguity to every question?"
As he struggled to comprehend her words, Beiming decided to get to the point and ask his most pressing question.
"Master, please forgive my lack of understanding. I simply wish to know the current time. Has the legendary Monkey King, Sun Wukong, caused any disturbances yet? Or has Nu Wa begun shaping humans?"
The green-robed Taoist raised an elegant eyebrow. Naturally inclined to patience, she didn't fault Beiming inquisitiveness. Slowly, she began to explain.
"Who is this 'Monkey King' you speak of? I am not familiar with such a name. As for Nu Wa, her name does not ring a bell either."
The green-robed Taoist continued to shake her head, her emerald eyebrows swaying gently in the breeze.
"What? You mean to tell me you've never heard of Nu Wa? Are there not six innate saints? This NPC is incredibly old-fashioned and ignorant," Beiming grumbled inwardly.
As Beiming conversed with the green-robed Taoist, he couldn't shake off the feeling that the game was poorly designed. The lack of established timing for the players' arrival seemed like a missed opportunity to enhance the plot.
Filled with excitement, Beiming soared into the sky, his mind racing with thoughts. In the midst of his contemplation, the green-robed Taoist spoke once again.
"As for the current time, it hasn't been long since Pangu formed the world. Numerous creatures have emerged on Earth, including remnants of fallen demon gods."
"What?!" Beiming exclaimed, shocked by the revelation.
Before the green-robed Taoist could offer further explanation, Beiming interrupted, "So the world has just been created by Pangu? Does that mean I can easily acquire treasures and fulfill my desires? Can I amass immense wealth? If this game is truly another world, now is the perfect time!"
Overwhelmed by excitement, Beiming struggled to contain his emotions as he flew back down to the ground. He felt an urgent need to share this news online and unsettle all the beta testers.
Interrupted by Beiming's outburst, the green-robed Taoist maintained her serene smile, displaying impressive self-restraint.
"Master, I must take my leave now. I need to go offline immediately and inform my companions," Beiming said, bidding farewell to the green-robed Taoist.
He initially intended to return through the underground route he had traveled, but decided here wouldn't be have bad.
"Offline?" The green-robed Taoist questioned, unfamiliar with the term.
Meanwhile, Beiming realized he hadn't even asked for her name yet, pondering this oversight as he departed.
The emerald-robed Taoist beamed with grace.
Yet, before she could respond, her discerning gaze no longer detected the peculiar aura that had once enveloped this strange being.
The creature originally inhabited by the aura let out a low, otherworldly moo as it trotted off.
"Has it truly vanished? What an extraordinary creature, capable of traversing time and space in my very presence, evading notice," marveled the Taoist, her eyebrows arched in genuine admiration.
With most of her injuries healed, she emerged eagerly from the depths of chaos, aching to witness the resplendent world shaped by chaos.
A a wondrous spectacle unfolded before her eyes, causing her eyebrows to arch in astonishment. The vibrant particles that adorned her robes scattered as her gaze flickered, revealing glimpses of the fractures in the fabric of space.
Extending her vast consciousness far and wide, she detected the presence of several other entities emanating a similar uncanny essence, as if echoes of ancient chaos still reverberated through the world.
"Unbeknownst to me, in bygone eras, three thousand Chaos Demon Gods roamed freely, yet now I find myself standing alone," she lamented with a somber sigh, raising her eyebrows in a display of melancholy.
Suddenly, her attention was captivated by a faint trace of a familiar aura on the eastern horizon. "Could it be that worm from before the world? I never fathomed its survival amidst the chaos!" With eyebrows arched, the Taoist fixed her gaze upon the majestic Yujing Mountain.
Having grown accustomed to the world, her initial fascination began to fade, urging her to take a decisive step forward. As she did, mountains and rivers shifted, giving birth to a rift in the fabric of space.
"The primeval world possesses an undeniable grandeur, yet it veers away from the path I have chosen. The route to my ancestral home likely lies beyond the chaos itself," she murmured, her figure departing the primeval world. Filled with resolute determination, she embarked on a voyage deeper into the abyss of chaos, her purpose clear—to pursue the cultivation of the chaotic Yangliushu.