In VR games, players attack each other for a range of reasons similar to traditional video games.
These reasons include competition, where players aim to gain an advantage, score points, or secure victory.
Self-defence is another motivation, as players may perceive a threat and retaliate accordingly.
Team-based objectives also drive player attacks in team-oriented VR games, where defeating opponents is essential for achieving team goals.
On the flip side, some players engage in disruptive behaviour known as "griefing," attacking others solely to disrupt their gameplay and cause annoyance.
VR games with quests or missions often require players to engage in combat as part of their objectives, leading to attacks.
Interestingly, attacking others can also be a form of social interaction or friendly competition within the game's community.
Personal rivalries can develop in multiplayer VR games, prompting players to attack each other to settle scores or prove their skills.
Role-playing elements can also influence player behaviour, as some players attack others to stay true to their in-game characters or roles.
Additionally, curiosity and experimentation may drive players to attack others to test their skills and abilities.
There are numerous reasons why players attack each other, but considering the manner in which the attack was directed at them, Ethan didn't believe it was motivated by any of these typical reasons.
For some reason, it felt as if the players on the other side were out for blood.
In the gaming community, this behaviour was commonly known by a single term: PKing, which stood for Player Killing - an act of unlawfully killing other players for various reasons.
However, Ethan couldn't comprehend why someone would attempt to kill in a place like this, nor could he identify any valid motive for doing so.
Did they not realise the reality they were now in, to resort to such acts?
Ethan's reasoning led him to think that perhaps the attack directed at them, especially him, was a mistake.
Maybe the other party was on edge or disoriented and attacked in his direction, mistaking him for an enemy.
This is what Ethan thought.
However, this was Ethan's secondary hypothesis.
After the initial attack, Ethan had his guard raised to the maximum.
No matter how hard Ethan tried to think positively or consider other possibilities, the attack that had been directed at him felt like an intentional attempt to kill him.
It also didn't make sense for someone to attack a person due to a case of mistaken identity when the person was standing directly in front of them.
Even if it were possible that the attack resulted from the other party being on edge, Ethan wondered why someone from the other side hadn't apologised or attempted to calm the situation.
Instead, they were staring at Ethan and the others in a way that made them uncomfortable.
Furthermore, there were questions about the attack itself.
What was the attack and who had launched it?
The attack directed at Ethan was an arrow, aimed directly at his head.
If it had hit him, there might not have been any more of Ethan's story to tell.
Fortunately, Ethan's reflexes had been quick enough to tilt his head in time, narrowly avoiding the incoming arrow.
It had been a close call; Ethan felt the sharp breeze as the arrow passed by his ear.
If Ethan hadn't reacted fast enough, he might have lost more than just his head - his ear might have been gone.
However, observing the archer on the other side preparing to nock another arrow onto her bow, with an odd, emotionless expression, Ethan couldn't pass off that perhaps the first attack had been a mistake again.
On the other side, there were two players, one male and one female.
They had such similar appearances that it would have been challenging to differentiate them had they been of the same gender.
It was clear that these two were relatives, perhaps siblings, and there was even a possibility that they were twins, given their late teenage years and striking resemblance.
The encounter between Ethan and the siblings had been quite simple, just a turn into a street in the ruins that brought them together.
However, as Ethan thought about the situation, he wondered why it seemed like the other party had been ready to attack anyone or anything, as if they had been prepared for it.
Regardless of his musings, Ethan wasn't in a position to think deeply as he watched the other side prepare for another attack.
Determined not to be on the defensive again, Ethan swiftly dashed toward the female archer.
Ethan's companion, RageHeart, also reacted quickly, charging at the male mage with a staff that suggested he was a mage.
Their decisiveness was a prime example of why top players often excelled in games compared to average players.
The female archer was remarkably quick with her bow, firing an arrow just a second before Ethan began his sprint towards her.
The distance between them was only a dozen metres, and with Ethan's current speed, crossing such a distance was a breeze.
Yet, once again, an arrow was hurtling toward Ethan's head.
'She's a skilled archer,' Ethan thought as his best friend's image flashed in his mind.
To evade the arrow, Ethan quickly shifted his body in another direction, causing his speed to dip and disrupting his straight path toward the female archer.
The female archer took advantage of this moment to nock another arrow.
However, Ethan was ready.
Closing the gap between them as she released yet another arrow, Ethan used the sword in his hand to alter the wooden arrow's trajectory.
This manoeuvre allowed him to close the distance and slide on the ground.
With one of his legs raised, Ethan kicked the female archer's leg and managed to knock her onto her back.
The reason behind this attack was because Ethan wanted to leave her defenceless for a while to pin her down.
Ideally, that's what should have happened, but instead, the female archer rolled onto her back and, after falling, managed to create some distance between herself and Ethan.
The female archer then swiftly stood up and without hesitation, ran in the opposite, leaving Ethan momentarily off-guard.
However, Ethan wasn't going to let her escape so easily.
In a quick move, Ethan reached for a stone beside him and hurled it at the fleeing archer, aiming for her leg.
Fortunately, Ethan's accuracy with solid projectiles was far better than with magic, and the stone found its mark, causing her to stumble and fall once more.
Witnessing her fall, Ethan sprinted toward her again.
Meanwhile, Mia had found a hiding spot to observe the ongoing battle from a safe distance.