Li Jian then introduced the operating method of this game, which was fundamentally similar to the third-person perspective of World of Warcraft, an online game. However, according to Li Jian, this game was very special and quite difficult. As he spoke, everyone listened intently. When he mentioned the high difficulty, a knowing look crossed Han Baiqiang's face, Li Baocheng wore a nervous expression, while Sun Bin just sneered coldly, seemingly unfazed by the so-called high difficulty. Xiao Buli wondered where he got such confidence from, but considering that he stood out from so many applicants, he must have some skills.
"Very well, you can now start entering the game. Your account and password are on your magnetic cards, just follow the instructions to input them. Additionally, your game characters have already been created. Don't ask too many questions, just play. Since the first month is a trial period, we won't provide any assistance or assign work to you, nor do you need to report your in-game earnings to us. However, once you're assigned to a team, you must follow the company's orders, as every action you take will be under our command. Since this is your first time playing, to prevent you from dying too early, I'll stay here to answer some questions for you. If you have any, just ask me."
Xiao Buli listened to Li Jian's explanation while taking a seat. He glanced at the machine's number, 013—a very lucky number indeed.
The computer was extremely sophisticated and booted up in almost the blink of an eye, making Xiao Buli feel as if it had only been in standby mode. The stark screen was empty except for a game icon. It seemed certain settings had been made, even basic icons like My Computer, Recycle Bin, and Network Neighborhood were not displayed.
Turning back as if to seek confirmation, Xiao Buli caught Li Jian's knowing smile, "To prevent wasting time during work hours, all computers in the studio have this setup. But if you wish to access the internet, you can use the computers in your rooms."
Xiao Buli nodded, finding the rule acceptable. While contemplating, he double-clicked the skull-like game icon. Accompanied by an eerie music sound, the screen flashed, and he entered the game, inputting his account and password. His character immediately appeared on the screen, below which was the character panel.
Character Name: Xiao Buli.
Occupation: Commoner.
Intelligence: 13. — High comprehension, extremely strong analytical abilities, average memory.
Strength: 9. — Carrying capacity of 45 pounds, Attack power 9, (one point of Strength corresponds to five pounds of carrying capacity and one point of attack power).
Speed: 9 — Your running speed is average.
Agility: 12 — You have a pair of dexterous hands.
Stamina: 9. — Stamina Points 90 (1 point of Stamina corresponds to 10 Stamina Points).
Physique: 10. — Health Points 100. (1 point of Physique corresponds to 10 Health Points).
Charm: 12. — You're fairly good-looking.
Spirit: 13. — You possess a spirituality that surpasses the ordinary.
Luck: 7. —— Your luck is a bit poor.
The character in the game looked about eighty to ninety percent similar to him, heh, there was even a character creation system.
He had no idea how such attributes were determined. Were they completely random? Xiao Buli stared at the numbers and attribute evaluations on the screen, lost for a moment. These simple numbers may mean nothing to others, but having played games for so many years, he knew that even a slight difference in numbers could carry different implications. The attributes weren't assigned by the players but were predetermined. Could it be based on the tests and medical check-ups he had completed earlier? Suddenly, he had the feeling that this game character's attributes seemed to be linked to his own physique, but why would that make any sense for a game? Xiao Buli preferred to think that the company intended them to develop into certain types of professions, which would make sense. But then why were the character's appearance and name so similar?
He shrugged nonchalantly. Who cares? It's just a game. He chose to enter the game, the screen shifted, and he was already in a formal game scene. That was quick; there was no loading time? Xiao Buli mused with interest.
The birthplace seemed to be a square in a small village standing in the wilderness. The sky was very gloomy, and the colors were quite monochromatic. The surrounding buildings looked old and ancient, stylistically akin to the oppressive dark gray often seen in dark-themed games. However, the lighting effects were outstanding, making him, a seasoned gamer, quickly feel as though he were truly there. Even many well-made single-player games might not achieve this kind of immersion. It was surprising indeed that such a game had never appeared on the market before, not even a whisper about it. It didn't seem logical.
With a series of white flashes, three more people appeared beside him, likely Han Baiqiang, Sun Bin, and Li Baocheng. Xiao Buli easily distinguished their characters as they looked very similar to their real-life counterparts. Seeing the scenery in the game, all three of them looked around curiously like him, the very image of wonder-stricken observers.
"I've got it!" exclaimed the chubby guy sitting to his right, "We must be game testers, right? This has to be a new generation online game that hasn't hit the market yet." Xiao Buli jumped at his loud voice, glanced at him, then shook his head with a smile.
No one responded, only Sun Bin snorted coldly and turned away. The chubby guy coughed awkwardly and settled his plump body back into his booth.
"Shall we leave the village?"
Li Jian's voice suddenly came from behind. Xiao Buli turned and saw he was speaking to Li Baocheng.
"Yes... Can we not?" Li Baocheng's voice hesitated in response to the leader's question.
"Of course not, I just wanted to remind everyone," Li Jian raised his voice so the others could hear him, "With your current equipment and attributes, stepping outside the village could mean certain death.
"However..." Li Jian hesitated, "Who knows? This game has no set rules, and maybe a rare event might occur. But from what I understand, I wouldn't recommend taking the risk."
"What do you mean? Can't we beat any monsters as we are now?" the chubby guy asked.
"Pretty much," Li Jian responded loudly. He was temporarily the leader of this four-man squad, and the company certainly didn't want any unnecessary casualties. He felt it was better to be thorough, as there had been incidents where a whole group of newbies had been wiped out on their first day.
"Though if you're particularly lucky, you might encounter a stray dog, and if your skills are good enough, you might defeat it." Xiao Buli noticed that within a few short sentences, Li Jian had used many conditional words. Did that represent a very slim chance, or was it his way of being sarcastic toward beginners? "But even if you win, it wouldn't matter," Li Jian continued, "There's no character leveling or Experience Points design in this game, and dogs don't drop any equipment. If you have the dissection skill, you could get some skin and meat from its body, but dog skin... seems like it won't sell for much." Li Jian helplessly pursed his lips; this damned game was really something. Who on earth had come up with it?