He clicked upload, and the approval was fast, almost instant, making his video the only submission in that section.
But Li Xiaojiang had no interest in that anymore. He needed to eat some breakfast and then put on his helmet to battle in the Land of Magic!
"Played the game all night, and apart from a bit of neck discomfort, I feel unexpectedly spirited. It must be some alien high-tech!"
As Li Xiaojiang went downstairs for breakfast, his video was rapidly attracting a small group of viewers, who quickly shared it, drawing in even more viewers.
The situation arose firstly because the game was indeed very popular, but had too few beta testing slots which everyone was craving; and secondly because many players with testing privileges were so engrossed in the game that they either maxed out their characters abruptly without experiencing much content.
In short, everyone was waiting for a video like this.
As some began to watch this session, a new hot topic was about to emerge.
"Hello everyone, welcome to the game live-stream brought to you by Loves White Silk."
"A feature of the game, start by creating characters—if you don't, it's almost embarrassing to call it a big game."
When the video started playing, sparse chat messages had already begun to appear on the screen.
[Doesn't seem to have any special features though]
[But the face modeling is quite advanced, almost lifelike]
In just a moment, the video had completed the character creation, cranking all stats to the highest, turning the face bizarrely grotesque and freakish, with features wildly exaggerated, especially the bright green hair that caused severe discomfort because of the game's hyper-realistic modeling. If a person like this really existed, they would definitely look like that, ugly but logically grown.
[Please make the character look human]
"Entering the game, the CG is starting now," narrated the voice of Loves White Silk.
A desolate battlefield, strewn with bones.
Broken armor piled into small hills with a tattered banner attached, the cold wind lifting the flag, startling a flock of carrion birds.
A few deformed and hunched figures moved through the battlefield.
This was a battlefield, and it was the apocalypse.
Until a voice, indescribable in nature, trickled in; it was impossible to understand what was being said, or even to identify the gender, yet it brought an indescribable sense of horror to all who watched, as if you were an ant in a box being observed by a giant, unaware of its presence except through the whispering sound it made.
The withered foot appeared on camera, stepping on the cracked ground while a dung beetle that emerged from a crack was too slow to escape and was squashed, bursting into a gooey mess.
The owner of the foot moved lurchingly, and the camera gradually moved from the ankle up to the leg, then to a pair of white ragged underwear, a gaunt back, and the bright green hair.
The camera shifted, revealing the twisted and ugly face.
By this time, the chat had become more active; regardless of whether the game was real or not, the graphics were truly on par with The Lord of the Rings.
The gameplay quickly began in earnest. Hands moved back and forth, still marveled at the game's realism.
Since it was a first-person perspective, the viewers couldn't see the distinctive green hair, but since the beginning, the chat became even more lively.
Loves White Silk's voice followed, "I know what you all are thinking, but I'm sorry to inform you, I've tried it, and you can't take your pants off in this game."
"We need to keep moving forward, we might encounter an NPC"
"This seems to be a battlefield, but all the armor is corroded and not wearable, how come there isn't a single guide?"
Suddenly, a large building with towering walls appeared in the frame, with boring parts entirely cut out.
"Such a big castle, such high walls, though it looks a bit worn out, could it be a stronghold for elite monsters? Too bad the official site reveals no information, but that's what makes the game interesting. It's best to explore everything like you're playing a Bethesda game, where you can do whatever you want."
"Their guards are seriously understaffed, I can easily sneak past them... Here's a newly repaired hole, let's crawl in and see. I'm quite skilled in Assassin's Creed too, especially in stealth... Damn! I got caught..."
Chat:
[Hahahaha]
[233333]
[Absolutely]
[Wait, when you guys say such a face, do NPCs react?]
[What reaction? Blushing? Huh]
[This is a game, right? How could NPCs tell the difference between beautiful and ugly]
Soon, an answer arrived, as a handsome, armor-clad blonde youth rushed over, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword, his expression serious.
[Oh, isn't that my face?]
[James, is that you? I know your sister, man, she's awesome]
What followed was a dialogue between NPC and player that was even more hilarious, almost getting killed for being too ugly.
However, it also surprised those watching the video: NPCs really can distinguish beauty from ugliness!
Wait, this must be like an online series, like 'The Daily Life of a Soul Player' or such. There are similar videos abroad and it's not anything particularly innovative, but there are always some players who hope this game is real. It would be so great if it were real; I'd love to play it. I just don't know if the equipment is expensive.
"Because I created a face too ugly, I was mistaken for a scavenger," came the voice of Loves White Silk as a narrator, trying to explain: "But I still think that appearance should relate to the plot. Maybe being ugly lets you join the chaotic faction. I recommend those who want a challenge to try it like I did."
"But one thing is really magical; these NPCs can actually distinguish beauty from ugliness. If the plot changes according to the face I created, the technology of this game is truly terrifying, just as they claimed, having human-level cognitive abilities."
[UP trying to save face]
[Those who know, know]
[Indeed, I've never seen NPCs this realistic]
[What realism? That's just a short drama shot by UP, and people really think it's a game, lol]
What followed were more shenanigans by Loves White Silk, which had the audience swearing in amusement.
After gleefully accepting a quest, he picked up a stick and charged at a pack of jackals, only to be knocked down and killed.
The game's graphics were terribly gory, as if he was really overwhelmed by a pack of jackals.
No one felt anything was amiss, as it's quite normal for NPCs, fully armed, to stand still and let players venture and struggle, right?
Not just in this game, but in other games too, NPCs just a short distance away still insist on you running errands, be it gathering herbs, delivering messages, or even on auto-pathfinding. And still, a bunch of people find it perfectly reasonable.
Foot Soldiers just love doing everything themselves; you NPCs might as well be handicapped and better not move.
[If you hadn't told me this was a game, I would definitely think it's a special effects movie. Could we have been deceived?]
[I also feel it's not real. I suggest not booking it, leave the chance to me to test this poison]
As the screen depicted Loves White Silk engaging in his dumb action of grabbing charcoal, causing two NPCs to fall silent, the barrage of comments increased
[First person to socially die in front of NPCs]
[Came because of the fame]
[Why do I feel that when White Silk was about to reach into the pot, the NPC was changing the topic? Could it be they were afraid he'd waste a whole soup? That's so smart!]
[If there was a naked fool in front of me, reaching into the fire to grab charcoal, no, I'm feeling embarrassed for the NPC]
[That's just an NPC, pre-programmed, no question of embarrassment or not, definitely planned by The Officials as an Easter egg beforehand]
[Just thinking that this jerk is meant to be a savior makes me uncomfortable]