057. A Harmless, Kind Young Man (Who Will Kill You All Later)
"Aura of Benevolence": (Aura-type skill, continuously active)
Your affinity is extraordinarily powerful, and no one will harbor ill intentions toward you at first sight.
Skill Effect 1 [Nice Guy]—Whenever you make any [Charisma] checks, even if the result is a failure, the other party will not attack you.
Skill Effect 2 [Exemplar of Benevolence]—When you become the team leader, team members will maintain a constant level of goodwill toward you, and they will not betray you.
Skill Effect 3 [Twisted Benevolence]—You can dissolve others' hatred and aversion toward you by displaying your [Charisma]. For targets with much lower [Charisma] than yours, even if you kill their relatives, they will choose to forgive you.
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After reading the description of "Aura of Benevolence", Li Aozi's jaw almost dropped.
You call this benevolence?
"What is this? I kill your father, but because my Charisma is too high, you decide to follow me—this is basically brainwashing!"
However, when Li Aozi thought about it carefully, it seemed rather normal.
After all, before the rise of nationalism, as long as a country was conquered, people would quickly support the invader rather than continue fighting. Admiring strength and surviving are instincts deeply embedded in life.
Modern people can't understand this because they've received mature education, gaining stronger cohesion and worldview. But for ancient people, if you can't beat them, join them—that was the most normal response.
However, the effects of "Aura of Benevolence" are indeed outrageous.
Effects 1 and 2 are incredibly practical. Not only will your teammates not betray you, but even if you fail a Charisma check, the other party won't attack you.
What does this mean?
According to the system's description, every time Li Aozi uses Omega Energy to attack enemies, especially with abilities like [Directed Explosion] and [Touch of Corruption] that require contact to activate, a [Charisma] check is required.
If the check fails, the Omega Energy won't activate, and the opponent still won't attack you. If it passes, the Omega Energy will blast them, and they still won't attack you.
This means that from now on, if Li Aozi doesn't like someone, he can really just walk up and beat them without holding back.
After all, they won't strike back right away, and as for revenge later?
By then, Li Aozi is absolutely confident he'll be stronger than them.
While Li Aozi was checking his status and adapting to his newly advanced body, a new message arrived in his inbox.
"Dear Sir: The trial operation of 'Star Abyss' has begun, and the first round of internal testing without account wipes has started. Please avoid network fluctuations. Countdown: 29:57—Sent by Qiqiao Network, time sent: 2142/9/19."
"Dear Sir: Welcome to 'Star Abyss,' esteemed beta player. Enjoy the game to the fullest. This is your new home. If you encounter any system issues, please report them to us. As a mature and technically proficient development team, we are ready to listen to your concerns and solve your problems—The entire 'Star Abyss' development team, sent time: 2142/9/19."
Even now, Li Aozi couldn't help but scoff.
'Mature and technically proficient'?
Then why do they still treat me, an NPC, as a beta player!
"I don't believe a word you say, Qiqiao Network. There's nothing marvelous or nimble about you, and the network relies on excuses." Li Aozi held Qiqiao Network's technical capabilities in deep contempt.
Not to mention, from what Li Aozi knew, Qiqiao Network employees worked extremely leisurely, only putting in four hours a day. Under these circumstances, if Qiqiao Network manages to get internal voice chat functioning by version 1.0, Li Aozi would consider it a miracle.
However, with the beta test now unlocked, players from various backgrounds would soon arrive on Azure Star. Li Aozi glanced at the forum, noting that with half an hour left, the corporations, organizations, and military units that secured beta spots were relatively quiet. For them, entering the game had a certain level of confidentiality, and most of them would likely choose to go to Red Arrow or Zhengxu.
But the situation was different for guilds, clubs, and solo players.
The e-sports giant Jiangcheng Mist had even changed its originally classic name to 'Endless Pioneers,' determined to dominate "Star Abyss".
"Wow, they even had Sandwolf transfer here. That's quite a move, along with Jiang Hanchuan, Modename, and Zibumpdog—these were all famous veterans. It seems Pioneers Club has a sharp eye."
As for Braised Beef Noodles, Fragrant Chicken, and Old Gan Ye, those three dishes... Li Aozi glanced at the list of professional players who secured beta slots and shook his head.
Though familiar faces, he wasn't too optimistic about this batch, freshly pulled from the youth training camp.
"Pickled Mustard, Seafood Sand, Tomato and Egg, Fried Chicken Cutlet, French Fries, Taro Balls, Grilled Rice Cakes, Spicy Sauce—these trainee pros, even with my eyes closed, I could crush them as a streamer—wait, why is Zhajiang here too! Mr. Dajiang, you're almost forty, stop competing with the youngsters."
Li Aozi felt a bit worried.
The inertia of history still exists. This batch of rookies would need a long period of accumulation and cultivation before they could be taken to compete. The early versions shouldn't see them on the main stage but instead should focus on laying a solid foundation.
In his past life, the Yanxia clubs had this operational issue, and now, they were repeating the same mistake.
"Ah, forget it. Let's check on Qiongyu."
Qiongyu Club, the champion team of the previously world-famous "Predator World", was relatively inexperienced. In his past life, they misjudged the popularity of "Star Abyss" and hastily expanded into other gaming markets, missing out on numerous opportunities.
Now, they were determined to catch up, and although they only secured two slots, they resolutely gave them to their two best pro players.
"Long Yuqiong and Yu Tianxiao—of course, it's these two ruthless guys."
Li Aozi rubbed his chin.
Long Yuqiong had an incredibly strong gaming talent. In his past life, he won the season MVP and the strongest individual title in version 11.0, following the [Eerie] path—[Shaman] branch—[Desolate God Apostle] path. His strength was formidable, known as the world's top spell tank.
Yu Tianxiao, on the other hand, was a veteran player, very skilled with mage classes. He followed the [Craft] path—[Biochemist] branch—[Endtime Emperor] path. His PvP strength wasn't top-tier, but his PvE ability was unquestionably first-rate.
Starting from version 10.0, he consecutively defeated the final bosses in three versions, making Yu Tianxiao even more famous among players.
These two players were undoubtedly the top-tier in Yanxia, and their early entry into the beta was definitely a good thing.
Unfortunately, both chose to join the Red Arrow Empire, which Li Aozi couldn't visit for now, a pity.
But Li Aozi could understand. After all, the two of them were relatively isolated, making it difficult to spread their wings in Tianhuan. Going to Red Arrow to pave the way for their companions was a wiser choice.
As for large guilds and some individual players and streamers, Li Aozi scanned the list but didn't see any familiar names. However, Caramel Snail was making waves on the forums, attracting spectators who were curious about his thoughts.
For now, Li Aozi didn't concern himself with these players. More pressing matters were at hand.
Xislong called him, gravely informing him:
"Frost-Plated Republic has deployed troops."