Ding!
[Received a private message from Uncle_404. (Open it/Delete it)
(The viewer is not a friend. Do you want to block him?)]
Ethan wasted no time copying and pasting the code into the search box. Soon, a trial game appeared on his screen. As he read the content of the game, his face fell. It was a simple dog vs. human scenario.
He had seen many similar games, but the rabies element was the only interesting thing about this one. Most of the games he had watched involved some other kind of disease that weakened the dogs, but this was the first time he had seen the opposite.
Still, with nothing else to do, he tapped on the game. As soon as he did, everything around him went dark, with only a massive screen visible in front of him.
Each section on the screen displayed a different hunter, divided into 10 small sections.
On top of the big screen, he also noticed a small chat box. He repeated the steps to move the chat box next to him for convenience, so he could see both the screen and the chat box with no problem.
Ethan looked at the chat box. Unlike the first chat box, which had automatic replies, there was nothing here. He looked at the top; except for the game name, there was nothing, not even the number of members.
He clicked on the chat name, and sure enough, an eye with a red cross on top of it popped up. After confirming it was the same as 404 had mentioned, he returned to the chat. Even though he couldn't see the total number of members, only a few people were talking among themselves.
He looked once again at the 10 hunters and then asked 404 about the special member.
B_dog: Hey 404, you there?
Uncle_404: Yup.
Jhonny: Yo, what's up, everyone?
B_dog: Who's the special hunter you were talking about?
Uncle_404: Look at the one in the leftmost corner with the name "Goli."
Cool_stick: Okay, I'm on time.
Jhonny: Oh, you guys are also here for Goli. I think you're in for a big loss today.
B_dog: What do you mean?
Uncle_404: Hey, Jhonny, don't talk nonsense to them. This is their first game.
Jhonny: Ah, we have a newbie here. Sorry for my remarks, guys.
Cool_stick: What do you mean by loss, Jhonny?
Jhonny: Well, I think Kite is going to be the bigger winner of this game.
Ethan looked at the screen and checked Goli first. He saw a buff man walking around the outer city. He then looked at the other participants—some were moving around the roads, while others were eating in a restaurant or even shopping.
He looked at the game counter; only the last 2 minutes left. For more clarification, he asked the others.
B_dog: Guys, how is this going to work? I've never watched any live game, you know.
Uncle_404: Oh, you don't need to think much. Can you see all 10 players on your screen?
B_dog: Yeah. Most of them are randomly walking on the streets.
Jhonny: Well, this is a trick where all the new players move around certain locations before their games. This way, the chance of them getting a game in a familiar environment is high.
B_dog: Oh, this is interesting.
Uncle_404: Also, when the game starts, all 10 players will enter a restricted environment. None of the trial games will allow players to move out of certain locations. If someone tries to run away, they will get a warning first; then it's game over.
B_dog: Oh, that's why no one ever tries to run away in trials.
Cool_stick: Do you guys know about the upcoming game rules?
Uncle_404: Nah, before the game, you only get a brief description. But don't worry—right at the start, we'll learn about all the open and hidden rules. If a player can trigger some extra event, we will also get a notification first.
B_dog: What's the difference between hidden and open rules?
Jhonny: Well, open rules are something that all the hunters can see, while the hidden ones are there, but the hunter won't be able to know them until they break them.
Soon, the timer reached the last 30 seconds.
Uncle_404: By the way, Cool and Dog, the moment the game starts, we'll enter the game's official chat channel. Right now, we're in one of the many parallel chats. So, once the game starts, things can become chaotic. Feel free to go loose with no care.
Jhonny: Also, guys, if you want to bet on someone, do it fast. Remember, you can send direct messages to the player you bet on after the game. It can be a chance to make some personal connections with some rising stars, you know.
The moment Ethan heard about it, his eyes started shining. He stopped caring about the chat and scanned all 10 players.
If possible, he wanted to make friends with some rising stars. Not thinking much about his belief in gambling, he just placed the minimum bet of 10 dollars on Goli.
He thought of it as the game viewing price, nothing more.
Soon, the countdown started on the screen.
10…9…8…7…6
Uncle_404: Good luck with your first game, guys.
Cool_stick: Let's have a blast.
4…
Jhonny: Remember to control the screen and focus on the chat. With the lack of proper commentators, the chat will be the only way not to miss anything.
3…2…
B_dog: Let's go!
1…0!
With that, everything on the screen became black and white. The screen behind changed to a bird's eye view of the entire city.
He could see all the players on the map, along with a few orange dogs, running around the streets mixed in with normal dogs.
Soon, the basic game rules appeared in front of him.
[
Trial Scenario: Dog Hunting.
Scenario Description:
→ Event: Rabid dogs are on the loose all around the city.
→ Objective: Kill one rabid dog.
→ Failure: Hunter's death or failure to kill one dog.
Caution: An animal rescue squad is on the way to capture these dogs. Take action quickly.
Total number of hunters: 10
Game Time: Hunters can exit the game after they kill the first dog. Or when all the rabid dogs are captured or killed.
(Restrictions:
* Apprentice Hunters cannot directly attack each other.
* No use of hot weapons is allowed (e.g., guns, grenades, etc.).
Hidden restriction: …
]
As he read all the extra rules, his eyes started shining. These trials looked far more interesting now that he knew what other things players needed to be aware of. The only downside was the lack of commentators.
He shook his head and took control of the screen, switching to different hunters' perspectives. The only thing he hated about this was the viewer's inability to listen to the hunters' voices. That was what set apart a viewer from a hunter.
Soon, he got immersed in his first live trial game.