As the game prompt appeared, Luca felt a darkness wash over him.
[Ding! Welcome player "Luca" to the Eternal world!]
[You have been born in the "Starlight City of Emerald State of the Kingdom of Clinton"!]
At the same time, his talent "The Person Favored" activated.
[Ding! Your Charisma attribute has been maxed out! You have earned the title "Unrivaled in Elegance and Charm," and NPCs' favorability towards you has increased!]
[Ding! Your Aptitude attribute has been maxed out! You have earned the title "Peerless Appearance," and your learning speed has increased!]
[Ding! Your Perception attribute has been maxed out! You have earned the title "Danger Perception," allowing you to foresee potential dangers!]
[Ding! Your Luck attribute has been maxed out! You have earned the title "Son of Luck," increasing your chances of encountering fortuitous events!]
...
When Luca opened his eyes again, he found himself in a clean and tidy fountain square.
Surrounding him were medieval-style buildings and shops, with passersby dressed in eccentric outfits. Not far away stood a towering clock tower, and he noticed that his casual clothes had somehow transformed into gray linen garments.
In the square, many players were dressed in the same attire as him.
At a glance, it was a sea of black, with at least tens of thousands of players, reflecting the immense popularity of the Eternal game!
"Oh my God, is this the Eternal world? This game feels so real!"
"The graphics, the modeling, the sensations—it's just like reality!"
"Damn, who just touched my ass? Step forward, you coward!"
"The World Guild is recruiting! There are professional players in the guild, and spots are limited, so it's first come, first served!"
...
Countless players jostled together, filling the fountain square with noise.
Nearby NPCs looked at the crowd of players with disdain and annoyance, feeling that these outsiders were overreacting.
Luca merely smiled at this.
The NPCs in the Eternal world were no different from real people; they could be considered lives from another world.
However, the rules of this realm had been modified by the "Zenith Group" and the people behind it, so even with the sudden influx of players, it was perceived as a normal occurrence in their eyes.
Bringing his thoughts back to the present, Luca recalled the earlier prompts.
He sought a quieter spot and opened his personal panel.
[Name: Luca]
[Level: lv1]
[Talent: The Person Favored (SSS-level)]
[Profession: Apprentice Mage (Novice)]
[Health Points: 100]
[Magic Points: 200]
[Attack: 21-25]
[Attributes: Strength 10, Intelligence 10, Stamina 10, Agility 10]
[Special: Charisma 100, Reaction 100, Talent 100, Luck 100]
[Titles: Unrivaled in Elegance and Charm, Peerless Appearance, Danger Perception, Son of Luck]
[Skills: Basic Magic lv1 (Beginner)]
[Equipment: Novice Robe, Novice Pants, Apprentice Staff]
[Experience: 0/40]
...
"Truly worthy of an SSS-level talent; it really does surpass the conventional!" Luca felt exhilarated as he looked at his four maxed-out attributes.
Eternal was an open-world game where missions and gameplay required players to explore and trigger events on their own, making the four special attributes crucial for success. However, these special attributes were determined by the players themselves, and even in the late game, improving them was incredibly difficult. In his previous life, he struggled and managed to raise his four attributes to an average of 70 points.
Even so, that achievement made him a Transcendent-level powerhouse.
Now, with "The Person Favored" talent, all his special attributes were maxed out!
Luca clenched his fists. In his last life, he reached the Transcendent level with an ordinary talent. This time, starting with full attributes meant he could go even further!
Calming his emotions, Luca decided not to linger. He prepared to head to the Mages' Association to complete his novice quest and become a Formal Mage. Changing his occupation to Demonic Rune Mage was just the first step; he would then need to level up to level ten and pass the hidden job change trial in the Mage Tower. However, with the experience from his previous life, these tasks wouldn't be too difficult for him.
"Boom!"
Suddenly, a deafening roar echoed through the square, followed by exclamations from the players.
"NPC is killing people!!"
Luca looked on in confusion.
He saw that a previously smooth section of the street now had a crack several meters long. A burly man clad in silver armor stood there, his long sword stained with blood. Several players were sitting on the ground, pale and nearly in shock.
"How dare you block the carriage of Miss Sophia Howard in Starlight City? You really have some nerve!" The silver-armored man raised his sword, pointing it at the players before him, his eyes full of murderous intent.
It was then that Luca noticed a luxurious carriage behind the armored man, adorned with a family crest of the Black Mountains. By its design, it seemed to represent the count of Emerald State.
Luca couldn't help but feel both amused and exasperated. These players were as reckless as ever, blocking a carriage that clearly belonged to someone of high status—did they really think they could get away with that?
In the Eternal world, there was no beginner's protection. If you offended an NPC, they could kill you on the spot. Moreover, judging by the man's words, it seemed the girl inside was the daughter of a count.
Luca was at a loss as to whether to consider them lucky or unfortunate.
The players were now in a state of extreme panic. They had merely thought the antique carriage was interesting, so they attempted to stop it, not realizing it was carrying the Earl's daughter!
The silver-armored man, Cassman, clearly had murderous intent.
He stepped closer to the players, sword in hand.
The players repeatedly begged for mercy, but the man remained unmoved.
At that moment, a clear and cold voice emerged from the carriage, "Uncle Cassman, don't let their blood stain Starlight City."
Following this, the curtains slowly drew back.
Through the ornate curtains, a stunning girl with blue hair dressed in noble attire could be seen. Her features were exquisite, but her expression was as cold as ice, devoid of any emotion.
Upon seeing the girl's beauty, the group of players was left dumbfounded.
"Wow, this girl is too beautiful!"
"Is that blue hair? Is she an elf?"
"Mom, I believe in love again!"
"Don't stop me; I want to be her dog!"
Hearing Sophia's words, the silver-armored knight Cassman nodded.
He then turned to the players, his expression darkening once more. "Consider yourselves lucky. You will capture all the adventurers who just offended Miss Sophia and throw them out of Starlight City! They are never to set foot in Starlight City again!"
The guards surrounding the carriage immediately responded and charged towards the players.
At that moment, the players realized they were in deep trouble and began crying out for mercy. Unfortunately, it was too late; blocking a noble's carriage was a serious offense in this world.
Sophia coldly observed, showing no signs of pleading for them.
The new players, all at level 1, stood no chance against this pack of elite guards, who were as fierce as wolves. Before long, the players were being carried away like helpless chicks, escorted out of the city.
Seeing this, Luca shook his head slightly.
Once players were expelled from the main city, they became wandering players. Each time they died, they would have to make the trek back to their corpses to revive, and they were also vulnerable to being camped by others.
Moreover, in Eternal, a person could only create one character, so if they wanted to resolve this issue, they would have to switch cities or factions. However, since Eternal had only launched less than a day ago, switching cities or factions was akin to a pipe dream.
That said, these players brought this upon themselves; their fate was well-deserved.
Luca turned his attention back to completing the novice quest for Apprentice Mage.
Just then, a clear voice called out, "Adventurer in the back, wait a moment…"
The speaker was none other than the noble daughter, Sophia, sitting in the luxurious carriage!
The others followed her gaze and spotted the boy in the corner.
A wave of sympathy washed over the group of players.
They figured he was just another unfortunate soul.
Luca paused for a moment, looking around to confirm that no one else was nearby.
"Are you calling me?" he asked in confusion.
He didn't believe he had offended this noble lady; why would she be calling for him?
"Yes, it's you." Sophia nodded slightly. Her beautiful face remained expressionless, but her gaze lingered on Luca's face, revealing a hint of surprise deep in her enchanting eyes.
What a handsome boy!