Wei Lu's eyes lit up. "It's better not to be too harsh with 97% realism," he said, still processing the situation. "And how could the game be this ruthless? Aren't you worried players will stop playing?"
He quickly recognized the mission, realizing it was about rescuing other players. He could already foresee how the increasing popularity of the live broadcast would benefit him.
However, Bai Yi seemed taken aback. He hadn't expected his influence on the players to be quite so powerful.
[You have issued a task to the player [Guardians], and your specialty [Swindler] has been activated. The reward for the player [Guardians] after completing the task has been reduced by 30%. (Paid when the task is completed.)]
Bai Yi glanced at the "Swindler" specialty. What he had once dismissed as insignificant now seemed a little strange. No wonder he was rumored to be a profiteer. Perhaps this was a side effect of the player template?
He turned to Sabo with a smile. "Untie our friends, and let's take a walk."
Sabo nodded, looking disgusted, and took out a bottle of black potion, pouring it directly into the guard's mouth.
[You drank something extremely filthy, and your negative state was neutralized.]
Wei Lu could feel his body again and slowly tried to stand. The brief weakness was uncomfortable, but after stabilizing himself, he asked cautiously, "Mr. Bai Yi, how can I help you?"
Bai Yi stood, and as the mechanical throne behind him disassembled into tiny parts, thirty worker bees quickly reassembled and returned to his coat. He paused, then asked, "The wonder cannot be destroyed, but I feel your bodies are quite fragile. Are you immortal, or can you be resurrected?"
Bai Yi walked out, and the players collapsed one by one. Unable to move or make a sound, they still followed the progress of the strange game through Wei Lu's live stream, thanks to the player forum.
Players were proud, but if they were really unhappy, they could always quit. After all, people played games for fun, not to be abused.
Bai Yi understood this well. Despite the intense realism of the game, which would undoubtedly make it popular, he knew there was no need to worry about mass player exits. There were still plenty of people waiting in line to reserve their spots.
But even so, he intended to be cautious. He couldn't afford to push things too far—if the players got too frightened, it could cause trouble.
"Yes, you guessed it right," Wei Lu answered, his voice steady. "Every time we die, we're resurrected here." He was still confused by the lack of protection at the resurrection point, but he had decided to keep going for now.
Bai Yi nodded and, with a flick of his wrist, handed a potion to a frozen player against the door. He asked patiently, "Wonder, can I kill you?"
"What are you kidding?" The player looked confused, but Bai Yi's casual demeanor made it clear he was serious.
Ding, ding, ding. The sound of coins clinking filled the air as Bai Yi pulled out several gold coins.
"The wonder will not die. This is compensation." Bai Yi smiled, a hint of mischief in his voice.
The player named [Hehehe] immediately shifted his expression. Players who were familiar with the game's background knew that copper coins were highly valuable in this era—one gold coin equaled ten thousand copper coins, or about five thousand kilograms of grain. It was a small fortune for a level one character!
With the absurd purchasing power of gold coins in mind, [Hehehe] quickly reconsidered his earlier response. "Of course, no problem, Mr. Bai Yi! Your spirit of scientific inquiry is truly admirable!"
Bai Yi smiled, nodding. He slipped the gold coins into [Hehehe]'s hand, and they disappeared instantly—likely stored in his panel.
Bang!
[You killed a player, +10 experience points.]
Bai Yi raised an eyebrow as the message appeared. Only ten experience points? And no level information was provided—he wondered if this was standard for players below level 10. It wasn't a major issue, but it raised more questions in his mind.
It's a shame players can quit, otherwise this place would be a perfect grind spot for experience.
About ten seconds later, [Hehehe]'s body reappeared, and he looked at Bai Yi with enthusiasm. "Mr. Bai Yi, do you want to try again?"
Ding, ding, ding.
Bang!
[You killed a player, +10 experience points.]
Once again, [Hehehe] revived and grinned. "Are you going again, Mr. Bai Yi?"
The guard standing nearby looked enviously at the player. Why wasn't he chosen for this? Being in the presence of someone so powerful seemed like a rare opportunity.
Bai Yi shook his head with a soft chuckle. "No need, thank you."
"No, no, no! It's an honor to contribute to science!" [Hehehe] insisted, bowing exaggeratedly.
With that, Bai Yi, Sabo, and the guards began exploring the players' spawn points. Their demeanor softened, and the questions grew more friendly. Bai Yi unblocked another unknown player and gave them the same mission as the Guard Brigade, but this time, he allowed Sabo to handle it.
When Sabo returned, he gave a quick shake of his head. Bai Yi ended the experiment, having concluded that while players couldn't be truly harmed, they could be restricted in certain ways.
For instance, imprisoning them at their resurrection point made for a nearly perfect prison, as long as their negative statuses remained. Also, players' quests were more valuable than expected, playing a huge role in the game's progression.
The level cap for both beta and 1.0 players was 20, meaning their threat level was low, but their utility was high.
Initially, Bai Yi had considered enslaving the players, but that idea quickly dissipated. After all, it seemed impossible to control them—at least not with Sabo's methods!
"Mr. Sabo, this wonder doesn't appear to have any ill will towards the Federation. Please liberate them," Bai Yi said softly.
Sabo rubbed his hands together, and a filthy energy radiated outward, gradually returning the special domain's force.
In an instant, the players began to stir. Some groaned, others cursed, but many simply stood up in silence, and the scene became chaotic.
At the same time, Bai Yi's panel flashed:
"Two players completed their missions, gold coins +30, experience points +180."
The original reward for the task had been 50 gold coins and 300 experience points, but thanks to the effect of Bai Yi's [Swindler] specialty, 30% had been deducted.
Bai Yi sighed, slightly amused. He had to admit, the specialty's effects were making things more interesting.
He cleared his throat, magic power swirling in his mouth, and then addressed the players with a note of apology. "Dear visitors from other worlds, I apologize for my actions earlier. But wonders represent all uncertainties, and this is a border city—I must ensure the safety of the Federation."
"I will offer you optional compensation as a token of my apology."
As Bai Yi spoke, he noticed the players eyeing him strangely. His gaze instinctively shifted to Wei Lu's live stream.
The chat was filled with shouts of "Wow!" and "This Bai Yi is actually the boss!"
Bai Yi's eyes widened as he saw a screenshot flash on the screen:
[You were hit in the head by the Demon Hunter Revolver, and you were killed by the Silver-level boss White Plague.]
It clicked. This was how players viewed a boss.
Do they really want to start a group fight?