When Teacher Li logged in again after work, he immediately went to meet up with his friend. Following Raven’s directions, he arrived at the Adventurer Guild’s camp and saw Guildmaster Natalie sending his old friend out of the tent.
In the twilight, one could clearly see that Lady Natalie’s expression wasn’t pleasant, looking like the classic expression of someone who lost an argument and was holding back frustration to get revenge next time. Honestly, seeing such a sulking expression on the face of the Black-Hearted Witch Hunter who typically maintains a tough demeanor was quite rare.
However, his good friend’s walking posture had now returned to how it was when he was healthy, and his expression showed that he was very satisfied with the beginning of his gaming journey.
“How did you end up chatting with her?”
Seeing the smile on Raven’s face, Old Li approached to greet him and said:
“What? Haven’t you fixed that bad habit of trying to probe others?”
“How can you call it a bad habit? This is a basic skill for a lawyer and psychological profiler.”
The player with ID【Raven】 rolled his eyes, unconsciously pushing up his nose bridge but sighed when there were no glasses there to adjust. While walking with Old Li towards the outer city, he experienced the strange sensation of having his legs back and walking normally again, saying to Teacher Li:
“About that matter you asked me to look into, I might have an answer for you now.”
“What? So quickly!”Old Li was startled and said:
“You’ve already figured out what’s behind this game?”
“Come on, I’m a lawyer, not a wizard, how could I do it that fast?”
Raven smirked and said:
“I’m just saying I can tell you some of the ‘truth’ that I’ve seen, like Lady Natalie who spent exactly 37 minutes discussing faith with me earlier. Strip away her aura as Master Witch Hunter and Avalon Church leader, she’s just an ordinary confused young woman in her twenties mentally.
She knows she should believe in all that knowledge about deities she learned in her first 30 years of life, she’s trying hard to convince herself to dedicate everything to Avalon.
But she can’t fool herself!
Especially after experiencing the brutality of the Ten-Year War, she’s begun doubting what she once firmly believed in, and worse yet, fate has pushed her into a position that someone of her age and experience shouldn’t be in.
Obviously!
Lady Natalie has serious family and psychological issues, and the series of unsolvable troubles stemming from these problems have created terrible spiritual vulnerabilities for her.
If I were to make a prediction, if she continues to face life’s blows and fate’s challenges, Lady Natalie may very well go down a wrong path.
It’s a path she dares not think about but will ultimately lead to her self-destruction.
And I’m certain that’s not the future her deity and others who care about her want to see. That is, if the deities of this world actually care about their earthly followers’ mental health.”
“You!”
Old Li punched Raven’s shoulder in annoyance, saying:
“I brought you here to relax, not to do psychological profiles on NPCs.”
“She’s not an NPC!”
Raven seriously corrected:
“She’s a person!
A living being with her own thoughts and independent will, vivid and truly existing!
She has human-like logical abilities and not-so-excellent sophistry skills. When she found herself at a disadvantage and realized she had fallen into the verbal trap I set for her, she showed appropriate embarrassed anger, as well as restraint of that anger and maintenance of dignity.
For a moment, I could clearly sense she wanted to hit me!
Such emotional impulses are difficult to simulate.
Unless Alpha Company’s technology has advanced to the point where true strong AI can be born, I can definitively tell you, she is real!
Tonight she will toss and turn because of our conversation about faith, she will use the philosophical perspectives I enlightened her with to re-examine her beliefs, and will try awkwardly but earnestly to reorganize some arguments to structure her viewpoints.
And at some point in the future, perhaps tomorrow, perhaps three days later, she’ll come find me to continue debating.
Old Li, I wasn’t just having a simple chat with a girl I met on the road, you asked me to find those factors that make you uneasy, and I’m finding them!
This was a not-so-humane little experiment.
I awakened the hidden unease in a lady’s heart, thereby confirming some of the truths you wanted to know.
I now strongly suspect this NPC you speak of is played by a real person, not just her, but possibly all NPCs in Crimson Citadel are like this.
Someone has constructed a fantasy world for you all and packaged it as a game using technology.”
“Shouldn’t we report this to the police in that case?”
Teacher Li got a bit nervous, but Raven shook his head and said:
“It’s useless! Information control has already begun, those above have already noticed this matter, but their lack of action may mean they’re unable to intervene effectively.
Or perhaps, this matter itself comes from some experiment by the state apparatus.
If I’m not mistaken, you, me, and all other players have already been registered with them. Wasn’t there discussion on the forums about Alpha Company’s medical team making house calls?
Hmph.
Were those really medical team members?
I have my doubts.”
“At least give me a solution, don’t just spread fear! You troublemaker.”
Old Li was genuinely getting anxious.
It wasn’t that he feared for himself, mainly there were too many students in this game, and as a teacher he couldn’t pretend not to see it.
Faced with his inquiry, Raven showed a subtle smile, patted his “recovered” legs, stretched lazily in place, and said:
“This is a problem that neither you nor I can solve right now, Old Li, so don’t think too much about it.
If you and I are both chess pieces, then we’ve already been placed on the board, and the best way to maintain the status quo is to continue following the mission we’ve been given.
The advice I can give you is to eat when you should eat, drink when you should drink, and don’t take things too seriously.
As long as the logout button is still there!
Yes, as long as we can still log out normally, we won’t have any impact on our personal safety at least.
I have to thank you, really.
You’ve brought me an excellent and unique way to pass time. Although I just started, I already love this new world.
I’ll keep playing, if only for these legs I’ve regained.”
“Tch.”
Old Li clicked his tongue.
He suddenly really wanted a cigarette to calm his tense nerves, then he asked:
“So what are you planning to do next? You were invited in as a ‘professional’, shouldn’t you go to the administrative office to help them establish laws?”
“Do you think establishing laws is something you can just do off the top of your head?
I need to understand at least the established rules and various living conditions across this land first, and I need an original copy of the laws used when the Blood Vulture Clan governed Transia as reference.
If possible, I’d also like to visit the Goldflower Kingdom and Nordtov Kingdom to see their legal situations firsthand.
Regent Miriam and Professor Malcolm gave me 8 months to collect the information I need.
The NPCs aren’t in a hurry, why are you?”
Raven rolled his eyes and said:
“Besides, isn’t there something more important to do?”
“What?”
Old Li asked, and Raven looked back at the Adventurer Guild camp behind them, saying:
“Help Lady Natalie resolve those psychological issues that will definitely cause problems if left unattended. You’re right, Old Li, there are people here who need my help.
And I’ve confirmed she’s not the type who would run me over with a dump truck just because I refused to help her make false testimony.
But Old Li
You need to help me find something, quietly, without others finding out.”
“What do you need?”
Teacher Li asked quietly, and Raven played with the computation bead in his hand, saying:
“A dictionary! The dictionary local children use to study. I must start learning the local text immediately, Old Li. This bead is a big problem.
All the information we currently access has been filtered through it.
The translation function is like a pair of glasses!
It can help you see further but will block things you should have noticed, convenience… once you accept this benefit it means you’ve actively given up the right to seek truth.
From this perspective, this world’s ‘fate’ is quite fair.
However if you want to find the truth, you’ll need to make your game life a bit more ‘tiring’. The good news is, I’ve already rested for so many years, Old Li.
Now I’m… really fired up!”
————————
In the Blood Vulture Halls, Murphy who was shamelessly eavesdropping heard the entire conversation between Raven and Teacher Li, and realized he had been a bit hasty in agreeing to Li’s request to pull strings and get a headset for his friend.
Is this guy really just a lawyer and psychological profiler?
Did Teacher Li bring in a wizard instead? One conversation lasting half an hour was enough to break Natalie’s defenses, and now he plans to pierce through the fog to see the “truth”…
Wow, you should join Lumina’s genius chat group with that intellect.
You strange person!
Hmph, indeed, someone young enough to end up in a wheelchair definitely isn’t simple, right?
Murphy clicked his tongue, tossed the core bead on the table feeling exhausted, though thinking about it another way, having such a clever person stay long-term in Transia might not be a bad thing.
He might be able to find himself a second “champion” following Little Ashina’s example.
However this Raven clearly won’t be easy to handle!
He’s on a completely different level from Little Ashina in terms of life experience and personal thinking, trying to get this guy to “pledge loyalty” would likely be incredibly difficult.
Also, why does he keep picking people who are very disadvantaged in the real world as his champions? Is he also a bastard who plans to exploit disabled and sick people’s yearning for a healthy life?
Surely not
Murphy sat in his chair seriously pondering this question.
But soon, a sudden notification interrupted all his thoughts. It wasn’t a communication alert from the core bead, but rather popped up directly on his administrator system interface:
“Subordinate administrative unit Morland Village accepted 1,654 new residents, Transia registered population reaches 100,057 people, triggering hidden achievement 【Lord of 100,000】.
Achievement reward – Advanced function 【Race Template Collection and Conversion】 unlocked!
Function explanation:
Through contact, research, dissection, blood absorption, containment, analysis, reading and reputation interaction methods, you can collect template information of various races in the world, allowing you to provide more race options when test subjects enter 《Reality Realm》.
Test subjects who have already chosen a race but are not satisfied can, after receiving administrator Alpha’s confirmation, have Alpha personally or a designated operator use 【Otherworld Summoner – Spirit Energy Projection Reshaping】 technique to customize new race and talents for the test subject.
Note!
Before using this function please ensure the operator’s understanding of the target race template information is above 50%, and is sufficiently proficient in the 【Spirit Energy Reshaping】 technique, otherwise there will be quite terrible consequences.
Note!
After test subjects accept 【Race Template Conversion】, their profession and level information will be preserved, talents and specialties will be reshaped according to the target race.
Each test subject (Black Iron rank) can only accept race template conversion once, multiple conversions have a chance to cause save file packet loss resulting in severe consequences including level reset and talent disorder.
Note!
After test subjects unlock Silver Trial to excavate racial potential, they cannot undergo 【Race Template Conversion】, forced race conversion will directly cause personal strength to return to Black Iron rank and affect potential development.
Current progress of contacted race templates as follows:
1. Vampire and racial branches:
Blood Vulture 100%, Thorn 20%, Wolfsbane 10%, Blood Pact 10%, Blood Dread 0%, Secret Blood 0%, Mad Blood 0%.
2. Human and racial branches:
Silan 90%, Nord 45%, Caith 30%, Ancient Mountain Folk 30%, Calum Dragon Descendant 5%, Caesar Barbarian 0%.
3. Elf and racial branches:
Moon Elf 5%, Forest Elf 0%, Sea Elf 0%, Shadow Elf 30%.
4. Dwarf and racial branches:
Brass Dwarf 0%, Silver Dwarf 5%, Frost Dwarf 10%.
5. Other races:
Sanghai 0%, Atlantean Merfolk 0%, Deep Sea Koutao Fish-folk 0%, Goatman 0%, Gnoll 25%, Kobold 25%.
Function description:
Is there really any point in playing a roleplaying game where you can’t change races or start new characters? side_eye_smile.JPG. – Love from 【Data Deleted】.”
“Holy crap! Race conversion? Even this kind of paid feature exists?”
Murphy stood up abruptly after seeing the new function unlock.
He had previously expressed doubts about the existence of this function, after all he and Tris had already mass-produced a gang of player vampires running wild in Transia through the “player-exclusive embracing ceremony”.
This was enough to prove that even without relying on the administrator system, Tris had sufficient spirit energy mastery to help players become what they wanted to be.
Just from this point it confirmed that the spirit energy composing test subjects’ physical projections could be scrambled and reorganized, and now the appearance of this reward function let Murphy confirm that “race conversion” was within the administrator system’s design all along, though his race conversion would obviously be more “scientific”.
Murphy needed to collect other races’ template information through various means, and after reaching 70% collection rate he could open race conversion options to his lovely little players.
Others might not need this function much, but Lumina would definitely be ecstatic! That elf-obsessed girl has been dying to become an elf, and this time she can finally fulfill her wish.
However the problem is that Murphy’s current template collection for the four elf branches is only in the pitiful single digits.
The only relatively high Shadow Elf racial information was probably all provided by his loyal servant Lady Adele, but Adele is a half-elf with only one-quarter Shadow Elf blood, she could only provide Murphy with 30% collection rate at most.
This means that following normal methods, Murphy might still need to grind reputation to Revered or above to obtain the corresponding racial template information.
However carefully reading this reward function’s description dispelled all Murphy’s doubts.
He could entrust the spirit energy reshaping task to other operators, in other words, he could cooperate with Tris like before, accepting players’ requests for race conversion himself, then having Tris perform the conversion.
And with the Crimson Witch’s terrifying knowledge reserves, her understanding and research of elven races would definitely far surpass Murphy’s uneducated vampire lord self.
In other words, as long as Lumina is willing, she could actually become the game’s first elven player right now with Tris’s help through a magnificent transformation.
“But even rewards need the right timing, nothing comes without merit after all.”
Murphy calmed himself from his wild joy, narrowed his eyes to ponder for a moment before making his decision, to not announce this gameplay-enhancing function publicly yet, but rather wait for an appropriate moment to reveal it as a “gift” from the “development team” to the players.
As for the current 【Lord of 100,000】 achievement trigger, it’s quite a good opportunity that finally allows Murphy to add another project he’s already planned into players’ gaming careers in the form of a minor version update.
Strongholds!
It’s time to put territories that players are fully responsible for building, managing and operating on the agenda.
Murphy currently has three strongholds available to distribute, and he’s already selected two of them to let his little players practice with.
Opening this function in the next update will not only make players wildly happy, but also effectively reduce work pressure for his poor Regent Miriam.
If Miriam continues working overtime like this, his valued regent probably won’t live past 30.
She must learn to delegate authority like himself, trust in others’ wisdom and give them responsibilities to make her life as an administrator easier.
Not to mention, shouldn’t Miriam’s lifelong happiness be considered? If this drags on any longer, Lieutenant Frayzer next door might really marry Miss Becky.
Speaking of Becky
Didn’t that young lady so different from typical noble ladies ask him for information about Miriam? Why hasn’t she gone to catch the “mistress” yet?
Hey, miss, procrastination is never a good thing!