While Lin Bai was busy decorating his shop, Crispy Rice and Sticky Rice quietly logged on in a secluded corner.
The two looked at each other and burst out laughing.
"I've played games for so many years, and this is the first time I've been forced to log off by an NPC. Interesting," Crispy Rice said, shaking his head.
"Ah Lao, what would have happened if we hadn't logged off then?" Sticky Rice asked.
"We'd be caught and thrown into prison, severely tortured. We'd either be released if innocent or have our characters unjustly deleted…" Crispy Rice was speaking when he suddenly paused. "Are you saying this is a storyline quest?"
"The NPC appeared too suddenly. He didn't know who we were but suddenly fabricated a story and then quickly turned it on us. Everything is too strange," Sticky Rice said. "He gained nothing from it. You don't actually believe this was just an NPC trying to prank us, do you?"
Crispy Rice fell silent for a moment, then raised his head. "It certainly is strange."
"The game is truly fucking realistic, huh!" Sticky Rice exclaimed.
"That's not all," Crispy Rice said. "When that NPC framed me, my mind was filled with anger at the injustice and the immediate urge to flee. I absolutely could not get caught. In that moment, I even forgot I was a player…"
"Isn't that normal? The game connects to our neural pathways; all our reactions stem from our deepest, most genuine feelings," Sticky Rice said. "Besides, it was like this in previous games too. Police cars in racing games, zombies in shooter games—no player wants to get caught by an NPC. It's an inherent competitiveness."
"It's different." Crispy Rice shook his head again. "In past games, were you ever angry about being framed by an NPC?"
"…" Sticky Rice paused, then said seriously, "I absolutely despise that wretched Carrie."
"…" Crispy Rice.
A moment passed.
Crispy Rice glanced at Sticky Rice, bringing the conversation back on topic. "At the time, he said something: 'When Heaven is about to confer a great responsibility upon a person, it first tests their heart with distress.' He didn't finish the sentence then. It's hard to imagine an NPC saying something so philosophical."
"Credit to the copywriters, I guess!" Sticky Rice said. "You know, someone probably had a flash of inspiration and came up with a couple of cool lines."
"It's not scripted lines," Crispy Rice said. "There's a lot of discussion about Professional NPCs on the forums. None of them have fixed lines. Someone said a while ago that all NPCs in this world have their own thoughts…"
"Are you saying that profound statement was generated by the AI itself?" Sticky Rice asked.
Crispy Rice looked at Sticky Rice. "Compared to AI generating it, I lean more towards… towards this being a real world…"
Before he could finish, Crispy Rice saw Sticky Rice looking at him with the kind of pity one reserves for a fool. "Alright, let's assume this is a real world. What do we do next?"
"Find somewhere to eat, then figure out how to make some coin," Crispy Rice said. "The hunger in this body feels too real. I suspect if we don't eat soon, this body will lose all strength and tragically starve and freeze to death. What a damned setting."
"Aren't you going to look for that little subordinate of yours?" Sticky Rice asked teasingly. "Didn't he say you could find him for anything in Jiamucheng?"
"I don't even know his damn name!" Thinking about it made Crispy Rice furious. "There are so many people in Jiamucheng, where the hell am I supposed to find him? If I ever see him again, I'll hack him to pieces…"
"Catch them!"
"Don't let the River and Sea Bandits get away!"
"Quickly, go to the yamen and report this!"
"Fifty taels of silver for their capture!"
As soon as Crispy Rice and Sticky Rice stepped out of the alley, someone in the bustling crowd gave them a second glance, instantly triggering another chaotic uproar.
The two players were forced to flee. After much difficulty, they found a deserted spot, logged off to escape, and evaded a new wave of pursuit.
They returned to the login interface.
Crispy Rice was a mess; even his clothes were torn in several places. Seething with anger, he couldn't help but curse, "Damn it!"
"What happened?" Sticky Rice's message came through immediately.
"How would I know?" Crispy Rice replied irritably.
"Are we logging back in?" Sticky Rice asked.
"Let's wait for a bit," Crispy Rice said. "Wait until the people camping us disperse, then we'll log back in and figure out what's going on. Why is this never-ending?"
Saying this, he opened the forums.
"A brand new experience, creating the most realistic game. Entering the game is like gaining a second life."
The promotional slogan for "Immortal World" caught his eye.
There were two hot posts pinned at the top.
The title of the first post: "The most awesome game in history! Vision, hearing, smell, taste, touch—all five senses fully engaged! Entering the game is like being transported to another, real world."
This was the most popular post, a review by a famous gaming influencer called "Wild Wolf." It was filled with numerous screenshots and explanations about exploring the new world, showcasing beautiful scenery everywhere, and the fine hairs on NPCs' faces were clearly visible...
Below the post, there were a ton of envious and fawning replies. Of course, even more numerous were the voices begging for the immediate end of the closed beta and the launch of the open beta.
After all, who wouldn't want to embark on another thrilling and exciting life during their downtime?
Below this post was another, with an opposing view.
"The most frustrating game in history! Working 996 in real life is bad enough, but you can't even find a job in the game."
The poster was also a professional player, named "Greg." His post was a litany of complaints about the game's unreasonable aspects.
The login and logout methods were irrational. In cities, you had to log out in safe zones or uninhabited areas. In uninhabited areas, you had to log back in at the exact same spot, making it easy for enemies to ambush you.
The monsters in the wilderness were too ferocious, and you couldn't even see a health bar. You'd get killed instantly upon encounter, completely missing the thrill of gaming.
Everything in the city cost coin. The initial coin gifted by the System was barely enough to survive until you could find a paying profession.
Moreover, finding a job wasn't easy; the conditions for recruitment and apprenticeship by Professional NPCs were unusually stringent…
One by one, he listed the game's flaws.
In short, the game's mechanics were simply anti-human. If it weren't for its realistic veneer, it would have absolutely zero playability.
With the intention of ensuring this well-crafted game could achieve sustainable development, this professional player named "Greg" strongly urged the game developers to revise the game according to his suggestions, adjust the difficulty, and not disappoint the players.
"Agreed! I wanted to learn Blacksmithing, but I got kicked out before I could even open my mouth."
"Blacksmithing? I can't even get a job as a waiter in a restaurant."
"I wanted to go to the Happy Red Courtyard and spit to condemn its decadent atmosphere, but I got beaten and thrown out."
"The poster above—are they talking about actual spit?"
"Stop flexing! We aren't even qualified to play this game yet. If you've got the guts, give me your account and let me try…"
"We beg for torment, please start the open beta!"
Below the post, a group of people chimed in with complaints.
But even more were the voices of envy, jealousy, and resentment from players who couldn't participate in the open beta.
Just as Crispy Rice was about to close the post to write about his own misfortunes and criticize the game's unreasonableness, he suddenly paused, staring blankly.
Beneath Greg's post, the game officials had, surprisingly, replied with a single sentence: "Before breaking the rules, one must first understand and adapt to the rules. Only then can one create rules. We wish all players a joyful gaming experience."
This sentence struck Crispy Rice like a bolt of lightning. He suddenly understood.
Yes.
They had just entered the game. How could they offer any reasonable suggestions without even understanding the basic rules?
Must every game be transformed into an identical pay-to-win grind?
That would be the true loss of this game's soul!
At this thought, Crispy Rice felt a sense of enlightenment, and his fighting spirit was rekindled.