Jon Snow suddenly remembered what the receptionist had told him before the game began:
"This time, the competition will run entirely within the game. From the moment players land, they'll be thrown into brutal conflict—and may even kill each other. Resources for development are extremely limited, and players will have to take enormous risks to obtain them. In fact, many players might not get a single point from the support system and may end up completely drained due to the mechanics."
Her words had hinted at just how absurdly difficult the main mission was going to be. Otherwise, why say that "many players won't get any resources from the system at all"? Jon smacked his forehead.
"If we can't earn points through tasks, then the only way to avoid being targeted by the assassination system for being at the bottom of the rankings is to get points by killing other players?" The thought sent a chill down Jon's spine.
Feeling the pressure mounting, he didn't dare waste another second. He quickly scrolled down the mission updates.
He remembered the mission prompt had triggered twice, which meant the bounty mission had gone live the moment the game officially started.
[Bounty Mission 1: First Blood]
Objective: Be the first player to make a kill.
Reward: 3,000 gold dragons (2,500 in gold bars), 3 attribute points, 3 skill points, 2 S-level NPCs of your choice (within the area).
Note: Completion will be announced to all players after a one-day delay.
"???" Jon stared at the absurd reward in disbelief.
So this is what the receptionist meant by "extremely limited development resources that require huge risks to obtain"?
Since completing the main mission early on was nearly impossible, whoever secured the "First Blood" reward would instantly have a massive advantage over the rest.
In a game like this, where the system doesn't hand out development resources, players are at a serious disadvantage. Unlike single-player time-travel stories where the protagonist might rely on modern knowledge and a grasp of the original world to thrive, this was a competition of equals.
All the players here knew the source material inside and out. The moment someone did something out of place, the others would instantly recognize them for what they were—a player.
And without enough strength to back you up, being exposed was no different from a death sentence.
Take, for example, the question of whether to ally with Daenerys Targaryen at the start of the game. Most players probably considered it, thinking that getting close to the Dragon Queen would give them a protagonist's edge.
But that was just a fantasy.
Out of a hundred players, at least fifty were likely aiming for her. The moment any of them got near Daenerys, their identity would be revealed to everyone.
Unless a player was so powerful that they could ignore all potential threats, they wouldn't survive the next chapter.
Even if someone was desperate enough to take the risk, they wouldn't have the means.
Starting as an average player with no power or influence meant they had no chance of getting close to Daenerys.
Why?
In the original timeline, only Jorah Mormont and Barristan Selmy—both from Westeros—managed to reach Daenerys early on. Why them?
Was it because no one else tried? Not at all.
When word spread that Khal Drogo was to marry Daenerys, all kinds of people flocked to Essos from Westeros: adventurers, mercenaries, bastards, and even discontented younger sons of noble houses. Like vultures drawn to a battlefield, they came chasing a future for themselves through a wandering prince backed by the Horse Lord.
But in the original story, none of those people ever showed up. Why?
There was no doubt about it—lllyrio Mopatis, the Magister of Pentos and the protector of the Targaryen siblings, had turned them away. Maybe he feared assassins might be hiding among them, or maybe he simply believed they had no value. Either way, he shut the door on nearly everyone who tried to join Viserys.
From beginning to end, only two people were brought into Daenerys's circle by lllyrio: Jorah Mormont, the disgraced former Lord of Bear Island, recommended by Varys, lllyrio's old friend; and Barristan Selmy, the famed and fearless former Kingsguard.
Without a credible identity and real strength, approaching Daenerys was nothing more than a fool's dream.
That was also why Jon Snow didn't choose to start his game in Essos.
"Hmm… maybe that sounds a bit forced," Jon muttered, shaking his head and bringing his focus back to the first-blood mission. "I'm still a bit confused."
"Go ahead," came the reply. The biggest advantage of the AI system was that it always answered immediately—just like that sweet feeling of first love.
"First of all, this world is real, right?"
"Correct."
"So, players don't have health bars over their heads, and NPCs don't have names floating above them?"
"Correct."
"And the organizers gave each player a reasonable backstory, complete with memories and knowledge, right?"
"Correct."
"Then… how are we supposed to find other players?" Jon spread his hands. "We've got a hundred people randomly dropped into Westeros—or even Essos. That's like tossing a handful of salt into the ocean. Are we really supposed to bump into each other by chance? And even if we do, how would we know who's a player?"
Sure, he could guess the five most common starting professions other players might pick—and other players could do the same—but that didn't mean much when it came to actually finding a target to hunt in the early stages.
How many hedge knights were wandering around Westeros? How many nameless mercenaries roamed the land? You might say you could keep your guard up against them, but hunting them down with just that guesswork? Pure fantasy.
Realistically, it would only be when a player became powerful enough to stand out—so much so that others noticed a character who didn't exist in the original story—that they'd be identified as a player. But by then, the game would already be well into the mid-stage. That didn't match the idea that "players would start fighting from the beginning."
So… what was he missing?
"I won't answer questions beyond my authority," the AI, Anne, replied mechanically.
Jon hadn't really expected her to answer anyway. He was mostly talking to himself—trying to figure out what he'd overlooked. There had to be a way to find other players… something he hadn't thought of yet.
There were two problems: encountering another player, and recognizing them for what they were.
Westeros alone covered more than ten million square kilometers, and Essos was even larger.
Even if all 100 players were dropped into King's Landing—a city of half a million people—they still might not run into each other easily.
Unless… the players' activity zones were narrowed even further. Like if they were all placed in the same tavern.
"Damn it! Allies!" Jon suddenly shouted, slapping his thigh. "Those guys who agreed to form alliances beforehand—they must have chosen a meeting point!"
Because his own allies had withdrawn from the competition, he'd completely forgotten about them when thinking this through.
So how could players find each other in the early stages?
The answer was: they couldn't—at least, not by chance.
But if two players had already made a pact to team up, and agreed on where to meet? That changed everything.