Chapter 58: Players’ Arrival
The sun slowly rose above the horizon, signaling the start of another day.
It was early morning.
Most people had just woken up and were getting ready for another day of work.
As residents stepped out of their homes, they noticed streaks of light crossing the clear sky.
No one paid much attention to them.
Some dismissed them as meteors, others as divine omens. Either way, few cared.
None of them could possibly know that the same lights had appeared throughout Nova Roma nor that their arrival would forever transform their lives.
In one of Blood Sun City’s many dark alleyways, a rugged beggar opened his eyes with difficulty.
His eyes flashed with an extraordinary brilliance, and his face was full of excitement, both reactions going against his current state. Yet upon hearing his words, one would be able to guess the reason why.
"I succeeded! I never thought I would be one of the lucky five hundred Beta Players!"
"Could it be that Lady Luck has finally blessed me?"
The man laughed wildly, his chuckle spreading throughout the alleyway.
Combined with his broken yellow teeth and deep wrinkles on his face, he truly looked like a madman.
But several seconds later, the man’s face twisted into a frown.
"What is this smell?" He waved his hand in front of his nose.
"Could it be that I spawned inside a garbage dump?"
The man nearly gagged out of reflex.
His gaze swept through his surroundings, hoping to locate the source.
Soon, his search yielded results.
Much to his astonishment, however, the smell came from himself.
"Damn! Isn’t this game a little too realistic?"
"The game company claimed that each Player would be granted a suitable identity. Could it be that I’ve turned into a beggar?"
The man tried to recall the guide he had memorized from the forum.
According to the more experienced gamers, the moment a Player landed in Nova Roma, they should immediately open their Player Panel.
The information revealed was what they needed the most and could very well save their lives.
The man, however, soon forgot about the guide.
He made a rather bizarre decision.
"If everything’s realistic..."
"Then is that down there too...?"
The instant that thought took root in his mind, the Player could not shake it off.
Without any hesitation, the man pulled down his stained pants and then the underwear in a single, fluid motion.
Just as he was about to investigate...
"Kyah! Guards! Guards!"
"A pervert! Help!"
A shrill cry echoed.
The man turned around, only to find a woman running away in terror, covering her red face with her hands.
The man’s face flushed with embarrassment.
But as he recalled that this was just a game, he soon dismissed it.
He didn’t even try to run away, choosing to stay where he was.
In his opinion, no matter how realistic a game was, it was just that—a game.
What was the worst that could happen?
Unfortunately, that recklessness soon cost him greatly.
Less than a minute later, a group of armored men surrounded the alleyway from every direction.
Their eyes locked onto his figure as though ready to eat him alive.
Their sharp gazes filled him with fear, especially when he found them looking between his legs.
"This... Guys, I don’t swing that way..."
The Player waved his hands in a panic.
Before he could speak any further, a cold voice rang from outside:
"Lock him up!"
--
While certain Players were having bad luck, dragged into the churches’ dark rooms for further interrogation, there were some among them who were way smarter.
In a small shop, a beautiful girl stood behind the wooden counter, wearing a polite smile as she watched the customer walk away.
After placing the bronze coins into the cash register, she turned around.
Her smile instantly vanished, replaced by an utterly calm expression.
"This game is truly too realistic. No wonder the game company praised it so much."
"It’s not only the graphics. Every NPC feels like a real person, with their own thoughts and motivations."
"I have to be careful. I’m afraid that any out-of-the-ordinary behavior may very well reveal my true identity."
The game company had warned everyone that they should never reveal their Player identity.
Although the girl didn’t know what the consequences of doing so would be, she also didn’t want to find out.
As her mind stirred, lines of text appeared in front of her.
...
[Name: TheoryMaster69]
[Rank: 1 / Level: 0/20 (0/100)]
[Base Stats:] Strength: 10, Agility: 10, Intelligence: 10, Vitality: 10, Luck: 10
[Reputation: 0]
[Skill Points: 0]
[EXP: 0]
[Active Missions: Serve ten customers. Progress: 1/10]
...
The panel was extremely bare-bones. The girl possessed absolutely nothing for the time being.
Her Base Stats were the basic ones, while everything else was blank.
But the girl did not mind.
Her gaze lingered on the active mission, requiring her to serve ten customers in exchange for 10 Experience Points.
Then, it fell onto the final line.
[Starting Location: Blood Sun City, Dawn Kingdom.]
The moment she saw this line, TheoryMaster69’s eyes shone with excitement.
She hadn’t expected her luck to be so good!
She had appeared in the same city as the current Version’s Protagonist!
Recalling the plans she had hatched and her goal of getting close to him, TheoryMaster69 had the urge to rush out of the shop and find Hidden NPC Aurelius.
However, she quickly stopped herself.
Looking toward the room behind her, where the shop’s owner was currently resting, she forced herself to remain calm.
’Finding Aurelius is important, but I can’t give up this identity just yet. Whether to avoid exposing myself, or because of the Mission, I have to stay here for now.’
Though disappointed, TheoryMaster69 was not an ordinary Player. She quickly adjusted her expectations, analyzing everything in an attempt to find the most beneficial route.
When footsteps echoed a few minutes later, a sweet voice rang out.
"Welcome, customer. How may I help you?"
...
TheoryMaster69’s starting identity was good, while the beggar’s was terrible.
Most Players, however, found themselves somewhere in between.
Outside the Sol estate, a round figure hid behind a high bush, their eyes locked onto the mansion’s entrance. They waited patiently, not moving for several minutes.
When a young blond man finally walked out of the estate, their eyes shone brightly.
[Aurelius Sol. Level ???]
Looking at the interface hovering above the man, the sneaky figure immediately sprang into action.
"Excuse me! Excuse me!"