002 The Newcomers' Village

[Life: 100%]
[Stamina: 100%]
[Strength: 4 Dexterity: 5 Intelligence: 7 Spirit: 6]
[Equipment: Common Shirt (Upper Body), Common Trousers (Lower Body), Common Shoes (Feet)]

Drawing on some experience and intuition, Duan Qing quickly discovered how to bring up the game’s status bar. Beyond the ID name and some necessary explanations, the only useful information displayed was this.

Indeed, Duan Qing felt a bit anxious. Especially after witnessing the earlier scene, he was abruptly snapped out of his immersion in the beautiful natural surroundings, suddenly realizing this was still a game—and in any normal game, death is an essential element.

If he wasn’t mistaken, the figure he had just seen must have been a player, and they had met a tragic end. Duan Qing had no intention of giving up the first kill so early; that was against his life philosophy. So he quickly switched to a gaming mindset and focused on the information available.

“Besides those unbearable attributes, it seems the only thing to study is the equipment... Hmm, and there’s no numerical value for HP; that feels a bit strange... What exactly is stamina?” Duan Qing pondered as he continued toward the village. According to logic and experience, villages were typically “safe zones.” As a newcomer, it was wise to head somewhere safer first if he didn’t want to die early.

The system interface, as in most virtual MMORPGs, partially obstructed the view. Checking the system while on alert was risky, so Duan Qing studied the game system cautiously, all the while keeping a vigilant eye on his surroundings, wary of strange creatures suddenly “jumping out of the bushes.” As the distance to the village shortened, the likelihood of danger lessened, and the village’s details gradually came into view.

The gray-black outer walls, tile-covered slanted roofs, and some stone walls overgrown with green vines created a quaint scene. Houses were crisscrossed at varying distances, making the narrow winding paths between them impossible to see to the end. Sunlight filtered through, casting shadows among the orderly arranged houses, where many figures stood or sat, chatting and shouting. When Duan Qing reached the village entrance, passing a well, the shouts became clear.

“Coarse cloth shirts, handmade, quality guaranteed, sold cheap just to earn some travel expenses!”

“Sturdy wooden sticks! Normal quality, from the Emerald Forest, limited quantity, buy quickly!”

“We accept all kinds of food! As long as it’s edible, prices negotiable, exchanges supported!”

“King’s Conqueror Guild recruiting members, subordinate organizations, veteran-led teams, newcomers get benefits, only the brave get in, no one dares to refuse. Think you got what it takes...”

Filtering out the useless calls, Duan Qing noted these seemed to be players speaking. He paid attention to some suggestive content and glanced again at his status, focusing on the equipment. Detailed stats then appeared before his eyes.

[Common Shirt (Rough)]
[Defense: Weak]

Beneath was a line of description.

[One of the standard issue garments, made for the masses.]
[The lining bears the letters R.F., standard style, ordinary fabric, provides some defense, especially against mosquito bites.]

“You’d be more accurate just writing ‘no defense’...” Looking at the grayish-white long-sleeved shirt with wide edges, and the description in the equipment slot, Duan Qing was momentarily speechless. After cursing the designer of the starter gear in his mind, he decisively redefined it in his head.

He then checked the other two items, which had similar descriptions, only stating “standard issue trousers” and “standard issue shoes.” The trousers were gray-black, and the shoes brown, both rough quality.

Apparently, quality indicated a piece of equipment’s usefulness, Duan Qing thought. Then he noticed a figure approaching, dressed much like himself but carrying a wooden stick at his waist.

“Newbie, huh? Feeling lost and helpless, all confused? How about I guide you? I’m from the East City Guild ‘Carefree World,’ professional at leading newcomers. Our guild’s reputation is well known—you can ask around...”

“Any benefits?” Duan Qing quickly interrupted the impending torrent of sales talk.

“Uh, of course we have benefits, our guild...”

“How much cut do I get from the activities I join?” Duan Qing shot back immediately.

“Uh...” The man clearly couldn’t keep up with such a sudden line of questioning, pausing for a moment.

“Hmm, got it. Then...” Duan Qing nodded inexplicably. “Does your guild tolerate cliques? What if the veterans band together—does anyone oversee that?”

Compared to the usual newbie questions, this one was sharper, causing the man to fall silent—sweat beginning to bead on his forehead.

“Tsk tsk tsk, sounds like your guild is a bit... how to put it... small-scale,” Duan Qing said, frowning as if deep in thought, ready to “reluctantly” refuse. But before he could, a voice from under a nearby eave interrupted their friendly exchange.

“Trying to recruit newbies again, Brother Carefree?”

Duan Qing and the man turned to look. A rather skinny figure with a narrow face and slit eyes, wearing a leering expression, stood there. Above his head was the ID ‘Dozing Tiger.’ He grinned slyly.

“You’ve been setting up shop here for days, always pulling newcomers into your guild like reading from a script. That’s so unethical,” the skinny man continued. “If you started with that opening line, I could recite a whole bunch of it by heart...”

“Dead cat, mind your own business. Why meddle in so much idle chatter!” The man with the “Carefree World” tag, just scolded by Duan Qing, was now annoyed by this troublemaker. Judging by his clenched teeth, this wasn’t the first time.

“Ha, I’m just doing what needs doing, so fewer newbies get duped into that other guild,” the skinny man, called Blind Cat, sneered more openly. From his expression, the “Brother Carefree” was only being polite earlier.

“Instead of letting you lure them away, why not come to our Great Wolf Mountain Guild...”

Pfft, so you’re in the same business, huh... Duan Qing thought silently, stepping aside.

“Fine!” Carefree World’s man, seeing this, set aside Duan Qing, clearly regarding him as no threat, and prepared for action. “I’ve disliked you for a while now. Want to settle things outside? Right now!”

He drew the wooden stick from his waist, brandishing it.

“Oh, scared of me?” The skinny man stood up, voice darkening. “No more business today! Let’s go—see if I don’t give you a beating...” He reached back, and Duan Qing noticed he was carrying a wooden mallet.

Hey, your weapons look pretty shabby... Duan Qing couldn’t help but observe these two new players, bickering like warriors settling a grudge, quickly agreeing on the “details” of their fight.

What a loving world.

“Rare to see this,” Duan Qing muttered as the two shoved each other and walked away. Then, from a nearby alley emerged a figure clad in what looked like animal hide, dusty and worn. The leather jacket was tight, revealing a muscular build. His square face was defined and resolute but weary, with deep-set eyes and tousled hair.

His voice was low: “Those two... hm, a fight’s inevitable.”

Duan Qing watched them leave, then turned to the man approaching, whose ID read Steel Will.

“Brother, looks like you’ve seen many such scenes...” Duan Qing said.

“Oh yes, they do this often, but it’s mostly because it’s been a long time since new players showed up... Don’t worry about them. There’s no penalty for death in this game,” Steel Will smiled broadly, scratching his head. “At least for now. So they can ‘settle’ as many times as they want without loss.”

“No losses...” Duan Qing murmured. “That really is... good news. Haven’t seen such a friendly game in years...”

“Years? Though I’m not sure, this game is very different. Compared to previous virtual reality games, there are many unique aspects.”

The burly man spoke gently, stepping before Duan Qing. Taller, imposing like a tower, but kind in his words. “You really are a genuine newcomer, huh? Brother... En?”

Duan Qing nodded, and Steel Will smiled. “Since you’re new, want me to show you around? I’ve been here a while, so I’m fairly familiar...”

Recalling the earlier fight scene, Duan Qing felt Steel Will was more trustworthy. He lowered his head briefly. “Sure. Brother...”

“Just call me Brother Steel.”

“Brother Steel, then...”

“Follow me. I have some quests to turn in. We can talk on the way.”

They entered the winding alley, shadows flickering as many people passed by—players and villagers alike. As they went deeper into the village, the crowd thinned. Duan Qing learned that the village entrance was the default gathering spot for players—recruitment, meetings, trading—all happened there. The reasons? One, the space was open; two...

“That’s the village’s gate,” Steel Will laughed. “This village has two exits—one leads to the Anchedar Mountains,” he pointed toward the distant mountain outlines, “and the other...” he gestured behind them, “leads to the Emerald Forest.”

He paused, waiting for Duan Qing to process the information. “Since these are adventure zones, foot traffic is heavy. So whether you’re trading or adventuring, that spot’s the obvious choice.”

Duan Qing nodded knowingly but suddenly recalled the earlier scene. “Is that Emerald Forest place very dangerous?”

“Well, judging by my current strength—Level Six—it’s manageable if you stay on the outskirts. But for a newcomer, venturing there means you’ll likely get hurt,” Steel Will explained. “Newborn players usually hang around the village front to adapt. Uh, Brother En, why do you ask?”

Duan Qing recounted the shocking scene he had witnessed. Steel Will chuckled. “That guy probably had no experience. Heading to a place like that without combat skills is asking for trouble. This game is quite different... Though running into a wild boar was unlucky—those are rare in Emerald Forest, even for me...”

The alley bustled with passersby: players with sticks, villagers carrying buckets, some alone, some in groups. Occasionally a child dashed out, holding a hat-like object, hopping into another alley. Another child chased after, shouting loudly. Two players, a man and a woman with starter gear and IDs, passed by, discussing something. The woman giggled softly while the man patted his chest reassuringly.

As they talked about the surrounding area, they turned a corner and stopped. Duan Qing and Steel Will widened their eyes at the sight of a girl dragging a wild boar.

The girl wore a robe with a purple hood covering her face. They guessed she was a girl not only from the robe’s female features but also from the distinct “hmm hmm” sounds she made when exerting effort.

The wild boar—or its corpse—looked heavy, and she struggled greatly. A few meters before reaching Duan Qing and Steel Will, she paused to rest, her small hands apparently chafed, blowing on them softly. Then, as if recalling something, she gritted her teeth, stomped her foot, muttered a few words, and resumed bending over, straining to pull.

The scene was truly... impressive.

Because the boar’s body was large, they stepped aside and turned their sides to let her pass. Perhaps she was so focused on the labor, or because of the passersby, she didn’t notice them as she disappeared around the corner. Duan Qing watched the small figure dragging the huge boar fade away, then murmured, “Where were we...?”

“Uh, I was saying wild boars are tough to handle...”

Seeming aware the scene contradicted his words, Steel Will quickly added, “But judging by that boar’s fur color, it’s probably not from Emerald Forest. More likely from the woods outside the village...”

He seemed a little shocked, then composed himself. “Though a different breed, it should be equally strong...”

Watching the large and small figures disappear, Duan Qing guessed the boar was headed to the village market. “Why drag the boar’s corpse there?”

“Well...” Steel Will pondered. “That already touches on some unique aspects of this game’s design...”