I Do Not Want to Play This Game Properly

After a while, Duan Qing and Mengzhu finally understood what the female clerk's parting words actually meant.

Walking forward along Flower Dance Avenue, the two of them easily spotted a conspicuous building. Although by twenty-second-century standards this building could hardly be called grandiose—standing only a few stories tall—its lower two levels formed a box-like square structure, while the upper portion consisted of two tower-like cylinders standing side by side like chimneys atop the box. Atop each of the two round towers were two tapered conical spires, one tall and one short, with slender spikelike pillars standing upright at their very tips. Because of the distance, the two could not make out what materials were used to forge those extraordinarily long spires.

Except for the gray spires and the dark, slender pillars, the entire exterior wall of the building was painted silver-white. Perhaps due to the passage of time, some sections had turned yellowish. Yet this slight discoloration only lent the building a greater sense of antiquity, making it resemble a weather-beaten white stone monument that quietly overlooked the mountains and valleys of Rindwallow Town.

In Duan Qing’s eyes, however, this place looked more like a supermarket from the real world.

Perhaps because it was during peak hours, the hustle and bustle at the entrance of this building rivaled that of the town hall they had just left. Judging by the people going in and out, most were draped in cloaks or robes. The gleaming weapons, heavy armor, spears, and magic staves that occasionally peeked out from beneath their hems all proclaimed their identities as powerhouses. This left both Duan Qing and Mengzhu inwardly astonished, silently thinking that the Adventurers' Guild truly lived up to its name; even in a place like Rindwallow Town, it was teeming with talent and formidable strength.

Having such a powerful organization around must be a blessing for players who were adventurers.

Yet only a few minutes later, the ruthless reality shattered their illusions. As they walked up to the front of the building, they clearly saw the sign hanging beside the door: "Mages' Guild."

Beneath it was a line of smaller text: "Rindwallow Town Branch."

"So it's not the Adventurers' Guild after all..." After a long pause, Mengzhu said softly, "With a place so lively, I thought..."

"Speaking of these people..." Duan Qing watched as a man carrying a large iron hammer walked out from inside and passed right by them, "...they don't look like mages..."

"Could they be attendants to the mages? In typical fantasy settings, don't grand mages usually have people like that among their retinues?" Mengzhu pressed a finger against her chin, "Or maybe guards and bodyguards for this place?"

"Have you ever seen attendants and bodyguards wandering in and out so casually?" Duan Qing said, "If this trade is that effortless, I'll take a full-sized family bucket, please..."

Such speculation was meaningless. After hesitating for a moment, the two finally decided to intercept a passerby to ask about the ins and outs of the matter.

The first person looked like a warrior. He shot them a disdainful glance and kept walking straight ahead.

The second person looked like a swordsman, but he kept his head down and moved in a hurry, seeming to have urgent business. Consequently, when Duan Qing called out to ask a question, the man didn't notice them at all and didn't even turn his head.

"Of course this is the Mages' Guild." The third person they intercepted must also have been a native resident of the Continental mainland, as there was no ID floating above his head. He was dressed in a cloth robe and cradling two book-like objects in his arms, appearing to be a member of a magical class. Tugging at his sleeve, the man pulled his garment free from the young girl's grip. Although somewhat displeased by her rudeness, he merely frowned slightly before answering Mengzhu's question in a gentle tone.

They had finally run into a normal person...

Both of them breathed a simultaneous sigh of relief and exchanged a glance. Then, Duan Qing put on a genial smile. "Hahaha, well... we thought this was the Adventurers' Guild... We were wondering..."

The man's expression grew even stranger. "You thought this was the Adventurers' Guild? Ha..."

He clapped his hands. "I'm going to tell Daniel this joke later."

"Um..." Sensing they might have put their foot in it, Duan Qing wiped the sweat from his forehead. "Excuse me... where is the Adventurers' Guild?"

"Over there." After having his laugh, the man seemed to be in a very goodly mood and pointed straight ahead. "See? That's the place."

Due to Rindwallow Town's peculiar layout, streets along the mountainside generally only had buildings on the cliffside. However, the other side of Flower Dance Avenue was quite spacious—a garden had even been built right across from the town hall—allowing them to find one or two very small, low-ceilinged houses across the street. The spot the man pointed to was directly behind Duan Qing and Mengzhu, across the wide avenue. Nestled amidst a short row of low bungalows, a two-story cottage stood quietly. Vaguely, through the obstruction of the row of roadside trees, one could see a vertical sign bearing small characters hanging above the two-story cottage.

On that tilted sign, a few words were faintly discernible: Adventurers' Guild.

Staring blankly at the small building across the way, Duan Qing and Mengzhu stood like two fish fresh out of water, mouths slightly agape, eyes wide as they gazed across the street. It wasn't until a desolate mountain breeze swept past their ears, snapping the stunned duo back to reality, that they wanted to double-check—only to find that the person in the gray cloth robe had already walked far away, strolling leisurely through the grand doors of the Mages' Council.

"This really... isn't easy to find..." Duan Qing, speechless for a long time, finally recalled the female clerk's parting words and muttered a silent complaint.

***

"But the disparity is just too huge," the young girl mumbled softly.

Reluctant as they were, the two eventually walked up to the two-story cottage. Looking at this storefront, which was vastly more miserable than the Mages' Council, the ponytail beneath her purple hood drooped despondently.

"Are we adventurers..." She looked back at the twin-towered building in the distance and said, "...really this pathetic?"

"Probably not that pathetic." Duan Qing was at a loss for words as well. "Perhaps the folks here in Rindwallow Town just happen to be having a hard time of it."

Or at least, that was the best possibility he could come up with, he added mentally.

There was no arch bridge before the building, no grand gate, no guards, and no doorbell. Duan Qing stepped forward to knock, only for the door to swing open at a mere touch—it wasn't locked at all.

"Ah! You two... must be adventurers!"

Just as expected, the initial scene that greeted their eyes was indeed a desolate sight. The interior of the small cottage was quite cramped; the surrounding walls consisted of rows of bare wooden boards, lacking even the most basic interior decoration. Opposite the entrance stood a long reception counter made of wooden planks. Piles of promotional documents cluttered the wooden counter—some scattered messily to the side, others already strewn across the floor. In the middle of the room sat a round table surrounded by a few small stools. On the other side stood a black bulletin board, covered not only with pinned notices of various kinds but also with incomprehensible scribbles and drawings. Behind the counter was a small door, its wooden panels just as ancient as the one Duan Qing had pushed open. In the innermost corner stood a wooden staircase, seemingly leading to the second floor.

Every single item in the entire room lay bare before their eyes at a single glance. Of course, there were also the posters of various descriptions pasted all over the walls.

At this moment, a slovenly middle-aged man suddenly vaulted out from behind the counter, greeting Duan Qing and Mengzhu with boundless enthusiasm.

"Uh, hello, we are adventurers from Greenstone Village..."

"You really are adventurers! It's been ages since we've seen any adventurers in these parts. Welcome, welcome! Come sit down, sit down..."

With a nimble flip, the uncle vaulted right over the counter and ushered Duan Qing and Mengzhu toward the small stools in the middle of the room.

He was a middle-aged man wearing a gray shirt, with a pair of vertical suspenders hanging from his shoulders over his black trousers. What made him look particularly slovenly, aside from his unbuttoned shirt collar, was his unshaven, stubbly face topped by a messy bird's nest of hair.

"You're from Greenstone Village, right? Ah, that truly is a remote place..."

"Indeed, though recently adventurers have become a bit more numerous..."

"I've noticed that myself. By the way, I heard a major incident happened over there recently..."

"Oh, that thing..."

This man was remarkably talkative, and a natural, chummy conversation flowed forth effortlessly. The disheveled man first chatted with Duan Qing to gather information about Greenstone Village, then passionately introduced the current state of Rindwallow Town's Adventurers' Guild, and finally issued a fervent invitation for the two of them to join the guild and become members of an adventuring party.

"Would you like to form an adventuring party? As long as you establish one, you'll gain the righteous authority to help those in need and take on endless adventure commissions—this is something every adventurer dreams of! Moreover, our Adventurers' Guild has branch institutions across every region of the Continental mainland. Once you join the Adventurers' Guild, you become part of our big family. Whenever you travel to any corner of the world in the future, you can receive the selfless assistance of our Adventurers' Guild..."

"Uh, speaking of which, when we came in..." Duan Qing interrupted his endless stream of words, "...why didn't we see the Adventurers' Guild branch sign on the signboard outside?"

"Those are just minor details, pay them no mind!" The uncle waved a hand dismissively. "Besides, I can tell you right now!"

He stood up, flashed a wide grin at the two of them, and gave a thumbs-up. "This is the Adventurers' Guild, Rindwallow Town Branch. And I..."

"I am the head of this branch, Richard." Amidst the man's exaggerated smile, two rows of white teeth seemed to gleam brilliantly. "Richard Bright."

"Pleased to meet you."

***

Despite their prior expectations, Duan Qing and Mengzhu did not seize this seemingly opportune moment to hastily form an adventuring party.

There were several reasons for this. First, the two of them wanted to bide their time and observe the situation; after all, this bizarre circumstance, coupled with the stark contrast between the two guilds, forced Duan Qing and Mengzhu to proceed with caution for fear of falling into some trap. Second, they still possessed the Guzman bracer they had acquired earlier—since they had a lead, they had no reason not to leverage existing advantageous resources to secure some benefits for their future, which might even trigger some hidden elements... As for the third reason, well, they simply lacked the qualifications to form an adventuring party at the moment.

Strength tests could be lenient, and the trials required to establish a party could also be waived, but the minimum headcount requirement was a hard-and-fast rule of the Adventurers' Guild. Even with Richard's authority, this particular restriction could not be bent.

So, after making solemn promises to return and discuss the establishment of an adventuring party later, the two finally left the place, intending to visit the town hall once again to make inquiries.

The person named Rama mentioned by Gustan was said to be a high-ranking figure in Rindwallow Town, though they had no idea just how high his status was. They hadn't had the chance to ask before, but now was a good time to find out properly—perhaps it would yield some rewards.

The two originally planned to go right away, but as soon as Duan Qing stepped out of the two-story cottage, he proposed a new idea.

"Let's go take a look inside the Mages' Guild." Standing by the side of Flower Dance Avenue and gazing at the strange, double-spired architectural structure across the street, he suddenly said to Mengzhu.

"What are you going over there for?" Mengzhu asked suspiciously.

"It's on the way. And..." Duan Qing pondered for a moment before speaking. "Don't you feel curious to see what mages are actually like?"

🎙️ "Not interested. I don't want to be a mage... Wait a minute." Mengzhu suddenly widened her eyes. "No way, you're not thinking of becoming a mage, are you?"

"Well, if the opportunity arises, giving it a try isn't out of the question..."

"Don't be an idiot, Uncle! The mages in this game are no fun at all; I heard they don't even have target locking, and when you cast a spell you can't hit a damn thing..." The young girl immediately began objecting loudly. "And didn't you already dump a ton of attribute points into strength? Now you're telling me you want to be a mage..."

"It's just a game, as long as you're having fun playing it..."

"Hey, if you play like that, you're going to ruin your character!"

A fierce debate began, then gradually subsided. After Duan Qing repeatedly assured her that he only wanted to experience what magical classes looked like in this game and had absolutely no intention of joining the mages' ranks, the young girl reluctantly agreed to this "on-the-way" detour. Yet in Duan Qing's heart, the golden-ponytail girl pouting beside him was indeed still a bit green.

Once they crossed over, whatever happened next was hardly something she could control.

He had already played countless melee classes in numerous virtual games of the past, spanning every variety imaginable. From swordsmen to axemen, from rogues to brawlers, as well as knights and shield warriors—once upon a time, to satisfy his collection impulses, he had wielded all sorts of bizarre one-handed and two-handed weapons. For a period, he had even been dubbed a "Weapon Master" by outsiders. Although that title was soon eclipsed by even more prestigious monikers, it at least proved that his mastery of melee weapons was beyond ordinary comparison.

As for ranged and magical classes, while he had dabbled in them previously, it was solely to understand their characteristics so he could formulate countermeasures in future battles. Now that he had left that life behind, well...

So what if I don't feel like playing the game "properly"?!

"We agreed we're just going to take a look. Hold on, let me calculate the time... We're leaving in half an hour! We still have serious business to take care of!"

"Alright, alright... Seriously, don't worry so much. Didn't you see all those people dressed as melee fighters walking in and out of there earlier? Who knows, maybe in this world, anyone can become a gourmet chef... uh, I mean, a mage..."

"It's not even certain whether they're members of the Mages' Council! Besides, even if they can be mages, it doesn't mean you can..."

Amidst a flutter of bickering, the two of them, brushed by the mountain breeze, continued chatting as they slowly walked across.