Chapter 2 Is This Considered a Name

The players said with a hint of surprise, the other party was about to continue speaking but suddenly became distracted, and after a while, they began to mutter in dissatisfaction, "Really, even a closed beta game is so arrogant, and there are online time restrictions."

"Why isn't he responding? Could he be mute?" This group of people couldn't help but murmur as they noticed Zheng Chen showing no reaction at all

Similarly, in this place, money is also indispensable

With wealth, one is a master wherever they gather; without money, it is difficult to find a safe place to rest.

Some documents in the wasteland also record that the entities interacting with players in the game are generally fixed AI programs. At least during that prosperous era, the kind of "artificial intelligence" described in the literature, which resembles humans, had not yet been developed.

This is indeed a good idea, but the key is how to communicate it to the other party

Wait a moment, let me take a picture first, this is the first time I have encountered an NPC with no attributes at all

The NPCs in this game are simply full of personality! Each one is just like a real person, and some are even more refined than real people. Moreover, unlike traditional online games, where you can just go and accept quests from anyone with a big yellow exclamation mark above their head...

Other players are not very satisfied with this statement. They have not been in contact with this "game" for long, as it is only in the beta testing phase. However, during this period of beta testing, they have gained a deep understanding of the unique aspects of this special game that set it apart from other conventional games

Oh! It can actually speak!

"Alright." The player negotiating with Zheng Chen shrugged and drew a short knife from his waist, handing it to Zheng Chen

The other party appeared to be much younger than their group, yet they were exceedingly calm, so calm that it made them feel somewhat uneasy. He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but it seemed he was somewhat reluctant to do so, and he did not say much.

... ...

He slightly tugged at the corner of his mouth, having never been exposed to so-called games, he did not understand the mindset of these players, nor would he have any sense of empathy, therefore... it was quite unpleasant

What of it? There are nearly ten of us, so why should we fear just one person? However, just in case, let's keep an eye on him and have the fourth one go over to continue probing.

These are basically no different from the promotions, well, regardless of the quality of the game, this is their world's first "virtual online game," which completely surpasses all previous games. Don't want to play? Feel free to continue playing those traditional online games!

Is this what they refer to as the subordinate

Zheng Chen slightly raised his eyebrows; being referred to as an NPC in such a manner was indeed quite uncomfortable, especially given the other party's tone, which completely disregarded him as a person.

As Zheng Chen had anticipated, after spending his first night here, the next day those people reappeared. When they saw Zheng Chen, they were quite astonished, exclaiming, "Look, this NPC is still here!"

Uh... a little. The player negotiating with Zheng Chen scratched his head, paused for a moment, then nodded and said, "However, we can give you money"

After pulling the other teammates to a slightly farther distance, he continued, "What we are about to do carries some risks; the consequences of dying in this game are too severe. It would be acceptable to bring along an NPC like this as a scout."

She slightly raised her arm to take a glance and wondered why her attire, which was so different from theirs, did not elicit more surprise from them

The nail grazed the tip of the finger, and the pain is unmistakably real, without any hint of exaggeration.

This NPC seems to have given me a sidelong glance... ?" exclaimed the player, who was somewhat puzzled by the fuss.

Zheng Chen's body immediately tensed up, but some of the higher-ranking players among them looked at Zheng Chen with a hint of curiosity, slightly shaking their heads, "This NPC is quite strange, don't do anything odd."

Without much hesitation, Zheng Chen spoke directly. Although he was eager to understand what was happening in this place, he knew that such matters could not be rushed. Having lived in the wasteland for many years, Zheng Chen was well aware of the importance of money.

Looking at the other players, they surprisingly have little reaction to this player's actions, as if what they hold is merely a piece of wood. Is this naivety, or is it endearingly foolish?

Zheng Chen glanced at the players who were murmuring not far away; they seemed to always be able to ignore him, as if it were some kind of cultivated habit. It truly is quite a bad habit

"Then we should see whether he cares or not, it's just a game, why be so concerned..." The player advocating for the resolution of Zheng Chen muttered in displeasure. When he looked at Zheng Chen, he noticed the other party was staring at him with an expressionless face, causing him to involuntarily feel a jolt in his heart.

In their eyes, one is merely a piece of software

A dim light flickered in Zheng Chen's eyes as he glanced around, realizing that the group of people before him posed little threat, even with their weapons in hand.

Not interested," Zheng Chen shook his head

I always feel that his quick agreement with the - picture - book has some conspiracy behind it? As they progressed along the road, several players in the front couldn't help but glance back at Zheng Chen, who was walking behind, and whispered among themselves.

Shaking his head, Zheng Chen avoided the drifting smell of smoke and walked forward in silence. Si Hai Gui Yi scratched his head; this NPC has quite a personality, truly dull.

"Hehe, if you have any objections, don't play it." The other players chuckled in response, "No other game is as realistic as this. It's no wonder it's called the Second World; I feel like there's no difference from reality at all. I'm logging off, I'm logging off!"

In any case, after the closed beta test ends, these private properties will all disappear, with only a few special items being retained, which can be considered a benefit for the players who participated in the closed beta test

"Um, do you want to smoke?" After Zheng Chen calmly avoided the hand that reached out, Lao Si was not embarrassed and took out a pack of cigarettes from his inner pocket.

It is truly strange; could it be that there is some special task involved

... ...

Why not try using money

He just doesn't quite understand what kind of people these are. They seem very ordinary, yet why do they say such things? It's not even a joke. As for the NPC...

Is there danger

Since we are not going to care anymore, let's just take it out directly; who knows, we might discover something good.

Then take him along; with so many of us, he alone cannot do anything he wishes.

Looking up at the sky, those who have disappeared should reappear again

"What a pity, NP... cough, friend, my name is Si Hai Gui Yi, and you?" Si Hai Gui Yi shook his head, took out a match, lit one for himself, and then asked with a hint of curiosity.

Give me a weapon, any type will do

If you want a task, you should explore it yourself. What you can gain is still uncertain. Gaining experience is indeed correct, but there are not countless monsters to defeat. There are many ways to gain experience, and exercise is a pretty good choice

"Then shouldn't it be strange to encounter an NPC like you? Regardless, it is impossible that there is not even a hint of information."

A relatively moderate approach, Zheng Chen did not react too strongly as a result. Although he was unaware of what support these players had, if they were to go all out, Zheng Chen did not believe he would lose.

"Cut, isn't it just that NPCs and real people are almost indistinguishable... After all, it's just for promotion, do you believe it?"

Zheng Chen looked at the approaching player known as Lao Si with an indifferent expression, while the latter wore a playful smile and attempted to place a hand on Zheng Chen's shoulder

Under Zheng Chen's gaze, these players merely glanced at him before vanishing from the spot, which was quite eerie

Upon seeing this item, Zheng Chen's eyebrows slightly raised. He did not like the smell of smoke, but this item was a rare luxury in the wasteland. Those influential figures particularly favored it, as its effect in certain situations was often more valuable than money

Who knows, one of them shrugged and said, "Why don't we try to get rid of him?"

Is the reality in their words false in this place

After pondering for a while, Zheng Chen chose to stay for the time being to observe, as these suddenly disappeared individuals were the first group he had encountered, and they seemed to know a great deal of information. This was preferable to blindly going elsewhere.

Upon observing the place where they disappeared, there were no traces left, as if they had never existed. Similarly, their reactions were quite strange; they had previously shown great interest in themselves, yet could suddenly lose that interest.

The words of this player caused the other players to once again scrutinize Zheng Chen, indeed not a single piece of information could be discerned, as if the young man before them were merely a stone.

After quietly putting away the short knife that felt quite good in his hand, Zheng Chen couldn't help but think that he had been given a weapon so thoughtlessly

"Shut up! Haven't you suffered from such thoughts before?" The leading player also noticed Zheng Chen's reaction, and his expression made him feel somewhat uneasy.

Then we cannot just leave him alone, can we

Forget it, we don't have the time for this; let's quickly get back to our own tasks

If it were not for the exceptionally designed game interface, this game would likely be indistinguishable from the real world

Stop talking! As soon as that player finished speaking, another player shot him a glare, "Did you forget the introduction to NPCs in this game?"

The Four Seas Return to One ... ... Is this a name?

truly ... ... adorable

Good idea

"Have you ever received any tasks?" a player joked

Perhaps something needs to be triggered

What should be done about this NPC

"Where is this place?" After the players showed signs of impatience, especially when the player who had previously mentioned wanting to eliminate him began to stir, Zheng Chen finally spoke up to ask.

After a while, they seemed to have reached a consensus. One of the players took the initiative to approach Zheng Chen and spoke candidly, stating that they had come to this place with the intention of going to a certain location, and inquired whether Zheng Chen was interested in joining them.