Chapter 107
Chapter 107
Feng Bu Jue watched as the game menu materialized before him. An arrow pointed to the Clothing tab, and a system voice explained: ["Once you’ve adjusted your clothing to satisfaction, you may select the 'Change Appearance' option in Login Space to update your character model instantly."]
["If you change your appearance with all clothing removed or set to hidden, your character will revert to the default starter outfit."]
[Tip: Players cannot add or remove clothing items from the Clothing tab while inside any scenario. You may add items while in other public spaces, but your appearance will remain unchanged. Only in Login Space can you perform appearance changes."]
Feng Bu Jue nodded at the prompt. A confirmation window then popped up: ["Please confirm whether any items are currently stored in your equipped clothing. If so, these items will be moved to your satchel or storage room upon completing the appearance change. If there’s insufficient space, they’ll be sent to your inbox as system mail, remaining there for twenty-four hours of real-world time."]
“This warning’s actually pretty thorough,” Feng Bu Jue muttered. His current starter outfit had pockets barely large enough to hold sand, though.
He set all clothing to visible, kept his facial mask hidden, and retained the [Jazzy Moves] footwear effect before clicking confirm. In an instant, his body dissolved into white light—a brief teleportation effect signaling the change was complete.
Examining his reflection, Feng Bu Jue felt satisfied. In this new look, his satchel—which previously hung across his chest—was now hidden, its weight and feel gone. Players could still retrieve items by reaching toward the satchel’s position; objects would emerge from a dimensional rift.
Shopping for supplies had cost him over 30,000 game credits, leaving him with 104,600. Keeping some reserves was wise—running out might leave him unable to afford auction fees if he ever found valuable gear.
As for the 1,080 skill points he’d earned, Feng Bu Jue decided to hold onto them. Equipment wasn’t his priority; combat experience was. His [Echo Armor] had languished in his satchel for three scenarios, unused. He’d kept hoping to raise his proficiency enough to meet its requirements mid-scenario, but never managed it. At level 10, achieving a 'C' rank in universal proficiency seemed unrealistic. He’d focus instead on improving his mechanical proficiency in the next Kill Game Mode.
Time passed quickly. By the time Feng Bu Jue finished shopping and preparing—barely twenty minutes in virtual time—Si Yu had already completed the guild emblem design.
In fact, the guild insignia on Feng Bu Jue’s left sleeve had changed the moment he returned to Login Space, though he hadn’t noticed until now. Checking the guild tab in social options, he saw Wang Tan Zhi, Beiling Xiaogu, and Si Yu Ruoli all marked as [In-Game]. His friends list showed Long Ao Min still offline in gray. He’d leave guild invitations for another day.
Feng Bu Jue placed two magazines from his satchel into his suit’s inner pocket, took a deep breath, and opened the scenario menu. Reaching level 10 marked the end of the starter phase and early progression, ushering him into the game’s richer mid-stage content.
Between levels 5 and 10, the number of available modes had expanded from two to four: Standard Solo Survival, Nightmare Solo Survival, Team Survival, and Kill Game Mode.
Kill Game Mode offered four formats: 1v1, 2v2, 3v3, and 3-6 Player Free-For-All.
The first three modes allowed queuing solo or joining a party. Parties had to stay on the same team, limiting groups to three players—four couldn’t play, and three-player teams could only queue for 3v3. Sneaking a spy into the enemy team was impossible.
Another option was Challenge Mode, inviting others to duel. This required both players to be on each other’s social lists—friends, blacklist, recent matches, or guild members. Since blacklists were automatic in Terrifying Paradise, challenging strangers meant first adding them as friends. This prevented top-ranked players from drowning in spam challenges, though they’d still face waves of friend requests and emails. Mistaken rejections were reversible via the Recent Matches list.
The second rule for Challenges: Except for 1v1 duels, all other matches required both sides to be in parties. This stopped scenarios like a 3v1 “sabotage” match—three players ganging up on one “ally” secretly cooperating with them. Challenges only worked if both teams matched sizes.
Random queues could still pair teammates who knew each other, though rare. The system’s Passive Play mechanic applied here too, tracking unfair behavior.
In Kill Mode, aiding enemies or sabotaging teammates deducted skill points. Once current scenario points were depleted, the system would start draining existing points, possibly pushing them negative. Repeated offenses led to account suspension.
The final mode, 3-6 Player Free-For-All, was simple—solo queue until one winner remained.
During Closed Beta, Tian Tian Gui Xiao had encountered three fellow Order Studio players in this mode and ruthlessly eliminated them. Such encounters were rare now in Open Beta, as higher-level players were more scattered.
Feng Bu Jue had planned to try Kill Game Mode at level 10, though he didn’t expect victories. This first foray aimed at learning the ropes, not winning. He avoided larger battles—no need to drag others down or die instantly.
Selecting 1v1 Combat, Feng Bu Jue entered the random queue…
(End of Chapter)
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