Chapter 67: Internal Test (2)
Bathor City, Player spawn point.
Over the past five years, this once-barren wilderness had transformed into a thriving little town. Spanning several square kilometers with over five hundred residents, Bathor City now featured shops, taverns, blacksmiths, and tailor stalls—though the Tieflings who ran them lived in homes that were little more than crude wooden and stone huts, resembling a makeshift camp. Still, the familiar layout stirred memories of their old life at Northwind Keep, giving them a fragile sense of hope.
At the heart of the town stood a massive stone statue—Red Dragon, the sovereign of this place.
What set Bathor City apart from any ordinary settlement was the coexistence of Monsters and humanoid creatures: you could see Great Goblins patrolling in formation, Two-Headed Dragons resting lazily in the square, even an Ogre ordering ten portions of food at a tavern.
There were inevitable clashes, of course, but under Meizhuolashi’s strict supervision, the town still maintained basic order.
Yet that fragile balance might shatter today.
“Everyone, remember—don’t believe a single word they say.”
“Anyone who attacks—execute them on the spot.”
Meizhuolashi led dozens of Guards toward the Cave, his face grim, his posture tense, as if facing an imminent threat.
According to the Master’s description, these strange, erratic beings known as Stellarfallen were no ordinary foes. But they also represented a force that could be exploited.
A flash of white light filled Zhao Touna’s vision. When he blinked, he was already inside a cavern.
Hard rock beneath his feet. Flickering candlelight dancing on the stone walls. A distant glow seeped through the cavern’s mouth.
He stretched his limbs, pinched his cheek—no lag, no stiffness. It felt exactly like real life. He was stunned.
“Holy crap… is this actually real?”
“You guys might not feel it from videos, but right now? This is literally the real world.”
With high anticipation, Zhao Touna stepped out of the cave. The small square outside was already packed with hundreds of Players.
Their heads bore wildly varied usernames—his own “I Eat a Mantou” was almost tame compared to others like “Ji Bolong,” “Feces Sea Mad Worm,” or “Heaven Has a Well, So Naturally It’s Empty.” But everyone had long since gotten used to it.
“No tutorial quest?”
“But the immersion is insane. I gotta get my friends into this.”
“What can we even do now?”
“Search my ID for learning materials—thousands of gigabytes of full-immersion film, every subject imaginable.”
“Wait—what’s that? Milk Cereal Brother?!”
“Get lost, I’m on a path to becoming a great Mage—don’t try to corrupt my Dao Heart with your seductive charms!”
“Heretic! Taste my blade!”
The Players buzzed with excitement, scanning their surroundings. After all, Alerzage’s full-immersion technology was unmatched—praised as the most realistic sensory experience ever created, offering players a truly lifelike experience.
“By the usual routine—what the hell is this?!”
“Can you even play this?”
Zhao Touna reached for his Character Sheet—only to freeze in shock.
Next to him, a Player whose ID read Ziyou no Yi had just begun stripping off his ragged tunic. Naked, he spread his arms wide, and a dazzling halo of holy light enveloped his lower half.
“Finally… I’m free—”
The man struck a pose straight out of Titanic, arms outstretched like Rose on the bow. The radiant glow blinded half the crowd.
“Dude, you’re serious?!”
“You don’t even know this is a Face-Scanning Game?!”
“Huh?”
Zhao Touna offered a brief, sympathetic warning—then walked away, leaving the man wailing in despair behind him.
“Of course. There are still people who skip the Player Agreement, ignore the Preparation Interface, and just dive in. They always pay the price for their recklessness.”
Zhao Touna sighed, watching the scene unfold with quiet amusement.
And just like that—the moment was set.
But soon, the Players’ attention shifted to the Tieflings marching in formation, drawing eyes away from the “Holy Light Guy.”
“This must be our guide NPC,” Zhao Touna whispered. “But I’ve studied this game—there’s an Affection System. So please, don’t say anything stupid.”
A Player with the ID “Langli BaiTiao” suddenly shouted:
“Those horned, red-skinned NPCs—demons? Can we fight them?”
“Should we test it?”
Instantly, dozens of Tiefling eyes locked onto him—filled with fury. If not for their commander’s orders, the man would’ve been minced meat.
“Nope, nope—just kidding! I was just joking!”
Langli BaiTiao forced a nervous laugh, but his face was pale. His Character Sheet instantly flooded with a cascade of red: Affection: -50.
“Told you,” Zhao Touna smirked. “The AI’s that smart. It actually parses your words.”
He knew this guy. Famous for his full-immersion self-destruct antics—most famously, stealing a chicken from a village in Ancient Scroll 10, only to be hunted by thousands.
But the chaos wasn’t over.
While the Tieflings were distracted, Langli BaiTiao sneaked to the back of the line and lobbed a small stone at the lead Tiefling’s head.
Whoosh.
The stone arced through the air—then was caught mid-flight, effortlessly, by Meizhuolashi, who didn’t even turn around.
But then—clink—another stone struck the Paladin’s armor, ringing out like a bell.
Silence.
The air froze.
Everyone stared.
Finally, Damakos broke the silence, voice trembling:
“Captain… what should we do?”
Even Meizhuolashi—calm, disciplined, unshakable—looked shaken.
He’d seen everything. Naked men in the square? He could tolerate that. But this? A man who’d risk his life just to throw rocks at a soldier for no reason?
“Attack the army… kill them!”
Meizhuolashi crushed the stone in his fist, his voice tight with fury.
The Tiefling guards, long restrained, erupted. Bows snapped taut. Arrows flew.
In seconds, Langli BaiTiao was a human pincushion—covered in arrows.
With the last of his strength, he lifted an arrow-studded arm and gasped:
“I may die… but I… am still… Langli BaiTiao!”
Then, with a final sigh, he expired.
But instead of fear, the crowd erupted in laughter.
“Thank goodness for good NPCs.”
“RIP, Langli BaiTiao.”
“Nah, I’m gonna sneak into his house later and max out his Pain Threshold.”
Zhao Touna was laughing so hard tears streamed down his face.
“Hahaha! This guy really pulled off a Borrowing Arrows with a Straw Boat—turned himself into a living porcupine!”
The Tiefling guards, seeing these Human-like beings laugh and mock them without respect, were furious.
But Meizhuolashi merely stood, arms crossed, watching the chaos with a thoughtful expression.
“…It seems we can’t judge these Stellarfallen by ordinary rules.”
(End of Chapter)
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