Chapter 784 |
【 NEW PLAYER 】
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Warm sunlight poured across the land, bringing an indescribable sense of comfort.
Towering trees and dense shrubs glistened with lush greenery, adorned by vibrant flowerbeds competing in beauty. Graceful butterflies and dreamlike elemental fairies fluttered freely through the air, letting out cheerful laughter as they danced among the blossoms.
The sky was a pure, azure blue and from time to time, the silhouettes of dragons could be seen gliding overhead before disappearing into the layered mountain ranges in the distance. Faint dragon roars echoed intermittently through the heavens, carrying the magnificent grandeur unique to a fantasy world.
Spring was the season in which all things revived, and likewise, it was the season when the Elven Forest brimmed with life and vitality.
Walking through the streets of Chosen City, ‘Rain or Shine of the Four Seasons’ curiously and excitedly observed the bustling scenery and the exquisite gardens scattered everywhere around him.
Everything felt dazzling and endlessly fascinating.
A melodious elven tune drifted softly through the background music, so enchanting that one could not help but hum along with its captivating rhythm.
“As expected of the greatest virtual reality game masterpiece in history, Elven Kingdom is absolutely incredible!”
Looking at the well-equipped players constantly passing by around him, excitement was written all over Four Season’s face as he exclaimed enthusiastically.
The streets were crowded with people, most of whom were veteran players standing around holding promotional pamphlets while loudly advertising something. From time to time, newly arrived players would be surrounded by them as they enthusiastically chatted and introduced various things about the game.
Four Seasons cast them a curious glance.
Noticing his gaze, two players whose equipment clearly looked extremely expensive immediately lit up with interest and walked over with broad smiles.
One was a warrior, the other a mage.
“Yo friend! Are you a new player? Want to join a guild? Free food and lodging included, we’ll also guarantee to carry you all the way to peak Iron-rank!”
The warrior enthusiastically handed a pamphlet to Four Seasons.
“Uh… hello…”
Feeling somewhat flattered, Four Seasons accepted the pamphlet.
“It’s your first day logging in today, right? How does it feel?”
After glancing at Four Seasons’s iconic wooden sword and hemp armor, the mage player asked with a smile.
Four Seasons nodded and praised sincerely:
“It’s amazing! Far beyond my imagination. The actual scenery is even more beautiful than the videos online.”
Hearing this, the two veteran players became even more enthusiastic.
“Right? Right?!”
“Hehe, it only gets more fun later on! But… Elven Kingdom is a pretty complicated game. If you want to avoid unnecessary detours, joining a guild is definitely the best choice!”
“Exactly, that’s right!”
“So, how about joining our guild? We’re currently recruiting new members! No level requirements at all. As long as you’re willing to fight for the guild and obey guild commands, you can join! Tons of benefits included!”
“Yep! After reaching Iron-rank, our guild also organizes demon hunts in the Fertile Plains and leads dungeon raids in the Demon God Labyrinth! Before long, you’ll advance to Silver-rank in no time. And when that happens, you might even get the chance to participate in the War of Gods and Demons Campaign at the Abyss!”
The two players spoke one after another, seemingly afraid that Four Seasons might run away at any moment.
Touching his nose awkwardly, Four Seasons curiously examined the pamphlet they had handed him.
“Night Watchers?”
He read out their guild’s name.
“That’s right! Night Watchers! Our guild is about to be promoted to a first-class guild, and we’ve also formed an alliance with nine other second-class guilds to apply for the construction of a new city. We’re seriously lacking manpower right now, so hurry and join us! When the time comes, you might even get allocated a house in our new city district!”
The warrior enthusiastically introduced.
“This is an incredibly rare opportunity! You should know that even Atlantis, which is currently the cheapest among the seven major cities, already has housing prices exceeding ten thousand contribution points per square meter. Meanwhile, we’re planning to build a brand-new main city beside the Grand Canyon in the northwestern region of the Elven Forest, and guild members will all have a chance to receive free housing!”
The mage hurriedly added.
“Exactly. Don’t underestimate our construction site! Although the northwestern region is relatively remote, according to information leaked by the Church, Big Sister Zero is about to construct a massive bridge there that will span the canyon and directly connect to the other side! Rumor says there’s also an unopened dimensional passageway over there. In the future, it’ll definitely become one of the hottest main cities in the game! A free house in a city like that, what are you still waiting for?”
The warrior added again.
“Free housing, huh…”
Four Seasons clicked his tongue in amazement.
People always said that housing prices in Elven Kingdom were absurdly expensive, and that owning a house in one of the main cities was the dream of countless newcomers. Judging from today’s situation, it really did not seem exaggerated at all.
After finishing the pamphlet, Four Seasons returned it to the warrior player and apologetically said:
“Um… sorry, but I actually already have a friend in the game. So I’ll probably be joining my friend’s guild later.”
“Your friend’s guild?”
The two players froze for a moment.
Then they smiled again.
“Bro, the differences between guilds are huge. Even across the entire server, our guild can rank within the top fifty, and our benefits are absolutely first-rate!”
“Exactly!”
As they spoke, they curiously looked toward Four Seasons again.
“Brother, what’s the name of your friend’s guild?”
Four Seasons thought for a moment before answering:
“Hmm… I think it’s called the… Moe Moe Committee?”
Warrior Player: “…”
Mage Player: “…”
The smiles on both of their faces instantly stiffened.
“Um… what’s wrong?”
Four Seasons asked curiously.
The two veteran players exchanged glances and let out awkward dry laughs.
“So you’re a friend of someone from Moe Moe…”
“Um… ahem, sorry for bothering you.”
After saying that, the two quickly put away their pamphlets and slipped off dejectedly.
Only Four Seasons remained standing there with a completely bewildered expression.
Was there something wrong with the guild, Moe Moe Committee?
Scratching his head in confusion, he followed the coordinates on his minimap and headed toward a certain area within the city.
Along the way, several more veteran players continuously stopped him and enthusiastically invited him to join their guilds:
“Hi friend! You’re a new player? Want to join Pandora’s Box? Join our new city project and get a free house!”
“Brother over here! Our guild, Goddess’s Glory ranks within the top hundred across the entire server! Great benefits, you interested?”
The constant recruitment pitches nearly made it impossible for him to keep walking.
However, whenever Four Seasons mentioned that he had friends in Moe Moe Committee, those passionate veteran players would all sigh before giving up.
“Is my friend’s guild really that amazing?”
Four Seasons clicked his tongue in amazement.
As he walked, he continued admiring the beautiful scenery of Chosen City.
It was said that this city had been built brick by brick entirely by the players themselves. Honestly speaking, looking at the clean and beautiful streets, the lush greenery, and the exquisite architecture, he found it difficult to imagine that all of this had truly been created by a group of players.
Soon, the scenery on both sides of the road gradually changed and eventually, Four Seasons arrived before an enormous circular building.
Cheers resembling crashing tidal waves erupted continuously from inside the structure, whilst accompanied by passionate commentary that seemed to have been magically amplified.
Four Seasons glanced at his minimap and took a deep breath.
“The Circular Arena… this should be the place.”
As he approached the entrance, a beautiful female elven NPC was collecting admission fees.
Upon seeing him, she gave a slight bow and said:
“Sir. Chosen One, arena tickets cost ten gold coins each. You may also choose to pay with contribution points, two thousand contribution points per ticket.”
Four Seasons smacked his lips in shock.
“So expensive!”
Looking at the three thousand contribution points he had received as starting funds, he gritted his teeth and asked:
“How do I transfer contribution points?”
“You can trade them directly to me.”
Behind the beautiful NPC, a player sitting in the corner smiled as he spoke.
As he talked, he sized Four Seasons up from head to toe and clicked his tongue in surprise.
“Oh, a newbie? And you actually came straight to the arena right after logging in?”
“I’m looking for a friend.”
Four Seasons replied while transferring the contribution points.
The player shook his head.
“In that case, you might as well wait outside the entrance. There’s a high-level match today, so the arena’s packed.”
Four Seasons smiled.
“Well, I also wanted to go inside and watch. I heard from my friend that he’s competing in one of the matches.”
“A match? What’s your friend’s name?”
The seated player instantly became interested.
Four Seasons checked the username on his friends list. After a moment of silence, he scratched his head awkwardly and said:
“His username is… um… should I just write it down instead?”
The seated player froze slightly.
He glanced at Four Seasons. Seeing the latter acting all hesitant and awkward, he simply assumed the newcomer was bragging.
“Forget it, just go in.”
Shaking his head, he immediately lost interest.
“Uh…”
Four Seasons was momentarily speechless.
He did not explain further and simply walked directly into the arena.
However, after entering, he could vaguely hear laughter and conversation coming from behind him:
“That newbie is definitely bluffing. This is the Silver-rankers Tournament, so every participant is at the upper Silver-rank… including the newly joined players today, the entire server only has around two million players total. Big shots like those top-tier experts, fewer than a thousand of them exist. Tsk, how could a newbie casually know one of them?”
“Heh, Miss Dales, you don’t know this, but lots of new Chosen Ones like that guy are like this! Besides, the arena allows contribution point betting, so many newcomers desperately try to squeeze in. If they wager a thousand out of their starting three thousand contribution points and get lucky, they can multiply it several times over!”
“By the way, Miss Dales, are you free tonight? After the matches end, how about going to the Amway Tavern for a drink? My treat!”
Hearing the conversation behind him, Four Seasons paused for a moment.
Then he let out a helpless laugh and continued walking inward.
The arena was extremely lively, with at least three to four thousand spectators seated inside.
Cheers and thunderous applause shook the entire venue, making Four Seasons feel as though he had somehow arrived at a Roman colosseum from the classical era.
Within the arena, four magnificently equipped players were currently engaged in battle, divided into teams of two.
One side consisted of a male warrior and a female mage, while the opposing side was made up of a male hunter and a male archer.
Brilliant sword techniques and dazzling magic flashed continuously across the battlefield, creating an unbelievably spectacular scene.
After only a single glance, Four Seasons found himself unable to look away.
He quickly found an empty seat and sat down, excitedly watching the four players move and fight across the field like superhuman beings.
It had to be said that the skills in Elven Kingdom were indeed incredibly cool. Not only were they visually stunning, but the sense of impact behind every attack was also exceptionally powerful. Even as a spectator, one could not help but feel immersed in the battle.
As for the magical spells, it surpassed the spell effects of other games by an entirely different level. It was gorgeous, breathtaking, and strangely capable of making one feel an indescribable sense of pressure and resonance.
Four Seasons knew that sensation was the fluctuation of magical power, one of the defining features that distinguished Elven Kingdom from other online games, allowing players to clearly experience sensations impossible in reality.
The two teams continued clashing intensely on the battlefield, though the male-and-female duo clearly held the overwhelming advantage.
Meanwhile, the commentator’s hoarse voice boomed throughout the entire arena through a magically amplified speaker:
“A combo! Another chained combo attack! The ‘Coconut Milk Duo’ from Moe Moe has unleashed yet another spectacular combo! The ‘Black and White Fiends’ from Heart of Nature are barely holding on!”
“As expected of the strongest battle mage combination on the entire server! Rumor has it that Nana, one half of the ‘Coconut Milk Duo,’ is the disciple of the Legendary-rank frost elf Gando. Her close combat techniques are simply divine!”
“And her partner Yeye is just as impressive! Last week, he officially entered the top two hundred of the combat leaderboard! It’s said that he once received guidance from the famous Silver-rank veteran known as ‘Féng,’ a player regarded by many top experts as a mentor!”
“Some players may not know who ‘Féng’ is, but she’s an extremely low-profile second-beta player in Elven Kingdom with an extraordinary eye for talent. It’s even rumored that Boxlunch, the current number one on the combat leaderboard, once stated that if there was any player on the entire server he could not guarantee defeating, aside from the overpowered artifact-loaded Little Salty Cat, it would definitely be ‘Féng’!”
“To earn recognition from such a major figure, one can easily imagine how terrifying the potential of our contestants Yeye and Nana truly is!”
“On the leaderboards, these two are the fastest-rising new players on the entire server, setting a record in Elven Kingdom history!”
“Oh no, today is the day the large-scale public beta access was released. They can no longer really be considered newcomers anymore!”
“They’re charging in again! The ‘Black and White Fiends’ can barely continue holding out!”
“A combo! The ‘Coconut Milk Duo’ has unleashed another battle mage combo technique! That level of power… it’s probably already approaching the peak of Silver rank!”
“Oh? Looks like they’ve won! The Coconut Milk Duo won!”
On the battlefield, the male-and-female duo finally defeated the opposing team, knocking them to the ground as waves of cheers erupted throughout the arena.
Four Seasons watched the thrilling battle with immense enjoyment, his eyes filled with excitement and anticipation.
“They’re incredible…”
“Heh, of course they are! Those two are members of Moe Moe’s City Management Division!”
A nearby player spoke up beside him.
“City Management Division?”
Four Seasons’s expression turned rather subtle.
The player laughed and explained:
“It’s basically the Moe Moe Committee’s elite combat team. Every member is a veteran Silver-rank powerhouse, at minimum mid-Silver rank at max level!”
As he spoke, he sized Four Seasons up and down before raising an eyebrow.
“A new player? Heh, you here to gamble contribution points? Too bad, betting’s already closed for this round, so you’ll have to wait for the next match. Though the next one won’t be a peak-level tournament anymore.”
Four Seasons smiled and shook his head.
“No, I’m here to find a friend.”
“A friend?”
The player froze slightly.
At that very moment, he saw the two victorious players leaving the battlefield and walking toward the spectator seats.
“Whoa! Boss Yeye and Boss Nana are coming over!”
The surrounding players instantly became excited.
Then, under the astonished gaze of the player beside Four Seasons, the two newly crowned champions walked directly up to him.
Yeye wore a bright smile as he slapped palms with Four Seasons.
“Hey cousin, you finally managed to get an access slot!”
Four Seasons laughed bitterly.
“I didn’t win one, I bought the slot instead. Though it cost me a ridiculous amount of money.”
As he spoke, his gaze swept across the lively arena, and the corners of his lips slowly rose into a smile.
“But… now that I’m here, it honestly feels completely worth it!”
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