novelraw Chapter 31 – Player Arrival
Chapter 31 – Player Arrival
"Big Grey Wolf, you're the tallest among all the magical creatures. Why don't you share your understanding of this sentence?"
The Gnoll Chief, Big Grey Wolf, looked utterly confused, stammering for a long while before finally blurting out, "Master, does it mean that if we sniff around the roads in the morning, we can find the corpses of those who died at night?"
"Nonsense!"
Su Nian's dragon face twisted in disdain, his sharp claws scraping against the rock, producing a piercing sound.
"Listen up! What it means is, if you know the way to your home in the morning, then damn it, you better be dead by night!"
"Got it?"
The magical beasts suddenly appeared enlightened, looking at Su Nian with admiration, each letting out cheers in their own unique ways.
Just as Su Nian was basking in the adoration of the magical creatures, a line of glaring red text accompanied by an urgent alarm appeared in his vision:
[Attention]
[Players descending, Starter Village confirmed]
[World rules being generated]
[Rule 1: All players will descend in different regions worldwide, with the Starter Village having a one-week self-protection period]
[Rule 2: During the Starter Village protection period, all native creatures entering the village will be teleported out and have related memories erased]
[Rule 3: Treasure chests will start refreshing worldwide. Humans can obtain loot by opening chests, with more dangerous areas having more valuable chests, possibly guarded by Chest Guardians]
[Sakura No.1 Starter Village has refreshed near the Morrigan Plains by the Silvermoon Forest]
As the glaring red text faded, Su Nian saw a flash of light, followed by a loud "clang" as a massive Golden Treasure Chest landed in front of him.
Damn it, am I the Chest Guardian myself?
And I'm only worth a Golden Treasure Chest?
Su Nian's dragon claw crushed the rock beneath him, almost laughing in exasperation.
...
Meanwhile, on Aqua Blue Star, Sakura Island.
"Yamamoto-kun, please, stop hitting me. I really don't have any more money. I've given you everything I had recently, and I can't even afford the cheapest rice balls anymore..."
In a bathroom at Fujimoto High School, four or five blond delinquents were punching and kicking a chubby boy.
Yamamoto Nanjirou looked down on such weaklings the most. Even if Harutamoto-no on the ground could stand up and resist a little, he wouldn't have beaten him so badly.
After all, Yamamoto Nanjirou, as the delinquent king of Fujimoto High School, was special.
"Pathetic."
Yamamoto Nanjirou sneered, bending down and placing a foot on the urinal, looking down at the dirt-covered Harutamoto-no and threatening, "Hey! Fatty, next time I see you, if you still don't have money, I'll strip you, take pictures, and post them on the school bulletin board, got it?"
"Heh, tui~"
Spitting on the trembling Harutamoto-no's face, Yamamoto Nanjirou left the bathroom with his gang, leaving Harutamoto-no alone, sobbing.
[You have been chosen]
A cold electronic voice echoed in Harutamoto-no's mind.
[World Wager Game has begun]
[As a player, invade the world. If you succeed in conquering it, this world will replace Aqua Blue Star as the sacrifice]
[If you are expelled, Aqua Blue Star will take its place as the sacrifice. Warning: The fate of the sacrifice is often destruction]
[Time limit: 10 years in Aqua Blue Star time]
"Who's there? Is it Hanako of the toilet?"
Listening to the cold electronic voice, Harutamoto-no shrank into a corner, fearfully watching the stalls in front of him.
The cold electronic voice ignored him, continuing on its own:
[Game Rule 1: Players cannot exit the game before death. After death, they will wait for respawn in the World Plaza, with one chance per month to return to Aqua Blue Star]
[Game Rule 2: The longer you survive and complete tasks, the more Invasion Points you earn. Invasion Points can be exchanged for items and necessities, or to buy respawn time. They are also tradeable]
[Game Rule 3: Treasure chests will randomly refresh in the game world, containing Invasion Points, equipment, and other loot rewards, which are tradeable]
[Game Rule 4: Respawn time doubles each time. The first respawn time is 5 seconds, so cherish your life]
[Game Rule 5: The game's time flow rate is 1:10, so strive to survive. Dying in the World Plaza will result in real death]
[Countdown begins]
The electronic voice gradually faded, but a thunderous roar echoed across the sky, heard by every human on Aqua Blue Star.
They looked up in shock to see a massive Bloodstained Hourglass surrounded by dark clouds appearing in the sky.
The red sand within the hourglass was slowly falling, and below it was a rectangular electronic timer displaying: [315359998s]
Then, a grand voice sounded in everyone's ears:
[Chosen Ones, please enter the game]
[Those not chosen can enter the game stands to watch the Chosen Ones play and wait for the next selection]
With a hum, the chosen ones from different countries vanished in a flash of white light, including Harutamoto-no, who was hiding in the bathroom, bewildered and terrified.
...
In Sakura No.1 Starter Village, Harutamoto-no reappeared in a flash of golden light.
He had just felt a blackout, dizziness in his head, and when he came to, he found himself in a brand-new place.
Surrounding him was a vast field, lush green grass, a gentle breeze, and a clear blue sky with clouds as big as hills seemingly within reach. The fragrant scent of grass filled the air, refreshing and invigorating.
In the distance, the horizon ended in a lush tropical jungle, and beyond that, towering snow-capped mountains connected to the sky.
"World Wager Game?"
"Invade the world? A game?"
Harutamoto-no clenched his fists, feeling the familiar strength, just like in reality, without the dissonance of virtual reality games.
"World map, forum, party function, sensory adjustment, quest system... no logout button!"
"It's all real, an actual other world made into a game!"
Harutamoto-no was shocked. What kind of existence possessed such supreme power?
The golden light continued to flash, and Harutamoto-no noticed more and more people from Sakura Country appearing around him, including Yamamoto Nanjirou.
Harutamoto-no shrank back, hiding himself among the crowd.
In that moment, he thought of many things: his ordinary appearance, ordinary physique, ordinary family background, the massive hourglass spanning the sky, and all the games he had played.
He was a despised fat kid, an ordinary high school student who immersed himself in games after school, a shut-in who found love in games with 2D wives, and a skilled player who had conquered countless games.
"Will I continue to be a cowardly loser in the game, bullied by others?"
Harutamoto-no questioned himself, casting a hidden, hateful, and venomous glance at Yamamoto Nanjirou, who was still curiously looking around.
No way!
The game was his domain.
Here, he could fulfill all his wishes, become stronger than anyone else, and never be a pushover.
"Those who bullied me, spat on me, laughed at me... just wait."
"I don't care about the World Wager... whether the world is destroyed or not has nothing to do with me."
"But I'm willing to be a player, an invader. Now, it's my turn!"
With that thought, Harutamoto-no raised his slightly swollen hand, adjusted his glasses, and his eyes gleamed with madness.
[Sakura No.1 Starter Village Chosen Ones deployment complete]
[Attention: You have seven days to build the Starter Village. The green areas on the map are safe zones for free exploration. After seven days, the safe zones will disappear]
[A sturdy Starter Village is your hope for survival. Enjoy the game]
...