Chapter 3 (1/2)
Chapter 3 — Surrounded By Danger!
Lin Xiaolu has been immobilised, and cannot see the invisible enemy's incoming attack!
Edited by Planetes
Ding — Protected Player 4109874 is now online, we're now a.s.signing an exclusive customer service agent…
Ling Xiaolu stared at the waiting symbol in front of him, speechless. How did he end up becoming a protected player? Also, what was with that system-a.s.signed number? If he did not know that this was a game, he would have thought that he was in prison.
The a.s.signment of the customer service agent was pretty fast. In less than half a minute, an unknown creature appeared next to Ling Xiaolu.
”h.e.l.lo! GM92735 is here to serve you wholeheartedly!”
”…”
”From today onwards, I'm your exclusive agent, I hope t-t-that put me d-d-down hey hey hey!”
Ling Xiaolu was grabbing onto the agent's tail — if that was a tail — and lifted it up upside down. As it was suffering a violent treatment, the silver bodied little fellow struggled desperately, its claws scrabbling in the air wildly, and the long fur on the top of its head swayed back and forth.
”Maliciously attacking the GM, are you still keeping to the company's regulation?!” That strange creature sharply denounced Ling Xiaolu's wicked deed.
”This thing looks so strange yet it can speak,” Ling Xiaolu released it. ”What exactly are you?”
The GM who finally regained its freedom tumbled through the air, flipping twice, and at last had its head facing up.
”Didn't I just introduce myself? I'm your exclusive customer service agent that the higher ups have specially a.s.signed to you, my ID is 92735.”
”That's not what I'm asking. What sort of animal are you exactly?”
”Huh? Wasn't this your special request? I'm clearly a cool, handsome Wind Pterosaur.”
”Thanks for your information. If you didn't say it, I still thought you were a four-legged bug.”
The GM had a face full of tears, ”I keep feeling like I've picked up a not very good task.”
”Then fine, Mr Pterosaur GM… I had always thought that the GMs would be human. Has technology already advanced so quickly?”
”I'm human! What you're seeing now is only the disguise I made to hide my ident.i.ty.”
”Hold on,” A spark appeared in Ling Xiaolu's brain. ”Manager Ke said that he's going to give me a mini version of a Wind Pterosaur, don't tell me that's you?”
”Congratulations, you've got it right! Actually, what you're seeing now is only an ordinary non-combative pet. But because from now on I'll be responsible for guiding you in the game, as well as keeping your ident.i.ty a secret, I've presumptuously borrowed your image as a pet to prevent you from attracting extra attention. Don't you think that this is definitely the most suitable disguise?”
Ling Xiaolu was expressionless. ”Can I invite you to leave my pet body?”
”Of course, but like that, I'll resume my original human appearance. Would you prefer that from now on, in the game, there would be an adult man of 190cm and 190kg following you around? Of course, I wouldn't mind at all.”
”I mind! Since the first time I saw you, I feel that you look extremely pleasing. Please remain inside and never take a step out!”
”As you wish. Then, next, shall I give you a beginner's tutorial?”
”Go ahead.”
”First, <spirit contract=””> is a VR game about battling pets. In the game, players can capture and train all sorts of pets to help them fight bosses, instances and PK. It can be said that the pet system is the game's greatest selling point, and of course, all these have nothing to do with you.”
Ling Xiaolu stared at him, his face unfriendly.
”Hahaha — cough cough — of course, other than the pet system, there are still many other things to do in this game. For example, there's the production system, the home system, the business system, as well as a rich interactive system with people. These are all highlights of <spirit contract=””>.”
”Can you be a little more sincere? Don't just recite from the script.”
The GM did a somersault. ”Then let's head straight into the main topic. First, I have to teach you the basic controls in this game. Do you see a b.u.t.ton on the top right corner that's lit up?”
Ling Xiaolu had long noticed that flas.h.i.+ng fake b.u.t.ton. He reached out to touch it, and a menu appeared.
”I need to clarify that the interface you're seeing now is only visible to you, unless you personally choose to share it with others. May I ask if you've seen the menu?”
”I see it.”
”Please select the first item, Personal Information.”
Ling Xiaolu tapped on the first selection. On his left field of vision, a panel appeared showing various characters. The panel was translucent, and the background behind it could still be seen clearly.
”Do you see yourself?”
Ling Xiaolu saw his 3D image in the character case. When he reached out to touch it, it even spun around.
”Interesting.”
”You may have noticed that there's no name in your display name field, as you have yet to choose a name. Now, you can decide on a stupendous name for your own character.”
The GM shook its tail, and pulled out a very large piece of Xuan paper from somewhere. The paper floated in midair, and the GM sprawled upon it, satisfied. Its claw clumsily held a Chinese brush, and it was licking at the hair at the end of the brush.
Do the special effects in this game have to be so exaggerated?
Ling Xiaolu was very depressed. He had wanted to be a renowned G.o.d-like player in the game, but now he had no choice but to sneak around and be a commoner.
A G.o.d in the mortal realm. ”We'll go with Shen Fan.”1
”Ok.”
The GM wrote crookedly as it agreed – Shen Fun2
”It's the Fan from the mortal realm!”3
”Isn't that what I wrote? The Fan from annoying?”8. Even if your mother stood right in front of you, she also wouldn't recognise you.”
Ling Xiaolu frowned. ”Is it that amazing? Then, in the eyes of others, would I look better, or uglier? Would I be edited to the point where my nose just disappears?”
”This is the most miraculous thing about our product. After using the appearance nebuliser, in the eyes of others, you would just look like — nothing.”
”… What does that mean?” An image of a faceless person appeared in Ling Xiaolu's mind, and he shuddered in fright.
”Simply put, when other people are looking at you, they will still see you with your current appearance. However, those who know you will not relate you with the person they know. The ones who don't know you, after leaving the game, their memory of your appearance will also turn blurry. They'll remember you, but no matter what, they won't remember how you look like.”
”Really?” This was still the first time Ling Xiaolu had heard about an in-game tool tampering with a person's memories.
”Of course. At most they'll find you very familiar, but they would never be able to recall where they saw you.”
”All right, since that's the case, I'll just try it out for now.”
Ling Long raised the nebuliser, aiming it at Ling Xiaolu's face and spraying it. It was colourless and odourless, and there was no feeling to it at all.
”It's done.”
”Just like that?” Ling Xiaolu touched his face, ”Is there a mirror?”
Ling Long really pulled a mirror out.
Ling Xiaolu looked into the mirror, ”I can't see any differences.”
”It's right that you can't see any difference, the nebuliser will not have any effect on your own memories… Ah, oh no, I've already started to forget how you look like already.”
Ling Xiaolu slanted his eyes at it, ”Your acting is really very lousy.”
Ling Long shamefacedly kept the mirror, grumbling quietly, ”That's because I'm a dragon. If I had a human form, I'm sure to have won a few Best Actor awards.”
Ling Xiaoly suddenly found that the collar around his neck had disappeared, and on his left wrist appeared a bracelet.
”What's this about now?”
”This is a camouflage that changes what is seen in the game. Your bracelet is only decorative, and the actual peripheral device is still on your neck, only that it's been hidden. However, if someone touches the back of your neck, they will still be able to feel something different, so please protect this part well.”
Ling Xiaolu touched the back of his neck. As expected, he felt a strange b.u.mp, but when he touched it again, it seemed to have disappeared.
”If the collar is accidentally touched by someone, it will temporarily disappear. This effect will last for 15 minutes, and it's already the best the developers can do.”
Fine, I can only say that a little is better than none.
”Is there anything else?”
”When other players are checking your character information, your data will appear just like an ordinary player. A benefactor would also be unable to find your location with the pet radar.”
”Now, what is this pet radar?”
”Every player here has a radar. The radar can locate the players and pets on a map, but only a benefactor's radar can locate a human pet.”
Ling Xiaolu got the gist of it.
”This is what I have now for the introduction to the character panel. As for other abilities, we can go through it when in the game itself. When you touch the X in the top right corner of the panel, it will automatically close. You can only just do an X sign with your hands.”
Ling Xiaolu crossed his index fingers, and the panel vanished with a beep.
”This is the shortcut gesture to close the panel. You can also use a shortcut gesture to open the panel. Every panel in the game has a corresponding shortcut gesture.”
”What are they?”
”Using the character panel as an example, just touching your belly b.u.t.ton will do.”