Chapter Eighteen: The Path of the Player, Once a Month

The arrival of the players undoubtedly brought hope to the natives—indeed, their only hope!

“The descent of gods and sages has breathed hope into our world! Victory shall be ours!” — Chronicles of the Cataclysm

Just as the entire world awaited the sages to display their divine might, a soul-crushing message arrived: the sages were no better than ordinary soldiers. This news spread like wildfire across the five continents, casting a pall of death over every corner of the world. And yet, they never doubted the gods.

The arrival of the players did nothing to improve the situation on the five continents. However, the oracle received by the natives explained everything: “The sages who have descended possess neither overwhelming power, invincible divine arts, nor striking looks. Their only asset is... boundless potential!” — Oracles of the Gods

As the oracle foretold, the players’ strength grew exponentially compared to the natives. Already, countless players from the Steel Continent had struck out for new lands! Hope rekindled in countless hearts; the day of counterattack seemed near at hand.

...

What followed were legendary battles such as the “Battle of Twitter” and the “Defense of Pittsburgh”—and many more. Oh, and the Slaughtering Overlord also informed the players about the “sportinghouse”—which, well, you know what that means. At this, a chorus of cheers rose from the male players, and their favor toward the Overlord grew considerably. The female players, on the other hand—excepting a few whose minds did not match their bodies—were far less impressed.

“Now, let me introduce you to Dragon City!” The Slaughtering Overlord raised his hand. Steward Anders produced a metallic sphere and placed it in his palm. Soon, a tiny lens appeared on the sphere, projecting a map of Dragon City.

With technology like this, why had they even bothered with regular maps earlier? The crowd exchanged silent glances at the sudden emergence of a projector.

Noting the players’ speechless expressions, the Overlord offered an awkward smile. “Ahem! Esteemed sages, please take note—this is Dragon City, under the jurisdiction of the Silver Peak Dynasty’s capital prefecture in the Steel Continent. Dragon City is now divided into the residential district, military camp, sanctuary, Nine-Dragon Sky-Piercing Tower, the Eighteen Hells, and other sectors. Anders will explain the details. In three days, the beast tide will arrive, and I have many affairs to handle. Anders will take over the introduction.” With these words, the Overlord quietly took his leave.

With the Overlord gone, Anders took on the task of introducing Dragon City.

According to Anders, the Nine-Dragon Sky-Piercing Tower is much like a trial tower found in Earth’s games. It has nine floors, each with its own trial beast. Defeat the beast and you earn rewards. The higher the floor, the greater the difficulty—and the greater the prize. Each challenger is teleported into a private space for their trial, and while the types of beasts differ, their strength is always the same. The highest-ranked player had reached the sixth floor; most others were lingering between the third and fifth.

The Eighteen Hells, in truth, are the city’s underground prison—eighteen levels deep, true to their name. Legend has it that the eighteenth floor holds but a single prisoner: a level-six beast, equivalent to a human Martial Lord—one of only three level-five beast monarchs on the entire Steel Continent. Levels one through ten hold level-one to level-three beasts; levels eleven to seventeen hold level-four and above. The Eighteen Hells also serve as the players’ life-and-death training ground.

“The rewards reaped from facing death are beyond imagination...” — Infernal Regulations

The Sanctuary is the players’ residence—unless you’ve joined the Overlord’s faction, in which case you dwell in the palace, which is far more impressive!

Dragon City also boasts blacksmiths, shops, auction houses, and other daily necessities—though, of course, nothing compares to the GMs.

At last, amid the players’ impatient complaints, Anders finished his endless—though, to be fair, never redundant—exposition. Even Chen Ling had to admit Anders was thorough. As for Zhang Long, he had already fallen asleep against the wall. Only Chen Ling’s call roused him. Stretching and yawning, he muttered in his sleep, “Again, harder...”

According to Anders, their next step was to explore and familiarize themselves with the city in preparation for the coming beast tide. Anders had droned on about the beast tide for ages, but the gist was simple: “Once a month, and always bloody.” Each tide would be led by a level-four beast, accompanied by hordes of level-one and two beasts. Players and natives alike had to defend the city side by side. When there was no immediate threat, the gods would assign trials to the sages—in other words, quests. The main storyline for players was to grow stronger, venture farther... and die more spectacularly.

Some players dreamed of settling down in this world, building homes and leading peaceful lives. Alas, that was but a beautiful fantasy. Unless the beasts were annihilated, you had to keep growing stronger to survive—even less so to start a family or a business! And with the GMs’ mandatory main quest, who dared to linger?

But where to go? That became Chen Ling’s greatest question.

“Let’s visit the sportinghouse, shall we?” Zhang Long simpered, striking a coquettish pose.

“No!” Chen Ling and Xing Ye shouted in unison.

“Fine, no it is. Why be so fierce, though? How hateful!” Zhang Long pouted, gesturing dramatically. It was clear to both that Zhang Long was only masking his sorrow. Ding Mo, don’t think this is over! Chen Ling vowed silently over and over.

Ignoring Zhang Long, Xing Ye suggested, “Let’s check out the player market!” To make it easier to find what they needed, players had naturally begun gathering to trade, and over time this became a fixed marketplace.

With the beast tide approaching, most players had returned to the city, and the stalls were more numerous than ever. Of course, it wasn’t just Dragon City’s players—Anders had mentioned that the Steel Continent held ninety-nine cities, thirty of which were close by and tightly connected.

The beasts were the common enemy of all players and natives. Wandering players would return to the nearest cities before a beast tide to help defend them.

The trio soon reached the marketplace, and its prosperity exceeded Chen Ling’s expectations. He was also delighted to spot some veteran players. Chen Ling could sense that most were now warriors, with several having reached the rank of martial master. Xing Ye and Zhang Long, too, felt the gap between themselves and the veterans.

Don’t lose heart! I must keep growing stronger, survive, find a way home—and find Lan’er! With the godlike Cardmaster profession, my future will be anything but ordinary! It must not be ordinary! Chen Ling roared inwardly.

Both Xing Ye and Zhang Long quickly regained their confidence; they, too, clung to their resolve. Seeing their newfound determination, a smile spread across Chen Ling’s face.

“Let’s go see what treasures we can find!” After this test of spirit, Chen Ling felt an indescribable sense of relief. His mood soared, and he hurried Zhang Long and Xing Ye along.

“Congratulations, player, on your self-realized skill: True Love’s Intent. Would you like to announce it to all?” Just as Chen Ling was relishing his newfound peace, the GM’s cold voice rang out.

Chen Ling stroked his chin and replied, “No announcement.” He then opened his skill menu to examine his new ability: True Love’s Intent.