The streets of Liming City were bathed in the pleasant glow of afternoon sunlight.
A young boy walked down the street, his eyes darting around like a hamster that had just been released from its cage. Two words floated above his head: 【Mochi】.
Clearly, this was a player.
A crow perched on a nearby streetlight, its body pitch-black, staring at 【Mochi】 without blinking.
【Mochi】 didn’t notice the crow at all; he was completely immersed in the sheer awe of this virtual reality game.
He poked his finger into the dirt of a roadside flowerbed and brought it to his nose to sniff.
It smelled of damp, decaying leaves and the fishy scent of earthworms.
He plucked a leaf and crushed it, the sticky sap staining his fingertips.
In reality, Mochi was a biology student majoring in cell biology. Consequently, his sensitivity and curiosity regarding the realism of this game far exceeded those of other players.
“I really want to find a microscope to see if the NPCs in this world have cellular structures.”
If they did, it would mean the simulation level of this game was far beyond anything imaginable.
“Is this really just virtual reality?” he murmured softly.
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a handful of change, counting it carefully. The crumpled bills added up to about two hundred yuan.
This was money he had earned by washing dishes in a restaurant, handing out flyers, and helping people move cargo.
There were no newbie perks or starting funds in this game; if you wanted money, you had to earn it yourself.
Unlike those traditional online games that throw newbie gear, potions, and mounts at you the moment you log in—practically spoon-feeding the players—this game was different.
This game just tossed players in and left them to fend for themselves, without so much as a tutorial.
Realistic. It was way too realistic.
So realistic it made him want to swear!
【Mochi】 wanted to find a stable job to earn money first, then get his hands on a microscope. He wanted to observe the cells of the plants and animals in the game to see if they had microscopic structures like nuclei and mitochondria, just like in the real world.
In this virtual world that claimed 'one hundred percent realism,' would even cells be simulated?
If there really were cells, were they actually functioning, or were they just textures?
【Mochi】’s heart began to race. He felt like he might be approaching a staggering secret.
He turned into a secluded alley. According to a guide on the game forum, if he crossed this alley and walked two more blocks, he would find a second-hand market where he might be able to score a cheap, used microscope.
As he walked, a man suddenly burst out from behind a half-open iron door.
The man wore a filthy green coat, his hair was a mess, and a long scar ran across his face. His eyes were bloodshot. The moment he saw 【Mochi】, he lunged without a word and slammed a fist into 【Mochi】’s face.
【Mochi】 was utterly stunned. Although he had accepted his identity as a player, he had zero combat experience. In this situation, he simply couldn't react in time.
His head was knocked to the side. A split second later, the man’s second punch buried itself in his abdomen, and a third struck the back of his neck.
【Mochi】 collapsed to the ground. Fortunately, there was no sensation of pain in the game world.
However, his health bar was empty!
The crow on the streetlight let out a caw. The attacker immediately stopped and stood over 【Mochi】’s corpse, his eyes vacant yet feverish. The act of randomly harming an innocent passerby seemed to bring him immense pleasure.
Then, he turned and stumbled away, looking for his next target.
The crow watched 【Mochi】 lying on the ground. It saw 【Mochi】’s body flicker and vanish completely, taking his clothes and shoes with it.
But the cash in 【Mochi】’s pocket did not disappear; it fell directly onto the ground.
The crow tilted its head. So, players directly drop coins upon death?
Did players not have an 'inventory' or similar function to store items?
The crow took flight from the streetlight, circled once over the alley, snatched up the money with its beak, and flew off in another direction.
...
Game respawn point.
With a flash of white light, 【Mochi】 appeared out of thin air.
He stood there, instinctively reaching up to touch his face.
Being killed by a crazed NPC was absolutely absurd!
He didn't think he had any history with that NPC. Was the guy just a mental patient?
“Low-level players are just too fragile; dead in three punches,” 【Mochi】 grumbled as he reached into his pocket.
He froze.
Empty.
His pockets were completely empty!
The money he had worked so hard to earn was gone!
In an instant, 【Mochi】’s expression became exceptionally grim.
In the real world, he wouldn't care about such a small amount of money. But in the game, those two hundred yuan were earned bit by bit with his own sweat from scratch. He couldn't accept this!
“When a player is killed, do they drop their coins?”
“Is this a bug or a game setting?”
【Mochi】 gnashed his teeth, thinking about how his fingers had turned pale from washing dishes, how his legs had gone soft from handing out flyers, and how he had nearly thrown out his back moving cargo...
Aaaaah!
It’s all that madman’s fault!
What a garbage game! I’m leaving a negative review!
【Mochi】 took a deep breath, forced himself to calm down, and logged onto the game forum.
This virtual reality game was a revolutionary new technology, so it drew a massive amount of attention. Even though it had only been live for a few days, the forum was already quite lively.
While 【Mochi】 was swearing that he would leave a negative review, he actually only posted a help thread titled: “My coins disappeared after I died. What should I do?”
He gave a brief account of his experience, adding a bit of flourish, saying he had encountered a mentally ill NPC and unfortunately lost after a fierce battle of three hundred rounds, only to find all his money gone upon respawning.
Not long after the post went up, several replies appeared with a quick refresh.
“Just keep working hard to earn more money. There’s no other way.” This reply was followed by a long string of “+1”s.
“Playing a game and still having to work like a horse in it... I’m seriously done! Work is tiring enough as it is. I planned to relax by playing a game, but I end up just going to work in the game too.”
“To the person above, if you don't like it, don't play. No one’s forcing you.”
“The original poster could try going back to the place where he died. If you’re lucky, the money might still be there, though the probability is very low.”
“If all else fails, you can only resort to stealing or mugging. Anything you grab is profit. It’s just a game, after all...”
“To the person above, I don't recommend players steal or mug. It’s not a moral issue; it’s just that players are too low-level and have no combat power. You don't have the stats to pull off a robbery.”
“This game has gone crazy in its pursuit of realism. If you want anything, you have to figure it out yourself. There aren't even any newbie benefits.”
“It’s just the closed beta, after all. Maybe there will be gift packs later.”
“Has anyone noticed that the newbie village, ‘Liming City,’ is very strange? A lot of the NPCs here are exceptionally wicked...”
Rate on N.U.
