Chapter 3 Intermission 1

Actions somehow happen faster than words. Feng Bujue immediately slashed his sword. Since he had no fear at all, he could strangely maintain his calmness, and his reflexes wasn’t affected at all. As he slightly swayed aside to dodge the sharp claws of the b.l.o.o.d.y corpse, his sword horizontally severed the corpse.

Feng Bujue surprisingly saw the sword cut through the corpse just like it was cutting tofu. The corpse’s torso was cut open, and the blood that gushed out spurted all over his face. Feng Bue Jue could taste a light, salty and viscous fluid in his mouth. It was even warm. Although this was fabricated, the disgusting feeling was real.

The b.l.o.o.d.y corpse was cut and it howled in pain. Its body, from the cut, started to melt into a pulp of flesh and pus onto the ground.

At this time, Feng Bujue finally had a chance to look at the sword’s properties.

[Name: b.l.o.o.d.y Corpse Must Die]

[Type: Weapon]

[Quality: Good]

[Attack power: Fair]

[Attributes: None]

[Effect: Could dissolve b.l.o.o.d.y corpses when striking them]

[Being able to be brought out of the scenario: No]

[Remark: This sword is an early work of the legendary dwarf blacksmith Aure in his collections, the ‘All Must Die’. One day, a cunning Goblin businessman had used some bottles of ‘Erguotou’ (1) to exchange for this sword. Half a month later, Aure cast the ‘Goblin Must Die’.]

After Feng Bujue had spent several seconds to read the item’s properties, the system reminder arose. [You have completed the New Player Tutorial. Automatic teleportation will begin in sixty seconds.]

While the system was counting down sixty seconds, another section was unlocked in his menu. The new option was ‘Immediately Teleport’. Feng Bujue touched that option, and his body instantly turned into a white light and teleported out of the scenario.

A white light flashed and he was suddenly in that elevator again. The giant sword, bloodstains, and dust had all disappeared. Everything stayed the same inside the elevator as when he had logged in the game. The light was on, and there was only him in the booth. That period of roughly ten minutes had pa.s.sed quickly, just like a nightmare.

[Scenario completed. Calculating for rewards…]

[EXP: 70]

[Game Coins: 700].

[Item/Equipment: None]

[Complete/Quest: 0/0]

[Special Quest, ‘Hidden Quest’ Completed: 0]

[Worldview Unlocked: None]

[Fear Value surged: 0 time]

[Highest Fear Value: 0%]

[Average Fear Value: 0%]

[Your Fear Rating: A whole sack of guts. Receive one additional reward. Please select later.]

[Skill Value: 30]

[EXP increased by Skill Value: 30]

[Game Coins: 300]

[Scenario’s bonus: New Player’s Luggage: 1]

[Calculation completed. Please continue]

Those information were displayed on the screen, but the system’s voice sounded again.

"You’ve reached level 2. Stamina Value has increased. Current Stamina Value: 200/200."

Right then, Feng Bujue saw the ‘Specialties’ tab was unlocked. There were six types of Specialties, but five of them were still locked; the grading beside them was N/A. Only the ‘Common’ was glowing with his current grade, which was F for now.

Specialties were the most important settings in the Thriller Paradise, which was used to a.s.sess players’ competence. Feng Bujue still remembered that it was mentioned in the game’s introduction. The meanings of the grade were as follows:

N/A: None, a complete blockhead, unable to use this skill.

F: very poor, almost zero. When players reach this grade, they can activate the skills with a success rate of 20%.

While the screen was displaying his rewards, the doors slid open again, however, there was no corridor outside, but a square room with metal walls. This room was at least thrice bigger than the elevator, lit up by a light installed on the ceiling. There were two hollow gla.s.s columns in the room, but nothing was inside those pillars.

Feng Bujue didn’t have any comment on his Fear Value. His Fear was quantified with digits, but he saw only three zeros there. The Fear rating didn’t bother him much. The introduction mentioned that after the player completed one scenario, the system would use his Fear Value to give him one of five grades: an entire sack of guts, fine courage, freaking out, shaking like a leaf, and body and soul separated.

They didn’t think that a case like his, which all values were zeros, would possibly happen. Or else, the designer had to add one more degree of grade, which was "extremely daring."

To the new player tutorial, Feng Bujue had completed it marvelously. Because the Survival Value and the Stamina Value didn’t affect the final calculation, accomplis.h.i.+ng the scenario without shedding a hair or almost being dead were not much different as the rewards would be the same.

Feng Bujue’s reward was good enough, but he didn’t feel happy. He sighed then came to the gla.s.s pillars. A pop-up menu appeared.

[Please select your type of luggage.]

The screen then displayed two types of bag. One was a backpack that one could carry on their back, and the other one was a waist pack. After considering for a few seconds, Feng Bujue chose the first one. Then, the light started to condense, forming the bag amidst the hollow gla.s.s column. When the light had finally turned into the real object, the front of the gla.s.s column slid open, and he then stretched his arm to grab the bag.

At the same time, his Luggage Tab and Equipment Tab were finally unlocked.

[Your luggage is a s.p.a.ce for storage. Currently, its capacity is ten items max. As long as you could put the items into the bag, it could keep them. To put living creatures into the bag, you have to tame and control them first. Special remarks: Player cannot get in the bag, please don’t try it.]

[From now on, you can check your equipment from the Equipment Tab. Everything you can use is considered equipment. There is no limit on the total number of your equipment. For example, your right hand is holding a saber, and your left hand is holding a stick, while both of your hands are hugging a tiger. Your clothes are not your equipment. It’s impossible to take them off or to destroy them. You can only change your costumes settings at the login s.p.a.ce. Costumes can be purchased at Shops.]

Although it mentioned ‘Shops’, but currently, there was nothing to buy. In Closed Beta Version, players could only wear the default costumes.

In this age, many game producers wanted to take more benefits as they put the Shops into service when the test version was just 70% completed. It was possible to buy costumes, weapons, skin colors, blood, mana, etc. Some producers were despicable enough to send their henchmen to visit their rivals’ websites often to market their products, especially rare and precious weapons or pets.

However, Dream Inc.’s strategy was different from them all. The sales target in the testing stage focused only on the consumption of hardware. When they had released Closed Beta Version, the game was already 95% completed.

When the Fourth Generation of Optical Computing Technique had been recognized and adopted, players didn’t need to check for bugs since they had the almighty AI’s calculating ability. Thus, the main target of Closed Beta Version was to promote the purchase of the Thriller Paradise’s game cabin, model NL2055.

To virtual items and economic transactions, Dream Inc. had a strict policy to control. They didn’t create the official website for the sole purpose of selling items, and, more than that, they also hid all the shops in the game. It brought difficulties for gamers who wanted to make some good deals.

This kind of confidence was close to arrogance. Dream Inc.’s managers seemed to think that the game’s Closed Beta Version would succeed instantly. Money could wait, and in this stage, they only needed to increase the number of players and create their reputation.

[Please select extra bonus:

Random equipment that suits your level.

2000 coins.

80 EXP.]

When he reached the next gla.s.s column, this popped up in front of him.

Feng Bujue thought, "Today is the first day the Closed Beta Version has been released. Money would be useless in this period, EXP…" He glanced at the menu. He was at level two now. The EXP required to level up was 0/200, and this meant the third option was forty percent of the requirements to level up. His level was still low now, so this option wouldn’t benefit him much. Then, he decided to take the equipment.

After he had selected, the light inside the gla.s.s column shone again then something appeared... a stone.

Feng Bujue was dazed. The first thought that appeared in his mind was that 'it should be some sort of magical stone or equipment’.

When he grabbed the stone, its properties were displayed.

[Name: A stone]

[Type: Weapon]

[Quality: Trash]

[Attack power: Feeble]

[Attributes: None]

[Effects: None]

[Remarks: This is a stone, whose shape is not followed by any regulations. It can be seen everywhere. Sometimes, people would pick it up to use it as a weapon. Although it can be brought in and out of any scenario, people will throw it away after using it. No one would put it in the bag or always hold it in their hands.]

The empty room then was filled with Feng Bujue’s indignant cry. "This is… this is… fraudulent!"

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(1) Erguotou: literally: "second pot head", i.e. "second distillation"), also known as Chinese white liquor is a Chinese alcoholic beverage. It is a type of baijiu made from sorghum. The name "second distillation" indicates its level of purity. It is a clear, potent spirit and takes six months to produce.