Ten Thousand Ways To Eliminate Players
Chapter 37 - 037 A game that is destined to be a hit

Chapter 37: 037 A game that is destined to be a hit

After confirming with Lin Bai about the delivery time for the Heavenly Remnant Collection, the group of scholars hurriedly departed, not even sparing a moment for a potential encounter with a spectral beauty.

How could a spectral beauty be as interesting as the poetry collection?

If the matter of the poetry collection was handled well, it could, in a grand sense, contribute to world literature.

On a smaller scale, it could further the prosperity of their respective families.

They understood the principle of ’first dibs for those in proximity’; if they were fortunate enough to complete a poem or two, they themselves would become famous. They clearly understood what was more important.

After the scholars left, Dumbelldore, who had been trying to remain inconspicuous nearby, turned a puzzled gaze to Lin Bai. "Master, did you really not write those poems?"

"You don’t actually believe I possess that kind of talent, do you?" Lin Bai turned, pointing to the poetry drafts pinned to the wall behind him. "I can’t even write legibly."

I don’t believe a single word you’re saying, Dumbelldore grumbled internally.

If Lin Bai had previously been merely a special plot-driving NPC in his mind, now, he had been upgraded to an epic-level NPC—one important enough to be a recurring figure throughout the entire game.

He was an enigma.

Moreover, the appearance of the poetry collection made Dumbelldore wonder again: Is this truly a game world?

"Master, why did you decide to publish the poetry collection?" Dumbelldore asked again. "You are clearly a man of the Jianghu..."

"Little Deng, that’s a prejudiced view," Lin Bai smiled. "Must people of the Jianghu only engage in fighting and killing? Can’t we pursue more refined activities, like contributing to the dissemination of culture?"

Disseminating culture? Dumbelldore felt his intelligence was being insulted. Recalling Lin Bai’s actions up to now, he lowered his voice. "Master, you’re setting up some grand scheme, aren’t you?"

"Hmm?" Lin Bai glanced at Dumbelldore in surprise, also lowering his voice. "Don’t tell anyone."

"Master, are there secrets hidden within the incomplete poetry drafts?" Dumbelldore pressed, feeling he had seized another crucial opportunity.

"I’m looking for someone chosen by fate." Lin Bai gazed up at the sky, his eyes profound, a faint, almost imperceptible smile playing on his lips.

Indeed. While completing his tasks, Lin Bai was genuinely searching for such a person. He liked to maximize the impact of everything he did.

Whoever could complete the poetry collection had to be from Earth.

Jiamucheng was just a Novice Village. In such a vast game world, what if there were other people from Earth?

If he found fellow Earthlings, he wouldn’t be fighting his battles alone anymore. It would also help him better understand his own situation and role.

Looking at Lin Bai’s profound gaze, Dumbelldore’s eyes sparkled. "Master, do the missing words in the poems form a Martial Arts manual? Or perhaps a treasure map?"

"Complete the poetry collection, and you will naturally discover the secret it holds," Lin Bai said, looking at Dumbelldore. "Keep trying, Little Deng. Perhaps you are that chosen one!"

Who says you can’t spread the message offline? If he is searching for the chosen one, he obviously needs to seek both online and offline...

"Master, I need to go out for a bit," Dumbelldore said. "Didn’t you mention before that I should inform my fellow countrymen about the City Lord’s Manor recruiting Hidden Guards? I think I should go now, so as not to hinder their prospects."

Lin Bai looked at Dumbelldore with approval. "Remembering my instructions and always striving to complete them shows your commitment and trustworthiness. Risking dismissal to help your fellow countrymen secure a better future demonstrates your righteousness. Little Deng, you’ve done very well. You’re beginning to grasp the essence of a gentleman’s virtue."

What the hell! Dumbelldore was stunned. I just made up a random excuse to log off, and you managed to read so much into it? So that’s how your ’gentleman’s virtue’ works? You just find an absolutely righteous-sounding justification for everything you do! Recalling Lin Bai’s past actions, Dumbelldore became thoughtful, as if he had gained some insight.

Lin Bai looked at Dumbelldore expectantly. My dear apprentice, I’ve given you so many hints. If you still don’t get it, our master-disciple bond might truly be at its end.

He was truly out of options.

Currently, he had five Systems. Three of them, which he could manage on his own, were progressing by leaps and bounds.

However, the two Systems that relied on others were stagnating.

His elder brother was neglecting his duties, idling in the City Lord’s Manor.

His apprentice was stubbornly refusing to see the light.

If he didn’t personally guide them to find the BUG, these two Systems wouldn’t just be unhelpful; they might even become a hindrance.

How could he let that happen?

Lin Bai was determined to become a Hexagonal Warrior. In this harsh world, he had to ensure his Martial Power could keep up with his ability to stir up trouble.

"Thank you for your guidance, Master." Dumbelldore bowed deeply to Lin Bai. "Rest assured, Master, I will return as quickly as possible and won’t disrupt the shop’s business."

Finding a deserted corner, Dumbelldore reluctantly logged off.

Although the game was challenging, and even leveling up was difficult, after just two days in the game, he was completely hooked. It felt as if he had embarked on a new life journey.

Moreover, in this new life, he felt like a favored child of destiny, constantly encountering all sorts of amazing adventures.

It was an extraordinary feeling.

Immersion, interaction, and a plot that could change at any moment due to your actions... This was likely the core appeal of the game.

The initial thought that the game company was inhumane and torturing players had long since vanished.

Dumbelldore had become a devoted fan of the game. He believed he would keep playing it until the servers were shut down for good.

On the Immortal World forums, new threads appeared almost every second. Some were from closed beta players, while others were from prospective players eagerly awaiting the public launch.

Filtering out the less substantial posts from prospective players, nearly every thread started by a closed beta player quickly shot to the top of the ’hot’ list.

Compared to the initial complaints when the game launched, the forum posts were now overwhelmingly positive.

"The game’s interactivity is incredibly strong. Every word you speak to an NPC can lead to completely different outcomes. Even saying the same thing to the same NPC can elicit different responses depending on the time and place.

Your expertise might impress specialized NPCs, money can sway others, and you can even gain an NPC’s friendship through flattery...

Through these interactions, you might forget you’re playing a game and feel as if you’ve truly crossed over into another world..."

"Thank you, game company, for creating such a real world!

I befriended a noble NPC, and for the past two days, I’ve done nothing but read the books in his private collection.

You wouldn’t believe it—his home contains thousands of books, each with unique content.

If that were all, it would be one thing, but the incredible part is that a consistent authorial philosophy runs through these works, and they even contain annotations from generations of past readers!

The level of detail is meticulous to the extreme.

Furthermore, by reading their history books, I discovered that the game world genuinely adheres to the fundamental laws of societal development.

It’s as if this group of NPCs truly developed their civilization over tens of thousands of years...

It’s hard to believe this is actually a game.

More often than not, I feel like I’ve entered a real world, where every NPC is a living, breathing individual. Thank you, game company, for giving me a second life..."

"...Although we have experience bars, and practicing Martial Arts in the game increases experience points, as a combat expert, I can assure you that the Martial Arts movements and training methods in the game are perfectly aligned with human biomechanics.

It’s no exaggeration to say that if you memorize the key principles of the Spells within the Cultivation Techniques and practice them diligently in reality, you too could develop formidable Martial Arts skills.

Of course, your progress might not be as rapid as it is in the game..."

This variety of posts illustrated the realism of the game world from numerous perspectives.

They included images and text.

The enthusiasm of the closed beta players for the game was at an all-time high, with virtually no dissenting voices to be found.

Beneath these images and texts, many self-proclaimed experts offered analyses that sounded plausible, as if these in-game concepts could genuinely be realized in the real world.

Just a few days into the closed beta, the game Immortal World had already generated immense hype.

The only thing missing was a response from the game company.

It was hard to imagine that, faced with a game so clearly destined for success, the game’s developers could remain so composed and stick to their own schedule.

After browsing several popular threads, Dumbelldore took a deep breath and began to type out his own post on the forum, "A Breakthrough in AI! You’ll Never Believe an NPC Could Write Poetry Like This..."