Sense of Reality

As Qian Peng was about to see if he could log out of the game, a barrage of comments floated across the window in the upper right corner of his vision.

"Holy crap? This graphics quality! Expedition, are you guys for real?"

"These visuals are even better than PC, it's too realistic, I'm going to get the 'Valley of Fun' effect!"

"The developers have been holding out on us!"

"This isn't the Forgotten Caves. The start of the new version is different from the old one. Will there be new story content?"

"Streamer, hurry up and move! See if the latency is high for everyone!"

Seeing the heated discussion from the netizens, Qian Peng immediately felt relieved.

He picked out a few useful comments and, based on his experience playing full-immersion games, replied to his viewers:

"The latency isn't high, and the five senses are implemented really solidly, just like the real thing. However, I'm using top-spec equipment here, only slightly inferior to a brain-computer interface, so it's not very representative."

As he spoke, he moved his fingers and immediately exclaimed "Holy crap," unable to help but praise:

"Don't just look at the graphics, the combat system is the core of Expedition. Look! They've even rendered the knuckles!"

"I'm starting to suspect this game has a complete skeletal structure for player characters, which is why the movements are so lifelike..."

Speaking of which, Qian Peng remembered his 3 million yuan loss and immediately added:

"It's a shame it's just a half-finished product, not even a cutscene."

However, no matter how much he tried to play it cool, Qian Peng was still excited deep down.

From the very beginning of full-immersion gaming, people had proposed the concept of a "second life."

But due to technical limitations, no game company had ever focused on the realism of controls.

There was no other reason than the fact that it was incredibly expensive.

Most games, from their initial design, would choose to play to their strengths and avoid their weaknesses, focusing on unique features in certain aspects.

For example, Expedition, due to its poor graphics, focused its efforts on the combat.

These types of games were fun, but they had nothing to do with a "second life." After all, the logic of controlling a character was different from reality; it was truly just a game.

It was precisely for this reason that Glorious Expedition felt so precious.

It was practically the dream game!

After calming down, Qian Peng couldn't help but anticipate what the gameplay would be like with such a solid foundation.

He looked around and found that besides himself, there were 10 other people lying on the ground.

Among them were Humans, Gnomes, Elves, Dragonkin, Half-Winged Celestials, Shadowfolk, Wind Elementals...

Just by looking at the race and build of some of them, he could guess their intended classes.

They were clearly veteran players.

So, the Glorious Expedition's initial player base consisted of only 11 people?

Then, which unlucky soul had spent over an hour creating their character?

Qian Peng narrowed his eyes, trying to identify the culprit based on the models of these individuals.

Just then, the Dragonkin lying on the ground groaned and was the second to wake up.

He shook his head and subconsciously patted the non-existent dust off his pants with his tail.

Then, an expression of utter shock appeared on his aged, reptilian face.

He stared blankly at his tail, gave it a gentle flick, then turned to look at Qian Peng, pointing at his tail with an incredulous look.

Before Qian Peng could react, the comments in the livestream had gone wild.

"I woke up startled, I just saw a shocked expression on a lizard's face."

"Based on what this guy's implying... this game actually modeled the skeletal structure of Dragonkin too?"

"Everyone, before discussing tails, don't forget there's an elemental lifeform lying on the ground."

"I can't even imagine how much money this game has cost, it's too outrageous!"

Watching the discussion in the comments, Qian Peng swallowed and was already regretting choosing to be Human.

"Hey there, see my tail?" The Dragonkin raised an eyebrow, speaking in a clear Central Plains accent, showing off, "It's real."

Qian Peng didn't reply.

He felt the Dragonkin's voice sounded somewhat familiar, but he couldn't recall where he'd heard it.

So, he glanced at the comments in the livestream.

"Yikes, that familiar 'Lao Xiang' accent, could that be Down-Head Saber?"

"Down-Head Saber? Who's that?"

"The world's number one Down-Head Saber."

"Three-time champion of the Expedition Cup, high emotional intelligence in domestic matches, undefeated in international matches. As long as he qualifies for the Expedition Cup World Championship, he's guaranteed to win, a legendary former pro player."

As expected, the old-timers in the livestream were sharp; they'd already dug up the Dragonkin's identity.

"Are you... Brother Dao?" Qian Peng glanced at the ID above the Dragonkin's head, feeling 90% sure the chat was right.

The elderly Dragonkin, named "Not Iaido, But Drawing Sword," stroked his beard with an air of arrogance, then suddenly roared:

"Who calls me Down-Head Saber? I'm furious and trembling! What did we, the Sword Drawers, ever do to you?"

Well, this guy is actually watching my stream...

Qian Peng didn't know how to respond.

This was a veteran from the "Expedition" professional league!

Back when he was still writing newbie guides, Brother Dao was already killing opponents with his stick like they were dogs.

Just then, the Gnome who had been lying on the ground also woke up. He patted his chest with his little hands and muttered, his voice filled with lingering fear, "I was so scared. If I hadn't been able to log out, I would have thought I'd transmigrated."

Qian Peng's brow twitched. He keenly spotted the problem and quickly asked, "Did you just log out?"

The Gnome glanced at Qian Peng and meekly let out a "Mm."

Qian Peng clicked his tongue, feeling dejected.

"That's terrible. Your body stayed here the whole time, which means we'll have to find a safe house before logging off from now on."

"This mechanic is quite retro," another player sitting up on the ground remarked.

He was generally similar to a Human, except for a half-wing sprouting from his back.

Qian Peng shrugged and looked at the chat again. He noticed everyone was discussing this point, so out of professional habit, he explained, "Leaving the body in the game after logging out is essentially forcing players to stay online. Many idiotic game designers used to use this method to compel players to increase their online time."

"The good news is, those games usually died out quickly. Players vote with their feet; there's no need to play a game that's more tiring than working."

As he spoke, Qian Peng clenched his fist, then slowly relaxed it, sighing.

"The bad news is, given "Glorious Expedition's" unique graphics and operational feedback, it has the qualifications to pull this kind of stunt."

As soon as he finished speaking, a dissenting voice came from behind him.

"I can't agree with that."

The Shadowfolk player, named "Lost a Leg," stood up and retorted, "The intention behind leaving the body in the game after logging out is to create realism in the game world."

"If NPCs react to players after they've logged out, and if some corresponding plotlines are designed, such as for homes or inns, it would greatly enhance the game's immersion."

"You're right," Qian Peng conceded without argument. "Why don't you give me an example?"

"Lost a Leg": "..."

While the two were talking, other players also woke up one after another.

Except for the Wind Elemental, who couldn't even stand steady, almost every player, upon waking, would curiously jump around, fiddling with their newly acquired bodies.

It wasn't until the novelty wore off that they remembered the Human lying on the ground.

"Did this guy log out?" The Elf player, who was closest, walked over to the Human and looked him over curiously.

It was only then that everyone noticed the golden square above the half-dead Human's head, which didn't belong to a player.

"Creator God"