Real name: Li Xunsheng
Game nickname: None (waiting to leave the Novice Village)
Unique ID: 11111101
Level: LV.1
HP: 100/100 MP: 100/100
Current class: Villager
Strength: 5 (affects physical attack)
Intelligence: 5 (affects spell attack)
Agility: 5 (affects Critical Hit! damage and combat movement speed)
Constitution: 5 (affects maximum Life, Life regeneration, and Physical Resistance)
Spirit: 5 (affects maximum mana, mana recovery, and Magic Resistance)
Luck: 5 (+5) (affects all probabilities except those specifically stated otherwise)
Talent: 1. Golden Shovel Crown! (S-rank) Note: Chosen One. Cooking growth speed increased by 100%! Luck additionally increased by 5.
That was right—the talent was what gave Li Xunsheng the confidence to rush to the stove at once.
Of course, he wasn't some graduate of New East Cuisine School. As for why he had this cooking talent, he was rather puzzled. Although he was fairly decent at cooking on Blue Star, it shouldn't have directly granted him an S-rank talent...
Could it be... that some of the skills he'd had on Blue Star could also appear in this game?
If so, wouldn't merchants be able to make a fortune simply by buying low and selling high?
Moreover, if that was really the case, how was he supposed to explain his second talent...
Talent:
2. Divine Spark! (? rank)
Note: Who exactly are you?
(Because you are not a god of this world and possess extremely little faith, this talent has been greatly weakened.)
Skills attached to Divine Spark:
Eye of God (Incomplete): After you gaze at a target for five seconds, you can obtain relatively detailed information about it. No cooldown.
Body of God (Incomplete): Immortality! When you suffer lethal damage, ignore that damage and become invincible for five seconds, while immediately being forcibly teleported away. CD: 24 hours.
Will of God (Incomplete): When subjected to any negative mental effect, ignore the effect and reflect it back at double strength to the caster. CD: 24 hours.
???? (Faith points too low; cannot unlock)
Warning! All skills attached to the Divine Spark talent have the highest priority in judgment. In other words: I ignore your ignore.
On the surface, Li Xunsheng calmly stir-fried the dish while looking at the information on his virtual panel, which only he could see. His heart kept twitching from time to time.
He... didn't even really recognize himself anymore...
What was this Heavenly Silence game supposed to mean? He had been given the [Divine Spark] talent right at the start???
Still, this thing seemed to only have self-preservation abilities for now...
While stir-frying the simplest peanuts imaginable, Xuan Sheng continued with his task in the little tavern and glanced at the boss, who was lying in a chair taking a nap.
[Tavern Owner: A certain Retired Swordsman who has secluded himself in a small village. It seems that as long as he takes a liking to someone, he will give them a hidden-class advancement book.]
Well, no wonder the boss seemed so indifferent toward business... So that was the reason.
While working on his task, Li Xunsheng opened the regional chat panel, intending to see how the other players were doing...
Chat channel:
"Holy crap, this Elite Rabbit is fierce. I almost got kicked to death."
"There are Elite Rabbits too?"
"They're long gone. One hit each, and that Elite Rabbit was dead before it could kick twice. But the experience is really good."
"Damn, there are way too many people in the wild. The moment these rabbits respawn, they're gone. You can't even compete for them."
"Why don't you go find other tasks? Why are you all crowding around the spawn point? There isn't a single rabbit left!"
"Don't say that, you upstairs. Tasks like delivering letters and smithing were gone ages ago."
"I remember the Widow Wang NPC at the village entrance urgently needed people to help plow her fields, didn't she? The one each person could only do once."
"Damn, brother, don't mention it. Who knows how many times the fields at Widow Wang's house have been plowed? They were almost ruined! Now she won't even show herself, let alone give out tasks."
"I saw someone accept a task to turn the mill at Lin's Tofu Shop, but that person wasn't strong enough... Is there a good bro willing to accompany me on the task?"
"No, that mill has already been broken from overuse. Now Old Lin and his donkey are terrified whenever they see players."
"Fucking hell, unbelievable. Which brother did this?"
"The mill on the production team needs rest too. There are too many players, and it's only a child~"
Watching the messages constantly flash through the chat channel, Li Xunsheng gradually furrowed his brows.
Based on the information from those hilarious netizens, he now had a general understanding of the Heavenly Silence game.
In this world, the monsters weren't particularly difficult. At least, there still hadn't been any unlucky person kicked to death by a rabbit. The various NPCs were also relatively easy to get along with. Strictly speaking, this was an extremely normal VR online game.
Like today: the weather was clear and the climate pleasant. Under such conditions, there was no way a state of Famine would appear.
At first, Li Xunsheng had thought that when the mysterious person said the first expansion was called "Famine," it meant that cold currents or other extreme weather would strike this game world, making survival incredibly difficult.
But now, it seemed that what would trigger the Famine wasn't extreme weather or some outside force. It was precisely this group of "players"!
If this small Novice Village accepted fewer than a hundred players, it would definitely be an extremely abundant and comfortable environment.
They could plow some fields, turn the mill, deliver a few letters, and kill a few rabbits. They would probably save up one Silver Coin very soon, take a carriage out of here, and head to a broader world to adventure.
But there were more than a thousand of them!
And that was only the situation in Novice Village 1111. What about the other Novice Villages?
If billions of people from Blue Star had all come into this "game," the terrifying tide of humanity would place the world's food reserves under tremendous strain! That was the true essence of the Famine!
If that really was the case, then everything else was secondary. The most urgent matter wasn't fighting over monsters or tasks, but shaking off these burdens who did nothing except cause trouble and compete for resources, then heading to a broader main city!
Li Xunsheng, who had still been somewhat directionless, had now found his goal. He intended to give it his all, solely so he could leave this overcrowded Novice Village as soon as possible...
"Hey, brothers, constantly killing rabbits isn't getting us anywhere. We're going to try our luck with wild boars. Anyone coming?"
"Party up? Interested people, add one."
"Add one."
"Add one."
"What are you frying? It smells amazing!"
The Tavern Owner, who had been lying leisurely in his armchair, twitched his nose after catching the rich aroma filling the shop. With a flash, he arrived beside Li Xunsheng and looked into the pan.
"Nothing much. Just some stir-fried peanuts."
[Exquisite Peanuts: A carefully prepared side dish. It seems to have the additional effect of healing wounds.]
Even Li Xunsheng was surprised by the information provided by the Eye of God.
Could he actually cook a recovery item just by stir-frying peanuts?
"Not bad, not bad. Give me a bowl."
Ignoring the resentful looks of the customers waiting in line, the middle-aged man took half a pan's worth directly, relying on the fact that it was his own shop, then happily went back to drink with it.
"Sorry, I'll continue right away. Please wait a little longer, everyone."
Seeing how casually the boss behaved, Li Xunsheng hurriedly wiped his sweat and made a promise to the customers whose faces had gone black with anger...
Damn it. Even after obtaining the Divine Spark, he still had to humble himself and work.
Ah, well. Even he had to eat, right...
Once he earned a Silver Coin as quickly as possible, left this overcrowded Novice Village, and reached the main city, he would be able to give free rein to his abilities.
Before you continue