This NPC is Not Right

Chapter 2: This NPC Is Not Right

In a slightly damp, humble apartment in Star City, Xia Country, a slender man slowly lay down in his game pod, a flush of excitement crossing his pale face.

"The Heavenly Kingdom, here I come!"

After a period of darkness and dizziness, the man opened his eyes to find himself in a pure white space of unknown dimensions. His body was gone, replaced by a glowing orb.

[Please select your ID (ID length up to eight characters)]

A mechanical prompt sounded, and the man, without hesitation, shouted out the name he had yearned for since childhood.

"I, Invincible Tyrannosaurus Warrior!"

[ID verification passed]

[Please create your character]

Before the Tyrannosaurus Warrior appeared a figure like a mannequin in a clothing store. With a mere thought, he could change its shape at will.

—As long as it didn't deviate from a human form.

And so, a bizarre humanoid creature with a seven-colored mohawk, dead fish eyes, and magma-colored skin was born!

[Character creation complete]

[Please choose your profession (Currently available basic professions: Swordsman, Knight, Spearman, Archer, Brawler, Mage.)]

"Mage."

[Profession selection complete]

[Loading game]

[Game loaded. We wish you a pleasant journey on the Calvi Continent.]

The mechanical voice concluded. When the Tyrannosaurus Warrior opened his eyes again, he was standing in an open space. Not far away, smoke curled lazily into the sky, suggesting a village.

He turned his head and looked around, discovering that several other people had spawned in the same beginner village as him.

"Brother, your character creation is quite unique."

The Tyrannosaurus Warrior looked at the person with two black horns on his head, resembling the Bull Demon King, but with blue skin like an Avatar. He cupped his fists and said, "Likewise."

"Hahaha, brother, what should I call you?"

"I go by my name, I, Invincible Tyrannosaurus Warrior!"

"Well said, Tyrannosaurus Warrior! I, Pure Love War God Bull-Slayer, have truly met a kindred spirit. Our meeting is fate!"

The other players nearby, who had created relatively normal characters, felt out of place and quietly moved away, observing the two men who seemed to have found a soulmate.

The Minotaur couldn't be bothered with others. He patted the Tyrannosaurus Warrior's shoulder. "Let's go, Tyrannosaurus Warrior, shall we team up to explore?"

The Tyrannosaurus Warrior thought about it and felt that having a companion wouldn't be bad. He didn't hesitate and waved his hand. "There's a village over there. Maybe there's a beginner's guide. Let's go check it out."

"Okay!"

The two men explored the game system as they walked, observing the new world that seemed indistinguishable from reality.

Upon entering the village, neither of their panels displayed any quest prompts. The map system, apart from the areas they had already traversed, was entirely black.

"It's just like the advertisements said, extremely high freedom. We have to explore everything ourselves," the Tyrannosaurus Warrior quickly grasped the essence of the game.

The Minotaur was a bit puzzled. "There isn't even a beginner's guide? How are we supposed to know what to do?"

"If you don't know what to do, just run around the map. That's also experiencing the game," the Tyrannosaurus Warrior uttered philosophically.

The Minotaur was impatient with not being able to directly start quests, indicating he wasn't accustomed to playing exploration-type games.

At this moment, the experienced Tyrannosaurus Warrior seemed to have noticed something.

"Look over there."

The Minotaur followed his gaze. "He's wrapped up all dark and hiding under the tree from the sun. Is there something wrong with this person?"

As if hearing the Minotaur's comment, the black-robed figure's hood twitched.

The Minotaur stiffened.

He felt a chill, a pressure that seemed to originate from nowhere but directly impacted his soul.

Swallowing hard, the Minotaur said to the Tyrannosaurus Warrior, "That person... there's definitely something wrong with him."

"Let's go check him out!" The Tyrannosaurus Warrior was quite excited. "My intuition tells me he's definitely a special NPC, maybe the village chief, or some hidden big shot."

The Minotaur wasn't eager to go, but then he remembered it was just a game, so what was there to be afraid of? He followed behind the Tyrannosaurus Warrior towards the black-robed figure.

Linton watched the two players approach him, thinking that finally, someone had noticed him.

Upon seeing their equally bizarre IDs, Linton's mouth twitched. He suppressed a smile and slowly spoke, "You are travelers from out of town, aren't you?"

Such a gentle and clear voice surprised both the Minotaur and the Tyrannosaurus Warrior.

In their imagination, a hoarse, aged voice would be more fitting for a strange individual.

However, the surprise lasted only a moment. The Tyrannosaurus Warrior spoke first, trying to build rapport with the NPC. "Yes, you have a very keen eye."

"It's not that I have a keen eye. Do you look like locals to yourselves?"

The Tyrannosaurus Warrior and the Minotaur exchanged a glance, staring at each other blankly.

An NPC that could talk back, and whose words didn't sound like pre-written copy at all, this was truly interesting.

They observed Linton again, more carefully this time.

This glance revealed something extraordinary.

[??????]

Several large, white, transparent question marks formed the nameplate of the NPC before them, providing no information whatsoever.

"See, I told you! He's a big shot!" The Tyrannosaurus Warrior immediately became excited.

The Minotaur also lost his earlier nervousness and laughed heartily, "We met a hidden NPC as soon as we entered the village. Our luck is unbeatable."

Linton looked at their peculiar behavior, finding it somewhat novel.

When he used to play games, did the NPCs feel as foolish as he did looking at players acting so bizarrely?

"Ahem." Linton cleared his throat and said, "Travelers, you've had a long journey. Do you need me to find a place for you to rest for a moment?"

The Tyrannosaurus Warrior and the Minotaur simultaneously waved their hands, "No trouble, no trouble. We didn't actually walk that far."

"Oh? If that's the case..."

Linton drew out his words, looking at their expectant expressions, and slowly said, "Travelers from afar, you must possess extraordinary strength, so I'd like to ask for your help."

"No problem, no problem!"

"There's no quest we can't complete!"

"Heh, very confident." Linton chuckled a few times. "North of the village, there's a mineral-rich area. I'd like to ask you to help me collect some iron ore."

[Ding——]

[The ??? has issued you quest [Mining]. Do you accept?]

"Accept!"

"No problem!"

The Tyrannosaurus Warrior and the Minotaur simultaneously chose the same option.

"Good, very spirited." Linton clapped his hands and took out two iron pickaxes.

Just as the two were about to reach out to take them, Linton suddenly retracted them.

"One hundred gold coins each. Thank you."

"Huh?"

"If I lend them to you and you break them, what happens? So, it's better for you to buy them from me first."

The two players were completely stunned.

The Minotaur grumbled, "They don't even give you starter quest items, and you want us to buy them? What the hell! We just started playing, we haven't even fought any monsters, where would we get money?!"

"No, I think we actually do have..." The Tyrannosaurus Warrior looked at his backpack interface, his expression strange.

A newcomer's backpack, apart from the initial basic equipment, was indeed empty.

But the number in the gold coin section was exactly one hundred.

The amount Linton asked for, not a coin more, not a coin less, was just right.

This NPC... something's not right!