Lin Feng sized up the Gate of Trial before him.
Overall, the Gate of Trial looked like a gigantic altar.
At its center stood a circular platform built from gray-white boulders. It was two meters high and thirty meters in diameter.
A series of circular steps surrounded the platform, each twenty centimeters high, descending from the top all the way to the ground.
Lin Feng climbed the stone steps and stepped onto the platform.
At its center, a pale blue orb three meters across floated about a meter above the ground.
The orb glowed faintly, illuminating the area around it.
This orb was the entrance to the illusion realm. Once players formed a party, they could enter by touching it.
Lin Feng stepped forward and lightly touched the orb.
To his surprise, the illusion realm option for the Jackalmen Tribe appeared before him.
I can enter the illusion realm too?
Lin Feng was a little surprised. He hurriedly opened the system and carefully read the information about the illusion realm system.
Sure enough, he really could enter the illusion realm!
Not only him, but other system-certified NPCs could also form parties with him and enter.
Each illusion realm had three difficulty levels: "Normal," "Hard," and "Purgatory."
At first, neither he nor ordinary players could choose anything but Normal difficulty.
Hard difficulty would only unlock once he, the system's owner, had cleared Normal difficulty.
After it unlocked, players could choose Hard difficulty once they had cleared Normal.
"Tomorrow, I'll bring Ying Zhan and the other two along to give the illusion realm a try."
Lin Feng thought.
Just like players, NPCs could enter an illusion realm only once a day. He naturally wouldn't go in alone and waste his one daily attempt.
But unlike ordinary players, NPCs would receive a mysterious reward the first time they cleared an illusion realm, according to the system.
It applied to any illusion realm and any difficulty, as long as it was their first clear.
Lin Feng was eager to find out what this mysterious reward would be.
A skill?
Or equipment?
After activating the Gate of Trial, Lin Feng logged back into the official website, ready to hand out the 70 newly added closed-beta slots.
The number of players signed up on the website had already reached 551!
Lin Feng selected the 70 earliest sign-ups and awarded them slots.
Then he returned to the cave and went to sleep.
After the update announcement was posted, players browsing the official website instantly erupted with excitement and left comments one after another.
Begging For No One: First! Have the new closed-beta slots been handed out? Why haven't I received a private message? Dev Dad, please look at me!
One Hit 999: Hahaha, I got a message! I can finally play! I'm picking the hidden race, Jackalman!
Wind Flower Snow Moon: The skill system is finally live. Intelligence Class players can finally play too. Long live the devs!
I Shoot You Innocent: I'm going to grind the illusion realm! I'm getting the first clear!
Shooting A Bit Like Kobe: Haha, keep dreaming. We're definitely getting the first clear.
I Shoot You Innocent: Come and try! @Shooting A Bit Like Kobe
Shooting A Bit Like Kobe: Who's scared of who?!
Immovable King: This is unfair! Why do Agility Class players get four skills, and Strength Class players get three, while we Constitution Class players only get two?
Wind Flower Snow Moon: +1. Intelligence Class only gets two as well. Unfair!
After Three Rounds of Drinks: By the way, this hidden race, Jackalman, seems pretty strong. Its Strength Value is a lot higher than that of ordinary Strength Class players, and it has an exclusive skill.
Da Qing: Strong, huh? You have to trade away your looks for it! Even if I got lucky and unlocked this hidden class, I still wouldn't pick it.
Wanhuatong: Did none of you notice? The illusion realm drops equipment! We finally have gear and don't have to use homemade weapons and shields anymore.
Ranger: Hahaha, Dianmo just got hit with a legendary nerf!
Liubai Dianmo: ...
Players eagerly discussed the new version, while those who had received closed-beta slots were even more thrilled.
Those who hadn't gotten a slot complained on the forums.
Some accused the organizers of rigging things. Others claimed there had been backroom deals or that the game didn't even exist, and that everyone who got a closed-beta slot was a plant...
There were all kinds of comments.
Some people were just there to watch the commotion. Although they had signed up, they didn't believe that a virtual-reality game with one-hundred-percent realism existed.
They figured they'd try it if they got picked, but wouldn't mind if they didn't, so they weren't disappointed.
The veteran players praised the game to the skies, but they only chuckled and assumed the veterans were full of hot air.
The veteran players didn't care whether they believed it or not. They were all looking forward to logging in that evening and trying the new version.
Early the next morning, as soon as the login restrictions were lifted, players appeared throughout the valley.
There were both returning players and newcomers.
They had all logged in right on time so they could try out the new version as soon as possible.
The veteran players immediately began looking for Lin Feng and the other NPCs, planning to learn skills and then form a party to try the illusion realm.
The newcomers, meanwhile, stared around in amazement.
The wide-open valley, the trees all around, the grass underfoot, the dewdrops on the blades...
The first rays of dawn appearing on the horizon and the gentle morning breeze...
Everything felt so real!
It was practically indistinguishable from the real world!
"Holy crap! The one-hundred-percent realism is real! How can a game like this even exist?"
"A miracle! This has to be a miracle!"
"Was this game developed by aliens?"
"Why couldn't we choose our gender when creating a character? I wanted to play a woman, but I was forced to pick a male character. There's no freedom at all. One star!"
"Bro, what are you planning?"
"Well, I entered the game with my two roommates. I wanted to play a female character so they could, hehe, have a little fun."
"Ugh, get lost!"
"I'm not interested in you!"
"If you want to play as a girl, don't use us as an excuse!"
His two roommates hurried to distance themselves from him.
Just then, a burst of laughter rang out from the crowd.
"Hahahaha! A hidden race! I really got the hidden race! Who else can say that?"
A Jackalman stood among the crowd, hands on hips, laughing at the sky.
The players stared at his one-of-a-kind appearance, stunned.
"Holy crap, a hidden class!"
"Dude, that's awesome!"
"I picked Strength Class too. Why didn't I unlock a hidden class? This is rigged!"
A Strength Class newcomer stared at the Jackalman with envy, fuming.
"Hey, what should we call you? I'm Shield of Demacia, Constitution Class. Let's party up and challenge the illusion realm together sometime!"
A Constitution Class player walked up to the Jackalman and greeted him warmly.
"Sure thing. I'm One Hit 999. Just call me One Hit!"
The Jackalman, One Hit 999, grinned.
He had come into the game with the specific goal of becoming a Jackalman, so he had picked Strength Class without hesitation when choosing his attributes.
And as luck would have it, he really had unlocked the hidden race.
"Come on, One Hit. Let's go do the beginner quests together!"
"Sounds good!"
The two left with their arms around each other's shoulders.
The beginner quests they mentioned were a quest chain Lin Feng had designed to help new players get familiar with the world quickly.
The first step was to report to the tribe chief, Lin Feng. He would give them a Stone Axe as a beginner weapon and assign them a quest to chop down trees.
After they finished chopping, Lin Feng would send them to find the gathering NPC, Ying Yi.
Once they found Ying Yi, he would assign them a quest to gather wild fruit. After they completed it, he would send them to find the hunting NPC, Ying Zhan.
Ying Zhan would give them a hunting quest, and they could hunt anything they wanted, from bears and wild boars to pheasants and rabbits—even a sparrow would do.
Naturally, the stronger the prey they caught, the more experience they would earn.
There was no shortage of wild animals in Savage World. As long as they were willing to look, they could always find suitable prey.
After they completed the hunting quest, Ying Zhan would send them back to Lin Feng.
When they met Lin Feng again, he would award them the title "Savage Recruit," which had no attributes. That would conclude the beginner quest chain.
Under normal circumstances, new players could complete all the beginner quests in a day and reach level one.
Of course, if they had bad luck—if they couldn't find suitable prey while hunting, for example—it could take two days or even longer.
By the end of the quest chain, new players had earned experience, become familiar with the game, and leveled up.
Lin Feng, Ying Yi, and Ying Zhan had earned a share of the experience players received for completing quests.
The tribe had gained a stockpile of lumber and food.
It was a win-win-win.
Of course, whether it was the players or Ying Yi and Ying Zhan, everyone was ultimately working for Lin Feng.
The stronger the tribe became, the more content the system would unlock, which benefited Lin Feng directly.
So, you could also say Lin Feng had won three times over.
Before you continue