Confessions of an Orphan Player

[Congratulations! You have learned the second stage of the Voice of Power: Luo (Balance)!]

[Effect: Unleash a more powerful sonic wave impact, causing widespread knockback and brief stun.]

"Luo?!" Su Li's two soulfires brightened.

"It's already the second stage? This happiness came too suddenly!"

You know, in Elder Scrolls 5, you had to do the troublesome Greybeard quests to get the Third Stage.

And here, I can get it for free?

"As expected, good-looking people don't have bad luck. Even as a Skeleton, I'm the most handsome one."

Su Li eagerly opened his personal panel.

[Race: Revered Corrupted Skeleton Soldier]
[Level: Lv8]
[Strength: 45, Agility: 18, Constitution: 39, Spirit: 41, Faith: 6]
[Class: Swordsman (Lv2), Dragonborn (Special), Valkyrie (Special), Blacksmith (Special)]

Looking at these stats with almost no weaknesses, Su Li nodded in satisfaction.

"Got the bulk, got the damage output, this is practically the legendary balanced build!"

After admiring himself, Su Li turned to look at the cocoon of light.

[Time until evolution completion: 06:00]

"Six more minutes? That's too slow." Su Li sat on the ground, bored.

"Since I'm idle anyway, why not check the forums and see how those human players, still in their diapers, are developing."

As soon as he opened the interface, the private message icon in the upper right corner started flashing wildly. Su Li clicked it open, and good heavens, it was all from the same person spamming him!

[Pansi Dawang (Lv6): Big shot! Big shot! I've successfully completed my evolution!]

[Pansi Dawang (Lv6): I've become a Phantom Dream Weaver now! Super cool! I have eight legs, and each leg can weave a different kind of web!]

[Pansi Dawang (Lv6): Big shot, why aren't you replying QAQ? Are you disgusted that I'm a spider?]

[Pansi Dawang (Lv6): Big shot, big shot, I'm level six now! Impressive, right? Am I one step closer to your footsteps?]

[Pansi Dawang (Lv6): Big shot, say something...]

Su Li's eye twitched as he looked at the string of messages.

"Why is this kid so chatty?"

Before he could figure out how to reply, another private message popped up.

[Pansi Dawang (Lv6): Big shot, big shot, I've created a group, remember to accept the invitation! We monster players need to stick together for warmth!]

Immediately after, a system invitation box popped up.

[Player "Pansi Dawang" invites you to join the group chat "Otherworldly Non-Human Group". Do you accept?]

"..."

Su Li's mouth twitched at the chuunibyo-esque group name.

"Otherworldly Non-Human Group? This name is a bit abstract, but it seems to fit the current situation."

Su Li hesitated for a moment, then finally clicked [Accept].

[Anonymous (Su Li) has joined the group chat] The interface flashed, and a simple chat window appeared in his vision.

As soon as he entered, he saw two messages neatly pop up.

[Pansi Dawang (Lv6): Welcome, big shot, to the group! A warm welcome, a warm welcome!]

[Not Evil Slime (Lv6): Welcome, big shot, to the group! A warm welcome, a warm welcome!]

Looking at the extremely conspicuous "+1" below, Su Li subconsciously clicked it.

Then, a third message popped up on the screen:

[Anonymous (Lv8): Welcome, big shot, to the group! A warm welcome, a warm welcome!]

"..."

The entire group chat instantly fell into dead silence. The most terrifying thing is ~the sudden silence in the air~.

Su Li: "..."

It felt like when the boss enters, everyone applauds to welcome them, but then the boss starts applauding and welcoming themselves.

To salvage his cool and aloof big shot image, Su Li quickly covered it up:

[Anonymous (Lv8): Cough, cough, this damned +1, why is it so charming?]

As long as I'm not embarrassed, the embarrassment falls on others.

As expected, this move was very effective.

[Not Evil Slime (Lv6): Cough, cough! As expected of an Lv8 big shot! This kind of magnanimous demeanor, you can tell at a glance that you're destined for great things!]

[Pansi Dawang (Lv6): Oh, right, right, right! Big shot, you're so right! This +1 is indeed charming! I even want to click it again!]

Seeing the two guys desperately trying to backtrack, Su Li chuckled inwardly, "These two are quite quick on the uptake."

Next, Su Li shamelessly began to con the two of them.

He talked about "the underlying logic of this world," then "how to efficiently utilize racial talents," and finally "the macro layout of future faction wars."

Although most of it was made up from games he had played, it left the two of them stunned.

[Pansi Dawang: Holy crap! Listening to you speak is better than reading ten years of books! So my internet can be used like this?]

[Not Evil Slime: Big shot, you're amazing! I've learned a lot! It seems I need to develop my mimicry function too, not just think about eating.]

Seeing the two guys who were so conned they didn't know north from south, Su Li even started to doubt their intelligence.

So, he tentatively sent a message:

[Anonymous (Lv8): I see your comprehension is average, can't carry you, can't carry you. Should I leave the group...]

As soon as the message was sent.

[Pansi Dawang: Don't go, big shot!!! QAQ! Didn't we agree to form an eternal alliance!]

Su Li: "...Why does this feel like forming an eternal band?"

Fine, although their intelligence wasn't high, they were obedient. Keeping them around as atmosphere builders wasn't bad.

After chatting in the group for a while longer, Su Li browsed the World Forum.

At this moment, a post that had been promoted to "hot topic" caught his attention.

[Confessions of an Orphan Player: Is this world really just a game?]

"Orphan Player?" Su Li clicked in with some curiosity, "Could it be someone who cheated and is now reflecting? That honest?"

[Lonely Watcher: "Apologies for everyone clicking in.]

[The situation is like this, in reality, I grew up in a welfare home since I was young, never met my parents, and don't know what a family is.

This time, I was fortunate enough to get an invite to the beta test and entered this game. I chose to start as an ordinary human.

My starting point was a very remote small town. My family wasn't wealthy, but I had parents, grandparents, and even an older sister who was two years older than me.

At first, I was indeed playing with the mindset of playing a game, thinking it was all a pre-set program.

But after a while, I felt something was wrong.

Really, has anyone else noticed how ridiculously real this game is?

Those NPCs, their reactions are indistinguishable from real people!

The first time I cried because of hunger, the anxious expression on the NPC's face named 'Mother,' the flustered way she fed me...

The first time I learned to crawl, the genuine surprise and cheers from my whole family gathered around...

When I was sick, the NPC 'Father' braved the heavy snow to fetch a doctor. When he returned, his lips were purple from the cold, but he only cared if my fever had gone down...

All of this was so real, so real that I, who had never experienced what familial love was, cried like an idiot.]

Reading this, Su Li couldn't help but fall silent.

Scrolling down, the replies below had also exploded:

[I Want to Be a Good Person: Indeed, I've noticed it too. These people really don't seem fake. Eternal Technology is amazing, this AI is incredible!]

[Long Aotian (Lv3): Really? Why is my dragon mom torturing me every day? I want to feel motherly love too! But my mom only throws me into lava!]

[Reply: Dragon bro, you need to understand, that's dragon mom's love.]

The OP continued to update:

[So, I fell into deep distress.

Reason tells me this world is fake, just a bunch of code, but my emotions tell me I want a family, I like it here! I want to stay here forever!

Even if it's just in a game, I want to be their child.]

[Passerby A replied: This is simple, brother. I have an idea for you. Wear the helmet, don't eat or drink, let your body get cold in reality, and maybe you'll directly transmigrate to another world! (Shameful.jpg)]

[OP replied: "Yes, that's what I did."]

[Passerby A: Holy crap! OP, are you serious?! I was just joking!!]

[Passerby C: Brother, don't be impulsive! It's not worth it for a game!]

[OP: "Unfortunately... I failed. The Eternal Technology helmet has a vital signs monitoring function.

When the indicators of my physical body in reality dropped to a dangerous level, the system forcibly kicked me out of the game."]

Su Li was slightly stunned upon reading this, "It seems this game's protection mechanism is more robust than I imagined, or perhaps it doesn't actually want players to die in reality?"

[The OP concluded: "I'm saying all this because I saw some posts on the forum where some players, relying on the fact that it's a game, are doing all sorts of outrageous things to their NPC families. Some even try to find ways to kill their NPC parents right after birth to reroll stats...

I just want to say, I hope everyone can treat your NPC families kindly.

They are so real, and they completely treat us as their own children.

What if, I'm just saying, what if they are actually real?"]

The comments at the bottom of the post were polarized.

[Emotional Faction: I support the OP! I also felt warmth from them, and I will treat them seriously!]

[Opposition Faction: Screw you, I play games to have fun, not to find a dad?!]

[Onlookers: The OP is still too young and too invested in the game. I suggest seeing a psychologist.]

Su Li closed the post, the redness in his eyes flickering.

"What if... they were real?" The OP's words echoed in his mind.

"Rosalia..." Su Li silently repeated the name in his heart.

If she was real... and that so-called contract, since it connected their magic, did that mean their fates were already tied together?

"Since I've already accepted her ring, I can't be as cynical as before."

"Yeah, maybe... I should be a little more serious with her from now on?"

At the very least, he couldn't let her get hurt in this cruel world because of him.

Just as Su Li fell into thought.

"Crack--!" A crisp cracking sound broke the silence of the cave.

Ten minutes were up!

"Boom--!" The cocoon of light exploded.

As the dust settled, a massive figure slowly emerged.

Su Li stared intently. "Holy crap?!"