Two Worlds

As night fell and the clock struck seven, Wang Yang, whose equipment durability was nearing zero, returned to the Town of Beginnings from the east gate. A five-meter wide bluestone road connected the east gate directly to the town's central plaza.

The Mimic Sunlight at the bottom of the second layer had been replaced by dim night-lights. Consequently, every building on either side of the bluestone road lit up. Each building housed an NCP, and at this time, according to the program settings, most NPCs were engaged in the meaningless act of dining.

Wang Yang walked along the bluestone road and even saw his reflection in the window of a residential building. Without much imagination, a scene of a harmonious family of three dining together appeared before his eyes.

This was the life of an NPC, lacking AI but following the daily program settings, engaging in emotionless shared meals. Yet, this pathetic behavior was something most Players now envied.

Immersed in the game, the once-ordinary act of dining with family had become an unattainable luxury.

Only after losing something do people learn to cherish it, to regret.

As Wang Yang walked, he saw several Players standing outside residential buildings, staring blankly at the windows. He even heard one female Player let out suppressed sobs.

Though he only saw their backs, Wang Yang could imagine their expressions at that moment.

Perhaps there was loneliness, despair, envy, and a sliver of hope lingering in the deepest parts of their hearts.

Besides them, other Players sat in twos and threes on chairs, steps, or even the ground, each clutching a piece of bread and eating it slowly.

Numbness and dejection were vividly displayed on their faces.

Just walking a short distance, Wang Yang suddenly felt a pathetic urge to burst into laughter. Perhaps he should be grateful that he came from Earth, that he arrived in this world alone, and that he had no one to miss in the world he left behind.

Otherwise, he would be acting even more ridiculously than the Players he saw, because even if the game ended, he would only return to reality, not to his Earth.

Taking in the sight of everyone he passed, Wang Yang walked indifferently along the main road and stepped into the plaza, which could accommodate thousands.

Compared to the bluestone road, there were more Players in the plaza, and their body language and expressions were not as dejected as the Players he had seen earlier. A stark contrast existed between the two areas, as if two worlds were divided between the plaza and the bluestone road.

The Players on the bluestone road were generally those waiting for rescue, while those in the plaza were the group striving to escape the game as quickly as possible.

The Players in the plaza were not numb or dejected. Small groups eating together even let out scattered laughter.

They might still feel fear, but they wouldn't be paralyzed by it, because no one was alone in the plaza. To put it visually, there were no solitary Players. In the plaza, the smallest groups consisted of at least four or five people.

Of course, this was just Wang Yang's initial observation; the reality might differ.

Walking straight towards the Black Iron Palace ahead, Wang Yang inevitably overheard some Players talking.

"I'm already level 2. The experience from Frenzied Boars is only about 10 points. Should we go hunt higher-level Monsters tomorrow?"

"We have no choice. Have you noticed if the Drop Rate has significantly decreased?"

"Oh? I hadn't noticed that."

"Well, whatever. Let's hunt level 2 wolves tomorrow."

"Okay, if we're careful, it shouldn't be dangerous."

"Has anyone counted how many names on the Monument of Life have been crossed out?"

"How many?"

"There are... 308."

"..."

"That's... impossible."

"It's true. They say the first name crossed out was two hours after the game started. The cause of death was... suicide."

"Could it be that many of the 308 people committed suicide?"

"Perhaps..."

"Let's go see the Monument of Life after we finish eating."

"I'm not going... Just standing in front of the monument gives me the creeps."

"Uh..."

"Did you hear? A team called the Sword and Fire Squad told Players to be careful of a Hunter."

"Hunter? What's that?"

"I'm not too sure about the specifics. It seems that during the Beta Test, some people targeted Players. They'd first gain their trust, then find an opportunity to kill them, and then steal their dropped equipment. People like that are called Hunters."

"No way! How could there be people like that?"

"Hmph, what's so strange about that? Anyway, be careful of someone named Xiang Kong."

As he walked along, the Players' conversations reached his ears. Unintentionally, Wang Yang overheard a conversation mentioning him and was stunned. He looked towards the sound and saw a face full of disgust.

"So that's how it is..."

He sighed inwardly. The Xiang Kong in the conversation was most likely him, and the disgust on that person's face was naturally directed at him.

The reason was a fabricated statement he had made last night. It seemed he had accidentally earned an unpleasant reputation. However, he hadn't expected the Sword and Fire Squad to spread such news, and so quickly. From the origin of the matter, Wang Yang had no right to blame them.

After all, he himself disdained people who targeted Players. Moreover, in the future, there would even be Players who killed for pleasure.

Even if their true nature was revealed, there would still be distrust and vigilance among Players. The root cause was created by these kinds of people.

With that thought, Wang Yang couldn't help but open his friend list. He Gu's name was dark, never to light up again, while Arthurslin and Argo's names were still lit.

Looking at Arthurslin's name, Wang Yang suddenly thought: The Sword and Fire Squad decided to spread the news to warn Players. You didn't stop them, did you? After all, that kind of person is detestable. But why didn't you delete me?

Wang Yang couldn't quite figure it out. His outstretched index finger hovered next to Arthurslin's name. Suddenly, on impulse, he clicked the option to delete.

"Should I delete her..."

Silently watching Arthurslin's name, Wang Yang sighed softly, then moved his index finger away and closed the system menu.

After much thought, he believed Arthurslin hadn't deleted him as a friend mostly because a sliver of disbelief still lingered in her heart. So, he wanted to use deleting her as a friend to make that lingering disbelief completely disappear, so she would firmly believe he was a Hunter and then realize this world wasn't beautiful.

However, he was, after all, an ordinary person. In this unfamiliar world, he didn't want to personally delete the beauty of the past.

Shaking his head to clear his mind of sentimental emotions, Wang Yang gave a wry smile and walked into the Black Iron Palace.

Passing through the main gate, the first thing he saw was a giant, two-meter-tall Monument of Life. In front of the Monument of Life, to the left and right, stood rows of stone pillars.

Candlelight flickered from the walls in the four corners, casting a faint glow into the front hall of the Black Iron Palace.

Wang Yang had initially thought it unlikely any Players would be at the Monument of Life at this hour, but as he entered the front hall, he realized he was wrong.

Besides him, a Player clad in a hooded cloak stood before the Monument of Life. They were about 1.6 meters tall. Due to the cloak's concealment, it was impossible to discern their build, nor could Wang Yang tell if they were male or female.

"Who!" The moment Wang Yang stepped into the front hall, he heard the cloaked Player issue a startled, questioning cry.

The voice was clear and resonant, like a warbler in a valley, very pleasant to hear. But Wang Yang could clearly discern the panic within the voice.

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