Li Dabao froze.
He was right.
As a veteran player, he was used to unlocking perks once an NPC's affinity reached 60.
But Wayne, an NPC with quite an impressive background, had never once said what reward an "affinity of 60" would bring...
Player Li Dabao's breath caught. Thinking back over all the traps in Divine Descent, he instinctively reined in his joy...
"Lord Wayne, if my affinity reaches 60, can I leave this place?"
In another eight days of game time, Li Dabao would leave.
His first solo test would be over.
With nothing holding him back, he voiced his question directly.
Yet after he asked that question...
The vaguely visible figure of "NPC Wayne" vanished...
Wayne's sudden disappearance stunned not only Li Dabao, but also the viewers in his livestream.
Like Li Dabao, they all began to suspect the worst.
"Could it be..."
"Could affinity just be a useless reward?"
Looking back at everything Goodness Home had done as a starting village over the past year, player Li Dabao seemed to have gained nothing from it.
First came torture, then watching Goblins reproduce firsthand.
Finally, he had been locked in solitary confinement for an entire year of game time.
He spent every day in a dark, damp cell where he could not even see his hand in front of his face.
The players knew little about Goodness Home.
They knew only one thing: Goodness Home put the Human Race above all else and had many Mages...
Mages?
The more people there were, the more theories they came up with.
Just as Li Dabao's livestream fell silent...
Someone offered a theory:
"I've been wondering whether Goodness Home is more than just a starting village. Could it also be where a major boss lives after the game launches?"
"After