Why didn't we get these lines?

The crowd below instantly dissolved into chaos, with some even trying to rush up and feel the fabric of the honored envoy's clothes.

Though Sivir was a little frightened, remembering the attention and guidance the Deity had given her last night instantly bolstered her confidence.

The little nun cleared her throat, her delicate brows drawing together slightly as she shouted:

"Warriors! These are sacred grounds! No shouting! Show proper reverence for our Lord!"

Along with Sivir's reprimand,

a blood-red system warning appeared in the vision of every player within a meter of her:

[Warning! Your rude behavior is causing NPC affection to decline! If affection reaches zero, divine punishment will be triggered immediately (permanent account ban and access revocation)!]

The restless newbies instantly became as meek as a flock of quails caught misbehaving, obediently retreating to their original spots.

"Holy shit..."

Standing on the steps, [Passing Pure-Love Warrior] watched the scene and couldn't help marveling inwardly.

Those damned devs actually gave this little girl NPC such an overpowered safeguard!

An instant ban if you so much as cross her?

Who the hell would dare mess with her?!

From now on, this girl would be the ultimate supreme god in the game-even a passing dog wouldn't dare give her a second glance!

Meanwhile, Lin En, secretly watching from the altar, mentally gave himself a satisfied thumbs-up.

Excellent. That firmly established her character as the starter village's poster girl!

In front of the Church's main doors, fifty newbies in athletic tank tops and baggy gray shorts finally formed orderly ranks under the threat of "banishment thunder punishment."

Standing on the Church steps, Sivir looked at the dense crowd of burly men and strange women in skimpy athletic outfits below.

She was still a little intimidated.

But remembering the Deity's gentle voice from last night instantly filled her chest with courage.

She spread her hands, imitating the Old Priest from years past, and swept her gaze over every player as her tone grew solemn and dignified:

"Undying warriors, welcome to this wilderness forsaken by the gods."

Sivir's voice was not loud, but with the support of Lin En's divine power, it reached every player's ears clearly.

"This is a world ravaged by darkness and corruption."

"Those greedy Evil Gods spread endless calamities across the wilderness, while mortal towns can only cling to life beneath the Righteous Gods' barriers."

"The churches of the gods stand high above us. They command the greatest share of faith, yet turn a blind eye to the suffering souls deep in the wilderness."

Sivir's voice echoed through the hall, carrying an inexplicable sense of tragic grandeur:

"This is the edge of the Black Forest, the furthest corner of order."

"But the great Lord of Ashes has not abandoned us. He has rekindled his divine flame amid the embers, and you... are the kindling he has awakened from the Abyss, the sacred pioneers who will burn away this endless night!"

As she finished, the little nun raised both hands high, her lovely face filled with devotion and fervor:

"Go reclaim the lands that belong to the light! Let the radiance of ash burn anew across this Wasteland!"

"Praise the great Lord of Ashes!"

"Praise the Lord of Ashes!!"

The players below were instantly fired up by these gloriously over-the-top, stirring NPC lines.

They howled along, eager to go tear the Evil Gods apart with their bare hands right that instant.

"The performance, the voice acting, the emotional delivery-holy shit, I can't praise this enough!"

"That NPC sounds so badass! Honey, I'll go conquer a kingdom for you right now!"

While the newbies were still hollering, the five players from the first closed beta stood off to one side, muttering among themselves.

"Hey, Warrior, why didn't we get these lines?"

[Even Monkeys Have Dignity] nudged Pure-Love Warrior beside them, sounding jealous. "When we first logged in, we went straight into a boss fight without even getting a sip of water. Isn't this a bit too much preferential treatment?"

"We were in the first closed beta. The devs probably saw how we performed and decided that a boss that intense wasn't suitable for the beginner tutorial. That's why they made the tutorial we're seeing now!"

[Ji Luo] offered his analysis quietly, and the other four nodded, finding his explanation convincing.

Inside the Divine Hall, Lin En watched Sivir utterly captivate the newbies and nodded in satisfaction.

The tutorial's going well. But empty promises alone won't fill these walking disasters' bellies.

Once I promote this little girl to Ash Saintess and unlock a whole set of group healing and Holy Light Punishment skills for her, these guys will lay down their lives for her.

Granting Sivir divine power would not only give the players greater immersion and an emotional anchor, but also provide her with the best means of protecting herself in this dangerous Wasteland.

For now, however, those were still just distant promises. The most pressing matter was getting these fifty level-zero newbies to level up quickly and become a genuine fighting force.

Fog Town was under siege by the Cultists, and the main quest had already been triggered.

But Lin En would never be foolish enough to send this bunch of level-zero newbies, who didn't even have proper clothes, trekking dozens of kilometers through the wilderness.

Any high-level monster that popped out along the way could instantly mow down all fifty of them like stalks of wheat.

If they wanted to reinforce Fog Town, these newbies had to level up first.

And right now, there was only one place that offered the safest leveling grounds, the most monsters, and the richest resources.

The Black Forest!

Although [Passing Pure-Love Warrior] and those four other tireless grinders had recently "farmed the monsters to extinction" on the outskirts of the Black Forest,

in reality, the area they had been fighting in amounted to no more than a small patch of shrubbery along the edge of the Church's enormous flower bed.

The true Black Forest stretched endlessly, covering an area nearly as large as a province on Blue Star!

The Aberrants, Ghouls, and even high-tier Evil God’s Servants lurking within were practically inexhaustible, no matter how many were killed.

Though dangers abounded in the depths of the Black Forest, its actual outer fringes were unquestionably the best leveling paradise for these level-zero newbies.

That was why he had given Sivir another task yesterday!

Now, Sivir took a deep breath and spoke again:

"Warriors, endless darkness lurks in the depths of the Black Forest."

"To prove your courage and gain the strength to survive in the Wasteland, the Lord has bestowed your first trial upon you!"

Ding!

A dark-blue quest interface appeared in the center of every player's vision at once:

[Beginner quest: Trial of the Black Forest!]

[Quest description: Go to the edge of the Black Forest and successfully hunt any one Zero Tier Mutant.]

[Quest reward: Ash Coins +10!]

"Holy shit! The beginner quest is here!"

A newbie named [Die If I Don’t Stay Up] cried out from the crowd.

Everyone's gaze instantly locked onto the quest description. The noisy crowd fell silent, then erupted into an even louder uproar.

"That's it? Hunt a Zero Tier Mutant?"

"Isn't that way too easy? Didn't the First Closed Beta veterans say Zero Tier monsters were basically free kills for newbies?"

"Ten Ash Coins! I just read in the First Closed Beta guide post that ten Ash Coins buys one resurrection! That's practically an extra life!"