Season 4: Chapter 84. If This Was the Plan, Why Do It Like That? (3)
When Black Pepper died, murmurs already began to ripple through the streamer community.
[Almond's server: Okay, but who are those guys? They don’t seem like NPCs.]
They hadn’t yet pieced together that the two individuals were Black Pepper and Salt. Something about that duo felt off and different from the usual Cheese Village residents. That suspicion came naturally for those who had spent any real time in the server.
— If they’re players, how do they have metal weapons this early?
— Exactly. That gear shouldn’t even exist at this stage, but they’re not behaving like NPCs either.
— I thought they might be NPCs at first, but their reactions were way too real. No way it’s just AI.
— So what, are they part of some other faction? Damn, the devs really planned this out.
Talks of a new faction had begun with more evidence.
— Also, why didn’t Almond turn red after that kill? Isn’t that weird?
— He didn’t go red???
— Nope.
The Red Player status was a mark inflicted when a player killed someone from their own village. A Red Player couldn’t buy land, NPCs would attack them, and they’d be treated as outcasts.