Player Reload

In the dark environment, dense and noisy sounds erupted almost simultaneously.

The sound of a revolver being drawn from a leather holster, the swish of a sword slicing through the air, the tearing of a skill scroll, and the click of a flashlight switch.

Li Cheng gripped a 50,000-lumen halogen flashlight, illuminating the surroundings as bright as daylight.

Besides him, five others stood there.

The first person wore a ferocious Noh mask and a trendy hoodie, standing less than 1.3 meters tall, their child-sized hand holding a Smith & Wesson M29 revolver with blued steel finish.

The second was a young East Asian woman, her features finely crafted like an AI creation, capable of sinking fish and birds, captivating nations, with an egg-shaped face unmarred by any flaw, including a perfectly placed teardrop mole at the corner of her eye.

Even wearing a simple baseball jacket, she emitted a stunning charm.

The third person was also a young woman, her appearance plain, wearing round glasses as thick as beer bottles, a red kimono with wide sleeves, wooden clogs, and holding a chef’s knife.

The fourth person was a rugged middle-aged blond man in a superhero-style tight suit and cape, covered in advertisement logos.

The fifth person, handsome and dashing, wore a white fox fur robe and held a longsword, like a noble gentleman,

"Yo, yo, yo, isn’t this Gouchen?"

On the left wrist of each, they wore large smartwatches reminiscent of the Pip-Boy from the Fallout series.

The watch faces were surrounded by grooves, each embedded with four rhombic metal stars, likely the prerequisites mentioned in the task briefing for advancing to the next realm.

Li Cheng observed them, and they observed Li Cheng. Everyone wore somewhat peculiar expressions, except for the cyborg whose exact face was indistinguishable.

The reason was none other than that Li Cheng wore funky loafers, seven-tenths pants below, a cheap white tank on top, and an extremely eye-catching blond wig on his head,

The wig, as if electrocuted, puffed into a mass of fur, covering half his face.

Daring to dress in such garish and peculiar attire must mean he has his own unique sense of aesthetics. For a while, nobody made a rash move; their brains spun rapidly, calculating on the inside.

"One, two, three, four, five players... Damn it, according to the game announcement, collecting 24 stars can advance you to the next realm. Is it going to be a battle royale right after landing?!"

"Phew, stay calm, everyone is observing. That’s right, ’Song of Kings’ spans four realms. To advance to the Fourth Realm with all rewards requires defeating seventeen others. With each realm advanced, you’ll face stronger opponents. In other words, this isn’t a sprint, but a marathon."

"Everyone here is clever; if I can think of it, so can they. I’ll speak up later, ’The task briefing mentioned that proactive gameplay can also earn stars. It doesn’t necessarily mean plundering other players.’

"To be honest, aside from that bizarre guy, I recognize the others. The masked shorty is Maxwell, the ace of the Insect Extermination Company under Prometheus, renowned for his skills in puzzle solving and strategy, Level 31.

The woman in the kimono is also not to be underestimated; she’s the Divine Era Rain Prayer from the Japan Island Anomaly Investigation Bureau, Level 32.

The blond uncle, from European Heavy Industry, is Don Juan, Level 30.

The beauty is Mei Wenyi from the FBI Special Incident Investigation Department, Level 29, a charming flow player focusing on the Charm attribute... Oops! Just watching for three seconds is almost too much for me, Gouchen!"

...

...

The atmosphere was silent and oppressive, everyone silently turned to look at the bizarrely dressed Li Cheng,

Gouchen, wearing the fox fur, took a deep breath, his longsword hanging down in his right hand, left hand holding his forehead, "...Providing a voice-over for our inner monologue is one thing, but why drag me into it?"

This interruption made the previously tense atmosphere unsustainable. The blond uncle Don Juan put down the skill scroll in his hand and cautiously asked, "Excuse me, are you Mr. Pi Fu from the Star-casting Anvil?"

Li Cheng was shocked, "Huh? Even dressed like this, you still recognized me?"

"...You’re wearing a shirt with the Star-casting Anvil theme."

Don Juan pointed at Li Cheng’s shirt, which was boldly printed with a flashy advertisement cover made using Word and Photoshop.

"Sticking to forging new equipment with fresh Extraordinary Materials in the slum’s Seventh District!"

"No inferior materials added, no blending of substandard materials, a hundred-year-old brand! Guaranteed quality!"

At the bottom, there was a line of tiny text smaller than flies, "Pictures are for reference only, please refer to the actual product."

The advertisement’s gaudy colors lacked any sense of design. Even spending 50 bucks online to hire a college student couldn’t produce something this garish, let alone the fact there’s AI now.

As the saying goes, "A person’s name, like the shadow of a tree,"

Don’t overlook the fact that all six people present were around Level 30; in small to medium guilds, they would be chairman or vice-chairman level figures.

In large guilds, they are also mainstays, pillars defending subordinate departments.

But compared to this twenty-somewhat level individual who dared to single-handedly elbow Strike London City, ride to Bell Tower, and retreat unscathed, they were sorely lacking.

Not to mention, if the latter were to immediately fire off three Light Speed Elbow Strikes, all Protective Barriers and Life-saving Scrolls would be pierced through.

"So it’s Mr. Pi Fu, renowned for a long time."

Mei Wenyi’s eyes widened, her delicate fingers half-covering her mouth.

What might be overly dramatic and contrived on others appeared innocent and adorable on her, perfectly at the juncture between innocence and allure.

This Charm attribute definitely exceeds 25 points, capable of making a withered tree bloom, a high monk revert, and children fail to resist.

"Do you remember Jin Huixing?"

Mei Wenyi’s voice was gentle, "She’s a friend of mine and mentioned you, saying that when she met you in a Script Task, she felt you were outstanding, both civil and martial, and definitely capable of proving to be a Transcendent, becoming East Asia’s glory."

"Overpraised, overpraised,"

Never hit a smiling face, Li Cheng waved his hand modestly, "Speaking of which, it’s a pity. South Korea, with a population of 50 million and ranked 13th globally by GDP, doesn’t even have an official player management organization.

I’ve already created several pieces of equipment and items, ready to cooperate with you all anytime.’

Saying this, Li Cheng adjusted the flashlight brightness, showing it to Mei Wenyi.

The flashlight handle was prominently printed with photos of South Korea’s successive presidents, Park Kaka, Quan Xiaojiang, Lu Baima, Jin YS, Jin DJ, and others,

The flashlight itself was a Fine Quality item named "Southern Sun Plenty."

"Ah..."

Mei Wenyi’s expression turned subtle, internally ranting, "Why do you, a foreigner, know more about our presidents than I do, a South Korean?

Is your history class that insane?

And why are all the other presidents in suit photos, except Yin KaKa who is wearing prison garb?"

South Korea, as an economically powerful nation with a population of 50 million, should have long ago set up a management institution for Transcendents theoretically,

But due to lack of complete sovereignty, newly emerging players in the private sector are quickly absorbed by the United States,

Even a Level 3 newbie can enjoy Green Card/nationality + job allocation + welfare benefits, and can bring their relatives overseas, instantly becoming top-tier citizens in a suzerain state.

The conditions offered by South Korea’s government are simply unattractive.

Among those left behind by the United States’ selections, most would be chosen by South Korea’s local conglomerates, offered high payment, and even alliances through marriage.

Jin Huixing, whom Li Cheng met in the "Oh Damn I’m Surrounded by Beauties" Script Task, joined the GOC,

And this Mei Wenyi joined the FBI Special Incident Investigation Department.

In some ways, it’s a small country’s sorrow.

Mei Wenyi’s attitude remained respectful, without vocalizing her internal rant—didn’t she see that even that Gouchen, who had a grudge with Pi Fu and was also Level 30, didn’t dare to provoke?

"Rest assured, according to the task briefing, at least 72 stars are needed to advance to the Fourth Realm of ’Song of Kings’. Starting early and plundering stars merely wastes Spiritual Power and Skill CDs—"

Upon reaching the upper realms, you’ll face a group of equally formidable foes.

Before that, why not form a temporary alliance, first figuring out how to leave this place?"

Li Cheng spoke with a light tone, observing the other five silently nodding before pressing the flashlight button, converting its harsh light into a soft glow.

This was a room about six meters wide, its wooden floor covered in dust, doors and windows tightly shut, the air slightly stale and acrid, with a skeleton, long dead, lying on a wooden bed in the corner.