Chapter 438
Chapter 438: A Family Should Stay Together Even in Another World
Although Half Off With Full Coverage had pointed out on the forum the serious consequences that could arise from veteran players casually “having plastic surgery,” not everyone was on the forum chatting at this time, nor did everyone care about these hidden dangers.
Especially for those who treated 《Reality Realm》 as 《Otherworld Dress-Up》, the face customization feature was their dream gameplay. Therefore, after the 4-hour update maintenance ended, when a large number of players logged into the game for the first time, a group of people began their enjoyable face customization attempts.
Don’t underestimate these folks’ patience.
After all, there have long been legendary tales circulating online about their “5 minutes of gameplay, 10 hours of face customization.” Fortunately, such appearance enthusiasts were only a small portion, and most players woke up from the midnight chamber first thing.
Their faces had subtle changes too, but didn’t alter their original appearances.
These detailed adjustments appeared more in enlarging eyes, raising nose bridges, whitening skin, removing freckles, and other details, equivalent to giving themselves a “beauty filter” in the game.
After waking up, their discussions focused more on the newly acquired racial talents, though veteran players’ choices of human bloodlines were mostly based on their already semi-formed combat styles, without much consideration for story backgrounds.
For example, players under the Avalon Church system basically all chose the Caith bloodline, while melee fighters split into two factions, shield users chose the Nord bloodline that could slow down enemies, warriors and assassins chose the Mountain Folk bloodline that could enhance destructive power, and finally administrative profession players unanimously chose the Silan template.
They needed the excellent diplomatic abilities from Silans to boost their administrative capabilities.
This scene was all under Murphy’s secret observation and didn’t exceed his expectations, including the players’ superficial dabbling with the face customization feature.
This was actually a small “test” as well.
In fact, even if Half Off With Full Coverage hadn’t pointed out the risks of the face customization feature at the last moment, he would have given these folks necessary reminders on the forum as Alpha.
In a 100% realistic game, the connections and social circles players already possessed would vanish due to major changes in appearance. This was also an effective way to enhance immersion and sense of presence, and it was more reasonable.
From the veteran players’ choices, Murphy could be certain his “precious children” already valued everything they owned in Transia quite highly. This “sunk cost” had initially taken shape, making these folks make satisfying choices in their trade-offs.
However, those waking up from the midnight chamber now weren’t just veteran players, but also new players who entered the game this weekend.
The number remained at 50, but 20 of them came from the Torrent Knights’ recruitment, 10 were retired veterans recruited by Joy Stick, and the remaining 20 were enthusiasts Murphy approved through backend review.
This was also the vampire lord’s new attempt at player affairs, he was reducing his proportion of involvement. In Murphy’s vision, when the Black Plague arrives, this “new recruit” authority would be completely delegated to player guilds, with himself, Tris, and the increasingly large “development team” only responsible for review.
This way could effectively increase unity and connections between players. After all, these were people they recruited themselves, so familiarity and unity needn’t be mentioned. It could also effectively reduce Murphy’s increasingly heavy administrator workload pressure.
As a local lord, he must shift some energy to Transia’s construction and defense work.
The arrival of newcomers was quickly discovered by veteran players who were whispering discussions about racial talents. The Torrent Knights needn’t be mentioned.
These roleplayers had their own set of “kinship ceremonies,” making them stand out among players.
However, among the 20 roleplayers entering the game this time, there was a “heavyweight character.”
Not only was his status special, this “heavyweight” was also an appropriate way to describe his body type. Murphy hiding in the shadows had never seen such a “chubby” body type little player before.
Hey, your belly shakes when you walk! Brother.
Although the game is fun, please pay attention to health in reality, okay?
“I salute you! Quartermaster Selak Finda, sir!”
Archmage Marin, the Torrent Knights’ liaison officer who had long stayed at Crimson Citadel, stepped forward quickly and saluted this player who was looking around in the way typical of “newbies.”
He said loudly:
“The Torrent Knights’ advance camp is largely established. Currently, First Captain Typal and Second Captain Fording are leading brothers in battling vicious undead at Transia’s borders, proclaiming the will of the Holy Light.
We urgently need support from other teams. Your arrival will effectively reduce our logistics pressure.”
“At ease, knight.”
This “broad and stout” quartermaster returned the salute properly and replied in a formal tone:
“My logistics and strategy team have been waiting for this stargate to reopen. Now we have come in response to the call and will take over all logistics work for the Knights. Time is of the essence, take us to the garrison now!
We should immediately begin work to adjust our team to a perfect state before the great crisis arrives.
Also, I hear our garrison has a starport… ahem, I mean dock! So can our business extend to shipping industry?
This is fantastic.”
This Sir Selak Finda rubbed his chubby hands excitedly and said:
“Let’s start with a couple of Iterons…”
“What Iterons? We should definitely build Leviathans first, they can both carry cargo and fight!”
A similarly formal player behind him immediately objected:
“Given Transia’s currently unstable situation, pure mining ships cannot jump from high-sec zones to those border low-sec zones. If we want to enter shipping, we must arm our fleet from the beginning.
I’ve already found many ship data suitable for this era in advance. After our brave Transia army advances to a seaport, our shipping industry can bloom everywhere.”
These folks discussed this topic very excitedly. Murphy hiding in the shadows heard incomprehensible words from them like “Battleship rushing,” “cyno beacon,” “gate camping” and such, so he immediately realized.
Oh my!
Typal and Uncle Fording brought him a group of EVE veterans! No wonder these folks called themselves strategy and logistics team – tsk tsk, real “operations masters” are online now.
Looks like the Torrent Knights have a promising future.
Compared to the roleplayers’ kinship ceremony, Brother Stick’s side had much faster rhythm. Joy Stick and his team were digging trenches in the Baroness of Shadow’s territory now, similarly leaving liaison officer Kind-Face Giant Shark Uncle at Crimson Citadel.
This guy looked quite unhappy.
Because he was a vampire, so he couldn’t experience the newly implemented human racial talents.
However, the face customization feature going online made him very satisfied. This bald vampire monk was among those who made “dramatic” modifications to their faces. He was introducing the Maginot Line situation to 10 retired combat engineers while sporting an “overly extreme” large face.
Although Brother Stick was a veteran soldier, he wasn’t in the engineering corps during service, so trench construction still needed professionals.
The addition of these 10 veteran engineers would definitely make the Maginot Line’s layout more reasonable and offensive.
Besides these two sides, Heaven’s Chosen Grayman was also talking about something with a tall new player. This player looked to be in his thirties, and though his appearance wasn’t outstanding, his body was proportionate, clearly someone who exercised regularly.
While listening to Grayman introduce the current construction progress of Crimson Citadel and surrounding areas, he took the blueprints Grayman handed over to examine.
After several minutes of description, he spoke:
“So, Old Chen pulled me over to help complete the design and construction of various important facilities for Transia’s second phase?
Hasn’t he already drawn all the blueprints? I don’t have much to modify.”
“No, senior apprentice brother, we already have ideas for the easily constructed places now, but some more special buildings require skills too high for me and Bricklayer to handle,”
Grayman said regretfully:
“These buildings either have special uses or special meanings. We two don’t dare to start on them, that’s why we invited you over to check. You’re Old Chen’s most outstanding student, you’ve even done cross-river bridge projects, building a midnight tower must be easy peasy for you?
Moreover, you’ve been a supervisor for many years with solid construction site experience, then went to sit in an office leading teams, you’re exactly suitable to become our Stonemason Guild’s leader candidate.”
“You kid, don’t flatter me.”
The civil engineering senior apprentice brother called “Samoyeria” laughed and put away the blueprints, saying:
“I heard from Old Chen that Transia’s planning and specific construction is yours and Little Sun’s graduation design project. I’m just here to help, you still need to do the specific things yourselves.
As your senior apprentice brother, I can’t help you cheat, otherwise I can’t handle Old Chen’s temper.
Come on, let’s visit the old man first.
Sigh, last time I saw him was several years ago, when sister-in-law was still around.
I’ve been very worried about the old man’s mental state, constantly inviting him to take a nominal position at my place to find him something to do, but he just wouldn’t come.
But now seeing him find a second career spring here puts me at ease. You two really did a great thing unintentionally.”
“Hehe, luck, it’s all luck.”
Grayman chuckled and led his senior apprentice brother out of the chamber. But as they walked, he suddenly stopped, looked left and right, and asked quietly:
“I heard from professor that senior brother and sister-in-law’s love story had many twists and turns, but lovers finally became a couple in the end. Seems you must have lots of experience in this aspect, so can I ask for some advice?”
“Huh?”
Samoyeria who had just entered the game and was still studying this vampire chamber’s architectural style was stunned. He looked at his junior apprentice brother with a strange expression, couldn’t help but complain in his heart:
“Earlier I heard Little Sun say this guy found paper wives in the game, even two of them. I thought this matter was a bit exaggerated, but now it seems to be true.
This kid is something!
Can be said to be quite criminal in various aspects.”
But though complaining in his heart, after all he was a socialized person, so Brother Samoyeria didn’t show any strange expression, but indicated with a more gentle smile for Grayman to personally say out the fun he wanted to hear.
The little players all had their own things to do now, so after experiencing this version update, everyone quickly dispersed to continue their previously unfinished business. However, after most people left, among those still lying on stone platforms completing “face customization” work in the midnight chamber, a lady got up with graceful movements.
Mrs. Mei blinked her eyes, looking up and down at this “game scene.”
She hadn’t spent time on face customization, and was just pretending to sleep earlier, but had been using her ears to collect surrounding information. Only now when most people had left did she get up.
From this point alone you could see this Mrs. Mei probably wasn’t some “pushover.”
In fact, from the player information Mrs. Mei submitted, Murphy already knew this lady not only had military service experience when young, but also long served as local police after discharge. If not for Ah Feng’s accident, this lady probably would have reached the senior superintendent position.
Though not like Master Yang’s family-inherited martial arts, Mrs. Mei could undoubtedly be classified as a “trained fighter.”
Unlike others coming to play games to relax, and different from those players entering Transia with missions, Mrs. Mei’s reason for coming here was very simple.
Only because her precious son was here.
So she wasn’t interested in plot and randomly chose the Nord racial talent that looked pleasing to her. She didn’t even change her appearance, clearly wanting to reunite with her son with her most real face.
“You can find your son in the dead house on the lower level. He is waiting for your arrival.”
Just as Mrs. Mei was observing the surroundings, Murphy quietly emerged from the shadows and guided her in standard Mandarin:
“Your son is currently under care of both the development team and medical team. His condition is very good, please don’t worry.”
“So, are you now speaking to me on behalf of the development team?”
The no longer young but dignified Mrs. Mei looked Murphy up and down and asked vigilantly:
“Is this really a game?”
“Sigh, many people have this question, but they all eventually choose to tacitly ignore this answer.”
Murphy revealed a reserved smile and handed a computation bead and a spirit dog tag to the female player before him, saying softly:
“You can rely on yourself to find this answer, or you can ignore these temptations of curiosity and choose to take care of Ah Feng here until the situation reaches further turning points.
I can guarantee you, he is absolutely free here, and he has already begun to enjoy his new life.
Go see him.
Just as you miss him, he misses you too.”
Faced with Murphy’s “riddler” attitude, Mrs. Mei frowned deeply but didn’t ask more.
Taking the computation bead and dog tag, she nodded slightly to Murphy in farewell, then strode out of the midnight chamber. Relying on her excellent spatial awareness, she quickly found the direction of the dead house in the maze-like Blood Vulture Halls underground.
As she crossed the downward stairs, she immediately saw Ah Feng wearing white practice clothes anxiously waiting ahead under the green phosphorescent fire’s decoration.
Seeing her son alive and kicking again made Mrs. Mei instantly burst into tears.
“Mom!”
Ah Feng also saw his relative.
He stepped forward quickly calling his mother, and the two embraced. Mrs. Mei held tight to her recovered child and said sobbing:
“I’m sorry, Ah Feng, I shouldn’t have taken you out to sea at that time. This is all my fault, all mom’s fault, I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay, mom, it’s okay.”
Ah Feng’s nose felt a bit sour. From his mother’s wrinkles and graying hair he could tell his father’s words weren’t false, in these years since his accident, mother definitely hadn’t lived well.
Terrible self-blame had been torturing her.
“Look, aren’t I alive again now? I can run and jump here, not much different from outside. Don’t cry, you’re making me want to cry too.”
Ah Feng strongly held back the surge of emotions in his heart and patted his mother’s shoulder, saying:
“Just treat this as our family’s trip out, just that the destination is another world… uh, that sounds weird, but you and dad are already by my side, letting me be at peace here too. And Brother Mu is here accompanying me, making me feel it’s even more interesting than in reality.”
“But I more hope you could wake up in reality, sigh.”
Mrs. Mei wiped her tears while sighing:
“My poor child.”
In the shadows behind the two’s meeting, Murphy stood like a ghost letting warm tranquil darkness wrap around himself. He wore a satisfied smile uncharacteristic of vampires watching this scene before him. Even that slowly beating dim heart seemed filled with these beautiful things making his mood involuntarily joyful.
“Actually besides tempting innocent little players to help me work, I can do some good things too, right?”
He stroked the humming Necessary Evil demon sword floating beside him and said softly:
“I feel I’m too kind and no longer seem like a born villain vampire. Actually if managed well, Master Yang and Mrs. Mei could both become my most crazy and deadly assassins and killers, and I’m sure they would do so willingly.
Sigh, I really am a good person.”