“Ah?”
Ye Hui Fei belatedly lowered his head, tugging at his collar.
“What era is this outfit from? Why is it so tight?”
He pulled, and a deep purple bruise had already appeared on his neck.
It looked like he’d been hanged.
Apparently, it had been strangling him for quite a while.
Yet the quality of the clothes was surprisingly good—Ye Hui Fei yanked several times but couldn’t physically tear the collar open.
Lin Xian saw this and immediately tried to help.
“Don’t panic, let me try!”
Ye Hui Fei hurriedly stopped him.
“No, Show Bro, don’t move!”
Bang!
Before the words left his mouth, Lin Xian tripped and fell face-first.
He lifted the pant legs, which were longer than both of his legs combined, his mind full of question marks.
“Who are these pants even for?”
Not even a giraffe could wear pants this long, right?
Ye Hui Fei laughed awkwardly.
“Ahaha, looks like this game’s newbie suit isn’t very friendly to us, haha.”
Suddenly.
A deep voice came from the side.
“Let me do it.”
Then—rip!
The pant leg in Lin Xian’s hand, as tough as steel wire, tore apart.
After dealing with both pant legs, the other person helped Ye Hui Fei open his collar.
Finally able to breathe, Ye Hui Fei looked at him gratefully.
“Thanks, man!”
The third player nodded.
“No trouble.”
“Hey, you’re pretty interesting!”
Ye Hui Fei walked over, naturally friendly.
He stared at the torn sleeves on the other’s shirt, amazed.
“Same newbie gear, but why are people so different?”
The clothes he and Lin Xian struggled with for ages were like paper in the other’s hands!
The third player looked down at his own hands.
“Maybe it’s related to our original attributes. I’ve always had more strength than most people since long ago…”
“That makes sense. My nose is sharper than average. Even after switching bodies, it feels the same!”
Ye Hui Fei also found a point to support his theory.
Lin Xian walked over too.
“Right, my height is almost the same as in reality. Except for appearance—probably randomized for privacy—things like strength, endurance, and smell seem copied from our real bodies.”
As he spoke, Lin Xian sucked in a breath.
None of this data was on the beta registration form!
Who knew a little game helmet had the effect of a body scanner too?!
“Height…”
Ye Hui Fei muttered.
His gaze lifted over Lin Xian’s head, then dropped to his legs.
His expression was subtle.
Lin Xian’s face turned bright red with indignation.
“That’s because the newbie suit’s pants are too long. It has nothing to do with my actual height—I’m 178cm, okay!”
Not tall, but definitely not short!
Just as he was about to argue further, the church doors creaked open.
Leaf Zhi entered with a person and a Guangqiu.
Bang!
Without anyone touching them, the doors closed automatically.
Lin Xian’s mouth formed an “o,” staring in shock.
A Magician whose body was completely hidden under a robe.
A Knight he’d seen in promotional images.
And a floating Guangqiu that was obviously a Magic Beast!
Each step they took felt like they were trampling on Lin Xian’s heart.
That aura from another world crashed into his mind!
“Damn, that’s awesome!”
Lin Xian couldn’t help but exclaim, eyes shining.
Leaf Zhi’s jawline grinned from within the shadow of the cloak.
These past two days, he’d specially brought Edegar along to practice Elven noble etiquette for banquets.
All for this moment!
The third player couldn’t help but take two steps forward.
Ye Hui Fei quickly pulled him back.
“Don’t move! This must be the game’s opening cutscene—if you miss it, you’ll miss important info and might even aggro the NPCs!”
“Opening cutscene? NPCs?”
The third player was surprised.
“They’re not real people?”
“Of course not. This game’s only got us three suckers. Look at their clothes—is it the same as ours?”
“Shh, the story’s starting!”
Ye Hui Fei made a silencing gesture.
Then craned his neck like a curious goose, staring at the newcomers.
Edegar paused under the stare, but soon returned to normal.
As expected.
These players were as unpredictable as Leaf Zhi described!
Just like how he didn’t understand why the other stretched his neck now.
Leaf Zhi felt relieved seeing the three players so obedient.
Before coming in, he’d even considered several ways they might try to mess with them.
And how to beat them within “character” limits!
Now, it seemed unnecessary.
Leaf Zhi lifted his cloak, revealing a skeleton body.
Three sharp intakes of breath echoed, followed by whispered comments.
“Holy—, skeleton man!”
Ye Hui Fei muttered.
“So this is what 100% realism looks like? The bone structure is so detailed!”
Lin Xian marveled.
The third player’s pupils contracted.
Before the cloak was lifted, he still doubted Ye Hui Fei’s judgment. Now, any suspicion vanished.
This game really achieved full realism!
“Welcome, Returnees.”
Leaf Zhi spoke, his deep, cold voice dampening the fear his appearance brought.
“As you have seen, my mission failed.”
“The conflict between the Gods and Ailtia could not be resolved. Six hundred years ago, the gods waged the Final God War and perished.”
“Ailtia followed the path of destruction foretold in prophecy.”
“The remnants of the gods’ deaths gave rise to terrifying monsters.”
“They steadily invaded the lands of all races. Elves retreated to the Elven Forest, Sea Demons dwelled deep in the sea, Dwarves vanished, Dragons hid in Dragon Valley, and only Humans continue to resist.”
“The front line cannot keep retreating. All races must step out from under the shadow of the gods and find the true future of civilization. We will be the first to rebel!”
“Though I couldn’t prevent the prophecy, my experience returning before you is enough to help you restore the Watchers’ radiance!”
“Our first step now is to rebuild Sweetwater Town—our first stronghold upon returning to Aeltia!”
“Do whatever you can! Our goals align, our beliefs unite us. For the countless compatriots behind us, every second is precious—there’s no time to waste!”
“Before the next Monster Tide arrives, we need enough weapons, food, and a solid wall!”
As his voice fell, the air went silent.
Leaf Zhi had expected this.
These profit-driven players were easy to motivate but not easy to exploit.
He cleared his throat and continued.
“I respect every brave soul who returns to Aeltia at risk, but different courage and effort deserve different rewards.”
“Please silently recite ‘Game Panel’ in your hearts. Everything you need will be inside.”