《LitRPG: Age of Exploration》 Chapter 1: The Beginning of Everything In the summer of Rong City, the sultry air enveloped the entire city. A young man lay lifelessly in front of his computer in his rented apartment. "Hey~ why isn''t this crappy air conditioner cooling? How am I supposed to live?" The person speaking was Wang Xun, a college graduate in architectural arts who had been out of school for less than two years. In layman''s terms, he was in the renovation business, a neighbor to the civil engineering guys. However, he had quit his job a couple of days ago because the continuous overtime and the invisible and intangible overtime pay had completely crushed this young man''s psychological defenses. He decided to just laze around in his rented apartment for a while. Feeling a bit bored, Wang Xun took out his phone and ordered a cup of Mixue Ice Cream. He was also preparing to browse some Tiktok videos, but as soon as he opened the app, a pop-up suddenly appeared on his phone screen. ''Shocking! The classic game ''Age of Sail'' has officially launched a brand new version, a new version you''ve never seen before!!'' ''Steer your fleet through the waves, defeat sea beasts, open up new sea routes, and explore treasures buried at the bottom of the sea. The collision of technology and mystery, all in the new ''Age of Sail''!'' Coupled with its somewhat sloppy poster, Wang Xun found it hard to believe this slogan. At least others have ''photoshopped'' or CG images, but you just have a UC Shock Department-style text and a mosaic poster. Who would believe it? Then, swiping his finger upwards, Wang Xun was still hoping to catch a glimpse of some dancing girls. ¡°Wow, quite the effort, even Tiktok has so many pages of recommendations?¡± Wang Xun''s finger kept swiping up, but each time he swiped one away, another one popped up, it was almost like they were playing a trick on him. But at the same time, a hint of curiosity arose in Wang Xun''s heart. He was a hardcore gamer himself, and the IP of ''Age of Exploration'' was indeed a ''treasure from the ancient times''. It''s just that recently, he hadn''t seen any plans from major platforms about ''Koei'' restarting this classic IP. Wang Xun hesitated for a moment, but after a while, he still clicked on it. A download progress bar appeared at the top of the screen, but to Wang Xun''s disappointment, judging from the download speed, the game''s content wouldn''t exceed 300MB. The form determines the substance to a certain extent. A mere few hundred MB of content is not enough to show too much. It also seemed to indicate that this game was likely just a facade. In Wang Xun''s somewhat disappointed expression, a mosaic-style app icon with the words ''Age of Exploration'' appeared on the screen.This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. ¡°Damn! It''s pixel art style?¡± Disappointed, Wang Xun directly gave up the idea of opening the game, but long-pressing the icon didn''t bring up the uninstall option. Instead, it automatically launched the game after he released his finger. ¡°What the hell?! What kind of small, no-name studio is trying to rip off a big IP? This thing doesn''t have a virus, does it?!¡± Although his phone was from the unlucky ''Black Shark'' manufacturer, it was still something he had bought with his hard-earned summer job money, secretly from his parents. If it got ruined because he downloaded a random game, it would really hurt. It''s not even easy to repair these things now. As the game started, a slightly dilapidated sailing ship appeared on the phone screen, accompanied by hollow and desolate background music. At the same time, a line of narration text slowly appeared on the interface. ¡¾Prologue¡¿ ¡¾This is a land abandoned by the gods¡¿ ¡¾Humanity tenaciously survives in the cracks of the sea¡¿ ¡¾The development of technology has led countless explorers and adventurers to bravely set out towards the mysterious sea for various reasons¡¿ ¡¾The steam engine pulled the ironclad ship and sounded the horn of civilization, the Age of Exploration has arrived¡¿ ¡¾But everything on the sea is so dangerous, just the unpredictable weather is enough to swallow most of the unlucky ones, perhaps only the most shining stars among humans can reach the other shore¡¿ ¡¾Will you be the one to conquer the sea?¡¿ ¡¾Please create your character¡¿ ¡¾Start¡¿¡¾¨€¡¿ Yo, is this a text-based game?! It seems a bit different from the previous merchant gameplay, new setting? New background? The elements are quite complete, like a mixed porridge. But as long as it''s fun, the rest doesn''t matter too much, but damn it, it doesn''t let me choose to refuse!! Wang Xun, who had been momentarily impressed by the music, began to doubt the quality of the game again. Oh well! Let it all be destroyed. Since I''m already here, I might as well see if this game is made by a human or a ghost. He looked at the interface again. ¡¾Please create your character profile.¡¿ With Wang Xun''s click, an input box appeared again on the interface. But before he could continue, an expected pop-up appeared, ¡¶Notice on Preventing Minors from Becoming Addicted to Online Games¡·. He skillfully skipped through the lengthy information to the end, filled in his identity information, and finally, it even required facial recognition. After Wang Xun patiently completed the operation, the phone interface changed again. ¡¾Congratulations on completing your character profile.¡¿ ¡¾Please select your character''s initial background¡¿ ¡¾Fallen Noble¡¿¡¾Day-to-day Sailor¡¿¡¾Merchant Ship Guard¡¿¡¾Pirate¡¿ These background options seemed to have the feel of a good game. After a little thought, Wang Xun directly chose the first one, ¡¾Fallen Noble¡¿. Anyway, it''s just a text-based game, and it''s hard to say if I''ll even open the game a second time. Which background to choose shouldn''t matter much, and a fallen noble is still a noble, so the identity is pretty good. ¡¾Please enter your in-game name¡¿ Since I''ve chosen to be a noble, the name should align with a big shot. Hmm, let''s go with Jack, to commemorate that ''big shot'' who left a deep impression on me. As for the surname, Wang Xun thought of the protagonist of a nautical adventure game he once liked, Drake sounds pretty good. ¡¾Character creation complete¡¿ ¡¾Name: Jack Drake Identity: Fallen Noble¡¿ ¡¾World background embedding... Please wait¡¿ A dilapidated ship rises and falls on the screen, accompanied by the sound of waves. ¡¾Game start, wish you a pleasant journey.¡¿ ¡¾In a dilapidated hut shrouded in the night, a young man named Jack Drake wakes up from a dream.¡¿ ¡¾The nightmare of his family''s destruction a year ago surrounds him.¡¿ ¡¾Even the butler who protected him during the escape passed away two days ago due to severe injuries.¡¿ ¡¾The path ahead seems very confusing, what should you do?¡¿ Wang Xun couldn''t help but frown after reading the text. "Damn it, this fallen noble really has nothing left." ¡°Let me see, how does this thing work.¡± After clicking the screen again, three options appeared on the interface. ¡¾Explore the Room¡¿ ¡¾Observe from the Window¡¿ ¡¾Leave the Room¡¿ Following the classic text-based game progression, Wang Xun, who has a collector''s habit in games, decisively chose the first option. When you don''t know the follow-up content, prioritizing the exploration of the current scene is a must-have operation for old players. Chapter 2: You Dont Think Youre Not Short on Money, Do You? ¡°Ones, tens, hundreds, thousands¡­¡± Shu Cheng lay in her thirty-square-meter rented room, counting the balance in the message over and over again. Ten thousand really arrived! Now she has money to buy a birthday gift for her boyfriend, Du Mingze! She was abandoned by her biological father, and Du Mingze was one of the few people who were willing to be nice to her. [System: Host, stop counting. The system is very good at math and won''t make mistakes.] Just as she was about to complain about the system, there was a loud knock on the door. With that force, Shu Cheng was worried that the flimsy door would be broken. When she opened the door, it was the landlady. ¡°You''re the tenant of 606, right? Move out quickly, this house is no longer for rent!¡± ¡°Not for rent? Didn''t I just pay the rent?¡± The landlady rolled her eyes disdainfully, ¡°It''s just eight hundred yuan, I''ll refund it to you, but¡­¡± She pushed Shu Cheng aside impatiently. ¡°Your sofa is broken, deduct 300.¡± ¡°And that cabinet door fell off, deduct 200.¡± ¡°The light isn''t working either, deduct 100!¡± After circling the room, the landlord pulled out a hundred-yuan bill from her pocket and slapped it onto Shu Cheng. ¡°Another hundred deducted for cleaning fees, leaving you with a hundred.¡± Shu Cheng stared, her face filled with anger. ¡°The sofa and cabinets were already broken when I moved in, and you haven''t fixed the light for a week, now you''re blaming me!?¡± ¡°Where''s the proof? Show me the proof!¡± ¡°I¡­¡± The landlord, certain that Shu Cheng, a female college student, had no experience and hadn''t taken any photos as evidence, was now beaming with smugness. ¡°Pack up quickly and move out today!¡± Having said that, the landlord walked downstairs, leaving Shu Cheng dumbfounded. Not far away, she pulled out her phone and made a call, ¡°Hello, is this Ms. Lin? Yes, yes, don''t worry, I''ve taken care of it. I''ll kick her out today!¡± ¡­¡­ At 10:30 PM, Shu Cheng was squatting by the roadside with her large bags and luggage. She glanced at her phone; the ride-hailing app showed there were still 113 passengers ahead of her in the queue. ¡¾System: Ding! Congratulations, Host, on becoming homeless and successfully unlucky. We are now redeeming your reward - 50,000 yuan in cash!¡¿ Shu Cheng''s tightly furrowed brows relaxed a bit; this money was really easy to earn. It''s just that every time she hears this damn system congratulating her on her bad luck, she feels a bit awkward. She originally wanted to take a taxi back to the dormitory, but since she couldn''t get one, she might as well have her boyfriend come pick her up.This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. Thinking of Du Mingze, Shu Cheng''s cheeks flushed slightly. Du Mingze was a popular figure at school, handsome and from a good family. Countless girls pursued him, and even Shu Cheng herself didn''t expect that such a person would confess to her. When she was with Du Mingze, Shu Cheng felt that her nearly twenty years of bad luck had finally turned a corner. "Hello, Mingze." The call connected, and Du Mingze on the other end was panting heavily, asking her what was wrong with a slightly annoyed tone. "I was just kicked out by my landlord and want to go back to the school dormitory. Can you come pick me up?" "I... I''m busy, you can just get a ride yourself, be good." Shu Cheng frowned, "What are you doing?" "Me? I''m at the gym, I... I''ll talk to you later, gotta hang up." Beep beep beep... The phone was hung up just like that, and Shu Cheng''s previous joy was instantly extinguished. Forget it, I''ll just keep waiting for a ride. Two minutes later, Shu Cheng thought of the more than 60,000 yuan lying in her bank card. What are you waiting for! Money makes the mare go, she can just pay more to find a driver! Before long, a truck came over, and the driver eagerly got out to help Shu Cheng move her luggage. ¡°Little girl, is it true that you said you''d pay double the fare on the platform?¡± ¡°Don''t worry, uncle, it''s a done deal!¡± ¡°Alright, then let''s go now!¡± In order to make it easier to work part-time, she moved out of the dormitory, so she wasn''t very familiar with her three roommates. Moving back to the dormitory late at night, she didn''t know if it would disturb them. Thinking of this, Shu Cheng asked the driver to stop first and went to an imported supermarket next door to buy a lot of snacks. ¡°Tsk, imported stuff is different, this little bit costs seven or eight hundred.¡± Shu Cheng sighed, but then she thought that she should have been the Lin family''s daughter enjoying wealth and glory, and she felt a little sad for no reason. The scenes at the Lin family during the day echoed in her mind again, and Shu Cheng couldn''t help but clench her teeth. One day, she would make the Lin family regret kicking her out. She would take back everything she had lost! It was already midnight when she returned to the dormitory. Her roommates were just falling asleep, and they were clearly angry when they came to open the door. ¡°Shucheng? You... are you moving back in?¡± The dorm leader, Yu Xinyi, opened the door, and behind her, the other two roommates, Mo Yu and Tian Shuang, peeked out. Shucheng said apologetically, ¡°Yes, I¡¯m really sorry to bother you so late at night.¡± As she spoke, she lifted the large bag of snacks. ¡°I bought some snacks for everyone, I hope you don¡¯t mind.¡± As soon as Tian Shuang heard there was food, her eyes lit up, and she quickly got out of bed and ran over. ¡°Wow! These are all imported snacks?!¡± ¡°This chocolate is so expensive, one box costs over a hundred.¡± ¡°Ahhh, and there¡¯s the potato chips I¡¯ve always been reluctant to eat. Shucheng, where did you get so much money?¡± Shucheng gave a dry laugh, and before she could speak, Mo Yu, on the bed in the distance, rolled her eyes. ¡°I advise you not to eat it, who knows if it¡¯s fake? Fake goods can kill people.¡± Hearing this, Tian Shuang also calmed down. Everyone in the class knew that Shucheng¡¯s family was poor. She usually chose the cheapest food to eat, so how could she afford such expensive snacks? Shucheng wasn¡¯t angry, and she took out the supermarket receipt to show her. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s not fake.¡± Seeing the receipt, Tian Shuang quickly smiled, ¡°Mo Yu is just kidding with you, it¡¯s definitely not fake. Hey, aren¡¯t you moving back? Come on, let me help you with your luggage.¡± ¡°It¡¯s late, quickly tidy up and make your bed, then rest.¡± Yu Xinyi said, picking up Shu Cheng¡¯s box, which weighed over twenty pounds, with one hand and turning to enter the door, looking every bit like a big sister. After quickly making her bed, Shu Cheng finally let out a sigh of relief and lay down. She opened the shopping app and, after hesitating for a while, bought the limited-edition sneakers that Du Mingze had liked for a long time. Twelve thousand, so expensive. But he is her boyfriend, so it¡¯s all worth it. Thinking this, Shu Cheng hugged her quilt and smiled, falling sweetly asleep. The next day was the weekend, and Shu Cheng accidentally overslept. She then remembered that, in order not to disturb her roommates, she had set her alarm to vibrate last night. Just as she was about to call the milk tea shop owner to apologize for being late, the owner called her. ¡°Shu Cheng! You¡¯re already ten minutes late! You¡¯re fired!¡± The call ended, and Shu Cheng sighed and lay back on the bed. Luckily, the next second, the system notified her that she had received a cash reward of 10,000 yuan. ¡¾Shu Cheng: Can you change it up a bit? Why is it always money as a reward?¡¿ ¡¾System: Well... otherwise? Host, you don''t think you''re not short of money, do you?¡¿ Shu Cheng: ... That''s really hitting where it hurts. She turned over, intending to continue sleeping, but her phone rang again. It was a WeChat message from Du Mingze, asking her to meet him in the equipment room of the school gymnasium. There definitely wouldn''t be anyone in the gymnasium at this hour, asking her to go there... Shu Cheng''s cheeks felt a little warm, and she quickly smiled and got out of bed. Chapter 3: Swapping Fates She changed into the best dress in her closet, put on makeup, and was about to leave, feeling great, when she noticed Mo Yu on the opposite bed glaring at her fiercely. Shu Cheng''s heart skipped a beat. If she remembered correctly, Mo Yu used to like Du Mingze too, could she still be holding a grudge against her because of that? Oh well, she couldn''t worry about that now, the date was more important. Humming a little tune, Shu Cheng arrived at the gymnasium and pushed open one equipment room after another, looking for him. Although she and Du Mingze had been together for almost a year, they didn''t spend much time together because she was busy with part-time jobs and Du Mingze was always busy with his own things. Thinking about it this way, moving back to school wasn''t such a bad thing, at least they would have more opportunities to spend time together in the future. Just as she was about to push open one of the doors, a familiar voice came from inside¡ª ¡°What¡¯s the matter, wanting it again? Didn''t I just give it to you last night?¡± Shu Cheng''s hand, which was raised, suddenly froze. That was Du Mingze''s voice! Then, a woman''s coquettish voice sounded: ¡°Oh, stop it~ Why do you have to say it out loud? I just want it, will you give it to me or not?¡± ¡°Yes, yes, yes, I''ll feed you until you''re full in a bit!¡± As soon as the words fell, a wet, smacking sound immediately came from inside, making it extremely embarrassing to hear. Shu Cheng''s whole body stiffened, and she felt like she almost couldn''t catch her breath. Last night? Last night, she called Du Mingze to pick her up, and he said he was at the gym. So he was just lying to her, what gym, he was clearly doing exercise in bed! Anger surged from the soles of her feet to her head, and Shu Cheng gritted her teeth and kicked the door open. Du Mingze, who had just taken off his pants, instantly went limp, and he panicked and pulled up his pants. ¡°Shu Cheng? Why are you here!?¡± Shu Cheng grabbed the nearby soccer ball and threw it at Du Mingze, her eyes instantly turning red. ¡°You scumbag, how long were you planning to deceive me!¡± Seeing that he had been exposed, Du Mingze stopped pretending. He wrapped his arm around Qiao Manman, who was adjusting her clothes, and sneered, ¡°Let''s break up. I''m already with Manman.¡± Shu Cheng trembled, shifting her gaze to the woman he was holding. ¡°Qiao Manman, how could you do this to me!?¡±If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. Qiao Manman came from an ordinary background. When she was bullied by classmates, it was Shu Cheng who bravely came to her rescue. She didn''t expect Qiao Manman to repay her kindness, but how could she do such a thing! ¡°Shu Cheng, since you''re so good to me, it''s not a big deal to give me your boyfriend, right?¡± ¡°You!¡± Shu Cheng was trembling with anger. She raised her hand to slap Qiao Manman. But Du Mingze reacted quickly, pushing her hard, causing her to crash into the soccer goal frame. The soccer balls on top fell and hit her. It hurts so much¡­ She tried to stand up, enduring the pain, when a piercing pain shot through her hand. Looking down, she saw a foot stepping on her instep. ¡°Ah!¡± Shu Cheng couldn''t help but scream, looking up to see a face she loathed. Lin Qingxue! Why is she here?! ¡°Oh, I''m so sorry, I accidentally stepped on you.¡± Lin Qingxue said this, but there was not a trace of apology on her face. She took a step back, looking down at Shu Cheng as if she were looking at an ant. Qiao Manman quickly came in front of her, ¡°Miss Lin, are your shoes dirty? Do you need me to wipe them for you?¡± Shu Cheng looked at her fawning appearance and instantly understood everything. All of this, it turned out, was designed by Lin Qingxue! ¡°Not bad, let''s go, I''ll take you out for a good meal to see the world.¡± ¡°Great! Thank you, Miss Lin.¡± Lin Qingxue said, walking up to Du Mingze. ¡°Are you¡­ Shu Cheng''s boyfriend?¡± At this time, Du Mingze was full of surprise. He had only heard Qiao Manman say that she knew the daughter of the Lin Group, and thought it was a joke. Unexpectedly, it was actually true! If he could get to know the daughter of the Lin Group, then his father''s company might be able to take the opportunity to establish cooperation. Their family company had been teetering on the brink of collapse, but now, not only did they not have to worry about bankruptcy, they might even rise to a higher social class! Thinking of this, Du Mingze quickly waved his hand in denial, "No, no, I''ve already drawn a line with Shu Cheng. We''ve broken up! The one I like now is Manman!" As he spoke, he reached out and pulled Qiao Manman into his arms. Shu Cheng, witnessing this scene, felt as if a thousand needles were piercing her heart, making it hard for her to breathe. This was the boyfriend she had been pining for despite having no money. How ridiculous! Shu Cheng, oh Shu Cheng, you really are a jinx. You actually dared to dream that being liked by Du Mingze was your good fortune. Pah! It''s all bullshit! Du Mingze''s words pleased Lin Qingxue greatly. She had already investigated Shu Cheng and knew about her relationship with Du Mingze. So, she just found a lackey and, with a little seduction, had him snatched away. Shu Cheng, oh Shu Cheng, you must be very sad now, right? Lin Qingxue smiled and squatted down in front of Shu Cheng, her beautiful eyes filled with undisguised coldness and ruthlessness. "You must hate it now, but too bad, you were destined to be a jinx from birth. You killed your mother, and now you want to come back and continue to harm the Lin family? Let me tell you, no way!" "Everything in the Lin family will only belong to me, Lin Qingxue. I am the lucky star of the Lin family!" ¡°And you! You''re only fit to stay in the gutter for the rest of your life, never to see the light of day!¡± After saying this, Lin Qingxue stood up, her face still elegant and arrogant, and left without looking back, leading Du Mingze, Qiao Manman, and the others. Only Shu Cheng remained in the equipment room. She raised her swollen left hand, tears streaming down her face uncontrollably. It really hurts. It wasn''t just her hand that hurt; her heart felt like it had been stabbed, the pain making it hard to breathe. How she hated that she was a jinx. If it weren''t for that, Lin Qingxue wouldn''t have stolen everything that belonged to her! ¡¾System: Host... are you okay?¡¿ Shu Cheng wiped away her tears with a bitter smile. ¡¾Shu Cheng: You damn system, you finally know how to talk like a human and offer comfort. Tell me, what reward do I get for being dumped by a scumbag?¡¿ ¡¾System: What do you want, Host?¡¿ Shu Cheng let out a bitter laugh. ¡¾Shu Cheng: You can give me anything I want? Then take away this jinxed fate of mine.¡¿ For a long while, there was no sound from the system in her mind. Just as Shu Cheng was wondering, the system''s mechanical voice sounded again. ¡¾System: Host, you are not the one who should be called a jinx.¡¿ ¡¾Shu Cheng: What do you mean?!¡¿ ¡¾System: According to your fate, Lin Qingxue is the one with the cursed star of solitude, while you are the reincarnation of the auspicious Purple Star, a bringer of good fortune!¡¿ Shu Cheng''s eyes widened suddenly, her whole body stiffening, unable to move. ¡¾Shu Cheng: Then why did it become like this now!¡¿ ¡¾System: Perhaps... have you ever heard of, swapping fates?¡¿ Chapter 4: This is Actually an Open World Game The next day, as dawn began to break. When the first ray of sunlight pierced through the clouds and through the narrow gap in the curtains, Wang Xun slowly opened his eyes, feeling the warm and bright light. An unprecedented sense of freshness washed over him. Since starting work on the construction site, such a wonderful feeling had been rare for Wang Xun. He felt as if he had been cleansed by a clear spring, and his spirits were high. After washing up, Wang Xun walked down the stairs with light steps, heading straight for the breakfast shop called "Su''s Snacks." As soon as he entered, the familiar aroma wafted over, making his mouth water. "Little brother, the usual bowl of red-braised beef noodles?" the owner greeted him warmly. Wang Xun nodded with a slight smile: "Mm." Although this small eatery isn''t large, with only a couple of busy servers, its delicious food is well-known in the area. Especially the uncle in charge of the cooking, who is said to be a former master chef from a renowned old restaurant in Rong City. With his superb cooking skills and unique recipes, he makes every bowl of noodles a feast for the eyes, nose, and taste buds, leaving a lasting impression. Despite the limited space inside, it''s packed every morning. The regulars arrive early, just to savor this authentic delicacy. If it happens to be during the morning rush hour before work, you might even need to bring a few stools and sit on the street to enjoy this delicious meal. After filling his stomach, Wang Xun prepared to go home and check if there were any new updates in "Age of Exploration" after the night. Back home, on a whim, Wang Xun didn''t rush to start the game. Instead, he picked up the clothes rack and started to wield it. If someone knowledgeable were to see him, they would realize that Wang Xun was practicing a sophisticated one-handed swordsmanship. This was the Wave-Breaking Swordsmanship that Wang Xun obtained after choosing the [Fallen Noble] background for his game character. Although his proficiency was only at the beginner level, he could still get a glimpse of the approximate combat power in the game world. This swordsmanship mainly focuses on offense, emphasizing a counter-attack and a continuous barrage of attacks. Although there aren''t many defensive moves, it aligns with the saying ''the best defense is a good offense''. After practicing clumsily for a while, Wang Xun''s movements gradually became smoother from the initial stiffness, mainly because his body''s flexibility and coordination were not good enough. Wiping the light sweat from his body, Wang Xun pulled out his phone and found a shop on Taobao with a Longquan sword trademark, ordering a custom single-handed sword.Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. The price wasn''t expensive, only about three hundred yuan. Although it was unlikely to be a high-end, hand-forged product, it was more than enough for practice. After all, with the blessing of advanced industry, the quality of many crafts has surpassed the ''famous swords'' defined in ancient times. He couldn''t wait to realize his past dream in reality - a swordsman wandering the world. It''s so awesome! However, his main focus at the moment still had to be on this game called ''Age of Exploration''. Wang Xun opened the game. The game''s cover was still that crude mosaic icon. Even though the character art inside was very detailed, why was the cover so ugly? Wang Xun couldn''t understand. ¡¾You have entered the game¡¿ ¡¾The familiar crude room, the sound comes again from outside the window, what will you choose this time?¡¿ This time, Wang Xun didn''t rush to choose, but instead checked various information. To his surprise, his soul points had recovered a bit, reaching 2/3. Although he didn''t know the exact time for one point to recover, he estimated it to be at least 6 hours. Then Wang Xun opened his backpack and carefully checked it, wanting to see if there were any useful items. ¡¾Rusty Pirate Longsword*1 (Common)¡¿ ¡¾Worn Dagger (Dilapidated)¡¿ Decisively switching to the pirate longsword, although it sounds like a piece of trash equipment from the name, it''s still much better than the initial dagger. Looking further down, Wang Xun''s pupils suddenly dilated. The potion that was unknown yesterday now showed its name. ¡¾Enhancement Potion (Weak)¡¿ ¡¾A precious potion that can permanently improve physical fitness in all aspects.¡¿ After reading the information, Wang Xun naturally chose to use it directly. ¡¾You drank the Enhancement Potion (Weak)¡¿ ¡¾Your heart rate accelerates, a surge of heat flows from within your body, and a surging sense of power permeates your limbs.¡¿ ¡°Is that it? Let''s see the enhanced attributes.¡± Wang Xun muttered while clicking on the attribute panel. ¡¾Name: Jack Drake¡¿ Level: 1 Constitution: 9 Strength: 8 Agility: 9 Intelligence: 9 Skills: Wave-Breaking Swordsmanship (Mastery); Horsemanship (Novice); Archery (Novice); Navigation (Novice); Pharmacy (Novice); Noble Etiquette (Mastery) ¡¿ Looking at his comprehensively improved attributes, Wang Xun''s face revealed a smile. ¡°Hehe, it really is an all-around increase. I should be able to easily beat that pirate if I encounter him again.¡± ¡¾You seem ready to face your enemies.¡¿ After yesterday''s encounter, Wang Xun had actually glimpsed a hint of the true nature of this game. Although this game presents itself as a text-based game, its core is actually an open-world game. Subsequently, Wang Xun began to test his conjecture. He opened his backpack and dragged the gold coins inside. ¡¾Wow, you seem to have discovered more ways to play this game... What do you want to do?¡¿ ¡¾1. Throw the gold coin at your feet, you will lose one gold coin.¡¿ ¡¾2. Throw the gold coin out the window, this might attract some greedy individuals.¡¿ ¡°Just as I thought!¡± Wang Xun was delighted, it seemed his guess was correct. ¡¾You threw a gold coin out the window, you lost one gold coin.¡¿ ¡¾Ding~¡¿ ¡¾The clanging of metal echoed through the street¡¿ ¡¾A pirate looked over at the sound. In the dim light, the alluring gleam of gold coins was particularly dazzling.¡¿ ¡¾The pirate outside the door was greedily eyeing the gold coins he had just obtained, his attention completely focused on them.¡¿ ¡¾Will you take action?¡¿ Having reached this point, Wang Xun naturally pressed the ''yes'' option without hesitation. ¡¾You quickly opened the door, and before the other could react, you slashed his throat with your sword.¡¿ ¡¾You have defeated ''Pirate Duke''. Your experience points have slightly increased.¡¿ ¡¾Congratulations, you have leveled up. Current level: 2.¡¿ ¡¾Due to your strategy, the opponent was unable to make much noise. The other pirates seem unaware of what has happened here.¡¿ Looking at the text, Wang Xun nodded in satisfaction. It seemed this time he had made the right choice. ¡¾Clang~ Clang~ Clang~¡¿ ¡¾The piercing sound of an alarm bell suddenly broke the quiet night of the small town. It seems the pirates'' actions have been discovered.¡¿ ¡¾The road on the left leads to the harbor, where there might be a way to leave this city.¡¿ ¡¾At the end of the road on the right is a landmark clock tower. You remember that area seems to be in the direction of the city lord''s mansion.¡¿ Chapter 5 Duel Scroll?! The two options were laid bare before him, seemingly no different from each other. Just as Wang Xun was at a loss, the game interface changed again. ¡¾A burst of intense gunfire came from the direction of the City Lord''s Mansion, it seems the city''s alarm bell worked, and the army is gradually gathering.¡¿ Wang Xun assessed his own strength, looked at the army outside fighting with the pirates, and then decisively made a choice. ¡°Let''s do it!! Let''s take a gamble, a bicycle can become a motorcycle, this is a good opportunity to level up.¡± ¡¾You chose to take the right-hand path leading to the City Lord''s Mansion.¡¿ ¡¾Gunfire and cannons roared incessantly, you carefully advanced along the wall.¡¿ ¡¾You discovered a pirate corpse.¡¿ ¡¾Searching~¡¿ ¡¾You obtained a hunting bow.¡¿ ¡¾You arrived at a city square, where a fierce battle is taking place. As a third party, what decision will you make?¡¿ ¡¾1. Turn around and leave, the battlefield is too dangerous, it''s better to protect yourself.¡¿ ¡¾2. Attack the pirates.¡¿ ¡¾3. Attack the city defense forces.¡¿ Looking at the three options, Wang Xun naturally chose the City Defense Force. He didn''t believe that the regular army would lose to pirates. Wasn''t this a clear-cut freebie? However, how to fight still needed careful consideration. Wang Xun first equipped the hunting bow he had just obtained. Then, he clicked on [Explore the Surrounding Environment]. As expected, it led him to discover a new location. [You have arrived at the second floor of a civilian house, where the view is wide open.] [Hit rate check...] [You used your bow to kill a ''Kuhl Pirate Crew Sailor''. You gained a small amount of experience points.] [The scene is too chaotic, your attack did not attract the attention of others.] [You have obtained 10 gold coins.] ...... [You used your bow to kill a ''Kuhl Pirate Crew Sailor''. You gained a small amount of experience points.] [You have leveled up, current level 3] ...... It wasn''t until the fifth person that Wang Xun''s sniping was discovered.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡¾Your appearance has greatly boosted the morale of the city defense forces.¡¿ ¡¾The pirates have spotted your location and are now turning their guns towards you.¡¿ ¡¾Calculating hit rate~¡¿ ¡¾Calculating cover bonus~¡¿ ¡¾The pirates'' attacks missed you, but it seems someone has entered the room below you.¡¿ ¡¾1. Charge directly down.¡¿¡¾2. Hold the stairwell.¡¿¡¾3. Jump out the window and escape.¡¿ Wang Xun pondered for a moment and chose the second option. This game should be played cautiously. Considering that this thing could actually kill people, being extra careful is not an overstatement. ¡¾You ambushed and defeated the pirates who came to attack you at the stairwell.¡¿ ¡¾Seeing that the pirate lackeys can''t do anything to you for the time being, a burly man with an ugly face is charging towards your position.¡¿ At the same moment, on the screen of the phone tightly held in Wang Xun''s hand, a corresponding character illustration quietly appeared. Wang Xun stared at it and couldn''t help but exclaim, "Oh my! This guy is so sloppily drawn!" However, despite his extreme ugliness, his unique appearance perfectly matched Wang Xun''s imagination of a medieval pirate. Facing such a seemingly fierce opponent, Wang Xun did not show any fear. After all, by carefully observing the opponent''s attribute panel, he clearly knew that he had a significant advantage. Whether it''s strength, speed, or skills, all stats are far superior to this unremarkable-looking fellow in front of me. Therefore, Wang Xun knew in his heart that the outcome of this contest was already decided. ¡¾Name: Bessie¡¿ Identity: Small Captain of the Kuhl Pirates Constitution: 9 Strength: 9 Agility: 7 Intelligence: 6 ¡¾Skills: Basic Swordsmanship¡¿ These are just single-digit stats, barely enough to compete with Jack Drake before he leveled up. So Wang Xun directly chose to charge in. ¡¾Brave young man, you have faced a ruthless pirate.¡¿ ¡¾You picked up the one-handed sword at hand, the moves of the Wave-Breaking Sword Technique flashed through your mind, and you thrust out fiercely...¡¿ ¡¾A perfect sword light flashed, the pirate ''Bessie''s'' pupils widened, your strength and speed amazed him.¡¿ ¡¾You have defeated Bessie, the small captain of the Kuhl Pirates, and gained a moderate amount of experience.¡¿ ¡¾You obtained a tattered idol.¡¿ ¡¾You obtained a decent pirate cutlass.¡¿ ¡¾You obtained a flintlock pistol.¡¿ ¡¾You obtained gold coins *10¡¿ ¡°Haha, a great haul! As the old saying goes, ''Robbery and arson pave the way to riches.''¡± After quickly checking his loot, Wang Xun equipped the flintlock pistol in his off-hand slot. This weapon wouldn''t interfere with his sword. ¡¾The death of Pirate Bessie shocked the surrounding pirates. Their morale plummeted, and the pirate group began to scatter.¡¿ ¡¾Bang! Bang bang!!¡¿ ¡¾A continuous barrage of gunfire suddenly erupted from the nearby street. Soon, organized city defense forces appeared. It seemed the pirate attack was about to end in failure.¡¿ ¡¾Indeed, after a large number of city defense forces appeared, a horn sounded from the direction of the port. The pirates began to retreat rapidly.¡¿ Is that it? Wang Xun was still a bit unsatisfied. This battle had earned him quite a bit, especially the significant level increase. More importantly, the risk factor wasn''t high. ¡¾Because of your outstanding performance in the fight against the pirates, a soldier tells you that the city guard commander, Ockham, wants to see you.¡¿ ¡¾Go?¡¿ Is there even a need to say more? Anyone who''s played games knows this is clearly the moment to claim the quest rewards. ¡¾Following behind the soldier, you quickly arrive at a garrison outpost. The surrounding ruins show that this place also suffered a fierce pirate attack.¡¿ ¡¾You meet Ockham, the commander of the city guard, in a tent.¡¿ ¡¾Ockham looks you over with interest, seemingly noticing some intriguing details.¡¿ ¡¾¡°Your strength is quite impressive, young one. I hope to hear your name on the high seas someday.¡±¡¿ ¡¾Ockham thanks you for your help and gives you rewards based on your contribution to this event.¡¿ ¡¾You have received Gold Coins*50¡¿ ¡¾You have received Duel Scroll*1¡¿ ¡¾You have received a Fine One-Handed Sword*1¡¿ Wang Xun understood the use of the other items at a glance, but this new Duel Scroll was the first time he had seen it. ¡¾Duel Scroll (Special Item): Use this to engage in a duel with a player of similar level. Defeating them may bring unexpected surprises.¡¿ £¿£¿£¿£¿ ¡°Holy crap! There really are other players?!¡± Although he had suspected it, Wang Xun had not found any evidence to prove that this was a ''networked'' game, and this item clearly put the matter on the table. That is to say, there may be players who have obtained game character abilities like him appearing in the real world... Chapter 6: A Bountiful Harvest While Wang Xun was still letting his mind wander, the game interface continued to display content. ¡¾Player ''My Second Brother is Invincible'' has initiated a duel with you!¡¿ The sudden vibration of his phone snapped Wang Xun back to reality. He was being challenged already? ¡¾Faced with the duel, what is your choice?¡¿ ¡¾1. Decline the duel, you will lose some items from your backpack.¡¿ ¡¾2. Accept the challenge, after defeating the opponent you will randomly obtain some items from their backpack.¡¿ Wang Xun glanced at his soul points, which had recovered a bit, and directly chose to accept the challenge. Are you kidding me? They''re coming right at me, why wouldn''t I fight back? It''s not like I''ll really die. Besides, Wang Xun didn''t think he would necessarily lose. ¡¾You have accepted the player''s challenge, an intense duel is about to begin.¡¿ ¡¾Determining the strength of both sides...¡¿ ¡¾Congratulations, you have easily defeated the player ''My Second Brother is Invincible'', you have gained some experience.¡¿ ??? A string of question marks popped into Wang Xun''s mind. Was this the ''fierce duel'' described in the text? It was over just like that?! This game really challenged Wang Xun''s common sense; it was just too unexpected. ...... In another city, a young man named Sun Long was squatting on a street corner, holding his phone. ¡¾You have slain the sea beast ''Black Demon Fish'', you have gained some experience.¡¿ ¡¾Congratulations, you have leveled up, current level 3.¡¿ ¡¾You have obtained Duel Scroll*1 (item).¡¿ ¡¾You have obtained Healing Potion*1.¡¿ ¡°This ''Black Demon Fish'' gave a lot of experience, it actually made me level up directly.¡± A smile appeared on Sun Long''s face, ¡°Haha, I really am a genius.¡± ¡°Let''s try this duel scroll.¡± ¡¾Matching a suitable opponent...¡¿ ¡¾Match successful, the opponent has accepted your challenge.¡¿ ¡¾The opponent directly chose to attack.¡¿ ¡¾You are dead!¡¿ Sun Long stared blankly at the text on the panel.Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. ¡°How is this possible? I got one-shotted? This matchmaking system is broken!¡± Just as Sun Long was complaining, the following text directly interrupted him. ¡¾Because you died in the duel, you will lose some items to pay for the opponent''s prize.¡¿ Seeing this, Sun Long quickly checked his backpack, and the scene before him made him dumbfounded! ¡°Damn it! My items!¡± Sun Long let out a miserable cry, then angrily threw his phone on the ground. Passersby nearby were startled and couldn''t help but avoid Sun Long''s location. Faintly, many people were pointing and whispering about him. ...... ¡¾Congratulations, you have won the duel.¡¿ ¡¾You have obtained Healing Potion*1; Gold Coins*50¡¿ ¡¾You have obtained Item Support Scroll (Rare)¡¿ Wang Xun saw his gains and a smile curled up at the corner of his mouth, obviously very satisfied with this harvest. Curiously dragging the healing potion in his backpack, a glass bottle with a faint red glow appeared on Wang Xun''s table. Last time when he equipped a weapon, he had the strange idea that ''this thing can be taken out''. Obviously, the scene before him confirmed this. ¡¾Healing Potion: A special potion refined from unique materials, it can rapidly heal wounds, but long-term consumption may lead to a reduction in lifespan.¡¿ With this thing, I''ve got something that can save my life in a critical moment in the real world. Let''s continue reading. ¡¾Support Scroll (Rare Item): This is a scroll with magical power. After any two parties sign a contract, they can enter a duel space together when one of them is challenged.¡¿ The simple description shows the practicality of this item. This time, a new system has also been unlocked. ¡¾Your level has been increased, current level 5¡¿ ¡¾The friend system has been unlocked. You can add friends based on their name or character nickname.¡¿ ¡¾This system can be used for chatting and trading.¡¿ Wang Xun rubbed his temples. This duel has revealed a lot of hidden information in this game. First, there are likely a large number of players in this game. Second, according to his experiments, items from this game can also flow into the real world. It seems that this world is really going to become turbulent. ¡¾The pirates'' invasion was defeated by the city guards, and you have gained a lot this time.¡¿ ¡¾But just as you were about to leave, another soldier stopped you.¡¿ ¡¾The city lord here, who is also the lord, Baron Borg, has heard of your deeds and is very interested in you, wanting to summon you.¡¿ ¡¾This seems to be good news, what is your choice?¡¿ ¡¾1. Follow the soldier to meet Baron Borg.¡¿ ¡¾2. Refuse the invitation and do your own thing.¡¿ ¡¾3. Bribe the soldier to learn more about the situation.¡¿ With a cautious attitude, Wang Xun chose the third option. Along with the disappearance of a silver coin, Wang Xun also gained some information from the text. From the text feedback from the soldier, Wang Xun learned a corner of this world. The city they are in is called Ao Port, a member of the Fata Empire. And the most honorable person here is Baron Borg. As for the reason why the other party summoned Wang Xun, this soldier did not know. After gaining some understanding, Wang Xun chose the option to meet the other party. After all, instead of thinking wildly here, it''s better to go and see directly. ¡¾You followed the soldier to the city lord''s mansion.¡¿ ¡¾After passing through a luxurious courtyard, you were led by a servant to a reception room.¡¿ ¡¾An old man with a dignified appearance, exuding refinement and elegance, received you.¡¿ ¡¾¡°Ockham reported your situation to me, but I still want to meet you. So young, yet with extraordinary courage and strength, whose child are you?¡±¡¿ ¡¾Baron Borg seems to have seen your uniqueness, how will you answer him?¡¿ ¡¾1. Take out your family crest.¡¿ ¡¾2. Directly refuse the other party''s inquiry.¡¿ ¡¾2. Give a slight smile.¡¿ After briefly recalling the background description at the start of the game, Wang Xun decisively eliminated the first option. Exposing this thing might attract enemies, but directly refusing wouldn''t be good either. ¡¾You give a slight smile, not directly answering Baron Bogge''s inquiry.¡¿ ¡¾The old man''s gaze is like a sharp hawk''s eye, but after staring at you for a while, it softens.¡¿ ¡¾On this mysterious sea, the rise of new nobles and the decline of old traditional nobles are not uncommon.¡¿ ¡¾And you, someone with a hint of ''noble aura'' but dressed in common clothes, clearly fit this situation.¡¿ ¡¾¡°Alright kid, since you don''t want to say, I won''t press you. But this old man can''t help you much, I hope this thing will be useful to you.¡±¡¿ ¡¾You have obtained the special item ''Bogge''s Letter of Introduction''.¡¿ Chapter 7: Forced Marriage After sorting out his gains this time, Wang Xun swiped his phone screen and clicked the button representing exit. As the phone screen gradually dimmed, he placed it aside, then slowly closed his eyes, trying to calm his mind. However, in this brief moment of tranquility, an irresistible wave of fatigue quietly swept over him. It was as if an invisible hand gently stroked his eyelids, guiding them to gradually close. His tense nerves relaxed at this moment, and Wang Xun''s thoughts, like a kite with a broken string, gradually drifted into the unknown. ¡­¡­ Ring-a-ling, ring-a-ling. Wang Xun suddenly opened his eyes and picked up the phone on the table in front of him. Seeing the caller ID was labeled ¡°Grandma,¡± he quickly answered the phone. ¡°Hello, do you have any instructions for me, old lady, with this sudden call?¡± ¡°You brat, if I don¡¯t call you, you won¡¯t call me, huh! Do you not have your grandma in your heart anymore?!¡± An elderly voice came from the receiver. ¡°Uh~ I¡¯ve just been a bit busy lately.¡± Wang Xun turned down the volume of his phone slightly. ¡°Are you coming back this week? How¡¯s your health? Have you eaten? Don¡¯t eat out, I heard on TV that¡­¡± Grandma¡¯s voice on the phone was rambling, but Wang Xun didn¡¯t find it annoying. This was the care of family! ¡°Alright! Young people have their own blessings, I won¡¯t interfere too much with you. It¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t come back; Grandpa He heard you¡¯re still single and said his relative has a child named Jiang Siyi, who just graduated and is also in Rongcheng. You two should meet¡­¡± Hearing this, Wang Xun twitched the corner of his mouth, wanting to refuse but not knowing how to say it. ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Your Grandpa He showed me a picture, little Jiang looks good. I¡¯ll have your mom send you the picture later.¡± ¡°What''s the rush? I haven''t even met her yet. Relationships are about fate,¡± Wang Xun couldn''t help but complain. ¡°Fate, my foot! The girl is from a prestigious university, with excellent qualifications. You need to try hard. Back in my day¡­¡± ¡°You be there this Sunday at 3 PM sharp, you hear me?¡± ¡°Okay¡­ I got it.¡± Finally, Wang Xun managed to hang up the phone. Shortly after, he received a message from his mother on WeChat. ¡°Jiang Siyi, 22 years old, postgraduate, works in a government unit, monthly salary xxx¡­¡± At the same time, a photo was sent over.This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. The girl in the photo had shoulder-length black hair, a delicate and beautiful face, and wore glasses that made her look a bit mature. However, you could still vaguely see the clarity of a college student who had just entered society. To be honest, Wang Xun was a little moved the moment he saw the photo. Only after experiencing life on a construction site would you realize that the only time architecture students have a lot of contact with girls is on campus. But thinking about it, she''s a 22-year-old postgraduate graduate. It seems like I''m a bit out of my league. With her qualifications, why would she need a blind date? Could it be that she''s being arranged by her family like me? Whatever, I''ll just meet her and see what happens. Even if I can''t get my hands on the ''swan'' that flew to my doorstep, I should at least see what kind of breed it is. Wang Xun recalled his dazed state just now, it seemed like he had a dream? But the details are a bit hazy. Well, it''s getting late, time to rest. His focus should still be on this mysterious text-based ''Age of Exploration'' game. This thing is what can change his destiny. ...... The next day, early morning. ¡°Boss, a cup of soy milk and a fried dough stick, I''ll eat here.¡±... Wang Yuan, dressed in black workout clothes, stepped into the breakfast shop. If you were to ask him why he''s dressed like this, it''s of course to practice his swordsmanship, striving to become a¡ªsword master as soon as possible. No, it should be to become a swordsman who is one with his sword as soon as possible. Recently, Wang Xun has increasingly felt the changes in his body. Since yesterday, after trying out the swordsmanship he remembered at home, he instantly realized the urgency of improving his physical fitness. Although he''s only starting systematic physical training now, with the memories of the game character, he can take some shortcuts, especially with the diluted [Healing Potion] buff, which has saved him a lot of effort. After quickly finishing breakfast, Wang Xun jogged home and quickly rinsed off the sweat. Then he sat on the bed and opened the game again. [You have arrived at the port.] ¡¾A gentle sea breeze blows, and before your eyes stretches an endless ocean.¡¿ ¡¾Due to the invasion of pirates, everything in this port appears chaotic.¡¿ Looking at the patterns in the game''s background, Wang Xun murmured. ¡°The day and night cycle in this game seems to be synchronized with the real world.¡± ¡¾The port administrator tells you that there will be a merchant ship leaving Ao Port only tomorrow, you might as well look around.¡¿ After reading the text, Wang Xun directly clicked the ¡¾Explore Around¡¿ option. The dialogue above is clearly a kind of textual hint. ¡¾You wander aimlessly along the beach¡¿ ¡¾You found a seashell*1~¡¿ ¡¾Exploring~¡¿ ... Several useless trinkets quickly filled Wang Xun''s backpack, these things all look like junk. ¡°Perhaps I understand.¡± Just as Wang Xun was about to move his character away, the text changed again. ¡¾You spot a figure under a coconut tree not far away, the person is holding a scimitar in one hand, wearing a pirate hat, and seems to be burying something in the ground.¡¿ ¡¾Please make a choice for your next reaction.¡¿ ¡¾1. Step forward and question what the other person is doing.¡¿ ¡¾2. Pick up your weapon and kill him.¡¿ ¡¾3. This has nothing to do with you, turn around and leave.¡¿ It was time to make a choice again. Wang Xun carefully looked at the text in front of him and had his own guess. This person is probably a pirate. Although he doesn''t know what he''s doing here, he''s definitely not here to pick up trash. He had killed many pirates with his own hands, and he didn''t believe that this was a group that was easy to get along with. In order to avoid wasting soul points in vain, Wang Xun directly chose the second option. ¡¾You slowly approach quietly, and the other party doesn''t seem to notice your approach.¡¿ ¡¾As the sound of a single-handed sword entering flesh rang out, another corpse fell to the ground.¡¿ ¡¾You killed a pirate deserter and gained a small amount of experience.¡¿ ¡°Easy peasy, but why is there a pirate deserter here? What is he doing?¡± With doubts, Wang Xun clicked on ''scan surroundings''. ¡¾You discover that the sand in front of you seems to have been moved.¡¿ ¡¾After digging away the sand, you find a delicate wooden box. As the box is opened, a blood-colored human-shaped statue appears in front of you.¡¿ ¡¾A faint scarlet mist surrounds it, and with its appearance, the surrounding air seems to be filled with a bloody smell.¡¿ ¡¾Do you want to pick up the ''Violator'' statue?¡¿ Looking at the somewhat eerie image of the statue, Wang Xun felt a little hesitant. This thing However, after a little thought, Wang Xun decided to pick it up and take a look. Chapter 8: Setting Sail ¡¾As you approach, the surrounding mist seems to begin to swirl around you.¡¿ ¡¾You picked up the ''Violator'' statue.¡¿ ¡¾The Violator statue symbolizes various acts of cruelty and is a collection of the beliefs of those filled with sin. When you offer sacrifices with blood and wails, you will gain some mysterious power.¡¿ ¡¾Some unknown existence seems to have cast its gaze upon you.¡¿ Wang Xun had just breathed a sigh of relief, but unexpectedly, he seemed to have fallen into another predicament. This thing seemed a bit evil. Just as he was about to choose to discard it, a new option appeared on the interface. ¡¾You have discovered the mystery of the statue.¡¿ ¡¾What are you going to do with it?¡¿ ¡¾1. Throw the statue away directly, pretend you didn''t find anything, and turn around to leave.¡¿ ¡¾2. Use blood to water the ''Violator'' statue, and you will receive a ''gift'' from a mysterious existence.¡¿ ¡¾3. This is a statue related to an evil god. It must not be touched by ordinary people. You should destroy it (this action will trigger unknown consequences)¡¿ Wang Xun looked at the three options, but his heart was immediately drawn to the last one. As a veteran game enthusiast, he had a great interest in options that might trigger hidden storylines. "Why not try the third one? It''s just one life anyway," Wang Xun thought, and decisively chose the third option. ¡¾Although you knew this action might lead to unknown consequences, curiosity drove you to make the choice.¡¿ ¡¾You destroyed the ''Tyrant'' statue with the weapon in your hand.¡¿ ¡¾You have destroyed the ''Tyrant'' statue, and you will be hunted by all who worship ''Tyranny''!¡¿ ¡¾Because you destroyed the ''Tyrant'' statue, you have gained one strengthening point.¡¿ ¡¾You have leveled up: 7¡¿ Along with the level increase, Wang Xun had a completely different feeling from previous level-ups. His body seemed to have undergone some changes. However, before Wang Xun could carefully feel it, he was drawn to the description in the text. Strengthening point? Something new! Wang Xun immediately clicked on the details to check it out. Simply put, this thing is a good item that can be used to quickly improve the level and proficiency of your various skills. After reading the description, Wang Xun directly chose to use it.This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. ¡¾You have used 1 enhancement point, your skill: Wave-Breaking Swordsmanship proficiency has increased, current proficiency level is Minor Accomplishment¡¿ ¡¾Your Wave-Breaking Swordsmanship has been upgraded to Minor Accomplishment, you have comprehended the Arcane Art: Stacking Waves¡¿ Jackpot! Not only did I level up, but I also successfully obtained a new move, and the price was just being chased by the followers of that damn ''Violator''. The description of that statue doesn''t look like anything righteous, it''s probably some kind of cancerous cult. I, Wang Xun, will never coexist with gambling and drugs. After experiencing the memories of the sword moves that appeared in his mind, Wang Xun''s face also showed a joyful expression. ¡°Good heavens, at this rate, I might really become a sword master~!¡± After being excited for a while, Wang Xun''s attention returned to the game. However, this time he didn''t find any more events in Ao Port. Seeing that there was no new content, Wang Xun could only click exit, hoping that tomorrow''s voyage would bring him more surprises. ...... Another night passed. Wang Xun got up early again today. Today he ran a big circle around the park near his community, the feeling of energy filling his body fascinated him. Even this level of exercise, far exceeding what he was used to, didn''t make him feel tired. Is this the effect of the game?! After finishing his morning exercise, Wang Xun jogged home, eager to continue playing the game. Upstairs, open the door, draw the curtains, and the Age of Exploration begins~!! ¡¾Loading content~¡¿ ¡¾You wake up in a small wooden cabin in Ao Port¡¿ ¡¾A merchant ship has arrived at the port today, it can take you away from here.¡¿ Wang Xun skillfully controlled his character to the port and clicked ¡¾Depart¡¿. The current route from Ao Port only shows a place called Saint-Malo. Although he doesn''t know what that place is like, it''s his only option. ¡¾You board the merchant ship leaving Ao Port.¡¿ ¡¾Sailing~£¡¡¿ ¡¾Loading event...¡¿ ...... The screen began to display a wooden three-masted sailing ship from the Age of Exploration. The art style was quite good, and the various details could withstand scrutiny. ¡°Maybe one day I can get my own ship and sail the seas.¡± Just as Wang Xun was getting a little bored watching the various scenery that occasionally appeared on the screen, the text finally showed a new change. ¡¾You have spent a comfortable time on the merchant ship, but the sea cannot always be smooth sailing.¡¿ ¡¾Clang~ Clang~ Clang¡¿ ¡¾The lookout on the mast of the merchant ship rang the alarm bell, he seemed to have discovered some danger.¡¿ ¡¾This is a frequently traveled route, and there is usually no danger here, except for pirates.¡¿ ¡¾The captain knows of your deeds, and he hopes you can take action.¡¿ ¡¾What is your choice?¡¿ ¡¾1. There are guards on the merchant ship, they can handle this, it''s not worth my effort.¡¿ ¡¾2. How dare these little pirates try to rob Jack Drake, prepare to die!¡¿ At the same time, the game''s background music also changed, the original melodious sound turned into an exciting drumbeat, accompanied by the sound of artillery fire. Faced with this sudden event, Wang Xu naturally couldn''t back down, he chose the second option from his heart. ¡¾You pick up your weapon and come to the deck.¡¿ ¡¾Using the telescope handed over by the sailors, you discover that the flag of the approaching ship seems to be that of the Kuhl Pirates.¡¿ ¡°Yo, isn''t this an old friend?¡± It seems that this game has many continuous events. ¡¾As the two ships drew closer, iron grappling hooks were hurled over, their sharp barbs digging into the deck.¡¿ ¡¾Some impatient pirates even swung directly over from the high masts using ropes, initiating a fierce boarding action.¡¿ The view shifted, zooming in on the entire ship, with vivid character portraits of each pirate. ¡¾A pirate bravely charges towards you.¡¿ ¡¾But your sword is faster, leaving a bloody gash across his throat.¡¿ ¡¾You have defeated a pirate sailor.¡¿ ¡¾Experience points slightly increased.¡¿ ¡¾You have obtained a damaged pirate cutlass.¡¿ ...... After continuously killing several small fry, Wang Xun also maneuvered his character towards the area where the two ships met, the most intense point of conflict. After all, the experience points from these ''mobs'' were no longer appealing to him. ¡¾A hearty laugh suddenly came from ahead, a pirate wearing a captain''s hat was slaughtering the merchant convoy''s guards.¡¿ ¡¾Attack?¡¿ Wang Xun''s eyes lit up as if he had seen a ''player'' encountering a BOSS, and he immediately clicked the confirm button without hesitation. Chapter 9: Encounter with a Real Player ¡¾You bravely charged out of the crowd, heading straight for the most dangerous enemy.¡¿ ¡¾The pirate captain, Kuhl, also launched an attack on you...¡¿ ¡¾After a fierce battle, your swordsmanship improved, you suppressed the pirate captain Kuhl. Taking advantage of an opening, you defeated him with a gunshot.¡¿ ¡¾Victory in battle! You gained a large amount of experience points, your level has increased, current level: 10.¡¿ ¡¾A pile of loot was left at the scene.¡¿ The battle ended quickly. The game''s background illustrations showed several snippets of the fight, which were quite immersive. Then, Wang Xun turned his attention to the spoils of this battle. ¡¾You search the pile of loot¡¿ ¡¾You obtained the armor ''Fish Scale Soft Armor'' (Excellent)¡¿ ¡¾You obtained the skill book ''Fearless'': This skill will increase all attributes by 10%, but will cause a period of weakness after use (the specific time depends on the state).¡¿ Finally, he got a piece of armor, and a quality-like entry appeared for the first time. It looks like a good thing. Plus, with this god-like skill to boost his power, his combat strength is soaring like a rocket. After collecting the loot, Wang Xun continued to operate in the game. He didn''t forget that there was a ship hanging nearby, maybe he could find some more treasures. Click ¡¾Board the Pirate Ship¡¿. Along the way, although there were some small fry pirates, none of them were a match for Wang Xun in his current state. Passing through the gangway to the ship''s cabin area, a room named [Captain''s Cabin] was naturally the first choice. [You have arrived at the Captain''s Cabin of the Kuhl Pirates.] [The messy room doesn''t seem to have anything of value, but a large wooden chest at the foot of the bed hides the treasures of the pirate Kuhl.] [Open the treasure chest?] Having had the experience once before, Wang Xun naturally knew what to do. But before that, he was quite particular about closing his eyes and silently reciting the names of several famous deities for blessings. After all, if this kind of game can appear, who can guarantee that the beings in these myths and legends are just fictional? It wouldn''t hurt to pray for good luck. After preparing, Wang Xun clicked to open the treasure chest. [You have opened the treasure chest of the pirate Kuhl] [You have obtained a special dagger. It doesn''t seem to be a weapon, perhaps it has more uses (item)]The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. [You have obtained the damaged one-handed sword ''Wind Whisper'' (Damaged)] [You have obtained 25 gold coins] [You have unlocked the new function ''Reality Manifestation''] ¡°There''s something new again?!¡± Wang Xun looked at the items on the screen and couldn''t help but check the detailed information. ¡¾One-Handed Sword ''Wind Whisper'' (Damaged): A weapon imbued with the power of wind elements. The cause of its damage is unknown, but its materials are precious. Perhaps you can find a craftsman to reforge it.¡¿ Looks like a good item. Although the details indicate it''s damaged, Wang Xun believes that nothing in this game is useless. Moreover, the last sentence suggests it can be repaired. Continuing to review the content, the newly unlocked feature ''Reality Manifestation'' doesn''t seem simple from its name alone. As his understanding deepens, Wang Xun gets his answer. This thing is a bit terrifying. ¡°Holy crap, this world is really going to go crazy!¡± ¡¾Reality Manifestation: When a player''s game progress reaches a certain point, the reality manifestation function of the game character template will be unlocked. You can manifest the character''s body in reality!¡¿ After reading the text, Wang Xun was completely taken aback. He was already surprised that he could receive some knowledge from his game character and slightly improve his physical fitness in reality. If he could also manifest his game character into reality... Wang Xun found this kind of world a bit hard to accept. After all, his character data has already reached level 10. From his attributes, he''s already somewhat superhuman, not to mention the possibility of ''players'' who might be at even higher levels than him. After a long pause, Wang Xun managed to gather his scattered thoughts. ¡°Forget it, I''ll try this reality manifestation myself and see what it''s all about.¡± Looking out the window, he saw that the sky was getting dark. Wang Xun thought for a moment, realizing that the space inside the house wasn''t suitable for the kind of movements he might be making later. Afterward, he tidied himself up and headed downstairs. Not far from the residential area, by the river, there was a patch of reeds that had been washed down from upstream during the rainy season. That place was quite suitable for some of his needs. ...... Rong City, by the Luo River. The distant neon lights prevented the riverside from being completely dark, but on this rarely visited boardwalk, a young man on a night run arrived today. The person was none other than Wang Xun. He walked down from the riverbank onto the boardwalk by the river. The fertile soil had allowed the reeds to grow as tall as a person, making it impossible to see outside while walking on the boardwalk. ¡°This place is quite suitable, hopefully there aren''t any fishermen.¡± Wang Xun carefully looked around. After confirming that no one was around, he took out his phone and took a deep breath. ¡¾Reality Manifestation Initiating.¡¿ As the text appeared, the entire phone suddenly emitted a hazy ''black light''. What followed was an unbearable pain that swept through his entire body, a pain that felt like it was drilling out from his bones. Fortunately, the pain didn''t last long. When everything was over, a masked man wearing medieval clothing, a sailor''s hat, and dark breeches appeared on the quiet riverside boardwalk. He slightly clenched his fist, and a strange sense of power surged forth. ¡°Damn it, this thing can still grow taller?!¡± Wang Xun, who had always been dissatisfied with his 173cm height, felt a vision of at least 190cm in front of him, and couldn''t help but sigh. But now was not the time to dwell on this. After feeling around for various things on his body, Wang Xun also understood the general effect of this reality manifestation. ¡£ It was to directly manifest all the attributes and equipment of his game character into reality. The most terrifying thing was the character''s attributes. At least from the current feeling, Wang Xun felt that he was a superman. He even had a strange feeling that as long as he wanted, he could run from the river bank in front of him to the other side with his feet. ¡°Is this the attribute that a level 10 game character can bring? I feel incredibly strong.¡± Even a jump in place could make his vision surpass the obstruction of the surrounding reeds. After getting a little familiar with his state, Wang Xun was ready to cancel his state. But at this moment, an unexpected voice came. [Detected the appearance of ''Violator'' followers nearby, please pay attention to safety.] ??? On the other side, two figures were chasing each other by the Luo River, heading towards the location where Wang Xun was. With a flower of blood blooming on the former, the chase between the two finally ended. Chapter 10: Murder ¡°Kid, judging by your voice, you''re not too old. Don''t go astray. The country is now forming a special department to deal with ''players''. Working for the government is not only legal, but the benefits are amazing, okay?¡± In front of the middle-aged man, a person wearing a half-mask with a trace of blood at the corner of his mouth was slumped on the ground. From the half of his face that was exposed, one could still see a hint of youthful immaturity. ¡°If you want to catch me, then catch me. I won''t join you. I am the chosen one, I am the protagonist!!¡± The man couldn''t help but shake his head at the other party''s somewhat delusional behavior. Then, he took out a pair of ''silver handcuffs'' from his lower back and approached the masked man on the ground. ¡°I think you''re just having a fit. You''re so young, yet you act without considering the consequences. I''ll take you back for some education first, and then notify your parents.¡± But just as everything seemed to be settled, danger quietly arose. ¡°Thwack~!¡± A sound like a plucked string suddenly rang out from the reeds nearby, followed by a cold, gleaming crossbow bolt that flew quickly towards him. The man, who appeared to be an official, reacted quickly and dodged to the side, but the sudden attack still left a considerable wound on his side. The middle-aged man winced in pain and half-squatted down, clutching his wound. ¡°Damn it, playing sneak attacks, who are you?!¡± The masked youth was also stunned for a moment, then said in confusion, ¡°There''s actually another person here?¡± The black-clad figure who had suddenly appeared raised a long sword and pointed it directly at the injured man, then a deep voice came. ¡°Kid, I see you have extraordinary bones. Why not join our Co-Aid Society? The official organizations are not as free as we are.¡± Hearing these words, the man''s expression changed. ¡°The Co-Aid Society?!¡± However, before any further action could be taken. The black-clad man''s movements faltered, then he turned his head to look at the end of the other side of the boardwalk. His actions naturally drew the attention of the other two people present. After their gazes followed, they discovered that there was another person in the darkness at the end of the boardwalk. ¡°Tap~ Tap¡± Under the gaze of the three, the figure approached step by step. As the distance shortened, the three could finally see the person''s attire. Wearing a tricorn hat, dressed in exquisite medieval attire, with a long sword at his waist. If it weren''t for the inappropriate setting, he would look like someone attending a comic convention. The person was none other than Wang Xun.Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. ¡°Are there other high-level ¡®players¡¯ in Rong City?¡± But at this moment, a voice echoed in the black-clad man''s mind. ¡°Huh? You''re a pursuer!¡± Seemingly receiving shocking news, the black-clad man suddenly raised his left hand, firing a crossbow bolt, then turned to flee. Wang Xun''s eyes narrowed slightly, and he picked up the long sword in his hand, skillfully using the Wave-Breaking Sword Technique. In an instant, sword light flashed, and the crossbow bolt was deflected. Then, with a shift of his body, Wang Xun shot towards the black-clad man like a cannonball. This was the first time he had gone all out after using the template. In the eyes of the other two, all of this happened in an instant. The previously imposing man in black suddenly turned to run, and then the newcomer rushed in front of him like a ghost. ¡°Puff~Puff¡± The black-clothed man''s movements suddenly froze, followed by the sound of cloth tearing. His body then fell apart, leaving only a pile of block-like objects like building blocks. Then, in the horrified eyes of the remaining two, the figure like a Shura turned and looked in their direction. Seeing this, the middle-aged man, with a pale face, barely propped himself up to stand in front of the masked youth. But to his surprise, the other person just sized him up and then turned to leave. Seeing that the danger seemed to have passed, the middle-aged man finally couldn''t hold on and fell to the ground. The masked youth on the side also came back to his senses and helped him up. ¡°Uncle? Uncle, are you okay!¡± ¡°Damn it! Don''t fall asleep!¡± ...... The next day, the sun awakened this city located in southwest China. ¡°Beep~Beep~Beep¡± ¡°Nurse, nurse, please come and see how he is doing?¡± ¡°Why are you so dumbfounded? Did you hit your head?!¡± Listening to the somewhat noisy voices around him, Zhao Fang slowly opened his eyes. As his eyes adjusted to the light in the environment, he realized that he was lying on a hospital bed. However, the wound on his abdomen clearly indicated the danger of last night. Turning his gaze to the side, a middle-aged man with a worried expression was leaning in to look at him. ¡°Team leader, it seems like I might need to rest for a while.¡± After briefly asking Zhao Fang about his experience last night, Jiang Huajun was ushered out by the nurses on the grounds that the patient needed rest. Looking through the recorded information in his hand, Jiang Huajun sighed and then said to the person beside him. ¡°The plan has changed, Siyi. The construction speed of the Rongcheng team needs to be accelerated. The Freemasons'' shadow has also appeared in Rongcheng.¡± ¡°Find out that person''s information and send an invitation letter first.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ...... On the other side, after leaving the riverbank, Wang Xun carefully avoided the surrounding crowds and cameras. After returning to his room and canceling the character template''s reality manifestation, he finally breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°Damn it! I actually killed someone?!¡± Thinking about how a living person was dismembered by his own sword in front of him tonight, Wang Xun''s heart was pounding, and his legs even felt a little weak. But at the same time, Wang Xun had a deeper understanding of the function of the character template''s reality manifestation. It seemed to directly grant him all the abilities that the character''s background possessed. This was most evident when he killed someone. After all, for a college student living in a peaceful era, killing and seeing blood was something far removed from his reality. But tonight, when he drew his sword, he felt a sense of exhilaration instead. This feeling continued until he canceled the template''s enhancement, and only then did his state resemble the reaction of an ordinary person after killing and seeing blood. ¡°If I use these templates for too long, will my personality shift to resemble those characters?¡± After resting for a while, Wang Xun looked at his phone, lost in thought. Although he wasn''t sure about his guess, he decided to use this state as little as possible unless absolutely necessary. The night passed without incident. The new day began, and early in the morning, Wang Xun opened ''Age of Exploration'' to continue playing. ¡¾Game is launching...¡¿ ¡¾You awaken from the cabin of a merchant ship. It seems today you will reach your destination, ''Saint-Malo''.¡¿ ¡¾Looking into the distance, a huge port city appears before you. It''s much more luxurious than that small place, Ao Port.¡¿ ¡¾The scale of the port alone is much larger, and more importantly, several ironclad battleships armed to the teeth are docked here.¡¿ ¡°Hmm, a new place, a new atmosphere. Let me see what''s here.¡± Wang Xun looked at the detailed background illustration on the screen, feeling a surge of excitement. Chapter 11 Special Affairs Department ¡¾You have set foot on the land of Saint-Malo, the city''s hustle and bustle carried by the sea breeze.¡¿ ¡¾Walking straight along the road, you''ll find the most prosperous area of Saint-Malo, which is also the political center of Saint-Malo. The castle built with huge stones is the best proof of this.¡¿ ¡¾Take a stroll around the port. It''s a hub where various information spreads quickly. Perhaps you can gather some news here, and of course, you can also find a good job.¡¿ ¡¾Where are you going next?¡¿ After reading the description of the new place, Wang Xun finally started exploring step by step based on his game experience, since there was nothing urgent. ¡¾You decide to wander around the port, and you discover new locations¡¿ ¡¾General Store¡¿¡¾Blacksmith¡¿¡¾Dock¡¿¡¾Naval Base¡¿ After a moment of thought, Wang Xun decided to go to the blacksmith, because in his backpack there was also a damaged one-handed sword called ''Wind Whisper''. ¡¾You have arrived at the blacksmith in Saint-Malo, the sound of hammering and the heat wave rush towards you.¡¿ ¡¾The shop is divided into two areas. On one side of the wall, there are various exquisite weapons and equipment, while on the other side, a group of blacksmiths are forging in front of the furnace.¡¿ ¡¾Your arrival has obviously attracted the attention of the shop owner. An old blacksmith with a gray beard walks over and asks what help you need.¡¿ The text stopped here, but Wang Xun also understood the interaction method of this type of game, and immediately took out the one-handed sword ''Wind Whisper'' from his backpack. ¡¾You have lost the one-handed sword ''Wind Whisper''¡¿ ¡¾Looking at the exquisite longsword in front of him, the old blacksmith exclaimed, ''A rare masterpiece.''¡¿ ¡¾During your conversation with the old blacksmith, you learn that repairing this weapon will cost you 200 gold coins.¡¿ ¡¾Do you want to repair the one-handed sword ''Wind Whisper''?¡¿ ¡°So expensive?! This is real gold!¡± Wang Xun couldn''t help but complain about the price, but he didn''t want to give up on this seemingly good weapon, after all, it was the best weapon he had at the moment. ¡¾Repair.¡¿ ¡¾-200 gold coins.¡¿ ¡¾The blacksmith tells you that you can come to the blacksmith shop to pick it up tomorrow.¡¿ After resolving the equipment issue, Wang Xun''s attention turned to other options. After a little thought, he directly passed the ¡¾Dock¡¿, after all, he didn''t have a ship right now. Then the remaining options were to go to the general store or check out what the navy base was for.Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. Soon, Wang Xun exited the general store interface, it was because he had overestimated it, there were indeed many things in the general store. But they weren''t anything special, but he still bought a few small items, because he found that some things could actually be equipped in the clothing slot of the character panel, which added a bit of fun. But just as Wang Xun was about to click on the remaining options. The text changed again on its own. ¡¾A soldier in navy uniform is walking towards your location, as he gets closer, you finally confirm that he is coming for you.¡¿ ¡°£¿£¿What''s this all about?¡± With questions swirling, Wang Xun could only wait for the text to progress. ¡¾During your communication with the soldiers, you learned that they know about your deeds of defeating the pirates. His arrival is to invite you to join the navy.¡¿ ¡¾Do you accept?¡¿ ¡°This is... a faction choice?!¡± Seeing this, Wang Xun realized that he had probably encountered a special event or had enough reputation to trigger a faction choice. However, Wang Xun didn''t have any special needs at the moment, so he simply chose to accept and prepare to go in and take a look. ¡¾You have accepted the navy''s invitation.¡¿ ¡¾Following behind the soldier, you arrived at the new recruit registration office of the Saint-Malo naval base.¡¿ ¡¾But just as they were recording your identity information, the recruiting officer seemed to notice some details.¡¿ ¡¾You have lost the item ''Borg''s Letter of Introduction''.¡¿ ¡¾You have been exempted from the identity verification process.¡¿ ¡°Well, it seems you need a background to do anything in this world.¡± Wang Xun sighed for a moment, then looked at the subsequent text again. ¡¾You have joined the navy faction, you have unlocked the special building ''Training Ground'', where you can train your skills.¡¿ After a quick look at the description of the training ground, Wang Xun quickly understood its purpose: a place to safely enhance abilities. And most importantly, this thing allows his character to AFK in the ''training ground'' even when he''s offline. After trying out the new features for a bit, Wang Xun took his hands off the phone and leaned back. Let the game idle for a while, I didn''t sleep well last night. ...... ¡°Beep beep beep!¡± Accompanied by a series of urgent message tones, Wang Xun was startled awake. ¡°Ugh~mm¡± ¡°Sleeping for a while feels much better, who sent the message?¡± Wang Xun reached for his charging phone on the table, but his good mood quickly soured after reading the message content. ¡¾Hello Comrade Wang Xun, this is the Special Affairs Department of the Huaguo National Security Bureau. According to the document ¡¶xxxx¡·, we hope you can go to the local relevant department to complete information registration as required.¡¿ Then there were several photos of Wang Xun on his way home, one of which even recorded the moment he changed his character template. £¿£¿£¿£¿£¿ ¡®Damn, there are surveillance cameras in that ghost place?! Am I exposed?!!¡¯ ¡®This shouldn''t get me thrown in jail, right? I did save someone yesterday.¡¯ After some initial bewilderment, Wang Xun quickly calmed down and clicked on the link in the message to view the file contents. After all, they sent him a message instead of directly coming to his door, which was clearly giving him time to think. ¡°Well, if it¡¯s a blessing, it¡¯s a blessing; if it¡¯s a disaster, there¡¯s no avoiding it.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go, let¡¯s take a look!¡± Wang Xun sorted out his thoughts a bit and then took a taxi to the address described in the file information. There was no way to avoid this anyway, so he might as well face the problem and see what the official attitude was. As the vehicle moved forward, Wang Xun soon discovered that his destination was actually an administrative building without a nameplate in the center of Rong City. And across the street from this building was the Rong City Public Security Bureau. Sure enough, it was a national department; the location alone made it clear that it was no ordinary unit. After registering his name at the gate, a young woman wearing a T-shirt and a sun-protective jacket walked out of the courtyard. She walked straight towards the entrance and then sized up Wang Xun before saying, ¡°You¡¯re Wang Xun? You look alright. Come with me.¡± Seeing her attitude, Wang Xun was a bit puzzled. Her tone made it sound like she was seeing an acquaintance. However, she didn¡¯t say much, and Wang Xun could only follow her with his questions. Soon, she led him to a conference room. The walls of the entire conference room were covered with various cultural propaganda, which was consistent with Wang Xun''s image of those public institutions. Seeing that Wang Xun didn''t ask any questions, the other party smiled slightly and then spoke. ¡°When did you enter the game? What level are you?¡± ...... Chapter 12 Joining the Organization Faced with the other party''s direct question, Wang Xun tensed up for a moment, then slowly relaxed. However, his brain was working rapidly. ¡°It was just a couple of days ago, this matter has to start from that morning....¡± Before Wang Xun could continue speaking, the girl saw Wang Xun''s nervous expression and chuckled, saying. ¡°Don''t be so nervous, I''m Jiang Siyi, 22 years old, the same age as you, let''s add each other as friends.¡± Clearly, Jiang Siyi didn''t intend to hide her identity as a ''player'', but actively revealed it to Wang Xun, and even proactively handed over something that looked like a business card. From this point of view, it is clear that the official attitude towards the current ''player'' group is benevolent, and they are also simultaneously building a team belonging to the official organization. Although Wang Xun didn''t know how to add friends yet, he still calmly took the card from Jiang Siyi, and he felt that the name sounded somewhat familiar. Just as he touched the card, Wang Xun heard a ''ding'' sound in his ear. Obviously, this thing should also be a tool for adding friends in the game. ¡°I believe you had some guesses in your mind on the way here, so I''ll just say it directly.¡± ¡°Because of the emergence of this mysterious game, ''Age of Exploration,'' there are already many ''players'' like you and me in this society, and some of them involve magical items that can affect reality...¡± Jiang Siyi explained the current attitude of the Huaguo (China) government, while also giving Wang Xun a rough understanding of some internal information. According to the research of some scientific big shots, this game uses an inexplicable method to select ''eligible individuals'' to enter the game. Especially those with more active mental states and stronger wills. Therefore, ''talents'' like Wang Xun who have been selected by the game are naturally valued by the government, which has established a special security affairs department, which of course has some control implications. After all, the outflow of some special items will definitely affect social stability. Of course, Wang Xun also noticed a key piece of information. That is, regarding the exploration of the game, many ''pioneering teams'' have been established in the military. This news also extinguished Wang Xun''s little thought of wanting to be a lone wolf. Damn it, as expected, it is not surprising that players selected by the game appear in the huge military base. After introducing a lot of information, Jiang Siyi''s final question naturally came to the moment for Wang Xun to make a decision. ¡°So, after hearing so much, have you decided to join us?¡± When preparing to make a decision, Wang Xun asked himself, and in fact, he was not so resistant to joining the official department.Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. Of course, this is definitely not because of the basic salary of 20,000, the foreign aid subsidy, the formal establishment, the five social insurances and one housing fund, normal holidays, double pay for overtime, annual leave benefits, and other external things. All of this is Wang Xun''s patriotic heart as a new era youth of Huaguo!!! To be honest, the previous things did impress Wang Xun, but what made him make a decision immediately was the resource tilt and information sharing. These two things sound simple, but it''s a problem for an ordinary person to access cutting-edge information. Obviously, these problems will be easily solved after joining the official organization. After a little thought, Wang Xun also nodded. Anyway, he is currently unemployed, and having an official background will give him more confidence when talking to his family. Seeing that Wang Xun had made a decision, Jiang Siyi also smiled. ¡°Since you have decided, then come with me to meet Team Leader Jiang, and also transfer your file.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± After speaking, Jiang Siyi took the lead and walked out of the door. The two of them walked through the corridor to an elevator hall at the corner. ¡°The department in Rongcheng is still under construction, but the main personnel are all here.¡± ¡°The first floor is where some grassroots colleagues work, and the second floor belongs to us ¡®players¡¯, also known as the activity area of the action team.¡± ¡°As for the upper floors, they are the offices of the leaders.¡± As the sound of the elevator opening rang, she led Wang Xun towards a direction with a sign that read ''Team Leader''s Office''. Jiang Siyi quickly stepped forward and knocked on the wooden door. ¡°Come in.¡± Accompanied by a voice from inside, the two also pushed the door open and entered. Behind a rather solemn wooden desk, a middle-aged man with a refined appearance was writing something with a fountain pen. After the two entered, he glanced up briefly, then closed the notebook in his hand and stood up, saying, "You must be Comrade Wang Xun, I truly appreciate your righteous action last night." "My name is Jiang Huajun, the leader of the action group of the Special Affairs Department. I''m very glad you could join us." He then extended his hand towards Wang Xun. Although he didn''t know what level of department this Special Affairs Department was, the fact that it started with the words ''China Security'' indicated that it was not an ordinary department. And a person who held a position of power in this department would naturally not be an ordinary person. Wang Xun quickly stepped forward to shake his hand, and then quickly said that it was something he should do as a compatriot. After a brief introduction, Jiang Siyi led Wang Xun towards the room opposite. After walking out the door, Wang Xun also breathed a sigh of relief. The scene did make him feel a bit pressured. When Jiang Siyi pushed open the door of the office with the sign ''Archives Group'', Wang Xun was secretly amazed. It seemed that all the good-looking ones were recruited by the state. A mature woman wearing an administrative jacket, but still with a voluptuous chest, was sitting upright inside. After arriving in this room, Jiang Siyi''s mood also relaxed a lot. "Sister Xue, I''ve brought the person over. Group Leader Jiang said to do an information entry first." The mature woman nodded after hearing Jiang Siyi''s words. ¡°Hello, I am Zhong Lixue, the head of the archives group. Welcome to the Special Affairs Department of the China National Security Bureau.¡± Zhong Lixue said with a smile, standing up to shake hands with Wang Xun. Wang Xun stepped forward to shake her hand, the touch was incredibly smooth, and as the distance between them closed, he could faintly smell a delicate fragrance. ¡°Hello, Group Leader Zhong, I look forward to your guidance in the future.¡± ¡°Don''t be so polite, we''re all colleagues. Come, have a seat first, and I''ll record your information.¡± Zhong Lixue gestured for Wang Xun to sit down, then opened her computer and pulled up some files. ¡°Name?¡± ¡°Wang Xun¡± ¡°Current address?¡± ¡°No. 203, Phase II, XX Community, XX Street.¡± ...... ¡°Game nickname?¡± ¡°Jack Drake¡± ¡°Good name. Once you have your first ship and set sail, you can activate the social system, and we can add each other as friends then.¡± ¡°However, I still advise you not to add strangers as friends casually.¡± Wang Xun nodded thoughtfully. ¡°Let''s continue, what''s your current level?¡± Hearing this, Wang Xun vaguely felt a burning gaze from the side, making him feel a little uneasy. Then, turning his head, he saw Jiang Siyi staring intently at him, as if waiting for him to reveal his level. Zhong Lixue was also gazing at him with her beautiful eyes, her expression seeming somewhat... expectant? This situation left him a little confused.