Chapter 64

【The script is complete, rewards are being settled.】

【Experience gained: 5500, game coins: 55000】

【Items/equipment obtained: None】

【Tasks completed/accepted: 2/2】

【Special, hidden tasks completed: 0, worldview cracked: None】

【Times of extreme fright: 0, highest fright level: 0%, average fright level: 0%】

【Your fear rating is 'Fearless,' you can obtain an additional reward, please select later.】

【Skill points gained: 323】

【Skill points experience bonus: 3230, game coins: 32300】

【Script completion reward: 100% base experience bonus: 5500】

【Settlement is complete, please proceed.】

After saying goodbye to Twenty-Three, Feng Jue was passively teleported. But a question was deeply implanted in Feng Jue's mind, and he couldn't help but ponder... As a set of data born with self-awareness and a certain level of intelligence, should the derivatives be considered a form of "higher life" and be given a certain amount of respect, or at least... not be hunted down just because of their "existence"?

The answer to this question cannot be solved by reasoning alone; not everything in this world can be divided into right and wrong, should and should not. So some things have no answer, only results. Feng Jue was just an ordinary person; he had neither the ability nor the authority to deal with such matters. All he could do was think.

【You have reached level 13, your stamina cap has increased, current stamina is 1300/1300】

The system prompt pulled his thoughts back.

"Jue, are you okay? Why did it take you several minutes to exit the script?" Wang Tan's voice also rang through the communication channel.

"Don't worry, I'm fine," Feng Jue said. "I'm already level 13."

Wang Tan said, "Huh? I'm only level 12 with a bit over 2000 experience. I've even played one more script than you. It must be the skill points, right?"

"The difference in skill points isn't that significant. Even if I got 300 or 400 more skill points than you in a few team survival modes, it would only be a difference of 3000 to 4000 experience points. The main reason is that the hidden task reward from my last script was also experience, and I also received a 40% experience bonus for my current level from my fear rating," Feng Jue explained.

"Hey... Jue, if you keep playing single-player survival modes, ensuring completion, and keep getting that 40% experience, wouldn't you level up super fast? You might even be the first to reach the maximum level on the server!" Wang Tan said.

"I have considered that. If I really wanted to, it would probably work. But playing this game, I have a bit of a 'cheating' suspicion. Being the first to reach the maximum level would make me a target. Besides, there's no special reward for being the first to max out, and for a non-professional player like me who doesn't want to be famous, it would just bring a lot of trouble," Feng Jue replied.

Wang Tan said, "The beta cap was only level 20, so maybe it was a fluke, but the public beta cap is level 50, and account registration is open. Maybe the first player to max out will get some incredible reward?"

Feng Jue laughed, "It doesn't really make a difference. The situation won't change in the public beta. The game company is well aware that the players with the highest levels are mostly the result of studio teams. Regular players can't compete in such a competition, especially in terms of available resources. Just the game time alone, casual players and professional players can't be compared. You see, the first player to reach level 20 in the beta, 'Fearless Hero,' only got an announcement on the forum and no substantial reward from the official side."

Later, it was proven that Feng Jue's guess was correct. Dream Company indeed gave no substantial reward to the first player to max out. Of course, that player and their studio got what they wanted—attention.

In today's online games, especially those with strong technical and gameplay elements, the top players are mostly dominated by studios. It's only after several years of operation, when the game is on the decline and studios withdraw, that some individual or casual players might emerge. By then, there might be few players left. Next comes the closure of registration, server mergers, and eventually, the game's shutdown.

As for some more "brain-dead" games, the overall structure is quite clear. It's all about who has the most money. Besides using exposed female characters to sell skin and some lowbrow marketing, the only noteworthy aspect is the game's graphics. The gameplay itself is not worth mentioning. In such games, studios are at the bottom, working for rich people, doing almost mindless repetitive tasks, almost like human bots.

The lifespan of such games is often shorter. Generally, players who don't spend money can't continue playing in the early to mid-stages. A few who persist to the later stages are also beaten back. Due to the game's lack of content, even those who have spent money will soon feel bored and leave.

Such online games were rampant in 2055, like a type of consumable. Top-notch marketing, third-rate games, and subpar operators. But these products were still accepted by the market because consumables are not wrong; people need such consumables. Players who don't want to spend money get a taste of something new, those who do spend money can enjoy the game better; operators just want to make a quick buck and don't plan for the long term; and studio blue-collar workers and newbies can survive by doing tasks like leveling up and grinding. Everyone gets what they want, and in about half a year, new consumables will be available.

"That's fine. If you level up too fast, no one will be around to help me level up," Xiao Tan replied. "By the way, Jue, I still have the Winchester. I'll bring it to you in the next script." Actually, Xiao Tan had also picked up two pistols from the gun store and kept them in his inventory, but the Winchester was clearly more suitable for the basketball court.

"Keep it for now. I'll log out after I organize my stuff," Feng Jue replied.

"Huh? But it's only two-thirty," Xiao Tan said.

His point was that it was still early. Even if they played until four, there would still be an hour and a half of real time left, which would translate to fifteen hours of game time in sleep mode, enough to play another script similar in length to the previous one.

"You said you were level 12 with a bit over 2000 experience, right?" Feng Jue said. "That means you're less than 10,000 experience points away from level 13. If you play a couple more scripts, you might even get a new title or something." He paused for a second and continued, "As for me... I need to think about some things..." This reason wasn't very convincing.

But Xiao Tan accepted it. He knew Feng Jue's personality; he would say everything he wanted to say and keep everything he didn't want to say to himself. So there was no point in pressing him. "Alright, I'll leave the team then."

"Okay, see you," Feng Jue said goodbye.

Xiao Tan responded and left the team.

When Feng Jue opened his friend list, three out of the four names were already offline: Long Ao F, Si Yu Ruo Li, and Bei Ling Xiao Gu. "Wang Tan" quickly changed from "Available" to "In Game."

He consciously checked the "Players I've recently played with" section. Besides his friends, it included players he had encountered since logging in, such as "Fearless Hero," "Tracebu Shaojie," and "Name Really Hard to Choose." "Wushuang Shangjiang Pan Feng" and "Qianren Zhan Hua Xiong" were also listed but showed as offline. Feng Jue suspected this was a kind of "invisible" status, but he didn't bother to send a message to confirm, as he doubted anyone would reply, let alone accept a friend request.

Feng Jue was somewhat unsettled by the events with Twenty-Three and temporarily lost his gaming mood. He didn't rush to claim his rewards or organize his items. Instead, he opened the game menu and chose to log out.

When logging out in sleep mode, the system gives an additional prompt to players who don't want to continue sleeping: "Do you want to be awakened?"

Page AD starts

Page AD ends