Chapter 30: Leaving the Small Town
Page 1/3
Lan Ling pondered aloud, “As I thought, such a realistic game, the NPCs must be incredibly intelligent! They’re no different from real people. So scavenging like in other games definitely won’t work.”
Xiao Mo added, “I told you, that method of gathering resources just isn’t feasible!”
It was hilarious to consider—in the real world, rummaging through someone else’s home right in front of them would definitely get you hauled off to the police station.
In a game this realistic, there’s no way you could steal something in the ancient setting without getting caught!
If you could confidently loot a pile of stuff right in front of people and walk away, that would be strange indeed.
It’s a full-immersion holographic game—if a real person barged in to grab items, the NPCs would have to be dead not to notice!
Other players applauded: “Makes sense, but we should still try it ourselves just to rule out wrong options, hahaha!”
“No way zero-cost acquisitions are realistic. We’d better just honestly grind for materials!”
“Am I the only one who thinks this feels more authentic? All the resources are self-earned! It really feels like living a second life inside the game!”
Everyone marveled at the game’s realism as they moved further inside.
One player lagging behind sat down thoughtfully: “You know, I’ve noticed every NPC in this world is just like a real person.”
“How so?”
“Well, they each have their own lives, just like us. They chat idly, chop firewood, prepare meals, wash dishes, and tidy up the table afterward.
Then they go shopping or out to have fun, and finally return home to sleep.
They get up in the morning, eat breakfast, then go to work—it’s like they’re truly living.”
A nearby player raised their hand: “Yeah, I noticed that too!
And each NPC has a different personality and lifestyle.
It’s as if, apart from players and main NPCs, every other NPC lives freely in places we can’t see.”
A hush fell over the group. Lan Ling raised an eyebrow in surprise: “Every NPC completely unique, living normally beyond the player’s view?”
“Terrifying. I can’t even imagine how the game company made such incredibly realistic and highly intelligent characters!”
“And a whole world with tens or hundreds of millions of people each having their own life logic—imagine the resources and hardware needed! Scary!”
Flying Dragon frowned in disbelief.
In most games, no matter how realistic the NPCs seem, they only move freely when players pass by to interact.
Page 2/3
In places players don’t visit, time essentially freezes.
But in this game, even if players aren’t nearby, NPCs still go about freely? That’s extraordinary!
Goofy Happy suddenly enlightened: “Oh, I thought the little girl’s family had some hidden quest, hence the special plot and high intelligence!”
“So all the NPCs in this world are like that! Now it makes sense!”
“But how did you discover the NPCs have their own lives?”
The two players chuckled: “Of course by tailing them, secretly watching from last night until noon today!”
They certainly wouldn’t say such a thing casually; they had observed carefully!
Xiao Mo almost spat out her drink: “What the heck! You stalkers! Didn’t you scare people to death?”
“How else do you think we got caught?”
The psychological trauma of being secretly followed all night and half a day by crazed players!
It was terrifying, beyond endurance!
Seriously, who can accept someone following them everywhere, watching them bathe and sleep, eat and work without missing a step?
It’s just too creepy!
Su Qingyue silently lit a candle in her heart for those two poor townsfolk—what a nightmare!
Honestly, getting caught was no injustice at all.
If she encountered someone peeping and tailing her like that, her heart would stop from fright too!
After counting and organizing their items, the players prepared to leave the small town with Su Qingyue.
But of course, there was one more thing to do before leaving.
Goofy Happy reached out to pat the little girl’s head: “Xiao Yunduo, keep these things safe. Your brothers and sisters are leaving now!”
The girl named Xiao Yunduo looked reluctant: “Brother, when will you come back?”
After her family died, apart from her grandmother, no one treated her so kindly—giving her plenty to eat and money, playing with her, telling her stories!
Goofy Happy scratched his head, thinking: “Um, twenty days, no, ten days—I’ll be back to see you, okay? If anything happens, just tear the music note.”
Judging by the players’ leveling pace, they’d reach level 20 Foundation Establishment within ten days after arriving at the Su family homeland.
At that stage, they could fly by sword, so the eight-day journey on foot would take much less time returning.
The little girl was tiny and super cute; Xiao Mo couldn’t help squatting to hug her: “Xiao Yunduo, be good, eat well, sleep well. Next time, I’ll bring you even more delicious food!”
Page 3/3
The group bid farewell to the little girl and her grandmother and headed towards the city gate. Even after leaving, Goofy Happy still looked a bit reluctant.
He worried aloud: “Such a small child, just a little bigger, really okay? She’s not even as tall as my waist!
Her health isn’t good either. What if something happens? What if she gets sick? Or robbed?”
Xiao Mo comforted him: “We left her music notes and money for food, it’s only ten days, she’ll be fine.”
Though the child was adorable, the others hadn’t spent as much time with her as Goofy Happy, so they didn’t worry as much.
They couldn’t understand why he was so extreme—it was just an NPC child, just data.
Even if NPCs didn’t respawn after death, they were still only game characters, unrelated to them.
Flying Dragon frowned: “They’re just game characters, a set of data. Are you some saint? If she’s gone, she’s gone—don’t make it sound like a tragic farewell!”
Goofy Happy smiled bitterly: “My sister was only five when she died.”
“...Even so, there are many five-year-old girls. You can’t treat each one like that...”
“Xiao Yunduo’s appearance and voice are seven-tenths similar to my sister’s.”
Silence fell.
Goofy Happy continued: “Seeing her makes me feel like she’s my sister’s reincarnation. I can’t help but cry—I feel like I’m seeing her again.
It’s been five years since she died. If reincarnated, she’d be about this age.”
“Yes, I know it’s strange to think a virtual game character is your sister’s reincarnation. But I want to take care of her. Even if I fall behind in levels and don’t make much money as a pro player, it’s okay.
I have enough saved up to last me a long time. She’s the most important.”
Su Qingyue said softly, “Once the Su family homeland is well established, let’s bring them here.”
Goofy Happy’s eyes lit up: “Really? That’s possible?”
Su Qingyue shrugged: “It’s my territory. Surely I can afford to support two old ladies and a child.”
Goofy Happy nodded: “No need for the clan leader to support them—I’ll take care of them!”
With that settled, Goofy Happy’s mood brightened considerably. He returned to his usual cheerful self, chatting and laughing with the others as they continued their journey.
Su Qingyue chatted casually in her mind with the system: “The players are very active and can earn many points. At this rate, we’ll soon gather enough points to help the host repair the Golden Core!”