Chapter 1064: The 'Big Villain' Who Stopped at the Newbie Village

Chapter 1064: The "Big Villain" Who Stopped at the Novice Village

Having been delayed too long by matters in Bugar City, Spring Water Commander and I'm the Darkest ultimately missed the battlefield veteran's wedding, but luckily made it in time for Fang Chang and Dolly's ceremony.

Unlike the wedding of the Willant people, the ceremony on the Alliance side was a completely different "MMORPG style." Apart from a few NPCs who often interacted with players, most of the wedding guests were players themselves.

Moreover, the attending players weren't busy feasting in the banquet hall; instead, they were either rushing to complete various mini-games or dashing between check-in tasks, accumulating points to exchange for gifts, having a blast.

This was Night Ten's idea.

*Wasteland OL* was great in many ways, but it lacked the authentic feel of a proper online game.

The dog-like game planners were hopeless, so they had to rely on themselves.

Coincidentally, Fang Chang was also a player who didn't lack money. Thinking that shared joy was better than solitary pleasure, he waved his hand and spent ten million silver coins to host a grand event.

With such a generous prize pool, basically anyone who participated would win something.

That's why, for the entire day, players were dashing back and forth across the square of Dawn City.

An event worth ten million silver coins.

Even Chu Guang couldn't help but marvel at such extravagance—it was simply inhuman.

By the way.

Since Fang Chang's relatives weren't in the game, and he hadn't yet figured out how to explain things to his parents, Chu Guang temporarily played the role of a father, sending blessings to the couple on behalf of Fang Chang's parents.

As for Dolly, like most orphans in Boulder City, she had no parents. She only invited some colleagues from the *Survivor's Daily*, as well as Hal, whom she had worked with, and Spberg, the author of *The Awakening of Bohr*.

She had also wanted to invite Niyang, but unfortunately, he had passed away.

To thank the *Survivor's Daily* in Dawn City for their help, Mammoth University sent a professor to attend her wedding in Niyang's place.

His name was Feodor, said to be a former student of Niyang. He stood silently in a corner of the hall, speaking to no one, and no one spoke to him.

After completing the ceremony, Chu Guang stepped aside, leaving the center stage of the hall to the couple.

Looking at his well-dressed good brother Fang Chang and the beautiful bride in her wedding veil before him, Chu Guang's eyes were filled with pride and admiration.

He never thought this lifelong bachelor would actually settle down.

He vaguely remembered that this guy, who had achieved financial freedom long ago and lived an enviable life, used to boast in the herd chat that relationships didn't matter, that he would never get married in this lifetime. In an era full of speedrunners, he'd rather keep a cat at home.

By the way, unlike the worldly-wise Brother Fang Chang, the immature Night Ten had also made similar claims many years ago.

Looking at it now, Old Bai and Crazy Wind had remained consistent all along.

The former had been addicted to gaming since retiring from the military, while the latter was always only interested in new things.

Just as Chu Guang was smiling like an old father, the long-retired Old Charlie walked up beside him.

As one of the earliest shelter residents to follow him, this old man, who had once served as Minister of Education and head of the Merchant Guild, was considered a founding figure of the Alliance. He had always worked diligently and meticulously.

Initially, when the old gentleman applied for retirement, Chu Guang had persuaded him to stay several times.

It wasn't until recently, when he personally visited with a medical report from Dawn First Hospital, that Chu Guang felt embarrassed to keep him any longer and approved his retirement request.

After all, he was getting old and deserved some peace and quiet.

But perhaps it was just his imagination—Chu Guang felt that since retiring, the old man hadn't rested for even a few days. He kept coming to nag him every few days.

"...Respected Administrator, there's something I'm not sure if I should say."

Chu Guang, in a good mood, smiled and said, "Go ahead."

Preparing to be turned down, Old Charlie took a deep breath and continued loyally, "...I don't want to rush you, but now that the Wasteland Era has ended, even your most loyal subordinates have settled down one by one. For the sake of those who support you... you should consider your own lifelong matters."

It was that same old line again.

Chu Guang made a helpless expression and was about to brush it off casually, but the words caught in his throat.

Maybe it was true.

Before, he could use the excuse of not having time, but now it was a new era.

"Hmm, you have a point. I'll think about it."

Old Charlie's face showed a stunned expression, then his eyes lit up with surprise.

The Administrator actually listened?!

The players nearby hadn't noticed what was happening, but the reporters lurking in the crowd were instantly buzzing...

At the edge of the square, Tail, sitting on Meatball's shoulders, looked through binoculars with an envious expression.

"Giao! When Tail gets rich, I'm going to lead newbies around like this too!"

Humans...

Are like bugs!

Sensing that inexplicably chuunibyou aura, Meatball made a helpless face.

"Is the point really about leading newbies around?"

But—

It did seem oddly fun?

Imagining becoming a legend on the server, Meatball unconsciously revealed a smile that would make even a bear shudder.

Watching these two whimsical goofballs, Sisi couldn't help but hold her forehead.

"Emmm... I don't think money is the hard part, but the question is, does A-Tail have someone to hold the ceremony with?"

Ten million silver coins was a trivial matter; the White Bear Bank's reputation along the East Bohai coast was no less than that of the White Bear Knights.

The latter was a bit trickier—she'd have to find a way to assassinate someone.

Tail: "!!! Do you have to have a partner first?"

Aoao Zhimahu laughed and cried, "Well, it's not impossible... but without an emotional foundation, it would feel really weird, wouldn't it?"

You couldn't just hold an event because Meatball was shedding fur.

Not only would the NPCs find it strange, but other players would probably think it was absurd too.

Seeing A-Tail so dejected, Sisi put on an expression of "I can't help it" and cleared her throat lightly.

"Actually, there's no need to deliberately look for someone... If you really can't find anyone, I'll go with you then."

"Whoa!! Promise!"

A-Tail seemed to regain her spirits, giving a thumbs-up with full enthusiasm. Seeing that adorable look, Sisi felt as if she'd been shot in the chest, two blushes appearing on her otherwise expressionless face.

"!!!"

"Wait, Sisi—calm down—"

"There's no time to waste. The window to rise to 'T0' is fleeting. We need to build a starship before the official launch begins... Meatball! Zhimahu! Time to go!"

"Where the hell am I supposed to get something like that!?"

"Maybe... we should start by trying to become T1 first?"

The White Bear Knights weren't the only ones setting out with the dream of becoming the "strongest version."

On the other side of the square, two greenhorns who had been in the game for less than two hours stood on the steps not far from the fountain, gazing ambitiously at the bustling crowd.

"Wasteland OL!!! Hahahaha!!! Your old man's finally in! Hehehehe!"

"Ooohhh!!! Is this the game world?! Unbelievable, absolutely unbelievable!!"

One of them, a tall, skinny man, let out a wild, strange laugh, hands planted on his hips in an exaggerated pose.

His look as the villain boss of the newbie village was a bit over the top even by the standards of social butterflies among players.

As for the guy lying nearby, touching and licking the floor tiles, even the players couldn't help but stare at him like he was some kind of monster.

"...This guy's lost it," Elf King Fugui couldn't help but mutter.

Irena, standing beside him chewing on a roasted mantis leg, wore a comical expression.

"Maybe."

Come to think of it, that tall, skinny guy seemed to be... Professor Yang?

He opened the holographic map page of his fourth-gen VM and indeed saw a familiar name on the floating window.

【Thunder Mage Professor Yang】

"Good grief... it really is him?!" Elf King Fugui, leaning over the map, looked as if he'd seen a ghost.

With the mantis leg still in his mouth, Irena rubbed his chin and tapped the screen a couple of times to zoom in.

"It's him, no doubt—more ridiculous than I imagined. Next to him is 【T-Rex Warrior】... Uh, this guy's actually an adult? Seriously?"

As he spoke, he glanced up at the guy sprawled on the ground, licking the floor.

Well.

It was clear he was really excited.

"With the open beta starting, it feels like all sorts of freaks are crawling out of the woodwork," Elf King Fugui said with a look of utter disbelief.

It was worth noting that recently, *Wasteland OL* had been hyping up the upcoming open beta, and the number of helmets distributed daily had suddenly skyrocketed.

It seemed that not only had nuclear fusion technology broken through, but the helmet production capacity and server computing power of *Wasteland OL*'s behind-the-scenes operator had also made breakthrough progress.

What a great time to be alive—congratulations.

But on the flip side, as the player base expanded, some problems inevitably emerged.

It was the same with any game: once the community grew, all sorts of weird little brats would pop up.

These types contributed nothing to the game community, had zero sense of belonging, and even took pleasure in ruining others' gaming experiences. They either played moral crusaders, lectured others on how to play, or made so-called reasonable demands with no sense of boundaries.

Compared to them, the Ye'ao brothers, infamous across the server for their foul mouths, seemed almost friendly.

After all, when someone's trash talk reached its peak, their own personality flaws actually prevented them from doing anything too outrageous.

The only saving grace was that *Wasteland OL* was, for now, a "console game" launched on closed-source devices, so at least there were no cheating hackers.

As for other potential risks...

For now, the only solution seemed to be extending new players' playtime to increase the sunk cost of abandoning their accounts.

But would that alone be enough to stop "suicide bombers"?

Elf King Fugui was a bit pessimistic, because no screening mechanism could completely eliminate risk, and the things he worried about would almost certainly happen in the future.

Still, Irena had a different view.

"Relax... I think you're worrying too far ahead. Controllable nuclear fusion has been cracked, helmet production is up—sooner or later, there'll be cheaper virtual games to replace *Wasteland OL*, right? I think we can still look forward to the newbies."

From the operator's perspective, they might want to monopolize the technology, but realistically, that was probably impossible.

Over time, similar VR+MMORPG games would appear.

And not just MMOs and RPGs—games like MOBAs and SLGs would also be ported to this new fully immersive platform. These less hardcore games, with less realistic NPCs, would siphon off a large chunk of the trolls who couldn't handle *Wasteland OL*'s tough settings.

In short, it was better to guide than to block.

As for the rest, time would tell.

It was impossible to prevent every problem in advance—even real life had its accidents, let alone a game.

After thinking for a moment, Irena tentatively suggested.

"...What if we put the newbie village in the Wandering Swamp? No map changes before level ten? There are plenty of monsters there."

Elf King Fugui scratched the back of his head.

"Wouldn't that be a bit too tough?"

Irena shrugged.

"Not really—there are ordinary people living there too. It's just that the climate might be a bit cold."

Currently, the esteemed dog-like game designer had opened a feedback channel on the official website, asking all closed beta players for their opinions on the open beta and urging them to speak up.

They'd mention it later...

Just as the two veteran players were planning *Wasteland OL*'s future more seriously than the dog designer himself, T-Rex Warrior, who had been licking the floor, was finally yanked up by the neck by Thunder Mage Professor Yang before he could completely embarrass himself.

"Get a grip! Haven't you noticed everyone staring at us?"

T-Rex Warrior looked completely unfazed.

"So what? It's not like they know what I look like in real life."

At that moment, he had no idea that many others had thought the same way, and every single one of them had ended up regretting it.

Like not choosing a name that wouldn't be mortifying to say out loud, or saving a little face from the start...

But after so many versions, the NPCs around seemed to have gotten used to it and didn't care as much as before.

After all, similar situations popped up every few days—they just assumed it was another batch of Blue Rats.

"Forget it, I'm not wasting my breath on you."

Glancing at this useless, trouble-making guy, Professor Yang turned his gaze to the square ahead, his disdainful face breaking into a confident, beaming smile.

"...Not exactly what I imagined, but close enough."

"My era is finally here!"

He'd been on the waiting list for five years just to get in—this damn game sure had some nerve.

But—

The immersive experience was worth the wait!

Professor Yang squinted, admiring the sunlight and rainbows dancing on the fountain, watching the dust floating in the light and shadow.

And the bustling streets, the cars weaving through traffic, the wastelanders walking along the sidewalks with weapons slung over their shoulders.

Realistic.

It was just too realistic!

But speaking of which, there was one thing that bothered him.

It was his first time entering the game, yet he had a déjà vu feeling of having been here in a dream.

“Hey, T-Rex.”

“What?” T-Rex Warrior stared at him with a dumbfounded look, unsure if this show-off was actually calling him.

Professor Yang stroked his chin.

“Don’t you think… it looks kind of familiar?”

T-Rex Warrior scratched his head.

“Someone posted a photo on the official forum, right? Maybe you’re misremembering?”

“…Yeah, probably.”

People were always posting selfies on the forum, and this plaza was the most famous landmark in Dawn City.

Oh well.

Professor Yang shook his head, not dwelling on the trivial detail, and instead craned his neck to scan the plaza, searching for another netizen he’d arranged to team up with.

This person was none other than the infamous forum brother—Ye Ao Nai Wo He!

Ever since the closed beta of *Wasteland OL*, he’d been a well-known forum darling.

Though his combat prowess was a mystery and his reputation was mostly infamous, black fans were still fans, and it suited Professor Yang’s plans perfectly.

To be honest, considering the five-year closed beta of *Wasteland OL*, every playstyle had been thoroughly explored, and climbing to T0 through conventional methods was nearly impossible.

So he planned to assemble a team of geniuses, dedicated to developing unorthodox strategies, taking the road less traveled, and eventually driving out the good with the bad to become the server’s number one mudslide!

If he couldn’t be the lawful good T0, then he’d be the chaotic evil T0!

Just thinking about it got Professor Yang excited!

As he craned his neck, searching for Ye Ao, a petite, delicate girl stood on the other side of the fountain, staring blankly at the clear, transparent water.

She couldn’t remember how she’d gotten here from the respawn point; she felt completely dazed.

But compared to players whose very existence was performance art, her entrance seemed almost too normal.

The light.

The water.

The air…

And those pale legs—no, the tiles!

It was freaking awesome, right?!

Wait—

So fully immersive virtual reality games were real?!

It dawned on her belatedly, recalling the stubborn words she’d spouted on the official forum.

And in an instant, her fair face turned beet red, as if it might explode any second.

A nuke, where’s the nuke?

I’m going to blow up this server!

Just as Ye Ao Nai Wo He was panicking and looking around, Professor Yang, who had just learned how to use the map, finally spotted this unruly character.

The VM nowadays wasn’t like in the earliest beta, where you had to complete a bunch of quests to get it; now you got a simplified, stripped-down version right when you entered the game.

This was mainly to prevent new players from getting lost or clashing with NPCs due to language barriers.

When he confirmed that this person was the one he was looking for, Professor Yang was stunned as if he’d been electrocuted.

“Holy crap, you’re Ye Ao Nai Wo He?!”

Though he’d imagined the guy might be a foul-mouthed brat not yet fully grown, he never expected to get the gender wrong.

And didn’t his profile say male?!

Had he sold his account?!

No—

That’s impossible!

The strong déjà vu reminded him that he’d seen this person somewhere before, and that Ye Ao Nai Wo He was definitely male… so where did it go?!

Come to think of it, that weird memory was strange enough—how could someone drop their pants in public!

Even in a game…

The overwhelming shock made Professor Yang’s head buzz, completely derailing his villainous plan.

Relying on this guy to attract like-minded unorthodox players…

No, no, impossible, right?

He felt like this kid’s gaze was contemptuous, and Ye Ao looked at him with obvious displeasure.

“What do you want, calling your dad?”

What a rude little brat.

Professor Yang felt his fists clench, but he still spoke with a smile.

“You… ahem, I mean, hello. I’m Professor Yang, the Thunder Mage. Pleased to meet you.”

“Oh, so you’re Professor Yang,” the girl said, her nose still in the air, her eyes scrutinizing him suspiciously. “You? You’re going to level me up?”

Professor Yang forced patience.

“That was my plan, but I didn’t expect… uh, by the way, are you just an adult? May I ask, five years ago when you first signed up, were you really a middle schooler?”

Ye Ao Nai Wo He chuckled, arms crossed, and said bluntly,

“So what? None of your damn business, old fart! A nobody like you, why so many damn questions—”

That’s it—

He couldn’t take it anymore!

“@#%—”

Professor Yang, who had originally intended to communicate nicely, finally lost his composure.

Blurting out a curse, he rolled up his sleeves and charged at the kid, the two of them tumbling into a scuffle.

But as an intelligence-based strategist, he probably hadn’t considered that this kid had chosen a gene sequence from several versions ago—the dumpster tier: strength-based.

That punch, with sixty kilograms of force, sent stars spinning before his eyes. And his own movements, in the kid’s eyes, were as slow as a snail’s crawl.

It had to be said, the strength-based starting stats were overwhelmingly superior to the intelligence-based ones that needed time to grow.

Especially when neither side had any equipment.

Sitting on Professor Yang’s neck, Ye Ao Nai Wo He landed two solid punches and was herself startled by how weak this guy was.

The famous Thunder Mage Professor Yang was being beaten without any chance to fight back!

Could it be that I am actually this strong?!

“Hey, hey, hey... you start a fight over nothing, and this is all you’ve got?” With her confidence swelling, a thuggish grin spread across her face as she threw another punch at Professor Yang, who had likely gone offline. “Carry me? This is it? Small fry!”

At that moment, the two of them had no idea what it meant to PK in a safe zone.

Before that punch could land, both were disconnected and carried off by the arriving guards to the police car.

First offense: a 24-hour ban. Next time, it wouldn’t be so simple.

Watching the two being taken away by the guards and the onlookers dispersing, the T-Rex Warrior, who had been standing by observing, was silent for a long time before finally letting out a heartfelt sigh.

He never imagined the game had developed such a complete “penal code”—the future “King of the Dark World” had been defeated by a few lowly beat cops.

Maybe—

I should find a more normal big brother to carry me.

“This game is way too realistic...”