The Game Begins
[Grocery Store Owner] [Garbage Collector] [Antique Dealer] [Detective] [Director] [Shaman]...
Chai gently stroked his beard and looked at the list of jobs displayed on the black window.
He pondered for a moment before choosing the antique dealer profession, since collecting antiques was his hobby, and he rather liked collecting old things.
"I choose the antique dealer job."
[Confirming profession selection: Antique Dealer]
[Randomly selecting main mission]
[Please wait....]
[Main mission selection successful]
[Mission details: In a civilized society, demons, evil cults, pollution, and malevolent gods shake the foundations of human civilization. A mysterious organization attempts to eliminate pollution and destroy these evil cults. But how can mere humans fight against malevolent gods? All their efforts and sacrifices serve only to buy time. In the end, civilization will inevitably be destroyed.]
[Mission Success Condition 1: Eliminate all pollution and malevolent gods. Destroy all enemies of civilization.]
[Mission Success Condition 2: Create a great hope hope that will allow the flame of civilization to overcome its enemies.]
[Mission Time Limit: None]
Chai read the mission details and success conditions with a solemn face. Though he didn't understand some of the unfamiliar terms, he concluded that what he needed to do was help people a lot of people perhaps more than an entire city.
He clenched his fists tightly. He didn't care how difficult the mission would be. He had to complete it, to help the villagers and all his friends and to avenge his friend Chatchai.
"I'm ready," Chai declared with a firm voice, accompanied by a faint smile at the corner of his lips.
[Have hope. As long as hope exists, what you desire will become reality.]
[When the flame of hope is fully lit and the lamp is completed, your hope will come true.]
[Commencing transfer countdown]
[5]
[4]
[3]
[2]
[1]
[0]
[Game Start!]
As the number on the translucent black window reached 0, the dark golden flame lamp floating in front of Chai dissolved into black particles and merged into his body. Then his body too dissolved into particles of black light and vanished.
A small antique shop in an alleyway in front of a high school in District 2 of Deephol City.
Chai looked at the changed scene before him. He was no longer in that endless white space he now stood in what appeared to be a shop of some sort. He glanced around, using his fingertip to gently tap the wall.
Mud house?
It was a material he didn't recognize. It was strange not wood, soil, or stone. He thought for a moment before shaking his head lightly to dismiss the idle thoughts. Whatever this house was made of, it wasn't something he needed to concern himself with.
Chai found a rocking chair behind a wooden table in the middle of the room. He sat down and let his weight rock the chair back and forth.
Soon, a translucent black window appeared before him.
White lines flowed and twisted across the window, forming sentences.
[As you are one of the first hundred players in the Game of Hope, you will receive a special item.]
[Randomly selecting special item…]
[Congratulations. You have received the Radiant Silver Numbers Perception: 42 96 58]
Chai furrowed his brow slightly. Now, in his vision, strange silver lines floated everywhere—some thick, some thin, some like veils of fading silver light tapering from one end to the other. These silver threads emerged from various objects, making it almost impossible for him to see anything clearly.
[Player Information]
[Player Number: 96]
[Player Name: Chai]
[Age: 126 years]
[Stats: Strength 3.2 {Average adult male: 1.0}Intelligence 2.1 {Average adult male: 1.0}Vitality 4.4 {Average adult male: 1.0}Sanity 110 {Average adult male: 100}]
Chai didn't pay much attention to the new message on the black window. Well, not exactly because his entire vision was now cluttered with bizarre silver lines, making it difficult to see.
"Number 96, I can barely see anything right now except these silver lines. Can you help me remove them?"
The white lines on the translucent black window twisted and reformed into a new sentence.
[I will temporarily block the perception of the Radiant Silver Numbers.]
The strange silver threads gradually faded from Chai's sight. Once his vision returned to normal, he turned his gaze back to the text on the black window.
"Number 96, can this silver line vision be turned on and off?"
[Yes]
[As one of the first hundred players, I will provide you with a basic explanation of the Radiant Silver Numbers. To turn them on or off, you must assign an anchor point—for example, blinking to toggle the perception, or lightly clenching your teeth.]
"And how do I, uh… assign the anchor point you mentioned?"
[You must train to do it yourself.]
Chai nodded and stroked his beard lightly. "And the silver... uh, numbers—do they have any purpose besides worsening my vision?"
[They have many uses]
[Let me give you a simple example]
[Basic combat application of the Radiant Silver Numbers]
[Shining Attack Rule: Begin attack when 96 appears. Do not attack when 42 or 58 appears. If you mistakenly attack during 42 or 58, counterattack when 96 42 42 or 58 42 96 appears. The best result comes from counterattacking at 96 42 42.]
[Defense and Counter Rule: When attacked at 96, defend during 42 or 58 and counterattack at 96. If you mistakenly counter at 42 or 58, counter again at 96 42 42 or 58 42 96. Best result is counter at 96 42 42.
When attacked at 42 or 58, counter when 96 appears—whether it's 96 42 or 96 58. If you mistakenly counter at 42 or 58, counter again at 96 42 42 or 58 42 96. Best result is counter at 96 42 42.]
[Escape Rule: When attacked in any scenario—if 96 appears first, evade backward; if 42 appears first, dodge left; if 58 appears first, dodge right. If the sequence is 96 42 58, escape at least 9 meters or 6 meters away.]
[These are basic usages of the Radiant Silver Numbers: 42 96 58. You must discover more advanced uses yourself.]
Chai stared at the long message on the black window, his expression frozen. He shook his head slightly, leaned back on the rocking chair, and turned his gaze to the ceiling. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes.
He was too tired to train right now.
What he needed most at this moment... was rest.