Chapter 16

Ethan Grey asked, "Why?"

The silver-haired elf, whose laughter echoed like a duck's quack, shot back, "You really have the nerve to ask why? Everyone wants to kill you because of your terrible world design!"

Ethan paused, then asserted firmly, "It's just a game."

Nathan, clearly enjoying Ethan's discomfort, retorted, "Don't forget, the little rose is just a regular guy, only nineteen and already tainted by your twisted Soul's Intent. He's probably questioning his entire life right now!"

"He's not that fragile," Ethan replied.

"That's just it—he's not fragile, which means he holds grudges even more!" Nathan said, striking a nerve.

Ethan was momentarily speechless…

Seeing Ethan flustered, Nathan's mood soared, and he practically floated away. If his avid followers could see him now, they too might start questioning their devotion—where was the untouchable, exalted figure they adored? Who was this buffoon?

After Nathan departed, Ethan Grey made a sweeping gesture, and a water screen materialized. He sent a message to Jack: "Hello."

The message vanished into the void, unanswered, without even an echo.

...Was he really upset?

As he considered this, a smile curled at the corners of Ethan's mouth.

After delivering a lengthy explanation that left him thirsty, Jonas Kim concluded, "Ah, those are figures of legend; we're unlikely to ever encounter them."

Jack Avery nodded: It was probably for the best.

Jonas noticed his new friend was quieter than usual but didn't mind, continuing enthusiastically, "Come on, let's get you classed."

"Do I have to do it now?" Jack snapped back to the present.

"Of course," Jonas explained, "It would be a waste not to!"

Jonas then patiently laid out the rules of the Central Realm, and Jack began to grasp the environment they were in.

This place, known as "Central" or more formally as the Central Realm, was where "players" selected by Central were brought. Their mission was clear: achieve specific goals in various quasi-worlds.

Players were ranked from Novice Level to God Level, with progression dependent on completing missions to accrue experience.

The distinction between Novice Level and God Level was stark, particularly in terms of how long they could remain in the Central Realm. Novice players might stay a mere one to two days, Intermediates one to two weeks, Advanced players one to two months, while God Level players faced no such restrictions.

Jonas explained, "That's why I recommend you avoid the entertainment options here. Many newcomers get swept up in all the fun — eating, drinking, partying — and they lose track of time. After two days, they literally turn to ash."

Jack was startled. "Turn to ash?"

"Yes, our bodies can't handle too much of Central's mental force."

"Mettle?" Jack misunderstood.

"Mental," Jonas corrected. "I don't fully understand it myself, but Central is saturated with mental force, and Novice Level players just can't withstand it for long. Stay too long, and it consumes you."

Jack nodded in understanding. "So, we have just two days before starting a new..." He almost said 'game,' but corrected himself, "mission?" He noticed Jonas referred to the players, but used the term 'quasi-worlds' for the setting.

"Exactly!" Jonas snapped his fingers. "That's why we need to get you classed quickly. Only then can you start accumulating professional experience." To advance from Novice Level to Advanced Level, one first needs a job title.

Jack understood the urgency now.

"What profession are you considering?" Jonas asked. The options were Explorer, Collector, or Recorder.

Jack was still mulling it over when Jonas offered more advice: "Don't overthink it. As long as you have enough silver coins, you can switch professions easily. The only thing you lose is a bit of experience, and our time here is governed by the Central Realm's flow, so there's no pressure. If you don't like your initial choice, you can always change it later."

"Just lose a bit of experience?" Jack gave Jonas a skeptical look but said nothing.

"Take your time, think about it, and look up the missions," Jonas advised. "You might want to choose your profession based on the next mission."

"Thanks, I'll take a look," Jack replied, appreciative of the sound advice.

"No worries, I'm just figuring things out as I go along too!" Jonas chuckled.

Jack Avery smiled at him and placed his hand on the water screen, seriously considering his options.

With only two days in Central, he needed to quickly get acquainted with the place and prepare for the next challenge.

Could completing the next game mean never returning to his original world?

He thought of Evelyn, who was pregnant with a new child and didn't need him anymore.

So be it. She had always considered him a burden anyway.

Jack exhaled softly, pushed aside his thoughts, and focused on the water screen. Surviving in this unfamiliar territory was his top priority; it was far less serene and stable than it appeared.

He scrutinized all the interface buttons.

The first line in the quasi-world section was in gray text: "Love Left or Right, Novice S-level, Designer X, Completed."

Jack stared at the name 'Designer X' for a moment, annoyed. No point worrying about that now—the disparity in levels was too great.

The second line was in glowing blue text: "Search for new missions."

Jonas had explained that each player could search for new missions every two days. Advanced Level players had more flexibility in the Central Realm and could browse missions at leisure, but Novice Level players had to take what was available.

Jack clicked, and the mission search interface transformed into a row of small funnels. When the funnels stopped spinning, a subpage appeared.

Quasi-world: Lost Atlantis, difficulty unknown, Designer X, unchallenged.

Jack thought, "..."

It was fortunate the water screen wasn't a physical device. If it had been a phone or computer, he would have smashed it in frustration!

Allowed only one mission search every two days, and unable to stay in the Central Realm beyond that time, was he really forced to play another devious game by this infuriating designer?

Lost Atlantis seemed somewhat more straightforward than Love Left or Right, yet the designer was still X...

Jack was decidedly against it!

"Wow, we've got a rally mission!" Jonas's voice rang out beside Jack, who promptly pulled his hand away from the water screen.

Jonas eagerly beckoned him over. "We're in luck, stumbling upon a rally mission like this!"

Jack looked puzzled, prompting Jonas to explain, "Rally missions are randomly available; they're generally low difficulty and allow for team entry. Let's tackle this one together!"

Jack paused. "So, if we enter and then exit, we can refresh our missions?"

"Exactly!" Jonas affirmed. "You searched for missions, right? Don't lose heart. We Novice Level players usually only see the dregs—tasks below E-level. This rally mission is a D-level; it's just the right difficulty and allows us to clear out those junk tasks. We're really lucky!"

Jack nodded in agreement. "Right." Indeed, getting rid of a mission designed by X was a stroke of luck.

Jonas, unaware of the specific mission Jack had found, would have been green with envy had he known.

The designer was the legendary X! Lost Atlantis—a renowned blue quasi-world. Although its difficulty was undisclosed, it was safe to assume it was no lower than B-level, possibly even S-level!

Jonas, brimming with excitement, said, "Let's get ready, it opens in an hour. I'll message you then."

"Message?" Jack queried.

"Here, let's add each other as friends!"

Realizing they could add friends, Jack didn't worry about his anonymity anymore; no one knew he had completed Love Left or Right.

As they connected as friends, Jonas speculated, "I wonder if that S-level newbie joined Cloud Pavilion."

Jack hadn't joined; though briefly tempted, he didn't want to be tied down by a madman.

Joining Cloud Pavilion had its perks, but Jack wasn't fond of socializing or being controlled. He preferred a life of freedom, unbound by obligations.

If it hadn't been for encountering X's game, Jack might have hesitated even to engage in this rally mission.

Jonas was incredibly supportive and caring, but Jack still preferred solitude. His participation in the rally mission wasn't just about avoiding X's task; it was also to understand the typical player's game difficulty and to explore the various items in the shop for potential use.

He had more money than he could ever spend, having purchased one of every item available in the shop.

After becoming friends, Jack received a new message.

X: "Hello."

Jack: "..." When had X added him as a friend? Was this a designer's privilege?

Jack's eyebrows arched as he replied, "Hello, master," followed by a ^_^ emoji.

Ethan Grey, amused by the response, thought Nathan had been overly concerned—he wasn't upset... until he noticed his approval rating had plummeted into the red.

Jack's approval of you: -99.

Hmm... This was Ethan's ability to see the approval ratings from players below Intermediate Level. It was the first time he had seen such a low score.

Ethan chuckled to himself, "Such a grudge-holding little fellow."