Filth, Cracked Walls and Diamond.

Cheng Xiu walked over the wooden bridge that separated the central area of the village from the rest of it.

The smell of the place was horrible. She was sure sweat and filth were the most prominent and it made her want to gag. When she wanted to experience the VR world like the real world this is not what she had in mind.

She tried to avoid touching any of the locals for fear of it was from them the smell was coming from them. She had nothing against them but that didn't mean she was going to purposefully touch them when she could avoid it.

Cheng Xiu never claimed to be a 'hug even the shit covered people' kind of a person.

Cheng Xiu hadn't realized she could be a neat freak until then. She sounded like a whiny bitch even in her head. But she couldn't help herself. She was used to the tidy life of N City where she spent all her life. Even in other VR games the cities, towns and even villages were clean and sweet-smelling to be more tourist-friendly. Veritas Village was none of those. Maybe it was the poor status of the village itself that made its conditions so...destitute.

She observed the people.

The NPCs of the Village were divided into the poor and the poorer. Thin, gaunt, and sick looking. They all wore coarse clothes and thread bear, with patches of different shades of Grey and what might have been white long ago.

Her beginner's set of clothing made her look rich in comparison.

Cheng Xiu sighed. There was nothing she could do about this and they were NPCs anyway. Just strings of Data. But it was really hard to treat them as just that when they looked so real.

Her heart had felt pain and pity for anime characters, who were 2D.

How could she not feel something for these NPCs when they looked no different from her except for the colour of their Diamond.

She couldn't do anything though. Maybe she could buy food for a person or two when she had enough money.

That reminded her. She needed to walk faster to register with the Adventure's Guild faster and do missions faster.

[Go Straight past the Melon seller.]

She followed the instructions Maya was giving.

Only being able to do missions after registering with the Adventure's Guild. Sounded a bit like someone, probably the AI, was trying to control the player base. But why would they? What was its purpose?

[Those not registered at the Adventure's Guild are treated as Civilians and are required to gain Citizenship in the village they want. You can do it by approaching the Administrative Department next to the Adventure's Guild.]

'Since when does living in a village require Citizenship? In what reality is there an Administrative Department in a Village? If it has that, then can it even still be called at the village?'

[This is how this reality was made. And household registries are things that have existed since a long time back. The host should brush up on her history instead of always reading romance novels.]

'Did you ask for my DNA registration so that you can personally attack me?'

[Maya is a good System and only does and says things because she does not want Host to be misinformed or ignorant.]

'Talking about yourself is a sign of an arrogant person who thinks they can do no wrong or if you are trying to distance yourself from taking the blame or a mix of both. Which is it in your case?'

[Please take a right and walk straight. You will reach your destination.]

'Blatantly ignoring my words huh? Subtlety, your other name is not Maya.'

[We are here.]

Cheng Xiu blinked. 'So it seems.'

The tall grey coloured building in front of her. There were cracks on the walls, some of the stones seemed to be missing. The signboard was chipped and faded in colour, hanging by a single nail. The broken door would give splinters to anyone who touched it.

The image was not promising at all.

Cheng Xiu pushed the door open and shivered at the grime that covered her hand. God. It was good that this was VR and she didn't need to worry about diseases. She was a Qiless. She would get diseases easily unlike the Blessed.

Cheng Xiu walked in and squeaked as a fat rat scurried past her.

Ugh. Gross.

Stupid Lu Wenxian! She hoped he suffered for this. Die a hundred times! No, a thousand times!

Cheng Xiu wanted to leave the game already. She would rather play those otome games and suffer heartaches than heart attacks.

Taking a deep breath she looked around. The whole thing was made of wood, even the ceiling. There were cracked wooden tables and chairs with legs missing.

Two NPC men were sitting at a corner table, whispering to each other and pointing at her. Their eyes sparkled with hope.

Cheng Xiu marched up to the bartender NPC, her eyes trained on the men. The NPCs seemed a lot more autonomous in this game which could be a bad thing if they could attack Players. She would be powerless to stop them if it was so.

The old bartender smiled at her kindly. "Welcome, young miss. How can I help you?"

Cheng Xiu smiled. "I'd like to register as an adventurer please."

His smile became strained.

The men at the corner raised their heads and looked at her with a scowl on their faces.

Cheng Xiu shifted her feet, unsure. "Is something wrong?"

The bartender sighed. "Veritas is a small poor village, miss. The locals themselves don't have enough jobs to do and the few that we have, we have to divide it between the locals and outsiders like you. You can imagine how unwelcome some might think your presence is."

Cheng Xiu fidgeted. "I'm sorry... I just-"

The bartender laughed jovially. "Nonsense. It's not your fault miss. It is an inevitable result of having a bad Village head and the horrible politics back at the capital. I thought you were a client coming here to give missions and so was a bit disappointed."

Cheng Xiu sighed. The NPCs behaved too lifelike in this game and the world-building didn't seem to be too bad.

"So...about that Registration?"

The bartender called a young boy NPCs to manage the bar and then took her to a hidden alcove behind the bar. A Grey diamond floated atop a crystal pedestal.

"Just place your hand on top of that diamond and pick your palm with its sharp edge. The diamond will glow and a card will come out of this slot," he pointed to a sliver rectangle opening at the foot of the pedestal. "That card tracks all missions assigned to you, your mission status and your rank in this Guild and Adventure's Guilds all over the world. It is valid for three months, called the trial period. Don't lose it. If you do, to buy a new one you need to pay 50 copper coins. After the trial period, you have to pay 20 copper coins to get a new one."

Why was the game mechanics so...real? Like she was joining an actual organization or course.

"You can proceed whenever you are ready."

Though the man said that Cheng Xiu could she the impatience on his face. Lip-servicing. Nice.

Cheng Xiu moved forwards and placed her hand on top of the diamond. Its surface was cool and smooth. Taking a deep breath, Cheng Xiu pushed her palm down, wounding it. She almost screamed in pain. It felt like her skin was burning away. Her blood rushed down the diamond on all sides and seeped into it, turning the Grey diamond red. It started to give an unearthly glow and a low mechanical hum was heard in Cheng Xiu's ears.

The diamond started to spin, agitating her wound. She tried to move back but found her body stuck in that position. The diamond started to heat up and warmth spread through Cheng Xiu's veins. Her blood boiled. Her bones creaked. She felt her very soul go through an unthinkable amount of pain. She couldn't think anymore.

Then she felt it. A lukewarm feeling in her guts, starting with her belly button and then travelling up all over her body. It pushed back the intrusive warmth of the diamond, washing away the pain that wracked her body and clearing her mind.

She felt connected to everything. She felt that she belonged somewhere in this vast world. That she was better than she ever was before. Her body felt stronger. She felt powerful. Power strummed in her blood vessels and nerve endings, making her want to scream and shout in excitement.

She had never felt so energetic.

[Ding!]

[Congratulations on successfully registering at the Adventure's Guild in Veritas Village. Player Status officially accessed. You are now eligible for System Missions.]

[Player Selafia has officially awakened her Qi Center and is ready to venture into the world of adventures!]

Cheng Xiu's heart thudded. 'Qi? That feeling of belonging, that power...that's what having Qi feels like?'

[Yes, Host! Congratulations!]

'Thanks,' Cheng Xiu said to Maya in a daze. She had felt Qi for the first time in her life.