Chapter 54
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Chapter 54: Warrior and the Brother of a Warrior
However, virtual bodies could not alter the underlying physical conditions, especially for those unfortunate individuals who had died due to trauma or illness. For instance, the peculiar odor Asahara detected emanated from the decaying lesions within the body. To minimize discomfort for players, Chaoyang had accordingly lowered the perception threshold, with the side effect being that users felt their bodies becoming sluggish.
Naturally, these bodies couldn’t be preserved long-term; after about a week, they would need to be replaced. Compared to bodies created purely by Wish Power, this approach was already the most cost-effective solution.
It’s important to note that items crafted using Wish Power incur hourly consumption costs.
Regarding the issue of familiar acquaintances potentially recognizing these bodies, Chaoyang wasn’t overly concerned—after all, Wish Power creations could also be used for disguises. By attaching a fake nose or applying ultra-thin masks that change skin tone, one could drastically alter their appearance without significant expenditure of resources.
The only aspect he couldn’t easily modify was the body shape, but even that could be concealed with strategic clothing choices.
“If during your leisure activities you encounter any issues with your bodies, feel free to provide feedback at any time. The Paradise always prioritizes your experiences.” Chaoyang said, clapping his hands. “Now, let’s proceed with settling the points from the previous game round.”
Everyone noticed a series of numbers appearing in the upper-left corner of their field of vision.
“The base score is 1,000, and the final score depends on each individual’s performance.”
With these words, the numbers swiftly began to fluctuating.
Zhang Zhiyuan saw that his number ultimately settled at 1,900.
“How many points did you get?” he quietly asked Zhou Zhi.
“2,200,” the latter replied.
Higher than his own points! Zhang Zhiyuan suddenly felt a blow to his confidence.
Although he repeatedly reminded himself that this was not just a simple game and that he hadn’t come to Paradise for enjoyment, deep down, there remained a competitive streak within him. Especially in the previous game, where he had led the team flawlessly throughout, it was disheartening to find his score still falling short of that brat Zhou Zhi.
“Suka Blyat!” Suddenly, Anthony suddenly exclaimed from the other side. “Why do I only have 600 points?!”
“It’s because you fell too early, creating a gap in the team’s frontline. This is a reasonable outcome based on multiple parameters determined by the system, and Paradise reserves the final authority on interpretation.”
Of course, these were all arbitrary justifications concocted by Chaoyang—just to record these scores, he had no choice but to use the most primitive method: jotting them down in a small notebook. Consequently, the addition or subtraction of points entirely depended on his personal impressions, with no mention whatsoever of any “sophisticated mathematical scoring formula.”
“The score settlement is now complete. Everyone may freely exchange their points for items from the redemption list.”
“I want to exchange for Translation Tofu; listening to you guys jabbering without understanding what’s being said is truly unbearable!” Anthony was the first to speak up.
“Me too,” Asahara Naruko promptly followed suit.
Chaoyang fulfilled their requests one by one.
However, after obtaining the Translation Tofu, the four decided to save their remaining points, planning to consider further options later.
Chaoyang nodded, wasting no more words. “This mission also has a scenario theme, where Zhang Qiang, portrayed by Zhang Zhiyuan, must fulfill the needs of the Yeni Cathedral. As for the rest of you… your roles will be assigned by Zhang Zhiyuan himself.”
“Huh?” Zhou Zhi looked at Zhang Zhiyuan in surprise, and Asahara Naruko’s expression also appeared quite astonished.
Anthony reacted more vehemently, outright protesting, “Why should we listen to him? Isn’t Paradise supposed to be about promoting freedom in gameplay?!”
“The scenario theme serves as a predefined objective, but whether to adhere to it or not depends on each player,” Chaoyang stated calmly.
“Alright, that makes sense,” The Russian grumbled.
“However, similarly, your point settlement is closely tied to participation in the theme. Therefore, there are two possibilities: First, when the next round begins, players who contributed nothing to the task may receive no points. Second, if any player deliberately obstructs the task during the game, Paradise allows internal conflicts among players.”
“This…” Anthony hesitated, his gaze sweeping over Zhou Zhi, Asahara Naruko, and Luo Di before finally resting on Zhang Zhiyuan. Clearly, although the others had their doubts, they showed no intention of supporting him. In the end, he merely stamped his foot and conceded, “Fine, I’ll follow along for now. Hopefully, Mr. Justice can provide us with some unexpected amusement.”
“Wait, I’d like to ask the Host: does this newcomer truly go by ‘Demon’?” Asahara Naruko couldn’t resist raising her question.
“Her real name is not that, of course. However, within Paradise, names serve merely as identifiers; what does it matter if they’re true or false? It’s enough for them to be easily recognizable.” Chaoyang glanced at Luo Di. “Am I right?”
Despite feeling veins pulsating with irritation on her forehead, Luo Di still nodded.
“So, what roles do we have now exactly?” Zhou Zhi asked, looking curiously at Zhang Zhiyuan. He didn’t care who took charge; for him, simply being part of this new world was the greatest joy.
“Well… bodyguards for now?” Zhang Zhiyuan responded uncertainly. Paradise had only briefed him about Zhang Qiang and medical matters beforehand, leading him to consult with department doctors overnight. Little did he expect such a sudden twist involving the newcomers.
He turned to Chaoyang, but Chaoyang showed no reaction whatsoever. Instead, he directly addressed everyone, “Since preparations are complete, let’s proceed.”
***
The Yeni Cathedral was no longer unfamiliar territory to the participants of the second round. They effortlessly navigated through the entrance hall and corridors, arriving at the central hall where the patients were accommodated.
“Something seems strange…” Zhang Zhiyuan muttered suddenly.
“What is it?” Zhou Zhi asked.
“It looks almost identical to when we visited last time.”
“But it’s been less than a week; what changes could there be?” Zhou Zhi wondered aloud.
“Don’t forget that we spent over two days within Paradise while only minutes passed outside,” Zhang Zhiyuan shook his head. “I had assumed, given such a long interval, several years might have gone by in Glorious Fortress. However, now it appears as though the time flow here isn’t much different from Earth’s.”
Perhaps this too was one of Paradise’s capabilities.
“They must have employed some method to blur the boundaries of time,” he thought to himself, realizing that careful observation was necessary.
“You must be sent by Mr. Detective, right?” Suddenly, a woman approached swiftly. “I’m Zhu Di, and I’ve been waiting here for you all here for quite a while.”
To Zhou Zhi and the others, Zhu Di wasn’t a stranger, but since they had switched bodies, they could only pretend not to recognize each other and start anew with introductions.
“I am Zhang Qiang, Zhang Zhiyuan’s brother,” Zhang Zhiyuan quickly clarified his identity. “How did you know it was us?”
“Hmm… it’s hard to describe, perhaps more like a feeling?” Zhu Di pondered for a moment before responding, “You all seem remarkably spirited. The light in your eyes make it seem as though you fear nothing, which is quite uncommon here in the Cathedral. People here live under constant dread of death, suffocated by various illnesses and suffering.”
She paused briefly, her voice softening slightly. “Additionally… regarding your brother, please accept my condolences. Although I didn’t witness it firsthand, Dunn mentioned that he faced ten enemies without flinching, ultimately becoming a raging inferno that consumed them all. He was truly a fearless warrior.”
“Ah? Oh… oh…” Zhang Zhiyuan momentarily struggled to find the right words.
“I heard Miss Zhu Di works at a newspaper, so what brings you to the Yeni Cathedral?” Zhou Zhi stepped in to ease the tension. “Could it be that, once again, you’re the one who initiated this commission?”
They had already begun suspecting that the Host was not the true originator of the mission and that the pedestrians on the street were likely not NPC creations of Paradise.
However, out of mutual understanding, none of them revealed this insight.
“No, not me,” Zhu Di waved her hands repeatedly. She then called towards a side room located far within the hall, “Miss Jeanne, Mister Zhang, whom you’ve been talking about for so long, has arrived!”
