The next morning, the two returned to their home in Jiangbei City.
"Ah, Jie, you’re playing games at home now? Why not at the studio?"
"I stopped renting the studio a while ago. Business was bad towards the end, and I couldn’t justify the cost of such a big place."
Gu Feiyu sighed with a bit of regret; he missed working at the studio, where his days were filled with gaming, unlimited instant noodles and cola, and brothers to chat with. It was the dream life, fighting in the game all day.
It was much better than going to school or work.
Xiao Jie patted him on the shoulder and used a key to open the door.
Gu Feiyu was no stranger here as he had been over several times before.
"Use this computer; it’s the one Han used before," Xiao Jie pointed to the computer on the right.
"Your room is on the right side, Han’s old room. There’s food and drinks in the fridge, so make yourself at home, just like the old days."
Gu Feiyu quickly settled in and eagerly wanted to start playing the game.
Sitting in front of the computer, he couldn’t wait and looked at Xiao Jie with anticipation.
But Xiao Jie wasn’t in a hurry.
He took out a card and waved it in front of Gu Feiyu. "Even though you’ve already decided, I still have to warn you one last time. If you die in the game, you’ll die in real life. Are you sure you’re ready?"
Gu Feiyu’s expression turned serious, which was rare for him. "I’m very sure, Jie. To put it bluntly, I’ve technically died once already, and I’m not afraid of death anymore. With such a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, I definitely want to give it a try, plus I’m very confident in my gaming skills."
"Alright then, let’s get started."
Xiao Jie handed him the card without further ado. Gu Feiyu immediately turned on the computer and logged onto the website.
"You need to register an account before entering the game. Just enter this activation code."
The account was quickly registered, and the game was ready to go.
Xiao Jie watched Gu Feiyu’s screen and felt relieved when he saw that Gu Feiyu’s starting point was indeed Ginkgo Village.
It looked like the activation code and the starting point were bound together.
Watching the vivid yet slightly somber scenery on the screen, and the shirtless man who bore a striking resemblance to himself standing at the center, Gu Feiyu felt very excited. He took a deep breath and started getting familiar with the controls.
"Jie, is there any official game guide for this?"
"No, players have to gather all the information themselves. I’ll invite you to the guild group, and you can check the group’s data archive for information.
Also, don’t be in a hurry to leave the village. I’ll send you some equipment and Game Coins later and help set up your profession path."
Back then, Xiao Jie didn’t have those resources and could only make do. Now, with his brother starting a new account, he’d naturally arrange everything.
Professional items, upgrade paths, top-tier cultivation techniques; all had to be the best.
Unexpectedly, Gu Feiyu shook his head. "No need, Jie. I think I should pass on the equipment and Game Coins. I also want to figure out my own profession path."
Xiao Jie was a bit taken aback and speechless. Normally, people would be thrilled to receive resources from a high-level player. Xiao Jie didn’t have those resources back then and had to figure everything out himself; now that he had the resources, why bother researching?
But he knew Gu Feiyu had his own ideas and wasn’t being stubborn for no reason. "Oh? Why do you want to do everything yourself? Don’t you trust my information?"
Gu Feiyu shook his head. "No, Jie, it’s precisely because of the game’s wonders that I don’t want your help.
Based on the details you shared earlier, I have some theories. I think the game’s designer has a purpose; they want players to grow stronger in the game.
From what you previously mentioned, there are many hidden events in Newbie Village that can be triggered, right?"
Xiao Jie nodded. "That’s right."
"That’s the point. Jie, your success came from slowly exploring and accumulating knowledge. Early on, you encountered several hidden events, gaining advantages that ordinary players don’t have.
Your gradual progress, eventually reaching the top of the game, was because of this cycle of discovery and growth.
Your hidden events seemed like coincidences, but they had a cause-and-effect relationship.
For instance, you initially got incense because you had nothing, so you had to get close to the village chief.
Another example is how, without money for equipment early on, you had to chop wood and herd sheep, which led to learning Saber Skill, triggering hidden events, and obtaining the Beast Language Skill. This then provided a huge advantage later on...
If you had money and resources from the start, you wouldn’t have had these needs.
You could have directly bought a set of equipment, learned some martial arts, and left the village to grind and level up. But doing that, you’d miss out on many things, and your development path would be completely different, perhaps never reaching your current accomplishments.
So, to truly touch the core content of this game, you must have enough needs.
Xiao Jie was surprised. He hadn’t expected Gu Feiyu to figure out so much from his few words.
Thinking deeply, he said, "So you believe the harder the start, the easier it is to trigger hidden events?"
Gu Feiyu nodded, then shook his head: "It’s not that simple. The character’s needs merely provide direction for the player’s efforts.