Chapter 13: A Game Like This Cannot Exist In This World
Blue Star, Huxin City.
The sun had just risen, morning light spilling down. In front of a skyscraper over one hundred floors tall, more than ten thousand people converged into the building from all directions like busy ants.
All of them wore the same blue and white sportswear. Most were under twenty-five, with confidence and a touch of superiority on their faces. Even some office workers passing on the street and people out for morning exercise looked at these young people with envy in their eyes.
Heavenly Might.
One of the five giant guilds that were the pilgrimage destination of the virtual wuxia game, and also the company that Huxin City was most proud of.
On the top floor of Heavenly Might Building, in a magnificent conference room of gold and jade, in front of a huge round table with a radius of more than ten meters, stood sixteen chairs made from different weapons, solemn and imposing enough to inspire heartfelt awe in first-time visitors.
“Sit down, all of you.” The middle-aged white-haired man sitting at the center spoke casually. “Qing Wei should have already sent everyone the content of today’s meeting. I believe you have all read it, so let us proceed to a show of hands.”
“For these four new games, which one should Heavenly Might invest in with full force? One person, one vote.”
As the white-haired middle-aged man spoke, the fifteen people present looked at one another. One of them, a resolute man over two meters tall whose blue and white sportswear fit him like a tight suit, rested one hand on his cheek, tapped the round table with the other, and suddenly fixed his gaze on the valiant-looking woman sitting opposite him.
“President, I have no objections to the other three new games, but what is with this fourth one, High Martial Arts Descend?”
“As the recommender, Vice President Luo Wu Shang, your summary is a bit ridiculous. What do you mean this game will blow up? And what is this so-called one hundred percent virtual degree? Are you taking advantage of the fact that I, Zhao Hu, never went to school?”
The burly man’s words instantly drew everyone’s eyes to Luo Wu Shang. The white-haired man in the main seat also looked at her with clear doubt.
“Wu Shang, your game report is indeed a bit too simple. There is not even basic video material, only phrases like explosive and it will sweep across the entire virtual game world. It is hard for the others to make a judgment.”
“The president is right. Xiao Wu, you have been a vice president for over a year now, yet every report is this simple. It is either awesome or powerful; this time it is even explosive. Can we change to descriptions that are more subtle and straightforward?”
“That is right, that is right. Wu Shang, you are already part of the guild’s core senior officials. You should at least set an example for those below.”
“Alright, then I will describe it in detail.”
Faced with the president and the others’ questions, Luo Wu Shang nodded helplessly and organized her words.
“If I had to describe this High Martial Arts Descend, then it would be… fortress-level.”
“…”
“To quote a player from in-game specifically, every frame is art. The realism of the physics engine from digging holes, and the sense of control over the body, are absolutely flawless, completely beyond Pilgrimage’s league. Especially the combat system, it is utterly unprecedented. The impact of every move, even from over a hundred meters away, I could clearly feel it. It is as if the fights between two people are real. Saying the virtual degree is one hundred percent is not an exaggeration at all.”
“Very good. We understand.”
The white-haired man, seeing Luo Wu Shang still searching for adjectives, realized he was making things too difficult for her.
“According to Wu Shang’s description, this High Martial Arts Descend is quite promising; its virtual degree should far surpass Pilgrimage.” The white-haired man summarized. “However, we currently know far too little detailed information about High Martial Arts Descend. You all know Pilgrimage’s present situation. We must remain cautious.”
“I suggest we temporarily halt the vote and place High Martial Arts Descend under investigation, just like the other three new games, and set up a new department dedicated to detailed research.”
“Since High Martial Arts Descend was recommended by Wu Shang, this new department will be managed by her. At the next general meeting, we will review these four games again.”
Everyone present nodded. Pilgrimage had already begun to decline, with more and more players leaving. Heavenly Might did need to prepare early, but could not make a hasty decision.
Now that they had one more option, they naturally had to investigate it thoroughly before making the final decision.
“President, I object.” The over-two-meter-tall Zhao Hu stood up directly. “The market exploration of new games has always mainly been my responsibility, and I have never even heard of this so-called one hundred percent virtual degree High Martial Arts Descend before. Everything comes solely from Vice President Luo’s word.”
“Now, to explore new games, Heavenly Might has already invested too many people and too many resources into those three new games. If we were to create another new department, it would likely cause problems for developing the other three.”
“That is true,” the white-haired man could not help falling silent. Then he looked at Zhao Hu. “What do you propose?”
Although Heavenly Might was powerful, Pilgrimage was no longer what it used to be. For Heavenly Might to remain standing, they had to secure their position before a substitute masterpiece erupted, so their investment in the three new games was enormous.
Today was originally meant for a final vote on those three games, but unexpectedly, Luo Wu Shang strongly recommended High Martial Arts Descend and even claimed its virtual degree reached one hundred percent. This forced him, as president, to be cautious.
“A game with one hundred percent virtual degree is impossible in this world. I do not recommend spending large amounts of manpower and resources to create a new department for investigation and development.” Zhao Hu gave a disdainful side-eye at Luo Wu Shang sitting beside him. “Since Vice President Luo is already in that High Martial Arts Descend, I will go as well. With the two of us, I believe we can perform quite well in that game.”
“Of course, this is all on the premise that, as Vice President Luo said, it really can replace Pilgrimage and possesses a one hundred percent virtual degree.”
“Wu Shang, what do you think?” The white-haired middle-aged man did not immediately agree, but turned to Luo Wu Shang. “You proposed this new game, and you have also played it. What are your thoughts?”
“Me?” Luo Wu Shang lowered her head to think, then said, “My suggestion is that we go all in on High Martial Arts Descend right now. Only then will we have a chance to seize some advantages there before the other guilds.”
“Hahaha, Vice President Luo, do you think that even with the two of us, we still cannot gain a firm foothold in High Martial Arts Descend?” Zhao Hu laughed immediately.
Heavenly Might had sixteen saints in Pilgrimage. Luo Wu Shang had become a Sword Saint in the past two years, while Zhao Hu had attained sainthood three years earlier.
Before the fist arrives, the soul is already severed.
Invincible Iron Fist, Zhao Tianhu.
In terms of individual strength in Pilgrimage, Zhao Hu ranked above Luo Wu Shang. If High Martial Arts Descend really was a combat game, then unless other guilds in Pilgrimage sent in their saints, the two of them as saint-level experts could basically sweep through.
“That is not it.” Luo Wu Shang shook her head slightly and spoke very seriously. “It is just that getting into this game is incredibly, incredibly difficult. It is about to start a test trial, and only those who pass the trial will have a greater chance to enter the game. If we do not invest a large number of experts, it may be very hard to get in.”
“Incredibly, incredibly difficult?” Zhao Hu could not help but laugh. “How hard can it be? Tonight, we will meet in High Martial Arts Descend.”
…
High Martial Arts World, Obsidian Martial Arts Hall.
“The entry screening settings for this game are really troublesome.” Looking at the permission settings for the test difficulty in the system, Lin Qi could not help a headache. “Since I cannot set entry based on players’ potential rankings, nor can I set an age limit, I can only designate a single opponent, and it has to be someone I have physically touched. How am I supposed to do this?”
Among the people he had touched, the strongest was probably Luo Qi. Letting her test people was terrifying even to imagine.
Sitting at his desk, Lin Qi glanced at Fang Zhen, who had just walked out of the warehouse cave, and saw that after last night’s battle, Fang Zhen seemed even more enthusiastic about digging holes.
After dying three times in one night, his physical fitness had improved again. His strength had increased by 6 kilograms, and his speed by 1 meters per second, bringing his strength to 79 kilograms and speed to 5 meters per second, edging ever closer to quasi-apprentice level.
“Hall Master, I want to rent that plank bed for one day.” Fang Zhen spoke with tiredness mixed with excitement.
After spending the whole night, perhaps thanks to his stronger physical fitness, he had actually opened up 12 square meters of planting land in one go, earning 12 points. After deducting rental fees, he netted 10 points, a full 4 points more than yesterday.
“Alright, go ahead.”
Lin Qi nodded and directly deducted 2 points from Fang Zhen, who then happily went over to the plank bed to sleep.
“Right, I happen to have a good opponent.” Lin Qi could not help thinking of Qin Mu, who had come last night and touched him.
Touching worked both ways. Qin Mu touching him meant he had also touched Qin Mu. No problem there.
Lin Qi then excitedly opened the system panel and tried to select the test opponent.
