translator: xiin
editor: apricot
The temporary reserve points appeared to be exclusive areas for each returning player.
Once Jiang Shi stepped outside, he found that the area he was situated in was already densely packed with people.
These people were obviously also returning players like him, who had also just left their reserve points. More people appeared every now and then, and their sudden appearance pushed aside nearby players, causing them to stumble.
This would cause all the players to curse and mutter as they scattered to the side.
After returning to this familiar game world, Jiang Shi felt somewhat sentimental about the passage of time.
From the standpoint of one who had been through many highs and lows, he spent some time enjoying the familiar, endless scenery around him while swiftly leaving the crowd. Only then did he reopen the task panel and start studying it.
The game developers had provided returning players with quite a few choices in terms of game play modes. Jiang Shi frowned as he thought it over before deciding to start with the dungeon missions.
There were a total of three villages in the Siliya Region, which originally functioned as randomized starting points for novice players. During this period, the large influx of returning players and novice players were all gathered together in the same place, making the previously harmonious and peaceful novice villages feel somewhat crowded.
Although tasks like [Complete 10 requests from residents in the Siliya Region] were much easier in comparison, there were really too many players in the area at the moment.
Let alone these peaceful and quiet villages, even the dark force NPCs who operated in the deserted villages in the depths of the region might not be able to come up with enough requests for these ‘travelers from another world’.
During the process of squeezing out from the crowd, Jiang Shi had already gotten some news from the other players. Kavali Village’s chief and their family had already completed a whole series of tasks for players ranging from ‘catching wild pheasants’ to ‘plucking feathers’, ‘cooking’, and ‘providing a chicken feast’. In Salika Village, Xiao Hua had also contentedly played ‘hide and seek’ five times, ‘throw the handkerchief’ six times, and ‘wooden puppets’ seven times. Eventually, even this mischievous child began to lose interest in things like playing games.
For the villagers who existed in this holographic world, these ‘travelers from another world’, who had suddenly come to the world they lived in, were apparently able to meet all their needs and solve their daily troubles. However, as far as the returning players’ gaming experience was concerned, it could only be said that––running across the entire Siliya Region until their legs became practically useless, just to look for tasks that might refresh at any time, was just! Too! Difficult!
Therefore, any player who had even a little bit of confidence in their own ability, like Jiang Shi, would choose to go straight for the dungeon missions instead.
After all, compared to the ‘natives’ in Creation Era who had their own lives in the game, the dungeon was always there no matter what, regardless of whether anyone came.
At the end of the day, Jiang Shi had just returned to the game. It was like he’d come back to his hometown, so he spent some time taking in the scenery around him before looking for a relatively close dungeon.
From a distance, he could see that the entrance to the dungeon was also crowded, filled with people who were in varying stages of team recruitment.
After scanning around, he randomly selected a team in need of a healer and applied to join.
He was let into the team almost instantly.
After entering the team, the conversation from other members within the team would be transmitted to his ears via a team chat channel.
“We’re set, we’re set! Let’s get ready to start!” The game ID of the person who spoke was ‘Canvas Shoes’, and they were obviously the leader for this dungeon team. “Hey, Main Storage Account, you’re the healer!”
Jiang Shi responded with an ‘en’ and looked over the team panel. He found that the other party was level 80, exactly double his current level 40.
The absence of a returning player icon also indicated that they weren’t a returning player.
There have been a total of three main versions of Creation Era.
The first version spanned the era of season one and two. At the time, the level cap was set at level 40, and this was the version that Jiang Shi experienced before quitting the game.
The second version spanned season three and four. Version 2.0 raised the level cap to 75 and provided clearer positioning for both the races and profession attributes that were messy and confusing in version 1.0. It was also during this version that the ability to play multiple professions came to an end.
The third version was the current version that had just started. In version 3.0, the level cap had been raised to 90. Additionally, the surge in returning players would incite a struggle for dominance. Before the new World Cup season began, no one could know which profession would be able to take advantage of the changes in the new version and reach the peak or which currently popular professions would fall from grace in one fell swoop.
Players who were already level 80 were naturally rushing to level up in order to reach the max level. For them to come and clear low level dungeons without any additional external incentives meant that they were basically there for the dungeon drops. While they were at it, they could also grind blessing points by taking along some lower level players.
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
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Jiang Shi didn’t need the materials from low level dungeons in any case and replied casually, “That’s fine.”
Besides him, there was also a new player sporting a newcomer icon in this five person team. However, the team leader had only reminded Jiang Shi, making it clear that they knew the new player. As for the other two, they were in the same guild as Canvas Shoes and were likely there to farm materials together.
Canvas Shoes: “Is everyone ready? If we’re set, let’s start.”
One of the other players in the team called Temple Ghost, who hadn’t spoken before, seemed a little hesitant as they spoke up. “We asked you to recruit a healer, but why did you accept one that’s level 40? Will they be able to heal?”
Canvas Shoes didn’t seem concerned. “They’re a returning player. The returning player buff and newcomer buff to increase drop rates can stack, so there’s no issue there. I was thinking that we could get more drops this way.”
Temple Ghost: “But… Main Storage Account, don’t you feel like this ID is like a storage alt?”
Jiang Shi took his time speaking up. “It’s my main account, I deal honestly with all customers.”
Temple Ghost still wasn’t quite reassured.
Canvas Shoes became impatient listening to the conversation between the two of them, “Didn’t you see that everyone nearby is looking for healers? Looking for healers, looking for healers. If just standing there and talking doesn’t make you tired, how about you go and recruit someone?”
Temple Ghost shut his mouth as soon as he heard that he would need to go recruit.
Canvas Shoes was satisfied with his reaction, but he still asked one more question. “Main Account, you have the returning player buff, so you should be an old player, right? You just need to give some heals, since this is a low level dungeon and we can dodge skills. Just keep an eye out and give us a HoT every now and then. You can do that, right?”
Jiang Shi: “All good.”
“It’s clearly a dungeon where we can stand there and deal DPS, yet you have to insist on bringing a returning player buff…” Temple Ghost muttered and grumbled but ultimately didn’t raise any objections. “Fine, then. If we have to dodge skills on our own, then we’ll dodge them. Let’s start, let’s start.”
Jiang Shi gently polished the cross weapon in his hands.
Although this was a level 45 dungeon, he was actually capable of clearing it on his own. If it hadn’t been for the fact that entering the dungeon required a full team of five, he wouldn’t have bothered coming here to look for a team.
It was really unexpected. Five years had passed, and other people had already looked down on him like this on his first day back.
Times had indeed changed, tsk.
After the team leader confirmed the summoning, everyone in the team was teleported into the dungeon map.
This level 45 dungeon was called the Divine Spring Caves.
After their transfer was complete, everyone found themselves completely enveloped and immersed in the sound of spring water that came from all 360 degrees without a single dead angle.
Before this, everyone had been communicating virtually through the team voice chat channel. Now that everyone was gathered together, Temple Ghost immediately noticed the cross weapon that was taller than a person in Jiang Shi’s hands. “Wow, brother, your weapon’s external appearance is really special! I don’t think I’ve seen it before, is it a limited edition?”
“Mm, it was a gift from a previous event.” Hearing this, Jiang Shi gave a vague reply and casually twirled the cross in his hand.
Light elf priests used a staff as their weapon.
And the staff in his hands didn’t have a conventional skin that was commonly used. Instead, it was a giant cross that shone with a bright moonlight glow. Green vines that seemed to come and go at leisure were wrapped around the top, and the shifting light made it difficult to look away.
Temple Ghost had noticed the cross at a glance, and he came closer, wanting to touch it. When he looked again, he was able to clearly see Jiang Shi’s face.
He exclaimed again, “Holy shit, Main Account, bro, did you shape your character model yourself? It’s so beautiful, I want a copy of the data!”
The others also looked over in unison after he spoke, and then they all inhaled sharply one after another.
There were a total of four major races and nine independent forces in Creation Era. When it came to appearance, the elves were recognized as being the most beautiful, followed by the forest shifters and the human race.
However, despite having played the game for so long, it was still rare to see someone whose character modeling could captivate one’s soul with a glance.
Everyone quietly swallowed their saliva.
Only one thought emerged in their minds – judging from the quality of the modeling data, it must have been very expensive.
On the other hand, Jiang Shi didn’t think too much about it. Instead, he was contemplating something else.
He hadn’t really thought about it when he changed his name but being called ‘Main Account’, ‘Main Account’ by others like this always made him feel like there was something wrong. After all, the name was more or less somewhat ambiguous.
Maybe he would be better off finding a suitable time to change his game ID back to the original one.
After contemplating, he was just about to reply and say that his character modeling had been imported based on his appearance in real life, when he heard Canvas Shoes say rather exasperatedly, “Ghost, you’re a warrior shifter. What do you need elven modeling data for? You’re talking as though you can actually use it if you get it!”
“Everyone holds a love for beauty in their heart, and it’s rare for it to be moved like this. What’s wrong with asking?”
Temple Ghost laughed it off and stopped retorting, but he couldn’t stop himself from looking at Jiang Shi’s face a few more times, unable to fully let it go. Only then did he shift the topic to the newcomer standing to the side. “Speaking of which, Old Shoes, I’m not going to argue with you over bringing two alt accounts to clear the dungeon, but it seems like this is your apprentice’s first time entering the Divine Spring Caves, right? Have you told him what he needs to pay attention to?”
“I’m too lazy to explain.” Canvas Shoes waved his hand. “It doesn’t matter if he dies. In any case, we don’t need his DPS. It’ll be fine as long as the healer doesn’t die.”
Temple Ghost: “……”
Pretty reasonable. He couldn’t even refute it.
The early parts of the plot would naturally begin to unfold once they entered the dungeon.
The team headed deeper into the caves, clearing out the small monsters they encountered along the way.
Except for Jiang Shi, everyone else in the team knew each other. They were bored and idle, so they simply started chatting on and off.
Temple Ghost began teasing the newcomer. “I can’t say that your master isn’t reliable, after all, he’s helping you clear dungeons and even helping you with equipment. But on the other hand, he’s also really unreliable. There are so many professions to choose from – why would he let a cute newbie like you jump into the deep trap of being a mechanic? Is it so that you can experience how it feels to foolishly waste a lot of money?”
This time, the newcomer spoke up timidly even before Canvas Shoes could open his mouth. “It’s not my master’s fault that I picked this profession. I was the one who insisted on playing a mechanic.”
He paused for a moment after speaking, then added another sentence with conviction. “Fish God is my idol.”
Originally, Jiang Shi had been following behind the group, taking it easy while watching them clear monsters, but he glanced over upon hearing the newcomer’s words.
The next second, Temple Ghost revealed his inner thoughts. “Gentle Fish? You’re his fan? In fact, I’ve never understood why you guys are fans of his. Is it because of his schemes?”
When it came to discussing his idol, the newcomer’s entire aura suddenly seemed to change. “Fish God is a master tactician who even the Creation Era developers acknowledge. I came to play this game because of him!”
Jiang Shi generally wouldn’t laugh out loud, unless he was really unable to hold back.
It wasn’t loud and was quickly covered up by the sound of the surrounding springs. The young newcomer didn’t hear it and avoided having to work hard standing up for his idol.
In fact, he hadn’t said anything wrong. Wasn’t ‘master tactician’ just another way of saying ‘scheming’?
“Yes, yes, yes. He’s indeed a master tactician.” Temple Ghost didn’t quite dare to slander an idol in front of their avid fan. He cleared his throat. “Actually, I don’t pay much attention to the league. Compared with those things, I’m more interested in gossip.”
Temple Ghost’s tone grew curious, “When it comes to Gentle Fish, wasn’t there a lot of fuss back then about how he was planning to make a sincere confession and the other party didn’t show up? It’s been so many years now, but has the other party ever been identified? You fans haven’t been able to get any news on this; are you guys really that bad at gathering intelligence?”
Newcomer: “I’m a career fan.”
Temple Ghost: “Fine…. then.”
Newcomer: “However, from what I do know, the person Fish God wanted to confess to definitely wasn’t ordinary, either.”
Temple Ghost instantly transformed into an attentive conversation partner: “Oh?”
Jiang Shi had originally been lagging at the back of the team, but when he heard that there was gossip about Gentle Fish, he quietly moved a few steps forward.
Newcomer: “You guys definitely don’t know this, right? Fish God still goes to Three Court Hill quite often to wait for his white moonlight. Although he wasn’t able to confess back then, us fans have always believed that Fish God will definitely be able to watch the clouds part and see the moon! He’ll achieve success in both love and career, and ultimately bring his beauty home!”
Originally, Jiang Shi hadn’t felt much of anything when he heard the start of the gossip, but his expression froze subtly when the three words ‘Three Court Hill’ fell into his ears.
Then, the few people who were chatting enthusiastically at the front heard the returning player, who hadn’t spoken the whole time, suddenly speak up. “Hey, can I ask… the confession you guys were talking about, was it on July 7th, 2032?”
The newcomer was surprised. “You’re a fan of Fish God, too? You remember so clearly!”
Jiang Shi: “……”
How could he not remember clearly?
On July 7, 2032, Gentle Fish had made an appointment to fight with him.
But something happened suddenly, and that day became the day he officially quit the game.
What sensational, grand confession ceremony? What unwavering, infatuated persona? Was it really not just a certain man, whose heart was as narrow as the eye of a needle, preserving a grudge because he hadn’t shown up?
Jiang Shi remained silent for a moment, then quietly opened up his friend list. His gaze landed on the game ID that was still offline.
Oh, holding a grudge for five years after he’d no-showed once?
Based on the man’s stingy personality, it wasn’t certain whether he would use some sort of means to mess with him if he ever learned that he’d returned to the game.
However, sorry, but there wouldn’t be any revenge happening here! No chance of it happening in this lifetime!
The newcomer beside him spoke in a tone that was both regretful and spirited at the same time. “Sigh, I don’t know when I’ll have a chance to add such a top tier big god as a friend. And even just having them see my friend request would be impossible. Big gods like Fish God’s friend lists are always full, right?”
After deleting a certain friend in a series of actions that were performed like floating clouds and flowing water, Jiang Shi closed his friend panel just in time to hear this sentence. He smiled encouragingly, “Actually, why don’t you give it a go? There should be a slot open right now.”
The newcomer only half believed him as he searched up Gentle Fish’s game ID and clicked to send a friend application.
In the next second: “!”
“It’s true! Fish God has an open friend slot!”
Although he knew that this friend slot wouldn’t be his even if it was empty at the moment, this little fanboy newcomer was still very excited about the friend request that he was able to send. He immediately sent several more in quick succession, leaving a series of sincere love confessions in the application notes.
This was definitely the closest he’d ever been to his idol!
—
The author has something to say:
The gong, who is still in the competition server: ??
xiin: it’s the start of a wonderful misunderstanding…
I like MC’s personality
Thank you for your translation 💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛
Thanks for the update 🤣❤️🤣❤️🤣
He really just went yeah no and deleted him jdjdjd 😂😂
Thank u for the update!
Just deleting him like it’s no big deal?
based
if gentle fish returns to three court hill often to wait for his white moonlight, surely he keeps an eye on his friends list. 🤔 so he’ll probably notice when a certain someone is gone and he has a new friend request.
and while he might not know js’s new username, i think it’s enough for our tenacious ml to begin his search. 😏
that and js seems to have kept the same character appearance data he used way back when…
[insert ‘honey, you’ve got a big storm coming’.gif]
Lol
thank u for the chapter
ohohoho~ im looking forward to the consequences of his actions lol
Thanks for the chapter <3
thanks for the chapter~~
He just deleted the account without pause…. So heartless 😂🤣