MMB Chapter 36: The End of Pay-to-Win is a Gameplay Feature Even the Developers Couldn't Have Fores
Chapter 36: The End of Pay-to-Win is a Gameplay Feature Even the Developers Couldn't Have Fores
"Isn't this kind of question a bit too outrageous?"
Inside the meeting room, Zhang Yunhai, the tactical team leader, frowned, a hint of worry on his face.
"To probe the ultimate purpose of the 'Source Realm' is tantamount to questioning its intentions."
"If this arouses resentment from those behind the scenes and they expel Chen You, our losses will be immeasurable."
Li Guoan's deep gaze swept over everyone, his tone calm yet unquestionable.
"A world where you can't even ask questions is far too narrow-minded."
"If it really comes to that, it only proves that the path was wrong from the beginning."
Chen You looked at Li Guoan and tentatively spoke.
"Director Li, to be on the safe side, could we rephrase our question?"
"For example, what is the level cap in this world? What happens after reaching the maximum level?"
"Or, if you defeat the so-called final boss, will you complete the game?"
A hint of surprise flashed in Li Guoan's eyes.
He had always felt that Chen You was still young, lacked experience, and his ideas were somewhat lacking.
More like an operator, carrying out the arrangements of the pay-to-win project team.
But now, he suddenly felt that he might have been prejudiced.
In fact, Chen You also had his own insights, and they were more reliable than he imagined.
"You're right, it's safer to ask that way."
Upon hearing Li Guoan's support, Chen You couldn't help but grin and nod emphatically.
As the meeting was about to end, Chen You seemed to remember something and suddenly slapped his thigh.
"Oh, right, Director Li, we haven't taken out the things we bought this morning yet!"
Before he could finish speaking, a thought struck him.
wow-
A pile of metallic minerals shimmering with various colors and unknown gems emitting strange fragrances appeared out of thin air on the huge conference table, instantly forming a small mountain.
The pale blue halo of the wind-polished copper and the dazzling silver light of the sunken silver sand complement each other.
"my darling!"
Materials expert Qian Zhonghua exclaimed in surprise, his eyes shining, and he almost pounced on it, picking up a piece of ore as if caressing a priceless treasure.
Looking at the pile of materials, Zhang Ping, a biology expert standing nearby, was so envious that he almost drooled.
"Alright, everyone get back to work."
Li Guoan waved his hand, looked at the experts who were caught up in the frenzy, shook his head helplessly, and then turned to Chen You.
"Remember, safety first."
……
With a flash of white light, Chen You reappeared at the training ground in Zhaocheng.
The adventurers around had changed, and no one noticed this low-level human who had appeared out of nowhere.
Just as he was about to set off, a series of crisp "ding-dong" system notification sounds rang in his ears.
Chen You opened the system interface, where a flashing envelope icon stood out.
Upon opening it, a long list of friend requests almost overflowed the screen.
Player 'Bloodclaw' has requested to add you as a friend.
Player 'Wind Whisperer' has requested to add you as a friend.
Player 'Stone Fist' has requested to add you as a friend.
……
Chen You twitched the corner of his mouth. He knew without even thinking that it was all because of those ten gold coins.
Want to curry favor? No way.
Without hesitation, he clicked "Reject All".
The world became quiet instantly.
To save time, Chen You activated the "Supreme Navigation" function again.
The giant, blood-eyed rabbit with the golden bell reappeared.
"Whoosh—"
A strong feeling of being pushed back comes over you, accompanied by the familiar sensation of weightlessness and dizziness.
When Chen You finally stood on solid ground again, he was standing in front of the magnificent white jade gate of the Supreme Tower.
He suppressed his churning stomach, with only one thought in his mind—
I must get a new mount when I have the chance!
Even a dog wouldn't sit on this thing!
Pushing open the door, one finds the same spacious, elegant, and spiritually vibrant hall.
The stunningly beautiful guide, Hill, was already waiting there, a perfectly professional smile on her face.
"Honorable guest, welcome back. Hill is always at your service."
"I have some questions I'd like to ask," Chen You said, getting straight to the point.
He went through Li Guoan's instructions in his mind and chose a relatively mild approach.
"I'd like to know what the PVP rules are like in 'Source Realm'? What are the penalties for maliciously attacking other players?"
Hill's smile remained unchanged, as if the question had been expected all along.
"In the 'Source Realm,' apart from a few safe areas such as the major cities, all open-world maps allow free PvP."
"The system will not actively interfere with battles between players."
"But," she changed the subject.
"Actively attacking and killing other adventurers will accumulate 'sin value'."
"The higher your sin value, the more your name will turn from white to red."
"When your sin value accumulates to a certain level, you will be hunted down by the garrison when you enter any city."
"Once arrested, you will be imprisoned until your crime record is cleared to zero."
Chen You understood; this red-name system wasn't exactly new.
He took a deep breath and asked the most crucial question.
What is the end point of the "Source Realm"?
"Or rather, will there ever be a day when this world is completely cleared?"
Upon hearing this, Hill's smile froze for the first time.
A complex yet fleeting glint flashed in her star-like eyes.
"Honorable guest, the 'Source Realm' is the 'Source Realm' itself; it is the destination, and there is no end."
"The world will continue to evolve as you adventurers explore; new continents, new races, new power systems... will all be revealed in the future."
"The concept of 'passing the checkpoint' does not exist here."
This answer was watertight, yet it said absolutely nothing.
Chen You frowned slightly and changed his question: "Then what is the meaning of this world, or rather, this game?"
"Existence itself is meaning."
Hill bowed slightly, his tone still respectful, yet carrying an undeniable sense of finality.
Chen You understood.
It seems impossible to get any answers regarding the true nature of the "Origin Realm".
The other party's permissions, or rather the "source world" itself, do not allow this underlying logic to be discovered.
In that case, let's ask something practical.
"Are there any powerful pieces of equipment that have no level restrictions? How can I obtain them?"
Upon hearing this question, Hill's perfect smile froze once again.
He seemed to be thinking about how to answer this somewhat "difficult" question.
"Honorable guest, the power of equipment is closely related to the adventurer who uses it. Powerful equipment usually has strict level or attribute requirements."
"You can acquire equipment by completing dungeons, exchanging it with reputation at the supply depot, or searching for items sold by other adventurers at the auction house."
"Of course, there is also a very small chance of directly obtaining a legendary artifact in the daily VIP lottery."
She paused, then added, "Equipment without level restrictions usually... also has relatively limited attributes."
Chen You nodded, having made up his mind.
It seems that everything is predicated on hierarchy.
"Then," he finally asked, revealing the ultimate purpose of his trip.
How can I level up most efficiently?
This time, Hill's smile finally regained its seductive quality.
"To meet the needs of our VIP members, we have specially created an exclusive cultivation realm."
With a wave of her hand, a brand new option popped up on the membership interface in front of Chen You—
【Supreme Training Room】.
"In the private training room, monsters respawn ten times faster than outside, and the experience gained from killing them is twice that of monsters of the same level."
"Moreover, the spiritual energy inside the training room is far more concentrated than outside, which will greatly enhance your efficiency in cultivating your skills."
Is there really such a good thing?!
Chen You's eyes lit up. Wasn't this the "money power upgrade package" tailor-made for him?
He eagerly looked at the price.
10 gold coins/hour
It's expensive, but the results are amazing.
For Chen You now, this is nothing at all.
"Open it for me... wait."
Just as Chen You was about to say "until the end of time," a new system notification rang out again.
Come again?
He clicked on it somewhat impatiently, thinking it was just another player trying to curry favor with a stronger player.
However, the name at the very top of the application list, gleaming with silver light, made his pupils shrink abruptly.
[Player 'Moonlight' has requested to add you as a friend.]
Moonlight?
Chen You opened the other party's message.
Elven gods?
One of the three major Protoss races on the leaderboard!
A member of a top Protoss race takes the initiative to approach him, a LV5 "newbie"?
Alarm bells rang in Chen You's mind.
His first instinct was to click "decline".
But with his finger hovering in mid-air, he stopped again.
This might be an opportunity.
Perhaps the other party can provide some unexpected information?
Anyway, chatting for a bit won't do any harm.
After a moment's thought, Chen You pressed the "Agree" button.