【 EVE OF THE UPDATE 】

The Dragon Bonding event had come to an end.

However, for the vast majority of players, the excitement brought by having a dragon partner was far from over.

In the foreseeable future, it seemed that the brilliance of dragons would overshadow all other familiars in Elven Kingdom. Dragons would undoubtedly become the most sought-after companions and the ultimate symbol of prestige among players.

From this point on, a proper elite setup in Elven Kingdom would consist of being a Silver-ranked player, owning property in the central district of the Chosen City, wearing a full set of Silver or Legendary-grade equipment, and, of course, having a dragon companion.

Such a combination would unquestionably signify the pinnacle of player achievement!

Naturally, the term ‘magical pet’ was something players might use among themselves, but they would never utter it in front of a dragon.

After all, countless players had already learned their lesson through the wrathful beatings of the black dragon Meryer.

Dragons detested being referred to as mere “pets” or “monsters.”

The five fortunate chosen players who acquired dragon companions became instant celebrities across the entire server.

Wherever they went with their dragon hatchlings, they attracted a crowd of curious onlookers.

The growth of the hatchlings was astonishingly rapid.

In just one day, the five players were thrilled to discover that their dragon partner had grown by a third in size overnight.

Their power also skyrocketed, evolving from early-stage Iron-rank to the peak of Iron-rank at Level 40.

This strength, combined with their racial advantages, made these dragons comparable to Silver-rankers in combat power.

This left countless players green with envy.

Having a magical companion as powerful as a Silver-ranker, with immense potential for growth as well—why, this was practically unbeatable!

It almost felt like cheating!

To make matters worse, the dragon’s growth after forming a companion bond even enhanced their chosen players themselves!

Among the five lucky players, the most envied one was Dongdong.

Originally a Level 29 mage, this fourth-beta player instantly shot up to Level 31 after forming the contract with her dragon.

This sparked widespread jealousy.

Leveling from 29 to 31 wasn’t an insurmountable task, but for most players, it required at least a day or two of grinding.

Watching someone leap ahead effortlessly just like that can sometimes really be infuriating.

༺⟐༻

Time within the game always seemed to fly by.

Before anyone realized it, another ten in-game days had passed.

The hype surrounding the new Ouros map began to fade.

Despite its vastness and appeal, it soon became clear that the map was primarily for low-level players.

The strongest monsters in the area barely reached Silver-rank and even those were seldom seen.

For lower-leveled players from the fourth beta, it provided a safe area to grind and level up.

But for most players focused on efficiency, why travel so far when they could level faster in the underground or the Elven Forest?

That being said, not everyone shared the same sentiments.

Many players who enjoyed the cultural and scenic aspects of Elven Kingdom remained captivated by the new map.

Some of them even turned their explorations into video content, uploading them online to impressive viewership numbers.

The videos they created showcased the massive scale and stunning realism of Elven Kingdom, leaving audiences in awe of its beauty and rich worldbuilding. 𝐫

Thanks to these videos, the game’s popularity surged once again—this time, fueled by the breathtaking landscapes of the new map.

Comments like “This has to be another world!” or “They must have traveled through space time!”and “This is definitely an alien conspiracy!” began trending on social media.

Of course, these remarks were all said in good fun.

Players expressed their admiration for Elven Kingdom in playful ways, marveling at its immersive capabilities.

After all, the game was merely just that—a game.

It still had a system, a UI, and the ability to log out at any time.

The developers also showed no signs of anything suspicious.

Despite its uncanny realism, Elven Kingdom was exactly what players dreamed of:

The ultimate virtual reality experience.

To the players, it was their very own Matrix.

What they didn’t realize was that the lack of real-world investigations into Elven Kingdom wasn’t due to ignorance but rather, Evé had been subtly intervening with her divine power, preventing any interference.

For players, though, all that mattered was enjoying this highly immersive game and going about their adventures with endless joy.

Every day in Elven Kingdom brought about new discoveries, new surprises, and of course, the inevitable grind to fulfill their duties as ‘leeks’ every day… ¹

If a ranking of virtual games developed on earth were made, Elven Kingdom would undoubtedly sit at the top, surpassing all others in every category.

Of course it’s not without flaws, such as some players complained about its hyper-realism causing inconveniences, the sheer size of the maps exhausting their characters stamina just by traveling, or occasional imbalances in class performance.

But compared to what the game could offer, these flaws were trivial.

Meanwhile, curiosity about the World Tree Technologies company—the developer of Elven Kingdom—continued to grow.

Many players tried to locate their physical offices but failed to find any trace of it in the real world.

With the advancement of virtual networks, it wasn’t uncommon for modern companies to forgo physical offices entirely, operating solely in cyberspace.

As a result, most people concluded that World Tree Technologies was one such next-gen enterprise.

Unsurprisingly, a variety of rumors began to spread.

Yet, in the face of the mysterious power from another world, any negative voices barely caused a ripple.

After all, netizens are both forgetful and easily swayed by public opinion.

Their intelligence can also sometimes be astonishingly high—and at other times, disappointingly low.

If something is presented convincingly enough and bolstered by paid online campaigns, turning lies into truths and truths into lies becomes effortless.

While a certain mythical entity couldn’t directly interfere with the physical matters in Earth, influencing public opinion through the internet by expending divine power was well within their grasp.

In some ways, it was a form of dimensional suppression.

Amidst this swirling tide of speculation, the game Elven Kingdom arrived at the final day before its upcoming update.

༺⟐༻

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎The Chosen City, Elven Forest

The Chosen City, built by players and hailed by elves as the “City of Miracles,” remained as bustling as ever—or perhaps even more so as the next update drew closer and closer.

With players continually reaching the Level 40 cap, many who had previously focused solely on leveling returned to the city to explore the diverse gameplay options Elven Kingdom offered.

Shops opened by players were now everywhere, selling a wide array of goods.

The city’s architectural scale had expanded significantly as well.

Of course, most players returned out of habit, gathering in the main city to await the update.

Although it could be accessed from anywhere, this one involved the priest class. And with the World Tree located in the Chosen City, it was naturally the most convenient place for players to perform the necessary rituals.

Among these players was Moon Jasmine.

Despite being a fourth-beta player, she had already reached the Level 40 cap which is a remarkable feat.

While reaching this level might not seem impressive to old-time veterans, it was an outstanding achievement for someone who had only been playing for less than three months.

Moon Jasmine’s jobclass is surprisingly that of a warrior, which is relatively rare among female players.

Due to the realism of Elven Kingdom, most female players gravitated toward spellcasting or ranged classes.

However, this didn’t mean they were less skilled than their male counterparts.

In fact, women often dominated the leaderboards for mages and rangers.

Even so, there were strong female melee players too—Jasmine being one of them.

Although she hadn’t yet advanced to Silver-rank, she ranked as the top warrior just below the Silver threshold, a significant accomplishment that even surpassed many first-beta players.

At this moment, Jasmine was seated in the bustling Amway Tavern, carefully polishing her prized Upper-Iron-rank Legendary longsword.

Her crimson hair, tied into a single ponytail, contrasted sharply with her cold, aloof demeanor as she gazed out the window at the lively street.

On the street below, Li Mu, the guild leader of Heart of Nature and a well-known elite player, was joyfully playing with his Bronze dragon hatchling.

The creature was already as large as an ox, and their antics drew envious stares from the surrounding players.

“I wish I could have a dragon companion too…”

A wistful sigh came from across the table.

Moon Jasmine cast a brief glance at the male player sitting opposite her, with the username ‘Caesar’ hovering above his head.

Despite his strong-sounding name, Caesar’s character design was delicate, featuring golden hair, blue eyes, and a slim build.

He was a druid, a class known for its connection to nature.

“I heard these dragons can actually talk to their companions, and once they hit Silver-rank, they’ll be able to communicate just like Meryer. How cool is that?”

Caesar remarked, his eyes filled with longing as he watched the scene across the street.

“You’re a druid. That gives you an edge,” Jasmine said coolly. “Level up faster, reach the cap, and choose skills that appeal to dragons. Who knows? Maybe next time, you’ll be chosen.”

Her tone was cold, contrasting with the fiery enthusiasm of her bright red ponytail.

Caesar chuckled weakly.

“Yeah, I’d love to level up faster, but as a fourth-beta player, I’m already at a disadvantage compared to the older players. And honestly…leveling through tasks takes forever in this game.”

He trailed off as Jasmine interrupted him.

“Who told you to focus on doing tasks instead of fighting monsters anyway? Monster grinding is the fastest way to level. If you’d stuck with me, you’d reach the level cap by now.”

She shook her head, clearly unimpressed.

Caesar sighed.

“Grinding with you? You’re insane! I can’t go two days and nights without sleep like you can.”

With a faint smile, he added, “Besides, I prefer doing tasks over grinding, especially the personal ones from elven NPCs. Don’t you think the real charm of this game is in interacting with them? Every elf has their own story—it’s really amazing!”

He glanced at Jasmine, but she simply shook her head again.

“I’m not interested in those NPCs.”

She continued, “Honestly, this game’s NPC mechanics are far too complicated. At the end of the day, they’re just lines of code. Why make it so elaborate? Even their favorability affects my experience gains—it’s really unnecessary.”

“The realism of Elven Kingdom is impressive, sure. The combat mechanics and class balance are excellent—far beyond any other game I’ve played. That’s all that matters to me. The rest is pointless.”

Caesar stared at her, speechless.

“Huh, you’ve never interacted with any NPCs? Never done daily tasks?” he asked in a incredulous tone.

Jasmine shook her head.

“Too troublesome. I only enjoy combat. Right now, my ultimate goal is to top the combat power rankings and take down Boxlunch in a duel—and win.”

Her eyes lit up with determination, a fiery resolve gleaming within.

“Competition and battle—that’s the true essence of a game!”

Caesar: “…”

He gave her a strange look and shook his head.

“You have such unique tastes… If this game didn’t have gender-lock mechanics, I’d honestly think you were running a gender-bent account.”

“Do you want a beating?”

“Uh… Haha, no, no!”

Caesar quickly laughed it off, eager to change the subject.

“Speaking of which… we’ve known each other for almost a month now, right? I still remember that day when we were doing a quest. If it weren’t for you stepping in, I’d have been done for.”

Jasmine waved her hand dismissively.

“That’s because you’re weak. You couldn’t even handle the wild monsters near the Elven Forest’s central zone. And you’re still dreaming of becoming someone’s romantic partner?”

Caesar scratched his head, laughing awkwardly.

“Uh… well, it’s my first time playing a virtual MMO, you know? I’ve never done this before. You can’t compare me to you—you’re a natural gamer…”

Moon Jasmine rolled her eyes.

“Are you even a guy?”

Caesar: “…”

“Ahem. I got drawn into Elven Kingdom because of its beautiful landscapes. And, uh, I’ve always liked games with rich storylines. Combat? Not really my thing,” he explained.

“Weirdo.”

Jasmine shook her head, unimpressed.

Caesar: “…”

Scratching his nose, he changed the subject again.

“By the way, didn’t you win a spot for an advanced class promotion? Why haven’t you done it yet? With your skills, if you advance to Silver-rank, you could easily make it into the top five combat rankings. With some grinding, you might even crack the top three! Honestly, if you’d joined during the first-beta, you’d already be one of the top elites.”

Jasmine shook her head again.

“I couldn’t. I was playing another game back then. By the time I found out about Elven Kingdom, it was already in its third-beta. As for the class promotion, I’ll wait until the upcoming update. I’m planning to dual-class as a priest and don’t want my promotion to mess with anything.”

“Wait… you actually want to dual-class as a priest? Wasn’t I supposed to be your support healer?”

“You’re too weak and always getting lost. I’d rather handle it myself.”

“… My bad. You’re right,”

Caesar said, clutching his chest as if struck.

“I just figured I should level up more to keep up with you.”

“But…” Jasmine suddenly shifted the conversation.

“Once the priest class is available, I can help you level up. Didn’t you mention wanting to try it too? From what I’ve heard, priests don’t need much experience to level up, so grinding it should be pretty fast.”

Caesar’s eyes lit up.

“That’d be amazing!”

Then, scratching his head awkwardly, he added, “Actually, I was planning to main as a priest. According to the announcement, leveling as a priest involves interacting with NPCs a lot. I think that suits me better. Plus, if I main as a priest class, maybe I could actually be useful to you…”

His voice trailed off at the end, barely audible.

“What did you say?” Moon Jasmine asked, tilting her head.

“Uh… nothing! Just that, based on the official announcement, being a priest might really suit me.”

“Oh, you mean proselytizing? You don’t actually think the game will make you preach to NPCs one line at a time, do you?”

Jasmine raised an eyebrow.

“Wait, isn’t that how it works?” Caesar blinked in confusion.

“Don’t get your hopes up. No game would make it that complicated. Proselytizing is probably just a ‘progress bar’ mechanic. Fill the bar, and the job’s done.”

Jasmine shrugged.

“Is that so?” Caesar muttered, frowning slightly.

He hesitated before saying, “But… the NPCs in this game are so intelligent…”

“Trust me,” Moon Jasmine said confidently, “I’ve played enough games to know how it usually works by now.”

Caesar seemed like he wanted to continue the conversation, but a system notification suddenly popped up in both their fields of view:

【

】

【Elven Kingdom will now undergo a version update in 10 minutes. Please prepare to log out.】

“Looks like it’s time. I’ll log off for dinner. Let’s meet up afterwards.”

Jasmine downed the mug of ale in front of her, then stood and headed toward the tavern’s second-floor guest rooms.

She’d spent all her contribution points on equipment and hadn’t bought a house yet, so she was still staying in these rented rooms.

Caesar, left alone, hesitated for a moment and rubbed his nose thoughtfully.

“Would the devs really make proselytizing so simple?”

— 465 —

¹ 韭菜 – The phrase is a metaphor used to describe when consumers are taken advantage of by big business or entrepreneurs. Thus, players are “harvested” like leeks, which can be cut down and new ones will grow back quickly.

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Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep