Virtual Insanity: Cultivator in A Digital World

07: First Quest

To his surprise, Wang Jun found himself being surrounded by hundreds of players at the time. He soon decided to observe them from the side, to familiarize himself with the environment and try not to look too obvious amidst the crowd.

He also hides his username in the option window so other players would think of him as an NPC. Wang Jun didn't trust anyone either, in his eyes, the players and NPCs are all the same, ready to be harvested when the time is due. No time for friendly banters and making acquaintances.

From their name which afloat above their head, Wang Jun could tell that they were veteran gamers and used to survival, MMORPG games where building bases, making alliances, clans, and even a whole nation and fully functioning government inside the game and monopolize the game for their gain.

Their first impression when they logged in with their character was euphoric. This Virtual Insanity was the game that they had been waiting for decades. A game without any limitation of movement, well-articulated joints, and the graphics almost 100% resemble real life!

A young lady wearing a Chinese traditional robe dances in a circle, showcasing her flexible, beautiful movement. "This is impossible! Is this the real world? My character is perfectly matched with my real body, hahaha!"

"True! Look at this! I can move my body freely like in the real world. Hah! I could use my parkour expertise in this game freely!" Said a young teenage boy wearing a ninja costume.

And so many other players commenting on how real the game feels. Wang Jun, however, couldn't care less and focused on his own thing.

He approached the NPC who ran the workshop in the corner of this lumber camp. The lumberman was tall and burly, cutting the wood using a huge Whale's Head Saw to split one big log into half symmetrically.

"Hello, sir!" Wang Jun greeted the man, and the sound of the sawing log abruptly stopped.

"Yeah? What do you need, young fella?" The lumberman answered curtly, disliked being interrupted by Wang Jun.

'That's odd, isn't it? The NPCs are usually very friendly and somewhat have a monotone set of dialogs, but this man right here talks and behaves like a real person!'

Wang Jun, however, didn't pursue it any further and made it quick to the business.

"I need a group of carpenters to repair my roof. Or perhaps, if you and your peers are busy with these new players, I just need to buy the tools and the woods."

"Alright, maybe I can help you with the construction, But first… I need you to harvest the Eldritch Woods in the forest northward. I will take it as your payment instead. But be careful, there are many 'wolves' in that area."

"Wolves, eh?"

"You can use the Beginner Axe and Beginner Sword on that shelf. Chop-chop, I ain't have all day for dilly-dally chitty chat."

"Okay… okay~," Wang Jun said, half sighing as he picked up the boring-looking Axe and the short sword.

The interaction window soon appeared before his eyes, showing the details of those Beginner Items.

[Normal-Grade Weapon: Beginner Sword]
[Tier F] [Tier Upgrade-None]
[STR: +2] [Accuracy: 5]
[ASPD: +3] [Crit: 25%]
[Damage: 25

[Normal-Grade Tools: Beginner Axe]
Tier F] [Tier Upgrade-None]
[STR: +5] [Accuracy: 3]
[ASPD: +1] [Crit: 25%]
[Damage: 30]

There's not much, but enough to get by for a starter weapon. Wang Jun put on the belt and hung the sword on the left-hand side and the axe on the right.

Thus, Wang Jun strode his way through the crowds, ignoring the new players around him.

NinjaBoy69, The player who has high agility stats suddenly walked beside Wang Jun, nagging him for a piece of information.

"Hello!" NinjaBoy69 greeted him. "Brother… eh, you don't have a username. Are you an NPC?"

Wang Jun only looked at the guy in the ninja costume as his response.

"Right… I'll take that as a yes. Damn it! It's so hard to tell players and NPCs apart, they are too similar to the player!" The noisy ninja guy kept his mouth running free without skipping a beat.

"Ah, anyway… Nameless NPC, good sir. Where can I get started from here? Or perhaps… Do you have a quest for me?"

Wang Jun shrugged both of his shoulders nonchalantly, arching his lips upwards. "Do whatever you want."

With that said, Wang Jun continued his way to the forest where the Eldritch Tree grew in abundance. Leaving the ninja guy in a daze.

Little did he know, his simple line inspired the players around him, settling the game itself into full motion.

Every player has the right to become the main character of their endless journey, and everybody has the right to become a hero. An ultimate freedom to explore this boundless world.

However, there's only one Villain, who shall bring and push the 'humanity' itself to the limit.

****

Meanwhile, in the higher realm, Bai Ning's true self, The Goddess of Creation, Nüwa, had awakened from her 500 years of slumber. Bai Ning was only a mere puppet that Nüwa used as a vessel for a fraction of her Soul.

"Mmhh!" Nüwa stretched her back and arched her bountiful bosoms forward while wearing a very thin white robe. "Back to this world again, at last."

The Goddess floated away from her bed, looking at the mirror to comb her golden hair by hand. She stood by the side of her huge, bird cage-like place to look at the world that she created below.

"Wang Jun… Let us see how far the human's depravity could go, with you as the Harbinger of Doom. Spread the chaos, burn everything in your wake, and from the ashes, the world shall rebirth once again, and come face me and claim your prize."

With the power of Primordial God Cultivator, Nüwa had created countless worlds for humanity throughout the multiverse. But she grew bored after trillions of years of lifespan and wants to meet her death.

However, she'd need a worthy successor for all her fortune and blessings, thus she created a world for humans on this small Blue Planet to experience what it's like to have a superpower, a simulation world to harvest talented humans and shall be granted her inheritance.

Nüwa, the creator of this Virtual Insanity, only wished for one thing, to create someone who would best her and put an end to her very existence, as a Goddess of Creation so she could have the peace that she longed for eons.