032. Version Update in Progress
[The "Star Abyss" server is under maintenance and is expected to go live at Terra Time 14:30.]
[This maintenance includes the following content:]
1. Full release of the public test version: "Star Abyss" 1.0 – New expansion pack [The Words of Contempt]
[Glorious Arrival] – The public test version has arrived. Dear Descenders, you can now choose any planet from the closed beta period as your starting planet.
[Growth in Silence] – New level cap unlocked: lv.15 – lv.30
[Pathway to Ascension] – Players can now advance to a new tier: Alpha Tier
[Taking the Stage] – Seven new selectable starting identities have been added: Government Employee, Retired Veteran, Prison Inmate, Bounty Hunter, Street Beggar, Civil Rights Activist, Bankrupt Tycoon.
Playing as a new Descender identity and completing the previous life's wishes can earn you exclusive rewards.
New *"Leandine Medical Optimization Protocol" – Through technical upgrades, Leandine Medical has achieved remote resurrection technology. Players' medical services have now been improved accordingly.
Now, when characters die, players no longer need to resurrect in the main city. [Redemption] players can create three types of Redemption buildings: Field Hospital, Simple Life Altar, Small Church, allowing players to rest and resurrect in the wilderness.
The following are the currently available starting planets:
Terra Federation Server – Azure Star
Sussex Server – Anubis Star
Hastings Colony Server – Ely Wasteland
Agincourt Server – Valkyrie Fortress • Frontier Satellite
Bordeaux Server – Abyss Marrow Star
Note: Closed beta players will retain their levels, items, relationships, and quest progress, but all experience points earned during the beta will be reset to zero.
2. All "Star Abyss" servers will launch the first season of the Ladder Tournament in version 1.5.
Players who reach lv.30 and advance to Alpha Tier can participate in the Ladder Tournament for PVP battles. Reaching the designated rank will earn point coupon rewards.
New game mode unlocked – "Star Abyss Auto Chess". While waiting for redeployment, you can pass the time by playing auto chess. We've also prepared a series of mini-games such as "Tianhuan Miner" and "Zhengxu Farm".
3. Comprehensive system upgrade for "Star Abyss".
We've launched a brand-new [Store] system where players can purchase desired outfits and certain items to enhance their gameplay experience.
Additionally, Qiqiao Network has fixed issues that existed during the beta period.
*Fixed the issue where the mutation process for [Mutants] was excessively gory and not filtered by the recognition system.
*Fixed the bug where [Martial Artists] would spontaneously combust after consuming antifreeze.
*Fixed the issue where [Mediums] would call out players' real names.
*Fixed the bug where [Mechanics] could not move while switching to mechanical perspective.
*We fixed the issue where players' devices were scanned by the [Medium]'s mind-reading skill, infringing on their personal data.
Due to our technical error, this issue led to a violation of players' personal privacy.
For this, Qiqiao Network apologizes to all players and will compensate each with 2,000 point coupons.
Your support and criticism will make "Star Abyss" even better.
Hiss—
The glass pod door slowly opened. Jiao Ziniu disengaged the connection devices from his body and slowly sat up, stretching.
"Ha—choo—"
He yawned lazily as he got out of the game pod.
"That was really exhausting, but I actually got ahead of the version and made it to outer space first."
Jiao Ziniu mumbled as he changed clothes, washed up, and ate breakfast while checking the internal "Star Abyss" version update notice.
The new version didn't have anything particularly important for him as a [Warrior], since his character was already on another planet—or possibly just floating on a spaceship.
However, being able to advance to the Alpha Tier in the next version was really good news. After all, as mere mortals, players had no way to stand up against the regular armies of the Four Nations.
Jiao Ziniu sipped his milk as the household android walked up to slice the bread and spread peanut butter on it, placing it on his plate.
"Oh, thanks, VT."
Jiao Ziniu took the slice of bread and thanked it casually.
"Your gameplay time yesterday exceeded the health standard recommended by the World Health Organization. I sincerely advise you to shorten your game time today and engage in more outdoor activities," the android servant said, standing upright with its hands neatly placed over its belly.
"Don't worry, I won't today. I still have to go out later."
Jiao Ziniu responded nonchalantly, his attention focused on the projection tablet in front of him.
"There are quite a few new things in the update... Hey, the forum now has a short video section. Let's see if there's anything interesting."
He clicked into the short video section, and a walking video with strange background music immediately popped up:
"18-year-old #athlete #outfit #reflection #thanks to the coach, Frost-Plated beauties, let's clean the windows together—"
Smack!
Jiao Ziniu quickly swiped past it.
"Any Tianhuan bastards, they'll eventually be brought to justice—"
"Say what you want, but don't insult the Red Arrow folks. Red Arrow may be small, but it creates legends—"
"Hello everyone, I'm Zhengxu, here to share something interesting with you all today..."
Smack.
Jiao Ziniu exited the short video section, covering his face.
"Why did I expect anything from short videos?"
The android servant helpfully chimed in:
"Fragmented information doesn't require understanding of the video content. Long-term addiction can easily lead to Alzheimer's."
Jiao Ziniu shook his head and switched to the regular forum section.
Time really flies. Yesterday, they were helping Li Aozi get into space, and today, the official public test has already been announced.
Who knows how many players will flood in? Just on Azure Star alone, there will be no fewer than 200 million people, right? With so many players, there will surely be no shortage of geniuses and experts.
If he hadn't gone into space with Li Aozi, his advantage would probably have been quickly overtaken by those talented players.
"But, "Star Abyss" is just too much fun. Tanoshi, if it weren't for the forced update, I'd want to log in right now."
He wondered what space would be like. There should be a new storyline, but with the [Domination] mentor guiding him, it shouldn't be too difficult.
Maybe there would even be a chance to unlock a rare class in space.
The forum was full of speculation about the new version. Beta players helpfully shared their guilds and teams, hoping to recruit some talent. Some big streamers also shared their gaming experiences, along with live recordings, quickly attracting a wave of fans.
The public test hadn't officially started yet, but players were already creating groups and looking for teammates, and some were even posting scams.
"Former "Predation World" Star One, KD1.7, 48% accuracy, pure gunman, looking for a scout and assault teammate of the same rank."
"CPDD, fair-skinned and beautiful, with a lolita voice, mature woman voice, young man voice, uncle voice, child voice, and can also imitate broadcast accents—people call me the 'Voice of the Future.'"
"My uncle works for the "Star Abyss" dev team. Big spoiler: don't pick Frost-Plated. The Frost-Plated president is done for, and war's about to break out. Don't go there; you can't beat the regular armies unless you reach Alpha Tier."
"Wife's not home tonight, sneaking in some game time solo. Join me on Tianhuan to fight gangs. High-energy Star Abyss action! Vivo50, eat fast food, prove your strength."
"Scammer alert! This guy named WTM-CALL-110 promised me a script for 30 bucks—auto movement, lock health, headshots, magic bullets, invisibility, wallhack, and 9999 million point coupons in a minute. I sent the money, and he gave me "Alpha Ring" software, ruined my whole afternoon."
The forum, a testament to biodiversity.
Although Jiao Ziniu spent at least three hours a day browsing the forum, posting pictures, and spamming, this time, he wasn't just playing around.
He opened his private messages, which were filled with @ mentions. The most recent one was already 15 minutes old, clearly having waited a while.
Jiao Ziniu quickly opened the chat window and began typing.
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[XXG] Cumin Powder: Heard you killed three warriors all by yourself. Impressive. Even that kid with the Night Fighting Sword only got six kills. Got time to join youth training sometime? —37 minutes ago (Read)
Reply: Ah, thank you for the offer, but I don't plan to go pro yet. I feel like I still have a long way to go. (Unread)
Reply: By the way... Uh, your 'Fried Chicken Cutlet' boss from your Fragrant Chicken team, he won't be coming after me again, will he? (Unread)
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[Sky Universe] Yu Tianxiao: Yo. Samurai boy, heard you've got quite the rapport with 'Li Aozi'? Could you help me buy some high-favor items from him? —25 minutes ago (Read)
Reply: ! Hey there, Sky Universe senior! I'm only at the 'Liked' level for now, so the items I can buy are limited, but I'll keep an eye out. (Read)
[Sky Universe] Yu Tianxiao: Ah, it's no big deal. One of our team's sword guys saw the video of you and said your awareness and swordsmanship are pretty good. Have you practiced in real life? (Read)
Reply: No, it's my first time playing games. I was just a student before, and my family was strict. I only got to play after starting college. (Read)
[Sky Universe] Yu Tianxiao: Oh? Then you've got some real talent. I grew up in a social welfare home, so I chose to play games early on. Cherish your talent, keep it up :) (Read)
Reply: ! Thank you, big brother from Sky Universe (Unread)
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[LGY] Garydun: Hey… —15 minutes ago (Read)
Reply: …? (Read)
[LGY] Garydun: You don't remember me, do you? (Read)
Reply: Homebody from the Old Dry Grandpa team. (Read)
[LGY] Garydun: During the Tianhuan Siege, you ate four of my meals and didn't pay. (Read)
Reply: …Would a pro care about that much money? (Read)
[LGY] Garydun: I care. I just got out of youth training, and my salary isn't much higher than a bricklayer's. (Read)
Reply: Alright, how much do I owe? (Read)
[LGY] Garydun: We're in space now, so let's settle it with off-planet currency. I'll find you then. If that doesn't work, I can accept labor repayment. (Read)
Reply: See you then. (Read)
[LGY] Garydun: One last question. (Read)
Reply: Go ahead. (Read)
[LGY] Garydun: How did you manage to eat four random dishes in a row and get 'Strength Enhancement' buffs each time? Did Lady Luck force-feed you? I swear, I was stunned seeing you tearing through the front lines, four dishes in a row, and each gave the same 'Strength Enhancement'—boosting your [Strength] stat by 40 points! (Read)
Reply: I have no idea. But my luck's honestly not that great... (Read)
[LGY] Garydun: You should thank me. Because of this, a lot of pro teams think you're highly skilled for taking out three warriors in a row. (Read)
Reply: ...So?
[LGY] Garydun: So—pay up. (Unread)
[LGY] Garydun: Damn! Aren't you worried I'll spill the truth? Come back here! (Unread)
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[HF] Lei Yun Jing: 'Caramel Snail,' hello. I'm Lei Yun Jing, leader and coach of the Ring Maple team. —12 minutes ago (Read)
Reply: Hello, may I ask what this is about? (Read)
[HF] Lei Yun Jing: Our scouts saw your gameplay video and think you'd be a great fit for our team. Also, we noticed your address is in Ring Maple Province. Since we're a local team, you wouldn't have to travel far. Interested in a trial? (Read)
[HF] Lei Yun Jing: Don't rush to refuse. Ring Maple Province hasn't made it to the pro league in seven years, so the team is pretty laid-back now. Even if it's just exhibition matches, promoting the hometown, or live-streaming and selling products, it's still worth a try. (Read)
(Typing)
[HF] Lei Yun Jing: Here's our address, along with our video material and team situation. If you're interested, come take a look. I know you've got some great skills, and maybe top-level pro teams will notice you. But this is a rare chance to bring glory to your hometown. (Read)
(Lei Yun Jing shared a file with you — "Ring Maple Province Esports Pro Team Introduction & Info")
[HF] Lei Yun Jing: Anything else you'd like to ask? (Read)
Reply: …Although I'd like to say something, you've pretty much covered everything. I've got nothing to ask for now. (Read)
[HF] Lei Yun Jing: No problem. Our club's pretty quiet at the moment. We're struggling to even gather 20 people to form a guild. If you have any doubts later, feel free to reach out. I'm basically online 24/7. (Read)
(Typing)
[HF] Lei Yun Jing: I heard your character account has already made it to space? (Read)
(Typing)
Reply: Yes, after the closed beta main storyline ended, I followed Li Aozi, who is a [Domination] mentor, and headed into space. I'll likely be playing in the universe of "Star Abyss" from now on. (Read)
[HF] Lei Yun Jing: That's a great opportunity, make sure not to miss it. (Read)
Reply: Why do you say that? (Read)
[HF] Lei Yun Jing: Consider it an insider tip. According to industry insiders, there's actually a way for players to break the level cap in the game. (Read)
[HF] Lei Yun Jing: Players are stuck at the level cap, but the solution to that—lies in descending into the Abyss. (Read)
[HF] Lei Yun Jing: If you can descend from the Layer Abyss to the Depth Abyss, you can break through the version's limits and unlock the 200-level cap. (Read)