A strange tremor passed through his heart. He stood up and looked the boy in his clear blue eyes. "Nass… why are you so emotional about this?"
The boy named Nass shook his head, his gaze dimming. "Glory's Light, even if you're from the Lost Planes.
It doesn't matter where you're from, only strength can protect those you care about.
Only strength lets you survive.
Lord Li De gave us this opportunity. I hope you treasure it."
There was a heavy, restrained sorrow in his voice that made Glory's Light uncomfortable. Just as he opened his mouth to ask more, the slender Nass turned and walked away.
It was obvious this small boy had lived through something unforgettable. That's what had left such a mark on him.
I'm… your companion?
Staring at Nass's retreating back, Glory's Light stood frozen.
At this moment, he felt a strange connection to this world. He realized he could no longer see this place as just a game.
Still feeling a bit lost, he lay back down in bed and logged out.
---
Earth.
In a residential district of Beijing, a young man in his early twenties, handsome, with typical Chinese features, stepped out of a gaming pod in his pajamas, his expression conflicted.
This young man was Glory's Light.
Thinking back to what had just happened in the game, especially Nass's dim blue eyes, his heart clenched again.
Shaking his head, he decided not to dwell on it. He'd find out more about Nass later, there were other things to do now.
Glory's Light opened the nearby computer and logged into the Glory forums.
The swarm of ridiculous posts from goofy players immediately lifted his mood.
[I Finally Changed Class in the Slums. From Today On, Call Me. Castrolovsky, King of Thieves]
[Life Professions Are the Real Core of This Game. Anyone Else Notice This? I'm a Gynecologist.]
[Damn It, I Was Wrong. I Was So Wrong. I Should Never Have Picked Archer. Broken Sword Knight Was Right. Archers Really Do Have to Learn to Shoot for Real. My trainer says I can try hunting monsters in three years. Can someone tell me how to delete my account??]
[Most Hardcore Game Ever. You Have to Learn the Language Yourself! I'm a linguist with 20 years of experience in world languages. After several days of study, I can confirm the "Common Script" in Glory is a fully-formed language, almost as complete as Chinese.]
[100 Ways to Find the Red-Light District in the City. I'm Known in the Streets as Brother Piao. Master of Mingling with the Ladies. Here's your guide to finding what you need fast in Glory.]
[Who the hell said class-changing was easy?! Come here and let me smash your dog-brain in. I've been in the game a week, died of starvation once, got mugged three times, and kidnapped twice. I've begged half the city and no one would help me change class. This is too hard.]
[Elves Spotted in the Ancient Forest, Need Reinforcements. Brothers, if you want to capture an Elf Slave Girl, this is our shot. Get your brave asses over here. Coordinates below.]
Glory's Light scrolled through the forum with great interest, laughing out loud at the flood of goofy posts.
At first, he had been resistant to becoming an apprentice at the Crimson Mage Tower. Come on, he thought, I'm a player, how can I just become someone else's apprentice? Shouldn't I be class-changing straight into a full-fledged mage?
But after seeing the hellish lives of various beta testers on the forum, he finally realized just how lucky he was.
There were players who couldn't speak the language and starved to death because they couldn't make money.
Players who got lost trying to leave the city to hunt monsters, only to be robbed by bandits.
Players who wanted to grind monsters to level up but were bitten to death by Level 2 wild dogs.
Some players even had to sign ten-year loyalty contracts just to work for NPCs for free. And those were just a few among countless other tearjerking tales of misery.
By contrast, his situation was entirely different. He had joined one of the most powerful factions in Green City.
He got food and shelter every day and even received a monthly stipend of 10 Silver Pucks. All he had to do was study magic as fast as he could.
Compared to other players who suffered endlessly just to class-change or make money, this was an extravagant lifestyle. And the most important part? He had class-changed into what many players considered the hardest class in the game: mage.
It was practically a protagonist's plotline.
To flaunt his "tragic" life, Glory's Light even started a serialized thread on the forum documenting his daily life at the Crimson Mage Tower.
As expected, the moment players read his posts, their envy boiled over especially those who had been tormented to hell and back by the game's NPCs. They wanted nothing more than to reach through the screen and strangle him, then take his place.
"Finished three hours of meditation today. My roommate was very upset about it and told me to take it more seriously so I might one day be recognized by our leader and become a true member of the Crimson Mage Tower.
But honestly, I'm just not into this meditation thing. It's so boring… hours and hours of sitting still!
By the way, doesn't anyone else feel like every NPC in Glory is a real person? They have emotions, backstories, past experiences. This game just keeps getting better."
The replies came flooding in. Countless players followed his updates, not because they cared about him, but because they hoped to extract some tip on how to join an NPC faction themselves.
But Glory's Light refused to give up the goods. He only ever posted about his cushy life, never offering any actual guidance. This infuriated many players.
"Damn, this show-off is back again! Someone drag him out and beat him up!!
I'm out here fighting beggars for scraps of bread in the slums, and you're sleeping in a cozy room, eating fresh bread, and getting personal spellcasting tutorials? I'm losing my mind!!"
"Blame the damn devs. I also became a mage, and the most painful part is definitely meditation. Hours of sitting still, building spell models in your mental sea. It's torture."
"I actually agree with the braggart. The NPCs in this game are incredible. Every single one has a full backstory.
I've been trying to apprentice under a warrior for the past few days. But this guy, who's supposedly known for having a good temper, snapped at me and refused outright.
After digging around, I found out he was betrayed by a former disciple. That's why he won't take any more students.
This isn't an exception either, every NPC I've met so far has a unique backstory. Even the beggars!
Sure, the devs deserve a beating, but credit where it's due: Glory is amazing!! (voice cracks)"
Glory's Light was thoroughly enjoying himself. Still young and full of pride, he found great joy in flaunting his achievements.