Li Dongze chose his words carefully:
"The Spirit Realm is a supernatural force—something science can't explain yet. Though we've been trying to analyze and understand it, we still don't have a full grasp. The Spirit Realm exists within reality but is also separate from it. Only the chosen can enter."
"And how does one get chosen..." He took a sip of wine, smiling faintly, "You should have a feel for it by now."
"That card?" Zhang Yuanqing responded at the right moment.
Li Dongze nodded slightly:
"It's called a Role Card. Whoever obtains it will unlock a trial mission. Passing the trial grants you a corresponding profession, along with its skills and traits.
"The mechanism by which the Spirit Realm selects its travelers is still unknown. The way the Role Card is distributed isn't fixed—it might directly appear inside your body, or you might pick it up on the street, or accidentally click a link online...
"Completing the trial is just the beginning. Spirit Realm travelers who want to level up and become stronger must keep accepting missions and entering the Spirit Realm. But don't worry, mission frequency isn't high, and not all Spirit Realm scenarios threaten your life. Some can even be quite interesting.
"For example, myself—I'm a level 3 Scout. In the past two years, I've entered the Spirit Realm six times. Three were solo Spirit Realms where I nearly died. The other three were multiplayer: team battles or co-op missions, which were safer and more fun. Heh, gaining supernatural powers always comes with a price."
Li Dongze paused, giving Zhang Yuanqing a chance to ask questions.
"Like game dungeons?" Zhang Yuanqing offered his understanding.
Li Dongze smiled:
"I like talking to you young people because you grasp new things quickly and enthusiastically."
After a moment, he nodded:
"That's right, it's like playing a game, and the Spirit Realm is the dungeon. Some dungeons are solo, some multiplayer team-based, some multiplayer PvP. Solo dungeons are the most dangerous, with the highest mortality rate.
"Multiplayer ones are relatively safer, divided into death-type and penalty-type. The penalty type only deducts some experience points."
"Why is the solo type so deadly?" Zhang Yuanqing asked, puzzled.
Li Dongze thought a moment, then said, "In multiplayer Spirit Realms, you meet other travelers of different professions. But solo ones are your own profession's Spirit Realm. Take Scout, for example: its supernatural abilities at the extraordinary level are insight, tracking, and analysis.
"So my three solo Spirit Realm missions were: acting as a detective solving a case; hunting villains in the jungle; and wilderness survival. Also, each profession's extraordinary and saint levels have different Spirit Realm dungeons."
"My profession is Night Wanderer, specializing in paranormal dungeons. Phew, good thing there are multiplayer dungeons, or I'd probably piss myself scared in the Spirit Realm. The saint-level dungeons will differ?" Zhang Yuanqing nodded while listening.
"Lei Yibing's disappearance—is it related to the Spirit Realm?" Zhang Yuanqing asked seriously.
He needed official confirmation to back his suspicion. If Brother Bing had entered the Spirit Realm, things weren't so bad.
Li Dongze thought for a moment:
"After Lei Yibing's strange disappearance, the Hangcheng police took over the case. Their judgment is that Lei Yibing died in the Spirit Realm."
Zhang Yuanqing felt his heart skip a beat, anxiety and panic rising uncontrollably. "Why?"
Li Dongze explained: "Because it's been too long. Normal Spirit Realm dungeons at the extraordinary level last from several hours to one or two days. But Lei Yibing has been missing for four days. Extraordinary level covers levels 1 to 3."
"What about above extraordinary level?"
"Not clear, but the dungeons should last longer."
Maybe Brother Bing is a powerful Spirit Realm traveler... Zhang Yuanqing comforted himself with this thought.
Right now, for this disappearance, neither his skills nor experience could help much.
Compared to that, joining an official organization and self-rescue are the most urgent priorities.
"...By the way, before I introduce the official organizations, there's something important. What's your morality score?" Li Dongze sipped wine and cleared his throat.
"Sixty points, the initial value," Zhang Yuanqing answered honestly.
Li Dongze nodded, "For a newbie like you, morality score is the biggest pitfall. Remember this well."
"Why?" Zhang Yuanqing was curious.
"Remember the note under morality score?"
Remember, it tells me to be a good person... Zhang Yuanqing almost made a sarcastic face.
Li Dongze turned serious:
"Morality starts at 60. If you fall below it, the Spirit Realm's punishment mechanism triggers: your location is broadcast to all Spirit Realm travelers in the city, and a 'clear' mission is issued against you."
Zhang Yuanqing was stunned, blurted out:
"So I can never do bad things again for the rest of my life?"
Well, I didn't say don't do bad things, but being a saint is exhausting.
Also, how exactly do they measure morality? If doing crafts or posting risque pictures counts as low morality, then he's doomed.
Li Dongze laughed, clearly enjoying seeing newbies make such expressions, then said slowly:
"Don't be so nervous. Based on our observations, stealing, robbery, and injuring people will deduct 1-5 morality points depending on severity. Killing costs 10 points. Causing severe consequences or multiple casualties deducts more according to the situation.
"As for personal ethics issues, they don't affect morality score. Morality can be deducted but also accumulated. So, you're encouraged to be a good person."
This system sounds deliberately designed to restrain Spirit Realm travelers. But why would the Spirit Realm want to restrain its travelers?
Morality and law are human constructs to maintain order. No other living beings in nature need these.
In other words, unless the Spirit Realm's stance is aligned with humanity, the morality system seems irrational.
But the Spirit Realm is supernatural.
Zhang Yuanqing instinctively felt the restriction was unfair, but since Li Dongze didn't explain further, he assumed even the officials didn't know.
From this conversation, it's clear the official understanding of the Spirit Realm is limited.
"I get it. No wonder it's a big trap for newbies. How do you accumulate morality points?"
Newcomers with powers often do things they wanted before but couldn't, like making quick money.
And methods to make quick money are all in the criminal law.
Also, eating rare delicacies... hmm, would helping poor girls reduce morality? Is that considered a personal ethics loss or illegal in the Spirit Realm?
Zhang Yuanqing dared not ask, not wanting to leave a bad impression on his future superior.
"Accumulating morality is as simple as lowering it: do good deeds. In fact, many evil organizations' travelers love charity and donations because it's the fastest way to raise morality. With enough money, they can kill with impunity," Li Dongze sneered:
"It's ironic, isn't it? You never know the real faces behind charity. And more ironic—human life can be measured in money. That's reality, and that's the Spirit Realm.
"Also, battles between Spirit Realm travelers don't affect morality."
After Zhang Yuanqing absorbed this, Li Dongze continued:
"Next, let's talk about the official organizations.
"Our organization is called the Five Elements Alliance, formed by five major factions: the Hundred Flowers Society, White Tiger Battalion, Scarlet Flame Gang, Water God Palace, and Central Court. They represent five professions: Wood Demon, Scout, Fire Master, Water Ghost, and Earth Monster."
Zhang Yuanqing silently mocked: Why do all official groups sound like a bunch of demons and monsters?
"Besides the Five Elements Alliance, there are other official-backed organizations. I'll send you the info later," Li Dongze fiddled with his wine glass:
"The alliance formed in the last twenty years. Before that, each faction operated independently, and relations were hostile. This involves the cycle of five elements and the nature of each profession."
Li Dongze shrugged after a sip: "Take the Hundred Flowers Society's Wood Demons—they're extreme environmentalists and animal rights activists. God, they even tried to get the alliance to ban eating dog meat. Their obsession with animals drives me crazy—I just want to kick them hard."
Then he harshly criticized the other four factions except White Tiger Battalion.
This gave Zhang Yuanqing a clear impression of them: Scarlet Flame Gang always ready to fight; Water God Palace, gloomy and obsessed with viruses and bacteria; Central Court bosses involved in real estate and mining.
"Only our White Tiger Scouts are wise, calm, decisive—perfect professionals," Li Dongze concluded.
Zhang Yuanqing thought: Does everyone else agree with you?
"Heh, sounds more like a game, right? Some call the Spirit Realm a 'game server,' with character sheets, items, and missions. Each Spirit Realm is a dungeon. Scarlet Flame Gang members are reckless, like berserkers. Water God Palace controls water, like water mages. Hundred Flowers Society raises pets and heals, like priests and summoners. Central Court members are tough tanks."
Zhang Yuanqing couldn't resist a jab:
"So you scouts are like the 75-gold eye in the game?"
Li Dongze stiffened, gripping his staff silently:
"If I were a Fire Master from Scarlet Flame Gang, I'd smash your head with this stick right now."
"Sorry!" Zhang Yuanqing apologized quickly.
After the joke, their atmosphere lightened. Li Dongze smiled:
"Once you pass the extraordinary level, Scouts have powerful solo combat ability. I say this profession is perfect—not bragging.
"Of course, among the official professions, Night Wanderer is recognized as the strongest. I mean official professions, not evil ones. Even we Scouts admit Night Wanderers are a bit more perfect."
"Huh? Night Wanderers are strong? Can they fight ten people?" Zhang Yuanqing's heart leapt. "Can you tell me about the Night Wanderer profession?"
Li Dongze chuckled but understood the youth's admiration for strength:
"Night Wanderers at early extraordinary level already have strong assassination and burst damage capabilities. They can communicate with souls, raise the dead, and control spirits. Their skills are diverse and battle power formidable.
"But they're extremely rare. Currently, the Songhai branch has no Night Wanderers because their trial dungeons are too few, and the Taiyi Sect in the capital keeps recruiting all Night Wanderers nationwide."
He naturally asked the new recruit's profession:
"What's yours? I hope you're not a Fire Master—I hate rude, impulsive young people."