Might of Players

---Logan's POV---

Following the skeleton's instructions, I focused my thoughts, and a light blue panel materialized before me.

Holy crap, it actually works! My fingers tingled with excitement as I reached out to touch it, though they passed right through the display.

---

[Name: NeverShowOff]

[Race: Human]

[Level: 1 (Newbie)]

[XP: 0/100]

[SAN: 100]

[Skills: None]

[Inventory: Empty]

----

"A game panel really exists!" I couldn't contain my excitement.

I had assumed the game had poured all its effort into achieving 100% realism, leaving out typical game elements like a UI. After all, this was only the first closed beta. Just based on the visuals and realism alone, I was ready to overlook any flaws.

Most beta games were incomplete. For some games, the first beta and the official release felt like two completely different titles. But from what I'd seen so far, Chronicles of Aeltia already felt 70% complete.

And this was just the first beta.

The game panel's stats followed classic designs. I quickly skimmed through them and even found the "Exit Game" button in the top right corner.

The only stat I couldn't figure out was SAN.

"Why does a fantasy adventure game have a SAN system? Is this game Cthulhu-themed?" I muttered to myself, puzzled, tapping the stat experimentally.

Nothing happened.

The NPC's earlier explanation of the world hadn't hinted at anything like that. Still curious, I opened the Important Notes section below. The Important Notes button was highlighted in bold red, making it impossible to miss.

---

[Watcher's Member Handbook]

1. Players can only choose one faction: the Watcher faction. Faction changes are not allowed.

2. The faction leader is uniquely and exclusively Viktor. If Viktor dies, players will lose their anchor point in Aeltia, and the main storyline to resist the gods and save Aeltia will automatically fail. The beta channel will close, and after a rollback and bug fixes, the beta will restart.

3. The faction leader has special privileges, such as "Confinement (temporary account freeze)" and "Faction Expulsion (account ban)." While Viktor has a mild temperament, do not test his patience.

4. The final interpretation of the above rules rests solely with the faction leader.

---

My eyelid twitched as I read.

Good grief, aside from the first rule, the other three were all about Viktor. Did our faction leader have this much power? He could even ban accounts?

And if he died, the game would be shut down?!

Sure, the beta would reopen eventually, but who knew how long that would take? What if the game became super popular by then and I couldn't get back into the beta?

Silently, I resolved to ensure the faction leader's safety at all costs. But… come to think of it. Our faction leader was a skeleton. How exactly was I supposed to keep a skeleton "alive"?

After searching in vain for an explanation of the SAN value, I gave up. With a name like that, as a gamer with 20 years of experience, I knew exactly what the stat implied.

I continued browsing. In addition to the character attributes page, the game panel had a separate Quest Module. I clicked it open, and a list of quests popped up.

---

[Logging: For every tree cut down, earn 5 XP. Trees must be at least 8 meters tall. No restrictions on tree type.]

[Street Cleaning: For every bucket of garbage collected, earn 2 XP.]

[Stone Collection: For every unit of stone gathered, earn 2 XP. Units are calculated as follows: …]

[Foraging: For every unit of wild fruit collected, earn 1 XP. Units are calculated as follows: …]

---

The quests were varied but consisted entirely of menial tasks to clean up the town. It was clear that the Watcher organization in this game's background was down bad.

Looks like the greatest faction in the game is currently moonlighting as a janitorial service.

I sighed to myself. The logging quest offered the most XP, sitting at the top of the list. I did some quick math. Chopping down 20 trees would level me up to Level 2.

Not bad at all.

I wonder if there's a reward for reaching Level 2? I thought, already imagining what kind of cool abilities might be waiting.

Another player, ProGamer_Daddy, seemed to have the same question and asked directly.

"Excuse me, Skeleton Lord?"

"My name is Viktor," the skeleton corrected, "and I am your leader and the current lord of Honeyvale Town."

"Got it, Lord Viktor!" ProGamer_Daddy quickly adapted, not missing a beat. "So, what's the reward for reaching Level 2?"

I could swear I saw Viktor's eye sockets gleam.

"You've just returned to Aeltia and still need time to adapt to this radically changed world," he began. "Once you've adjusted, I will grant you magical initiation. Powerful magic is the foundation of everything!"

"Magical initiation?!" ProGamer_Daddy shouted, practically jumping with joy. His grin stretched so wide it nearly reached his ears. "You mean this world really has magic, and we can learn it at Level 2?"

Viktor gave a slight nod, somehow managing to look both dignified despite being a skeleton.

Overcome with excitement, ProGamer_Daddy bolted out the door. "Lord, wait for me! I'll chop down 20 trees for you in no time!"

"Me too!" I shouted, now equally fired up as I dashed after him. Quests, here I come! Time to level up!

---Viktor's POV---

"Wait!" I called out, watching the enthusiastic players dash away. Like excited puppies running after a bone... hopefully not my bone.

Edgar swiftly grabbed both players and hauled them back.

"I wasn't finished," I said calmly, giving the two a pointed look. Now they knew to listen properly? They'd have to hear me out first.

"The place we're in is called Honeyvale Town, located on the outskirts of the Great Oak Forest. It's one of countless ordinary settlements drowned by the magical tide," I explained, making sure to emphasize the next part. "This area is surrounded by monsters. Outside the one-kilometer safe zone around Honeyvale Town, the rest of the region is extremely dangerous. Do not wander off, or you'll face the consequences."

"This is Edgar. Some quests come with supply items, which you can collect from him."

Edgar nodded in greeting, finally releasing his grip on the two players.

"And this…" I hesitated. Come on, think. You've had centuries to practice naming things.

The glowing orb stared eagerly at me. In the chaos of the past few days, I'd forgotten to name the glowing orb. I'd always just called it "Light Orb."

Even in the scripted lore, it was labeled as a mascot.

No way could I introduce it as Aeceus Muse, the God of Creativity. If the real Aeceus ever revived, the orb might get absorbed due to sharing the same name and power source.

That was unacceptable!

My brain worked overtime. Light Orb… Aeceus's divine shard… What should I name it?

Got it!

My eyes brightened as I continued. "Its name is Luminaris! As a fragment of the God of Light's divinity, it has come to realize the unforgivable sins of the gods."

"Thus, it has willingly joined The Watchers, offering its divine light to aid us in our cause. When you're ready to learn magic, you can find it at the chapel."

The glowing orb stared eagerly at me, and though I couldn't read its thoughts, I could sense its anticipation.

Judging by Edgar's behavior, it must have thought I was introducing them!

The orb pulsed brightly, seeming to vibrate with anticipation. I could almost imagine its eagerness to hear how I would present it to these peculiar humans.

"Choo-choo-phoo!" it chimed in suddenly.

At least it remembered the phrase I taught it. I had told the orb that this was a divine blessing in the player's language. No doubt it thinks this will impress them with how approachable their future deity is.

However...

Logan's lips twitched.

"Luminaris? Seriously? That's just 'luminous' with extra steps. Does the God of Light just open a thesaurus and pick the first fancy-sounding word?"

What's wrong with Luminaris?

The fact that it appears so often means the public already approves of this name!

If the God of Light isn't called Luminaris, what, should he be called Bob the Bright instead?

It's already good enough to use!

I listened as the chatty one hissed, "So this light orb is actually a double agent?"

His face scrunched up in thought, and he muttered to himself, "As the God of Light—or even just a fragment of the God of Light—it should naturally belong to the divine faction. But now it's pledging allegiance to us, the anti-god faction Watchers? Isn't this just betraying itself?"

He shook his head vigorously. "Abstract—this is way too abstract!"

The short one studied the orb floating before them, his eyes narrowing. "Look at how simple it is. The way it just floats there..." He turned to the others. "Judging by how it looks so dumb and unable to speak, could it be the game's mascot?"

The light orb—now nicknamed "Luminaris"—stared in confusion at the three players who wouldn't stop talking. I could almost read its thoughts: What's going on? Could it be that it had blessed them in person, and they were so overwhelmed with joy they didn't know how to react?

The short one turned around and looked back: "Hey, look at the goddess statue behind us. Isn't the ball in her hands Luminaris?"

"It totally is!" The chatty one's eyes lit up with amazement, and suspicious drool trickled down the corner of his mouth. "Man, the attention to detail in this game is incredible! If Luminaris is the God of Light's fragment, won't it grow up to look like the statue?"

His attitude flipped, and he gave the light orb a thumbs-up. "Well done with the betrayal! Us Watchers need a kind, reasonable, and beautiful goddess! Think about it—beauty, brains, and she's on our side! That's triple threat material!"

I watched as the light orb slightly lowered its beam, feeling a little better. Its light patterns shifted subtly, clearly understanding that gesture as praise.

It thought these believers were praising it!

"Cheep-cheep-bop!" It happily sent out another blessing, its glow pulsing with enthusiasm.

"Did it just... chirp at us?" the short one asked.

The chatty one scratched his head. "Maybe it's speaking in light orb language?"

Knowing the truth, I had to stifle my laughter, finding it hard to hold back. Clearing my throat, I said, "That's all sorted. Companions, I hope you quickly adapt to life in Aeltia."

With that, I grabbed the light orb and disappeared into the depths of the church at a slow-yet-fast pace.

I left, fearing I wouldn't be able to keep up my character anymore!

Edgar stepped aside, revealing various baskets, pickaxes, and tools stored behind him. "Tools here. One per person, no exceptions."

"What's with all these weird-looking implements?" asked, examining the collection.

Edgar's expression remained neutral. "Each tool fits its task. Choose wisely."

The trio immediately shifted their attention away from me and swarmed toward Edgar. A player could only take one task at a time, which meant they could only receive one tool.

After handing out the remaining tools, Edgar also headed inside the church, leaving the entire space to the three players.

---Logan's POV---

I huddled together with the third player, examining the deep green leaf in my hands. The leaf was about as large as both my palms combined. Apart from the handle area—which had been smoothed for grip—the edges were lined with sharp, jagged teeth, making it extremely sharp.

Earlier, the silver knight had said it was an axe needed for the logging task. I tried bending it, but the leaf was incredibly rigid, similar to ironwood back on Earth. I couldn't help but complain. "Our faction is way too poor, huh? Can't we even afford a proper axe?"

Opening my inventory to check, sure enough, a new item had appeared: [Simple Axe (Broad Thornleaf Blade)].

The third player casually swung the Broad Thornleaf Blade, producing a faint slicing sound. "Watch the cutting motion—it's different from a regular axe." Feeling the sharp barbs along its edges, he remarked, "This blade isn't bad—probably more effective than a regular axe."

"Really?" I tried it myself but shook my head. "Different doesn't mean better. It's just the shape that's weird. I still find it hard to use."

"Wonder if I can switch tasks." Cutting down 20 trees, each 8 meters tall, with this leaf felt way too difficult. Had I known, I would've joined ProGamer_Daddy to collect stone instead.

Speak of the devil—he came running out of the church.

"Bro! Perfect timing! You guys haven't left yet—let me join in!"

"ProGamer_Daddy?" I looked at the identical Broad Thornleaf Blade in his hands and gaped. "Weren't you going to collect stone?"

Earlier, when we were choosing task tools, the third player and I had both gone straight for the logging task, accepting it and seeking out Edgar. ProGamer_Daddy had originally planned to take the logging task too, but he hesitated, paranoid that it might be a trap.

Instead, he spent ages calculating which task would get him to Level 2 the fastest. Edgar didn't have the patience to wait for him, so after a while, he simply picked up his basket and left.

Panicking, ProGamer_Daddy ran after him and reluctantly took what he had calculated as the most cost-efficient stone-collecting task.

And yet now he was back to logging?

"Look, the stone-collecting tool? Literal garbage," he sighed. "One rusty hoe away from bankruptcy! Don't mention it. The stone-collecting tool was a rusty hoe! I was worried it'd break before I even leveled up."

"This game doesn't have a currency system yet. If an NPC makes me pay for broken tools, I'd go bankrupt."

"So after weighing my options, this natural tool is still the best!"

"I even asked the NPC about it. He said Broad Thornleaf is everywhere nearby, so if it breaks, I can go back and get another one!"

My eyes widened. "Wait, we can get replacements?!"

So my first choice was the best one after all! As expected, the first step in any survival game was punching trees!

Looking at the three nearly identical blades, I thought for a moment and suggested, "Since we all have to do the logging task, why don't we form a team?"

"Finally! Some company while grinding!" ProGamer_Daddy responded enthusiastically.

The third player didn't say anything but nodded.

I scratched my head and said, "By the way, bro, I'm NeverShowOff. We've been here so long, but we don't even know your name!"

"My name?" The third player frowned.

"Yeah, the game ID you entered when you signed up for the beta test." I prompted.

Seeing his expression, I thought to myself: Uh-oh. Could this guy really be a first-time MMO player?

But that made no sense. Why would someone new to MMOs care about a beta test game?

After hesitating for a moment, the third player explained, "I wasn't in a good mood when I signed up, so I didn't take naming seriously. It's hard to pronounce."

I sighed. "So what now?"

For now, it wasn't a big deal. But as more players joined the game in the future, we couldn't just call him "bro" all the time.

ProGamer_Daddy suddenly remembered something and clapped his hands. "Oh right! Bro, I forgot to tell you—if you look through the semi-transparent game panel, you can see player IDs and NPC info!"

"I found out about it earlier during that cutscene," he explained excitedly. "When I looked at our faction leader, there were these titles floating above him: [Leader of The Watcher], [Lord of Honeyvale Town], [Dying Undead (7 Days, 12 Hours)]."

"Dying Undead?" I nearly dropped my blade. "What kind of title is that?"

"I know, right?" he laughed nervously. "Man, that last one nearly gave me a heart attack! Thought the game was shutting down in seven days or something."

"Wouldn't they announce something that important?" The third player spoke up, frowning. "Beta tests don't just end without warning."

"Yeah, that's what got me looking closer," ProGamer_Daddy nodded. "Then I noticed the seconds actually go up and down. Has to be some kind of lore mechanic we haven't figured out yet."

"Or maybe it's a quest timer," I suggested, remembering similar mechanics from other games. "Like we need to help him with something before that countdown ends?"

"As long as the servers aren't shutting down, I'm cool with either!" ProGamer_Daddy grinned. "Though I gotta admit, the whole 'dying undead' thing is pretty metal for a faction leader title."

I did as instructed and successfully saw the third player's ID:

[*'?￥#…&%!]

"..." I was speechless. 

No wonder the guy didn't want to say it. This wasn't just a random name—it looked like he'd mashed his face against the keyboard!

I rubbed my temples and said with exasperation, "Uh… your name… Whatever, we'll just call you 'Garble' for now."

Let's just blame it on the game ID system glitching!