---Logan's POV---

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

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

  ---

  [Name: NeverShowOff][Race: Human][Level: 1 (Newbie)][XP: 0/100][SAN: 100][Skills: None][Iory: Empty]

  ----

  "A game panel really exists!" I couldn't tain 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 fws.

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

  And this was just the first beta.

  The game panel's stats followed cssic designs. I quickly skimmed through them and even found the "Exit Game" button iht er.

  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 expnation of the world hadn't hi anything like that. Still curious, I opehe Important Notes se below. The Important Notes button was highlighted in bold red, making it impossible to miss.

  ---

  [Watcher's Member Handbook]

  1. Pyers only choose one fa: the Watcher fa. Fa ges are not allowed.

  2. The fa leader is uniquely and exclusively Viktor. If Viktor dies, pyers will lose their anchor point iia, and the main storylio resist the gods and save Aeltia will automatically fail. The beta el will close, and after a rollbad bug fixes, the beta will restart.

  3. The fa leader has special privileges, such as "fi (temporary at freeze)" and "Fa Expulsion (at ban)." While Viktor has a mild temperament, do not test his patience.

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

  ---

  My eyelid twitched as I read.

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

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

  Sure, the beta would reopeually, but who knew how long that would take? What if the game became super popur by then and I couldn't get bato the beta?

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

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

  I tinued 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. ris oype.]

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

  [Stone Colle: For every unit of stohered, earn 2 XP. Units are calcuted as follows: …]

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

  ---

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

  Looks like the greatest fa 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 reag Level 2? I thought, already imagining what kind of cool abilities might be waiting.

  Another pyer, 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 reag Level 2?"

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

  "You've just returo Aeltia and still ime to adapt to this radically ged 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 magid we learn it at Level 2?"

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

  Overe 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 e! Time to level up!

  ---Viktor's POV---

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

  Edgar swiftly grabbed both pyers and hauled them back.

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

  "The pce we're in is called Honeyvale Town, located oskirts of the Great Oak Forest. It's one of tless ordinary settlements drowned by the magical tide," I expined, making sure to emphasize the 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 sequences."

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

  Edgar nodded iing, finally releasing his grip owo pyers.

  "And this…" I hesitated. e on, think. You've had turies to practiaming things.

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

  Even in the scripted lore, it was beled 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 uable!

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

  Got it!

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

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

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

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

  The orb pulsed brightly, seeming to vibrate with anticipation. I could almost imagis eagero 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 pyer's nguage. No doubt it thinks this will impress them with horoachable 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 sched up in thought, atered to himself, "As the God of Light—or even just a fragment of the God of Light—it should naturally belong to the divine fa. But now it's pledging allegiao us, the anti-god fa Watchers? Isn't this just betraying itself?"

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

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

  The light orb—now niamed "Luminaris"—stared in fusion at the three pyers 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 ourned 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 er 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 doh the betrayal! Us Watchers need a kind, reasonable, aiful 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 uanding 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 uage?"

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

  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 colle.

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

  The trio immediately shifted their attention away from me and swarmed toward Edgar. A pyer could only take oask at a time, which meant they could only receive oool.

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

  ---Logan's POV---

  I huddled together with the third pyer, examining the deep green leaf in my hands. The leaf was about as rge as both my palms bined. Apart from the handle area—which had been smoothed frip—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, simir to ironwood ba Earth. I couldn't help but pin. "Our fa is way too poor, huh? 't we even afford a proper axe?"

  Opening my iory to check, sure enough, a em had appeared: [Simple Axe (Broad Thornleaf Bde)].

  The third pyer casually swung the Broad Thornleaf Bde, produg a faint slig sound. "Watch the cutting motion—it's different from a regur axe." Feeling the sharp barbs along its edges, he remarked, "This bde isn't bad—probably more effective than a regur axe."

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

  "Wonder if I 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 Bde in his hands and gaped. "Weren't you going to collect stone?"

  Earlier, when we were choosing task tools, the third pyer and I had both goraight for the logging task, accepting it and seeking out Edgar. ProGamer_Daddy had inally po take the logging task too, but he hesitated, paranoid that it might be a trap.

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

  Panig, ProGamer_Daddy ran after him aantly took what he had calcuted as the most cost-effit stone-colleg task.

  A now he was back to logging?

  "Look, the stone-colleg tool? Literal garbage," he sighed. "One rusty hoe away from bankruptcy! Don't mention it. The stone-colleg 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 go bad get another one!"

  My eyes widened. "Wait, we get repts?!"

  So my first choice was the best oer all! As expected, the first step in any survival game ung trees!

  Looking at the three nearly identical bdes, 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 pany while grinding!" ProGamer_Daddy responded enthusiastically.

  The third pyer 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 he third pyer 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 pyer?

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

  After hesitating for a moment, the third pyer expined, "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 pyers joihe game iure, we couldn't just call him "bro" all the time.

  ProGamer_Daddy suddenly remembered something and cpped his hands. "ht! Bro, I fot to tell you—if you look through the semi-transparent game panel, you see pyer IDs and NPfo!"

  "I found out about it earlier during that cutse," he expiedly. "When I looked at our fa 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 bde. "What kind of title is that?"

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

  "Wouldn't they announething that important?" The third pyer 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 seds actually go up and down. Has to be some kind of lore meic we haven't figured out yet."

  "Or maybe it's a quest timer," I suggested, remembering simir meics from ames. "Like we o help him with something before that tdown 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 fa leader title."

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

  [*'?￥#…&%!]

  "..." I eechless.

  No wohe guy didn't want to say it. This wasn't just a random 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 bme it on the game ID system glitg!