Chapter 255: Hidden Quest Has Arrived!

【Trash game, waste of time!】

Just as Feng Xue was diligently milking Bi Gelei, a hot thread appeared on the player forum—though technically, since its release, "Hero vs. Demon King" had never stopped being criticized; after all, it was the first virtual reality technology, yet it was forced into the mold of a canned classical MMORPG, with abysmal freedom and interactivity—if not for the lack of competitors and decent modeling, no one would've even had the energy to complain. As a result, trashing the game had become a daily forum staple—every day posts cursing it, every day cursing it, yet everyone still played.

But this thread appearing now surprised many, because the current 5.0 version was arguably the best-received version since the game's launch.

Whether it was the long-anticipated non-canned main and side quests, the more epic boss battles, or especially the newly launched Spell Editing System, all had firmly anchored a huge wave of players in the tiny Hidden Village—even during work hours, hundreds remained here studying spells, forcing the "officials" to expand the village just to accommodate the influx.

Yet at this very moment of booming growth, when the usual daily torrent of rage had dwindled, this thread suddenly appeared—and instantly raised suspicion.

Many players clicked in thinking, "If it's just the same old complaints, I'll roast it good," while cloud players simply wanted to see what new outrage the devs had cooked up, and pure trolls came just to argue—but afterward, everyone realized this criticism was unlike anything before—

【Hi everyone, I'm a new player named Meichuan Kuzi. I actually noticed this game years ago, but since I had zero interest in MMORPGs, I never played—until recently, when the Spell Editing System came out, and as a Noita hardcore fan, I finally got curious.】

【Though grinding mobs and leveling up is boring, I understood it's just the early-game pain, so I didn't mind. After getting the Talisman and Spell, I enjoyed it for a while—even when time advanced to Hidden Village and spellcasting difficulty skyrocketed, I still saw no issue, because this increased realism opened up far more possibilities for spells.】

【You might think I'm just clickbait—pretending to complain while actually praising—but I'm not. Unlike many who wait until they've mastered divine arts before stepping out, I'm the type who likes moving targets. With my Noita experience, I created spells faster than most, so after crafting one decent enough, I left Hidden Village to fight a monster.】

【Then I discovered: outside the village, you can't cast freely! Yes, the only area where you can freely edit spells is within Hidden Village's boundaries! Later, I tried using a dungeon key inside Hidden Village—but same result: inside the dungeon, you can't use any spell edited in Hidden Village!】

【I also tried using the first-gen Talisman and Spell—but same outcome. Though Talisman and Spell can edit spells too, their freedom is clearly nowhere near Hidden Village's. Without Hidden Village, the first-gen Talisman and Spell would've been god-tier—but after experiencing Hidden Village, it's like a restaurant shows you a full Manchu-Han Imperial Feast, snaps a photo, then after you wait three days in line, hands you a bowl of braised pork. I'm not saying braised pork is bad—but if you lured me with a feast and made me grind for days, then deny me the meal, what's the point? I spent days training that spell control, only to let me hit stationary targets inside the village?】

Initially, most commenters were cloud players, since actual players were all deep inside Hidden Village studying the Four Foundation Skills—but as the thread spread, some players who just wanted to browse the forum for a change of pace saw it, and the situation began to ferment.

Truthfully, Meichuan Kuzi wasn't the first to notice this—but some players simply didn't care.

After all, existing skill trees were already enough to defeat bosses; with Talisman and Spell, clearing dungeons in seconds wasn't impossible. Spell editing was mostly for show—even if only usable in the village, why not just fight other players for moving targets? Isn't hurling a spell at another player's face more interactive than fighting AI monsters in dungeons?

But different players had different ideas: some studied spell PvP, others wanted to build massive bombs to blow up bosses—and as emotions swelled, many who previously didn't care now felt deceived, joining the outcry.

Research Maniac was the type who genuinely loved the spell editing mechanic; though it was a shame it couldn't be used outside, it was only a minor disappointment.

But he was also an old internet user—he knew one person couldn't stop this already raging tide of public opinion, so he ignored it entirely and stayed in Hidden Village, playing his own way.

Yet the village, once expanded into Hidden Town, suddenly grew eerily quiet.

"Young man, want a fruit?"

Just as Research Maniac stepped out of the library, trying out a new idea, he saw an old man walking over with a basket. He recognized the NPC—he'd always seen him daily at the village entrance, playing chess with a group of elders. Some players had suspected a hidden quest, but even with AI assistance, no one had ever beaten him, so they gave up.

But him appearing at the training ground? First time ever.

Research Maniac thought, "Could this be a quest?" and immediately asked:

"Old man, why are you bringing me fruit?"

"Not just you—everyone who stayed gets one." The old man chuckled, tossed him a fruit, then called over nearby players.

"Hey, Old Man! That's not fair! Why do they all get one, but not us?" Guan Er and Ba Bi hurried over, annoyed the old man skipped them.

The old man glared at them, then sneered:

"You just played with shit—why eat fruit? Even my little grandson knows to wash his hands after playing in mud!"

"Hahaha!"

Players who'd gathered just hoping for a quest burst into laughter. Guan Er immediately shouted:

"That's a spell! A spell, you get it? Spells aren't shit! Dyed earth element—can that be called shit?"

"To old man's eyes, it's disgusting. Want fruit? Go wash your hands first!" The old man refused to indulge them—but seeing a possible quest, Guan Er had a flash of inspiration, waved his hand, and a spring gushed up before him, drenching his head and face—though messy, at least it counted as washing.

"Old man, is this good enough?" Guan Er grinned at the old man, who sniffed twice, suspiciously asking: "You didn't just use a piss spell, did you?"

"I—"

"Guan Er! Don't! Don't provoke NPCs!" Ba Bi instantly clamped a hand over Guan Er's mouth, then took two fruits from the old man amid the laughter.

Seeing Guan Er was useless for proper dialogue, Research Maniac stepped forward:

"Old man, you just said… 'everyone who stayed'?"

"That's right!" The old man bit into his own fruit, scowling:

"Today's kids have zero patience. Sun Wukong trained for seven years chopping wood! If you can't even settle your mind, how can you cultivate?"

(End of Chapter)