When everything settled, Vince found a screen flickering in front of him.
[Welcome to the Beginner's Village]
Vince was surprised, as it felt exactly like an RPG game, but he also knew this world was real, and the beings living here weren't NPCs. It's just that those from his world, if there were any others, were given a game-like ability to traverse this world called Heaven Paradise.
Once he found himself inside the spawn hall of the Beginner's Village, where all the players were spawning, his status window flickered once again.
He looked at it and was surprised to see [Player Customization].
Even though this world was real and they had traveled with their original body, there was a customization option. But when he saw it, he found it funny: everything was locked, and the only thing he could customize was his own name.
"So there isn't much of an option, but... this was what I thought I would want if I was given the chance."
Since he had the opportunity to customize his name, Vince didn't think much and used his old in-game name, which was once a legend in his own world.
[Confirm customization: Name - Vince Rider]
It wasn't a fancy name or one that gave off a powerful vibe, but he liked it. It was a name that was part of him, especially now that the Sterling family didn't want him to use theirs.
His new status screen flickered, looking different from before.
…
[Status]
Name: Vince Rider
Age: 18
Level: 1
Title: Dice Roller [Roll 'n Win System Holder]
Skill: Necromancer
Skill: Evolution (SSS)
Undead: [1] [Name- Specter]
Strength: 6 [10]
Agility: 4 [10]
Vitality: 5 [10]
Endurance: 5 [10]
Intelligence: 9 [10]
HP: 10 [10]
MP: 10 [10]
…
"Not much has changed except that funny title. It should have been something cooler," he thought, looking at his unimpressive stats. "Oh... they've added a name for my friend, huh!"
With a new determination, Vince finally decided to step out of the spawning hall. The moment he did, a completely new world was revealed before him.
"Amazing!"
He didn't know what to expect from a place called Heaven Paradise. It could have been an interstellar world, a cultivation realm, or just another world like modern Earth.
However, none of those were the case. It was a pure, magical fantasy world. He saw the villagers wearing clothes that were vastly different from his own, while many of the other players were wearing a similar style.
If not for their mixed fashion and the way they publicly displayed their weapons like eager newbies, he couldn't have distinguished between the villagers and the players.
"The feeling is familiar; it's just that this isn't a simple game anymore," he muttered. "Now, should I wait for another prompt, or should I look for a clue myself?"
He waited, looking around, but nothing happened. "Seems the latter is the case." Vince finally decided to move from his location.
"If my gamer instincts are correct, then I should look for someone like a village chief or similar." He was basically thinking about a quest. Seeing the game-like setting of this real world, he followed his instincts and ended up approaching a little girl who was crying for help.
"Waaaah! Waaaah! Someone help my mother!" she cried out, calling to others who were crossing her path. But for some reason, no one stopped near her and just kept going, completely ignoring the child.
"Here comes another fool," someone chuckled from the side, observing the scene.
Vince didn't hear them as he approached the girl. "Hey," he said, then reconsidered how to address her. "Hello, do you need help?"
The girl nodded, wiping her tears. "My mother has been bitten by a deadly, venomous snake! Please help me find the red lotus to cure her."
Her quest felt normal, until Vince saw the information about it on his system screen.
[Quest no. 1]
Objective: The girl's mother has been bitten by a venomous snake. The only treatment to save her is the red lotus. Retrieve it within 2 days.
Location: Venture into the East Swamp to find the red lotus.
Reward: Access to the Village Chief's quest.
Notice: Her days are limited; it's already day three, and on day five, the mother will die. If the quest is to fail, you won't be able to accept another quest for the next three days.
…
"Strange. It doesn't look that difficult," Vince thought, staring at the quest details. "Is there something I'm not aware of?" He couldn't put his finger on what the problem was.
Just then, two players watching from the side called out to him. "Yo, brother, come here before you make a stupid decision!"
The two players approached Vince, a smirk on their faces. "Hey, rookie, you're not actually going to take that, are you?" one of them, a lanky man with a bow strapped to his back, asked.
Vince frowned. "Why not? This is the way to get a quest."
The man scoffed and crossed his arms. "This isn't a game, fool. This is the oldest trick in the book. That little girl's mother isn't in any real danger. This is a test."
"A test?" Vince repeated, confused.
"Yeah. A test of judgment," a woman next to the man chimed in, adjusting the dagger on her belt.
"The Village Chief don't just give his valuable quests to anyone. They have to know who is worthy. So they set up these little moral traps. They see who's a fool and who's smart enough to pass."
The man leaned in closer. "They want to see if you'll run headfirst into a problem you know nothing about. Taking this quest tells them you're all brawn and no brains. The real reward isn't the 'Village Chief's quest.' It's getting the chief's respect by showing you have the wisdom not to take it."
He gave Vince a condescending smile. "Take it from us. You're new here. The real dangers aren't always what you think. Don't fall for the simple stuff."
Vince stared at them, his mind reeling. The world truly was more complex than he thought. He felt his "gamer" instincts screaming at him, but something about their warning felt right.