However, the bold declaration at the end of the previous chapter—to "cause some trouble"—did not actually come to pass.
"Your talents have been confirmed. Please select your initial landing location."
A massive virtual world map—modeled after Gaia—appeared before Aldric's eyes. The area corresponding to the Loess Region was marked in large, flashing red text:
"All new players are temporarily unable to select this region as their landing location."
Meanwhile, the other continents were marked in yellow text that read:
"Due to distance restrictions, this region is currently inaccessible to Pioneer Fleet members."
Only the continent representing the Suncrest Country, which the game referred to as the Far South Colony, was highlighted in blue—meaning it was the only selectable location.
Aldric frowned.
"System, what's going on? Why is that place with abnormal wildlife the only one available? Weren't the technical issues already resolved?"
He glanced again at the bright red warning over the Loess Region. Could it mean the servers were overloaded? Seriously? Even after crossing into a new world, he was still dealing with the same old "national server" problems...
"Due to time zone differences," the system's soft, feminine voice explained, "the first Pioneer Fleet members entered the world of Unreal World three standard Earth hours ago. However, the vast distance has caused significant signal delay, resulting in excessive latency that makes stable gameplay impossible..."
Aldric could've sworn he heard a hint of embarrassment in that synthetic voice. Was it because the AI was advanced enough to simulate emotion—or had the FutureTech Corporation actually hired real human operators, like those customer service agents from the old '991 hotline?
"In accordance with emergency contingency protocols," the voice continued, "when technical issues cannot be immediately resolved, mirrored servers will be established for each Pioneer Fleet. For now, members may only descend in the Far South Colony region. Six exploration teams will be distributed across six mirrored zones. Estimated resolution time: 155 working days."
Aldric rubbed his temples. "So basically, until then, I can only play LAN with the fleet..."
The thought of being trapped in the same server as that muscle-headed woman who'd vowed to become a Valkyrie made his stomach ache.
"Then... can you at least tell me what's going on with the Loess Region?" The constant flashing of that red warning made his curiosity itch unbearably.
There was a rare pause. Then the system replied, its voice noticeably hesitant:
"Unreal World has been operating on Gaia for exactly four months. Given the 12:1 time ratio, that equates to four in-game years. Since launch, players in the Loess Region have expressed dissatisfaction with the Song Empire's territory design and have... taken direct action to 'correct' it. Their large-scale interventions have severely disrupted the intended game narrative. As the game's Gaia servers are now fully managed by the Central AI—authorized by the Five Permanent Council Nations—these events have been classified as part of the game's autonomous world evolution. Adjustments are prohibited, even by the developers. Consequently, new players are temporarily restricted from entering the Loess Region to prevent further instability."
Aldric sighed and couldn't help but smirk. Based on his understanding of Cathay's national temperament, he could already guess what had happened.
In this world, Cathay stood as the undisputed superpower, and its citizens—naturally—carried a strong sense of imperial pride. It was easy to imagine that in the game's Loess Region, players had spontaneously embarked on a grand "historical correction campaign," rewriting the fate of the once-fragile Song Dynasty and aggressively expanding its borders.
In simpler terms—they'd launched a virtual land reform.
His classmates from the National Loyalty Academy and the military academy had always had their own... unique interpretations of the phrase "All under heaven belongs to the Emperor." If not for the recent breakthroughs in real-world void exploration technology and humanity's imminent plans for interstellar colonization, Aldric suspected that the "situation" in the Loess Zone would've already become a matter of international diplomacy.
Judging by the sheer scale of that red-marked area on the map, if things had gone on unchecked, the global storyline would probably soon feature "Heroes Who Resist the Cathaian Empire."
Aldric couldn't help feeling a pang of regret. By volunteering for the Pioneer Program, he'd clearly missed out on one hell of a changing history movement.
"Ah, whatever. This will do."
He sighed, reached out, and tapped the blue-colored Far South Colony zone on the map.
"Landing zone confirmed. Initial character data being generated..."
A few seconds later, a parchment sheet materialized in midair, displaying his completed character card.
Name: Aldric Xune
Race: Human – Loess Branch (Racial Trait: Experience Gain ×1.1)
Level: 1
Status: Healthy
Class: None
Attributes:
Strength: 13Dexterity: 16Constitution: 15Intelligence: 14Perception: 14Charisma: 12
Talents:
Weapon Mastery: You are proficient with all weapons and learn new ones quickly. (Weapon proficiency starts at the "Skilled" level; proficiency gain speed ×1.1.)Lightning Reflexes: Your neural structure grants you superhuman reflexes. In close combat, you will always react faster than your opponent.Still Water, Clear Mind: Years of self-discipline and countless brushes with death have tempered your will. You are immune to fear, gain enhanced mental resistance, and suffer only half the penalties when failing a will-based check.Enemy of Chaos: Your heart aligns with order. After long campaigns against chaotic forces, you've come to understand their weaknesses intimately. Stealth, concealment, and infiltration attempts by chaotic entities are automatically revealed to you. You deal ×1.2 damage to enemies aligned with Chaos—but beware, Chaos now gazes back. Phantoms and demons cannot hide; the chaotic fiends shall become lambs for the slaughter!
Skills:
None learned
Character Background:
"On this war-torn land, corrupted beasts, cannibalistic tribes, extradimensional demons, and human traitors all threaten to extinguish the fragile flame of civilization.
Far to the south, on the edges of the known world, the Far South Colony has sent out desperate distress signals after coming under attack. Several renowned warbands have already perished there, and the central continent—its armies stretched thin—can spare no more elite troops to cross the Storm Sea.
Thus, the empire has issued staggering bounties, calling upon adventurers and mercenaries from across the world to venture forth—for gold, for glory, or simply to gamble with fate.
And you... are one of them."
…
As the parchment ignited and disintegrated into ash, stirring music swelled in the background. The nutrient solution within the pod turned a vibrant green, flooding the chamber.
Aldric took a deep breath.
At last—his journey in the world of Unreal World had truly begun.
(End of Chapter)
TN: Damn looks like this isn't a purely witcher virtual reality game. I thought it was since the cover photo was Geralt.