[You have entered the Space Island Central Plaza. The entire Space Island area is a Safe Zone. Within Space Island, you will be able to communicate with all players and NPCs without linguistic barriers.]
Every player who passed the Newcomer Trial would, upon leaving their personal space for the first time, default to appearing in the plaza at the very center of Space Island.
And just as most train stations back on Earth were swarming with solicitors and touts, the Heaven's Selection Space had its own equivalent.
After all, making a living wasn't a crime.
But men were not created equal. Just as some station touts were simply trying to survive, others would forcibly grab your luggage and try to lead you into a "black shop" by taking advantage of your politeness or hesitation.
Such events were even documented in the "Greed Island" arc of Hunter x Hunter.
Learning to distinguish between these people was simply another part of life experience.
To this end, Chris, who couldn't be bothered to guess others' intentions, maintained a single attitude: he treated them as if they didn't exist.
He was especially wary of the guy who kept repeating, "Interested in a gym membership and some swimming lessons?" as if it were some secret code.
As the saying goes, "When a countryman meets a countryman, expect a shot in the back." This was especially true in the Heaven's Selection Space, where player killing wasn't prohibited. The more "familiar" someone seemed, the more vigilant one had to be.
Seeing that this masked individual was "not playing ball," the group of solicitors--commonly known by other players as "Hyenas"--quickly dispersed with looks of annoyance. They left Chris alone and moved on to the next newcomer.
Chris didn't wander far. He stood back, watching the bored silhouettes of the Hyenas from a distance.
Although he didn't know how many of them had completely modified their appearances, he certainly saw many non human forms among the crowd.
Before long, another male newcomer appeared and was promptly surrounded by the pack.
This newcomer's face was a blurred mosaic, indicating he'd utilized the system's facial blurring feature, yet he still foolishly allowed himself to be led away by a heavily exposed succubus in a deep V neck outfit.
Chris found himself wondering if the succubus was actually male or female under the skin.
Not that it mattered to him. He had his own map of Space Island to uncover.
According to the holographic signposts hovering in the air, the island was divided into four major districts.
The East District was the Bounty Area, centered around the Player Mission Hall. To the south was the Trading and Reinforcement Area, home to the Equipment Reinforcement station, the Player Market, and the Auction House. To the north lay the Combat Training Area, featuring the Training Grounds and the Coliseum. Finally, to the west was the Leisure Area, a chaotic mix of entertainment and miscellaneous services.
Driven by intense curiosity, Chris headed south first.
He had zero interest in sightseeing or landmarks. Whenever he visited a new place, he always prioritized finding the local wholesale and second hand markets. He might spend an entire day browsing without spending a single coin, but he never tired of it.
In the Selection Space, he had an added motive: to analyze the market value of various items.
While Chris had the typical, strong desire to save money, his gaming style revealed a different facet of his financial philosophy. As long as there was no mandatory savings target, he would aggressively convert all his in game currency into raw stats and combat power for his character.
He would upgrade his gear whenever possible and stock up on supplies when he couldn't. His attitude toward gaming was simple: spend money when it counts, but never waste it.
Currency was just a tool. As long as his character's strength increased, there would always be opportunities to earn more, and at a much faster rate. Risking his life just to save a few coins was an idea that Chris found utterly repulsive.
Clearly, he was approaching the Selection Space and its players through the lens of a dedicated gamer.
On another note, the designer of Space Island was likely a fan of Doraemon. The seemingly flat ground was actually composed of countless tiny spheres. One only had to tilt their body slightly in the direction of their destination, and the spheres underfoot would roll, whisking the person away.
Chris accidentally spent a bit too long playing with this mechanic until he noticed some passing figures, players or otherwise, pointing and whispering at him.
After a thorough round of "free" window shopping and asking questions, Chris gained a general understanding of the trading systems here.
First was the formal Auction House, which occupied its own building. Auctions were held at fixed intervals, and only items of verified value could be listed, with the Space taking a percentage of the final sale.
Second was the option to open a formal shop. The Space charged a rental fee, but the owner had to maintain a certain monthly turnover, or the shop would be forcibly closed and the owner barred from reapplying for a period.
Finally, there was the Player Market, the most common form of trade. This area was filled with street stalls where no fees or commissions were charged. Whatever you sold, you kept the profit.
Some sellers simply spread a cloth on the ground, threw their tagged items onto it, and waited. Interested buyers would perform the "Asian Squat" and begin haggling on the spot.
Naturally, there was no need to worry about theft. The Space's rules provided absolute protection.
While the Selection Space was cruel enough to kidnap people and force them into life threatening missions, it still provided protection for the loot they successfully brought back.
The variety of items in the Player Market was staggering, and many successfully triggered Chris's nostalgia.
For instance, at one stall where the owner was absent and had simply left a weapon rack for perusal, Chris realized after a bit of browsing that he was looking at the inventory of a coordinated team.
The weapons originated from vastly different game worlds, making it impossible for a solo player to have gathered them all in a single run.
Among the polearms, for example, Chris saw spears from Dynasty Warriors, Fire Emblem, and Meteor Butterfly Sword, all of which were of green Excellent grade.
The Dynasty Warriors spear had the most growth potential, the Fire Emblem one had the highest base attack, and the Meteor Butterfly Sword version had the most diverse move set.
Next door was a stall for firearms. A single glance was enough for Chris to conclude that the owner was definitely familiar with the "NES Four Classics."
He saw an F-Type Flame Thrower from Contra, an RPG launcher from Rush'n Attack, a Blooming Rocket from Jackal, and a Crystal Option from Salamander... Wait.
A Crystal Option!?
Chris froze in his tracks.
[Translated and Rewritten by Shika_Kagura]