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Without any convenient way to communicate globally, as Emilia expected, most of the players around the world had no idea that someone had already 'found a way' to leave the beginner zone.
But unfortunately, she greatly underestimated the impact of the videos captured by the 'onlookers' at the time.
With the built-in 'streaming' functionality of the full-dive pods, it was possible to directly link the visual and audio 'input' to social media platforms, and having encountered such a 'wonderful' thing, some influencers didn't even hesitate to directly log out to edit and polish the images and videos.
Minutes later, the thumbnail of a gorgeous crimson-haired elf and a golden-haired human girl started creating waves, even with most of the players still being inside the game.
Not everyone wanted to 'grind' mindlessly just because the game was back online, and the number of people who chose to either directly 'quit' after trying it out once was also not small.
Of course, even among those who hadn't yet tried to 'play', the hype of 'Arcadia' was still enough to get their attention, especially when combined with a pretty enough face.
"Didn't someone say that Arcadia didn't allow modifications to one's appearance? Did people already find ways to cheat?"
"Impossible! Me and my buddies already tried every possible option and quit! Do you think we're stupid?!"
"Otherwise? Are you seriously trying to convince me there is a girl this beautiful, with elf ears? Wake up!"
Of course, the fierce debates between these people soon pulled over more of the more 'knowledgeable' crowd, who quickly 'educated' them.
"It's impossible to modify your face or body, but based on the bloodline you pick, you can get certain 'features'."
"They can just be some young, relatively new models. Add a few filters to the pictures, and you get a lot of hype. Easy."
"But there are so many different photos and videos floating around… are you telling me that all of them have filters applied?"
"If the source of all the pictures is the same, is it really that surprising?"
No one seemed to care about the original posters claiming about the 'hidden quest' that rewarded lots of items and gold, leaving the few logged-out players dumbfounded.
Even if most people didn't bother to check out the full videos, the gemstone chain and emerald earrings on the elf girl should still have made them curious, right?!
Unfortunately, without the knowledge of how 'rare' those items were, normal people simply didn't care about such things, and continued obsessing over Emilia's face, leaving those who had posted the photos and videos wondering if they should laugh or cry.
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Emilia and Crystal naturally had no idea about what was going on outside, and continued their adventures happily.
Based on how well-guarded the teleportation formation at the beginner's town was, one would expect that the 'other side' would also be similar, but the reality wasn't the same at all.
Although the 'destination' of the teleportation formation of all beginner towns was set to the mainland, the exact position where the players would be sent varied depending on the 'source'. Some beginner towns had their destination formations set in the depths of extremely dangerous forests, some had them set up in tiny 'villages', and a few even had them placed directly inside prominent towns and cities.
Of course, the mainland itself was divided into four parts, and depending on a player's real locations, they would only be sent to beginner villages connecting to 'their' part of the mainland.
Seconds after they'd arrived, Emilia and Crystal both received a notification.
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You have left the beginner area!
Entered a new zone…
[World Map] Unlocked!
[Leaderboard] Unlocked!
[Skill Tree] Unlocked!
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Opening their player panel with a thought, the two of them quickly discovered the new options.
The [Leaderboard] was completely blank, while the [Skill Tree] showed them their currently acquired skills, as well as their future evolutions. For the most part, it only appeared to be a 'guide', with no mention of skill points or the like.
Of course, Emilia knew that while rare, skill points did exist in Arcadia, though it wouldn't be 'discovered' until much later.
As for the [World Map], it was completely dark except for the spot they were currently in, and it wasn't hard to guess that it would only be filled up based on what they 'explore' in the future. Still, it wasn't completely void of new information.
At least the name of the 'kingdom' they were currently in, and the location of its major cities, were clearly marked.
Emilia wasn't too bothered by the fact that she hadn't been lucky enough to directly spawn in a major city, and quickly started scouting the area with Crystal. "Be careful of sneak attacks while following me, alright?"
"Yeah."
The two of them didn't dare to be careless without knowing the general level of monsters in the area, and carefully started moving towards the nearest marked city with Emilia leading the way.
Emilia had already consumed ten mana points to activate the [Vigilance] skill from her [Wisdom of the Forest], making the blue gemstones inlaid in the chain wrapped around her head glow.
The crimson-haired girl was slightly shocked when her 'sight' first split into two, with the 'new' one being an omnidirectional view ten meters around herself.
'I somehow don't think normal people would be able to keep this up for long…' She mused. 'But… I think I can adjust.'
Cynthia chuckled. "With the strength of your soul, if there was something here that you couldn't adjust to, it would have directly made those mortals collapse."
Crystal didn't notice at first, but the glow of the gems and Emilia's discomfort soon caught her attention. "Are you okay?"
"Mhm, don't worry."
Of course, it was impossible to keep this state up perpetually without a headache, even for Emilia, but the crimson-haired elf knew it would get a lot easier as she got more used to it.
Fortunately, the forest they were in was completely void of other players and traps, making exploration a breeze, at least until they encountered their first enemy. Unfortunately… it wasn't a monster.
[Crazed Adventurer]
Making use of the dense foliage to conceal himself, the man was presumably waiting for unsuspecting 'prey'. Although Emilia paused as soon as she spotted him in her ten-meter range… it was already too late to retreat.
The cautious step back of the 'prey' made the man immediately lunge at them with a ferocious roar, and Emilia had no choice but to intercept his dagger with her sword in a hurry.
Ding!
[Ring of Might] allowed you to resist the stagger effect. Cooldown: 60 seconds.
Crystal was only stunned for a moment before she jumped back to distance herself further.
Even though she had already been warned by her girlfriend, after easily hunting down the relatively 'easy' beasts in the beginner zone, she hadn't really been too cautious or afraid, and the blonde girl only now realized how dangerous the forest around them was.
They might have pulled ahead of most players, but those who got to the mainland were all supposed to be level ten or above, after all. In front of the beasts here, they really were at the bottom of the food chain.
And it looked like the 'enemies' in Arcadia weren't just limited to beasts.
'Since there are residents and friendly 'people', I really should have expected humanoid enemies, too.' The blonde girl sighed.
Emilia hadn't mentioned it, presumably because she didn't think it was that important, but Crystal really had to admire the guts of the game's 'designer' in her heart.
Making players face human enemies in such a realistic game… it really was just asking for outrage.
Just imagining the death of such a realistic person, she felt a little squeamish. Even though she'd seen the aftermath of a war, Crystal never really got over how wrong it felt to see a 'person' die.
But she didn't let her thoughts distract her for long, and had already nocked her first arrow when she felt the air around her shift a little, leaving Crystal stunned.
The small cut on her cheek and the drop in HP made it clear that if not for Emilia forcing the beast's claws slightly, the wind blades that severed the branches just now might just have taken off her head.
Fortunately, Emilia's reaction had been quick. But Crystal knew that they would be in trouble if she didn't get her wits back together in time.
Pulling on the string of the [Starlit Bow], her expression turned ferocious. 'This stupid idiot, making me look like a fool in front of Emilia… I'll definitely teach him a lesson!'
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