Elf Kingdom: Game of the World Tree-Chapter 230 - 224: NPC and Players

Chapter 230 -224: NPC and Players

*Could an NPC become friends with a player?*

For most players, NPCs were just tools in the game, serving the sole purpose of pushing the story forward, selling items, or acting as enemies for players to kill for fun.

Perhaps players could also develop feelings for specific NPCs, such as certain exceptionally crafted characters by game developers, or like pets players painstakingly raised in the game…

However, these feelings were more of a condescending recognition and affection for things that matched their preferences or for things they had worked hard to shape.

In essence, this type of emotion was not equal.

Even in many games, where players endlessly fawned over NPCs, it was mostly not because they liked NPCs but because they sought benefits or used it as a form of mental support…

Even if they truly liked a character, it was only because of the persona the game creators had crafted for that character, and perhaps the backstory behind it.

In players’ eyes, no matter how likable an NPC was, they were still just NPCs, equivalent to characters in a story, except… this was a story players could participate in.

But it was just participation, after all.

Even if they engaged in the NPCs’ stories, even if they entered the game’s plot… players remained players.

Perhaps they would be moved by the plot, or maybe they would cheer for the story.

But they knew it was just a game, something meant to relax and entertain them, designed around them.

Of course, another reason for this situation was that emotional exchanges during gaming were one-sided…

NPCs… were ultimately NPCs.

Players had genuine emotions, players had truly independent thoughts, but NPCs did not.

They were just a mass of data, and all their reactions were pre-programmed.

Players were the true masters of the game.

In this context, asking players to communicate equally with NPCs was actually unfair to players.

But…

What if NPCs also had their own emotions?

“Elf Kingdom” was essentially nothing more than a game, transporting humans from Blue Star into another world in the guise of players.

For players, it was a game; however, it wasn’t just a game.

When players realized that the NPCs in this game were so lifelike, their AI smart enough to be indistinguishable from reality, even possessing human-like emotions…

In this scenario, what would the relationship between players and NPCs be like?

A one-sided emotional expression was doomed to fail in forming bonds.

But if emotions were mutual… that would be different.

With deeper communication with the Segis World natives, when players realized NPCs also had emotions, this game… was no longer just a game.

For players, it became another world!

Of course, this was not about players realizing that the “game” they were in was actually reality, but rather… a recognition that “game” was seen as a form of “reality.”

In other words, although they knew it was a game, they truly developed a bond with it and a sense of belonging.

In fact, Eve never intended to reveal the true nature of “Elf Kingdom” to the players…

The technology of Blue Star was already advanced enough that even if someone suspected, Eve could barely hold them off.

Believing oneself to be in a game was the essence of the Fourth Calamity’s strength.

*Fearless!*

*Being fearless made them powerful!*

If they truly discovered the game wasn’t a game, the Fourth Calamity would instead lose their greatest inner strength and become restrained.

However…

The players believed “Elf Kingdom” was a game, and forming bonds with the “NPCs” and communicating sincerely and equally with them was not contradictory.

The two could actually coexist.

Perhaps other games couldn’t achieve this, but… “Elf Kingdom” could!

…

“If you view ‘Elf Kingdom’ with typical game experience in mind, you might enjoy excellent gameplay, but you’ll miss the essence of this masterpiece!”

“It’s a game… but not just a game.”

“It’s a world of our own, an adventure of our own, and we can completely treat this game as a new chapter in our lives…”

“Or perhaps, this… is the pinnacle of what virtual reality games can achieve!”

Hearing Mairrel’s answer, Little Xian Miao suddenly recalled a few things Li Mu had once said.

And it was at this moment she suddenly realized a problem…

*That’s right…*

The NPCs in “Elf Kingdom” had their own emotion systems…

In a way, they could even be considered a different form of life.

Players could become friends with each other.

So what about between players and NPCs?

If this time she and Mairrel switched roles, and Mairrel was in danger, what would she do?

Thinking about it, Little Xian Miao was surprised to find that she might get angry and furious, just like Mairrel.

And if Mairrel really died in battle, Little Xian Miao might actually cry her heart out.

Humans had feelings.

And when facing other emotional beings, long-term communication… could form bonds.

Suddenly, the girl realized that she had unconsciously regarded Little Black Dragon as a friend, a partner.

And the other party probably felt the same…

Otherwise, it wouldn’t have been so angry when it saw her get killed.

Thinking of this, Little Xian Miao’s gaze towards Mairrel became even softer…

“Mairrel!”

She chuckled.

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“What?!”

The Little Black Dragon gave her a side-eye.

“I’ll make you a special meal tonight!”

Little Xian Miao stood up and patted its scales.

“Whatever…”

Mairrel muttered, lazily yawning.

However, its massive tail swayed gently behind it, revealing its good mood…

…

The players took less than an hour to clean up the entire battlefield.

Then, they packed their spoils of war and joyously returned to Black Dragon Castle.

“Elf Kingdom” was great in every way, except that for the sake of realism, the map scale was just too large.

Without a Teleportation Array, traveling took a long time…

Those with mounts were alright.

Demon Beasts, although not very intelligent, were smarter than ordinary beasts. Players could set commands in the system to let their mounts carry them on the journey.

During this time, players could surf the net in the system or even log off to sleep, just lying there on their mounts; they could rest… and come back online once they reached their base.

But those without mounts were unfortunate, they had to walk themselves.

However, fortunately, there was an option to turn off the fatigue sensation, at most it was just a bit boring…

When nearly two thousand frontline players returned to Black Dragon Castle, it was already afternoon.

Many low-level players who got the news came out of curiosity to watch.

Although they had stayed up for a whole day and night, the triumphant team was in high spirits and had a strong presence.

Nearly two thousand fully armed players, with a hint of ferocity and blood, formed a long line, pulling their haul and entering Black Dragon Castle slowly…

Then, they would use the Teleportation Array in the castle hall to return to the Chosen City.

Yes… returning to sleep.

But as players queued for teleportation, suddenly… another Teleportation Array on the other side of the hall started to shimmer with gentle light.

That was the Teleportation Array leading to Rivendell, the passage to the Underworld.

A moment later, the light faded, and in the players’ inquisitive eyes, a group of dark Dwarves appeared in the castle.

The leader was a Death God Priest, dressed in a black robe, holding a luxurious wooden box. Behind him were a few Dwarf soldiers dressed as guards.

Transported into Black Dragon Castle, they curiously observed everything around them, occasionally exclaiming in awe.

And when they saw the Player Army constantly passing through the Array, their curious and amazed looks instantly turned into shock, and they couldn’t help but exclaim:

“Elves! So many elves!”

“By the Death God! Have they just finished a battle? Has it already begun?”

The appearance of the dark Dwarves also caught the players’ attention.

“Huh? Dark Dwarves? Why are they here?”

“Dark Dwarves?”

“Haven’t seen them? They’re the underground residents. We’ve signed a friendly treaty with them. When you hit level 11 and go underground, you’ll see them. They have a city down there called Black Rock City. We often sell things there.”

“I see! This is my first time seeing them…”

“It’s normal you haven’t seen them; they only operate underground. I wonder what kind of wind blew them to the surface today… Could another storyline be starting?”

As players curiously discussed and hesitated whether to approach and speak, Black Dragon Mairrel, having heard the news, came over with its enormous body, instantly pushing half of the castle’s players out…

In its mouth was a half-eaten roast, chomping as it curiously observed the newly arrived strangers:

“Dark Dwarves?”

The Dwarves were startled by the sudden appearance of the Black Dragon, but the leading Priest seemed to have expected it and barely kept calm.

He took a deep breath and respectfully bowed to the Black Dragon:

“You… must be the True God’s clansmen, Lord Mairrel?”

“I am Priest Carter of the Death God Temple. This time, I’ve come under the True God’s oracle for a transaction with the True God Eve…”

With a devout expression, he raised the elaborate wooden box above his head.

“Furthermore… there’s intelligence concerning the Half-Beasts!”