<strong>【 CLOUD</strong><strong>PLAYER</strong> 】1


    “So… even though virtual games have been booming over the past two years, the market is still far from perfect. With so many good and badpanies scrambling to cash in and get a piece of the pie, the quality of games released nowadays tends to vary wildly, especially those tant, trend-chasing, cash-grab copycat ones…”


    Jiang Shang carefully set down the VR capsule’s helmet and said earnestly.


    “So, Ziya, you’re saying this Immortal Cultivation Sect Simtor isn’t a good game?”


    Standing beside the VR capsule, a tall, skinny boy who looked about eighteen or neen spoke up.


    Jiang Shang’s lips twitched at the nickname and muttered, “How many times do I have to tell you not to call me that…” 2


    After saying this, he climbed out of the capsule and put on his sses.


    “What game do you think is the best then? Personally, I think this one’s pretty good! Maybe it’s because it’s my first VR game since buying this VR capsule—it all feels so new to me,” the tall boy asked again.


    Jiang Shang pondered for a moment before shaking his head. “Akai, your understanding of VR games is still too shallow. Let me tell you, there was a true masterpiece in the VR gaming world that was releasedst year. Compared to that, every other game is just… meh.”


    “A masterpiece?” Akai titled his head.


    “You should’ve heard of it,” Jiang Shang replied, a knowing smile on his face.


    Akai frowned, pressing his fingers to his temples as if trying to jog his memory.


    “Wait a second… I can definitely remember this… Give me a moment…”


    A few secondster, his eyes lit up.


    “Ah! I’ve got it! It’s a Western fantasy MMORPG, right? I think it’s called Elven Kingdom or something…I remember it even went viral!”


    “Exactly,” Jiang Shang nodded in confirmation.


    “That game went super viral. It became so popr during its beta phase that the number of signups actually exceeded ten million. It was aplete phenomenon.”


    “And you must have seen it pop up on some video tforms. Even if you were watching unrted videos, that game’s fans were flooding everyment sections. You know, the so-called ‘Yggdra yers’” he added.


    “Yggdra yers?” Akai raised an eyebrow.


    “Yeah, you’ve probably seen the memes,” Jiang Shang said.


    “That meme about time dted gamers came from this game. Since the game’s in-game time flow is different from real life, it led to all kinds of hrious misunderstandings. Buttely, that game seems been quiet and there is no rted news about it recently…”


    “That’s because it’s still in beta!” Jiang Shang adjusted his sses with a frustrated look.


    He sighed, “You just bought your VR capsule, so you probably aren’t familiar with themunity yet. Lemme tell you, if we were to rank virtual games worth getting into, ElvKing would undoubtedly take the top spot.”


    “Whether it’s the world-building, immersion, graphics, soundtrack, physics engine, or even the NPC schematics, everything about it is next-level. Even now, you still see certain influencers hyping up its supposed mind-elerating tech, calling it a groundbreaking innovation from our country. Compared to it, other games might as well not exist!”


    “And that’s not just my opinion either as even pro gamers agree. Heck, even veteran Western yers have been using VPNs to get into the beta.”


    Jiang Shang’s face was full of fervor, as if discussing a rare masterpiece of art.


    “Alright, alright, I get that you love VR games and big-budget triple-A titles. But… have you actually yed it yet?”


    Akai asked.


    Jiang Shang froze for a second, his excited expression crumbling into one of dejection.


    Almost instantly, all enthusiasm visibly drained from his face, and he looked like someone wallowing in self-pity in a corner.


    “…I tried signing up a couple of times but still didn’t get in.”


    He then sighed heavily.


    “Man, you don’t know how depressing it’s been… I’ve followed this game since its first trailer dropped you know!? I was blown away by how amazing it looked.”


    “So when its beta-testunched, I immediately tried applying, but I didn’t get selected.”


    “I kept applying for every subsequent beta phase, but the result was always the same—rejected every time! Meanwhile, I see all these lucky people online who got in on their first try. Why do they get to be so lucky while I’m stuck being so unlucky? Dammit, I’m so envious…”


    “Ugh, life is so unfair…” hemented dramatically, like a spurned lover.


    “Maybe it’s because you’re bad at games. I mean, you’re always the weakest link when we y as a team,” Akai teased with a snicker.


    “S-Shut up!” Jiang Shang’s expression darkened.


    “Even a noob has dreams, okay? Besides, this game’s appeal isn’t just about fighting!” he muttered.


    After a brief pause, he sighed again and began to ramble.


    “But really, ElvKing is such a masterpiece. Just by watching those videos uploaded by other yers, you can instantly realize what a great game it is!”


    “Yes, extraordinary! I’m not exaggerating when I call it great. It’s more than just a game and feels more like a real, living alternate world!”


    “Even though I haven’t yed it yet, I’ve watched almost every rted videos about it online. Honestly, at this point I feel like I already know so much about the game that I could even write a guide about it!” Jiang Shang said passionately.


    “Dude, if I ever get the chance to y, I’ll definitely make my mark in that game!”


    “Alright, calm down, Ziya. Sheesh, you’re acting so much like a cloud gamer, you know?.” Akai quipped.


    “Shut up! I’m just being a tap water! 3 And for the umpteenth time, stop calling me Ziya—I’m not old!” Jiang Shang red at him.


    He then added, “This game is different from other MMOs. It has only one server, and its entire storyline evolves based upon the actions the yers made which makes it really immersive.”


    “And the sense of freedom! You can do practically anything inside the game. Aside from explicit content, the possibilities are endless.”


    “For example, after the priest ss in this game is introduced, the yers actually have to do actual real missionary task just to advance! Yes, real as in real life missionary work! And the holy book they used are actually written by the yers themselves, which is very interesting!”


    “Well, that’s just one example. yers have done all kinds of crazy things—even recreating magic-based firearms in the game!”


    “The degree of freedom in this game is off the charts man! And the storyline? Absolutely amazing!”


    “If you don’t believe me, I’ll show you some videos!”


    Jiang Shang spoke excitedly, pulling out his phone to share several links with his friend.


    Akai’s phone chimed a momentter.


    Raising an eyebrow, he opened the videos Jiang Shang had sent him.


    After watching for a moment, Akai slightly nodded in admiration.


    “Yeah… If it weren’t for the game interface and the visual effects, I wouldn’t have guessed this was a game. It looks so real.”


    But then, he suddenly let out a soft “…Huh?”


    “What’s up?”


    Jiang Shang asked, momentarily confused.


    “It’s nothing. I just saw a familiar face. So Evé is a character in this game, huh?”


    Akai remarked with mild surprise.


    Curious, Jiang Shang leaned over and saw the video ying on his friend’s phone.


    It was a cinematic introduction for a character in the game: a silver-haired, violet-eyed elven girl adorned with a crown.


    She wore a stunning, divine gown, bathed in radiant light. Her presence was majestic, elegant, and sacred, exuding an otherworldly beauty.


    Jiang Shang eyes quickly lit up whe he say the character.


    “That’s right! That’s the Goddess Eve! She’s the most popr NPC in the game and my favorite character!”


    “She’s the most perfect NPC I’ve ever seen. Her design is just incredible. Whoever created her is a genius…Dude, you have no idea—I’ve already got three figurines of her disyed at home!” Jiang Shang said with a barely uncontained enthusiasm.


    But his excitement was promptly met with a sarcastic quip from Akai:


    “You Disgusting Filthy Otaku…”


    Jiang Shang: “…”


    “Shut up! I didn’t take Goose Heart from your table! ? And if we’re talking about being an otaku, you’re way worse than me!” He shot Akai a re.


    “Ha ha ha!”


    Akai burst outughing.


    Jiang Shang sighed, feeling helpless, but he pressed on.


    “You know, you can actually interact with the Goddess in the game. Supposedly, she has the same advanced AI system as the other NPCs, meaning you can talk to her and even build favorability points with her.”


    “Also, there’s this famous line from ElvKing: ‘If you fight for the Goddess, we are brothers and sisters, even if we’re not rted by blood!’”


    “Seriously… I really do love this game.” Jiang Shang sighed wistfully.


    “Ugh, I just wish it woulduch publicly already. It’s been in beta for a whole year! Awhole freakin year you know!? So now there are all these rumors and memes floating around online joking about it never being ever released to the public,” hemented, shaking his head.


    “Oh, are you talking about that one? The meme that goes: ‘Fifty yearster, Jiang Shang lies on his deathbed, telling his grandson, “My dear boy, when ElvKing finally publiclyunches, don’t forget to burn some incense and let me and your great-granduncle Akai know about it, okay?”


    Akai teased, imitating a dramatic tone.


    Jiang Shang: “…”


    “…Why does it feel like you’re mocking me in a roundabout way?”


    “It’s just your imagination.”


    Jiang Shang: “…”


    He red at Akai but didn’t bother arguing further.


    Suddenly, something urred to him, and he asked, “Wait, how do you know about the Goddess Eve in the first ce? You’ve never paid attention to this kinds of game before, right? Weren’t you more into jp gaming doujin circles?”


    “Oh, Eve? She’s a legend in lots of circles! She’s literally the new queen of fan arts at this point! The reigning leadingdy of certain types of doujin content, if you know what I mean…” Akai said with a mischievous grin.


    Jiang Shang: “…”


    His expression froze, disbelief written all over his face.


    The atmosphere grew a little awkward for a moment but after a long silence, Jiang Shang coughed lightly.


    “A-Ahem… Do you, uh, happen to have any study material on this?”


    “Of course! I’ve got plenty saved on my phone. I’ll even send you some links,” Akai replied with a sly smile.


    “Good good, what a bro you are.”


    “Heh heh heh…”


    The two exchanged augh that only men would understand.@@novelbin@@


    Akai pulled out his phone to start sharing his links, but as he scrolled, his expression suddenly shifted yet again.


    “What’s wrong?” Jiang Shang asked, noticing the change.


    Akai took a deep breath.


    “Oh, it’s nothing. Just saw a notification on a site…specifically from a game blogger you rmended to me yesterday. Goes by the name Big Mu, I think? Ziya, it looks like your grandson do not need to burn some incense for you after all.”


    “Huh?”


    “Well, Elven Kingdom seems to be finally preparing for its official public release.”


    “WHAT?!”


    Jiang Shang’s expression changed instantly as he snatched the phone from his friend’s hand.


    On the screen was a brand-new post from Big Mu, published just a minute ago. The post included a screenshot from the official website of Elven Kingdom:


    It was the announcement for the game’s official public release.<hr>


    1 <strong>云玩家</strong> – A Cloud yer refer to yers who mostly know about a game indirectly (such as online guides, pictures, yer discussions, etc.) but have never actually yed the game itself.


    2 The context of this is that <strong>姜尚</strong> (Jiang Shang) is a real life historical and legendary chinese figure, which was a famous military strategist, politician, and advisor during the Shang and Zhou dynasties. He is particrly well-known for his role in assisting King Wu of Zhou in overthrowing the Shang Dynasty and establishing the Zhou Dynasty. In Chinese mythology and literature, he is portrayed as a wise and skilled figure with deep knowledge of strategy and the divine.


    The author mostly use ‘<strong>姜尚</strong>‘ to refer to Jiang Shang but ‘<strong>子牙</strong>‘ (Ziya) is often used humorously or affectionately, especially if someone shares the same name (姜尚) or exhibits qualities associated with wisdom, strategy, or age—hence why Jiang Shang was annoyed when his friend called him that, as it implies he’s acting more older or serious than he usually is.


    3 <strong>自来水</strong> – Tap Water is a chinese inte ng which refers to some users who voluntarily postudatory remarks online to promote a brand. The closest western equivalent of it would be zing someone.


    ? <strong>四斋蒸鹅心</strong> – the original term is “Four Fat Steamed Goose Hearts” which is a popr inte phrase, derived from the phic resemnce to the Chinese phrase “死肥宅真恶心,” which trantes to “Disgusting, filthy otaku.”


    So by JS saying ‘I didn’t take Goose Heart from your table!’ he’s referring to Four Fat Steamed Goose Hearts which doesn’t really trante well to English.


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