Strategy game? Then I'll have to control you properly.

Since getting involved in this strange incident, Lin Miao, an ordinary citizen who had never even been in a fight, suddenly has many enemies.

Raiders threatening the desktop villagers, terrifying monsters called Erosions, and game monsters that must be defeated in order to cultivate guardians.

Now there are even other players as opponents.

"What's going on? Why is this feature locked?"

Upon hearing the external intrusion alert, Lin Miao jumped up from her chair in a fright and hurriedly checked the game settings. The intrusion permission option, which should have been freely adjustable by the player, was forcibly locked and disabled.

Although I don't understand why they're doing this, the system's intention is clear.

What if a real player came in?

Lin Miao stared in panic at the villagers on the screen. They were not NPCs, and the invading enemy was probably controlled by living people.

But game characters are just game characters after all. Death only means suffering some losses and being able to revive. But if these villagers in front of me die... then it's really all over.

The elite troops that you have worked so hard to train will be wiped out in an instant.

"—?"

"No, absolutely not."

Lin Miao stood in front of the window, using her body to block Lillie and Attila from rushing out as the sky darkened due to the eclipse.

That eclipse is a sign of the intruders' presence, meaning it won't disappear until this event is over.

Moreover, putting Lillie aside, Attila and Rose were just newbies who had just changed jobs.

Lin Miao didn't want them to encounter those red-named players who thought this was just an ordinary game and would attack indiscriminately.

"Do you understand?"

Fortunately, they stayed where Lin Miao intended, and Lin Miao, who had left them in the secret room, went out to find her opponent.

The question is whether you can defeat the invaders; this game is known for veteran players outplaying newbies.

If the opponent is Old Bitden who isn't wearing any clothes, there's no way I, who only started playing seriously a few days ago, could win.

As far as Lin Miao knew, there was almost no penalty for the host being killed in PVP when playing online, so Lin Miao felt it was better to die quickly and end the game.

"That's the person, isn't it?"

Finding an opponent is easy; when a PvP battle occurs, each other's positions will be displayed on the minimap.

Fortunately, the other party didn't seem to be the kind of veteran player who would walk around naked except for his underwear. However, judging from the meticulously crafted appearance and the shiny equipment all over his body, he was clearly a master compared to Lin Miao, who was only wearing basic equipment.

"Is it AFK? It clearly saw me but didn't move. Could it be...?"

With a "let's give it a try" attitude, Lin Miao took the lead and launched an attack.

In PvP, equipment performance does not affect damage. Even a novice like Lin Miao can deal considerable damage as long as she can hit the target.

"what?"

However, when Lin Miao released the basic skill Fireball after changing his class to mage within range, the burning fireball actually passed through his body and exploded on the wall behind him.

Shocked, Lin Miao stopped and stood there dumbfounded. The other party ignored Lin Miao as if they hadn't seen her skill and walked right past her.

Undeterred, he swung his staff again to try and attack, but this time Lin Miao's attack still pierced through his body.

"No way..."

It's impossible for the other party to deliberately ignore Lin Miao, since even skills shouldn't be ignored, and the direction they're heading without hesitation is precisely where the castle is located.

Lillie and other villagers were there.

Although it's hard to believe, judging from the current situation, the other party is now treating the villagers, not Lin Miao, as players in this game.

"Oh no..."

Lin Miao gritted her teeth, stared at her opponent who had started running on the minimap, and hurriedly chased after him.

If this continues, the opposing player will actually clash with the villagers.

Although it's unclear why the situation developed this way, upon closer examination, it makes sense.

Even though it's been a shared game so far, and even though Lin Miao is a player in this game, the actual main players are still the residents.

The game progresses based on Lillie's condition, her combat power changes accordingly, and even boss battles are won using her abilities.

Now that they've arrived here, this place has become reality, and this is the only way. But even so, completely blocking players' access is going too far.

Ultimately, the unfamiliar intruders met Lillie, who had come with Lin Miao, at the entrance to the lord's city.

Attila and Roche were nowhere to be seen; it seems Lillie cleverly prevented them from following.

How will the opposing player react when they see Lillie?

Despite the urgency of the situation, Lin Miao couldn't help but be curious.

Even with the most advanced character customization technology in the new era, it's impossible to create such natural human expressions.

"So that's how it is. Then we have no choice but to fight."

The opposing player seemed to be just as unable to understand her as Lin Miao. Lillie frowned at him and then drew her sword.

Even so, the man seemed oblivious to anything amiss, raising his weapon and assuming a fighting stance just like her.

"Whatever this complete stranger is thinking, he's planning to start a war. Now that things have come to this, all we can do is wish Lillie the best."

◆◆◆

Why did I do this?

Li Mingxu, an ordinary office worker and game enthusiast, habitually started a game today.

Although Dark Souls has been out for a long time and sequels have been released, he only recently became obsessed with the game.

From then on, I spent every spare moment immersed in it.

While not quite the "veteran" expert as rumored online, he not only completed all story modes on the highest difficulty, but also evolved into a skilled player who could infiltrate other players' games to enjoy PVP after developing multiple character classes.

However, this enthusiasm only lasted a few days. Now, Li Mingxu is gradually losing interest in the game and looking for new pastimes. Logging in today is purely out of habit.

"Um? 』

At this moment, a new prey appeared in Li Mingxu's field of vision.

In this game, which is mostly populated by veteran players and rarely sees newcomers, there was actually a newbie player who had just completed the first chapter and unlocked online multiplayer.

"interesting."

He grinned and naturally tried to get involved in that battlefield.

After all, this game allows other players to infiltrate in online mode.

So most players will turn this feature off in the game settings, but self-proclaimed experts and clueless newbies will occasionally expose themselves.

Even Li Mingxu himself had been severely taught a lesson by a strangely dressed foreign intruder when he was a newbie.

"Let's just mess around a bit before the others arrive and then leave."

Looking at the character he had just been born into this unfamiliar world, Li Mingxu's smile almost stretched to his ears. The weariness and monotony of real life were temporarily forgotten, replaced by anticipation for the interesting things to come.

The goal is to bully the newbies a little and then leave. If they go too far, the already few newbies might quit the game altogether.

"Found it."

Li Mingxu stared at the minimap and sprinted toward the target marked with a red dot.

However, he was greeted by a female knight standing majestically at the entrance of the castle.

When Li Mingxu saw Lillie with her long, black hair tied into a single ponytail, he was instantly stunned.

Because the Lillie on the monitor, as a custom character, is ridiculously detailed. It's not a beauty of simply piling up polygons, but a vibrant beauty that feels like it actually exists.

However, no crazy person would doubt that the characters in the game might be real people.

Li Mingxu didn't pay much attention either, and immediately assumed a fighting stance. In fact, he wasn't carefully observing Lillie's face, but rather the weapon she was holding and the armor she was wearing.

"As expected, he's a newbie."

Seeing the knight's sword in Lillie's hand, he was certain that the other party was a novice.

Since that's the case, there's nothing to worry about. There's no need for dialogue; just like a game should be, let's fight each other for fun.

Without pausing, Li Mingxu launched a charge. The rapid advance, which included a forward roll, was one of the skills of the bandit class. The muscular, burly giant instantly closed the distance and swung his battle axe fiercely at Lillie's body.

「!?」

But the axe blade, fully charged with power, only slashed through the air in vain. Lillie, who was originally standing in front, spun around and avoided the attack with just one step.

"Fully flawed!"

Lillie instantly discerned the power and skill level contained in the opponent's axe technique.

In terms of strength, it does indeed possess explosive power, like a character meticulously cultivated by a skilled player, but its proficiency is simply appalling.

After all, in order to give players a gorgeous sense of action and combat, every move of the game character is fixed to be exaggerated and superfluous.

This kind of combat-oriented attack is more like a dance than a martial art, so how could it possibly be effective against Lillie, a warrior who has been walking the line between life and death for many years?

"What's going on? Why can't I hit it!"

A panicked Li Mingxu stared wide-eyed and frantically pressed the keys on the keyboard.

Although this was an excellent combo combination summarized by players, Lillie, when she got serious, easily dodged and blocked it after hearing the terrifying sound of air being cut.

[Downward Slash]

At the same time, seizing the opening her opponent made, she swung her tightly gripped longsword. Originally a downward slashing skill, Lillie cleverly used it, launching the skill with an upward thrust.

What exactly happened?

Although her attack hit, the opponent only lost HP, meaning they still had plenty of fighting strength left.

However, no matter how Li Mingxu manipulated the character, he couldn't keep up with Lillie's incredibly fast and accurate movements. What's worse, if he made the slightest mistake, he would be hit by a barrage of attacks.

Li Mingxu, who considered himself to have played many games and watched many videos, had never seen such a combination of skills before. Even when he tried to defend, his skills were completely breached.

Unlike monsters in games that stupidly attack defensive parts, Lillie directly targets the sides to attack.

Soon, Li Mingxu's character's HP was depleted, and he collapsed and died on the spot.

Before Li Mingxu could even take his hands off the keyboard, all that remained before his eyes was the grayed-out screen and the skull logo that appeared.

◆◆◆

After witnessing Lillie's battle, Lin Miao exclaimed, "Was this really just a simple accident?"

I was so nervous, but the ending was so empty.

However, even if Lin Miao were to control the character and fight against Lillie now, she probably wouldn't win. Her swift movements are even faster than the player's character, and it's not something that can be dealt with simply by memorizing the map.

To Lillie, the intruder might just be an obstacle.

The only concern is that other players will find out about this, but there are ways to deal with that.

If you really want to avoid conflict with them, simply kick the residents out the moment the intrusion occurs and then disconnect. If the room crashes, the intruder will naturally be kicked out.

"—.—?"

At this moment, Lillie slowly approached Lin Miao and pointed to the location of the dead enemy player's corpse, saying something.

There were no corpses that had turned into steam and disappeared; instead, a glowing object had fallen to the ground.

This is an item that Lin Miao can pick up in the game, and it is also one of the rewards for PVP winners.

【soul】

This ball-sized gem is called Soul.

The cost of losing in PvP is nothing other than gaining experience points.

An opponent who loses to Lillie will lose a part of the character they acquired and developed in the story mode.

"Can I use it?"

Lin Miao can actually use this prop too.

Using it will instantly boost your character's level.

But he hesitated.

If I can use it, maybe the villagers can too.

The Firebringer is merely a character trapped within this game.

The villagers, however, are crucial to leaving this place and fighting more enemies.

Lin Miao directly shoved the props in front of Lillie.

This was a prize she won through her own strength, and the stronger she is, the easier it will be to advance subsequent missions.

【not available】

The pop-up usage restriction message completely baffled Lin Miao: "What's going on?"

"No way..."

Lin Miao, as if possessed, opened a webpage and searched for this prop.

That's when I realized that the souls obtained through PVP are ineffective for max-level characters.

This means that Lillie, who has already reached a state of perfection, has no need to absorb the experience of others.

"—?!"

Lin Miao's gaze involuntarily turned to Attila and Rose beside her.

These two were not naturally awakened individuals.

It was only manually activated after it appeared on Lin Miao's computer desktop.

Although they don't have a system like an artificial experience bar,

But the effect will definitely manifest itself in some form.

◆◆◆

"Clan...Clan Chief?"

He was only happy to have found a user for the essence of experience, but after the eclipse disappeared, Rosie, who had come with Attila, could only retreat helplessly when faced with the suddenly approaching Lin Miao.

"Don't be too nervous, he's not here to hurt you."

Lillie, who was more familiar with Lin Miao’s strange behavior, comforted the frightened Attila and Roche.

She was able to say such a thing because she was certain that whatever Lin Miao did would ultimately benefit everyone.

"Well."

In reality, Lin Miao was simply using the prop in his hand. The glowing stone that had left his palm and was floating in the air suddenly emitted an even stronger light and went straight into Luo Xie's body.

In a panic, Rose hurriedly searched her entire body, but felt no foreign object intrusion at all.

Seeing this, Lin Miao gave a thumbs-up.

"That means it's true, nothing unusual, right?"

"Not at the moment."

Lillie, who was helping translate his actions, also carefully observed the situation. Under everyone's watchful eyes, Rosée tried to sense the abnormality within her body while observing people's expressions.

"what?"

Just then, the unknown power stirring within Rose suddenly went berserk.

After forcibly awakening magic power through monster essence and activating the hidden short sword talent within through job change, the experience essence is now allowing this talent to grow rapidly!