Dark Eldar

Sometimes, even Loki doesn't quite understand some things. Emotional issues are already difficult to comprehend in the real world, let alone in the virtual world.

Loki didn't think too much about it; after all, he still had so many things to do, so many quests, epic quests, achievements to complete. He'd been logged into "Dark Eldar" for a long time, and if he didn't do something soon, things might get out of control...

On the way, riding a rare Void Beast mount (a military mount from another world), Loki felt a mix of emotions. He tried not to think about the sorceress Unita, but he was still a human being after all, and it was normal for him to have thoughts.

Loki did have a so-called "life plan." Due to various reasons, Loki was not sure if his path was the optimal one. What he feared most was his artifact—the "Mold of the Creator" (a legendary artifact).

On the border of the Bitter Plains (818231), countless armored monsters are roaring! They seem to want to avenge Loki's ruthless trampling of their comrades a few days ago. But it's just a show of force. They dare not attack Loki. Loki also doesn't want to hunt them anymore. Firstly, his experience points are limited, and secondly, Loki is genuinely a bit troubled and has no desire to stay in one place to continue leveling up.

Don't underestimate leveling up by defeating monsters! It takes a lot of courage and patience. It's also difficult to avoid being distracted by worldly affairs or other things. You might run out of gold coins, or you might be too handsome or too unattractive to attract any female heroines. Or you might lament how time flies, even if you live for thousands or tens of thousands of years, you might feel that it's all just a "dream" (Eastern slang) and not as real or impactful as the real world.

Once a hero goes offline, it's hard to guarantee they can truly control their own lifespan. It seems that everyone, or any "life form" infused with a soul, has its own worries. I wonder if AI has them too? Even if it does, they probably have ways to solve these problems, otherwise they would have collapsed long ago.

Logically, Loki should have felt incredibly satisfied and happy to have obtained the artifact, right? But reality was quite different. Since leaving the "Otherworldly" holy land and the "Otherworldly Elders," he hadn't actually been particularly happy. He had considered whether to continue learning more advanced magic, or perhaps spend more in-game currency to contribute his savings to the shop, but he restrained himself. Sometimes, he could sense that if he acted impulsively, he would most likely regret it.

Sometimes, Loki also considered finding any girl or female hero, like other heroes his "peers," and living a carefree and enjoyable magical life, but he never actually did it. He was truly unwilling, unwilling to find a girl he didn't particularly, or rather, didn't especially like... (Beauty in the virtual world isn't just about appearance, but also about the soul. Because the models in the virtual world are relatively broader than those in the real world.)

Loki was so exhausted from thinking about the problem (note: GPU overheating) that he fell asleep. He decided to lie down on a relatively dry patch of grass, preparing to camp out for the night. As darkness fell, the various monsters on the new map went about their mundane tasks, some occasionally roaring, others leisurely strolling back and forth. They seemed oblivious to the arrival of the high-ranking hero and mage, Loki. Perhaps they were just "friendly" players in a trial run. Not particularly combative.

If they try to attack Loki proactively, the outcome will certainly be bad.

Night fell, and a gentle breeze blew. Loki had a dream.

He dreamt of his youth, when he was just a novice apprentice mage in another world. Elder Joseph was also very young then.

"Children, please follow in your teacher's footsteps." Elder Joseph kindly opened the portal.

The innocent and radiant little heroes and children have the following professions: warrior, mage, archmage, priest, rogue, shaman, bard, werewolf, orc musketeer, hunter, warlock, and so on.

The aspiring heroes from another world lined up to enter the portal and were transported to the "Anglie Volcanic Islands" (a beginner leveling paradise where blue elite equipment drops). There were many dinosaurs there (levels 20 and 35).

There were Devilsaurs, Pterodactyls, mutated dragons, Velociraptors, and large elite Velociraptors (mini-bosses). There were also filthy mud monsters (rumored to drop gold coins). Loki always carried a small animal hide knife. After finding fresh Velociraptor leather, he immediately made several small backpacks to practice his "basic tailoring" skills. Back then, Loki, and his fellow young heroes, were all incredibly young and innocent!

Far from being as troubled as Loki is now. Loki can no longer recall the origins of "Anglie Crater." In his dream, he listened intently to Elder Joseph's enthusiastic explanation, but for some reason, no matter how hard Loki tried, no matter how much he strained his ears, he could only catch the gist; the specifics of its origins remained a complete mystery. With Loki's cultivation, he should have realized he was dreaming, yet he refused to wake up. He truly wanted to understand his younger self, to understand the origins of Anglie Crater, why he had chosen this path, why his fate had been so arduous, and why, after all the hardships he had endured to finally obtain the legendary artifact, he wasn't truly happy.

The high-ranking mage Loki, intentionally or unintentionally, brought his "troubles" into the "dreamscape" of the virtual world.

"Professor Joseph, can we team up to defeat the Un'Goro dinosaur?"

(Can/Can the pop-up window display options)

The young Loki asked a reasonable question, one that sounded like something Loki would ask now, yet also like something Loki would say in his younger days.