Warcraft: When NPCs Have Player Panels

After hesitating for a moment, William turned and walked toward the Scarlet Monastery.

After all, the monastery was his home. This religious sanctuary, nestled atop a mountain, had become the largest human settlement in the vicinity of Lordaeron.

Even though William felt he was different from before, his deep-seated sense of belonging remained unchanged.

However, on the way back, William's pace slowed down, and the surprise on his face grew deeper.

In the past, whether coming from the west of Milltown or from the south of the royal city, there were hardly any other living creatures to be seen on the road, except for the Crusader patrols.

The road was flanked by woodlands overgrown with weeds and thorns, and everywhere were ruins left by the war.

But today, things are completely different.

In the safe zone patrolled by the Scarlet Crusade, some farmers dressed in coarse cloth were wielding hoes, diligently leveling the ground beneath their feet. Meanwhile, priests and paladins, seemingly appearing out of nowhere, were using their precious holy light to dispel the evil magic emanating from the soil.

Streams of black or foul-smelling green smoke, screaming and whispering, were forced out from the sacred land where the holy light had been offered. Then the farmers turned over the soil, revealing a fresh scent within.

William looked into the distance; in the distance, many farmers were still chopping down dead trees. With each swing of the axe, the sound of dry branches snapping echoed, and small piles of wood gradually accumulated nearby.

Under the direction of a well-dressed carpenter, some farmers were assembling simple house frames around the timber with clanging and banging.

William stopped and watched the scene from afar, his brow furrowed.

He had been patrolling this woodland since he became conscious. He had never seen anything like it... The fear on people's faces was gone, as if they were not worried at all about the undead calamity nearby.

As he continued his journey, he was even more surprised by the pass ahead, which had once been a fortified stronghold established by the Kingdom of Lordaeron. However, it was breached and abandoned when the Scourge attacked the monastery, and the original towers gradually collapsed due to years of neglect.

Normally, no one would linger there, and even patrols were handled by William. Occasionally, undead would appear there.

But now, a large group of people had gathered at the pass. Many civilians, under the direction of stonemasons, were collecting stones from the nearby mountains and using them to repair the dilapidated city walls.

Beyond them stood six fully armed, blood-red soldiers, their crimson armor gleaming coldly in the sunlight. They gripped sharp swords, their eyes scanning the surroundings warily. They had replaced William, patrolling and standing guard methodically.

"What's going on?" William murmured, filled with doubt. He had only spent one night grinding monsters with the strangers, so how did the whole world change?

Filled with doubt, William continued forward, and the closer he got to the Scarlet Monastery, the more shocked he became by what he saw.

The monastery gates were wide open, and the entrance was crowded with people, mostly strangers he recognized. They were dressed in all sorts of gear, carrying weapons, gathered in twos and threes, chattering and moving back and forth, showing no fear of the Scarlet Crusade as usual.

They surrounded the soldiers at the monastery gate, asking questions all at once, their tone urgent and enthusiastic.

"Hey bro, got any quests? Anything's fine, killing monsters, delivering messages, finding items, we can do it all!"

"Yeah, yeah, I heard you Scarlet Crusade members have a new mission. We're all nuclear-powered donkeys, incredibly efficient!"

"Any quests related to that awakened NPC? We're here to find him; we heard he can team up with you and even fight monsters together!"

William had just reached the door when he heard these whispers. His heart skipped a beat, and he instinctively lowered his head, burying his face in his gray ponytail, trying to look no different from any other Crusader recruit.

They are looking for themselves!

This realization sent a wave of panic through William.

Could these strangers be friends of the strangers he killed?

He discreetly raised his eyebrow and quickly glanced at the crowd... only to find that the strangers hadn't noticed him. They were simply talking amongst themselves, muttering things like "video," "trending topic," and "viral sensation"—words he couldn't quite understand.

William slowed his pace, and the intermittent chatter reached his ears, gradually making out the gist of it.

It turns out that the news of him killing gnolls with the monks and shamans yesterday has spread throughout the world of strangers and caused a huge sensation.

They said they had never seen an NPC who could actively form a team and communicate normally, and they all wanted to see him in person, and even wanted to fight monsters and level up with him.

"Thank goodness no one recognized me." William breathed a sigh of relief, walking quietly along the wall, afraid of being noticed. As he carefully weaved through the crowd, he listened intently to the conversations of the strangers, and news about the changes in the world gradually became clearer.

"This is the first time in years that I've seen an update without any announcement. And it's an online update, and at such a fast speed."

"Since the appearance of this virtual world version, Azeroth has gradually begun to change. Not only are the underlying logics being changed, but everything is being changed, which is fine. It can be played as a new game."

"When I came here yesterday, there was nothing around here. Today, houses are being built and farmland is being cultivated everywhere. Places that were once deserted are now filled with farmers and soldiers."

"Do you even need to think about it? Did you forget what was updated yesterday? They updated the super AI Elune! I have an uncle who works for the official team, and he said that yesterday their game permissions were completely delegated to the super AI Elune."

"Holy crap! Really? How could the official channels dare to do this?!"

"What do you think? Otherwise, why would this game suddenly start updating online?"

"It's said that their AI is about to achieve a breakthrough and will soon possess true intelligence... Their upper management wants to take a gamble and be the first to achieve a great feat that other companies haven't accomplished!"

...

"The whole world is being updated now, and NPCs are really different from before. NPCs will talk to you proactively, but they're not as intelligent as the NPC named William in the video."

"Anyway, this is a good thing. The whole world is becoming more realistic. Maybe in the future we can actually become friends with NPCs and go on adventures together! It will fulfill my wish to die in the game."

William only vaguely understood; he had no idea what terms like "game AI" and "non-stop updates" meant.

But he understood the key point—the world had changed not because of him, but because the entire world had changed. More and more NPCs like him, who could proactively communicate, would gradually emerge.

At that moment, William felt a huge weight lifted from his shoulders.

He was always worried that he was special, that his awakening would be seen as heresy, that his own people would discover his abnormality, imprison him, and torture him to death.

In retrospect, it was all due to changes in the world, and he simply adapted to those changes.

With his tense nerves relaxed, William's steps became lighter. After walking for the time it takes to drink a cup of tea on the bustling edge of the city, which resembled a construction site, William arrived at the military camp on the edge of the monastery.

The military camp outside the monastery was just a garrison for ordinary soldiers. Only outstanding soldiers with excellent performance and devout faith would be promoted to higher ranks and receive advanced training in martial arts and ideological defense within the monastery.

For new recruits like William, the barracks were where he lived and trained. Of course, reporting for duty and receiving assignments also took place there.

Only Crusader soldiers could enter this place. In the past, outsiders always liked to force their way in, just to bypass the military camp and delve into the various dungeons within the monastery.

"Instance" is what outsiders call it. William and his Scarlet Crusade members prefer to call it "Secret Realm."

The Secret Realms are a precious gift bestowed upon the Crusaders by the gods of Azeroth.

Anyone blessed by the gods or possessing devout faith can freely enter and exit the secret realm. They can train, study, and even live within it. Even if killed by strangers within the realm, they can be resurrected after a period of time with the blessings of the gods.

However! If it involves a predetermined death, then resurrection is impossible.

Like the previous Scarlet Crusade Highlord, leader of the Scarlet Crusade, and Grand Commander of the Scarlet Crusade, Renault Mograine.

From the strangers, William learned that he had been killed on the spot in the secret realm by the spirit of his father, Old Mograine, and had truly died and never been resurrected.

I wonder if I'm qualified to enter that secret realm...

William thought that this way he wouldn't have to worry about being killed by strangers. As for whether there would be any side effects from being resurrected in the secret realm... what's wrong with being able to live forever?

When William reached the gate of the military camp, he saw several fully armed veterans. They were all wearing heavy armor and stood at the gate with serious expressions, blocking the strangers who tried to break into the camp.

"The military camp is a military stronghold; you are not allowed to approach!" a veteran shouted in a deep voice, his tone stern and leaving no room for negotiation.

Although the strangers were somewhat unwilling, muttering things like "We just wanted to go in and take a look" and "Why are you being so stingy?", no one forced their way in; they just lingered at the entrance.

They seemed to accept this rule, and some even comforted their companions, saying, "Never mind, outsiders aren't allowed in the military camp anyway. We'll just wait for our mission at the gate."

William was quite surprised to see this.

These strangers are not law-abiding citizens; they either ignore the Crusaders' warnings and force their way in, or they start fighting directly. But today, they are so compliant, even accepting of these rules.

William subconsciously glanced at one of the veteran goalkeepers through the system panel.

Rating: 65

Rank: Elite

No wonder...

Keep in mind that even the most powerful outsiders are only level 60.

...

William straightened his tattered recruit leather armor, straightened his back, and walked towards the camp gate.

I've fought too many battles these past few days; my leather armor is riddled with holes and wounds. I need to find the quartermaster to get a new set. But I don't have the money... I wonder if I could trade maggot claws for a new set...

"stop!"

Just as he was about to step through the gate, a stern-faced veteran suddenly called out to him.