48 Hours a Day

Non-agent players, on the other hand, were allowed to join the proxy war as but they could only enter as an apostle. They could only choose one deity to side with. Since each agent could recruit up to three apostles, the new system would allow players to play the game in small teams.

However, if an agent wished to join the proxy war alone, they were more than welcome to do so. Recruiting apostles was not compulsory, but it was better for most agents to have a helper than none, and the chances of completing a level in a team were also greater.

Zhang Heng, however, had no intention to recruit any apostles due to his special circumstances. Besides, there were some differences between the dungeon in the proxy war and an ordinary dungeon, the details of which would be explained during the game.

Only five days were left before the proxy war began.

Zhang Heng did a quick take on the email sent by the organizing committee. He then opened the browser and saw that the organizing committee had launched an official website, and the players could log in with their forum accounts.

The official website was now empty, and little information had been uploaded to it. However, Zhang Heng noticed a player list on the website’s left side, looking like a leaderboard of sorts. For now, there were no names on it.

Zhang Heng looked for his player code on the website, and the system prompted him to enter a display name to others. He pondered on it for a moment and eventually decided to go with ‘Simon.’

After that, he left the empty official website.

In the next five days, Zhang Heng made no special preparations. He had appointed the bartender to send the [Ordinary Katana] for recasting before the first proxy war, and he probably wouldn’t get it now. Fortunately, his game items bettered most of the players, and he wasn’t too stressed about the war’s early phase.

Five days later, Zhang Heng went to the Sex and the City bar.

The bartender lady gave the nod after checking his player number. “Welcome to the proxy war. The first three rounds are equivalent to an admission test. You need to clear the three dungeons solo or in a team within 45 days. While you are at it, get as many scores as possible. “Does the score mean game points?” Zhang Heng raised his eyebrows.

“No, have you played Super Mario?”

“Well, I’ve played it several times on the Xiao Bawang learning machine when I was young.”

“Scores are similar to the gold coins in the Super Mario game. Unlike game points, however, you can actually look at the scores. However, whether you can earn them or not will all depend on your skills.”

Zhang Heng immediately realized the leaderboard’s function on the newly launched official website. “How many can pass this test?”

“The top 500,” said the bartender. “The top 50 have additional rewards, but the rewards for 1-50 are the same. After all, this is just an entry-level test. Do you have any further questions?”

Zhang Heng shook his head.

“You’d better be mentally prepared. The quests of the proxy war are very different from what you’ve been experiencing.” The bartender also added, “Happy gaming.”

“Difference? How big of a difference?”

“You’ll know when it happens.” As usual, the bartender lady did not tell him everything.

Zhang Heng set the alarm, laid on the deck, and allowed the drowsiness to consume him.

[Verifying player ID...] (Verification complete. Agent identity confirmed. Player number 07958 is welcome to join the proxy war. This is the first round of the test. Quest is being randomly selected...]

(Extraction complete. Current quest-Alien]

“Please explore the background of the game by yourself.”

[Quest goal: earn as many points as possible, 5 points for every alien found and killed)

[Mode: Single]

[Time flow rate: 120) (1 hour in the real world is equivalent to 5 days in this game. Player will be sent back to the real world after 20 days)

[Friendly reminder, the game will officially begin in five seconds. Prepare yourself!)

The opening dialogue that had remained unchanged for years finally changed this time. The system even reminded him that he was joining the proxy war.

Before figuring out the old man in the Tang suit’s true intention, Zhang Heng had to maintain a cooperative relationship with the other party. After all, he had to admit that the ‘gift’ the old man gave him was indeed handy, not just in games but also in his regular life. In the real world, 48 hours a day allowed him to do a lot more than a regular person.

Therefore, he decided to fulfill the promise made to the old man in the Tang Suit the day they met in The Maid Café. He would win this proxy war for him.

The title of this quest sounded like the time when Mayflower sailed across the sea while American post-colonists were still fighting with the natives. In this case, Zhang Heng’s marksmanship and riding skills should help him earn many scores in this quest.

However, when Zhang Heng opened his eyes, he was a little surprised by what he saw-he was sitting on his own bed.

He looked around the room-he was certain that he was in his room or at least an excellent replica of it.

Modern-day earth?

Many years had passed since the Second World War. Although conflicts broke out now and then, society as a whole had started working hard to make good money as a collective. Those who were classified as alien and had to be killed were getting rarer and rarer.

What more, Zhang Heng was back in his hometown, a third-tier city.

Zhang Heng had no idea what else would have been labeled as ‘alien.’

And since the game required the players to ‘explore on their own,’ Zhang Heng would have to solve this mystery himself. He looked around again. It was indeed his room, save for some minute differences. This room was a copy of his room when he was in high school.

The timetable he posted on the wall was in its place and the textbooks and workbooks on the desk. There was even his old Mate-7 mobile phone.

There was a sudden knock on the door, and Zhang Heng could hear his grandfather’s voice on the other side. “We’re having fish tonight. I’m going out to buy one. Stay home and do your homework. Don’t fool around.”

Zhang Heng mumbled a reply. After a while, he heard the door open and the lock clicking.

He quickly put the White Horse Crown, Paris Arrow, and Pestilence Bone Bow from under the bed, inconvenient items to carry around.

Since it was his first time joining the proxy war, Zhang Heng wanted to take no chances, taking practically everything he could bring. Then, he opened the door and walked out of the bedroom into the living room.