(Uru)

"Wait... who are you?"

The silver dragon in front of me did not answer my question. I was too absorbed in the fact that I could speak and disregarded the transformation. When I snapped back to reality, the silver dragon had disappeared, replaced by a towering tree with strange fruits. An old, wise voice came from the tree.

"Child, answer this: do you agree that death is a prerequisite for life?"

The tree's voice carried ancient wisdom, which made me feel a sense of inferiority from my own ignorance. But once I remembered that all of this was just a game, I quickly adjusted my mindset and discarded the self-doubt. Then, I chuckled and answered the tree's question instinctively, "I disagree. I hope that life will have eternal continuity."

As soon as I finished answering, the tree in front of me vanished like dissipating clouds, and the previously azure sky suddenly turned gloomy, drizzling with a faint chill. I heard a soft whisper and a straw-hat-wearing old man slowly approached me in the rain. He asked in a mysterious tone, "Sir, your shoes are quite special. Can you give them to me?"

Hearing this, I glanced at my casual shoes and then at the straw-hat-wearing man's sandals, slightly displeased as I furrowed my brows. I shook my head and refused, "No, I don't have a habit of giving things to strangers for no reason. If you really want these shoes, perhaps you can offer something else of value in exchange? Like the weapon on your back or the money pouch on your waist?"

Upon hearing my proposal, the man in the straw hat showed a bored expression and turned away, walking into the wind and rain until he disappeared.

"Is this some kind of psychological test before the game? Giving different starting points based on the player's answers?"

As I speculated about the meaning behind those strange people and occurrences while watching the straw hat man departure, I couldn't help but become curious about this game that I had absolutely no knowledge about. Since the silver dragon had already informed me at the beginning that my choices would determine my fate, perhaps the tree and the straw hat man could be considered as part of a psychological test? Speaking of which, it's a common practice for many RPG games to determine character abilities and qualities through psychological tests.

Embracing this assumption, I couldn't help but grow more curious as someone who was completely unfamiliar with this game. Although psychological tests were often considered unreliable, some of those who didn't believe in them would still attempt them. If the test results aligned with a person's personality, they would casually attribute it to coincidence. On the other hand, if it didn't match, they would curse it as a scam. But regardless of which stance they took, what mattered most was to maintain an appearance of self-importance.

Although I didn't fully believe in those psychological tests, I also didn't dislike them. Regardless of whether the results were right or wrong, answering the multiple-choice questions in a psychological test provided a good chance to understand oneself. Only by truly understanding my own nature could I further establish methods for self-improvement. If I hadn't realized early on that I was mute and didn't work harder than others, how could I have squeezed into this fiercely competitive job market and earned a higher salary than many able-bodied people?

"Cough cough! Why do I suddenly feel a bit complacent?"

Even though it seemed like I could speak in the online game, I still had the habit of talking to myself internally. However, the rapidly changing environment didn't allow me much time to contemplate. After the straw hat man left, I saw a stone man with a muscular physique jump out from the ground. He flexed his biceps and then pulled out a silver and a gold spear from a cloth similar to a loincloth.

"Human, have you lost this silver spear or this gold spear?"

There was no doubt that this was a version of the story of the goddess in the lake. If I honestly answered its question and said that I hadn't lost anything, would it mean that it would give me both weapons? In most online games, if you obtained two powerful weapons early on, your character's leveling up would probably be significantly faster than others, right?

"But no matter what, I don't want to touch a weapon that has been between another man's legs, especially a spear..."

With a change of thought, I made a decision and answered the muscular stone man, "No, those two spears in your hand are mine. However, they are useless to me now, so I threw them away. If they accidentally ended up with you, I apologize. And if you want them, feel free to take them."Hearing my response, the stone man made a mocking display of his well-toned back muscles and said sarcastically, "Oh, what a dishonest human you are, borrowing someone else's long spear to act all high and mighty!"

Perhaps it was because I had just obtained my lost voice for the first time in an online game, but I suddenly became a bit sharp-tongued. I mimicked the tone of the stone man and retorted, "Oh, what a despicable creature you are, clearly knowing the truth but still using worldly possessions to test mortals. I can't fathom your intentions!"

The stone man wasn't angry, but he raised his eyebrowless rocky muscles and asked meaningfully, "So, you don't want any of these long spears? If you don't want them, I'll take them all!"

Because I instinctively resisted his attempts to probe my weak points, my tone became even more hostile. I waved my hand to gesture driving away the stone man and shouted, "Take them! Please take away these dirty things as soon as possible. No one will miss them!"

Seeing my hostile attitude, the stone man grinned, giving me goosebumps. However, it seemed that he didn't retaliate and only raised his eyebrow in a dismissive manner. He then put the two long spears back into his mysterious loincloth and performed a backflip. With the grace of a professional diver, he dived into the ground and disappeared.

Then, a pleasant guitar sound came from behind me. I turned to look at the source...

But I didn't see anything.

No, when I looked down carefully, I saw a small cricket sitting on a stone, holding an instrument. This very fairy-tale-like scene sparked an evil thought in my heart. If I accidentally stepped on this elegant and stylish little creature, what kind of evaluation would the game system give me?

Uru, bullying a weak insect?

Oh, what an itchy title.

However, I could only imagine such a cruel act in my mind. In reality, I could never be so heartless. As I suppressed my evil thoughts, the cricket finished playing its tune. Like an elegant gentleman, it bowed to me and asked in a gentle voice, "Respected sir, I have a grand epic and a gentle pastoral piece here. Which one would you like to listen to?"

Which one?

Why do I have to make a choice?

"I have plenty of time. Why don't we listen to both?" My answer made the cricket remain silent for a moment. Then, seemingly with a helpless shake of its head, it sighed, "My life is very short. It has taken up most of my life span to learn how to play and be able to perform to others. The remaining time I have is probably only enough for one song. Great human friend, you are my last audience..."

Thinking of the fleetingness of life, watching the happy yet sad expression on the cricket's face, I unexpectedly made a teasing request, "Mr. Cricket, please play me a silent tune. I've heard it is the most beautiful sound in the human world."

As they say, silence is golden, isn't it?

"The most beautiful sound in the human world?"

Upon hearing my response, the seemingly artificial data cricket took on an extremely human-like expression. A burst of enthusiasm seemed to radiate from its eyes, surpassing that of millions of people!

It caressed the guitar, looked at me, and plucked the strings with its fingers...

【World in Silence】

【And I sank into darkness】

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