Chapter Four: This Month's Rankings

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Chen Ye solemnly clicked on the first post, only to find that the content revealed a drastic change in appearance after the game began.

All the comments below echoed the same experience.

Some even claimed that they could no longer recognize their own friends and family standing right before them.

“After the start of the City of Fate, did everyone receive a new identity at the beginning, with their appearance becoming completely different from before?”

Chen Ye’s heart stirred slightly as he recalled the pockmarked man he had met by the bridge.

Clearly, not everyone in this city had become a player; many were likely native entities within the game.

With everyone’s appearance altered, it was impossible to distinguish who was human and who was one of the uncanny beings.

Scrolling down, Chen Ye saw someone mention how they had seen other players panic and rush into certain places, only to come out looking like walking corpses.

The people in the thread were terrified, with dozens of comments asking for more details.

The original poster was extremely flustered and dared not stay to investigate what was happening.

They fled as far away as possible!

Everyone was anxious, desperate to understand the specifics of this unfamiliar and dangerous situation.

Chen Ye pondered for a moment and understood.

This guy had most likely ventured into the “game” and was viciously trapped by the despicable natives!

Assimilated into the ranks of the uncanny.

In the Age of Oddities, no place could be entered casually; those seemingly ordinary shops were actually high-difficulty dungeons for rookie players!

If one carelessly broke the shop’s rules, it was tantamount to failing the game.

The consequence was immediate death.

Some shops even required specific traits to enter; stepping inside without them meant certain death.

“The Scarlet Countdown was indeed only the beginning!”

“Now, the game has officially started.”

“If you die here, it truly means the end.”

Chen Ye took a deep breath and then closed the post.

At this moment,

many players were desperately searching for their loved ones, posting online to declare their identities, eager for help.

For example, at Linjiang University where Chen Ye studied, there were posts seeking to find fellow students.

Most groups were formed by out-of-town students who, lacking family in Linjiang City, could only team up with acquaintances.

Facing this unfamiliar and perilous environment, having someone familiar nearby brought a measure of security.

Chen Ye did not join; he knew that according to the rules of the Age of Oddities, forming groups was of limited use.

Moreover, human nature was unpredictable; in times of peace, people remained friendly, but at the brink of life and death, who could guarantee no one would betray another?

Opening a post about a cake shop on West Street, Chen Ye found that the poster had encountered a similarly deadly game—

“There’s a cake shop on West Street advertising free tastings.”

“Everyone, do not go there. A friend of mine went, ate the food, and then…”

“He suddenly acted like he didn’t know me anymore and became one of the shop’s employees, looking very eerie!”

“I got his contacts from the Scarlet Phone and tried messaging him to find out what was going on…”

“But the Scarlet Phone replied that my friend was already dead!”

Even through the screen, other netizens could feel the poster’s despair and terror.

A perfectly alive person standing right there, yet the phone showed he was dead!

The comments below were almost entirely filled with fear, some even crazily claiming people as their husbands on the forum.

Uh… looking more closely… there were male users too!

“This is really chaotic,” Chen Ye sighed inwardly.

Currently,

all the players across the city had descended into the Age of Oddities.

But not everyone had played the game before and lacked an understanding of this hazardous world.

It was inevitable that many players would be eliminated by the rules at the start.

“The Age of Oddities follows the principle of equivalent exchange; free things are the most expensive.”

“These rookies didn’t grasp the true meaning of the rules at the outset, thinking free food would at least fill their stomachs.”

“Just like the rescue meals during the Scarlet Countdown.”

“After eating, of course, they become assimilated into the game’s world, turning from players into NPCs, which is no different from death.”

Chen Ye made a deduction about the game’s rules.

Since the Age of Oddities arrived in reality…

some places seemed different from the original game, requiring even greater caution.

Even as a beta tester, he could not assume all his information was accurate.

He must avoid the traps that ensnared newcomers!

Next,

Chen Ye opened the Monthly Rankings.

According to the game’s rules, every month featured different types of rankings.

The higher a player ranked, the richer the rewards.

The higher the tier, the greater the reward’s value.

The top-ranked player could even inherit the exclusive talent of the month!

Chen Ye clicked on this month’s ranking rules, and the Scarlet Phone immediately displayed a list of messages.

[Monthly Rankings—Uncanny Growth]

[Rules effective from April 1st, tallying all City of Fate players’ uncanny growth points to select the rising star!]

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[Monthly Bonuses:]

[1. Playing the corresponding identity rapidly gains uncanny points.]

[2. Unlock stage achievement tasks; reaching current tasks grants rewards, with a maximum duration of one month.]

[3. During the last three days of the month, a triple uncanny point boost event will be held—stay tuned!]

The Scarlet Phone screen flickered again.

Then,

a list of stage achievement tasks appeared before Chen Ye—

[Wanderer Stage Tasks—]

[Daily Task: Accumulate 10,000 meters of walking (666/10,000)]

[Weekly Task: Accumulate 100,000 meters of walking (666/100,000)]

[Monthly Task: Accumulate 1,000,000 meters of walking (666/1,000,000)]

“So walking can increase uncanny points and unlock stage achievements?”

Chen Ye was momentarily stunned; once he realized this, a wave of joy surged within him!

Originally,

the Wanderer identity was the most difficult in the Age of Oddities.

But with this month’s ranking rules, everything changed!

Simply playing the role granted uncanny points!

Compared to other identities, the Wanderer’s gameplay was very simple.

Just walk.

The Wanderer’s traits combined with this month’s rule enhancements…

meant Chen Ye could grow stronger just by walking!

Through the stage panel’s “step counter,” he could even see how many steps he had accumulated.

Thinking this, Chen Ye immediately quickened his pace and started walking briskly.

Eight hundred steps!

Nine hundred steps!

One thousand steps!

“Ding!”

At that moment, the Scarlet Phone suddenly received a notification.

[You have walked 1,000 meters; Uncanny Points +10!]