The man in the suit sat down, put on his glasses, and registered his name. Under Tess's guidance, he opened the game interface, scanned past Monster Hunter G and Heroes of Might and Magic III, selected The Elder Scrolls V, and entered the game world.
In fact, as soon as he sat down, Wayne saw his name through the backend system.
However, Wayne had never heard the name before—or at least, he had no memory of it.
Of course, these backend operations did not appear on the live broadcast screen.
Since the net cafe currently only had eight stations, leaving seven excluding his own, and ten pre-order slots had been sold, Wayne brought out the two unused pairs of glasses from the cellar. There were no gaming chairs for them; these two players sat on high stools behind the counter, the last bit of space the cafe could squeeze out.
Old Marin, who had paid but was the last of the ten and couldn't play yet, had no complaints. Aside from regretting not acting sooner, he stood behind his daughter as if he were playing himself, watching Amy appear in the opening scene and walk toward the execution block.
Meanwhile, Wayne was moving along the mountain road beside the winding river, switching between backend windows to observe the starts of the other nine players.
He was familiar with Andromath and McBride, who chose their usual starts with magic and longswords after entering the barracks.
The others, like Jaina and Amy, were predictable, but the two newcomers drew more of his attention.
Oneiya, the Night Elf, was the first of her kind to play at the cafe. Standing about the same height as Wayne, she was clearly a rogue. However, she seemed to prefer picking locks over fighting, and her speed at it made even a veteran like Wayne feel inferior.
But as a rogue, she was noticeably a step behind the suited man, Winston.
In the game, stats like base attack power, health, stamina, and weapon stats were unrelated to a player's real-world abilities. Like other games, real-world skills couldn't be used directly. However, in the VR-enhanced version, movements and behaviors relied entirely on the players themselves.
For example, while Sneak had a level, the route taken and whether a player stepped on something that made noise depended on their own movements.
Similarly, in combat, while weapon damage was determined by equipment values, the actual damage dealt differed greatly depending on whether a strike hit a major artery in the thigh or stuck into the fat of a buttock.
Thus, although everyone started with the same health and similar attack power—and even weak enemies that would normally be crushed by a powerful archmage like Andromath required gradual wear and tear in the game—the effectiveness varied by player.
Winston was extremely efficient in progressing the plot. He wasn't like Amy, whose curiosity led her to flip over every item and explore every corner. He moved like a robot with built-in radar, sneaking forward while constantly observing details in the environment. He ignored scattered coins and rusted weapons, focusing instead on potions, papers with clues, books, and upcoming enemies.
One strike, one kill.
"Is this guy a core agent of SI:7?"
Wayne couldn't help but wonder. But since entering, the man hadn't said a word except for his name, leaving Wayne with no way to know his background.
Wayne couldn't tell if the man was a friend or a foe.
As Wayne had told Mathias, this was "the mantis stalks the cicada, with the oriole behind." He was the chirping cicada, and he intended to chirp loudly.
Therefore, the "mantis" could appear at any time.
Outside, Silas Darkmoon—who considered himself a connoisseur of world curiosities—was shocked by what he saw.
He wanted to go inside and investigate personally, but knowing the slots for today were gone, he asked Raymond about the cafe's hours. He watched for a while longer before quietly leaving with Burrows.
Elsewhere, Wayne walked down a hillside onto a vast plain, and the magnificent Whiterun appeared before him.
This neutral city—nominally belonging to the Empire but not at war with the Stormcloaks—was the heart of Skyrim. Its superior location made it one of the largest cities in the province, rivaling the capital, Solitude, in population and economy.
As Wayne crossed the farmlands outside the city, he encountered a small group of warriors fighting a giant about five meters tall.
These people belonged to the Companions, a group unrelated to the main quest but possessing a massive side story of its own.
Since Wayne knew the "true secret" of the Companions, he didn't want to start that questline until Tess was ready. After firing a few arrows to help repel the giant, he spoke briefly with Aela the Huntress to introduce himself. Receiving an invitation to join the Companions, he headed straight into the city to Dragonsreach to report the dragon attack on Helgen to Jarl Balgruuf "the Greater."
Although Balgruuf's personal guard, Irileth, was deeply distrustful of Wayne, Balgruuf considered the information vital.
Farengar analyzed the situation and told Wayne that this might be related to the legendary "World Eater," Alduin. Everything was still too unbelievable, so he needed Wayne to travel to Bleak Falls Barrow in the southwest mountains to find a "Dragonstone" to study why the dragons had returned.
At this point, the onlookers finally had a vague understanding of why the dragon appeared at Helgen and learned that the black dragon might be named Alduin.
In the crowd, a man in robes and a half-mask, dressed as a monk, turned and left. He went to a clearing, chanted his hearthstone, and held a flyer in his hand.
Soon, he appeared in the Cathedral of Light. After receiving permission, he removed his hood and entered the Archbishop's private room.
A kind, grey-haired elder said to him, "Bishop Farthing, back so soon? Are the events in Goldshire as interesting as the rumors say?"
This man was the Archbishop of the Cathedral of Light, a beacon of faith for countless people, and a living embodiment of the Holy Light and compassion.
Facing the Archbishop's direct question, Farthing bowed his head and presented the flyer with both hands. "I saw it with my own eyes. McBride, Andromath, and even that damned warlock leader Sandal appeared in that net cafe. The fees there are astonishingly high."
Farthing described the pricing and the pre-orders, and mentioned Winston and Oneiya, whose identities he didn't know.
Benedictus showed no change in expression, maintaining a kind smile. "I didn't expect the news to reach as far as Darnassus. It seems it is indeed popular. Why didn't you watch longer? Why return just after noon?"
"The Cathedral is fine. You should relax for once; you don't always need to be so restrained and serious."
The Archbishop's usual kindness made Farthing even more respectful. He gave his reason: "In the scenes I saw, a black dragon appeared again as in the legends. When that dragon appeared, even the sky changed color, as if it were on fire."
Benedictus continued to smile, organizing the documents on his desk.
Farthing continued, "Then, the boy from the cafe ran to a place called Whiterun, in a cold land surrounded by snowy mountains."
"A mage there told him the dragon might be the legendary 'World Eater,' named..."
Benedictus laughed. "What could make our Bishop hesitate? There are only the two of us here; speak freely."
Farthing nodded. "They said the evil dragon is named 'Alduin.' Moreover, on the flyers they distributed beforehand, the words 'World Eater' were already written. It's clear they knew what would happen next, as if they have the power to foresee the future..."
Benedictus placed the last book on the table and asked Farthing, "Is that why you hurried back?"
Farthing: "I suspect they are making an allusion to His Majesty."
Benedictus laughed heartily. "Alduin, Anduin. Perhaps you are overthinking. Regardless, I am aware. Go and rest."
The Archbishop's words were a command. Farthing bowed and withdrew.
As soon as the door closed, Benedictus's brow furrowed, his kindness and smiles vanishing instantly.
He looked at the flyer which read "God of Twilight, World Eater," and repeatedly whispered:
"Twilight..."
"Black Dragon..."
"Ancient Dragon King..."
"Surrounded by snowy mountains..."
"The bitter cold of the far north..."
"Aldu...in?"
Suddenly, a fierce light appeared in his eyes.
"Is it really Alduin?"