Even the most treacherous and hypocritical officials must now accept this reality.

Only in this way can they have a glimmer of hope.

...

"Have you heard? We're about to start a war."

"It is said that the nobles outside are dissatisfied with the Empress's rule and want to rebel."

"What...this won't involve us, will it?"

In the capital, ordinary residents also felt uneasy upon hearing this news.

They feared the war would spread to the capital, and they feared it would affect them.

The residents never expected that this war would be waged by their own country, and that their own territory would be attacked.

For a moment, they were unable to distinguish right from wrong.

At that moment, Victor was strolling along the newly rebuilt streets.

He hadn't changed much from before; he was still wearing a black trench coat and walking openly down the busy street.

After all, he knew that even without any disguise, no one would dare to recognize him as Victor on the street.

The real Victor has been gone for far too long.

Victor wasn't particularly surprised by the whispers and discussions among the passersby.

After all, he was behind all of this; in a sense, he was the mastermind.

These people, who stirred up trouble in the empire's internal strife, will ultimately become Gwen's most valuable experience.

He shook his head, deciding not to think about it anymore, and was about to leave.

When he focused his gaze, he saw a man wearing a metal hood sitting in a corner of the street.

A sheet of burlap was spread out in front of him, on which were laid out various props that Viktor found familiar.

There was even some broken equipment.

Before long, these items will disappear into thin air, and then new goods will be added.

Because of the high speed, most people wouldn't notice that the props and equipment disappeared into thin air.

So the passersby on the street didn't notice anything unusual.

Moreover, no passerby would stop in front of such a metal bucket-shaped stall.

Everyone knows that he is a mute who cannot communicate.

But Viktor couldn't help but smile when he saw this.

This is exactly the scene where players set up stalls on the street.

After completing the first chapter of the game, players will unlock the main city—the capital of the Karencia Empire.

Although the capital city is no longer as prosperous as it once was, players can finally meet here.

Therefore, players can attract other players to shop or barter by setting up stalls.

It seems that the player with the iron bucket head is busy running his stall.

His goods will automatically disappear and be replenished, which is a unique feature of player stalls.

This is because after other players purchase items and equipment, the items are automatically added to their inventory, and the vendor then restocks them.

But,

Aside from the man with the iron barrel head, Victor didn't see any other players.

This is unreasonable.

If no other players are around, how could the goods on the stalls keep disappearing?

Therefore, there is only one possibility.

One possibility is that Victor was already aware of the player the moment they appeared.

He stared at the metal-headed player who was selling goods and took a deep breath.

Then, he slowly closed his eyes.

The magic circle is constructed in the mind, and the magic that can see through the soul is formed instantly.

Thus, in the complete darkness, Viktor could vaguely see...

Around him, flames of the soul gradually ignited.

One, two, three...

Then, hundreds, thousands.

These crimson flames, so different from the souls of the local inhabitants, were dazzling and scorching.

They represent eternal immortality.

Then, Victor reopened his eyes.

He saw it.

Around him,

Countless people dressed in strange and unusual clothes appeared.

They stood out from the crowd around them; in fact, they were almost invisible.

Only the crimson flame of their soul within their bodies is the sole distinguishing feature.

They wandered around, sometimes stopping to shop at vendors, and sometimes setting up stalls on the ground like the guy with the iron bucket.

They can pass each other, but they have to avoid the local residents when they walk.

Even he was the same.

Each 'player' deliberately avoids him because of his own collision volume.

It's as if everyone knows his location.

Without using the magic to see through souls, he wouldn't be able to see so many "players" on this narrow street.

They are in the same space, yet not in the same "space".

Victor closed his eyes again and canceled the spell.

Open your eyes,

The endless flames of the soul dissipated, and the streets returned to their peaceful and tranquil state.

Pedestrians and vendors are no longer crowded.

Only the player with the iron bucket head still sets up his stall on the street, still sets up his stall on the street.

He seemed to understand something, and looked around at the local residents.

Suddenly, as if he had realized something, he laughed.

Viktor, trapped in the cycle of reincarnation,

The other players also exist in different cycles.

It is precisely because they are in different cycles, yet can still meet each other, that this becomes the essence of their being players.

As NPCs in the native world, they cannot see other players besides those in the current cycle.

In their eyes, there is only one player.

Because of this, each cycle constitutes an independent storyline for each player, while sharing a similar common trajectory.

Because reincarnation is unchanging and repeats itself forever.

It is reincarnation that has turned this world into a game.

turn out to be,

"That's the essence of games."

"This is the eternal cycle."