Chapter Two: The Overbearing Power of Equipment

As mentioned earlier, the name Ashes had already been taken by another player in Singularity Game’s "Titan." That player was somewhat well-known—not quite to the level where seasoned veterans like Scaled Arm would keep him in mind, but he did have a real presence in his guild, "Sword of Glory." Singularity had handed out over a thousand test accounts through a lottery, and with a membership of two thousand, Sword of Glory had one lucky member selected. Unconnected to Ashes, he had no idea that there was another “Ashes” quietly lurking in the test player discussion group until a post by DottyBean mentioned the name. Only then did he realize that the guild’s minor celebrity’s ID had been claimed by someone else.

Naturally, the other Ashes wasn’t pleased. A name is tied to one’s reputation, and it wasn’t something he'd just give away after working so hard to make it known. So, amid the guild’s uproar and outcry, the test player posted a thread in the discussion group questioning Ashes, demanding that he relinquish the name once the servers officially opened and name changes became possible.

The thread immediately went off-topic.

The players replying below cared little about who "Ashes" was. Instead, they latched onto the issue of forcing someone to change their name. No matter the time, netizens’ standards could swing wildly, but nothing escaped their sharp eyes. If a medium-sized guild could be so domineering as to demand someone change their name, what would happen if top-tier guilds did the same? Would all the desirable names end up claimed by others?

Of course, some argued back, citing Ashes’ reputation in "Titan" and claiming he was the real victim here, even listing examples of well-known players who’d lost their names to malicious registration before attaining high status.

In this black-and-white world of the internet, both sides hurled insults, the argument veered completely off-topic, and the central figure—Ashes himself—was all but forgotten. In the end, the administrators locked the thread, silencing everyone.

Logging into the discussion group that evening in preparation for the next game session, Ashes was left completely confused by the post. He received a barrage of private messages—some in support, some against—leaving him both amused and exasperated.

After some thought, Ashes decided to break his usual silence and made a post himself, tapping out a few words:

...

?

My actual name is Ashes—is there a problem with that?

...

Of course, there was no problem. No matter how famous someone got, it couldn’t trump someone whose real name was Ashes. Many people share their names with celebrities, and you rarely see fanatics demanding they change it.

With Ashes clearly in the right, the replies below quickly turned sensible, most of them essentially saying,

"Oh, then it’s fine."

Already put on the spot by his own words, the original poster had even less courage to press Ashes to change his name, and wrote a lengthy apology and explanation, barely putting the matter to rest.

Seeing the storm subside, Ashes—never one to sweat the small stuff—simply laughed it off. Even when he later received private messages from "Rain Tomorrow" and "DottyBean" asking about the results of the recent trials, he paid them no mind. When midnight came, he logged into the game.

...

[Since its founding, the Foundation has served as the guardian of Paradise World, relentlessly seeking to uncover the world’s mysteries. Yet, due to the existence of the Life Forbidden Zone, the Foundation’s reach cannot extend to every corner of the world, nor can it fully unearth those ancient, long-buried truths.]

[The emergence of the Sun Ladder has caused the heavy fog shrouding the truth to dissipate somewhat. Every high-ranking member of the Foundation hopes to find a solution to save Paradise World within it. As the Supreme Overseer of Concealed Facility No. 19, the "Old Tailor" is no exception. He has submitted a request to the Foundation’s Supreme Council, nominating you to join the expedition to the Wasteland World, to enter the Life Forbidden Zone and uncover the secrets of the Sun Ladder.]

[Undoubtedly, this is an extremely perilous mission. Not only must you guard against dangers within the forbidden zone, but you must also beware of enemies from the Wasteland and even Paradise World itself. For not everyone hopes to use the discovery of the Sun Ladder to save a world fated for destruction.]

...

[Notice: Detecting that your previous trial companion is entering the game. According to matchmaking rules, this trial will switch from solo to cooperative mode, and the difficulty will increase to a level above "Hard," but below "Nightmare."]

Ashes didn’t mind a more thrilling challenge; he actually looked forward to facing a difficulty higher than "Hard." Thinking of his companion "Never Again," he couldn’t help but chuckle.

Yet upon entering the Wasteland, Ashes saw no sign of "Never Again." He stood amid a landscape of shattered ruins. Though darkness still hung heavy around him, the silhouettes of the debris revealed a wild and untamed energy. The materials and architectural style differed greatly from the real world—bone, animal hide, tree trunks, earth...

The former inhabitants had used the most primitive resources to construct crude, robust buildings.

Now, most of these structures had collapsed.

Bones splintered, hides decayed, tree trunks dried and broken, earth scattered...

Ashes couldn’t help but wonder—where had the residents gone? Were they natives of the Life Forbidden Zone, or was there some hidden story behind their disappearance?

...

Trial Name: [Climbing the Ladder]

Objective: Ascend the Sun Ladder and uncover the secrets hidden in the Life Forbidden Zone.

Difficulty: Hard+

Description: At the request of the Supreme Overseer of Concealed Facility No. 19, you have entered the Wasteland in search of the Sun Ladder. During this mission, you will face deadly threats both inside and outside the forbidden zone. A single misstep could cost you your life. But don’t worry—the Foundation will not leave its agents isolated and helpless. Before deployment, the Foundation has already obtained key information about the Life Forbidden Zone from the Wasteland, and has secured additional support from the Fairy Tale World.

[Notice: You have obtained the temporary skill "Eye of Investigation."]

[Notice: You have obtained the quest item "Map of the Forbidden Zone."]

[Notice: You have obtained the quest item "Matches" x2.]

[Notice: You have obtained the anomalous gear "Active Soft Biochemical Suit."]

[Notice: You have obtained the consumables "Basic Evolution Reagent (Standard)" and "Primary Healing Potion."]

[Notice: You have used enhancement materials "Lightning-Struck Hardwood (Basic)" and "Weapon Power Stone (Basic)," and spent 3,000 Foundation Credits to upgrade the weapon "Standard Telescopic Baton" to "Enhanced Charged Telescopic Baton."]

[Notice: You have used the inlay "Power Fragment (Basic)," enhancement material "Direwolf Claw (Basic)," and spent 1,500 Foundation Credits to upgrade the weapon "Direwolf Gauntlet" to "Enhanced Direwolf Gauntlet."]

[Notice: You have expended the enhancement materials "Shadow-Eater Bug Wing (Basic)," "Shadow-Eater Bug Shell (Basic)," and 2,000 credits to exchange for "Lightning-Struck Hardwood (Basic)," "Weapon Power Stone (Basic)," "Direwolf Claw (Basic)," and "Primary Healing Potion." (Over 100 credits remain after purchasing Primary Resurrection Spell.)]

[During your slumber, I have injected your mind with biological data from the Wasteland to construct the new "Eye of Investigation." While there may be gaps, it should still be effective against unknown species in the forbidden zone. Also, do not overlook the significance of the "Bloodvine Bracelet"—it will not only provide you with substantial aid, but is also crucial to achieving your trial objective: becoming the Head of the Control Center.]

...

A cascade of system notifications left Ashes almost dizzy. Glancing down, he realized his gear had already changed from the basic kit to an inky black outfit—something like athletic wear, soft to the touch, comfortable, and utterly unrestrictive.

Eagerly, Ashes checked the stats of his new anomalous equipment.

...

[Active Soft Biochemical Suit] (Light/Basic Anomalous Equipment)

Equipment Quality: Perfect

Defense Level: Weak (12 points, maximum value)

Equipment Special Effect: Soft Body Division (When suffering lethal damage, you will split into four soft body masses with no defense rating and a maximum of ten health points each. If any survive after five seconds, you will be resurrected. Cooldown: ten minutes.)

Requirements: Strength Level 4, Agility Level 2

Description: This armor was crafted by the Supreme Overseer of Concealed Facility No. 19, known as the "Old Tailor." Renowned within the Foundation for his skill in armor-making, especially in integrating anomalous properties, his works often perfectly inherit those unique traits. The Active Soft Biochemical Suit is one such creation.

["I greatly admire young people willing to struggle, but I also hate to see life wasted for nothing." —The Old Tailor]

[Active Soft Suit Set (2/4): The token "Voracious Appetite of the Active Soft Body" gains a certain effect bonus.]

[Notice: This equipment cannot prevent instant death caused by sanity dropping to zero.]

...

Powerful! Practical! A real treasure!

The "Weak" defense rating was far superior to the "Feeble" basic protective suit. The special resurrection effect greatly increased his margin for error, protecting him against sudden death by accident. In cooperative play, the chances of successful resurrection improved as well.

But that being said, where exactly was his partner?