Versatile: Alternate World

"I see, I can see some in here decided to do the easy way. However, I am looking for hard workers who know how to do teamwork. Anyways, please go back home for those who have zero numbers on their heads. We don't need anyone who took the easy job instead of suffering for a bit to survive and reach here."

These words of Queen Titania caused panic among the players with zero numbers. Many of them have the number zero above their heads, causing them to try and find a way to raise it.

"It's useless. The count won't increase anymore as that tally only tallies up the results when you have yet to arrive here in Highland Plateau. The moment you step into the land of the Highland Plateau, the count will no longer increase no matter what you do. So it's pointless. Give it up."

One of the guys that I remembered to arrive using a wyvern decided to protest this since it wasn't something that has been announced.

"This is unfair! I don't know any of the methods on how to earn points! No one told me and your announcement didn't tell anything crucial on how to obtain the said points either! This is unfair to us who don't know how to get them!"

"Yeah! That's very unfair!"

The others started to voice out their disagreement too but that didn't faze Queen Titania.

"Ha! Do you think you guys can bargain with me? I can see that you all are trying to say that I am wrong with my methods but did you know that things like this would be frequent once you get to the actual part of the quests in Luminous? Also, this is also a test of whether a player is capable of competing with others or how to be resourceful and capable of fighting and traversing different areas. Since you all have zero points, I can assume that you all just used a mount, fly from where you are at first, and landed here."

"Yeah! What's wrong with that?! We already arrived here so we should also be qualified!"

"Oh, so that means you didn't read the warning I have given out to all of you while you all are flying to reach here?"

That's when some of the players who have zero contribution points in them remembered something. I have no idea what it was but seeing their reactions, it seems they have also seen it before.

"Remembered that now? And you all have the gall to call me unfair? I already warned you all to go on foot. It would have been fine if you have decided to ride on a mount that runs on land as that would still need you to traverse the field and kill a few monsters to bypass, that alone can earn you points. Then what about flying above? It would have been fine if, in the process of flying, you all also attacked monsters while up in the air, Although you won't earn points from traversing the areas, you will earn points from killing monsters and that is enough to qualify already."

Hearing this explanation, many of those guys who have zero points seems to have realized what they did wrong for them to be treated like this. Most quietly left without making any ruse but some just refuse to listen and still wanted to go and protest. This results in Queen Titania losing her patience. She is a patient deity but sometimes, even though you have long patience, sometimes, it is not just enough.

As the players tried to argue more, she waves her hands, and the vines that appeared before that caused the thief player to trip appeared once again but this time, in the form of tentacles as she controls and binds the players who refuses to leave.

"I would have been more lenient to all of you if you just did the same with the others who admitted their mistakes and left immediately. Seeing you all in this makes me feel a bit disappointed in you all."

She closed her open palms to fists, which also resulted in the vines tightening to the point the players being bound on the vines are having a hard time breathing.

"Next time, follow the rules. Don't be stubborn and be prepared to own your mistakes."

Once she is done giving the final words, the roots start to sink in alongside them to the ground. I still remember them struggling to break free but it just won't budge.

Queen Titania then turned to look at us with a smile.

"Don't worry about them. They might have been shown to be buried here but I just transported them out of the Highland Plateau. They won't be able to come back here to mess things around again until the end of this recruitment phase."

Although most of us are not convinced, everyone immediately shifted their attention without a second thought so that they won't provoke Queen Titania any longer.

"Now then. There are many players who have arrived here earlier and I thought I would have to do another elimination round again but this time, the points from before are already enough to reduce the numbers to the amount that is good enough, to begin with. Seeing the numbers are sufficient, I officially welcome all of you players to the expedition."

"Huh? Wait a minute... does that mean..." a new guy seems to be in disbelief after he heard of it.

"Yes, you all are now part of the Expedition team to be the first adventurers to step foot in the Luminous Continent's sacred soil."

When they heard it, everyone celebrated especially those who are not part of the expedition. Those who are already part of the expedition squad before have already known from the previous expedition that this event is not rays of sunshine and rainbows to just experience. We are in for the pain, suffering, and more trouble coming in. We are just in here for the rewards and for the recognition but aside from that, nothing much to be gained here in Expedition, more like you have signed up to fight in a war while allying with the losing side. A quest where we needed to restore the balance of the world and save everything from destruction.

It seems the curtain to a certain show is about to part ways and it is now ready to go and give its audience a blast.

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The first recruitment phase has finally finished. Queen Titania returned to where she was before as she sat in front of her monitor screen. Yes, that is right. The NPC from before has reappeared inside a room where countless people are working on the servers of the Alternate World.

Queen Titania still remained elegant and still the same deity that Bladeheart and the others have seen earlier. But this time, she gets rid of her lavish deity clothes and changes to a lab coat plus a casual dress. She also dons the glasses on, making her look like she belongs to the real world.

"How are you adapting to Earth, Queen Titania?" the voice of Tojiro came behind her as she was sorting the files that are floating in the air.

"Pretty good. I never thought I would find fun in this world during this time. And I thought nothing made by a human would fascinate me, I was dead wrong with that."

Tojiro looked at her new attire and nodded as he smiled seeing her new clothes.

"Seeing you having fun is something I wouldn't even imagine from you, Queen Titania," Tojiro snaps his fingers and some of the floating files that Queen Titania is juggling in the air went into Tojiro's hands.

"Having fun? More like having a blast. I never knew this world of yours is more advanced than our world. In fact, the wars and lack of monsters would be the most ideal life to spend. Once work is over, might as well spend my time enjoying the amenities here in this world."

"What about Oberon?" Tojiro asked.

"Ha, he already adapted to the life in here much faster than me. I never knew he would be really enthusiastic about reading literature right now."

Tojiro smirked but he didn't comment anymore.

"So how is the recruitment? Did something happen?"

"Yep, some unruly children just decided to go and complain to me for something that was their fault, to begin with. If not for them, my mood wouldn't have soured that much."

"Is that so? Well, out of the recruits, did you find a few people that seems to have caught your eye?"

"There are lots of them but there is one who stands out. I also can't believe it but he got the highest score from everyone else so I easily remembered who they are. And I must say, that you have the best choice you did in your entire time for choosing that guy to do your bidding. He just joined the expedition."

Tojiro smiled as he put back the paper into the pile that is floating above Queen Titania before.

"He shouldn't let me down."