Chapter 29: The Ban Hammer of the Power-Drunk Administrators

The players operating the two large toys were reluctant to heed Andrei’s words. They were having a blast, and they had no intention of climbing out just because they were told to. However, upon noticing the fuel gauges on the armored vehicles and recalling that their previous scavenging of the village had yielded very little fuel, the two groups grew cautious. It would be disastrous if they wasted all the fuel through their reckless joyriding.

More importantly, the other players were already clamoring for their turn. With only two vehicles available and the situation currently in a lull, everyone wanted a chance to pilot the machines. To avoid the collective wrath of their peers—which could lead to sabotage on the battlefield—the two groups reluctantly stepped out. As soon as they exited, new players scrambled into the cockpits, eager to take control.

"I am... absolutely speechless!" Andrei muttered, watching the scene unfold.

Players were fine in many respects, but their lack of discipline was a major flaw. These guys acted entirely on impulse, completely ignoring orders. Just as Andrei was debating whether to use the system to force them out, a sudden burst of gunfire interrupted his thoughts. The player operating the "Pacifier" mech, perhaps wanting to test its firepower, had opened fire on a nearby house. The four heavy machine guns shredded the wooden walls in an instant, leaving the unfortunate shack in ruins. It was fortunate that no soldiers were inside; otherwise, they would have been blown to pieces.

"That’s enough! Get out now! Who gave you permission to fire?" Andrei shouted, his temper flaring. He drew his pistol and threatened them: "Do not fire indiscriminately on the battlefield, and do not harm friendly forces! Do you want to be executed for insubordination?"

Simultaneously, a notification flashed in the players' systems: "Due to your actions, your reputation with the key NPC, Andrei, has decreased..."

Seeing the reputation penalty, the operators of the "Dreadnought" mech nearby complained about the game’s rigid scripting while scrambling out, all the while grumbling at the "pig-headed teammates" next to them. They felt wronged; they hadn't even fired a shot yet, only prepared to test the weapons, and their reputation had already dropped. Fortunately, it was only a two-point decrease, or they would have been truly devastated.

However, the two players in the Pacifier mech had a different idea. "Damn, this NPC Andrei is so annoying, always bossing us around! What kind of idiot designed this character?" one player grumbled, then suggested to his partner, "Hey, why don't we try taking him out?"

The gunner nodded in agreement. They didn't care if it ruined the game's plot; they just wanted to see if such a bold maneuver was possible. After all, players play games for their own amusement!

But the moment they attempted to target Andrei, they were abruptly kicked from the game.

[Warning! Due to your intent to attack a key NPC, which negatively impacts the experience of other players, your account has been banned for 24 hours and flagged for misconduct! If you accumulate three such records, your account will be permanently terminated!]

Seeing the dialog box, the banned players were shocked and immediately began cursing, calling the game developers complete morons. They couldn't understand what was so special about that NPC—he was treated like the developer's golden child, protected even from being attacked! "What a restrictive game. Zero stars!"

Meanwhile, seeing the notification that two players had been banned for 24 hours, Andrei breathed a sigh of relief. He had implemented this "patch" the moment the players started ignoring orders upon seeing the mechs. One could never be too careful with the "Fourth Calamity"—who could guarantee that the players he summoned wouldn't turn on him?

Andrei hadn't hesitated to roll out the update: any player showing intent to attack him would be banned for 24 hours, and repeat offenses would result in a permanent ban. He knew such a draconian measure to protect an NPC would irritate many players, but he didn't care. He wasn't a developer looking for sales; he was a man looking for soldiers to fight his wars and labor for his cause. If they didn't like it, they could leave—there were plenty of others willing to play!

That said, he hadn't made his commands mandatory for everything, as he didn't want the players to feel like mere puppets. If they quit in frustration, he would be the one left in trouble.

Curious about what happened to the banned players, he glanced over and was surprised to see them vanish into thin air, as if they had never existed. Furthermore, the local Cambrian soldiers behaved strangely, as if the entire incident with the players had never occurred. They showed no shock or anger at the gunfire. It was as if their memories had been wiped, and the damaged house had always been in that state, not destroyed by player fire.

Watching the soldiers, Andrei felt a chill. He couldn't help but wonder: was his world even real? Was he actually a character who had transmigrated into a game, just an NPC with self-awareness?

He quickly shook the thought away. These philosophical questions were useless right now. Besides, even in the "real" world, who could prove they weren't just an NPC in some grander game? It was better to focus on surviving in this godforsaken world. Bullets on the battlefield didn't care about philosophy.