[This Script is a role-playing Script. Your attribute values will return to their initial levels, and some items and skills are disabled.]
After the final sentence echoed in his ears, Bai Mu felt a sudden flash of light before his normal senses returned.
The community menu was disabled during the Script, but just like on the Deserted Island, he could see his attribute panel with his own eyes.
Unlike the absolute poverty he faced on the Deserted Island, this time his title panel proudly displayed a gleaming "Survival Master".
Additionally, he had unlocked his Player inventory. Inside, the Solar Panel and the Police Badge were both glowing green, indicating they could be taken out and stored normally.
It seemed Paradise did not classify these two everyday items as contraband.
He took a quick glance before shifting his attention to the scenery before him. Just as the guide had mentioned, he found himself standing on a lush, grassy lawn.
The time was around nine in the morning, and the sunlight was brilliant. White wooden fences bordered both sides, and a house with white walls and red roof tiles stood at the edge of the lawn, looking exactly like the backyard of a Western-style detached home.
In front of the house's door sat five small carts resembling lawnmowers. A portly middle-aged man stood about five meters away from Bai Mu. He wore a frying pan on his head, and a thick, bushy beard completely covered his chin.
'This must be Dave,' Bai Mu thought, locking eyes with the scruffy foreign man who had uniquely mismatched, wide eyes.
"Greetings, neighbor! It couldn't have been easy for you to escape to this place."
Dave walked over and patted Bai Mu on the shoulder. Paradise had already automatically swapped Bai Mu's outfit, dressing him in a pair of tattered jeans and a gray shirt. Covered in dust and grime, he looked just like a street beggar.
"You can call me Dave, or use my full name, Crazy Dave."
"I'd love to invite you inside my house for a hot shower, but the Zombies are coming soon. Their heads are empty, so they are always trying to eat my brains, thinking that'll make them as smart as me."
"But that's impossible, because they don't have any brains at all!"
Specks of spittle flew from Dave's mouth as he spoke.
"Don't worry, no Zombie can get past Dave! Oh, but I'm only one man, and I can only guard the front yard."
"Neighbor, can you help me defend the backyard from the zombie horde?"
Dave stared fixedly at Bai Mu with his cross-eyed gaze.
"Of course, Dave. That is exactly what I must do," Bai Mu replied swiftly.
According to the guide, one had to agree to Dave's request here. If refused, Dave would not provide any help or tutorials; he would simply tell the Player to stay inside the house while he went to defend the front yard alone.
The only area where Players could move around was the backyard, as the door leading to the front yard could not be opened. Being abandoned alone in the backyard without being familiar with the Script was practically a guaranteed death sentence.
Having to fend off wave after wave of the zombie horde with nothing but one's bare hands would be unimaginably difficult.
Most importantly, refusing Dave's request meant losing precious preparation time.
The timer for the zombie horde began the exact second Dave left the backyard. Once Dave determined that you had no intention of helping him protect the rear, he would sprint to the front yard, leaving you with absolutely zero time to prepare.
"Wonderful, neighbor!" Dave was overjoyed upon hearing Bai Mu's response. "But I don't know what you're capable of. If you don't have any special skills, maybe you could collect sunlight for my plants in the backyard."
"With sunlight, they can deal with the Zombies all on their own! They are very reliable, and I believe they can work with you to keep my backyard safe."
"So, are you willing to help me out?"
Dave issued his second request. Following the guide, all one needed to do here was agree, and the stage would advance to the next phase.
However, Bai Mu heard something that struck him as slightly odd.
He recalled the other title he had acquired.
[Title: Walking Headline]
[Title Grade: Unique]
[Effect: When equipped with this title, you will greatly attract the attention of certain humanoid Script characters, with a chance to be mistaken for a media figure.]
[Acquisition Condition: ???]
'Let's give it a try. I have nothing to lose anyway,' he mused.
[Do you want to change your title to "Walking Headline"? Remaining title changes for this Script: 3.]
"Yes."
[Title changed successfully. Remaining title changes for this Script: 2.]
Bai Mu's health and stamina bars dropped by a chunk, but it did not matter. He still had two chances to change titles. If it proved useless, the worst-case scenario was simply switching back.
Immediately after changing his title, before Bai Mu could even open his mouth, the look in Dave's eyes shifted.
"Oh, wait! Neighbor, why do I feel like I've seen you somewhere before?"
Dave rubbed his eyes, widening them as he leaned in close to Bai Mu's face, as if observing some rare curiosity.
"I remember now! You're that survivor from the shipwreck! I saw you on the news on television! I heard you survived on a Deserted Island for a whole month!"
"Oh, my goodness, you are incredibly lucky! Out of all those people, you were the only one who made it!"
Bai Mu instantly understood what the title effect "chance to be mistaken for a media figure" truly meant.
He quickly grasped the utility and value of this title. In the original Script template, he was just an ordinary small-town resident. However, upon equipping this "Unique" grade title, his identity in certain Scripts transformed into a "headline-making shipwreck survivor," effectively making him a public figure.
This meant he went from being a mere "stranger" to a potentially trustworthy "public figure."
In certain situations, this could bring positive effects, such as making it easier to gain the trust of good-aligned NPCs. On the flip side, it could also have negative consequences, making him stand out far too much. For instance, if a killer wanted to make a name for themselves, he might become their very first murder target.
Fortunately, Dave and Bai Mu were on the same side. Dave pulled a smartphone out of his pocket.
"I must get a picture with you, neighbor! If my kids and relatives see a photo of me with a big star, they'll absolutely flip their lids!"
Click! The camera flashed as Dave presumptuously snapped a rather chummy close-up photo with Bai Mu.
"You are a man of strong physique and an iron will! Only someone like that could survive for thirty days on a Deserted Island!" Dave declared. "Oh, I even think you could take on those Zombies without my plants at all!"
"Goodness, that is a truly crazy idea! What do you think, neighbor?"
"This really is completely crazy! Just as crazy as Crazy Dave himself!"
[Crazy Dave has issued you a Side Quest: A Crazy Idea.]
[Quest Description: Crazy Dave has dedicated his entire life to researching his garden plants. Finding humans to be quite peculiar, he prefers to associate with flora. Very few people ever earn his approval, yet you have become a rare exception. Because of your arrival, a crazy idea has suddenly popped into Crazy Dave's head. Could you be the one person whose wavelength perfectly matches his own?]
[Quest Requirements: Accept Dave's request and defend the backyard from the zombie horde without using any garden plants (Upon accepting this quest, garden plants will be disabled in the Script).]
[Quest Rewards: ???]