Chapter 163-1: Currency System, Death in Reality (1) |
To prevent the tragedy from repeating.
After securing qualification for Monster World, Tong Xin finished downloading, completed adaptation, decisively changed clothes, and rushed to the game pod.
If he fell asleep again at this time, he would wake up wanting to strangle himself.
As the game pod’s lid pressed down, his excitement became impossible to contain.
“Monster World, I am coming!”
Flexible tubes automatically docked to various parts of his body. Nutrient solution gradually submerged his head. His body entered a dormant state, his vision was shrouded in darkness, yet his emotions kept surging.
This time, no accident occurred.
When the darkness dispersed, Tong Xin found himself floating before a towering blue crystal wall. A prompt sounded in his mind.
[Welcome, Challenger, to Monster World. Please begin creating your initial character.]
After confirming, the success prompt for the name echoed by his ear.
Tong Xin could not help clenching his fist and cheering inwardly. The name he wanted most was still available.
The fact was that Monster World did not have a huge player base, unlike Dark Land where duplicated names were common.
Just then, the huge gridlike crystal wall in front rapidly zoomed closer.
Most of the cells on the wall were empty. In the bottom two rows, Cells 1 to 37 imprisoned Primordial Monsters of various forms.
The green light above each cell represented a selectable First-Generation Primordial, and the red light represented a non-selectable Primordial above the first generation.
As for how to choose, Tong Xin unhesitatingly looked at Cell 3. When his gaze focused, the information for the Gargoyle surfaced in his mind.
[Gargoyle]
Initial Level: 1
Primordial Ability: Petrification (active)
Ability Description: After using the ability, enter an immobile petrified state that greatly reduces damage from any form of attack. The specific effect is influenced by physical aptitude.
Before obtaining the qualification, Tong Xin had browsed a large number of strategy posts on the forum.
He knew that what Monster World lacked most was the melee build, especially the damage-soaking stone statue build within the melee branch.
In the words of forum players, those who play the stone statue build are all big shots to be served.
Choosing the stone statue build would definitely allow one to enjoy the best resources in the team and be the core focus of cultivation in any team.
Only when the Gargoyle build player could stand firm would the rest of the team have the space to continuously damage output.
Before entering the game, he had also discussed it with his brothers.
They had clarified his core growth direction.
He would take over from Iron Hammer as the team’s damage-soaking tank. Iron Hammer, after changing his Star Vein combination, would go a melee damage build, leaning towards something like a Champion Fighter.
After finalizing the choice, the Gargoyle crouched in the containment cell suddenly opened eyes that glowed blood-red, enlarging continuously within his sight.
Its massive body felt like a truck coming straight at him, full of oppressive force.
Tong Xin involuntarily tensed his body.
Boom!
[Challenger Notification: Initial Inherited soul selection complete. Your starter village space is: Rimewinter Snowfield]
After a strong sense of weightlessness, Tong Xin’s body was shrouded in a layer of white light. When the light faded, he found himself standing in a pure white space.
Ahead was a spatial portal, its center slowly rotating like a vortex.
The six large characters ‘Rimewinter Snowfield Space’ slid past his eyes.
Looking around, there were players everywhere nearby.
All the newbies, like him, could not hide their excitement.
One could say that those who drew lots to enter the game this round were all Destined Ones who had stood out in a competition against the entire world.
At this moment, the regional chat channel was full of newbie players calling for veteran players to give them hugs, lift them high, and carry them to fly.
Tong Xin muted the regional voice channel, summoned the function panel, and opened the contacts list.
In the add field he entered ‘Little Class Iron Hammer’ and tapped confirm.
Not long after, the prompt that the friend request was approved sounded.
[Challenger Notification: Player ‘Little Class Iron Hammer’ has approved your friend request.]
Right after, Iron Hammer proactively initiated a video call.
When the call connected, several heads crowded together in the frame.
Iron Hammer: Hahaha, Principal, you are really awesome. Is Monster World opened by your family? You can even get qualification for this?
Cute Baby: Too outrageous. Missed the first link, the second time got it then qualification was canceled, the third time grabbed Dark Land, and in this fourth qualification snatch battle with the whole net participating, you still got it. Your luck is over the top. Tell me, what is your relationship with Starnet?
Drunken Milk: Principal is undoubtedly a child of fortune. Although the process was arduous, how many times is this already? I now suspect you have a blood relationship with Starnet and that it opened a back door for you.
Listening to his brothers’ teasing, a bright smile surfaced on Tong Xin’s face.
“Cut it out. If Starnet were really my relative, tomorrow I would ban all your accounts. Hurry over and power level me.”
Iron Hammer: Principal, do not leave the space. I am afraid you will go out and die miserably outside. Wait for us to get to the Rimewinter Snowfield region. Today three of us drew Amplification. We will carry you to fly then.
Principal: Hurry up.
Ending the video call, Tong Xin chose to follow his brothers’ advice and waited in the space.
Through group chat, he had already learned in advance that this game had a ‘resurrection cooldown’ setting. If he went out and died, then it would be his brothers who would end up waiting for him.
Just then, a game prompt sounded in his mind:
[Challenger Notification: Player ‘Little Class Iron Hammer’ invites you to join the Kindergarten Guild. Accept?]
“Accept.”
[Challenger Notification: Successfully joined the guild ‘Kindergarten.’]
[Challenger Notification: Player Iron Hammer is transferring the Guild Leader position to you. Do you accept?]
“Yes.”
At once, a guild option appeared on the function panel.
Upon opening it, he could see the names of all members of the Kindergarten group, and on the right of each name, the displayed Star Vein combination and Inherited soul level.
While he waited, ripples spread across the teleportation array ahead, and one figure after another emerged from within the spatial vortex.
The leading warrior wore Crimson Flame battle armor, the plates seeming to flow with searing magma.
Following behind were spellcaster players, all in uniform deep-blue starry robes. The golden runes branded on them flickered with a faint glow, and strands of sparkling energy leaked out, curling around their bodies like mist.
The ones who arrived were precisely the brothers of the Kindergarten group.
Tong Xin glanced at the black cloth clothes on his own body, then compared them with his brothers’ gorgeous outfits, unable to hide the envy in his eyes.
“Hahaha, Principal, you look so weak.”
“Hey, you newbie, kneel when you see us veteran players, or we will camp the doorway and kill you.”
“Principal, believe it or not, I can crush you with a single pinky, hehe.”
Facing his brothers’ teasing, Tong Xin decisively raised his middle finger in response.
“Don’t get cocky. You just entered the game a few days earlier than me. Hurry up and take me to level up.”
“Let the Stepdad group take you to the skies.” Iron Hammer stepped forward and threw an arm around Tong Xin’s neck.
Tong Xin tried to struggle, but found his strength before Iron Hammer was like an ant shaking a tree. Even with all his might, he could not budge him.
“Damn, you are really strong.”
“Nonsense. My primary Inherited soul is already at level 48. I can fight ten thousand newbies like you.”
Just as everyone was joking and preparing to leave the space to hunt in the Rimewinter Snowfield region, the nearby newbie players in the same black cloth clothes crowded over.
“Big bro, I just heard you say you are carrying for levels. Can you take me along?”
“Buddy, since you are carrying for levels, one more won’t matter. Take one more, yeah?”
“Big brother, take me too. I can pay 100 credit coins per hour.”
Faced with the requests of the nearby hungry-for-help newbie players, Iron Hammer decisively chose to ignore them.
The Principal was their good brother of many years, and in previous games he was also the core of the team. Although they usually teased each other, their bond was deep.
But the newbie players of other races had no emotional foundation with them, so they could not be bothered to pay attention.
After leaving the starter village space, a chill struck. Tong Xin could not stop shivering. He immediately switched to Gargoyle form according to his brothers’ prompt. His attributes rose at once, and the cold diminished.
What unfolded before his eyes was a scene of heavy snow. Heaven and earth were shrouded in a layer of pure white gauze.
From the gray sky countless snowflakes fell. The howling wind swept up masses of white, wantonly dancing in the air.
Distant mountains and nearby trees were all draped in a thick coat of silver.
The realistic scene made Tong Xin exclaim in surprise.
“The realism of this modeling is freaking awesome.”