Chapter 203-1: Wandering Soul at the Village Entrance, Lord Mode (1) |
Emperor’s Mound Village, revival point.
After the white light flickered, the figures of Li Zheng and the Grind Kings players appeared on the Teleportation Plaza.
Before coming back this time, they had already explained the situation to the Four-Eyed race and the others.
They would return to the training camp when the next recruitment arrived.
In response, the Four-Eyed race trainees also expressed doubt, asking whether there was a probabilistic risk to the player race’s revival. What if there was a reduction in numbers after death.
To this, Li Zheng’s answer was that while the probability existed, the probability of revival was far higher than the probability of death.
And this round of gifted-organ transplants had brought each of them a harvest of 340,000 in sacrificial power.
It would not be an exaggeration to call it a sudden windfall.
But this model was obviously impossible to replicate.
Their actions had even cut off the route for players entering the training camp later to earn sacrificial power by transplanting gifted organs.
Only the ones who ate the crab first could profit from this attempt.
Even if they chose not to do this, the players who entered the training camp later would still try, and would still cut off the path for those who came even later to transplant gifted organs.
When the white light before their eyes faded, Li Zheng and the other Grind Kings players looked around the scene.
They discovered that the starter village had undergone obvious changes since they left.
First was the concentration of spiritual energy in the air. With every breath, they could feel abundant energy particles entering the body, coursing inside, nourishing their bodies.
“The village has changed a lot.” Looking around, Li Zheng found many new buildings nearby.
The teleport point’s position had also been combined with the revival point.
“Remember when we first entered Monster World, there were only dilapidated houses in the village, not even a single decent building… In just over half a year, the changes in the village are enormous.”
Recalling the past, the Grind Kings felt a surge of emotion.
As the first batch of players in the B version of Monster World, they could be said to have witnessed with their own eyes the development of the player legion from nothing to something.
They also enjoyed all kinds of benefits brought by the growth of the player legion.
When they first entered the game, where were all the various worries that new players face now.
For example, what Inherited soul to choose at the start to hunt and level up faster.
In their view, this was a worry caused by a start that was too affluent.
When they first entered Monster World, the only Inherited souls available to choose from were the initial three phantom gods. Apart from that, there was nothing else.
Back then, even the team mode had not been launched. Killing monsters was all about who secured the rights to rewards by the last hit.
Communication relied entirely on shouting.
As for guides, even the shadow of the forum did not exist yet, much less research-party players.
It was full pioneer-style exploration from start to finish.
Even the map had been shrouded by vast fog. The area near the exit of Emperor’s Mound Village was still the fog area they had explored and dispelled.
Thinking back to when they first entered the game half a year ago, Li Zheng never imagined he would make it to where he stood today.
His initial thought was very simple, just to gold-farm and make money in the game.
So when he entered the game, he named himself: Game Gold-Farmer.
He had not expected that relying on first-mover advantage, they would already be standing at the pinnacle of the player legion, top players envied by many on the Starnet Forum.
They were also among the very few players on the Anti-Tide Legion growth line.
It was no exaggeration to say that the 50 players who entered the Anti-Tide Legion later were all hard-pushed in by him and his brothers, going hungry and staying up late.
“Let’s go, to the Cultivation Tower to equip cultivation combat techniques.”
As Li Zheng finished speaking, he summoned a Swift-Sword flyer and headed toward the Cultivation Tower marked on the map.
The other Grind Kings players also summoned their vehicles and followed.
From a bird’s-eye view over Emperor’s Mound Village, one could see that the vehicles used by players now were a veritable riot of demons.
There were players riding flying brooms and wearing magic robes, players gliding along the ground in skate shoes, and players riding oversized rabbits, moving by bouncing with their vehicles… each player had a unique style.
Thanks to the free configuration of the Armed Vehicles system.
Players were fully capable of assembling novel vehicles that stood out from the crowd.
Even if they had no ability themselves, they could find professional players on the forum to customize exclusive vehicle designs.
Flying at low altitude, they could see along the way a large number of alien-race players they had never seen before.
A towering warrior of the Berserk race shouldered a giant axe, striding with heavy steps through the crowd of players, his light green skin glinting with a faint sheen under the golden disc shining in the sky.
Players of the Hunter Sprite race with elegant forms and long silver hair were gathered in front of the village’s Pet Shop, seemingly having some conflict over a certain issue, arguing until their faces were flushed.
The small-statured players of the Breakers race were gathered on the lawn in front of the library of Emperor’s Mound Village, enjoying set meals of Spiritual Food purchased from the Trading House.
At the tavern at the end of the street ahead, three Skyfeather race players had their arms around each other’s shoulders, drinking until their faces were bright red, smiles blooming across their faces.
Passing through a bustling street, a group of Giant Brute race players were bare-chested, discussing something.
Flying by sword over their heads, Li Zheng heard the word ‘arena.’
It was evident that the Giant Brute players were discussing arena-related strategies, which fit the Giant Brute race’s nature of craving combat very well.
Vehicles of every kind, alien-race players of different skin colors and body shapes… the scenery of Emperor’s Mound Village made Li Zheng feel as if he were in a prosperous city in another world.
This place felt like the center of another world, with players of all races gathered here, as lively as an endless celebration.
Arriving before the Cultivation Tower, a thought flashed in Li Zheng’s mind. The Swift-Sword flyer beneath his feet automatically disassembled into countless pixel-like blocks that converged onto his body surface, forming a set of gear with the word ‘Grind’ printed on the back.
His figure fell from midair. He bent his knees to vent the force and landed steady.
Without waiting for the brothers behind, he walked straight to the teleportation area and spent 1 point of sacrificial power to enter the Cultivation Tower.
Before coming, he had read forum strategies for a long time and had already decided what type of cultivation combat technique to equip.
Cultivation combat techniques were divided into four tiers. He chose the second-tier Spirit Grade combat technique.
As for higher-tier techniques, while body-tempering experience would rise faster during continuous idle training, the expenses would also be large.
According to the suggestions of research-party players on the forum, it was best to choose a cultivation combat technique whose gains could cover the cost of running nonstop for 24 hours.
He selected the Spirit Grade Combat Technique: Geomarrow.
It was priced at 35,000 sacrificial power, and its effect was to grant comprehensive extra amplification to physical aptitude (vitality strength, bone strength, organ operating efficiency).
This cultivation combat technique had received quite a few positive reviews from research-party players on the forum.
During the acquisition of body-tempering experience, one would already gain all-attribute bonuses, and cultivating Geomarrow would further grant additional attribute bonuses. It was extremely suitable for players like him who followed a close-combat build.
He dragged the earth-yellow technique phantom into the technique embed slot.
His consciousness tapped ‘Confirm,’ 35,000 sacrificial power was automatically deducted, and a flood of information surfaced in his mind.
This information was as if memories had been implanted deep into his mind, completely saving the process of learning.
The cultivation method was also simple. One only needed to open ‘Technique Cultivation’ in the function panel, where there was a switch that could be slid with consciousness.
Sliding to the left turned off auto-cultivation. Sliding to the right turned on auto-cultivation.
Only after truly coming into contact with a cultivation combat technique could one understand how heaven-defying the ‘idle cultivation’ ability mastered by players was.
The Stinger Camp had 1 hour of cultivation combat technique course every day.
During this period, trainees would use the cultivation combat techniques taught by their race for spiritual energy breathing and cultivation.
This process required total concentration, using consciousness to guide spiritual energy to flow along the meridian paths within the body. During this period, the body also had to perform various movements matched to the cultivation combat technique.
A slight carelessness could lead to poor circulation of spiritual energy, or even deviation.
While it left no sequelae, it would still produce not insignificant pain.
By contrast, the auto-cultivation mode was simply like toggling a cheat.
No concentration, no patience, no movements were needed. The entire process required only sliding a switch to choose whether to start cultivation or end cultivation.
What was even more outrageous was the cultivation efficiency and endurance.
During normal cultivation, it was inevitable that slack, absentmindedness, irritability, and other emotions would affect the process.
But the auto-cultivation mode had none of these worries. As long as one had sacrificial power on them, they could stably gain body-tempering experience 24 hours a day.