Chapter 217-1: The Bully’s Primordial Test (1) |
After returning to Death Space, Yang Xiu was still shaken.
Running into fellow townsmen should have been a happy thing, but after his identity shift it only made cold sweat break out.
Especially after parsing and learning that the other party’s identity was the veteran squad’s commander, Grandpa Iron.
“This damned sense of oppression.”
Lifting his head to look at the figures running stalls on both sides of the road ahead, Yang Xiu felt the kind of emotion one has after surviving a calamity.
This sudden incident also made him start thinking about a problem.
Although an eight-person Ecstasy squad had higher mobility during missions, its combat power was far inferior to team mode.
Should he expand the squad’s combat strength.
It could be stated clearly that the Lord of Ecstasy would gradually integrate Ecstasy players. This was an inevitable trend, only not yet implemented.
What the Lord of Ecstasy wanted was a war legion, not a small squad that performed well in small-scale battles.
This could be seen from the Ecstasy Purple Tide and Ecstasy Swarm.
The Lord of Ecstasy very much wanted to establish a powerful war legion and kept running various tests, attempting to feel out a feasible path.
The concept for Ecstasy players was also built upon the foundation of building a legion.
This could also be seen from a few clues in the elite Death Space settings.
Unlike the Death Space at the trial stage, the elite tier of Death Space had no internal strife.
If squads met while out on missions, there were clear rules forbidding mutual fighting, and instead a cooperation mechanism was set.
As long as another player squad cooperated during mission completion, both sides would receive extra points rewards.
From the settings one could see the Lord of Ecstasy’s thinking.
So whether or not he wanted to expand his squad’s size could not affect the coming trend of squad fusion.
From the perspective of an Ecstasy player, the Lord of Ecstasy’s will was the grand trend.
Rather than waiting to be forced to merge into other squads, it was better to begin laying out the future in advance.
With the idea in mind, Yang Xiu decided to contact solo Ecstasy players and other Ecstasy squads right away, attempting to bring more members under his command.
It would be best to recruit players from his own faction. He knew where they stood and could work together.
If there were issues, give a sum of sacrificial power as a comfort fee and there would be no psychological burden even if they volunteered to sacrifice.
He just did not know how many players from his own faction had cleared the trials and arrived at the elite Death Space.
But before that, he had one more thing to do.
Calling up the friends list, he contacted the boss of the assassin group.
Yang Mei Tuqi: Leader, you there.
Only Plays Assassin: In the little dark room browsing the forum. Finished the instance experience and getting ready to return?
Yang Mei Tuqi: Far from it. I feel like I can play here for years. Maybe I will become the top enforcer under the Lord of Welfare in the future. When we meet then I will be a big shot. Kowtow to me and I will spare you.
Only Plays Assassin: Treasonous, acknowledging a thief as your father… so you really plan to stay in Death Space?
Yang Mei Tuqi: You know my situation. I have feelings for my current teammates. Before they grow up I still have to accompany and protect them for a while longer. If I could bring them back to join the player legion, how great would that be.
Only Plays Assassin: I have a way.
Yang Mei Tuqi: Say it.
Only Plays Assassin: Turn them into sacrificial power, then you use the sacrificial power to enhance star veins or body tempering, letting them accompany you forever in another form. If you cannot bear to do it, next time you come out we will set a time and I will do it. After it is done I will transfer your ‘teammates’ to you.
Yang Mei Tuqi: Leader, are you an idiot or what (dirt poor furious table slap.jpg).
Only Plays Assassin: Hahaha, just kidding. What did you really contact me for.
Yang Mei Tuqi: I have been offline too long. The nutrient solution in the game pod is probably running out. Help me order a batch of nutrient solution. I will settle with you in sacrificial power.
Only Plays Assassin: No problem.
After Yang Xiu sent the home address to the assassin group’s leader in the God Temple Guild, the leader would help order the nutrient solution.
When the time came, robots responsible for delivery and replacement would come to his door. He did not need to log off.
Before leaving Death Space, this was the only way for now.
He could log off anytime if he wished, but a sudden log-off could very well invite the Lord of Ecstasy’s punishment, leading to an early account ban and exit.
To continue the Death Space journey, the task of replacing nutrient solution could only be entrusted to a friend.
Closing the chat with the leader, Yang Xiu led his teammates toward the stall-filled trading area.
Next, he would begin preparations to establish an Ecstasy player team.
Perhaps there would come a day when he and his teammates really could become special existences like Champion Fighters.
Only when that time came, his sudden betrayal might make the Lord of Welfare fly into a rage.
So he had to arrange an escape route for his teammates ahead of time.
Otherwise if he ran, his teammates would be miserable, inevitably affected by the Lord of Welfare’s wrath.
After asking Guide, he learned Monster World had a large number of methods to remove restraints.
Helping his teammates break free of the Lord of Welfare’s control was entirely possible.
—
Emperor’s Mound Mountain Range.
Abyss of Heaven territory node, tower platform.
The Earthmind Evil Spirit stood suspended in the air, extending perception view to the west.
In the image, the Black Tide surged and rolled, devouring all matter along its path.
At first, its idea had been to expand eastward, lengthening the battle line to obtain the nourishment needed for the Black Tide’s growth.
Unfortunately, the battle line was too narrow, with no strategic depth in the middle and no room for adjustment.
Encountering the golden ocean domain that blocked the road completely extinguished its thought of continuing to expand east.
It could only finally adjust its development direction, taking the Evil Eye tower as the center and expanding territory westward.
Facts proved one could not hold expectations for the idiot Swarm and the disgusting players.
As long as it changed its expansion direction, these two forces would surely follow.
They could not be shaken off or dispersed.
Like a bone-attached ulcer, no matter how hard it tried, they lingered like a haunting specter, following at its side.
Judging by this trend, it was as if these two beastly forces had set their minds on it and would tangle with it for life.
It could not understand what the purpose of these two forces was in doing this.
Thinking of this, the Earthmind Evil Spirit could not help but sigh.
“Evil Eye, Monster World is so vast. Both these forces have great potential. Where can they not develop. Why do they have to go against me.”
The Evil Eye floating behind it blinked.
“The Battle Swarm is easy to understand. Once they latch onto a force, they will tear at it like mad dogs. As long as the target is not destroyed, the tearing will never stop. As for the player race… I actually think they seem to like confronting you.”
“Like?”
“Mm, Monster World has quite a few races that love battle. They yearn to cross hands with strong enemies. Perhaps you are a strong enemy in the eyes of the player race, hence they chase you relentlessly.”
“If they like strong enemies, they can find ones even stronger. What is the meaning of fixating on me.” the Earthmind gnashed its teeth.
“Perhaps what the player race likes is a force that both brings a sense of oppression and can still be engaged, that is, an opponent whose combat gap is not too vast. You fit that position very well.”
“Facts show the players who take the field are not that strong, with not much difference from our combat power. The stronger kin behind them have not taken the field, and only last time when you pressed too hard did a very powerful commander appear. So this conjecture is logical.”
Hearing this, the Earthmind Evil Spirit could not help but sigh inwardly.
Monster World, what a beautiful world it was.
Countless strong races took the stage, and there were more races and forces to devour than one could consume.
Thinking back to the lofty ambitions when he first entered Monster World, his heart had been full of expectations for this world brimming with opportunity and challenge.
He had imagined crossing blades with countless strong races, him breaking through again and again in battle, and shining with the supreme glory of a Black Tide warrior.
But reality was like a bucket of cold water that completely doused his enthusiasm.
The truth was, there were only players and the Swarm around him, kill them and they never ended.
He felt as if he had fallen into a mire, the more he struggled the deeper he sank.
He should have been dazzling upon a stage crowded with the strong, yet now he was wasting time in petty struggles with those same familiar faces.
Helplessness and resentment surged in his heart like waves, crashing against him one after another.
It often left him losing control of his emotions, even developing what the Evil Eye called ‘resource anxiety.’
“Damn it.”
The more he thought, the angrier he got, and the Earthmind Evil Spirit could not help swearing.
“Damn it.” the Evil Eye cursed along.
Although the Evil Eye spoke without emotion when it swore, it knew to go with the flow. Go against him and it would be scolded.
In fact, getting scolded was no big deal.
But to avoid his great mother being attacked, it was better to go along.
“Earthmind, based on past battle records, you must remember one thing when facing the player race in the future. Whatever makes them uncomfortable, we do it. Only that can wear down their fighting spirit and reduce the frequency of engagements.”
“I know.”
Having dealt with the player race for so long, the Earthmind Evil Spirit naturally knew their characteristics.
You had to disgust them.
Back then when he developed the natural-catastrophe reclamation tactic, a large number of familiar player faces withdrew from the Emperor’s Mound Mountain Range and never returned.
Later with the mental-insult tactic, another batch of players stopped participating in the confrontation.
It showed that the best way to oppose the player race could be summed up in two words: disgust them.