Chapter 42.1: Combat Might of Players
More than a thousand years ago, Taranthan was a renowned battleground in the continent of Navalon where the armies of the eastern and western nations clashed. Lots of blood was shed, and many lives were sacrificed in the dense force and marshes, leaving behind countless remains.
After many years, the wars had long passed, and Taranthan transformed from a fiercely contested territory into a lawless wasteland. However, the old transportation routes that were once established by the nations for deploying troops and transporting supplies still bore faint traces.
The dirt roads that once witnessed the passage of great armies were now completely covered by overgrown grass and, in some places, had become part of the surrounding jungle. Nevertheless, they were still passable, at least for the cargo tricycles.
On this windless night, the land beneath the dark sky was shrouded in a thin veil of mist. The air was filled with the delicate chirping of insects and the distant roar of beasts. Predatory birds lurked in the shadows of hazy trees, while snakes and bugs rustled through the dense vegetation.
Accompanied by a pleasant jingling, the sight of a zombie clad in tattered armor, with a sword at its waist, pedaling a cargo tricycle laden with supplies, emerged amid the tall grass of the wilderness.
Not far behind the zombie, hundreds of skeletons either jogged alongside or rode on similar tricycles, also loaded with cargo, forming a long procession.
At the beginning of their journey, the players, who were amazed by the exquisitely crafted world outside the town, reminiscent of a romantic adventure in a wild landscape, fell into a profound silence.
"I have a… ominous feeling," murmured Tang Jia, mechanically pedaling at the front of the procession along with the rest of Unceasing Entropy's small team. "With the sh*tty nature of this game, I suspect that this 'expedition team' might truly be embarking on a real expedition."
"You don't say," said Jia Luo in frustration as she jogged alongside Tang Jia. "We've been out for almost an hour, and the scenery hasn't changed much. I can't believe they would design a dynamic plotline quest that feels like endless traveling. What the hell goes through the mind of these damned game developers?!"
In front of Tang Jia, Ji Tang silently pedaled his tricycle without uttering a single word.
He reckoned that this "quest" of continuous traveling might not just take half a day but potentially several… well, several in-game days.
Ultimately, Ji Tang was also a youngster and could understand the mentality of his fellows. At this moment, he understood why players always cursed the design and development team. Had he been in their shoes, he would want to curse too.
If it were a disaster relief and emergency operation, young volunteers would willingly endure hardships and rough it out for ten days or longer because they knew they were saving lives. However, in the game, players were lured under the pretext of quests to rescue people. It would be truly bizarre that players would willingly suffer this ordeal when it was all just mere data in their opinion.
When they set off, there had been 18 teams with over 150 players online (not counting the remains of offline companions). But within an hour of travel, between 20 to 30 players used various excuses to log off and left their "remains" in the cart of their own team's tricycles.
Ji Tang was worried that these players, upon seeing that the journey was still ongoing when the day broke, would simply choose to abandon the expedition and return to the city… Players were certainly capable of such behavior.
Each team was responsible for two cargo tricycles, in addition to the one ridden by the zombie general, making a total of 37. If half the players ran away, safely escorting the 37 cargo tricycles to the location to "set up the base" would become a serious problem…
Ji Tang was already troubled by the "people of Camore" awaiting rescue. As he pedaled a tricycle, a pile of bones wrapped in clothes on his carts suddenly moved on its own and rearranged to form a human skeleton.
Behind him, Tang Jia and Jia Luo, who was jogging by the side, weren't the least bit scared at witnessing such a horrifying sight. On the contrary, they exclaimed in unison, "You're on already, Sis Ying?"
"Yes, I'm here." The skeleton, now fully formed, supported itself with one hand and jumped off the cart. While putting on clothes, Yang Ying said, "I ran out of food at home, so I went downstairs for a midnight snack. Luckily the soup dumpling shop at the entrance of the estate opened 24 hours, or I would have gone hungry."
"Keep some individually packaged cakes at home. They are filling enough and have sufficient calorie content," said Jia Luo. "I relied on those and cola when I was grinding Ranger reputation."
"I don't really like sweet stuff," said Yang Ying, putting on leather armor over her beginner clothes and fastening the straps. "Ji Tang, Tang Jia, are you guys tired of pedaling? Wanna switch?"
"No need. We won't get tired anyway, and riding a bike isn't too boring," was Tang Jia's response.
Ji Tang also said there was no need.
Now fully geared up with a steel blade by her waist, Yang Ying jogged alongside Jia Luo and engaged in soft, idle chatter.
Their small team only consisted of five people, including their leader. When organizing as a group for the quest, they had added four random players. As these players weren't familiar with them and felt awkward getting close to the girls, they hung behind Tang Jia's tricycle.
Such a monotonous journey offered no opportunity to check their phones or do anything interesting. The four random players found it unbearable and were about to suggest giving an excuse to store their "remains" and log off.
But before they could say anything, the zombie general leading the way suddenly halted. Not only did General Edgar stop his tricycle, he even leaped off it and shouted with vigor at the large formation of players while raising his zombie fist. "Prepare to fight the enemy!"
The bored players immediately perked up, and cries of "monsters?" and "time to farm monsters?" rang out as they stopped their carts and drew their steel blades.
Not long after, the forested area nearby rustled and crackled with a cacophony of sound. A grotesque giant toad, the size of a small truck, covered in bumps and oozing strange liquids, emerged, breaking countless branches as it surfaced.
"The f*ck?!"
"Holy!!"
"What is that thing?!"
Players were shocked and horrified by the creature's appearance, some covering their eyes in disgust.
Of course, there were also players who weren't shaken by the ugliness and, in a display of their quick-thinking gaming skill, cast "Identify" on the gigantic toad:
———
[Demonized Toad]
[Lv3]
[A low-level monster that roams through dense forests and swamps. Adept at sonic attacks and secretes highly toxic bodily fluids.]
[Possible drops: Toxic Crystal (Rare), Magic Essence Residue (Rare), Pure Magic Crystal (Rare).]
———
As soon as the players saw three items on the drop list in purple font, their initial shock turned into excitement. "Whoa! Three rare materials! It's an elite monster!"
At present, players could barely survive encounters with the spider monsters, and collecting ten common Spider Venom Sacs could be exchanged with Lord Yang for 200 points of reputation or sold for at a market rate of about one to two copper coins.
Uncommon-grade materials like Spider Venom Globules and Magic Residue could be exchanged for 20 points of territory prestige, and their market price was ten times as much. These were even considered priceless commodities since territory prestige was closely tied to the opportunity of becoming town mayor, and there were always people waiting near the entrance of the Spider Cave to purchase these drops.
Rare-grade materials, on the other hand, had never been seen before by players.
But regardless of if they were never before seen, players were certainly interested to grab good drops. Without any need for the zombie general's mobilization, the players charged forward like rabid dogs.
CROAK!
The giant toad lurking in the dense forest probably hadn't expected these tiny creatures to voluntarily rush toward their own demise. It opened its mouth and let out a croak.
Sonic attacks couldn't be considered mental attacks; they leaned more toward physical attacks since they targeted the eardrums and disrupted the sensory balance of living beings.
However, the skeleton frames, which were controlled by the players' souls projected on them, couldn't be considered living beings…
Therefore, the toad didn't accomplish anything when it let out the croak. Instead, as it finished, the players at the forefront stabbed at it with their steel blades.
"F*ck! It won't cut through!"
"We can't break its defense!"
"Use your skills, idiots!"
"Those who haven't advanced jobs yet, step aside!"
Brother Lahong and Qin Guan, the two big shots with experienced leading teams to fight monsters, stepped forward to halt the chaotic crowd of players and directed their elite forces to take the frontline.
Several players who had become knights were enveloped in a red aura (the visual effect of the Basic Battle Roar). They took the lead, followed closely by those who had become walkers. Armed with the small daggers given by their job instructor upon successfully advancing jobs, or their familiar steel blades, they relentlessly slashed at the mutated toad's bulky and massive body.
Despite also being a level-3 monster, the mutated toad, due to its different "enhancement" path, didn't have the same tough hide and thick flesh as the giant rat in the town. Its ugly skin was quickly pierced, and its toxic fluids splattered everywhere.
Upon contact, this toxin, which was deadly to any ordinary creature, didn't scare the players who weren't considered biological beings. However, they disliked being covered in this sticky substance and quickly backed away.
"Don't back down! It's trying to escape!" Brother Lahong, seeing the mutated toad attempting to retreat into the forest, grew anxious and swiftly brandished his steel knife, leading the charge.
The demonized toad became enraged and charged at the players with its bulky and massive body.
This rather slow charge… couldn't compare to the giant rat in town that was like a speeding bullet. However, due to the dense host of players and the undead's vulnerability to collisions, bone arms and legs were scattered all over the ground.
Ji Tang picked up a player whose legs had been knocked off, helping the latter fasten the straps of his armor, and tossed him aside before bellowing in a deep voice, "Spread out and maintain a distance!
"Pay attention to rescuing teammates, don't let anyone die!
"This monster can only charge forward and sideways! Keep moving and attack from behind! Don't be greedy for high damage output! Retreat when it turns to face you!
"Knights, block the direction toward the forest!"
In the midst of chaos, players instinctively followed the voice that provided clear guidance. The once tightly packed and cumbersome group scattered. The undead, who already possessed agility as an advantage, turned into a swarm of piranhas, relentlessly chipping away at the elite monster's health.
Brother Lahong, who had lost command in the blink of an eye, and Qin Guan, who had yet to make a significant contribution, stared with mixed feelings at the composed Ji Tang, who seamlessly coordinated the players' attacks and personally confronted the mutated toad head-on, effectively drawing its attention.
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