Chapter 44: Third Batch Of Newbies
“Is the cost of robbery in this world really that high?”
Lin Qi could not help but click his tongue inwardly when he heard Xia Ling’s quoted price.
He had long known that shielding devices were expensive, but he had not expected them to be this expensive.
Even the most beginner shielding device cost two hundred thousand bits. If he planted blood essence rice, he might not be able to afford it even in half a year, and a one-kilometer shielding device was basically useless. Ordinary people could run out of its range in minutes; it had to cover at least three kilometers.
Five hundred thousand bits!
At this price, ordinary people could forget about it for their entire lives.
That was right, an ordinary person could work hard for a lifetime and still not even have the qualifications to be a bandit.
“A three-kilometer shielding device. Also, I want a second-hand simple copier.”
“Copier? All right, I will have someone prepare it right away. The simple copier is free. Do you need anything else? At Phosphor Fire Trading Market, if nothing else, at least in the suburbs, there are few markets whose goods are more complete than ours.”
“There is nothing I need for now. If I need something next time, I will come again.”
“In that case, will the three hundred sixty thousand bits still be settled in cash?”
“Yes, all in cash. That makes people feel more at ease.”
Seeing that Lin Qi really had nothing else to buy, Xia Ling could only helplessly clap her hands and have the half-scale race guard at the door go prepare the shielding device and the cash.
In just a short while, the half-scale race guard in A6-level battle armor came over carrying one large and one small metal box. Lin Qi had Fang Zhen and the others move the two metal boxes onto the tricycle, with no intention of lingering in the trading market.
As Lin Qi drove the tricycle away from Phosphor Fire Trading Market, Xia Ling, standing at the entrance of the market, gave Lin Qi and the others one more look as they left, her pitch-black tail unconsciously tapping the ground.
“Miss, these people are all very weak. The one with the strongest physical fitness is still a few years of work away from apprentice level.” The older half-scale race guard beside her held a testing device and reported in a low voice, “I have never seen their clothing style before. They are most likely a gang that has only recently formed in the wilderness.”
“Interesting. A small gang from the wilderness?” Xia Ling glanced at the large metal box behind her and could not help sighing. “What a pity. It seems this is all of their crocodile fang rhinoceros beef.”
“Miss, do you need me to keep an eye on them? Since they are a small gang, they probably picked up that crocodile fang rhinoceros corpse. I suppose they kept some crocodile fang rhinoceros beef to cultivate their subordinates.” The half-scale race guard said respectfully.
“No need. It is not worth offending a group of lunatics who roam the wilderness all year round for a bit of crocodile fang rhinoceros beef.” Xia Ling shook her head. “Besides, with this much crocodile fang rhinoceros beef, I should be able to break through to become a quasi-martial artist.”
“Congratulations, Miss. Then next semester you will be able to dominate the entire third year of City of Light Chasing!” After hearing this, the half-scale race guard became even more respectful.
Xia Ling nodded, happily walking toward the large metal box.
“What flavor should I eat today?”
…
Obsidian Martial Arts Hall, it was fully night.
But in the hall’s basement, things were heated.
“Before, at Saiwai, when you said the suburbs were like a futuristic city, I did not really believe you. Now I definitely believe.” Fang Zhen recalled the scenes in Phosphor Fire Market with excitement. “Those weapons! That equipment! It was insanely cool! But when will we be able to make a purchase?”
“Brother Zhen, that is not the point.” Saiwai Qiangke said speechlessly. “I said it before, we triggered a battle dungeon plot in the suburbs. That is a battle dungeon plot. Today, when we went to that trading market, you saw it too. Master of the Pavilion clearly plans to make a move against the White Feather Gang.”
“I really did not expect the battle dungeon to come this fast. It seems the pace of the game’s development really depends on Master of the Pavilion.” Twilight of the Gods said with some regret. “I am not very prepared this time. I have been crazily digging holes recently and did not really improve my breathing technique. My physical fitness is only just at quasi-apprentice level. I do not know if I can receive the task.”
“It should be fine. Judging from this plot, the opponent’s numbers should be considerable. It is impossible they would send only a few people.” Fang Zhen analyzed. “And was it not for this task that the game specifically added twenty quotas? Those quotas are likely meant to test the upcoming team dungeon battles. Otherwise, there would be no need to suddenly add as many as twenty.”
“That is my guess too.” Yi Qiang Ba Jue nodded in agreement and said with a smile, “Finally, newcomers are coming in. I will no longer be in the weakest batch.”
Among the ten players now, the ones in the first tier were undoubtedly Luo Wu Shang, Zhang Qing Wei, and Yi Ye Fu Yun, who had all reached quasi-apprentice physical fitness and created martial skills above rank four.
As for the second tier, that was Fang Zhen who had entered the Stellar Explosion Meditation Technique. Combined with his quasi-apprentice physical fitness, he was simply incomparable to players who had not entered the Stellar Explosion Meditation Technique.
The third tier was those like them, who had quasi-apprentice physical fitness but had not created any powerful martial skills and had not entered any meditation technique.
Those three who followed Yi Ye Fu Yun were clearly casual players. Their strength could not be called weak, but compared with these professional-level players, their reactions and fighting ability were obviously inferior. In essence, however, they were the same: all in the third tier.
“I wonder if there are any good seedlings among this batch of newcomers.” Fang Zhen also looked expectantly toward the underground confinement room. “If our team can bring in a few good seedlings, we might be able to catch up to Wu Shang’s team.”
Of the three teams now, the strongest was Wu Shang’s team, with two first-tier experts. The other teams simply could not compete.
While Fang Zhen and the other veteran players were chatting, an official High Martial Arts Descend announcement was also released externally.
“The quotas for this round have all been distributed. The next quota distribution will be announced in the notice at the earliest time.”
“That is it? Where is my quota? Why can I not find it?”
“All distributed? What is going on? I just got off work, what exactly did I miss?”
“Is anyone willing to share their quota? I am willing to pay one hundred thousand. I will grind levels for 24 hours straight and will definitely pull ahead of the others!”
“This brother is fierce, grinding 24 hours straight on one account. Unfortunately, the game developer thought of that long ago. The account is bound by brainwaves. If you switch to someone else, they cannot enter at all.”
“Hahaha, I got in! I got in! Just be jealous!”
“Damn, there goes another lunatic.”
Because of the system announcement, the official review section was blown up once again. The players who did not get a quota were all filled with resentment.
Obsidian Martial Arts Hall, underground confinement room.
“Whoa, whoa, whoa! This tech! How did this virtual engine pull this off!”
“Damn! The game is actually real! I am not dreaming, right?”
“These walls are really solid. They can withstand my punch with twenty years of strength!”
“This metal texture feels exactly like what I touch in reality. And this dust on the ground, every grain is so clear. How many K of resolution is this?”
…
One by one, the newly awakened newbies were filled with curiosity about everything in the confined room. Some players did foolish things, making the veteran players standing outside the confined room watch in embarrassment.
“This batch of newcomers does not seem very promising.” Twilight of the Gods looked at the newbies, none of whom seemed normal, and could not help but worry whether they could recruit enough people.
“Fang Zhen!”
As a shout sounded from inside the confined room, Fang Zhen immediately turned toward the man who had called out.
“Captain Li? How did you get here?” Seeing that familiar figure, Fang Zhen could not help showing surprise.
He remembered that the number of purchases for High Martial Arts Descend was already close to one hundred thousand, and so far no one had yet passed the test assessment. That meant everyone who could enter had been selected purely by luck.
A two-in-ten-thousand chance!
What kind of luck was that!
Just as Fang Zhen was marveling at Li Ranxing’s luck, a figure walked out from the stairway. Dressed in a pitch-black martial robe, with resolute eyes, he strolled in casually, yet all the veteran players present instinctively made way for him.
Seeing this, the other newbies also stopped their strange behavior and looked together at the approaching man.
Although the newbies did not know much about High Martial Arts Descend, they had learned from Fang Zhen’s live stream that the man before them, Lin Qi, was the master of Obsidian Martial Arts Hall.
He was an NPC who could decide player permissions. If they angered this NPC, he could expel them from the hall at any moment. Then they would not even be able to play, and could only, as before, watch others happily dig holes. That would be pure torment.
“Finally, it is time for the trial. It was worth buying a shovel online and practicing at home every day.”
“You newcomers are doomed. The top newcomer this time will definitely be me. In order to better learn how to dig, I specially studied a bunch of materials online and even went to the park to practice.”
“That is nothing. When I saw that the first level of this game was digging, I dug a two-level underground garage at home.”
Many newbies looked at the approaching Lin Qi, full of confidence in the trial he was about to announce.
“Newcomers! Welcome to Obsidian Martial Arts Hall. I am your hall master, Lord Lin Qi. According to the rules, if you want to become honorable martial arts hall disciples, you must prove yourselves.”
Looking at these eager newbies, Lin Qi was quite satisfied. This batch of newcomers was young, and each had strong fighting spirit. They had clearly prepared themselves to be proper leeks.
“There is a registration book on the table. Write down your name and age, then go over there and choose a small shovel you love. Go out, turn right, and go upstairs. At the training ground, the hall’s treasured Startling Spirit Breathing Technique has already been prepared for you. You must enter it within twelve hours.”
“The one who achieves the highest proficiency in entering it within twelve hours will receive the hall’s other treasured Stellar Explosion Meditation Technique. I hope you will not disappoint me. You may begin now!”
Second update is here! Follow-up reading is very important during a new book’s launch period! Asking for monthly tickets! Asking for follow-up reading! Follow-up reading!
