Chapter 8: System Update
“Great, after digging all day and opening up so many tunnels, we finally found this unpolluted area. As long as we can develop the area ahead, we will definitely make a fortune!”
In a tunnel that could barely fit one person, Twilight of the Gods excitedly stroked this completely unpolluted land as if caressing gold, wishing he could rub his whole body against it.
“According to the previous scans, this unpolluted area is very large. We can at least develop five hundred square meters of energy land. One point per square meter, five hundred points can be redeemed for one hundred blood essence rice seeds.”
“These blood essence rice seeds mature in ten days and can yield two jin of blood essence rice, which can earn 2,000 points. After deducting the ten-day rental fee for four hundred square meters of land, and providing our own water source, we can make 1,600 points.”
“With these 1,600 points, we can redeem 320 seeds. As long as we can develop enough energy land within the ten days of the first batch of blood essence rice, next time we can earn 5,120 points. This way, in just one month, we can redeem the middle volume of the Startling Spirit Breathing Technique.”
“One month, huh?” Wu Shang looked at Twilight of the Gods lying in the tunnel analyzing, and could not help frowning slightly. “Isn’t that too slow?”
After experiencing one day of High Martial Arts Descend, she personally was extremely optimistic about it.
It could be said that the virtual degree of High Martial Arts Descend completely crushed Pilgrimage, and Pilgrimage had already been running for seven years. Because its virtual degree was only at the 70 percent level, no matter how popular it was, it would still face being replaced by other new games.
As one of the five giant guilds in Pilgrimage, Heavenly Might would go down with Pilgrimage if it collapsed, so Heavenly Might had always been searching for the next substitute for Pilgrimage.
High Martial Arts Descend could be said to be the most suitable one at present. Although it had a technology style, just like Pilgrimage it was centered on martial arts, making it a very fitting substitute.
For any large-scale virtual game at server launch, if you are one step ahead, you stay ahead step by step. Trying to catch up later often requires several times or even dozens of times the effort.
As one of Heavenly Might’s first wave of pioneers, she naturally had to find ways to lay the groundwork for Heavenly Might’s future, because Heavenly Might was far from the only giant guild in Pilgrimage. The other giants, and even guilds from other fighting games, discovering High Martial Arts Descend was only a matter of time, so she had to gain as much advantage in High Martial Arts Descend as possible.
“Sister Wu, this is not slow already.” Twilight of the Gods pushed up his nonexistent glasses and said, “By my estimate, High Martial Arts Descend is still in the very early testing stage. The next increase in game slots should be at least a month away. By then, if we have the middle volume of the Startling Spirit Breathing Technique, we will be one big step ahead of the latecomers.”
“Alright, later call Fang Zhen and develop this area together. I will go look for new unpolluted areas.” Wu Shang nodded, understanding that this kind of thing was indeed hard to speed up.
Blood essence rice had a ten-day maturation period, and developing land also required a large amount of manpower to dig. It was not something that could be settled in one or two weeks. If they wanted to speed up, they could only search underground for more unpolluted land.
After speaking, Wu Shang directly closed her eyes, calming her mind and using her body to sense the radiation of pollution, searching for places where the pollution radiation weakened.
“Hmm?”
Wu Shang had only taken a few steps when she was interrupted by the system prompt in her mind.
System: High Martial Arts Descend system update. Players can open their personal interface to view their own data.
System: Because there are too many reserved players and limited test experience slots, and to also take into account professional testing of the game, any pre-order player may participate in the High Martial Arts Descend assessment test. Players who pass the assessment test will have a greater probability of entering High Martial Arts Descend to play.
“Damn! How did this game update so fast!” Twilight of the Gods looked at the system prompt and could not help cursing.
He had just said that the next increase in game slots would be in a month, yet now the system updated at this moment. It could be foreseen that the next increase of slots in High Martial Arts Descend would probably not need a month at all.
“Players who pass the assessment test will have a greater probability of entering the game?” Wu Shang’s tightly furrowed brows relaxed a little as a plan formed in her heart. “Professional testing, this is actually a good opportunity. When I go back today, I will have those idle guys in the guild all come and try it. If they can enter the game through the assessment, that is a big win.”
For a game centered on martial arts, since it wanted to include professional testing, it went without saying that it needed combat experts. For Heavenly Might, which revered martial arts, this was a great opportunity for a large number of members to enter High Martial Arts Descend.
“So it turns out you can improve attributes just by digging holes in this game?”
Having just entered the cave, Fang Zhen was now staring at his attribute panel in complete surprise, and suddenly felt far more enthusiasm and motivation for the daily tasks.
Player: Fang Zhen.
Martial arts level: reserve apprentice
Strength: 4 kilograms （+4）
Speed: 4 meters per second （+1）
Cultivation method: Startling Spirit Breathing Technique （not learned）
Previously, Fang Zhen had some complaints about the way High Martial Arts Descend handled improvement, feeling it was extremely unsuitable for a professional competitor like him. After all, just logging on to earn points already took a lot of time, and learning a cultivation method also required a huge amount of time to study. It had to be said that this game was too real.
With his very limited daily log on time, he would inevitably fall behind those players who were online all day, and that gap would only keep growing.
However, now he was no longer anxious. Even without learning a cultivation method, he could still improve his attributes. For someone like him who had little time to study a cultivation method, this was an enormous boon.
As for long-term underground development leading to poisoning and death, that was just about spending more money. Considering his future goal of becoming a top tier professional competitor, this was not a big problem.
These resurrection fees could completely be considered early-stage business investment. Moreover, by continuously developing land, he could also earn a lot of martial arts hall points.
It was simply a wonderful case of killing two birds with one stone.
In Fang Zhen’s live stream room, the chat was exploding.
“What is going on? I just took a nap and the game already had a version update? How much did I miss?”
“Looks like this game is really going to blow up, there are actually so many reservations.”
“Damn! What kind of nesting doll game is this? I paid money and still have to take an assessment test. Then what is the point of my payment? Paid qualification assessment?”
“This game really is still that arrogant. Before, 4,999 meant you could play the game. Now 4,999 means you can participate in an assessment to play the game. Brothers, listen to me, refund quickly while you still can.”
“Get lost! Don’t try to trick me into quitting the queue. Devs, I will pay more, just let me in. I am a professional at digging holes. As long as you dare let me in, I dare dig you an ancient Babylon.”
Everyone looked at the announcement released by High Martial Arts Descend, all talking at once, saying all kinds of things, but not a single person chose to quit. Even the number of paid reservations kept rising, because everyone watching Fang Zhen dig could see very clearly just how terrifyingly high the realism was. With every shovel, they could not only see the sweat dripping from his body, but also hear the crisp sound of the shovel striking the rocks. Just from watching the screen, the realism was obvious. This was a god-tier game, the new future of the gaming world.
Boom!
Boom!
Boom!
Just as Fang Zhen was digging like crazy in the cave, a drumming roar came from outside the cavern, even startling Lin Qi in the training hall.
“What is going on?”
This sudden roar was the first time Lin Qi had encountered something like this.
Outside the dilapidated street in front of Obsidian Martial Arts Hall, more and more people had unknowingly gathered. From their clothes and appearance, they were clearly standard unregistered nomads. One after another, they looked tense, weapons in hand, hurrying toward one place with an indescribably heavy atmosphere.
“Little brother from the martial arts hall, why are you not heading over yet?” A one-eyed middle-aged man passing by Obsidian Martial Arts Hall saw Lin Qi still standing inside and asked in surprise, “If you do not go now, it will be too late!”
“Too late? Big brother, what is happening over there?” Lin Qi asked curiously.
“Little brother, you are new to this area?” The one-eyed middle-aged man sized Lin Qi up.
“Yeah, I only moved here a little over ten days ago.” Lin Qi nodded, not hiding it, or rather unable to hide it, since he had no idea what that roaring sound meant.
“I see.” The one-eyed middle-aged man was not surprised, and explained, “Then grab whatever weapons you can and come with me. If we are any later, we will not make it. Nomads from other races have come to our place and want to seize our area. If we cannot stop them, we will all have to move out of here.”
