Chapter 223: Lucky Draw Service Area
Under the East Hedge: [Seeking Healing Potion! Reminding everyone to be careful of people from other game areas, especially 005. We just encountered a robbery team. Their leader is called Black Wind Stronghold Ghost Worrier. I barely escaped with my life. Once I receive the Healing Potion, I’ll share more intelligence.]
Little Orange Cat: [You’re telling us to be careful, but reminding us with conditions?]
Under the East Hedge: [What else? I can barely protect my own life, so why should I give you intelligence for free?]
Yu Jiang private chatted this person: “I’ll give you Healing Potion. First, sending a Primary Healing Potion. You share the intelligence, then I’ll give you an Intermediate one. No Crystal Coins needed.”
After saying that, she first sent it to the other party. Primary Healing Potions in game area 002 aren’t expensive on the market, and Yu Jiang’s cost is even lower.
Under the East Hedge: “Thanks, thanks Big Shot!”
Two minutes later, Under the East Hedge organized his words and sent several messages.
[The other side has over a dozen people. There’s a strange launch device on the Dump Truck. Lethality unknown; they didn’t use it during the robbery.]
[Their cars are all modified with great performance but crude style. We were driving fine on the road when they suddenly rammed us and went straight for the kill. I heard someone in their team can dismantle parts from Abandoned Vehicles for recycling and use.]
[There are also two others: one called Iron Masked Gentleman, one called Life Reaper. They said everyone in our 002 area is fat sheep! They’re targeting us! Thanks for the potion, Big Shot, but I won’t say which one.]
Under the East Hedge knew that posting on the public screen would make that group remember him as the one who slipped through the net.
But his teammates were gone just like that, and his life-saving Prop Card was gone too.
Images of his teammates’ deaths kept flashing in his mind. That group called them noobs, said wastes shouldn’t squander resources on the road.
But the dead were teammates who had supported him all the way, his mental pillars here.
He sent the messages out hoping players in game area 002 could band together against that group.
After Under the East Hedge’s messages, many didn’t dare speak or join the discussion on the public screen, afraid of being targeted. Those who dared speak up against the 005 area robbers were Combat Power players with teams.
As for action, truly acting ones were few and far between. It hadn’t hit them personally, right?
Yu Jiang’s Team at 4:45 PM saw the road sign for the Right Side Road leading to Personal Road. They were originally heading back, but Wholesale King Wang Defa received the news and her face turned very ugly.
“The merchant caravan still has some Regular Players surviving on Manufacturing and Gathering. They can’t afford to pay Combat Power teams’ rewards. They’re traveling with the Second Echelon, and a few mixed in Heartless Water’s free caravan. Two teams are gone.”
“Heartless Water didn’t plan to protect those following behind, or with their strength, the team wouldn’t have lost so many. People from other areas are targeting the Wealth Ranking and merchant caravans.”
Wholesale King Wang Defa looked at Yu Jiang. “Your teammates upgrading to level 6 vehicle? Materials or internal basic Decoration, pick one, plus a Level 5 Component Card. I need that group to know my merchant caravan isn’t to be trifled with.”
Successful merchants naturally have connections, supplies, and strong teams for protection, but the merchant caravan has a large portion of Regular Players.
The merchant caravan needs those Regular Players. Wood needs people to chop, Blacksmiths need Ore gathered, plus Cooks and old item refurbishing.
So what if she’s just a combat-less Doomsday Broker? She can still defend the merchant caravan.
Besides, Doomsday Brokers are only weak early on; not bad once leveled up.
When Skill ‘Make a Trade’ reaches level 6, she can use the trading party’s Skill and disable the opponent’s Skill.
Skill ‘Hire’: Hired players can’t violate the trade contract, or they’ll permanently lose 20% of their highest stat, while she gains 10%. This Skill has harsh conditions, and each stat can only be acquired once.
Yu Jiang exchanged a glance with her teammates, then smiled at Wholesale King Wang Defa.
“Deal. Our team won’t leave Parallel Road today, but whether we encounter them these few days isn’t up to us.”
“I know.” Wholesale King Wang Defa nodded.
Yu Jiang and her teammates’ faces were full of eagerness to make money. Level 6 materials plus Level 5 Component Card would take them a long time to save.
They drove past the road sign and continued on Parallel Road, today’s mileage 150 kilometers.
The whole journey was calm. At night, merchant caravan people and Pure Love Cockroach Spicy Spicy kept night watch.
Traveling Parallel Road is very draining on Spirit. After a simple meal, everyone rested early.
Wholesale King Wang Defa would gather intelligence on the players who robbed and killed the merchant caravan.
The next day, Yu Jiang received several nicknames: “Iron Abacus,” “Yanwang Back Tattoo,” and that “Black Wind Stronghold Ghost Worrier.” They’re all together.
Pure Love Cockroach Spicy Spicy was polishing her Suona first thing in the morning, with an expression like her Suona was already thirsting unbearably.
Yu Jiang also sent these robbers’ nicknames in the team chat. The other two teams would provide location if spotted on the road.
The team set out today, didn’t see people first, but saw crude thatched huts: a Service Area.
Boss is a Monkey Doll Monster.
Ahead in the Rainforest there’s only professional Service Areas, but now the Map has reached Swamp Area with decreasing vegetation. Further ahead should exit the Rainforest, so there are general Service Areas too.
A cute Monkey Statue at the Service Area entrance, Light Screen showing Crystal Coins below 1000 can’t enter.
“I” Pure Love Cockroach Spicy Spicy took a deep breath. “Incredible.”
“No worries, Sister Lang, I’ll top you up first.” Purple Butt Can Do It said calmly.
Everyone smoothly entered the Service Area. It’s a Gashapon shop: 50 Crystal Coins per draw, start at 500. Claims to draw various powerful limited-time BUFFs, Permanent Items, and Crystal Coins double jackpot.
“Guests, care for a go?” Monkey Boss grinned.
Yu Jiang rolled up her sleeves, then lost 500 Crystal Coins for two bottles of water.
“Does this water of yours have special effects?” she asked through gritted teeth.
Monkey Boss: “Nope, just regular Mineral Water.”
Yu Jiang: .
“Damaging the Gashapon results in Punishment ‘Nothing Gained’ BUFF for 48 hours, plus random loss of two things in vehicle Storage Space.
Those few ahead had tempers too hot, kicked the Gashapon machine twice. Not only punished, but blacklisted by our Service Area—all Lucky Draw Service Areas.”
Monkey Boss gestured to the Light Screen. To warn later Survivors, he posted that player’s nickname and photograph: baring teeth, features twisted in rage.
‘Life Reaper’—isn’t this the 005 area robber Under the East Hedge mentioned yesterday?
Yu Jiang smiled. What a coincidence.
“Another 500 Crystal Coins!” After the draw, she’ll go find people.
If 1000 Crystal Coins yields nothing, so be it. She’s not one addicted to Gashapon draws.
The next few days, 002 area’s tough characters: Hunting Hour
Yu Jiang: Black Eat Black, and earn some supplies from the merchant caravan
Life is Like a Play: Interesting, they’ve come for me
Man and Woman Killer: Hitting my Cook, as if I’m dead
