ca-book Chapter 96 The Warmth Party Appears
Chapter 96 The Warmth Party Appears
The basement outside the abandoned city's sewers is the new respawn point and spawn point.
It is cold and damp.
The air was filled with the smell of aged moss.
One hundred new players gradually climbed up from around the stone slab, all wearing the same initial white T-shirts and blue shorts.
The newly implemented 3C certification has almost become the standard procedure for new players logging into the game for the first time.
Some people squatted on the ground, digging hard at the dark green mud in the cracks of the stones. Others simply swung their fists and slammed them hard against the nearby support pillar, then rolled on the ground in pain, clutching the back of their hands.
"Holy crap, this pain feedback!"
"Where am I? Is this still Pearl Harbor?"
"Hey Pearl Harbor, didn't you check the official website? Your birthplace is in a ruined city now!"
"Could a carbon-based life form really create such a physics engine? Is the boss behind this company Hwang Eun-hoon?"
Amid the commotion, Lynn emerged from the darkness of the passageway, carrying a kerosene lamp.
The flickering, dim firelight illuminated half of his face, and paired with the GM hat he had specially dug out and put back on, he looked quite imposing. The shouting in the basement gradually subsided.
Lynn looked around at the group of plump, fresh laborers and immediately set the rules.
"Adventurers, welcome to Treasure Island."
He put his hands in his pockets and began to explain the beginner quests.
"The territory does not support idlers. For the next three days, your only task is to clear the collapsed ruins in the abandoned city and remove the useful iron slag and parts."
There was some commotion in the crowd, but no one dared to interrupt.
"As compensation for your first day on the job, the outpost will provide two simple meals and plenty of drinking water free of charge each day for the next three days. Those who perform well will be paid in credits or maple leaf coins each day."
As soon as Lynn finished speaking, a low cheer erupted from below.
But Lynn immediately added insult to injury.
"Three days later, the free rations will be completely cancelled. If you want food, water, or a place to sleep on the floor, you'll have to pay for it all with your own wages."
This explanation is simple and blunt, but in the players' ears, it is automatically translated into another meaning.
"Wow, this game actually provides food and lodging in the early stages?"
"They're even paying out wages! Three-day newbie protection period, it's free, guys!"
"What a great plan! You have to take full advantage of these benefits!"
Looking at the energetic and eager newcomers below, Lynn wanted to laugh to himself.
Freebie?
These naive working people have no idea how outrageous the prices are here.
Three days later, after they had gotten used to eating roasted meat and drinking plain water every day, they looked at their broken iron pickaxes, worn down from carrying bricks. The meager wages they had saved weren't even enough to cover the repair costs.
In that time, these people will be even more desperate to take on high-risk missions in order to fill their stomachs.
Or maybe you should just quit playing the game altogether? No way, this game is absolutely addictive.
After the lecture, Lynn retreated into the shadows.
Just as the newlyweds were facing piles of heavy falling rocks and didn't know where to start, a noisy sound of wooden wheels rolling came from outside the passage.
Da Niu, Wang Liang, Xiao Woniu, and others returned pushing an empty wheelbarrow.
These veterans from the second closed beta test had just completed their class change at the Warrior's Tribe. The Wraith carried a two-handed sword on his back, while the Bull carried a wooden shield and had a one-handed sword hanging at his waist.
Seeing these hundred bewildered newcomers, the veteran players immediately sensed a business opportunity.
Da Niu shoved his steel greatsword into the ground, cleared his throat, and struck a pose befitting a seasoned contractor.
"Second closed beta test expert leading a team! Taking on sewer cleaning outsourcing work!"
He shouted, "I'll teach you exclusive power-generating techniques, guaranteed to reduce fatigue points even after a day's work! I'll personally buy all the iron slag and debris you dig up, two maple leaf coins a piece! Only five hardworking people needed, limited spots available!"
The newlyweds' eyes lit up when they saw the visually striking steel sword.
Without a systematic beginner's guide, following a veteran like this is definitely the best way to start.
A dozen or so newbies immediately crowded around, and a vivid labor dispatch market was set up in the basement.
Just as Wangliang was about to recruit a few laborers like Da Niu, his gaze swept over the corner, but his movements suddenly froze.
He nudged the big cow next to him with his elbow.
Following the gaze of the demon, Da Niu saw a figure squatting next to a broken wooden box.
She was a female player with long, waist-length hair, delicate and aloof features, and a petite figure among a group of rough men.
Since this crappy game launched, it's been nothing but a bunch of shirtless, hack-and-slash men fighting each other.
This is the first female player.
Da Niu immediately dropped his shady agent persona, coughed twice, and straightened his sweat-smelling leather armor, trying to make himself look like a seasoned and respectable warrior.
Wangliang quickly showed off his two-handed sword as well.
The two walked toward the corner with serious expressions.
At this moment, the female player with the ID "Aiyingyingstein" was staring blankly at a piece of rotten wood in her hand.
In real life, she suffers from severe social anxiety. Although she really wants to experience this highly praised, 100% realistic holographic masterpiece and desperately wants to make friends in the game, her brain just shuts down as soon as she gets into a crowd.
Hearing heavy footsteps approaching, Einstein looked up.
Two tall male players, armed and exuding a dangerous aura, were looking down at her.
Social anxiety has fully erupted.
Eyingstein had no idea whether to greet him or run away. In her nervousness, her facial muscles stiffened completely, her beautiful face lifeless as she stared silently at Da Niu.
His gaze was as cold as ice, even carrying a hint of scrutiny.
Da Niu felt uneasy under the gaze of those emotionless eyes, and all the lines he had prepared to strike up a conversation got stuck in his throat.
"Holy crap..."
Da Niu frantically messaged Wang Liang in the team chat, "This girl's eyes are terrifying. She's definitely a killer who doesn't care about her life. Maybe she's an assassin in Sicily in real life."
The demon swallowed hard, deeply agreeing. This aura that kept strangers at bay was terrifying.
Meanwhile, Eyingstein was so embarrassed that he could practically dig a three-bedroom apartment out of his toes.
To escape the suffocating eye contact, she quickly turned around and grabbed the scissors and needle and thread left on the worktable next to her.
Da Niu and Wang Liang were startled, thinking that this aloof big shot was about to make a move.
As a result, Eyingstein's next move completely stunned the two first-tier warriors.
She simply couldn't stand the aesthetically pleasing initial white T-shirt the system had given her. It was so ugly; it was practically an insult to a seasoned Nikki enthusiast like herself.
She pulled out several pieces of dusty, old linen cloth and a few rough plant fibers from under the worktable.
Then, she quickly took off the oversized white T-shirt. Fortunately, the system's built-in anti-exposure mechanism allowed her to wear a tight-fitting sports vest underneath.
The skill required for each stroke of the knife relies entirely on solid practical experience in hand sewing.
She used scissors to cut open the hem of the T-shirt, tearing out wild-style tassels. Then, she threaded a needle and sewed several pleats at the waist, transforming the originally sack-like straight-cut garment into a fitted, waist-cinching style.
Finally, she pieced together the scraps of linen and added a small, tactical wasteland-style shawl.
It took less than ten minutes in total.
When E.Y.S.S. put the revamped outfit back on, she managed to make it look like a wilderness ranger.
Da Niu and Wang Liang were dumbfounded.
Several newlyweds who were secretly watching nearby also gaped in astonishment.
In this hardcore world where everyone's mind is filled with how to chop down wood spirits and how to purify acid, people usually run around wrapped in blood-stained rags, and nobody cares about their appearance.
This is the first time since the server opened that someone has used their intelligence to make something look good.
Lynn, standing in the shadows at a distance, witnessed the entire incredible craft show.
He clearly saw the fleeting look of amazement in the eyes of Da Niu and the others, as well as the eager gazes of several new players.
Lynn stroked his chin as a brand-new business blueprint rapidly took shape in his mind—a blueprint that required no steel or ore but could ruthlessly extract assets from players.
Strength is temporary.
But being handsome is a lifelong thing.