Chapter 43
Two consecutive notifications of decreased favorability left the players confused.
Looting? Merchant Guild?
Although I haven't come into contact with the Merchant Guild yet, everyone knows how hard it is to gain reputation with a faction. Are they serious about deducting 50 reputation points from the Merlo City Merchant Guild?!
An ominous feeling suddenly enveloped everyone's heart, but things had come to this point, the action had been taken, and there was no point in saying anything at this time.
In fact, these players don’t know that looting is not entirely without benefits.
For solo adventurer players, the negative reputation of the Merchant Guild will have a certain overall impact, but if the looting is successful, the gains can make up for the losses, because since the Merchant Guild is a faction force, it has hostile factions.
The [Thieves Guild] or local forces with suffixes such as [Bandit Group] or [Brotherhood] are all hostile forces. If the player successfully participates in looting many times, he will be considered to have made a name for himself in the "Green Forest". After gaining reputation, he can join these factions and start another path of zero-dollar purchases.
For lord-type players, they can also take the initiative to plunder. When the territory declares war, the plundering of the enemy territory will be counted as part of the war and will not affect the reputation of the faction. Secondly, the merchant guild is not very moral, and plundering can reduce the reputation to negative, but as long as you have money, you can trade with special NPCs in the guild and spend some money to get the reputation back.
However, if you want to avoid losses on these two routes, the most basic prerequisite is to successfully rob.
"Wow!" The leading player rolled nimbly and dodged the axe of the mercenary in front of him. At this time, he could still smell the lingering smell of alcohol in the air.
This gave them hope again. It didn't matter. The other party had been drinking and had a debuff that seriously affected their combat effectiveness. The smell of alcohol on them could not be faked!
However, as ten mercenaries with rich combat experience rushed forward.
Swift stabs, sliding shots, shield-breaking slashes... one by one, the melee skills of the job transfers were used. These mercenaries were not the monsters outside the city with weaknesses. Or rather, even if they had weaknesses, they were well hidden and not as obvious as those of creatures with lower intelligence.
The battle started head-on. Even though these players had extraordinary physical skills and were agents of various interstellar civilizations, they had very little room to maneuver in the face of absolute strength.
This is different from the boss battle. You are facing equally well-trained mercenaries, and they have changed their jobs.
'-475', '-512', '-426'...
Wherever the mercenaries' skills go, there is red critical damage. Coupled with the attribute of [Physical Penetration] after the job transfer, the armor effect of the players is equivalent to being useless. The damage caused by a skill is almost the upper limit of the health bar of these level 13 to 15 players.
Before they vanished in streaks of white light, players were still puzzled as to why these mercenaries were dealing so much damage, where was the promised drunken debuff, and why their combat effectiveness wasn't affected at all.
Because the battle was so unexpected, it lasted less than 3 minutes. Even Ye Bai, who was watching from the side, didn't have time to take action before it was declared over.
"Hahaha, what a bunch of little rats who don't know their own limits. Just think of it as stretching your muscles after a meal."
"Employer, is there any wine left after we win?"
"Hey, I wanted to ask that too. I just wanted to satisfy my craving, but I haven't had enough yet..."
The mercenaries put away their weapons with laughter. In this battle, they didn't even use the standard crossbows that Ye Bai temporarily gave them.
"Yes, of course." Ye Bai generously took out 5 barrels of refined beer from his backpack.
【Crafted Ale】
Grade: Excellent
Effect - Blood Activation: Increases critical hit chance by 50%, increases critical hit damage by 70%, and lasts for 30 minutes.
Alcohol content: 20
Description: This is a beer exclusively crafted and refined by Tolliver's Tavern. We conscientiously guarantee that the water content in each barrel is less than 30%!
Why aren't these mercenaries drunk? Why are their damage so high in combat?
The reason is that players don't know enough about the NPCs in the universe. Even players have a hidden attribute called "alcohol resistance".
The drunken buff will only appear on characters who have never been exposed to alcohol, such as players who have just "descended" into this world. Their alcohol resistance is 0. As they drink more and more times, their resistance will gradually increase. As long as their alcohol resistance is higher than the alcohol content, they will not fall into a drunken state.
As for these mercenaries who drink alcohol like water all year round, their alcohol resistance is at least 50. Drinking a bowl of beer will not cause any problem. They need to drink more alcohol to get a negative buff, but the gain effect obtained from drinking is real.
Being expensive has its advantages. Refined beer is much more effective than the ordinary beer that players come into contact with in the outer city.
In fact, let alone these mercenaries, all the NPCs in the world love to drink.
Because during the next phase of Baiye Village's territory construction, the villagers' entertainment needs will gradually become more prominent. Compared to other buildings that require higher levels to appear, such as the [Theater Square], as a lord, the most cost-effective way to meet the villagers' entertainment needs is to build a tavern first...
The wine produced by the brewery can not only be provided to the tavern to ensure the entertainment value of the residents of the territory, but it is also a very practical intermediate product that can be made into [medicinal wine] and [medicinal alcohol], which will also improve the health value of the territory.
——However, it is difficult to say whether this improvement is a byproduct or because alcohol has begun to flow through the villagers' veins.
While the mercenaries were drinking, Ye Bai walked around and picked up a bunch of loot.
She had been observing intentionally before, and later discovered that perhaps due to some system limitation, the mercenaries ignored the players' drops. She didn't know whether they simply couldn't see them or it was a consciousness-blocking effect.
Although the items dropped by these players were nothing special in Ye Bai's eyes, a small amount of food was still meat, and it was better than nothing.
After a lively night, the team continued their journey the next day, still walking the straight distance to Baiye Village.
Because he had the ability to sense the direction of the territory, Ye Bai actually saved a lot of effort on this trip compared to opening up a trade route through the wilderness himself.
If you start from the territory, you can only find a direction and explore the location of other towns step by step. Not only is the whole process time-consuming, but you may also go in the wrong direction. Even if you succeed in the end, if the detour is too large, it will invisibly increase the transportation cost of the trade route.
They encountered some monster traces on the way, but because it was only two days' journey from Melo City, the creatures they encountered were wolves, brown bears and the like, which were not of high level and were easily solved by the guards.
As we entered the wilderness, the terrain gradually became rugged and rolling hills began to appear.
Until the third day, a high mountain appeared and blocked everyone's way.
"As expected, I've encountered this situation again..."
Ye Bai had a premonition when the gentle hilly terrain appeared before. Now, looking at the mountain that suddenly rose from the ground, he couldn't help but show a look of regret. At this altitude, it was not easy for a wildebeest transport team to pass, let alone ordinary horses and carriages. To open up trade routes, they must be as compatible as possible with the lower levels, so that more caravans can come to the territory.
It’s a pity that the technological level is not high enough. If the [Tunnel] technology is turned on in the later stage, we can continue to open up the mountain road in a straight line.
But given the current situation, it seems that we can only take a detour.
Ye Bai already felt that he was not far from Baiye Village. If he took a detour, it would undoubtedly extend the journey.
Not long after, an archer who was acting as a temporary 'sentinel' for the team came back on a wildebeest after exploring the road ahead. She reported to Ye Bai, "I found two roads ahead. One is a gentle slope that goes around the side of the mountain. The distance is uncertain, but it should be very long. The other is a canyon. Maybe we can go through this mountain, but..."
"What's wrong? Is there a powerful creature?" Ye Bai guessed based on the other person's expression.
The archer nodded seriously. "There's a wetland lake below the canyon. I saw traces of a group of striped crocodiles in it."
"Striped crocodile..."
The other mercenaries were also startled when they heard this.
The striped crocodile is a monster of level 20 to 22. An adult striped crocodile is basically more than 3 meters in size, covered with scales, with thick skin and flesh, and its fangs are very damaging. The only disadvantage is that it moves slowly, but if it is a group, the number is enough to make up for the disadvantage of slow movement.
To sum it up in one sentence, it is very difficult.
"Everyone equip themselves with standard crossbows, and the transport team will be the rear guard. Let's go and see the situation first." Ye Bai said after thinking for a moment.
Upon hearing this, the mercenaries responded in unison without any objection.
First of all, Ye Bai is the employer, and he gets paid to help others avoid disasters. The job of the escort team is to deal with dangers during the journey. If they ask to change the route when encountering risks, then they might as well not be mercenaries.
Secondly, Ye Bai generously took out good wine to share with everyone, which won the favor of the mercenaries. As the saying goes, one should not hit the person who gives a gift, so everyone still gave face to this generous employer.
Finally, in the past three days, whenever there was a battle, Ye Bai would take charge of the battle, which invisibly established her prestige, and everyone had become accustomed to listening to her.
Following the archer's guidance, everyone headed towards the canyon.
The important wildebeest transport team stayed far behind, leaving a sentry to prevent accidents. After all, if they got too close to the striped crocodiles, the wildebeest herd might be frightened and run away.
Originally, Ye Bai thought that Di Lina would stay in the rear, but unexpectedly, she offered to come along and take a look. Naturally, Ye Bai had no choice but to agree. She was reluctant to lose her favor. Moreover, even if she refused, she couldn't stop Di Lina if she wanted to come.
"Just ahead."
Not long after the archer leading the way finished speaking, a canyon appeared in front of everyone.
A ray of sunlight fell from above the canyon and into the wetlands at the bottom.
The pool in the center of the wetland is covered with algae and looks dark green. It is unknown how deep it is. On both sides are two shallow beaches where people can land. Judging from the width of the shallows on the left and right, they can form a passage for vehicles and horses.
The only difficulty is that in this pool of water, along with the subtle ripples, huge shadows appear from time to time.
"employer?"
The leader of the guard, Blaise, cast a questioning look at Ye Bai, and Ye Bai nodded in response.
Holding a standard crossbow, he and two other mercenaries stepped slowly and carefully into the canyon.
"rustle……"
Blaise and the two warriors stepped on the shallows step by step, staring at the pool. After walking more than ten meters, the pool was still calm and seemed motionless.
It would undoubtedly be a great thing if we could pass through the shallows without disturbing the group of striped crocodiles.
However, Ye Bai is not optimistic about this. In the process of opening up trade routes, as long as there are biological communities, they will inevitably provoke a reaction. This is the "lower limit" set by the system for the trade routes. Otherwise, if they succeed this time by taking advantage of the situation, then the next time an ordinary caravan comes, if they are not careful enough, they will be directly fed to the crocodiles.
Of course, in the eyes of monsters, the logic is even simpler: Oh, it's the scent of the lord~
Sure enough, the next moment, the water in the pool exploded, and a sturdy striped crocodile suddenly jumped out of the water.
The huge mouth was filled with sharp teeth, carrying the murderous aura and strong fishy smell unique to powerful creatures.
【Bloody Bite】
Monsters above level 20, like those who have changed their jobs, also undergo transformation in their skills. Even non-BOSS and elite monsters have their own skills.
“Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh!”
The mercenary, who had been on guard the entire time, reacted immediately and shot out mercilessly with the standard crossbow in his hand.
When dealing with this large and slow-moving creature, the effect of this equipment is undoubtedly maximized, which is why everyone dares to explore it.
'-345', '411', '-368'...
A series of high triple-digit attack damage was dealt, including a critical hit, when the crossbow arrow hit the striped crocodile's open mouth.
"roar!"
The first striped crocodile screamed in pain. Not only did its skill fail to bite anyone, but it was hit hard instead, and more than half of its 3,000 health bar was cleared.
However, with this painful roar, the water in the pool rolled violently, shadows tumbled, and more than a dozen striped crocodiles of various sizes emerged from the pool, their cold eyes fixed on the people who had already stepped into the canyon.
The battle is about to begin.
"Prepare for battle." Blaze drew the sword from his waist as he retreated: "Protect your employer!"
From the valley, the sounds of weapons and the roars of striped crocodiles could be heard.
"Bart! Hit its head with your shield...Beck, use Bladestorm!"
"Hayden retreats left."
As Ye Bai's familiar voice sounded, the fierce battle began to gradually become rhythmic.
This was a habit that Ye Bai intentionally cultivated in the mercenaries when they encountered a battle two days ago.
The mercenaries present were all in scattered teams and were familiar with each other, but in battle there was absolutely no question of who would obey whom. Even the representative Blaze did not have the prestige to suppress all the mercenaries.
On the contrary, everyone has to give face to Ye Bai, the employer who paid and treated them to drinks.
However, at first everyone thought that Ye Bai was just giving orders as a habit of a noble, and they listened to her reluctantly for the sake of commission and wine. But soon the mercenaries found that her orders were not aimless, and they were all on the key points, and she was well aware of the professional characteristics and skills of each of them.
After unconsciously obeying once, the mercenaries discovered that under Ye Bai's command, everyone's professions could actually cooperate in this way... It felt like all the battle movements were under the control of the opponent.
If I had to find an accurate adjective, it would be 'rhythm'.
In the battle under Ye Bai's command, people involved will feel an invisible rhythm.
After several battles, this originally scattered mercenary team was able to demonstrate the combat tacit understanding of an entire formation.
The same is true now. When Blaise said "protect the employer" just now, his first reaction was not just about duty, but more about "protecting the commander" in a tactical sense.
The shallows were filled with the smell of blood. Under Ye Bai's command, the mercenaries gradually mastered the rhythm of the battle.
The striped crocodiles emptied their blood and fell to the edge of the shallows. The blood flowed down from the shallows, dyeing half of the pool red.
Only five striped crocodiles with low health were still struggling on the field. The expressions on the mercenaries' faces gradually became relaxed, and some even smiled, feeling that this dangerous battle was finally coming to an end.
However, Ye Bai and Dilina, who were protected in the rear, did not relax.
Dilina's expression suddenly changed slightly, and she looked towards the center of the pool.
“Gurgle…Gurgle…”
A series of bubbles emerged from the center of the pool, and the water surged. The pool suddenly became darker than before. If you look down from above the canyon, you can see a huge black shadow floating up from the bottom of the pool.
“Wow…”
"roar!!!"
Water splashed, accompanied by a terrifying roar, a pair of blood-red eyes emerged from the pool, and a huge crocodile that was more than ten meters long revealed its figure.
Ye Bai glanced over with insight, and the BOSS's unique thick health bar style and some attributes appeared in her eyes.
【Striped Crocodile King】
Level: 2?
Health: ??? / ???
Skills: Bloody Kill, Hardened Skin, ???
Weaknesses: abdomen, throat, ???, ???
It is indeed unreasonable for such a large biological community not to produce a BOSS-level monster.
This is not an ordinary BOSS, but a BOSS above level 20. Its strength is even greater than the angry-horned beast that Ye Bai had fought for more than twelve hours in the nightmare-level city-building dungeon.
When this monster appeared, all the mercenaries present turned pale.
The terrifying size of the Striped Crocodile King is enough to bring tremendous pressure to people just by its appearance.
This big guy was definitely not something their team of nine could deal with, especially since they had just experienced a fierce battle.
Blaise took a deep breath and looked at the giant crocodile swimming quickly towards the shore. He retreated and subconsciously shouted, "Protect our employer, let's retreat..."
The next moment, the mercenaries who were about to follow Blaze's instructions to cover the retreat of their employers, the 'Commander' and 'Tactician', saw—
Employers, employers are warming up!
The employer took her snow-white long sword which seemed to have little use except for decoration... The employer rushed out!
Why is the employer moving forward instead of backward?
"ah?!"
Blaise heard the incredible exclamations from the mercenaries behind him, and doubts arose in his heart.
What happened?
But now he didn't dare to look back and could only nervously lock his eyes on the pool of water.
But there was no need for Blaise to look back. Soon, he saw a familiar figure rushing out from behind him. It was agile and quick, with its white cloak fluttering in the wind. Like a nimble bird, it passed him and rushed towards the striped crocodile king that had just emerged from the water.
"Now continue killing the remaining crocodiles."
After Ye Bai said this, he rushed towards the Crocodile King and ran towards the BOSS who was coming ashore in a two-way race.
Except for Dilina who showed an interested expression, everyone else looked frightened and distracted, barely dealing with the other ordinary crocodiles with low health.
Why did the employer do this?!
Someone had asked the employer about the attack power of the longsword while they were drinking, and he had said it was about the same as a wooden sword. Could it possibly defeat the Crocodile King?
Soon, Ye Bai answered everyone's doubts with his own actions.
When the distance reached twenty-one meters, Ye Bai stretched out his hand and swung it.
【Ice Bullet】
A freezing frost missile appeared out of nowhere and hit the crocodile king's huge red eyeball.
The normal casting distance of Ice Bullet is thirty meters. Due to the characteristics of Ye Bai's profession, the spell range is reduced by 30%, so the maximum distance of this spell can only be twenty-one meters.
'-153'
The damage is not that high. Ice Bullet is a basic spell skill. This move is just to attract hatred.
“Ah!”
Sure enough, the giant crocodile let out a cry of pain, then kicked its hind legs hard in the water, suddenly accelerated, and pounced towards Ye Bai.
Ye Bai was prepared and immediately rolled backwards to avoid the crocodile king's attack, and pulled it away from the direction of the crowd to the shallows on the other side.
The mercenaries who saw this scene finally realized that their employer was actually a mage!
It's no wonder they were unprepared. No one could have imagined that there would be a mage who used a sword. Moreover, Ye Bai was familiar with the skills and characteristics of all their physical professions. He always gave them the impression of being a physical profession who was good at commanding.
The status of the mage in Melo City is extraordinary, and the underlying impression he gives to all mercenaries is that he is mysterious and powerful.
Discovering this now is undoubtedly a shot in the arm for everyone.
They all followed Ye Bai's previous instructions and started to deal with the remaining crocodiles so that they could free up their hands to help her.
Ye Bai, who was facing the Crocodile King BOSS, had already started the classic dodging, rolling and scraping.
As a game producer, if you are not sure about your chances of defeating a BOSS of the same level, you can just find a noodle and hang yourself.
Especially now that Ye Bai has changed his job to the hidden profession 'Whisperer' that can use all kinds of spells, his methods are much more advanced than before.
'-6'
Swish!
The snow-colored long sword slashed across the crocodile king's scales, leaving a very '6' damage.
But the next moment, the effect of increasing the casting speed by 100% when attacking was triggered. Ye Bai in the battle directly skipped the spell reading time that should have been there and cast the spell instantly.
Lightning
“Sizzle…”
A bolt of lightning swept across the Crocodile King's body, coupled with the 'wet' buff it had just gotten out of the water - reducing blunt weapon damage by 10%, with a 5% chance of causing a weapon disarming effect, and an additional 20% increase in lightning attribute damage.
'-545', '-571', '-546', '-572'
Each of the four consecutive lightning damages from the Lightning Technique triggered additional damage from moisture. In addition, one of the weaknesses of the Crocodile King that was not detected by the Question Mark was that his lightning resistance was negative. In terms of damage, Ye Bai's Lightning Technique was enough to defeat the Crocodile King.
Not to mention Ye Bai's 40% Light Feather movement bonus, the spell damage mana recovery effect of his occupation skill [Magic Siphon], and the flexible combination of all-system spell skills...
More than ten minutes later, the mercenaries over there worked together to quickly deal with the remaining striped crocodiles and hurried to help Ye Bai.
Looking from the side, the Crocodile King's huge figure had completely blocked Ye Bai. If it weren't for the angry roar of the boss that could be heard from time to time, no one could confirm the safety of their employer.
In their impression, the mage is a ranged profession that needs melee protection to play its best role. Even if the employer is agile and powerful, it will definitely be difficult to face a terrifying enemy like the Crocodile King.
As a result, when they rushed over, they saw several sharp stone spikes suddenly emerging from the ground, piercing the crocodile king's feet, making it scream.
Their employer popped up from the other side and greeted them:
"You guys are here?"
...If they had come any later, they wouldn't have been able to help?
Thick and long~!