Chapter 67 Players charge forward in their conquest; victory lies ahead! ...
East couldn't do anything with his little players. He could tell that Matsushita Yuki was just trying to lighten the mood. Was he supposed to blame her for doing something wrong? That wouldn't make sense.
“Be good,” he said.
“We are simply players and NPCs, so don’t talk to us like that,” Matsushita Yuki said. “If I weren’t so resolute, I wouldn’t be able to resist your sweet words.”
East, "..."
"Sister Xue, our little king is embarrassed." Liang Jingjing added irresponsibly.
Easter waved his hand. "Yes, I'm sorry."
“Your Majesty, such a frank admission doesn’t seem like embarrassment,” said Matsushita Yuki.
East tugged at the little tuft of snowflakes on the pine tree, "That's enough, don't worry too much, I'm fine."
Meimei said, “Your Majesty, you must have other matters to attend to. We can finish up the rest of the work if it doesn’t interfere.”
East nodded. "That's excellent. Thank you for your hard work."
“It’s not hard work. How can working for you, the King, be considered hard work?” Liang Jingjing said with a smile.
East glanced at Finnian, who was standing quietly to the side, and said, "Go back to the workshop first. You are stronger, so if anything happens, you can help stop it."
Today's journey has been too smooth. Based on past experience, East is always worried that there may be some pitfalls waiting for him later, and he has to be careful.
Finnian: "Your Majesty, rest assured, I will do my best."
Easter, "I believe you."
Finnian did not delay and quickly rode away.
After thinking that everything should be alright, Easter said goodbye to the players and turned to leave.
He still has a lot to do. Not to mention anything else, so many families have taken over, and the assets and people they left behind are not easy to manage in a short time.
Moreover, the matters to be dealt with are not limited to this. The most urgent task should be to select capable personnel. Even if he had forty-eight hours a day, it would not be enough for him to handle the affairs of a country by himself. Fortunately, winter is coming soon, and after he has suppressed this wave, not many people who want to cause trouble will jump out. However, this is something that cannot be rushed. After all, there are still the Kingdom of Ramon and the Kingdom of Rivia, which are another big problem. It can only be said that this time there are both advantages and disadvantages, but in terms of the future, the benefits outweigh the disadvantages.
Along the way, Easter thought about many things. When he entered the study, the first thing he did was to look through the laws he had discussed and decided with the system. Laws are the foundation of a country. He didn't expect to create something like equality, since that's not how you seek death, but things like slavery were definitely abolished.
Although there may be some kind of God of Law in this world, His existence is of little use. Fairness and order cannot be achieved by mere words. In today's chaotic world, talking about fairness is no different from a fool's dream.
Ister only dared to do this because of the players' presence; otherwise, he wouldn't dare to violate the law even if he had a few more lives.
His law mainly consists of a few things: murder, arson, robbery, theft, etc. are prohibited. If anyone dares to commit these crimes, they will be severely punished. In fact, it is a prohibition against committing crimes, but it simply lists the crimes that cannot be committed.
The land has also been redivided, so that roughly everyone has land. Whether it is good or not is another matter, but it is ultimately in their hands. However, the real ownership still belongs to the state.
And then there's the taxation he most wants to change. Merchants have their way of paying taxes, workers have theirs, and ordinary people have theirs. Everyone has to pay taxes, and as for the burden, it's not that heavy.
Of course, there are also important educational issues. With the large-scale renovation and reconstruction of the country, major infrastructure such as schools, hospitals, and shopping malls are indispensable.
Educational resources in this world are still controlled by nobles (who are rich, powerful, and influential), just like in the backward era. This world is even more special. The existence of gods and churches has basically monopolized educational resources. Apart from nobles, if you want to learn to read, you can only go to the church and start learning from their scriptures.
East was unsure if doing this would cause him trouble. As far as he was concerned, his status was what it was, and whether he did these things or not wouldn't attract the attention of "people." He could do what he wanted without worrying about it. What he should be worried about was whether he had enough money to indulge in such extravagance.
East shook his head and chuckled. The system's task for him was merely to unify the entire continent. How to unify it? To what extent? That was entirely up to his own will. If he wanted to be a tyrant who did as he pleased, that was fine too.
Besides, this was a task he could choose to do or not; his intuition told him there would be no penalty for not wanting to do it, and the benefits the system offered were so-so, he didn't care much about them.
He chose to do it, and he put in a lot of effort and thought, spending countless amounts of money and manpower, probably just to find something to do, to find some connection with the world, apart from romantic connections.
East raised his hand and pinched his brow bone. Once the Ramon Kingdom and the Rivia Kingdom were over, there would be even more to worry about. If everything went smoothly and the continent was unified, just thinking about how things would increase countless times made him shudder. Forget it, forget it, don't think about it. What if there is no future? Haven't there been enough setbacks along the way?
Easter slumped lazily onto the table. With manpower scarce right now, he could find some outstanding players to fill in temporarily, and then recruit more people once things had settled down. He would first spread the word about this, and then work on it slowly. After discussing with the system, he decided to recruit people like in the imperial examinations, letting talented individuals take exams step by step. The system could keep an eye on things during the exams, in case a hidden gem was discovered. That would be it for now, and they would deal with it later.
He wasn't some exceptionally talented person; he was just an ordinary Chinese language teacher. He's always been self-aware, and the reason he's managed to get to where he is today, stumbling along the way, is mainly thanks to the help of the system and the players. To put it bluntly, he's cheating. Anyone in his position would either be mediocre like him or do better than him. There wouldn't be a third option. With such favorable conditions, how could he possibly mess things up? Anyway, even after racking his brains, East couldn't find a word that could accurately describe it.
East's eyes were half-open and half-closed. The mental and physical exertion he had expended today was no joke. Coupled with the numerous things that had been bothering him, he hadn't had a proper rest for a while.
As his consciousness faded, Easter knew he was dreaming again, but this dream was not as clear as the one he had dreamed of meeting Arip. He felt hazy and adrift, as if floating on clouds.
Surrounded by a white mist, everything around him, from the sky to the ground, was a vast expanse of white, thin and soft, seemingly ethereal and unreal, giving him a wondrous feeling. Last time, his first thought was to escape this mist, but this time, he only wanted to immerse himself in it, to let it permeate and envelop him.
In reality, wisps of mist emanated from Esther's body, enveloping him and drawing him into an even deeper dream.
"There should be no gods in the world. Those who only know how to take and not give back are no different from leeches."
...
East awoke with a start, a white mist flashing before his eyes, but it didn't register with him; he was completely disoriented.
[Host, what's wrong?] The system noticed East's strange behavior and asked with concern. It had only just seen that the host had been working too hard and had finally managed to get a short nap, so it didn't want to disturb him. Who knew this would happen?
When East came to his senses, he touched his forehead and found it covered in cold sweat. He could hardly describe his state at that moment. It was like the coldest winter day when a bucket of cold water was poured over his head, making him shiver and chill seeping into his bones.
East shook his head, instinctively feeling that he shouldn't have told the system what had just happened. "I had a nightmare. Let me see how the players' attack on the country is going. I wonder if it's going smoothly?"
The system didn't delve into the details, and the host didn't tell him the truth—there were reasons for the host's reluctance. [It all went very smoothly.]
A screen of light materialized before East's eyes, depicting a magnificent and grand scene: a massive army of small firemen attacked with overwhelming force, and the obstacles before them were no match for even a single blow.
Casualties were inevitable, but for this battle, the system allocated most of its energy to keep the players alive, allowing them to maximize their advantages.
There is a five-minute cooldown period for resurrection, but this is not a big problem. While waiting for resurrection, players can choose to spectate or watch videos or read novels. Time passes quickly, and players have never caused any problems because of the resurrection time.
The camera shifts, and a smile involuntarily creeps onto East's lips. He's truly a player, so clever.
The main force of players gradually conquers the country from the outside, but what is shown on the screen is the interior of the royal city of the Ramon Kingdom. Yes, not outside the royal city, but inside it.
He was so busy he was completely confused. It was only when he saw this that Ister remembered that when he was negotiating cooperation with the Kingdom of Rivia, he had asked them to send people to cooperate with the players. To facilitate communication, the system had also provided language translation. This cooperation should have been reached after discussions between the players and the Kingdom of Rivia. The fact that the system hadn't reported it to him meant that there were no problems.
What is this cooperation? Just look at the current situation and it will be clear.
It's simply a matter of taking players on a tour of the royal city, leaving markers so players can teleport freely, which comes in handy right now.
Ister dared to gamble that the Kingdom of Rivia had probably been marked by the players as well. No matter how he persuaded them, among so many players, there were bound to be some with good eloquence and shrewdness. He let the players do their thing, firstly to avoid restricting them, and secondly because many of the players were more quick-witted than him. As long as the general direction was correct, he didn't need to restrain the players too much.
Easter prepared tea and snacks for himself, watching the situation unfold, stealing a moment of peace from his busy life; the dream he had just had was too upsetting.
…………
"Sweet Potato Bro, you're amazing, you're so amazing!" Guagua wanted to give Not-So-Roasted Sweet Potato a thumbs up, but his own situation didn't allow it, so he could only express his praise through words and expressions.
"It's nothing." This wasn't meant as modesty; he was just the first to suggest it, not the first to think of it. The biggest credit for the success of this matter goes to a player with the ID [Mo Wu Jie]. If it weren't for his eloquence, this matter would have encountered many more twists and turns.
"Stop talking. Let's take them down before they realize what's going on back home. We don't even know what the situation is like back home now." Yun Mu fiercely hoisted her greatsword. Her greatsword wasn't one of those mass-produced for players; it was custom-made for her by Vestan, perfectly suited to her in every way.
“Okay, let’s get started,” Meimei said.
Due to monsters and war, every house in the royal city was closed, and there were only a few soldiers patrolling the streets. They probably did not expect that enemies would suddenly emerge from the royal city, catching the players off guard.
"Awooo~ Enemies, experience points, here I come!" Players who chose to become swordsmen swung their swords and charged towards their chosen enemies.
Yun Mu was the most eye-catching among them. With a single sword strike, she swept through the enemy ranks. Her blade was imbued with fire, and with each swing, someone fell to the ground. She moved nimbly through the crowd, and her agile movements combined with her superb combat skills made her a nemesis of the enemy.
Meimei, holding her magic wand, cast a spell, and black mist began to emanate. At the same time, the magic brewed by Guagua landed, and lightning struck the person whose mind was bewitched by the black mist.
The small team was quickly taken down by the well-coordinated players.
"Charge! Victory is just ahead!" Yun Mu raised her greatsword in one hand and sounded the charge.
The players roared and charged forward, creating an incredibly infectious atmosphere that boosted their morale to unprecedented heights.
The people of the Kingdom of Ramon are not all clueless fools. When the players defeated five waves of patrolling guards, this time the enemy was clearly well-prepared, with more people, better equipment, and greater strength.
The players were clearly more excited, and DouDou's eyes were shining brightly.
"For the King, let's charge!" This time, Yun Mu addressed him as "King" in a proper manner, not "Little One." She could clearly see the difference in strength between the two sides, but so what? Their players wouldn't die, and they could afford to suffer losses. As for these people, their players could wear them down to death.
Yun Mu was fearless. Even if her mana bar was empty, her combat skills were no less than when she could use her sword techniques.
Yun Mu wasn't the only one who was fearless; all the players were the same. Swordsmen resisted attacks in front, while mages cast spells from behind.
Those who could join Yunmu's operation were all players of level 10 or above. There was no point in joining the battle if the combat power was not high enough. Players below level 10 were all in the ranks of the players attacking from the front.
Meimei kept an eye on her mana bar, took a step back, and began chanting a magic spell. This was being done under system control, so players only needed to focus on the skill's progress. This time, her magic no longer just produced a cloud of black mist to distract the enemy; wisps of black smoke silently approached the enemy during the battle.
"Ah!" The sudden appearance of the ghostly face was no joke.
How could the other players let such a good opportunity pass by? They all took action.
The ground began to shake, the uneven surface arriving at just the right time. The people, still shaken, found it difficult to maintain their balance.
"You despicable summoned creatures, you will all die a horrible death!" someone in the crowd cursed.
Unfortunately, the players didn't understand, and even if they did, they didn't care. Fighting the enemy isn't about exchanging pleasantries; why should they argue with each other? They're already on opposite sides, already at war. It's not like normal times where they can exchange sarcastic remarks with someone without any real camaraderie.
"We can't let everyone steal the spotlight." Guagua also began to prepare his ultimate move. The magicians can only use three spells now, two of which can be cast instantly and one of which is an ultimate move. His ultimate move is called [Thunderstorm], a super cool skill. A purple ball of electricity appeared in the crowd and exploded with a "bang". Purple arcs of electricity shot out in all directions, "sizzling and crackling", burning flesh and curling fur.
Watching the croaking croaking croaking cast its magic, the little fireman was so exhausted that other players had to help it to the side. This skill is good, and it's really cool, but once it's used, the person is essentially useless and can only be taken care of by someone. The effect lasts for ten minutes.
Despite the apparent advantage of the players, quite a few players actually died when their health bars were depleted.
"This is a bit tough!" Yun Mu retreated quickly, but the attack in front of her was unavoidable. She had no choice but to raise her sword to meet it head-on. The force of a thousand pounds pressed down on the sword, and the floor beneath Yun Mu's feet cracked. She barely managed to block it.
The other players weren't just standing by and watching. Some little genius of the wood element secretly used a wooden vine to tickle someone's itch.
East, watching from the side, couldn't stop laughing. After looking closely, he discovered that it was a small, dark green fireman with the ID "Hulk" on its head. It was clear that scratching people with wooden vines to grow meat wasn't its limit. It would also suddenly tap people on the shoulder with wooden vines, hiding in the distance and secretly using some dirty tricks.
Other players also used various tricks: water balls suddenly exploded and splashed people's faces, flames wreaked havoc on people's hair, and small metal tacks suddenly appeared under people's feet... These were all small tricks that might not be fatal, but were definitely annoying.
Despite the arduous battle, the players managed to win thanks to their numerical advantage, but they are still a long way from actually breaching the enemy's palace.
"If only we could have sneaked into their palace back then," the husky sighed, gazing at the towering curtain wall.
"If victory were so easy, the game's difficulty would be unbalanced," said a master, not a novice.
"Hey everyone, any great tips?" Yun Mu humbly asked for advice. She didn't care if the game was unbalanced; she would be happy if the game truly favored her side.
"If the operation fails, I can't even imagine how the players outside will laugh at us," Erha said with a sigh.
"If all else fails, call in reinforcements," said the hero, looking at the army marching out in formation. "They have a numerical advantage, and so do we."
"I'm afraid this won't work without Yao. Wait, how come they still have so many people?" Yun Mu was completely puzzled. The elves and merfolk had come before, and now there were players attacking the country outside. Where did all these soldiers come from?
“Those who guard the royal court are the elite.” As for the situation, he was not at all surprised.
"Shall we launch a preemptive attack?" Guagua asked for opinions. There were about a hundred players on their side, all of them swordsmen or mages. If they could weaken them first, they would benefit. Guagua got excited as he thought about it. "Anyway, we won't die, so what's there to be afraid of? Let's just do it!"
“It’s not a good suggestion either,” Meimei said after thinking for a moment. “If we die, there are other players waiting behind us. I guess the situation for the players who attacked the country is better than ours.”
"Most likely." Roasted sweet potato would be a better fit.
"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go!" The husky was eager to try.
"Don't rush in yet. We should maximize our profits," Meimei said. "Let's discuss how to cooperate first."
After a brief chatter, it didn't take too long. First, a grand "firework" was used as a baptism. A player's fire explosion wasn't very powerful, but when combined, it was more than just one plus one.
It was only after the battle began that it became apparent how rare the Light and Dark elements were; among so many players, there were only two Light elements and three Dark elements.
Meimei and another player with a dark element worked together seamlessly, taking advantage of the chaos of the explosion to give the soldiers a "small" scare.
Amidst the chaos, the players who chose to become swordsmen fearlessly charged into the army, wielding their greatswords with ferocious power.
…………
East didn't watch any further; that was enough. He trusted his players to bring him victory.
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