Chapter 93: Official Endorsement of the Gathering Team
The watchtowers in Star Territory are teeming with figures. Most of the monsters possess night vision, which is a significant disadvantage for assassins and tank players.
Nighttime is the battlefield for archers and magical plants.
After arriving at the front line, Shu Yi did not linger and jumped directly onto a defensive platform.
Looking down from here, you can see that the banyan tree spirit has taken root, while the iron tree spirit and the man-eating flower are poised to attack.
The magical plants don't need rest; they are the most steadfast fighting partners. But today is different.
"Da Rong, take your men and retreat. We don't need you here for now."
The banyan tree spirit's aerial roots shook in confusion.
Shu Yi's gaze was already fixed on the approaching red light in the distance. He explained, "Most of the monsters that attacked today are fire-attribute. You'll be at a disadvantage if you fight them. We're here, and we can handle them. You should retreat first."
The magical plants hesitated for a moment, knowing he was their master's companion, but they obeyed. The banyan tree spirit led the other magical plants and slowly retreated.
In the short time it took to say just a few words, the monsters had already rushed up to us. Leading the way were several lizard-like monsters with flames all over their bodies, and there were many more shadowy figures behind them. A wave of heat hit us, carrying the burnt smell common in the apocalypse.
Shu Yi didn't say anything more, and raised his hand to draw an arrow from the quiver.
Nock the string, draw the bow, shoot—the movements were so fast they were almost invisible.
"Whoosh!"
An arrow imbued with ice energy pierced the throat of a lizard that was about to breathe fire. The cold air exploded, forcibly suppressing the flames.
"Whoosh! Whoosh!"
Next came the piercing arrow, which pierced two targets with a single shot.
The third explosive arrow pierced the monster horde with a muffled boom, sending sparks flying.
He shot with such accuracy and speed that the arrows almost flew in a line.
The other archers on the watchtower were dumbfounded. They were all archers, so why was he so strong?
Seeing that Shu Yi could defend a city by himself, and that no amount of monsters could break through his rain of arrows, the archers were inspired to fight, and the rain of arrows began to become denser.
Thanks to the orderly resistance of Shu Yi and the guards, the first wave of the monster tide was successfully contained outside the barrier. The barrier's health remained stable at a safe threshold, able to recover on its own without the need for in-game purchases.
During a lull in the fighting, Shu Yi leaned against the wall to catch his breath.
The security squad leader next to him wiped his sweat and said admiringly, "Thanks to your quick arrival and precise elimination of those troublesome guys, otherwise the barrier would have lost a lot more durability on our own."
Shu Yi shook his head modestly, "Even without me, you can still see how to pack up the venue. I'm just here to gain some experience."
The night was still long, and the monsters had not completely retreated. Sporadic attacks continued, but Star Territory was well prepared. The seemingly terrifying monster tide had no effect whatsoever. Instead, it provided the archers on the watchtower with a lot of combat experience.
Large safe zones are guarded by strong players, but some weaker safe zones are not so lucky.
Anling Town is a small, remote place where the townspeople live a frugal but relatively peaceful life.
Until a few months ago, the deadly, continuous acid rain forced everyone back from the relatively safe underground to the scorching surface.
The night was eerily quiet. The townspeople, exhausted from a long day, huddled together in their stone houses, which offered only the bare minimum of shelter from the wind and rain, and slept soundly.
Suddenly, a cold system notification exploded in everyone's mind:
[Warning: A group of rock pythons has attacked Anling Town.]
The town's protective barrier has been breached.
Players are advised to evacuate immediately.
Sleepiness was instantly shattered.
The next second, the deafening roar of rocks shattering, the teeth-grinding sound of scales scraping together, and the piercing screams almost simultaneously tore through the night!
"A snake! What a huge snake!"
"The barrier is gone! Run! Run east!"
"Xiao Bao, Xiao Bao, where are you? Don't run around."
Screams, cries, and frantic running erupted, turning the once deathly quiet camp into chaos in an instant.
Several dark brown rock pythons, as thick as buckets, had broken through the outer perimeter. They raised their massive heads, their cold, vertical pupils scanning the terrified crowd. Their forked tongues flickered as they slowly swam into this undefended hunting ground.
Early in the morning, Lin Nanxing received a system notification as soon as he opened his eyes.
Anling Town has fallen.
Yining Town has fallen.
"....??" She blinked, a little confused. How come two safe zones disappeared after she took a nap? Isn't this peacetime?
She subconsciously wanted to nudge Shu Yi next to her and ask him something, but stopped halfway through her hand. Shu Yi, who always woke up earlier than her, was breathing slowly and was still asleep.
Something's not right. What happened last night?
Lin Nanxing's heart tightened, and he immediately brought up the territory's information interface.
Last night's defense log was prominently featured.
[The territory was attacked by a large-scale monster night raid, mainly fire-attribute monsters]
[Barrier durability decreased by 12%, has self-repaired, successfully repelled the attacking monsters, and suffered no casualties.]
It turns out that my own home was almost broken into last night as well.
She glanced at the two destruction notices again and roughly understood that Anling Town and Yining Town had also failed to withstand the sudden and fierce night attack last night.
Lin Nanxing remained silent for a few seconds.
Behind each message are countless players who failed to escape.
She felt a little heavy-hearted, but only a little. That's just how the world is; new places disappear every day. Being able to take care of your own little corner of the world is already a huge challenge.
She let out a soft breath, stopped arguing with Shu Yi, and quietly got out of bed.
It's a pity, but life goes on. We can't neglect the food we need to stockpile, the levels we need to train, or the defenses we need to strengthen.
*
Liu Ai was an ordinary resident of Yunpei Town. She is forty years old this year and has a husband who is paralyzed in bed.
When she first got involved in this game, she was never cut out to be a combat player. She got older and her physical strength couldn't keep up with the heavy work, so she always struggled to make ends meet.
Back in Yunpei Town, Liu Ai could still find odd jobs here and there. But after moving to the Star Territory, although there were subsidies, expenses increased. The husband's illness hadn't improved, and the money spent on the pastor's treatment was flowing out like water. The family's savings were long gone.
Ever since hearing that there were materials to collect in the wild, Liu Ai gritted his teeth and had no choice but to take the risk and go out to collect them. But every time he went out, his heart was in his throat and he would be so scared that his hands and feet would go weak at the slightest noise.
That day, as usual, she went to the market notice board to see if there were any odd jobs, and immediately saw a new notice that had just been posted.
Hire a player with "basic gathering" skills for 200 game coins per day, lunch provided, a cooling bamboo hat provided when going out, and a combatant to accompany and protect you.
Of the collected data, 60% must be handed over, and the remaining 40% can be kept by the individual.
Requirements: Players must be below level 30, and those without combat players in their household will be given priority.
There are a total of 20 places available. Those interested can register through the system.
Liu Ai's heart skipped a beat; she could hardly believe her eyes.
You get a team, protection, and money!
This was far better than risking her life alone in the wilderness. Liu Ai signed up in the system almost without hesitation, her hands trembling.
Not long after, the system sent a notification.
She arrived at the meeting point as instructed and found that nearly twenty people had already gathered there. They were all men and women who were pale and thin, of low rank, and whose eyes revealed unease.
They looked at each other, but no one spoke much; an uneasy silence filled the air.
Everyone knows that this job sounds good, but who knows if it's real or fake?
What if those so-called "combatants" are completely useless, or worse, are used as bait to lure monsters?
Once you leave this territory and enter the uninhabited wilderness, whether you live or die is entirely up to others.
Even though they knew it might be a trap, they still came.
These people are all vulnerable groups in the game world, and some are finding it difficult to survive.
Time passed slowly until ten o'clock, and the employer appeared on time, but the anxious players were all taken aback.
The employer was not followed by any fierce combat players, but by a group of magical plants.
Someone couldn't help but ask in a low voice, "These... these magical plants are the combat personnel protecting us?"
As the Star Territory grows larger, not all newcomers or residents living on its outskirts have seen the Territory Lord, let alone the magical plants that belong to the Territory.
Lin Nanxing glanced at everyone and nodded: "Yes, they are responsible for guarding and defense. You just need to focus on collecting and follow instructions when you encounter danger."
Because Liu Ai often had to go out to find odd jobs, she was quite familiar with many parts of the territory. She hesitated before speaking, "These magical plants look so familiar. I remember that whenever a monster attacks the barrier, a group of magical plants will come out to protect the territory. Are these the ones?"
These words seemed to awaken the others. Many people began to carefully examine the few quiet plants, and finally confirmed, "These are indeed the magical plants that guard the territory."
"A magical plant that actively protects its territory must be a natural guardian of the territory."
Knowing who the protector is is more reassuring than simply knowing that there is protection.
The fact that these demonic plants are here means that this hiring was officially approved by the territory authorities. Their strength and reliability are much more reliable than that of randomly hired combat players.
At this moment, many of the terrible suspicions that had been lurking in everyone's minds had dissipated.
"Enough with the small talk."
Lin Nanxing's voice wasn't loud, but it clearly reached everyone's ears: "The rules are very simple, just like the ones I wrote in the recruitment terms. Everyone must follow orders. You are not allowed to keep anything you collect. After returning to the village, everything will be weighed, and 60% will be handed over. The rest is yours. Your wages will be settled on the same day, and the employment will be over."
She paused, her gaze sweeping over the group of players, most of whom looked pale but still held hope in their eyes, and added, "Today's work is just the first attempt, but it won't be the last. If everyone does a good job, it's not impossible for temporary workers to become permanent employees in the future."
These words sounded plausible and gave people a glimmer of hope. The twenty hired players looked at each other, and the wariness and fear on their faces faded considerably, replaced by a tense eagerness to try.
Lin Nanxing was fairly satisfied with the players' cooperative attitude and turned to signal to Da Rong.
The banyan tree spirit immediately understood, and several aerial roots deftly rolled up a stack of wide-brimmed bamboo hats prepared nearby, steadily delivering them to each person.
The straw hat was sturdy and the right size. As soon as you put it in your hand, you could feel a refreshing coolness that instantly dispelled the slight heat on your skin.
This bamboo hat is a specialty of the Star Territory. Wearing it can keep you cool for a while, making it one of the best-selling products in the Star Territory. Of course, the price has never been cheap.
The players present were all struggling financially. They had long heard of the benefits of this straw hat, but none of them were willing to spend the money to buy it.
Seeing that their employer had already given them such valuable equipment before they even set off, they were all stunned. Holding the straw hats, they were both surprised and delighted, and a little incredulous.
Someone muttered under their breath, "They...they just gave it to us like that? Aren't they afraid someone will take it and run away?"
A thin man standing nearby heard this and nodded thoughtfully.
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