Chapter 225: Homunculi and Encumbrances

The fourth level of the maze, outside the Misty Town, deep in the Misty Forest.

[The Dirt-Eating Rich Man] kicked away the remains of the demon wolf that blocked his way, and the enchanted armor emitted a cold metallic glow under the reflection of the dark blue fungi.

He looked back at the huge crowd behind him - fifty "adventurers" carrying pitchforks and hoes were squatting on the fungus blanket and eating roasted sweet potatoes, just like a group of crows pecking at carrion.

“Hey guys,” he lifted his visor and wiped his sweat, “We’re already Iron level, but we’re still leading these rookies. What’s the difference between that and a max-level guy going back to the Novice Village to fry fish?”

[Iron-blooded Fat House] was poking a ball of glowing slime on the ground with his scabbard. Hearing this, he looked up and smiled bitterly: "The problem is that frying fish at least makes a noise, but these guys can't even outrun the slime as bait."

As if to confirm his words, a cry of surprise suddenly came from not far away. Three farmers were arguing around the steaming corpse of the monster, with their notched shovels stuck in the gelatinous remains and unable to be pulled out. The focus of their argument was not on fighting skills, but whether this mass of slime could be taken back as fertilizer.

"Get out of the way!" [Jade-faced King] stepped forward quickly and poked the slime with the torch in his hand. Accompanied by pungent green smoke, the monster's remains instantly curled up into a charred hard lump.

The onlookers immediately burst into admiration, not realizing that they had just returned from the gates of hell.

"As expected of you, Master Magician!"

“This is alchemy! I’ve seen it at the bazaar!”

"It is clearly a gift from Lord Yan Wang."

Listening to the increasingly outrageous discussions, [The Dirt-Eating Rich Man] frowned, while [The Jade-Faced King] leaned close to his ear and said, "I finally understand. Taking them to the base is like opening a nursery."

"Isn't this a nursing home?" [Iron-Blooded Fat House] teased.

"There's no difference, they're all a bunch of colored pens." [Canglang Lame Leg] curled his lips.

This is the truth.

This is also the unanimous opinion of other players.

Although these adventurers they recruited casually had no objection to the remuneration, they were relatively useless and could not do anything.

But it’s not their fault, they are not professional soldiers, they are just farmers who have received basic training.

This so-called training did not include fighting on the battlefield, but just marching in formation, listening to commands to load muskets, and shooting at targets in the crowd. Rather than training their combat qualities and fighting skills, it was more like training their obedience, making their morale on the battlefield a little higher, so that they could hold the front line and buy time for the main force, so that they would not collapse at the first blow like the cannon fodder of hell.

Holding the idea of ​​trying everything possible and the more the merrier, although the members of the Invincible Supreme Adventure Group were discouraged, they still wandered through the maze for quite a few days with these burdens.

With their own efforts and the tempering in battle, they finally broke through the ordinary bottleneck and worked hard to reach the Black Iron level.

However, when they looked back, they saw that the group of adventurers they had recruited were still ordinary people with no combat ability and had not improved at all... Anyone would feel discouraged.

After a fierce battle, the four players standing on the corpse of the Warcraft looked at each other and saw despair in each other's eyes.

A few days ago, they were still immersed in the excitement of preparing for the "Magic Plant Frenzy" event, but now they have to face the cruel reality -

Fifty mouths eat two cartloads of sweet potatoes every day.

And it is obvious to the naked eye that these NPCs bring them completely negative benefits.

"Fuck! We're already at the Iron level, but we still have these guys who can't even deal with a monster," [Iron-Blooded Fat House] wiped the weapon in his hand and couldn't help but complain, "By the time they can be put to use, I'm afraid we won't even be able to get a sip of soup!"

He didn't believe in evil before.

Now he is sure that this is how the game is set up. Some people are born NPCs, and are hopeless.

Of course, this was not their own fault, perhaps there were also factors such as soul level. And they themselves were not adventurers, but were forced to take risks and live another life they did not want to live.

[Canglang Lame Leg] also sighed: "Yes, with them, we were very careful when leveling in the maze, for fear that they would encounter any accidents."

[Jade-faced Hands King] frowned and thought for a moment, then said, "The key is, we can't bear to just abandon them here. After all, they all followed us here."

[The rich man who eats dirt] folded his hands across his chest, paced back and forth, looking very worried.

"But it's not a good idea to keep them like this. We still have to participate in the Magic Plant Frenzy event. We can't be dragged down by them all the time."

He made a calculation in his mind.

If this trend continues, let alone recovering the cost of the initial investment, I am afraid that he will have to collect some paper money on the forum in the future to support these "electronic pets".

Hearing the complaints from the “bosses”, the rookies around them looked at each other, feeling guilty, and even the roasted sweet potatoes in their hands no longer tasted good.

They are not lazy people. In fact, they are very hardworking. They feel uncomfortable if they are idle for a while. That's why they always think about picking up something when they follow the bosses to do tasks. As a result, they get into a lot of trouble... Just like before, they never thought that some monsters would have the special effect of [exploding corpse] after death.

Just when everyone was worried, an "adventurer" named Tom came over, looked at the leader and spoke cautiously.

"Brother, we don't want to drag you down, how about... we figure out a solution ourselves?"

These kind people have helped them enough, and he felt embarrassed to continue to make things difficult for them.

Besides, many people don’t have to go hungry just by eating their fill. They still have wives and children to support.

Having enough food is a temporary solution; settling down is their ultimate goal.

It’s a pity that these people chose the wrong path. Misty Town is definitely not a good place for them to settle down.

The [Rich Man Who Eats Dirt] who was sitting down to rest rolled his eyes at him.

"What can you do? In this maze, any low-level monster can easily take care of you."

Tom scratched his head and smiled innocently.

"We may not be able to fight, but we are strong. If things get tough, we can still carry bags for other adventurers. Or why don't we go out and find something to do? It's better than just waiting here... and being a burden to you."

This statement served as a reminder to the [rich man who lives on dirt].

He was stunned at first, then his eyes lit up, he turned off the translation crystal, looked at the other three buddies next to him and said.

"Yes! I almost forgot, we can take them outside the maze to find work, so that we can not only settle them down, but also advance the main quest! After the event is over, it won't be too late to come back and take them with us."

"That's a good idea!" [Canglang Lame Leg] had long wanted to get rid of these burdens, so he quickly raised his hand to agree, even raising both hands.

The other two buddies also nodded, and the matter was decided.

"I'll go discuss this with these NPCs!" Having made up his mind, the [Rich Man Who Eats Dirt] slapped his thigh, stood up from the ground, and shouted to the sparse crowd, "Assemble!"

Hearing the call to assemble, the people who were searching for spoils on the ground put down their work and gathered in groups of three or five towards the leader.

Looking at those pairs of anxious and puzzled eyes, [The Rich Man Who Eats Dirt] cleared his throat and spoke.

"The income from the maze is too low. We have been busy for almost a week and have completed many commissions, but we still spend more than we earn. If this trend continues, our team will be disbanded sooner or later!"

Everyone showed ashamed expressions when they heard this. Many of them lowered their heads, while others looked away shyly or hid the roasted sweet potatoes in their pockets.

Looking at this group of useless guys, the [Rich Man Who Eats Dirt] felt both angry and amused. Finally, he shook his head and continued.

"Anyway, we can't keep wasting time like this. We have our own things to do, so I discussed with the elders in the group and decided to try our luck in Thunder City. I heard there are a lot of jobs there. Although the pay is a little lower, it's not dangerous and anyone can do it... I want to hear your ideas."

As soon as he finished speaking, there was a murmur among the crowd, but it soon turned into a constant flow of responses.

"I'm fine!"

"Me too!"

"You decide, boss! We'll follow you wherever you go!"

“That’s right!”

They were not people with their own ideas. They just followed the caravan here because they heard that they could make money in the maze. Soon they found that the money was not as easy to make as they imagined. Many of them had already thought about leaving, but they were too embarrassed to say it out loud.

Seeing that the vote was unanimous, [The Dirt-Eating Rich Man] snapped his fingers.

"Then it's settled! We'll rest for the night and hit the road tomorrow!"

…

The next morning, the members of the Invincible Supreme Adventure Group packed their luggage and set out from Misty Town, embarking on the journey back to the surface.

In order to save time and avoid unnecessary conflicts, the players deliberately chose the route with the lowest risk, but this also meant that they did not find anything along the way, and did not encounter any monsters worth hunting.

It was already noon when the group left the maze.

When they stood on the street in the suburbs of Thunder City, the adventurers passing by cast mocking glances at them, and some even pointed and talked, as if they were looking at a group of rats crawling out of a sewer.

It was obvious that these adventurers, like the workers in Thunder City, hated these guys who showed up out of nowhere to steal their jobs...even though they actually had the same background.

As for Tom and the others, they didn't care about the strange looks. They just looked around as if they had never seen the world before, shouting at the dazzling shops on both sides of the street and the carriages speeding on the street, their eyes almost popping out of their sockets.

"Is this Thunder City?"

"By the grace of Saint Sis... there are more houses here than in my master's estate! And they are even more beautiful!"

“So many people can live here!”

"The land is paved with stones, and crops cannot be grown. What do they eat?"

"Don't worry about what they eat, this road is really flat, much better than the road in our village!"

"Yes, look at that carriage, it's running so fast!"

The streets are wide and flat, and the bluestone pavement has an ancient sheen under the sunlight. The buildings on the street are of different styles, including wooden pubs with exquisitely carved signs and stone shops with heavy doors that show their heritage.

The pedestrians were dressed differently. The rich wore gorgeous silk clothes and exquisite ornaments around their waists, while the common people mostly wore coarse linen clothes, which were simple but neat. As for the adventurers, they wore protective gear of different styles. The street stalls were filled with a wide variety of goods. The colorful fruits on the fruit stalls exuded an attractive aroma, and the various tools and daily necessities in the grocery store were neatly arranged.

Not only the NPCs, but also the players were amazed by the exotic "modeling" here, but it was not as exaggerated as the NPCs showed.

"...Can you guys be quiet for a while? We are going to work, not on a spring outing." [The Rich Man Who Eats Dirt] sighed helplessly and shook his head.

After hearing the leader's words, the "adventurers" shut up for a while and stopped shouting, but they were wondering in their hearts what kind of oil "Spring Oil" was and whether it tasted good.

After all, only a few tenant farmers have been to Thunder City. Many of them have only been to the town near the village. Their impression of Thunder City is basically from adventurers. And as we all know, adventurers never brag before they start talking. Most people don't believe the nonsense coming out of outsiders' mouths.

Now that I have seen them with my own eyes, I suddenly realize that this place is even more exaggerated than what the adventurers and bards have said! [Jade-faced King] looked at these shouting guys speechlessly, pressing his index finger on his forehead to cause a headache.

These guys have been chattering non-stop the entire way, and now that there’s no threat from monsters, they’ve completely let themselves go, acting even more like newbies than anyone else.

Actually, Misty Town is not bad, with two more rows of street lights, but I didn't see them making such a fuss...

[Lame Wolf] and [Fat Iron-Blooded House] looked around nervously, afraid of attracting the attention of the guards.

Fortunately, the guards were too lazy to pay attention to them. They were no longer surprised by the country bumpkins coming out of the maze. Not to mention doubting their identities, they even felt too lazy to look at them for any longer than necessary. This allowed the frightened "old players" to gradually calm down.

After confirming that there was no danger, [The Dirty Rich] handed over the only materials in the team to the service point opened by the Adventurer's Guild near the surface entrance. After waiting for the inventory to be completed, he took a bag of shiny silver coins from the counter lady.

The currency used on the surface is different from that in the maze, mainly silver and copper coins. He roughly counted them, a total of 271 coins, which actually made up 2 gold coins!

Before coming to Thunder City, he had learned about the local prices from the forum and found that a piece of bread cost about 5 copper coins.

If they ate bread for three meals a day, these 271 silver coins would be enough to feed fifty people for a long time. However, if they had to consider issues other than food, this money would be insufficient.

"We have to find jobs for these guys as soon as possible, otherwise they will have to settle for the refugee camp for now."

Just as the [Rich Man Who Eats Dirt] was looking around for job opportunities, a notice posted next to the adventurer's notice board caught his attention.

[The Jade-faced King with Hands] walked up to him and approached him curiously.

"What does it say?"

"It's an executive order signed by Princess Irene Campbell," [The Rich Man Who Eats Land] interpreted the text with the help of the player system's built-in translation function and whispered, "In order to protect the lives of the residents of Thunder City, she requires that factories in non-core urban areas of Thunder City must provide dormitories for their employees, otherwise an additional 10% tax will be levied."

[Iron-blooded Fat House] wondered, "What does this have to do with us?"

Before Brother Hao could say anything, Brother Lei rolled his eyes and looked at him.

"Stupid! Isn't this a job opportunity? All the factories in the city need to build dormitories!"

“Is this possible?!” [Iron-Blooded Fat House] glared.

The latest novel is published first on Liu9shuba!

Is this game so real? "Anyway, I can try my luck. At least I don't have to run around the streets like a headless fly." [The Rich Man Who Eats Dirt] glanced in the direction of the new city.

No skill is required, only strength is needed.

After much thought, the construction site is the most suitable place for these guys.

…

Passing through the area where the citizens lived, they came to a new industrial area not far from the local area. The scene here was completely different from that in the city. There were no majestic guards guarding the area. Looking around, all that came into view were either construction sites or people working on the construction sites.

Some of them were refugees from the Dusk Province, living in a nearby refugee camp, while others were local residents, living not far away. However, even though they were guarding their hometown and facing the harsh living environment, the lives of these people were not much better, but it could only be said that they were not too bad.

But even so, they still had hope. After all, they had found jobs. Unlike the refugee camps, there were still a large number of people who could not find jobs and could only wait for relief from the royal family.

[Canglang Lame Leg] looked at the scene in front of him and couldn't tell what he felt: "I didn't expect the people here to have such a hard life."

[Iron-blooded Fat House] couldn't help but sigh: "Yeah, compared to those rich people in the city, there is a world of difference."

"But on the other hand, this also means opportunities," [Jade-faced King] looked around with confidence, his eyes gleaming with hope, "It seems that we are lucky. With so many construction sites, we will definitely be able to find work."

He is eager to get rid of these burdens!

The other players had no objection, after all, they thought the same, so they cheered up and started searching on the street with the team members behind them.

Thanks to Erin Campbell's executive order, this already busy industrial area has become even busier.

The huge chimneys stood like giants, billowing thick smoke, and the roar of the machines intertwined to form a noisy but energetic movement. The workers carried construction materials and hurriedly shuttled between the construction sites, never stopping for a moment, like a clockwork.

After asking around, they finally found a textile factory that needed workers.

The factory gate was open, and the rhythmic hum of the textile machines came from inside, like the buzzing of mosquitoes.

A tall and thin man was standing at the door. He was Horace, the owner of the textile factory.

He was as thin as a piece of paper, wearing a washed-out black dress with wrinkles at the collar. His cheekbones were high and protruding, like two abrupt hills, and his pair of small green bean-like eyes were always rolling around like beads on an abacus, revealing his shrewdness and calculation, making people not want to get close to him.

This is the last factory that "keeps up with the trend" and has stubbornly refused to join the trend of "building dormitories on a large scale".

If the tax collector hadn't come knocking on his door and he had no choice but to play dumb, he would never have been willing to spend a penny from his pocket to build that employee dormitory.

He wished all his employees lived in the refugee camp so that he could save more food.

The [millionaire who eats dirt] took a deep breath, stepped forward, and said politely, "Hello, boss. We are here to look for work. I heard you have a project to do?"

Hollus looked them up and down, the corners of his mouth slightly raised, revealing a barely perceptible smile. That smile was like the cold wind in winter, carrying a hint of chill.

"That's right. I'm going to build a dormitory building here. It depends on whether you are capable of taking it over." As he spoke, he tapped the pillar beside him with his bony fingers, as if hinting at something.

[The Rich Man Who Eats Earth] then asked, "Boss, can you tell us in detail the requirements and duration of this job?"

Horace raised his chin slightly. "Requests? Just do whatever you want, as long as you can fit the animals into the room behind me. As for the deadline, it may be a bit tight. You only have three months. If you can't finish it, I will lose a lot of money, and you, don't even think about getting paid."

The four players were stunned.

It was the first time they had seen such a sloppy Party A who did not even have any requirements.

[Jade-faced Hands King] couldn't help but ask, "How much do you plan to pay for wages?"

Horace yawned.

"20 copper coins per person per day. This is the highest price I can offer."

Upon hearing this number, [Jade-faced Hand King] almost jumped up.

"What? Only 20 copper coins per person per day? You are too stingy!" [Jade-faced King with Tired Hands] glared at Horace angrily, his eyes seemed to be spewing fire, his hands clenched into fists, and his body trembled slightly with anger.

[The rich man who eats dirt] remained silent.

By this calculation, for a full six-month construction period, fifty people would only earn 18 gold coins.

Although he had never thought about making money from these poor people, this guy really didn't want them to make any money at all...

Even if it was for bargaining, it was too ruthless! Horace, however, had an indifferent expression, and spread out his bony hands: "I'm stingy? Is this your first time in Thunder City? This is the market price! You know, I have bought all the materials! Look around here, there are people looking for work everywhere. If you don't do it, there are plenty of people rushing to do it!"

Having said this, he seemed to have remembered something and added.

"By the way, I only have a total budget of 100 gold coins, and once I use it up, it's gone! Don't try to play tricks on me with the materials, I will arrange for someone to purchase them myself!"

Hearing this, [Iron-Blooded Fat House] almost laughed out of anger.

"We found out that the average salary in Leiming City is 2,000 copper coins per month. You are simply treating beggars like beggars!"

Hollus said without blushing or beating his heart.

"That was all last year!"

The rich man took a deep breath and said in a deep voice: "Boss, you see this job is not easy. 20 copper coins are too little. Can't you add a little more?"

After a pause, he looked around and continued.

"Besides, I carefully read the executive order posted by Erin Campbell. Don't you think your losses will be greater if it's not built in six months?"

Hollus's face froze, and his eyes were clearly flustered. He no longer looked like he had them all figured out.

But he was still trying to be brave, forcing a nonchalant smile on his face, and said in a shrill voice: "Increase the salary? Impossible! If you think it's too little, you can just find another job! Haha, don't think I'm afraid of Her Highness Irene's executive order... I'm a small business, and the profit is just that little. At most, I'll just increase the tax by 10%!"

[The rich man who eats dirt] smiled meaningfully.

"Really? What about the land? If you don't start construction on the land granted to you to build the dormitory, the royal family will take it back, right? Unless they are blind, or... can you even bribe Irene Campbell?"

Hollus stared at him as if he were a monster.

How could this guy know so much about Thunder City? !

really.

If the 10% tax only hurt him, the soaring value of land-use rights really hit him hard.

He took out a face towel from his arms and wiped the sweat off his face.

However, just when the "rich man who eats dirt" showed a confident expression on his face, the "adventurers" following him could no longer sit still.

Tom quickly grabbed the [Rich Man Who Eats Dirt] and said anxiously: "Boss, 20 copper coins are a lot. In our hometown, we may not be able to earn this much even if we work hard for a whole day. Let's do it." His eyes were full of earnestness, and his hands tightly held the [Rich Man Who Eats Dirt]'s arm, fearing that he would refuse the job.

"Yes, Boss..."

“That’s a lot of money!”

The other "adventurers" also nodded in agreement, their eyes full of desire for the job.

In their view, having a stable income is already very rare, and at least in the next six months, they will have a home of their own.

Those pleading voices gave Hollus renewed confidence in his bargaining.

His eyes rolled slightly and he immediately seized the opportunity to speak.

"I suddenly feel that I should think about it more carefully... Yes, why don't I go to the refugee camp to recruit a group of people? I can actually do this job myself. How difficult can it be to build a house?"

Looking at the faces that turned into despair, he coughed lightly and continued.

"Of course, I am still willing to give you this opportunity. In addition, I have thought about it carefully. I can let you enjoy the same treatment as the workers in the factory and eat with them. How about this? Go outside and take a look. The prices are not cheap now. A loaf of bread costs at least 5 copper coins! You must eat two meals a day, right?"

Of course, his bread was made in his own kitchen, so it must be cheaper than the one sold in the store, and he didn't say anything about giving them good food.

Hearing these words, the "adventurers" surrounding them suddenly became anxious. They looked at their leader pleadingly, while at the same time looking longingly at the guy who could solve their urgent problems.

[The Rich Man Who Eats Dirt] looked at these eager faces, remained silent for a long time, and finally sighed.

"Okay, okay, since you have no objection, then it's up to you."

He actually wanted to fight for it, but he felt that his three good brothers were obviously annoyed.

They have wasted too long with these NPCs.

If it weren't for that extra sympathy, if it weren't for the fact that these NPCs looked so human, they would have put their energy into the most recent update.

There are many ways to infiltrate the human world. They can actually just leave these guys in Misty Town and leave them alone.

Everyone, including Tom, was delighted to hear this and expressed their gratitude profusely.

Hollus looked at the nodding man in front of him, a greedy smile on his face, like a winner in the ring, as if he had seen the gold coin waving at him.

"It's a pleasure to work with you, my friend."

Glancing at the hand that Horace extended, the [Rich Man Who Eats Dirt] chuckled, but did not shake it. He turned and walked towards the "adventurers" who were full of gratitude.

He couldn't stay here for long, as he had some things to explain to them.

Horace stood there awkwardly, shrugging his shoulders, but not caring. He just glared at the rude guy fiercely, thinking about how to return the anger in the payment method.

Just wait and see! He'll show everyone who's boss here!

At this moment, no one noticed that a pair of gloomy eyes were watching here, like a hungry wolf lurking in the shadows, quietly watching them...

(End of this chapter)