Ghost Island
Cold Soldier City, Ghost Island, Spirit Realm, and Empty Valley - the four major camps are the four copies of Soul Song. They coexist under the same game mechanism and are related to each other, but they are very independent.
Many players spend their entire gaming career in a certain faction and never venture outside.
One is the geopolitical factors brought into the game from reality, which restricts players' ability to complete tasks in other camps.
Secondly, the background settings of each camp are very different, making it difficult for players in other camps to compete with local players, after all, they have the home advantage.
For example, Cold Weapon City and Ghost Island, the former has backward "technology" and cold weapons are prevalent, while the latter gathers most of the black technology in the game, and players usually use hot weapons.
The living environment of Ghost Island is also very different from that of Lengbing City.
Ghost Island is composed of 678 islands of various sizes. Its total area is far smaller than that of Lengbing City, but its structure is much more complex than that of Lengbing City.
The island was not formed naturally. When the copy was first launched, there were already a lot of traces of artificial transformation.
Each island has a huge metal pillar at its root, connected to the main trunk in the center of the archipelago, which is submerged in the water. Figuratively speaking, it is like an over-ripe broccoli.
——Every cauliflower exploded.
Some islands are filled with tall buildings, giving them a cyber-esque feel. Others are sparsely populated with buildings and few people, resembling forgotten garbage islands.
But for Ghost Island, Garbage Island is also an indispensable member.
All the islands are connected to the main trunk, an unimaginably large metal structure sunk beneath the sea, like a perpetual motion machine, moving them all day long.
Only the positions of 8 power islands and 8 pack islands are fixed.
Power islands are scattered throughout the archipelago. The thick smoke from the tall chimneys causes the ghost island to be shrouded in gray fog all year round, without sunlight.
Tuo Island is a transportation fortress, located on the west side of Gui Island near the coast.
Three of the islands were connected to railways, leading to the other three camps. The remaining five islands were used for shipping—not by ships that could be launched into the water, but by thermal ships that flew in the air.
The thermal ship is a counterpart to the teleportation array in Lengbing City. It is only suitable for short-distance commuting and is also the main way for players to travel between islands.
If An Rou wants to go to Black Market Island, the first stop she has to go to is Tuo Island, where she can take a thermal boat.
The plan to sell items on the black market on Onigashima turned out to be much more complicated than she had initially imagined.
Because the black market was open at night, An Rou had originally thought that all she had to do was have Bao Fu fly over to the black market island and then go down with the items to trade. However, the information Paopao had collected during his days of being offline told her that it wasn't that simple.
First of all, Onigashima is covered by an opaque light shield all day long. The light shield has an anti-peeping effect. Not to mention at night, you can't see what's inside even during the day.
Secondly, although the ghost island map given by Jie Xin showed the flow route to the black market island, it did not indicate the time and place of flow, so it was completely useless.
If you want to go to the black market, you still have to take the thermal boat like a bus and get off at the "Black Market Island Station".
Therefore, An Rou, who felt that she had been tricked, did not give Jie Xin a good look during these days.
Not only that, the guide to Ghost Island that Paopao found also said that Ghost Island would become closed at night, allowing only exits but no entries.
In order to prevent anyone from forcing their way in from the air, extremely powerful thermal weapons were deployed on each island, ready to fire at the sky at any time and at random.
Sudden wealth can't even hover in the air.
After much deliberation, An Rou decided to let Bao Fu carry the farm and stay in the uninhabited land 30 kilometers away from Ghost Island. The trip to the black market would be completed by her and Paopao.
The prop rack had limited space and couldn't carry too many props. An Rou simply picked out some small props and put them in the backpack for him to carry.
The black backpack was found in the Land of No Life. It was in tatters and cost me hundreds of gold coins to restore it. The design is very modern and obviously not a daily prop from Lengbing City.
Paopao was probably left behind by a Ghost Island player.
Many players would stay in the Land of No Life to kill low-level ghouls. To earn more money, they would often stay for several days at a time, bringing with them a lot of daily necessities. If their inventory was full, they would just carry an extra bag.
With a backpack at hand and a change of clothes similar to the style of Ghost Island, Paopao has become a Ghost Island player.
To fit in with the image, An Rou also took off her cheongsam and changed into a clean and neat outfit. She also changed her long hair from a bun into a ponytail, looking like a local NPC on Ghost Island.
The two of them ran all the way across the lifeless land and finally arrived at the entrance of Ghost Island before the night fell completely.
This is a wide metal plank road with the sea water surging below.
The entrance to the plank road is built on the coast, and it is one kilometer away from the vast blue light shield as big as the sky behind it.
There are still many players who want to return to Ghost Island at night, and there is a long queue at the entrance of the plank road.
There was a row of players on each side of the plank road, ranging in levels from gold to bronze. They were holding guns of various shapes and wearing uniforms similar to those of security guards.
"Are they not from the same guild?" An Rou asked Paopao in a low voice.
The uniforms of the two rows of security guards were different colors, and the badges on their heads were also different. From the distance, An Rou couldn't see the specific badges clearly.
Paopao followed her gaze and replied, "The dark green ones are Yatan, and the khaki ones are Feili. They're the largest guild on Ghost Island. Like Oli and Gar, they're often at odds with each other."
An Rou nodded. Even the entrance guards had to be half-manned, which was a clear indication of their strength.
After about ten minutes, it was their turn.
There was a long table at the entrance of the plank road, and two guards sat behind the table, one was Atan and the other was Philip.
Guard Yatan raised his head and glanced at Paopao: "ID."
Run and show your ID.
The guard wrote it down on a piece of paper and asked, "From out of town? Which faction?"
"No, I'm from Onigashima, and I'm out here to kill ghouls."
Paopao patted his backpack with his backhand, feeling a little nervous.
The bag is full of props. Whenever the guard asks to check it or activates a perspective card, the huge wealth will be exposed.
Fortunately, there were many people carrying backpacks in the team, so the guards did not conduct further inspections.
"Where do you live?"
"Number 47, Level 1 Island."
The guard looked at Paopao again.
Land on the first-level islands is very expensive, and there are not many wild tourists who can afford to live on them.
Paopao took the opportunity to pull An Rou in front of him: "And her, my NPC companion."
The guard looked suspicious: "Take your companion to the Land of No Life?"
Paopao’s ID lights up again, and this time, the level behind the ID is also displayed.
"She insisted on going out to open her eyes. There was nothing I could do." He said in a doting tone.
The Golden Wild Guest is an existence that cannot be ignored wherever he goes.
The guard's expression immediately softened: "Come in."
An Rou took the opportunity to increase his favorability by 5%, allowing him to dispel his last bit of doubt.
A one-kilometer plank road seems very long to ordinary people, but for players, it only takes a few minutes.
Paopao used his movement skills and stopped at the other end with Anrou in the blink of an eye.
A towering light shield stands before our eyes.
Two thin sticks were inserted into the black metal ground. For some unknown reason, they opened a gap in the light shield for people to pass through.
An Rou walked in, turned her head to look around, and asked, "Does this light shield have offensive properties?"
Coincidentally, a very tall player followed in from behind and his head touched the light shield.
Two Atan guards suddenly rushed out from behind An Rou. After realizing that it was an accidental touch, they scolded the player with a sour face.
An Rou understood that the light shield had no offensive capabilities, but it could notify the guards if someone broke in. Besides that, it also had a spying function.
Standing inside and looking outside, the view is completely unobstructed, like the one-way glass in an interrogation room.
"Hurry up." Paopao said.
"etc."
An Rou looked at the boardwalk on the sea outside the light shield.
They arrived late, near the end of the line. Just then, the last few players came in. Two thermal boats flew toward the path and slowly descended.
After the Atan and Philistine guards boarded their respective ships, heavy mechanical creaking sounds filled the air.
The metal plank road broke into two parts and sank into the sea.
A surge of lightning lit up the sea.
As the guide explains, the entire area of Ghost Island is covered with high-voltage electricity. This protective measure consumes a staggering amount of electricity, which is why they set up 8 power islands.
It seems that in an emergency, jumping into the sea and running away is impossible.
The plank road on the sea connects to an island with bright lights. There are many lighthouses dozens of meters high standing in the distance.
Onigashima is probably the place with the least electricity shortage in the entire Soul Society, An Rou thought.
The bright white light of the lighthouse illuminated ships of all sizes. The large ships gathered on the left, while the right was mostly filled with small boats.
The other players entering the island gradually walked to the left and boarded a bus-sized thermal ship. Ahead of them, another thermal ship had already taken off, its thermal ball emitting a yellow light and a whirring sound.
This kind of large ship carries a lot of people and is very slow, so it is not An Rou's target.
She and Paopao walked towards the small boats neatly arranged on the left, and an NPC came up to meet them.
Qian Wang, a shipping leasing employee.
The name... is somewhat inconsistent with the cyber scene of Ghost Island.
Qian Wang smiled hospitably, "Sir, Madam, would you like to rent a boat?"
The boat rental business at Guidao is perhaps comparable to the car rental business at Lengbingcheng, and even more so than Lengbingcheng. Lengbingcheng charges by the day, while Guidao charges by the hour.
"500 gold per hour, pay later. However, you need to pay a 10-hour deposit first..."
Paopao didn't want to act like a stranger, so he interrupted him and paid the money directly.
There are rows of thermal boats to choose from, and Paopao just picked the nearest one.
Qian Wang pulled down the boarding ladder and politely invited the two to board. Then he turned around and said to the other side: "Guests are coming!"
A figure appeared in the corner and walked over slowly. It turned out to be a listless player with a straightforward and interesting ID above his head: [Siji].
Paopao was studying how to start this thing. Seeing this, he was stunned and then remembered that renting a thermal boat comes with a driver.
Maybe they were afraid that people wouldn't know how to drive, or maybe they were afraid that people would run away with the boat.
After all, 5,000 gold can't buy a thermal ship.
The driver skipped the ladder and easily jumped onto the deck. He nodded casually to the two men and sat down at the bow. With deft movements of the buttons and joystick, the ship vibrated slightly, and a roar echoed around him.
The sound is much quieter than that of a large thermal ship, and there is no thermal ball rising.
Seeing An Rou's eyes hovering in the middle of the hull, Paopao explained in a low voice: "The airbag of the boat is hidden in the hull."
An Rou nodded suddenly. Although she didn't understand, she couldn't deny that she was moved.
I want to get a few back to the farm.
Paopao, worthy of being the boss's secretary, once again guessed her thoughts and added, "Transportation is not just a tool for daily life."
The inventory is full, which means that trying to sneak a few thermal boats out of Onigashima without drawing attention is impossible.
An Rou sighed with regret.
The thermal ship took off, and Siji asked without turning around, "Where to?"
"Black Market Island." Paopao answered immediately.
"Which black market island?" Siji glanced back, his eyes sweeping across his backpack, and asked to himself, "I heard that the official acceptance price for black market island No. 7 is high recently, and it's very popular. Where are we going?"
Paopao and Anrou looked at each other and saw the same question in each other's eyes.
When purchasing items from the official store, is there still a price difference?
Unheard of, and not even mentioned in the Ghost Island guide.
Siji saw the flaw in their hesitation. He said calmly, "You're not from the Ghost Island camp, are you? No wonder you didn't know. Of the four major camps, Ghost Island has the fewest official stores, with only eight black market islands. An imbalance in supply is normal. However, the price difference is rare, so you're lucky."
Paopao didn't respond, his eyes showing vigilance.
Si Ji smiled to himself and said, "Don't worry, I'm just a wanderer, not a security guard. I just want to earn this salary. I don't care where you come from."
"Okay, let's go to Black Market Island No. 7." An Rou said.
She quietly grabbed Paopao's hand and wrote the word "Bronze" on the back of his hand.
Paopao felt a little relieved. He was already a high-level Gold player, so there was no need to be afraid of a Bronze rogue.
An Rou sat down near the bow and started chatting with Si Ji, looking like a gamer. Si Ji didn't doubt her, but he was listless and incoherent.
He's like a social animal whose temper has been worn out by life.
That's right. It would be strange if a player who plays the role of a driver in the game, doesn't do any tasks, and works for NPCs wholeheartedly, would have a bad temper.
Siji quipped, "With a 20% commission, I can earn 100 gold an hour, and a few hundred a day just running around. After deducting the monthly rental for the holographic cabin, I can make at least 1,000 or 2,000 a day. Where else can I find a job offline that pays that much?"
An Rou was surprised and said, "20%? That's a high percentage."
"What's so high? Silver players are doing this job, so they get at least 10% more than me. I'm just a lowly bronze player... well, I want to do quests to level up, but there are so many low-level players in this damn place called Ghost Island, so there's no way there's that many quests to share among everyone."
"I see many people going to the Land of No Life to gain experience."
"There are a lot of low-level ghouls over there, but if you're unlucky, you might run into a C-rank or B-rank one too. It's easy to get killed, so why bother? It's better to stay on the island and sail the boat. At least it's a job."
An Rou agreed and asked, "Is NPC willing to give drivers such a high commission?"
"What can I do if I can't bear to let go?"
Siji patted the joystick. "Do you like this thing? Don't tell me, I've been driving it for so long and I still love it. From time to time, I want to steal and rob it and never give it back. Everyone has this thought. Aren't they afraid of death? They can only pay a high salary to hire the Destiny to help look after it."
An Rou understood. It seemed that the driver of the thermal boat was not just a driver, but also had the responsibility to look after the boat.
She looked at the high-rise buildings slowly flying by on both sides, and felt that the Ghost Island was completely different from what she had imagined. It was strange yet familiar.
"You didn't come to Ghost Island just to go to the black market, did you? Do you want to stay and find a job?" Siji asked a question on his own initiative.
"Work?"
"Yeah, don't foreign factions come to Ghost Island looking for work? A lot of equipment, both large and small, is produced here. It's not weapons, but it's much more expensive than weapons. Players are needed in many places. The higher your level, the higher the salary the NPC will offer."
An Rou followed up by asking, "Are these devices all made by NPCs? They're all worth a fortune, so why wouldn't the Ghost Island Guild be tempted?"
"What's the point of being moved? The game is designed for us to kill ghouls, not to do business. The guild can't take it away."
Siji's answer was vague, but his next sentence answered Anrou's curiosity.
"Take Lengbing City for example. Doesn't the Longyan Guild know how to build a generator? Of course they do, but they can't make one outside of Ghost Island. The game already knows what's produced in which places. There's no reasoning behind it. You don't look like a newbie, so how could you not know this?"
An Rou smiled and changed the subject: "Why haven't we reached Black Market Island yet?"
Siji: "Black Market Island No. 7 has been transferred to the inside. It's a bit far. It will probably take an hour."
An Rou couldn't help but look at him twice more.
It turns out that this is where the pettiness lies.
Trick them into going to the farthest black market island, thereby extending the rental time and earning more commission.
She smiled silently and didn't care.
Nine out of ten people who only want to earn a stable salary in the monster-killing game are probably carrying the burden of supporting their families.
When we arrived, it was already 8:15 in the evening.
Black Market Island is unlike the other islands; it's completely covered in a brilliant blue light shield, obscuring what's inside. Siji explained that this is to protect the privacy of players transacting. Besides Black Market Island, many core islands within Ghost Island are also shielded.
The light shield is not big and of average height, so there must be no tall buildings inside. The island area is also the smallest in the archipelago.
The thermal ship stopped near the edge of the island, slowly descended, and sank into the light shield.
"The light shield on the Black Market Island is different from other places. It has a built-in prohibition effect. Anyone who enters during non-trading hours will have their Life Points cut in half, and this debuff will last for a week. Anyone who remains on the island after the market closes will also be affected by this negative effect. Hurry."
An Rou nodded.
The opening hours of the black market island are from 8 to 10 pm. There is still more than an hour before closing, which is more than enough time.
However, it took Siji ten minutes to find a berth.
As he said, Black Market Island No. 7 was extremely popular due to its high prices, attracting many players. The mooring areas around the island were packed.
"Do you want me to take you there?" Siji asked.
"No need." An Rou refused.
If Siji knew that they were selling so many props, it would be strange if he didn't become greedy.
The island was bustling with people, and the further we went, the louder the noise and the brighter the lights.
"The row of curved buildings in the innermost area is the official trading area." Paopao said in her ear, while glancing around vigilantly.
The other players who didn't gather in the official trading hall were probably trading privately, gathering in small groups, whispering, inspecting the goods, and bargaining.
Outside the official trading areas, there are free trading areas.
"Boss, are we going to ship in the free trade zone?"
An Rou frowned and looked around, feeling a little hesitant.
She could see everyone's ID and understood the situation faster than Paopao. In the free trade zone, guild players and freeloaders, low-level players and high-level players mixed together, a real mixed bag.
She would be worried if Paopao's level didn't improve, but Paopao was already a high-level gold player.
"Try it." An Rou said, "One by one, don't make a sound."
Paopao was eager to try: "I understand!"
-
"Uncle Zhang, play with me for a while! Uncle..."
Zisha held a small whip in one hand and held her wide-open trouser leg with the other, looking pitiful.
There was a wooden top lying tilted at his feet.
Zhang Da had made the toy for her, so she decided that only Zhang Da and she could play with it. Playing with a spinning top requires some skill, and Zisha couldn't master it, so she kept pestering Zhang Da to teach her.
No one can teach him except Zhang Da, not even his brother.
Meng Ziyou sat on the doorstep with a snort. He couldn't stand it any longer and turned around to glare at Zhang Da: "What's wrong with you just playing with her for a while?!"
Zhang Da remained unmoved: "The boss wants us to take care of the farm."
Although he said that, he still couldn't break free from Zisha's hand.
Meng Ziyou: "What are you looking at? Who can see you outside in the middle of the night? It's unnecessary."
Since being forced to stay on the farm, An Rou personally assigned it a job: training manager, specifically responsible for training ghoul employees in disguise skills.
However, the corpses in the pickle vat had been cleared out, and no new employees had been differentiated. The old employees were all A-level, and although Meng Ziyou's rank was higher than theirs, he was no match for them in a real fight, so he didn't dare to take this job too seriously.
So far, it is no different from a commander without troops, and is very boring.
Before leaving, An Rou asked her and Zhang Da to be responsible for the safety of the farm. Working with Zhang Da, a saw-mouthed gourd, was particularly annoying, especially when Zi Sha kept pestering Zhang Da and refused to leave.
"Uncle Zhang..."
Zhang Da still didn't agree, and there was a piece of hemp candy in his lowered hand.
The little girl immediately put the spinning top behind her and smiled happily.
Less than a hundred kilometers west of the farm.
A team traveling in the darkness stopped quietly.
Witt took out the Soul-Chasing Sand from the item bar. The white sand was glowing faintly and was blown forward by the invisible wind in the glass bottle.
A dark shadow quickly turned back.
Kairi: "Why aren't you moving? Are you going in the wrong direction?"
Witt shook his head slowly and shared the light screen: "Go further and you will reach Ghost Island."
"I know, so what?"
"The player density on Ghost Island is much higher than that in Lengbing City." There was a hint of worry in Witt's words.
Kairi understood and sarcastically said, "Why, you just surrendered two days ago and you want to change your sponsor? Want to remind Philip or Atan? Go ahead, I won't stop you."
President Lu merged the groups and appointed Witte as the leader. It's impossible for him to do it without a purpose. After Kairi figured out the deeper meaning, he maintained this attitude.
He used to admire Witt's character, but now, haha... to be honest, this guy is a traitor who puts personal grudges before national interests.
Witt didn't argue, put away the light screen, and said lightly: "Let's go."
Since neither the forum nor President Lu reported any abnormality on Ghost Island, the guilds on Ghost Island should not have discovered Yongan Farm yet.
Otherwise, subsequent actions will involve the diplomatic level, which will be troublesome.
Siji suppressed a yawn and looked at the brightly lit official trading area in the distance.
Most players who come to the Black Market Island to trade hope to buy low and sell high, and free trade is the first step. Those two won't be back anytime soon.
He left the cockpit and lay down in the middle of the deck.
I'm online for too long every day, and my nerves are always tired. Low-level psychic potions that cost 10 gold a pop are useless, and the mid-level psychic potions that do work are too expensive to afford.
5,000 gold is enough for him to work for several days.
Siji was thinking to himself, his gradually blurred consciousness made him not notice the rustling noises around him.
[The Filipino Federation’s “Trader No. 7” Executive Team]
[Quendi: The support team is in place.]
[Binlar: The investigation team reports the situation.]
[Hasse: The investigation team has dispersed. No abnormalities have been detected for the time being.]
[Binlar: Clue analysis: The target ghoul is very skilled in disguise. The reconnaissance team should keep a close eye on the players in the Free Trade Zone to prevent them from ambushing the ghoul wave. Also, pay attention to the number of Yatan members. We must not let them steal this mission!]
-
The culture of free trade between players is very popular on Ghost Island, which made An Rou secretly relieved.
Everyone followed the rules. If they agreed on a price, they would pay for the goods. If they couldn't, they would just walk away. Plus, An Rou didn't intend to sell every item at the highest price, so in just half an hour, she successfully sold a lot of goods.
Except for a few props that are carried daily, the prop bar is basically empty, and a total of more than 2 million gold is recovered.
They sold things one after another. In order not to attract attention, they changed places every time they sold an item to keep a distance from each other.
Unknowingly, his footprints covered half of the Black Market Island.
There are only a few lighthouses in the free trade zone, and the light is not as abundant as in the official trading zone. The two found a relatively secluded corner.
Paopao put down his backpack and planned to put the props in the bag into the prop column to replenish the stock.
A dark shadow suddenly appeared behind him.
"Where are you two from?!"
Hasse had noticed them ten minutes ago.
The two men mingled in the crowd, trading with other players every minute or two. Judging by their expressions after they separated, it was clear that every deal had been concluded.
There are three types of players who will bring a large number of props to trade on the black market.
First, guilds ship in bulk, often setting up stalls with a high profile, eager to attract everyone to bid. These two were clearly not one of them.
Second, high-level players are out to complete multiple low- and mid-level missions in one trip. However, to deter low-level players, high-level players are eager to display their level throughout the entire process. These two are not either.
Third, players who specialize in dirty deeds, such as robbers and body stealers, are often very cautious when shipping goods, and they would like to sell one item in exchange for another on the black market.
It's very similar to the style of these two people.
Although he came to the Black Market Island for a mission, Hasse still couldn't help but activate a perspective card.
You won’t know until you see it, and you’ll be shocked: their backpacks are full of props!
How many bodies were stolen and how many people were robbed?
He was suddenly furious.
Ghost Island is a place that attaches great importance to public security, so there is no room for such dirty and ugly criminals!
An Rou and Paopao were also startled by his sudden questioning.
Paopao's hands quickly pulled out his backpack and closed it, but his wariness quickly turned into a smile as Hasse flashed his ID.
The level is not high, only high-level silver, but it has a shining guild emblem on the front.
Hasse’s identity as a member of the Philippine Church is his greatest confidence.
"We..." Paopao also showed his ID. "I came from Island 47, and she's my escort. What can I do for you?"
Hase was stunned by the identity of the Golden Wild Guest, but he soon sneered.
The other party's words undoubtedly admitted that he was a criminal.
As Hasse approached, he heard clearly the woman ask Ye Ke, "How many times will it take to fill your inventory with this bag of items?"
"Props" is a sensitive word!
This woman is not an NPC at all, let alone a companion!
The most prosperous first-level island actually hides gold-level corpse thieves and robbers? No wonder they can get so many props.
Any criminal behavior can never be forgiven, let alone the extremely harmful Golden Wild Guest!
Hasse suppressed his anger and said calmly, "I'm in charge of security on Black Market Island. Since you don't look familiar, I'll ask you a few questions according to the regulations."
He took a step back, turned his back, and turned on the light screen.
He hesitated.
The fastest way to capture these two criminals is naturally to notify the mission execution team on the island, but in doing so, the ghouls may be alerted and the mission may fail.
Instead of using the mission execution team, notify the sky patrol. It will take some time for the patrol to arrive.
And he had already asked the criminals questions, and given their sneaky nature, they might escape soon.
Hasse didn't hesitate for long before choosing the latter option. He also decided to keep an eye on the criminal until the patrol arrived.
But, he met death.
The Tang sword penetrated the back of Hase's neck and pierced through his Adam's apple.
Hasse's passive defense flickered for a second, then faded. Then, a spike pierced his back and pierced his heart.
After the passive defense was broken, An Rou used the basic attack power of the spikes to give him the final blow.
Hase widened his eyes in disbelief and fell to the ground, but was caught by Paopao in time.
Paopao and Anrou exchanged glances and dragged his body into a dark corner.
Paopao tore off a piece of Hase's clothes, spent money to reshape it into a large piece of cloth, and wrapped Hase tightly.
"It's a shame I didn't bring my pickle jar this time. Boss, what should we do? Even if no one finds the body, the Philistines will be here soon... Wait, Boss, why did you kill him?"
"He's already suspicious and is about to call the patrol." An Rou said, "Also, he came to Black Market Island to carry out a mission."
Paopao was shocked: "There are ghouls on the island?!"
An Rou nodded: "The mission code name is 'Trader No. 7', but the specific content is unclear."
In fact, An Rou only saw a team channel named [Non-Profit Guild "Trader No. 7" Executive Group] on the communication list. The reason why she speculated that the ghoul was on the black market island was because of the word "trader".
Black market transactions, there is no more appropriate word.
"The Philistine Guild may not have discovered the details of the mission yet, otherwise this Hasse wouldn't have bothered to observe us. This ghoul... is likely disguised as a player, and his level is quite high."
Thinking about this, An Rou stopped analyzing. This time she was here for the gold coins, and she didn't want to cause any more trouble.
"Let's go. Hand over all the remaining items to the authorities and leave immediately."
Unexpectedly, trouble found her just because she didn't want to get involved in it.
In the official trading area, before Paopao put his backpack on the counter, Anrou grabbed his arm.
An Rou stared at the NPC behind the counter as if facing a formidable enemy.
There is no ID on his head.
The ghoul is actually parasitizing the official trader!
"boss?"
An Rou calmed herself down, loosened her grip, and rushed to the counter, where she began to take out the items from her backpack.
The trading counter is a long row of transparent glass cabinets filled with a variety of props. On the counter top is a trading tablet similar to a scale, which is an exclusive prop for the official store.
The transaction process is divided into two steps: inspecting the goods and collecting the money.
To inspect the goods and distinguish between buying and selling, traders or players place the items on the tablet, which will display the weapon attributes and recycling price.
To collect money, if both parties agree on the price, the player places their hand on the tablet to collect or pay.
An Rou remained calm and watched Paopao place a prop on the tablet.
Orange weapon, trade-in price 20,000 gold.
Paopao looked at Anrou for instructions, and Anrou nodded.
Paopao pressed the tablet with one hand, received the money, and the props disappeared. I guess the trading tablet has its own balance account and storage space.
"It's really a huge loss." He muttered and was about to take down an item when the trader spoke.
It smiled and said, "Sir, due to market fluctuations, the recycling price in this trading area has increased by 20% based on the official price. I will pay the difference."
It raised its hand and reached out.
Paopao was delighted and immediately reached out his hand, but was pulled back by Anrou.
Will it pay the difference?
That requires the touch of hands!
An Rou suddenly figured out the reason why the recycling price on Black Market Island No. 7 was raised. This ghoul was using this method to differentiate new ghouls!
What does it want to do by attracting so many players and dividing so many new ghouls?
An Rou didn't think deeply about it, nor did she want to care. Right now, she just wanted to leave this place of trouble.
"We have an urgent matter, so we won't sell the rest."
"boss?"
An Rou didn't say anything, pulled Paopao and turned to leave.
The light around suddenly changed, and the golden light was dazzling.
An Rou squinted her eyes and barely saw her surroundings - an empty house, made entirely of gold coins from the ground to the walls!
She turned around suddenly and met the trader's interested gaze.
This gold coin room is an illusion space created by the ghoul, and it is very likely its ghost magic!
"Boss... Boss!" Paopao's voice changed from confusion to shock.
An Rou saw the light screen in front of him out of the corner of her eye.
[Task Name: Buying food in the sun, selling souls at night. Life is just a transaction. What do you think?]
[Mission Location: Black Market Island No. 7]
[Ghoul Level: SSS]
[Number of Ghouls: 455/455]
【Time limit: None】
[Difficulty Rating: SSS]
The ghoul level has reached SSS!
Not only that, the number of ghouls is approaching a super-large ghoul tide!
"Ah, so calm, I guess you found me."
The trading counter and the players trading at the nearby counters all disappeared, and the ghoul took a step and walked straight over.
It closed its eyes and took a deep breath. "Strange, the smell of your soul is even lighter than water. Are you a human, or a destiny?"
An Rou didn't answer, the weapon slipped out of her sleeve and was held in her hand.
It’s still that sharp spike, the red weapon “Shadow Piercing Stab”.
"Stop playing tricks." She stared into the ghoul's eyes. "Your parasite isn't a destiny. If we really fight, it's unclear who will win or lose."
Without player skills, the ghoul's greatest threat lies in its ghost arts. SSS-level ghouls possess three types of ghost arts, and this gold coin space before them is clearly one of them. However, this space seems to be non-aggressive.
It's a good thing.
But the ghoul didn't stop.
It approached step by step, a playful smile on its face. "Really? Your companion doesn't seem to mind lending me his body."
An Rou was startled and felt a tug on her hand.
After the task details popped up, Paopao didn't say another word.
An Rou then realized that his eyes were wide open, and the golden light in the room was reflected in his dilated pupils - no, it was the light of the gold coins that had somehow penetrated into his eyes!
He was bewitched by the magic!
An Rou didn't let him break free, and slapped him with all her strength.
At the same time, her own gaze never left the ghoul's eyes, the focus widened and then closed in an instant.
The ghoul stopped.
Paopao's screams rang out at the same time.
He woke up and immediately pulled An Rou behind him to confront the ghoul.
【Ghoul (SSS-level)】
The light screen for level identification made him swallow his saliva involuntarily and hold the Silver Wind Mace tightly.
The Qingwu Silver Wind Mace is undoubtedly extremely threatening to the ghouls that parasitize in the bodies of ordinary people.
But the ghoul ignored the green weapon and looked at An Rou with a gloomy gaze over Paopao's shoulder.
Its playful smile was gone, and it put a hand to its forehead: "What did you do?!"
Just a moment ago, there was a sharp pain in the brain, which made its ghost magic unstable and less confusing.
An Rou answered irrelevantly: "I'm not interested in you. You go your way, and I'll go mine. Is that okay?"
"Not interested?" The ghoul had seen too many sinister and cunning tricks of the Chosen Ones, so naturally he didn't believe it.
A smile appeared on its face again, not just teasing, but also a hint of madness.
"No matter where you come from or what tricks you use, since you're here, join the carnival!"
Before he finished speaking, the crazy smile on his face froze for a moment and quickly turned into a hideous one.
"What are you doing?!" It stared at An Rou and gritted its teeth.
An Rou half-raised her head, her eyes unfocused, and said calmly, "I told you I'm not interested in you. I don't want my elaborate plan to go to waste, so just let us go."
On the Black Market Island, the circular building representing the official trading area has two floors. The first floor is the counter, and the second floor is said to be the residence of the official traders.
During trading hours, the lights on the first floor are brightly on, while the lights on the second floor are off.
Since the news of the "official trade-in price increase" broke a few days ago, the number of people visiting Black Market Island No. 7 has doubled compared to usual. Thousands of players come to the island every night to trade.
It was just after nine o'clock, when the crowds were at their peak.
However, no one expected that in the dark room on the second floor, countless pairs of eyes, red with hunger, were looking at them through the glass.
A few seconds ago, the oppressive force from the Ghost Mother suddenly disappeared, and all the ghouls thought it was time to hunt for food. But then, another huge oppressive force spread throughout their bodies, making it impossible for them to move.
That kind of suppressive force came from the Ghost Mother, but it was not entirely from the Ghost Mother, as it was mixed with another will.
The will was so strong that even if they were asked to turn around and attack the ghost mother, they would not hesitate at all.
Trading area on the first floor.
An Rou saw the bustling crowd outside the building through hundreds of pairs of eyes.
She turned her lifeless eyes towards the SSS-level ghoul and smiled calmly, "In the next second, I can have your descendants lined up to die, and all your hard work will be in vain.
"Also, I'm sorry, I just killed someone a few minutes ago, and the Philistines will be here soon. Oh, that's not right.
"The Philistines are already here, 'Trader No. 7,' and they're probably coming for you. However, their reinforcements will arrive soon.
"You'd better think carefully about whether to continue fighting with me or let him go."
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