The Legendary Mechanic, page 80
The second scenario was respawning at the nearest city. That only applied to respawning players and not for those that were logged in. This meant that if one was killed, one would earn a chance to travel to a city for free, and it was either the city that one wanted or the city that one did not want.
The third scenario was binding to a certain respawn location. However, this required special conditions, including affiliation to camps, special items, or through agreements with NPCs. For example, when one joined a secret camp, one could bind to the camp and select it as one’s respawn point, but others would not be able to do so.
Frenzied Sword would come online on the helicopter. As such, Han Xiao had left a phone behind and instructed the pilot to wait. He then trudged through the forest, heading for the Green Valley Ville.
After two hours, the outline of the Green Valley Ville could be seen from a distance away. It was situated at the side of the forest on a flat land. It was fortified and surrounded by barbed wire fence, and there were vagrant warlords patrolling around. As expected, all the players were gathering at the camps outside of the settlement, just like in Big Horn Village.
Han Xiao did not bother to hide himself. The sentry of the Green Valley Ville spotted him from far away and reported right away to the person-in-charge, Balsas.
Balsas was a bald black man, neither tall nor strong. Instead, he was tiny and thin. He had a pair of triangular eyes that seemed gloomy. Upon hearing what the sentry had described, he was shaken. “Sounds a little like Black Phantom.”
Balsas took out his computer and searched for Black Phantom’s photo. Upon getting confirmation from the sentry, Balsas’ expression changed. “Didn’t he just interfere with the battle at Tedramira River. Why is he here? I have nothing to do with him.”
Just the name ‘Black Phantom’ alone made Balsas anxious. Even though Green Valley Ville was heavily armed, he still felt unsafe. Balsas then muttered, “Should we approach him and find out why he is here?”
Since Alumera did not have a previous relationships with the Black Phantom, Balsas thought that it would be impossible to clash with the Black Phantom, and there was also no one who had published a wanted notice on Black Phantom on the dark net. Balsas calmed down and called for an assistant. He ordered his assistant to take his place and approach the Black Phantom as he was afraid to do it himself.
When the assistant headed out of the gate and walked toward Black Phantom, Balsas moved beside the big gate and observed through the barbed wire fence. He seemed really careful.
However, Balsas very soon witnessed a scene that shook him. He saw that the villagers living outside were actually excited and friendly toward the Black Phantom, actually gathering around him.
Balsas was surprised. [How do all the villagers know about the Black Phantom?
…
There were fewer players at Green Valley Ville compared to the number of players at Big Horn Village.
When Han Xiao arrived at the players’ camp, he was warmly welcomed by everyone. It was so crowded, and everyone surrounded him, obstructing his route.
Through the forum, the incident at Big Horn Village had spread across Aquamarine players, and all other new player villages were envious that new players at Big Horn Village had a chance to switch their vocation. With the unexpected appearance of Black Phantom, all the new players from Green Valley Ville were thrilled.
“Black Phantom is here!”
“We are going to be lucky too!”
A player with the ID ‘Bun-hit-dog’ was more exhilarated than the others. He was quite a well-known video game graphic designer, and his ‘XX Adventure’ series, which was humor-based and full of content, had gained him a lot of fans.
Chapter 148. The Wind Rises |
Bun-hit-dog saw Galaxy as a potential television series. As there was limited information online about it, he keenly realized the hidden potential and decided to create a series that introduced and explained Galaxy. Moreover, he himself really liked Galaxy as well.
It was inevitable for many to start a series on a popular game. Normally, as long as the content was interesting, the first person that produced the television series would easily gain popularity through the game.
Wandering around a new player village, Bun-hit-dog had yet to find the starting point for his series. The first episode of a series was the most important, and he did not wish to do it carelessly. It would be great if he could obtain some exclusive information that ordinary players could not get easily.
Han Xiao’s appearance made Bun-hit-dog feel like his chance was finally here.
Since the Black Phantom was a hot topic on the forums, many people would be drawn to his television series if his first episode was about the Black Phantom. Who was not curious about this mysterious high-level character? He would then be able to ride on Black Phantom’s popularity and make the series a successful one.
Bun-hit-dog, who was among the crowd, switched on his video function, panned toward Black Phantom, and started recording. He then added his own explanation and comments into the footage afterward.
Players were clustering toward him due to the event that happened at Big Horn Village, and that helped save Han Xiao some time. Han Xiao thought he might as well not sell any items. After all, he did not bring any with him. Instead, he went straight to releasing the list of skills that he could teach. The only request was to give five reputation points, which meant….
Wish to change your vocation? Give me some money!
“Black Phantom isn’t selling anything? Then how am I supposed to increase my reputation?”
“This… Giving him free money?”
Players were stunned and whispers started among the crowd.
Han Xiao was calm and thought he did not want to go through so much trouble in Big Horn Village, since the players all knew that they could advance through him. His offer seemed like he was trying to scam the players, but in reality, it was just a simple deal: 2,500 Aquamarine Dollars in exchange for a chance for advancement. Deal or no deal, it was all up to them to decide.
Compared to the normal route for obtaining basic knowledges, paying 2,500 Aquamarine Dollars was already considered a cheap price.
At the time, Balsas’ assistant approached and nervously swallowed his saliva. He was trembling with fear every time he took a step closer, and he was afraid of getting too close to Han Xiao.
“What is it?” Han Xian glanced at him.
“Cough cough, may I know why you are here at Green Valley Ville?” The assistant asked as he braced himself.
Han Xiao took a puff of his cigarette and said, “I’m just walking past here. Don’t worry, I’m not here to cause any trouble.”
The assistant heaved a sigh of relief and said, “Oh, Alumera welcomes you, and Balsas wishes to invite you into the city so that he can give you a treat.
“No, thanks, I’ll just stay here.”
Han Xiao declined as it would be inconvenient to communicate with the players once he entered the town. Since there would not be anyone who dared refuse him, he would leave once he had gotten the experience. As such, he did not pay attention to Balsas.
“Al, Alright…” The assistant left hurriedly as his heart raced, and he was dripping with cold sweat. The legendary killer seemed to be emitting a scary aura. The assistant was scared stiff even though Han Xiao was just standing still.
Especially his eyes, they were like those of wolverines wandering around the dark forest. One could get goose bumps just by staring into Han Xiao’s eyes.
This was one of the effects of having Universal Reputation. When dealing with certain forces, there might be additional effects.
When the assistant returned into the village, Balsas asked, “What did he say?”
The assistant then repeated everything that had happened.
“Just passing by?” Balsas frowned and pondered. He suspected that there were some secrets going on between Black Phantom and the refugees outside the village.
After contemplating for a while, he ordered, “Get someone to observe Black Phantom and report to me if anything is weird. Also, go get some information from the refugees outside. I think Black Phantom is here for them.”
On the other hand, all the players had witnessed the conversation between Han Xiao and Balsas’ assistant. A question then arose among the crowd.
Everyone was able to detect and know the name of Black Phantom because they had sensors in place, but why would the Balsas’ assistant know of him too?
Could it be that Black Phantom was a very popular character on the planet?
The players were all still trying to figure out the structure, background, and the power balances on Aquamarine. They were only able to get a glimpse or two of the world through the maps, which was not helpful at all.
Everyone was suddenly curious about Black Phantom’s background.
Exploring the story of the planet and being able to participate in it was one of the joys for this game.
Bun-hit-dog focused on recording the full situation. Hiding his excitement, his instincts told him that this was definitely the best video material. Exclusive information and the identity of Black Phantom could be used as the prelude to the background of this planet.
…
While Han Xiao was getting a windfall in Green Valley Ville, the world situation was quietly changing.
Stardragon, Hesla, Red Maple, Ordina, Theseus, and Raylen—the Six Nations’ wipe out operation against the Germinal Organization had ended, and the subsequent impact was gradually emerging.
The Six Nations had only held three conferences so far. The first was held after the war in the past, when the Six Nations were first formed and the lands were first claimed.
The second conference was held two months after the war. The pollution from the war was affecting living conditions. Since it was a problem regarding the whole planet, all the nations came together to try to come out with a solution.
The third time was five years after the war, whereby the security and defense issues posed by the vagrant warlords were discussed.
The last six ruling nations on Aquamarine did not have a close relationship with one another. If it was not for a worldwide issue, they would never have worked together.
Today, the fourth Six Nations’ conference was held. The topic was about the next step in their plans regarding Germinal and whether they should go to war or not.
The conference was done in the format of a conference call, and the leaders from each of the Six Nations joined in.
In a meeting room in Stardragon Tower, the metal door was locked, and the leader of Stardragon was sitting at the desk. On the other side was a big screen where the other five leaders could be seen.
The corner of the conference room was filled with people. All of them were the elders from the military, and Gu Hui was also among them. The conference had already been going on for two hours.
“So, has everyone decided?”
Ordina’s leader was emotionless in his tone, and no one was able to tell his stand.
The leader of Theseus stood up confidently and said, “I, Raylen, and Stardragon have all agreed to send out our troops. Hesla and Red Maple object.”
Ordina pondered for two seconds. “I give up my vote.”
Everyone looked as if they had expected it.
Gu Hui, who was standing by the side, remained calm. There were two that agreed, two that objected, and one that gave up. He had already expected such results. Theus and Raylen were the toughest while Stardragon had a strong grudge with Germinal, so they would definitely not miss this chance. Hesla and Red Maple were unwilling to waste money on war. It seemed that Ordina was the greatest slimeball, always thinking about other things instead.
The six leaders discussed for another hour and finalized their direction. They all decided that the final decision was to be determined by the military forces of each nation.
The screen turned black; the three-hour meeting had officially ended.
The elders who were listening by the side seemed shocked. During the conference, it was decided that the six nations would conduct a large-scale military operation similar to the previous major war that had uprooted the political balance. The six nations would move forward and retreat together, attack the Andrea mainland from six directions, and finally destroy the Germinal Organization completely.
War is coming!
Chapter 149. Galaxy Times (1) |
The players in Green Valley Ville took a screenshot and showed off the arrival of Black Phantom on the forum, which sparked another round of heated discussions.
“Previously, it was Big Horn Village; now, it is Green Valley Ville. Will he move on to a new location?”
“Is this high-ranking character arranged by the game developer? The times at which he appears feels weird. If he was a mechanic instructor, his whereabouts would be uncertain. Unless he is the planet protagonist who manages the information written on the net.”
“It doesn’t seem like it. I think the planet protagonist and the plot should be related. It is unlikely that we could come in contact so early. Black Phantom should be another type of mysterious character. Since it is difficult to switch vocation, could it be that Black Phantom was sent by the game developers to compensate us?”
“What! Does it mean that in order to switch our vocation, we have to do it now or else we’ll miss this opportunity with Black Phantom?”
The speculation regarding Han Xiao had not stopped, and the commotion in Big Horn Village had not subsided. His popularity had once again been pushed all the way to the top by the players in Green Valley Ville.
Han Xiao read up countless posts about himself with great interest and summed up the impressions that most players had of him.
The first kind—some players thought he was a mysterious businessman who would appear in the early stages to provide benefits to the novices.
The second kind—some thought he was a mechanic instructor.
The third kind—they thought he was an important character who was in charge of handling important tasks. Due to this statement, Han Xiao had to handle a group of players who wished to trigger hidden tasks every day. After reading about Maple Moon’s example, some players thought that by showing hostility to Germinal, they could exploit the hidden quest.
As the statements made by these people were very strange, Han Xiao rejected all of them. However, there were still players who thought they were highly charismatic and chose to explore any backhanded ways to convince Black Phantom. Since there were more female players, the leader of Sky Territory had a post saying that that would be a benefit when they talk to Black Phantom. Han Xiao was then surrounded by female players who were trying to charm him.
Yet he remained indifferent.
You think that just because you have looks, you don’t have to pay? Dream on!
However, some players were very arrogant and even tried to attack him. Han Xiao adopted the responsibility to right them of their baseless arrogance. He would kill any of these players once they resurrected to teach them a lesson. The game would only refresh the number of deaths every six days. This resurrection could also be called anti-addiction mechanism, and players who dared attack him would be forced to go offline.
These kinds of lawless players obviously played more stand-alone games. Unlike other players who were more cautious in progressing in the game, they were risk takers. No one took pity with these players. This game had been released globally, and there would definitely be a rare madman who wanted to challenge the entire game world; they were used to it.
One player after another queued to pass Han Xiao their money, and Han Xiao realized the mechanics department had attracted quite a number of players. However, as there was a request for the gifts to be sent directly this time round, some petty players were rather hesitant. As a result, the queue was also rather sparse.
Han Xiao just went with it and browsed through the forum at one side. Suddenly, a new post caught his attention. The topic was Galaxy Times.
The column is released! Han Xiao’s face changed as he felt the nostalgia.
Galaxy Times was a sub-column, and the content varied. The column talked about the news on Galaxy, including all kinds of anecdotes, stories from professional players, and analysis of the game process. Han Xiao had once been a follower of Galaxy Times, and he would always have the urge to be the first to watch it. Now that he himself had joined the game, he was unsure if the content would have changed.
In the video, a male and a female host were sitting in front of the camera, like a news broadcast. Behind them was the scene of Galaxy, showing the background of the new planets.
“Hello players,” the male host greeted, “this is Galaxy Times, dedicated to sharing first-hand game information. Your gaming career is our top priority.”
“The public beta has been going on for ten days, and the players’ enthusiasm has not changed a bit,” the female host said. “Now let us first review what has happened in the past ten days…”
The first issue of the Galaxy Times was informative, and the next ten minutes was a quick review of the beta players during the ten days, introducing the various planets and the civilization background. Among them, there was a planet with an ancient civilization, where players were mostly wearing amour, carrying swords, spears, and hammers as weapons. Their background looked like a mix of Chinese and Western medieval times. It was obvious this planet was dominated by martial arts and magic. If there was a need to add a subtitle to the plot, it should be ‘World Hegemony’ and ‘I Will Use Your Skull as a Bowl’.
There was also a highly-modern planet called Planet Brighton. The city was like a floating island with ninety-nine towers scattered on the edge of the city, forming a defense, and the main tower in the city center. The large crystal ball at the top of the tower provided magical power to suspend the city. Occasionally, there would be sightings of a dragon across the sky. New players would have a slim chance of survival in this world as it was very easy to hit the death limit.
