socalfunplaces Chapter 89: Progress at the Resurrection Point
Chapter 89: Progress at the Resurrection Point
Upon hearing Hans's words, the goose did not hesitate for a moment and immediately used the insignia on its left arm to report Hans's exact words to Lynn, who was on the front lines in the ruined city.
Upon receiving the message, Lynn glanced at the entrance to the mine below. Everything was as he had expected, and he finally felt much more at ease after getting a definite answer.
The buffer period below has begun its countdown, and the army from Archer Village is on its way.
With the increasing number of players and their growing mobility, it's pointless to add more people to this "meat grinder" if the issue of traversing the map after death isn't resolved.
Moreover, he would never allow all the fallen players to crowd around him to resurrect, as that would not only instantly destroy the front-line defenses but also make his command as the GM appear extremely frivolous.
"Very good, almost as expected." Lynn's voice came back through the emblem. "Big Goose, try to borrow the high-purity magic crystals from Hans's inventory in the library. You can come back with that newbie. Before the army engages the enemy, we need the anchor point in the ruins to be lit up."
Meanwhile, the players, who were trekking along a dirt road in the wilderness, felt a faint throbbing in their forearms.
A clear inscription appeared directly on their coat of arms:
[Background Plot Progression: Ancient ruins have been unearthed in the abandoned city's underground front. A temporary soul-guiding anchor point, i.e., a resurrection point, has been established. It is now in the charging and activation phase.]
This brief announcement was like a shot of adrenaline, piercing the very heart of every player who was suffering through the arduous journey.
"Holy crap! The production team finally acted like human beings!"
"Thank goodness! At least there's a respawn point! I heard that if you die once while roasting a whole lamb, you can just respawn right in front of the GM. Just thinking about it makes me so embarrassed."
"Who says otherwise! If we have to rely on the GM's built-in anchor point to resurrect in the future, then we can't fight the battle in the ruined city at all. If there are too many people, we can crush the GM into a meat patty."
"Man on top of man? That's a bit more than that!"
The troops, whose morale had been low due to the long march, burst into cheers.
Players accepted this setting quite naturally, attributing it all to the game company finally acting like human beings.
However, mental exhilaration cannot relieve physical fatigue for long.
After walking for hours, the "Real Engine's" penalty mechanism began to show its fangs. The low-level newbies were the first to give in, their poor physical abilities making their legs feel as heavy as if they were filled with lead.
The line grew longer and longer, turning from an orderly marching column into a sparse, long line of refugees.
"Lazy Big Bull" was a novice warrior who was going for a pure strength build. He carried a heavy wooden shield, sweating profusely, and his soles were already blistered. With each step, the piercing pain reminded him that this wasn't one of those cheap online games where you could automatically find your way by clicking the mouse.
Of course, at least at this moment, he really wanted this setting.
Just as Da Niu was complaining and looking for a place to sit down and rest, a rustling sound came from the bushes nearby.
A large, muscular wild boar with protruding tusks is looking down, rooting around in the mud and eating tree roots.
Da Niu's eyes lit up immediately.
"Brothers, walking is such a fucking torture!" He threw his shield on the ground, rubbed his hands together, his eyes completely captivated by the wild boar. "Today I'll show you what a hidden mount system is all about!"
Several players nearby, who were munching on dry rations, were stunned: "Hey, Big Bull, don't mess around. We haven't even seen a stable in this game yet, where did this mount come from?"
"Everything can be ridden! Ride me and you'll be invincible!"
Da Niu wouldn't listen to any advice.
He moved quietly, using the waist-high grass as cover, and stealthily circled around to the side and rear of the wild boar. Then he took a deep breath, pushed off with his legs, and leaped high into the air like a tiger pouncing on its prey, landing directly on the wild boar's broad back, his hands tightly gripping its thick neck.
"Giddy up! Get out of here!"
The wild boar, which was peacefully feeding, suffered an unexpected disaster. Suddenly, a weight of over 100 pounds was placed on its back, causing it to let out a mournful howl.
Reality didn't grant Da Niu a protagonist's halo, nor did a "tamed successfully" quest progress notification pop up out of nowhere.
The frightened wild boar went completely berserk.
Instead of following the route the bull had planned along the dirt road, it took off running and plunged headlong into the densest thicket of thorns and muddy puddles beside the road.
"Hey hey hey! Holy crap! Stop! You're going the wrong way!"
The cow's terrified cries echoed across the wilderness.
He had no control over this raging beast. The boar dragged him wildly through the mud, its sharp thorns tearing several holes in his novice white t-shirt and leaving bloody welts on his arms and face.
With a loud bang, the charging wild boar crashed head-on into a thick, dead tree, and the immense momentum sent Da Niu flying.
He flailing his arms and legs in mid-air, tracing an arc, and finally, in a particularly comical pose, hung upside down from the thick branch of a crooked tree. The wild boar that caused the accident, shaking its dizzy head, disappeared into the depths of the forest.
The players on the dirt road were stunned for a full three seconds before erupting in a deafening chorus of taunts.
"Brother Niu is awesome! That wild boar rider role is fucking creative!"
"You're too tough, bro. You dare to go on without a saddle or reins. You're lucky if you don't shake your shit out."
Laughing, the companions went over and rescued the bruised and swollen bull from the tree.
While wiping the blood from his wound, Da Niu grimaced in pain and said, "What are you laughing at! This is called pioneer exploration! But seriously, the animal AI in this game is too realistic. After we finish this battle in the ruined capital, we should definitely claim some land outside Archer Village and build a large livestock farm. If teleportation points start charging, we can just get a horse-drawn carriage or a pig-drawn cart when we go out, so who wants to suffer on two legs like this!"
"Indeed, if we can cultivate farmland, there's no reason we can't raise pigs." The roasted whole lamb nodded thoughtfully, munching on the jerky in his hand.
Just as players were envisioning a future agricultural and livestock empire, a cloud of yellow dust rose from the end of the road ahead.
With the clatter of wheels crushing stones, a sizable caravan came into view. Five or six large wooden wagons were pulled by strong pack horses, their beds piled high with goods tightly wrapped in tarpaulins. Iron badges bearing the emblem of the City in the Forest hung on the sides of the wagons.
The caravan's guards, who had been idly following the carriages, immediately drew their longswords and short axes like startled birds when they saw the group blocking the road ahead.
From the perspective of these indigenous guards, the group of people in front of them were even more terrifying than the monsters in the forest.
A dozen or so people were gathered on the dirt road. Their eyes were bloodshot from staying up all night and excitement, and their bodies were covered in stinking mud and dark red bloodstains. Some of their protective gear was tattered, but they still held sharpened weapons in their hands. A few were even using makeshift vine nets to drag their companions who had twisted their ankles on the road.
These aren't adventurers; they're clearly ruthless bandits who escaped from some war-torn ruin!
"On alert! Everyone on alert!" the guard captain roared shrilly, his palms sweating profusely.