Chapter 50: Chapter 34: Arrival at Plague Island
The battle was actually without suspense. Chun kept moving around like a water monster, endlessly attacking the ducks on the water’s surface. It was no different from farming monsters in the wild.
The only trouble was the large physical strength consumption, but fortunately, there are still dozens of mushrooms left, and with Diving Mastery, staying still in the pool doesn’t consume much physical strength.
After enduring and killing dozens, what was meant to come finally came:
— System notification: Congrats! You have overcome the enormous fluid resistance of magma, and your Advanced Swimming Technique has advanced to Expert Level 1! You have received achievement rewards: Physical Strength +2, Carrying Capacity +2, and acquired the talent skill: Expert-Level Overcoming Resistance.
Overcoming Resistance: The resistance you encounter in fluids is reduced; physical strength consumption is reduced.
— System notification: Congrats! You’ve successfully elevated a skill to expert level within two days, which is quite remarkable, thereby earning the achievement reward of "Newcomer’s Three-Day Big Discount Blessing": Wisdom +1!
...
Another expert, amazing!
From understanding the expert and gaining Overcoming Resistance, Chun instantly felt as smooth as a fish in water, immediately recalling the sharkskin swimsuit borrowed from the old man yesterday. That was actually a pre-experience of the expert level! First experience, then review, which is really gaining a strategic advantage!
Great, the upcoming battles will be smoother.
However, Chun started to worry; having killed so many, surely this has caused a significant loss to the mining site? Why doesn’t the supervisor come out to stop it?
No choice but to continue.
Finally, after an hour, the magma pool calmed down.
Chun was completely exhausted. Looking at the time, it’s already 5 in the afternoon; not easy at all. If every day were like this, how could it continue? Therefore, personal development cannot rely solely on operations; just stack attributes and become a mindlessly strong warrior will suffice.
At that moment, the teleportation array glowed briefly, and the supervisor appeared riding a Two-headed Flame Dog.
The examiner has come to collect the papers?
Chun is anxious: "Supervisor, they made the first move..."
The supervisor said sternly: "Here, many matters are only measured by strength, not right or wrong. But you have eliminated 115 miners, so you must create value that exceeds theirs. This place is rich in Magma Crystal Stone Ore; you just need to mine and pile them up on the teleportation array."
Am I supposed to be an excavator, capable of handling hundreds?
Chun recalled something: "Supervisor, how do I revive my two attendants, who have turned into Soul Fire?"
The supervisor opened his palm, revealing several brighter soul fires: "Yours are too weak, better to mine more and buy from me!"
Holy Shit! So all the ones I killed ended up in your hands?
Chun was conflicted: "If I don’t revive and cultivate them, I feel it’s my leadership failure."
The supervisor coldly said: "In a cruel world, there’s usually selection, not cultivation—yet having this thought isn’t impossible; start mining, and when the materials are sufficient, it’s naturally possible."
Chun asked again: "What about my trial performance?"
The supervisor gave a cold smile: "I’m not in a good mood."
Having said that, he teleported away.
Holy Shit! So you’re happy the fourth giant lizard trapped me?
In any case, clearing the surroundings is good; now it’s quiet for mining.
— System notification: You can currently set this scene to automated gameplay, would you like to set it up?
Absolutely! All the hard work was for this "free hands-free" mode!
...
Then switch to the main account; at this moment, in-game, it’s just dawn, but the screen still trembles and remains blurry as if smashed.
There is a system message:
— System notification: Congrats! Your wisdom is outstanding; in a state of extreme physical weakness, you bravely persevered and succeeded in combining the mechanical performance of the fishing pole and successfully caught a Yellow Croaker. Your muscle memory successfully recalled "Basic Fishing Technique" level 1. Received additional achievement rewards: Life +1, Spirit +1. Your "Module Combination" skill has gained proficiency.
...
Holy Shit!!
Chun is pleasantly surprised, to actually gain Spirit! Spirit, like speed and luck, is a high-end attribute that’s difficult to obtain—it’s unlikely to increase by 1 point for just 1 level; it’ll probably gain another point by reaching Intermediate.
From the notification, gathering Spirit requires wisdom to lead the way and practicing sick, isn’t this what the open test master calls the "dying method leveling"? Having gotten this plague was definitely worth it!
Looking at the attributes, everything is reduced by half or more! The 105% bonus given by the guild has entirely vanished into it, worse than the weakness after revival.
Even so, the worse it is, the better to train, only that the blurred vision cannot be played like this. Later, must awaken Aileen, let her be my eyes, or have her control my movements.
Soon, the sound of a crow echoed in the sky, a misty and blurry piece of land emerged ahead of the sea horizon.
— System notification: Warning! You have entered the forbidden area range of Plague Island. Revival point amended to the island’s abandoned church. Wish you a speedy recovery.
Holy shit! Other people see seagulls near the shore, but I have crows here! If I want to develop this into a tourist site, it’s going to have to be a spooky theme park?
Report to Sherry that I’m safe.
— System Notification: Distance is too far, can’t contact using Attendant Badge.
Switch to the guild channel.
— Black Flag Order Notification: Distance is too far, can’t contact with current bankrupt status on guild channel.
Ah... Actually, players don’t really need the guild channel since we can use offline mobile groups. So the biggest use of the guild channel is to contact NPCs. If even the guild leader is hard to reach, then that’s really tough.
Finally made it to the dock, and although the vision is blurry, you can still tell it’s a ruined and eerie place, like a ghost city.
A few mirror image sailors tied up the boat, then stood in a row in front of Chun, seeming to wave goodbye before glowing and disappearing.
Chun was stunned, they’ve just left? Does this mean Fafnir gifted me a small boat?
Well, given her status, gifting a small boat is definitely a small matter. But for an NPC to do such a favor for players, it’s quite touching.
Yet Chun stayed on the boat, afraid to move. Sight is unclear, speed is slow, what if a bunch of zombies, zombie dogs, zombie lions rush out when going ashore?
"Aileen, are you there? I can’t see clearly!"
No response.
After a while of calling, still no answer. Okay, she did say she’s busy with the bats, don’t disturb her unless life is in danger.
So the safe way is not going ashore, letting the boat drift from the dock, stop near the sea and contact the whale for support. If there are living people on the island, they surely can see me and will come to the dock and witness the greatness of the Whale Lord, immediately submitting and worshiping.
So Chun fumbled around to untie the rope, fiddled with the oars—System Notification: You’ve triggered "Sailing Technique" training.
Holy shit!
Yesterday when binding nine broken small boats and using all strength it couldn’t be triggered, but today it’s here immediately. Fortunately, this boat has a sail too, sailing is also part of the Sailing Technique, really nothing better to do than sailing and fishing at the same time.
Anyway, drifted to near the sea and anchored the boat.
Then activated the "Whale Guardian" skill to clap hands towards the water.
— System Notification: Your call to the whale has been transmitted deep into the ocean, please await patiently. Estimated response time: 4 hours.
Holy shit, 4 hours! Well, this is the kind of grand gesture when charging a big move.
But that’s not the point, the point is the whale guardian’s hand clap transmitting so far must be an infrasound wave! This can develop into a martial art, right?
Then let’s wait, now better to continue fishing while AFK.
When the sun rose, painting the sky red, except for the sound of waves, wind, and crows, there was still no movement.
Chun bored switched to the alt account, earnestly working AFK, there’s improvement though, fire resistance rose to 0.3%.
Also hungry, grabbing a pack of instant noodles to cope for now—but also not right! Can’t have noodles three times a day, can it? Need to go out to eat now, upstairs may have big shots waiting, no, probably the whole world’s players are curious about the exile situation, if I’m so busy eating instant noodles and not coming down, it’s clear there’s big development in the new map, not like an outcast, right? Aren’t they targeting me urgently?
So in life, when down you act spirited, when successful you act down!
Log off now, if the main account has issues, can always meet at the church. Besides, Aileen did say she’d intervene in life-threatening moments.
Chun prepped some tragic emotion before leaving the room and going downstairs. As expected, the big shots were eagerly waiting on the first floor: "Brother Chun is coming down!! Brother Chun is awesome, exiled to a new map!"
Chun sighed helplessly: "It’s because I can’t play well, that’s why all sorts of strange things happen."
"Brother Chun is modest! You’re the director of the Shield Bureau, surely sorted out the Rat King and Little Strong King?"
Chun firmly denied: "No, if I say it, no one will believe me, it’s truly not my doing!"
The crowd burst into laughter: "Not just us not believing, the whole world doesn’t! That’s why it’s trending!"
Holy shit, how can this be?
"Brother Chun, did you reach the island? What does it look like?"
"Why ask? Brother Chun’s in a hidden map, it’s top-secret big development, how can you ask?"
"Exactly, exactly! Hold your urges, when Brother Chun makes it big, surely he’ll take the bros flying!"
Holy shit, holy shit! These big shots are so slick!
Chun more helpless: "Alright, alright, I’m going out to eat, you guys take it slow."
"Take care, Brother Chun!"
Since no matter how much I act they don’t believe, I’ll prove with actions, eat and loiter outside for 4 hours before coming back, just in time for the whale’s response.
Doesn’t it look like I’ve got big development when seeing me dawdling like this?