Resource Assessment

As he walked deeper into the association, Mu Yuan felt like his eyes had been opened wide—though as a newbie who'd only started playing a day and a half ago, his horizons were practically nonexistent.

Inside, there weren't just a fair number of players; occasionally, he could even spot some troop types.

There was a Great Goblin, muscles bulging like a bodybuilder.

Compared to the one Mu Yuan had encountered in the game world, this one wasn't even a little brother—the pressure it gave off was on a completely different level.

Yet within the association, the Great Goblin was just a common troop type, and it even seemed to tremble slightly.

Because a graceful figure walked past not far away.

Tall, shapely, elegant, with delicate features, pointed ears, and flowing green hair like a waterfall.

"Is that... a rare three-star troop, a Nature Elf?!"

The Frog Seller Bro exclaimed, thick envy in his eyes.

Who wouldn't love a cool, strong, and attractive lady that fit their tastes?

Mu Yuan also took a few more glances—don't misunderstand, it was mainly because this was his first time seeing a living troop in real life.

He needed to observe more, to broaden his knowledge.

"We... can we recruit troops like that in the future too?"

Hearing the Frog Seller Bro's words, the receptionist Miss gave an awkward but polite smile.

She chose her words carefully. "The lord who commands this Nature Elf is already a big shot in our Bai Jiang Association."

The implication was: ordinary players want to recruit a Nature Elf? Dream on!

But the Frog Seller Bro didn't catch that meaning. He rubbed his chin and said, "So, if we can pass the trial and become lords, we'll have more chances to recruit rare troop types like that?"

The Guide Miss said, "That's not wrong. Compared to Ranger Players, Lord Players can access more resources and opportunities. As time goes on, the gap between these two types of players will only widen."

"However, becoming a lord player isn't easy. You all should know how dangerous the Eternal Continent is. Players not only need to keep their territory alive for a month but also must survive an extremely perilous trial."

"The association hopes more players can pass the trial and establish territories, but we also advise everyone to act within their means."

The Guide wasn't a player, but she was professionally trained and had a wealth of 'newbie-phase theoretical knowledge.'

Mu Yuan managed to leech quite a bit of intel from her.

At least when it came to details like the Lord Trial, Lao Yang had been vague and evasive, but the Guide Miss had no problem explaining. Sure enough, Lao Yang was still too unreliable.

Mu Yuan summarized the information:

"During the Lord Trial, the Red Mist covers the land, making monsters frenzied and bloodthirsty—harder to deal with than usual. So, to survive the Lord Trial, players not only need a strong enough territory but also some tactics."

"Players must clear out as many surrounding monsters as possible before the trial arrives."

"But with only a player's limited strength, it's impossible to wipe out all the monsters. Therefore, players need to set up a real defensive line in front of their territory, tailored to the types of monsters nearby."

Earlier, Lao Yang had mentioned that the officials would provide some support to outstanding newcomers to help them survive the Lord Trial.

Among the support provided by the officials were two- and three-star troops good at defending cities, Trap Blueprints, Defense Buildings, and so on.

Mu Yuan's mouth watered just looking at it, let alone the Frog Seller Bro and the Liver Emperor.

The Liver Emperor, who looked like he was about to keel over from exhaustion, even had a brief resurgence of energy as he probed for information.

The Miss explained, "The Resource Assessment has two parts: the Written Test and the Martial Test. The Written Test examines a player's operational and command skills, while the Martial Test tests the combat power of a player's troops and their on-the-spot performance."

"Because the purpose of the Resource Assessment is to determine whether a player has the potential and the possibility of passing the Lord Trial, the test is scheduled for six days from now—that is, the first Sunday after players obtain their game qualifications."

"This both tests the players' level and gives them enough time to make full use of these resources."

"However..." The Miss shook her head. "The competition for this Resource Assessment is extremely fierce. Getting a spot isn't easy—no, it's very difficult. Because lord players are already a minority among the player base. Only a very few can pass the trial and establish a foothold on the vast Eternal Continent."

Hearing the Guide Miss's words, the Frog Seller Bro and San Ying couldn't hide their disappointment.

"At least two or three three-star troops, and raising your main troops to level 4 or 5, just to have a chance at a spot? That's too hard! No, for ordinary players like us, it's downright impossible!"

Sure enough, the officials' support benefits weren't that easy to get!

The Frog Seller Bro's eyes went wide.

Mu Yuan pondered. He already had three three-star Skeleton Soldiers. With a few days of effort, he'd have more than three rare troops.

At that point, should he show off one rare troop, or put out ten three-star troops?

Such a tough choice.

Really tough.

Thinking it over, Mu Yuan joined the other players in sighing. "Yeah, it's way too hard. For ordinary people like us, there's just no way out."

The Frog Seller Bro patted him on the shoulder, actually trying to console him. "Don't lose heart, little bro. We're lucky just to have gotten player qualifications. That's already way ahead of others."

Mu Yuan hadn't expected the Frog Seller Bro to be such a decent guy. But he'd already decided to become one of the grinders.

Under the Guide Miss's lead, the group quickly completed their identity registration.

The process wasn't complicated.

The officials didn't require players to fill in their territory or troop information. Of course, players could choose to do so. Some wrote it up like a job application, aiming straight for an official position.

After registering their identity, the forum function officially opened to the players.

At this point, the Liver Emperor took his leave, planning to go home and continue grinding the Transcendent Game.

Mu Yuan also felt like heading back to grind, but figured since he was already here, he might as well look around a bit more—gathering more intel would help with exploration and development.

Besides, "Is that the Trade Market up ahead?"

"Yeah, it's right during the newbie period, so a lot of Old Players come by to check things out. The market's been livelier than usual these days."

The group headed toward the market.

Mu Yuan had already been thinking about trading away a few remnant souls, so he perked up at the sight. The other newcomers were seeing this for the first time too, full of curiosity.

The Trade Market... would they get to see veteran players trading, or even legendary treasure auctions?

Just thinking about it got them excited.

But soon enough, inside the market, the new players fell silent as they stared at the stalls before them.

"Best beginner farming set—newbies, come take a look, selling cheap!"

"Remnant souls at rock-bottom prices! Accepting Soul Sand or Xuan Country Coins!"

"Best remnant soul for beginners—Little Skeleton Remnant Soul, cheap sale! Don't miss it if you're passing by!"

Mu Yuan: "..."

Something about the vibe felt off.

In his imagination, veteran players would solemnly pull out treasures, appraise them, trade, and throw around fortunes. But here, nine out of ten stalls were aimed at newcomers? Were Old Players really that enthusiastic?

Still, When Mu Yuan reached Stall No. 9, his eyes lit up—wasn't this the Little Skeleton Remnant Soul he'd been thinking about?

Seeing his interest, the boss immediately turned even more enthusiastic, calling out nonstop.

"Come on, come on, young man, let me tell you about this Little Skeleton Soldier unit."

"A lot of people think Little Skeletons are weak units—thinking that is a huge mistake. Sure, Little Skeletons aren't that strong, but they're only a one-star unit. In my opinion, Little Skeletons are absolutely top-tier among one-star units. Why do I say that? Let me, your uncle, explain."

"Little Skeletons don't need food, don't need rest, and can follow the lord's commands to do any kind of labor... and these advantages are exactly what newcomers need most. Think about it—newbies don't have many units to begin with. If you also have to rotate shifts, won't you be even more short-handed?"

That actually sounded pretty reasonable?

Some newcomers stopped, showing signs of interest.

A Guide Miss opened her mouth as if to say something, but held back.

The Old Players at nearby stalls sneered. Sure, what Lao Zhang said were all real advantages of Little Skeletons, but he didn't mention a single flaw. Little Skeletons had rigid combat styles, slow movement, and terrible synergy with other units.

Otherwise, why would people say Little Skeletons and Goblins were the "twin disappointments"?

But they wouldn't say that. After all, they were just like their neighbor Lao Zhang—hoping to "fleece" the new players.

And they didn't have to worry about the newcomers being broke. Sure, newbies couldn't cough up Soul Sand or treasures, but they still had Xuan Country Coins.

Old Players had to make a living too, and now was the perfect time to clear out the bottom-of-the-barrel stock that wouldn't sell otherwise.

Seeing that Mu Yuan really intended to buy, Boss Lao Zhang said, "I know you newcomers are short on Soul Sand and can't offer anything else right now. How about this—your uncle here will take a loss and sell it to you for Xuan Country Coins."

But buying Transcendent treasures with Xuan Country Coins, even the lowest-tier ones, always came with a hefty markup.

Definitely not something an ordinary family could afford.

The Frog Seller Bro stared at Mu Yuan, eyes wide: Didn't we agree to be broke together? Turns out you're a Whale Player? I misjudged you!

"Uh..." Mu Yuan paused, choosing his words carefully. "Is it only Xuan Country Coins? Can't I trade something else? Like, a remnant soul?"

Zhang Boss: "???"

Huh? Wait, you actually have a remnant soul (°ο°)?

Thanks to 'Book Friend 20180227134730703' and 'Moon-Faced Big Eyeball' for the tips~