The Anomaly Has Come!

Gao Linzhi was still thinking when Zheng Dong called out, "Brother Canxue, we should head back."

Gao Linzhi nodded and followed him.

The people from Xu Clan Team Two were also packing up, preparing to leave.

"Anomalies might appear tonight. Compared to monsters, anomalies are the real threat."

"That's also the real reason the elders bowed their heads to the Corporate Players. The elders have it rough..." Zheng Dong said as they walked, watching the sun sink in the west. He couldn't help shaking his head with a sigh.

"What exactly are anomalies?" Gao Linzhi asked curiously.

Were they like the ones in the novels he'd read before?

"Anomalies are actually monsters that contain some kind of special law. You can't kill them using ordinary methods. If you violate their laws, you'll be killed." A trace of fear appeared in Zheng Dong's eyes.

"Their actions usually follow certain habits. You have to understand those habits to avoid their threat."

So that was it.

Gao Linzhi understood at once:

Anomalies were rule-based, gimmick-heavy monsters, while ordinary monsters were all about raw stats.

Against ordinary monsters, as long as you were strong enough and your stats were high enough, you could kill them.

But against anomalies, if you didn't understand their rules and had no way to counter them, even a level-100 powerhouse would be completely outmatched!

And the most common way to learn an anomaly's rules was to use a large number of lives as test subjects.

That was the basis for Xu Tianlang's audacious behavior in the village.

How many people in the village could they afford to waste?

But the real world had far too many expendable people. Never mind anything else—how many people died by suicide or illness every year?

And in many impoverished places, birth rates were especially high. Families might have seven or eight children.

You could say there was a virtually endless supply of cannon fodder.

Back in the village, Gao Linzhi went straight to Fourth Elder's courtyard.

Lin Qing was there, practicing Basic Lightness Skill. Her movements were graceful and looked quite lovely, but she occasionally stumbled, making it clear she hadn't mastered the basics yet.

When Lin Qing saw him come in, she started to say something.

But Gao Linzhi wasn't in the mood to talk to her. He walked right past her.

He just wanted to be a lone wolf.

He couldn't be a lone wolf in real life, so in the game, he was going to be one.

I'll do whatever I want!

Thinking this, he went to his own room.

He looked around and noticed a bookshelf beside the window.

Fourth Elder had put quite a few books there.

He walked over and looked through them. There were many books about the Skyfall World.

Old Can's Travelogue, Wuxi Strange Tales, Midnight Conversations...

They covered monsters, anomalies, cultivation, and more.

Before long, Fourth Elder came in and placed a copy of Introduction to Anomalies on a wooden table.

After setting down the book, Fourth Elder said:

"Sit down."

"I told you about Basic Skills earlier. Tonight, I'll tell you about anomalies."

"You Descenders have one great advantage: there are no anomalies in your world, and you can leave as soon as you log out."

There was deep envy in Fourth Elder's voice.

Gao Linzhi nodded.

"Anomalies are most likely to appear after dark. Our villagers usually hide inside their rooms. The village has a large protective talisman array, and most anomalies won't enter houses."

"Whenever an anomaly appears, the village sends out a warning in advance. Just log out as quickly as you can."

"As for other ways to deal with them, you can learn those gradually. Knowing too much all at once can be a bad thing."

At that very moment.

Lin Qing frowned as she looked toward the room where Gao Linzhi was staying. Her gaze was cold, and no one knew what she was thinking.

Just then, someone knocked on the gate to Fourth Elder's courtyard.

"Who is it?" Lin Qing walked to the entrance.

"I'm Little Cat Fishing. Are you Ms. Lin?" came the voice of the player named Little Cat Fishing.

"Who are you?" Lin Qing opened the gate and let him in.

He actually knew her real identity. Someone from Xu Corporation must have leaked it.

After exchanging a few pleasantries, Little Cat Fishing quickly explained why he had come.

He lowered his voice. "I'm with Tianxia Guild. I came to invite you to join us."

"I have the village's protection. I don't need to join some Tianxia Guild," Lin Qing said, shaking her head.

"Heh, Ms. Lin, you don't know, do you?" Little Cat Fishing sighed. "East Wolf Village isn't actually safe."

"I know you have great talent. But if the village ever faces a desperate situation with an anomaly, it might well give in to Xu Clan."

"Because you represent the future, while they represent the present. No matter how talented you are, if the village is destroyed, it won't matter at all."

Lin Qing gritted her teeth.

She'd actually thought of that, which was why she wanted to line up a few backup options.

Gao Linzhi was one of the people she'd set her sights on.

Unfortunately, it seemed that guy had been scared off by what she'd said earlier. She'd have to find some way to improve his impression of her.

"Ms. Lin, as an elite, you should understand that relying on mountains, seas, heaven, or earth is no match for relying on yourself."

"And Tianxia Guild won't sell me out?" Lin Qing said disdainfully.

"Of course not. Tianxia Guild was built by bringing Rogue Players together."

"Our goal is to overthrow the companies' monopoly. We share common interests, and only by uniting can we truly stand against the Corporate Players!" Little Cat Fishing said earnestly.

Wasn't that still relying on other people?

Lin Qing thought to herself, but smiled. "That's wonderful. I happen to need a reliable organization like that."

"But what exactly is Tianxia Guild like? Could you tell me about it?"

"Of course. Tianxia Guild currently has as many as a thousand Rogue Players. We have a guild leader and a vice-guild leader. Beneath them are five teams, each team has five groups, and each group has five squads. A squad has about eight people," Little Cat Fishing said proudly.

"Sounds great. I'd be happy to join," Lin Qing said with an eager look.

At that very moment.

Fourth Elder had already gone back to his room to rest.

Gao Linzhi was bent over a book in his room.

He'd heard the conversation between the two people in the courtyard.

He didn't show it and kept reading.

After reading for a while, a sudden, urgent bell began to clang.

"Oh no, an anomaly is here!"

"Log out! Log out! Log out!"

The players still working outside cried out in terror.

Many of them vanished on the spot.

The villagers, however, fell completely silent.

As soon as it got dark, they'd returned to their rooms, shut their doors and windows, extinguished their lamps, and stayed quiet.

Only players with a way out dared to work at night.

After all, one night was a long time.

Just then, Lin Qing hurried in from the courtyard and dashed into another room.

She extinguished the oil lamp, shut the doors and windows, curled up on the bed, and pulled the covers tightly around herself.

The bold, calculating air she'd had moments earlier was gone. Now, she was on pins and needles.