Mining Bricks in the Game!

[Accumulated recharge of 30,000 gold, upgraded to Noble Rank 8, unlocks advanced auto-mode, capable of handling a hundred targets simultaneously...]

What a scheme, seizing every chance to push spending.

Truly the treatment of an Ordinary Player.

Too bad Gao Linzhi had no more cash to throw in for now.

He stowed his bow, then released the Corpse Vine!

The moment that green vine appeared, it burrowed underground, hidden beneath shrubs and tall grass, unseen by anyone.

"Feed quietly, don't expose yourself."

He commanded the Corpse Vine in his mind.

As for himself, he turned and ran.

"Don't let him escape! Split into two groups, mount up, and flank him from left and right!"

"He must have completed some quest and gotten equipment above Green Quality—that's why we can't break his defense!"

"Tie him up with ropes and nets, kill him slowly, and the gear is ours!"

The Cavalry Leader, seasoned and sharp, pieced together the truth in an instant.

"The boss is right! Get that equipment, and there's bound to be a big reward!"

The cavalrymen grew even more excited.

They split into two groups, remounted, and charged left and right, swinging lassos and pulling out fishing nets as they chased after Gao Linzhi.

But the next moment, a horse suddenly let out a terrified neigh and skidded to a halt.

The rider wobbled, and then he saw a gaping maw burst from the grass!

"Shit, a monster!"

He shouted instinctively, leaping off his horse to dodge.

Only to throw himself straight into that massive mouth.

The next second, with a gulp, the man vanished.

[Your pet companion Corpse Vine has devoured a player, gaining a Recovery BUFF. Upon full digestion, it acquires 5% of the target's experience. Upgrading its quality increases the experience ratio obtained.]

Gao Linzhi saw this and couldn't help but feel delighted.

The enemy, however, was horrified.

"How can a monster appear in broad daylight?" The cavalrymen were shaken with terror.

The quick-witted ones immediately wheeled their horses around and fled at full speed!

In the game Skyfall, one real-world rule still held true:

When facing a monster, as long as you run faster than your comrades, you've got a good chance of survival!

They had hunted and slaughtered their own kind without mercy, but now, faced with a terrifying alien, they showed their true colors—bullying the weak and cowering from the strong.

The Cavalry Leader didn't hesitate for half a second either. Hearing the shouts, he yanked the reins and turned his horse to flee.

His mount was better, and he soon outpaced the others.

He had more experience: at this stage, players had only one option against monsters—run!

Behind him came the occasional screams of his men!

He might earn a few hundred thousand a month, but that wasn't worth dying for!

Gao Linzhi pretended to flee as well, but in truth, he watched the bastards' fates unfold on his Minimap.

A mere level-one green pet, the Corpse Vine, using its burrowing advantage and terrifying form, struck like a ghost, chasing over a dozen fierce cavalrymen until they had no escape, terrified of being even a step too slow.

This was the treatment a whale deserved!

If you get bullied without spending money, and you still get bullied after spending, then what's the point of spending at all?

Of course, Gao Linzhi could see that the level-one Corpse Vine wasn't that strong.

After devouring three people in a row, its attack frequency and movement speed slowed considerably.

Some cavalrymen could already dodge its strikes and even counterattack, leaving a few wounds on the Corpse Vine's mottled green body.

But the Corpse Vine had too much of an advantage. With the "Recovery" BUFF active, it burrowed underground the moment it was injured, and when it emerged again, its wounds had healed.

Devour corpses, heal wounds.

Seeing this, the faint fighting spirit that had stirred in a few cavalrymen vanished without a trace.

Facing such an opponent, these cavalrymen—who only had one life and weren't a proper army—couldn't hold out.

If these cavalrymen were true Fourth Catastrophe players, with infinite respawns, they could definitely defeat this Corpse Vine.

After all, it was still only level one.

When Gao Linzhi had run far enough that no cavalrymen were in sight, the game prompted him.

[Ding! Congratulations, player and companion pet, on successfully defeating the enemy.]

[Your "Corpse Vine" has devoured four enemies and is currently digesting them. Estimated digestion time: 24 hours.]

[Before digestion is complete, it can still fight, but cannot devour new enemies. Gains "Gluttony" BUFF, reducing attack speed and movement speed.]

Raising level and physique can increase digestion speed.

Clearly, this is the game's restriction on players.

Sure enough, as long as you can outrun your companions, even against an unstoppable foe, your chances of survival are still high.

Gao Linzhi stopped in his tracks.

Sure enough, spending money feels amazing!

Having lived two lives, this was his first taste of being a whale!

In his previous life, things were relatively free—money let you show off. He had the heart to play games, but no money.

In this life, under strict lockdown, he had plenty of money, but no heart for games.

The company suppressed him at every turn. Even if he could throw money around in-game to show off, it was useless.

Because back in reality, a single manager could knock him back to square one.

At this moment.

Gao Linzhi looked up, seeing only how blue the sky was, how white the clouds, how gentle the wind.

Then he strode forward.

Not long after, a game prompt appeared:

[Ding! Congratulations, player has discovered East Wolf Village. New game map unlocked.]

On the left edge of the minimap, a large cluster of buildings appeared, along with the game icon "East Wolf Village" and a string of NPC markers.

"Great Elder," "Second Elder," "Third Elder," "Fourth Elder," "Patrol Captain"...

Following the minimap's guidance, he walked quickly forward.

After a short walk, he saw a long, tall stone wall not far ahead.

The wall was over six meters high and two meters thick, with an iron-reinforced wooden gate standing in the middle.

Though it was daytime, the gate remained shut.

The stone wall curved around on both sides, forming an irregular circle.

Not far from the wall, there was a busy construction site.

A group of young men and women with names floating above their heads were moving stones, seemingly building a stone enclosure.

Their names were all over the place—clearly players at a glance.

"Little Cat Fishing," "Ou Xiaohuang," "Little Chi Boss," "Little Shuo Assistant," "Ice Dance Snow Cherry"...

They were all working hard, huffing and puffing.

Some were chipping stones, some laying walls, some digging foundations—efficient and earnest.

Sweat dripped from every brow, and they were all panting from exhaustion.

Had they come into the game to haul bricks?

Gao Linzhi was a bit puzzled.

Then he figured it out.

These players only had one life and couldn't spend money, so naturally they didn't dare kill monsters to gain experience and level up. Instead, they had to haul bricks here to earn money.

Probably hoping to hire NPCs to level up with cash, since this was, after all, a real game world.