" Duolin!"
"Exist!"
The garrison captain immediately stepped forward.
"The five of you, along with the five 'volunteers' from Upperstream Village, will board the first boat. From now on, you will be under my direct command. You must protect the vital supplies on board; this will determine the outcome of the battle!"
"Yes!"
Duolin bowed and gave a salute to the guards of the Tree Worship Church, then waved and left the hall with several team members and a few "volunteers".
" Xilǐ'er!"
"Exist!"
Xilǐ'er, leading his armored horse, stepped forward, placed his right hand across his chest, and tapped the Eternal Domain emblem located in the center of his breastplate—apparently a customary practice there.
"Go to the location I marked for you immediately and complete the task as agreed!"
"Yes!"
A deep, muffled voice came from below the observation window of the armor.
Ed looked at the imposing armored knight, and a sense of possessiveness seemed to rise within him.
He seemed to be starting to understand Boss Cao.
So he softened his tone and casually added:
"Thanks for your hard work."
Xilǐ'er said nothing more, simply bowed again, and then led Radish away from the castle.
At this moment, only Ed and the other players remained in the hall.
He looked at the crowd without saying a word, his right hand gently clenching and lifting in front of him, as if he were manipulating something.
And the half-crown-shaped sapling in the eye socket now shimmered with a blue light that contained energy and mystery.
The clicking sound rang out, and the players excitedly looked around but found nothing.
The next moment, they sensed a change in the light in the castle. Everyone looked towards Ed's location, as it was very close to the castle's broken ceiling, from which most of the daytime sunlight shone.
Then they witnessed an incredible scene:
A humanoid metal suit of armor, which cannot be worn by any human or humanoid creature, began to assemble automatically under the influence of an unknown force.
From limbs to torso and then to head, a multicolored hollow suit of armor, about four meters tall, stood up behind Ed.
Players with good eyesight could clearly see that the surface of the armor was a mix of yellow and white, as if brass had been used to repair the many damaged areas.
The various components of the armor were clearly not in direct contact with each other; rather, it was as if there were invisible buffers sandwiched between the parts. With the light shining down from above, one could also see the strange internal structure of the armor.
Amidst gasps of astonishment, the enormous alchemical golem lifted Ed and placed him on its shoulder.
Dozens of vines also emerged from Ed's hands, weaving through the metal rings and hooks already prepared inside the alchemical golem, providing a second layer of protection for this uncontrollable behemoth.
This is also why alchemical golems cannot be worn as armor; their interiors were not designed for wearing, so they were pre-designed with numerous interconnected structures, making them unsuitable for wearing.
Creating humanoid figures might just have been a personal hobby of the first-generation creator.
Ed, perched atop the alchemy golem's shoulder, looked at the players and announced loudly:
" Soul Returner, the day is the day to Reclaim White Wax Town!"
"Board! Let's go!"
"Oh oh oh oh oh oh!"
Amidst the players' renewed cheers, the third phase quest prompt finally arrived:
[Large-scale, long-term quest - Reclaim White Wax Town
Quest Node 3: Head to White Wax Town, win the battle, and [capture] the Fallen Priest alive.
Checkpoints: 1. Reach the White Wax Town area by any means; 2. Participate in at least one battle; 3. Achieve final victory.
Task Rewards: Upon completion of the task, rewards will be distributed simultaneously with the second-stage rewards. Participants are guaranteed a minimum of 50 Silver Coins, n Unknown Materials, and n Unknown Items. Each combat team that captures a Fallen Priest will receive 1 Gold Coin. Additionally, participants will be eligible to share in the reward pool based on their contribution after the task ends (current total reward pool amount: 50 Gold Coins).
*Note: 1. The special nature of Tree Worship Church members: Every Tree Worship Church priest has a Soul Tree in the Holy City. Once a priest dies, the Soul Tree in the Holy City will also die. Therefore, in order to ensure the secrecy of the Second Holy See, please try to capture the fallen priests alive.
2. Resurrection Incentive: If a player dies during the battle, they can revive for only 5 silver coins (valid only until the end of the battle). The more body parts remaining, the faster the revival speed.
What are some methods to make an army combat-ready?
Ed's memories from his past life told him that there are generally three methods: first, material incentives; second, ideals and beliefs; and third, charismatic leadership.
Regarding the second method, Ed had a very clear understanding of his own position—he was just a game NPC; what kind of ideals and beliefs could he offer players that would resonate deep within their hearts?
cannot.
Therefore, he also knew that this method was simply impossible to succeed at present.
Therefore, Ed can do is put more effort into the first and third methods, specifically by offering generous mission rewards and subtly enhancing his image.
Ed never expected to truly control the players, who were in an uncontrollable and chaotic state; his thinking had always been focused on providing more rational guidance.
Just as he never forbade players from exploring the outside world, he set up resurrection fees and limb payment, causing impulsive explorations to die from empty wallets. Only well-prepared explorations, like those of [ Dark Archmage ], can truly yield results.
He never forced players to participate in the mission to conquer White Wax Town, but people are always driven by self-interest and herd mentality.
Driven by a sense of shared hatred, players can easily fall into the mindset of "Oh, they're all going, so I have to go too." And after seeing the rewards, even those who were just going along with their friends will take it seriously and earnestly fulfill their duties as warriors in order to obtain more rewards than the guaranteed minimum.
This is the core idea behind Ed's series of guidance regarding the White Wax Town incident.
Driven by the thrilling storyline and equally exciting mission rewards, the fully armed players rushed out of the castle and arrived at the makeshift dock that had been built almost overnight, where they jumped onto small boats tied to wooden stakes with vines.
"Brothers, row to the rhythm!"
On a boat, the ever-boastful [ Shit Appraisal Master ] stood at the bow facing the players. He pulled out a crudely made leather drum from somewhere, the drumhead of which looked to be made of Vine Sheep sheepskin.
Under the watchful eyes of everyone, he began to strike, striking with remarkable rhythm, the resounding thuds seemingly penetrating directly into people's hearts.
At this moment, the players who had learned Directed Alienation Alienation their left or right hands into plate-like shapes to replace the oars that should have been tied to the side of the small boat.
Amidst the somewhat discordant beats of the drums, the players propelled their wrecked boats with the ferocity of dragon boats, quickly catching up with Duolin and his group who had set off earlier, and drawing them into their rhythm as well.