Near the ancient castle, player [ Zhong Lele ] was happily collecting audio from the oldest musical instruments in human history, laying the foundation for his epic masterpiece, when suddenly a new quest notification popped up in front of him.
Upon closer inspection, she discovered that this was actually a special mission triggered by the high level of trust between herself and her guide Ed!
Another person wants to join?
It seems that my previous part-time HR job was very satisfactory to them, and they definitely thought of me first when they had a similar need this time.
[ Zhong Lele ] happily accepted the mission and followed the prompts to the designated restricted area. Upon opening the door, he saw a half-orc, no, a half-tree man, staring at him.
"Sorry to bother you."
[ Zhong Lele ] felt she might have stumbled into Ed's mysterious laboratory. She slammed the door shut, only to remember that the Guide seemed to be right across from the half-tree person. So she pushed the door open again, revealing a slightly embarrassed smile:
"Excuse me, is this person... Tree... Half-human, half-tree... Mr. Half-tree, half-human, here to apply for employment?"
Ed nodded, glancing at [ Zhong Lele ] as he walked towards the door, adopting the mature tone of a successful person:
"You guys discuss the terms of service, and remember to have the signed contract notarized by Seraphina. Put the cost on my tab."
Two hours later, the official website of " World of Disorder " was launched.
Player [ Zhong Lele ] published a shocking article. "Shocking! The Guide actually hired disabled people to work for him."
While naming an article is an art, Ed had a fleeting thought upon seeing this postmodern art that he wanted to revoke the beta test qualification of this Master pranks.
Fortunately, [ Zhong Lele ] was just clickbait; the content was actually quite realistic. So, [ Second-Class Biscuit ] and [ Xiexie Huigu ], who had died once again in the Dungeon, finally got to see the sequel to the "Hurricane Rescue" story.
Although most players weren't even eligible when Gray first appeared, many people still watched the Narrow Road combat trailer.
They all realized that whoever could beat Gray to such a state was definitely not an ordinary person, but most of the posts in [ Zhong Lele ] focused on Gray's subsequent work, his personality, and some of his characteristics.
According to the post, Gray's arrival is likely a prelude to players unlocking the [ Mechanical Compatibility ] pathway later on. However, compared to the new power pathway, many players are clearly more interested in the real culprit behind the scenes, given that Gray is now only half-finished.
Just as everyone was racking their brains over this, players near the castle simultaneously received a gathering message from their guide, Ed.
This message can only be sent within a one-kilometer radius of the castle.
Ed did want to say something, but if he gathered all the players together for this, it would inevitably lead to a disappointing situation where everyone would think, "Huh? We called everyone here for something so trivial?"
Therefore, Ed ultimately used a combination of nearby gatherings and live broadcasts to deliver this notification, ensuring that even players who are currently offline will see the relevant event announcements later.
Even players who receive the call-to-action message have the right to choose whether to participate, rather than being forced to.
Now that the tutorial for exploring the game " World of Disorder " is basically complete, those who still choose to stay near the castle are either newbies or casual players who enjoy fishing and gardening.
This will allow newbies to see themselves more often and dispel the community rumor that "guides are lazy and you can't see them all day long."
Soon, a large number of interested players who were nearby flocked to the castle, while most of the other players opted to watch the broadcast, hanging Ed's video frame in the corner of their game panel and continuing with what they were doing.
In the hall, Ed was already quite adept at giving speeches, while the "half-tree man" beside him looked somewhat surprised.
When he last visited the castle, there were only a little over a hundred people there, most of whom were old, weak, sick, or disabled, with only twenty or thirty able-bodied young men holding the fort.
But now, there are nearly a hundred people in the castle hall alone, and there is not a single old or weak person among them. Gray can even see that everyone is carrying at least one weapon, like a group of monsters who are happy to fight.
A strange sense of security welled up inside Gray, a sense of security he had never felt outside of the Graycast Corridor...
Unfortunately... after a brief moment of relief and excitement, Gray couldn't help but sigh.
Although these young people seem confident now, will they still be able to laugh like that when they realize what they are about to face?
Seeing Gray's current state, the crowd couldn't help but whisper among themselves, talking about forums, posts, and encyclopedias. Some people, however, were clearly more interested in how Gray, now resembling a water jug, managed to climb the stairs and stand with Ed at the top.
In this setting, Ed began to narrate, the players began to listen, and Gray began to observe.
Gray was puzzled.
As Ed continued speaking, more and more details about the Blood Corpse were revealed: their almost incalculable numbers, their formidable combat power, their terrifying infectivity, their relentless pursuit... every aspect of them is, or should be, terrifying.
But as Ed recounted the story, Gray saw a different kind of emotion in the eyes and faces of those Soul Returner.
He was very familiar with that feeling. Every time he was about to arrive at the Great Labyrinth City, his expression would unconsciously turn like that. It was anticipation. They were actually anticipating!
But what are they expecting?
What's so exciting about a terrifying Corpse Tide of Blood Corpse zombies that sweeps everything away?
Or do they possess the confidence and determination to defeat the Corpse Tide?
Even if they have the ability to win, they will inevitably pay a heavy price...
Gray felt he was increasingly unable to understand this small settlement on the border of the Tree Worship Church, and hoped they wouldn't regret their underestimation of him today.
After explaining the situation of the Blood Corpse, Ed looked down at the Soul Returner who were already getting excited:
"In the near future, our territory will be attacked by Corpse Tide, but the direction and scale of the Blood Corpse ' appearance are currently unknown."
He looked down at the crowd, spread his arms, and shouted:
"For the glory of the Tree God, for the restoration of order, and for our continued survival on this land, I hereby formally issue the ' Mobilization Order '!"
"With the Corpse Tide upon us, whether you are Soul Returner or an ordinary believer, you must all contribute to the fight against the impending disaster!"
Amidst the players' gasps of surprise, a new pop-up appeared in their field of vision—