"If he wants to wait until everyone is there before setting off, he might not tell us."
Hearing this somewhat naive statement, the [ Shit Appraisal Master ] intensified his persuasive efforts:
"I have something to tell you. During the battle in the southern part of Black Pine City, the enemy used a very strange Aberration plant that drove all the first batch of players and NPCs into a frenzy like wild beasts. If we hadn't arrived in time, they would probably be no different from Blood Corpse."
"Why do you say that...?"
"Let me continue—no one had ever seen anything like it before, so to be on the safe side, guess who [ the Ginseng Rooster ] called?"
"Who?"
The tone of the [ Traditional Eccentric Wheel ] was completely devoid of any acting; it was brimming with emotion.
"Of course it's Ed. His previous serialized low-brow, worthless historical fiction helped us take Fir City, perfectly completing the task Ed assigned. So, there's a high level of trust between Ed and him. Because of this, the mighty Son of God actually Descent on the spot. Of course, only an avatar came."
Upon hearing this, [ Traditional Eccentric Wheel ] was surprised, but still somewhat confused:
"What does this have to do with us leaving early...?"
[ The Shit Appraisal Master ] put his arm around his shoulder and said:
"Of course there's a connection. What I really wanted to tell you is that even among all the Soul Returner, the level of trust between you and Gray is among the highest."
"During the initial period after the server opened, I had no idea what the trust level stat was for. It wasn't until there were more and more players that I realized—although there are many NPCs, only a few are truly important. If you don't raise their trust level, who will listen to you?"
"The NPCs in this game are almost indistinguishable from humans in terms of intelligence. Imagine you're Ed, and you have an important mission that requires a reliable Soul Returner to carry it out. Who would you choose?"
[ Traditional Eccentric Wheel ] Without even thinking:
"Of course it's [ Howling Pothos ]."
[ Shit Appraisal Master ] clapped his hands:
"That's absolutely right. By the same token, if Gray wanted to ask someone some questions about machinery, who would he ask?"
[ Traditional Eccentric Wheel ] (Shrugs)
His wife, Nora.
"I'm not referring to buddies... I mean the Soul Returner."
"... Although it's a bit shameless to say this, it's very likely that it's me or [ Do Some Farm Work ]."
"Isn't that settled? As the old saying goes, 'If you don't take what Heaven gives, you'll suffer the consequences.' You built up the trust between you and Gray little by little, so why set off with someone else?"
After the spell ended, [ Traditional Eccentric Wheel ] felt its heartbeat begin to accelerate slightly.
Although it's unclear why this game can influence bodily functions through thought, it's not his area of expertise anyway, and people like [ Evergreen Tree ] will likely study it diligently.
As for him, he had never had any ambitions, but now, after the [ Shit Appraisal Master ] expressed his thoughts, he was actually quite moved.
Their task was neither to pinpoint the Grand Duke's location nor to capture him completely; they simply wanted to wander around the area near the sealed site and find a way to stimulate the Grand Duke, causing him to generate a Psionic Energy fluctuation, thus verifying their hypothesis.
After thinking for a moment, [ Traditional Eccentric Wheel ] nodded:
I agree.
"Very good!"
[ The Shit Appraisal Master ] showed a pleased expression:
"How many people can your car hold at most? Right now, besides you and me, there's [ Lion Hidden in the Eyes ] and [ Good Times Don't Last ]."
"If you're also planning to bring tools and food, then I wouldn't recommend adding any more people."
"Okay, then it'll be the four of us."
[ Shit Appraisal Master ] clapped his hands:
"Now, go ask Gray where the seal is, I'll go help you tighten the screws and fix the chassis, tell [ Lion Hidden in the Eyes ] to come back quickly after the hunt, and [ Good Times Don't Last Long], I'll have him go to the warehouse to get some supplies."
"That's settled then, let's begin!"
The two hit it off immediately and began to split up.
Ed soon learned about this from Little Green; the Root Network's superprocessor was no pushover.
Ed has always maintained a tacitly supportive attitude towards players' initiative, just as he has never forbidden players from exploring the outside world, only requiring players to take responsibility for their own deaths.
The reason why only [ Dark Archmage ] is famous among map exploration players is because most other players either get fed to sheep, deer, or accidentally become fish on the way.
Ed carefully considered the impact of this matter on his plans and discovered that it would not only have no negative effects, but could even be beneficial if used properly!
Soon, a pop-up window appeared in front of [ Shit Appraisal Master ], the planner of the sneak-in event:
Special Mission: Clearing roads through mountains and building bridges over rivers
Mission Introduction: The Second Holy See is focusing most of its attention on the Wilderness of Chaos to the east. To gain a foothold here, the Soul Returner need a clear understanding of its intricate terrain and diverse areas. Exploring the entire Wilderness of Chaos is indeed difficult, but carving out a safe path through it is not so challenging.
Mission objective: With this mission certificate, you can collect 100 " Undeployed Stability Anchor " for free from any plant vending machine. Players need to insert them into the ground or a suitable location every five miles to ensure that subsequent players have something to rely on when moving and respawning.
Task Reward: 3 Silver Coins for each successfully deployed Stability Anchor.
*Note: The item " Undeployed Stability Anchor " will grow automatically after being planted in unclaimed territory. Once fully deployed, it will simultaneously provide beacon, teleportation, and resurrection functions. Currently, it is not a direct-sale item and can only be obtained through quests.
"Wow, there's a map-unlocking quest?"
The [ Shit Appraisal Master ] was taken aback, put down his tools, and crawled out from under the car.
He knew about the Stability Anchor. This item first appeared when the Verdant Corridor between the Second Holy See and the Sea of Flowers was being built. The Soldier Bee and Worker Bee needed a road with spring-like weather all year round to ensure safety along the way, and it could also serve as an additional source of pollen.
This item appeared for the second time last month. To make it easier for players to explore Klaf City, Ed sent Gungnir to place Stability Anchor along the way.
Although the Gungnir were installed slower than the players could explore the map, these Stability Anchor proved very useful when the " Klaf City Conquest Team" was revived later.
Now, this prop has appeared for the third time, and it's going to be handed over to me?
The thought that his decision had even triggered a random mission in the World of Disorder filled the [ Shit Appraisal Master ] with even greater excitement.
Even the game system thinks I did the right thing, so the journey ahead must be smooth sailing!