The next day, Han Xiao officially launched a large-scale release of dungeon quests, much to the delight of the players in the Sanctuary.
"I didn't expect Black Phantom to have dungeon quests too. Why haven't they appeared before?"
"By the way, the main storyline of Germinal only recently ended. Perhaps it's through dungeons that those of us who didn't participate can experience it again, and Han Xiao is the one who releases the fixed dungeons."
"That would be very good."
It's a bit of a shame that players in the Sanctuary didn't participate in the main war storyline, but now that Han Xiao has released a dungeon related to this completed main storyline, it's undoubtedly an opportunity to make up for that.
Players flocked to the event, but Han Xiao didn't offer any freebies this time.
He set up a task with a reward of a Dungeon Crystal, and the requirement was something called "contribution points." Once you accepted the task, you could complete it by buying things from him, learning skills, and buying chests—all of which would increase your contribution points.
Since Dungeon Crystal can't be sold and don't generate direct profit, let's try a more flexible approach. He can set task requirements at will, treating Dungeon Crystal as bonus rewards to incentivize more players to spend money here and boost his sales.
Players who originally intended to spend money are even more willing to do so when they see that they can also complete dungeon quests at the same time. Players who want to complete dungeon quests come to spend money, find that the items sold are of good quality and low price, and then they get hooked, forming a cyclical chain.
This is just a promotional tactic!
The results were remarkable. On his first attempt, Han Xiao's sales increased by 30% that day! The results were gratifying.
The most direct impact was that Han Xiao's surroundings became more crowded than a subway, with people thronging around him and making it impossible for him to move.
After obtaining the Dungeon Crystal, players call upon their friends and form teams to run the dungeon. The basic process is to enter the dungeon excitedly, only to emerge completely bewildered and dead.
The goal of clearing the dungeon is to be the last one standing. When we first started exploring, everyone died on the road to revolution. Two days later, someone finally managed to survive the dungeon, but the completion rate was appalling. Not a single optional quest was completed, and the minimum basic completion rate was achieved.
The four optional tasks are the biggest reward. Spending money to get Dungeon Crystal from Han Xiao, only to receive the lowest dungeon reward, isn't that a loss?
The player was unwilling to accept defeat, suffered terribly, and was so badly beaten that his mentality completely collapsed.
The difficulty of optional missions and the completion objective are two different games.
Wow, this dungeon is playable?
"Black Phantom took my eighth kill, I'm so tired..."
Players couldn't help but post complaints on the forums, sharing information and videos of the dungeon, and brainstorming ideas.
"After dying so many times, I've come to one conclusion—following the base's orders and surviving is a losing proposition."
"How exactly do I complete the optional quests? Is this really a level 30 dungeon...?"
Expert players have compiled information and analyzed the storyline of the dungeon based on five quests:
"The general progression of the instance is as follows: On the first night after entering the instance, Hesla agents launch an operation, and false intelligence about the base is leaked. On the second night, Black Phantom begins his operation, sniping patrolmen and somehow infiltrating the base to obtain true intelligence. This night is crucial for completing Mission Two. Then, the base goes on alert, discovers Black Phantom's trail, and a chase ensues, which ends in failure. Immediately afterwards, Hesla's main force arrives, and a frontal battle ensues. Here, there is a chance to complete Mission One. Then, everyone is trapped in the base, and finally, the base explodes, meaning certain death. Surviving to this point means you've cleared the instance."
This section lists tables and videos outlining things to keep in mind at each step of the dungeon's storyline. Now, let's change the subject.
"... Clearly, there is no chance to complete the last two optional tasks in this path. I boldly guess that this instance actually has two lines: one is the obvious line, which is the plot we experience, and the other is a hidden line, which is related to the last two optional tasks. So far, no one has triggered it."
To repel the enemy's main force, I think we need to start with intelligence. After investigation, I discovered a new opportunity: there's a ten-minute preparation period at the beginning, which is actually the time before the Hesla agents make their move. If we can stop them from seizing intelligence here, it might change the course of the story. But this is a fierce battle, and no one has succeeded yet...
Finally, a reminder to all players: never have any contact with the Black Phantom! Encountering him will almost certainly result in certain death.
Players showed great enthusiasm for the dungeon, and various analysis posts were published on the forum. Han Xiao himself did not know the exact situation of the dungeon because although he selected a segment, the quest was automatically generated. However, he saw the video recordings shared by players on the forum and knew what the players had experienced.
"The player is from the Dark Crow Valley Base faction. Is it because this dungeon is easy for someone in my faction?"
Han Xiao sighed helplessly, then a sudden inspiration struck him. "But this is good too. Higher difficulty dungeons offer greater rewards, which keeps players engaged for longer. I'm directly involved, and no one understands the key moments of this storyline better than me. I can manufacture some targeted machines to sell to players, helping them complete the mission."
The more benefits players gain from the dungeon, the more helpful it is to him. His original intention was not to make the dungeon difficult for all players, but to help players by selling targeted equipment and make a profit.
This is a business opportunity!
Han Xiao was a man of action. The very next day, he mass-produced targeted machinery, including a special helmet to protect against long-range Sniping and special auxiliary equipment for rapid movement in dense forests. As soon as they were released, players who had been suffering from dungeons immediately took a liking to them, and they sold out instantly.
Where there is demand, there is a market; that's the nature of a market economy. Han Xiao understood this perfectly. He seized every business opportunity and created a new business chain. Han Xiao didn't bother to count how many links in the chain profited; he only knew that another large sum of money had flowed into his wallet.
Since Aquamarine Dollar are not a currency circulating in the universe, he has been spending money lavishly, exchanging it for machinery, materials, and rare resources. However, not only has his money not decreased, but it has also been steadily increasing.
Back when Master Han was still a player, he would stretch every penny to the limit. Now, he has so much money he can't spend it all, and he's even bought up Farrian's warehouse, which needs to be restocked.
"Having money is such a hassle..." Han Xiao was genuinely worried; he didn't want to take a bunch of Aquamarine Dollar to interstellar space to be used as toilet paper...
With the new machinery, clearing dungeons became much easier for players. The new machinery he crafted and created with blueprints became the standard equipment for this dungeon in the players' minds. Compared with the rich rewards of the dungeon, the cost was acceptable, and players felt it was a good deal.
For a five-person squad, at least one person needs this equipment; it's practically a necessity.
These small sums added up, and Han Xiao made a fortune. As a result, the difficulty of the dungeon evolved from NetEase's to Tencent's. Although Tencent is often criticized, it is still much more conscientious compared to NetEase.
The difference between the two is roughly as follows...
Tencent: If you don't have money, you can't play this game.
NetEase: You son of a bitch.
"Becoming a dungeon publisher has very considerable long-term benefits. As long as I'm there, I don't have to worry about attracting players. This is the main storyline of version 1.0, generating dungeons below level 60, which can sustain us for a long time. For now, I'll only generate the Dark Raven Valley dungeon. As players' levels gradually increase, I'll release new dungeons. This way, I can always meet the needs of players and achieve sustainable development," Han Xiao calculated.
"Furthermore, as more instances are released, players experience my story firsthand, which greatly helps me solidify and deepen their impression of me. I want players to know that besides being handsome, I have countless other virtues..."
Han Xiao values players highly. After all, if he wants to grow quickly, he can't avoid interacting with them. And players are a group of unruly people, so he doesn't want to stand on the opposite side of them... Although he is far ahead of the players, once they grow up and appear in groups, they can still cause some trouble. This must be acknowledged. Master Han never gets arrogant.
The [Dark Crow Valley Operation] dungeon has become a trend in the Sanctuary. The Sanctuary's functions were already becoming increasingly diverse, and the appearance of the dungeon is equivalent to a qualitative change caused by quantitative change. In the minds of players, the status of the main city has basically been formed.