Bang!
The musket blasted out flames, and countless tiny steel balls spewed out from the barrel.
A plague madman was blown away and fell to the ground, bleeding profusely.
"It's your turn, brother, go get the kill reward."
While loading his ammunition, Rotten Persimmon raised his eyelids and spoke to a teammate next to him who he loved very much.
"Thank you, Brother Rotten Persimmon."
The latter chuckled, and in the envious gazes of others, he excitedly rushed forward, raised the hatchet in his hand, and killed the plague madman.
Because of the team formation, the others also received a small portion of experience points.
"Brother Rotten Persimmon, we have been brushing here for several days. Do you want to continue?"
Someone spoke up.
"It feels like the number of 'Plague Maniacs' nearby has decreased. It seems that they won't be refreshed... There are more and more new people in the town. If this continues, there will be no monsters in this area soon."
Ranshiji did not answer immediately, but opened his own panel.
He looked at the "LV9" behind his secondary occupation, "Church Guard," and chose to upgrade. The number blurred for a moment, then became "LV10."
Rotten Persimmon closed his eyes and let out a long sigh.
He’s back, finally back, his level is finally back to level 10!
At this time, Rotten Persimmon wanted to shout loudly, but because of the ups and downs of the past few days, his lively nature has calmed down a little. In addition, there are seven or eight beloved "little brothers" watching him around, so he feels that he cannot lose face, so he suppresses his excitement.
Rotten Persimmon told himself to keep a low profile and not be reckless anymore.
"No more brushing, we'll leave Emerald Town today."
He put away the musket in his hand and answered the question from his teammate.
"Where are we going?"
A companion asked.
Rotten Persimmon turned his head to look at him, then glanced at the others.
"Amber City."
…
…
…
The most convenient and cost-effective way to get from Emerald Town to Amber City is naturally to take the train.
However, the nearest train station to Feicui Town is quite a distance away, and it would take about half a day to walk there.
In order to reach the train station before dark, Lanshi led the team out of Feicui Town early and started on their journey.
Snap!
The rotten persimmon crushed the dead branches with one foot, making a crisp sound.
He raised his hand to block the sun, squinted his eyes and looked around. The scorching heat distorted the air, and the dazzling light shone on the gravel road, and the heat wave hit him in the face.
"Let's find a cool place to rest first. It's too hot. My health is slowly decreasing..."
Rotten Persimmon said to his companions.
The others had long been unable to bear the heat, and when they heard the leader's words, they immediately took a step and ran towards a big tree beside the road.
A group of seven or eight people gathered under the shade of the tree to enjoy the cool air.
Rotten Persimmon opened the panel map and checked the information on it. The area that was originally covered by fog had partially disappeared after he purchased the Emerald Town map, and now he could clearly find the location of the "Emerald Town Train Station".
"Hurry up, it's only an hour or two away..."
Rotten Persimmon took out the water bottle, took a sip, and encouraged.
When the others heard this, they were not very interested. This horrible weather was really torturous.
"It's a pity that I didn't encounter any bandits, otherwise I could have gained some experience... Isn't it said that this road leading to the train station is full of bandits?"
Seeing this, Rotten Persimmon changed the subject and asked.
A teammate wiped his sweat and shook his head:
"The plague has broken out, and most of the bandits in this wilderness are probably dead... And even if there are survivors, they shouldn't be so 'dedicated' in this hot weather, right?"
“That makes sense…”
Rotten Persimmon responded.
At this moment, everyone suddenly heard a scream and faint curses coming from a distance.
"…Stop chasing me! Damn it! I know I'm handsome, but there's no need for you to keep pestering me like this!"
Lan Shi and other teammates looked at each other.
"Let's go! Let's take a look! Maybe there are really bandits nearby!"
Immediately, a group of people ran towards the source of the sound.
Not long after, they saw a blond young man running wildly on the grass on the side of the main road, with a tattered plague madman chasing after him.
The blond young man wore a hat with feathers in it and his cloak was dirty, looking very shabby, but it could not conceal his noble temperament and handsome looks.
The plague madman chasing after him was a middle-aged man who looked like a bandit. He was holding a short axe in his hand and was chasing the blond young man relentlessly with a strange smile.
"ah!"
The blond young man accidentally tripped over a stone.
He turned, eyes wide, as he watched the plague madman rush forward, hatchet raised.
BANG!!
A gunshot rang out.
The mad man who was about to commit the crime suddenly flew backwards sideways, and the short axe in his hand fell to the ground with a snap.
Rotten Persimmon led the team over.
He asked someone to finish off the sick lunatic who had been shot and fell to the ground, and then he looked at the blond young man.
"Alex...?"
He sent out a probe and found that it was just an ordinary person, and was immediately disappointed.
I originally thought that saving him would trigger some mission, but now nothing has happened.
“Thank you for your help.”
Alex got up from the ground, brushed off the dust on his body, and saluted gracefully with his hand on his chest.
"Let me introduce myself. I am Alex, a great bard."
He wiped the dirt off his face and smiled brightly.
"But I don't actually need your help... Even if you guys hadn't come, I would be fine. I was just playing around with this patient."
Alex ignored the dejected expressions of Ranshiki and the others and glanced at the corpse at his feet.
He remembered something, bent down, picked up the short axe, and casually put it around his waist.
"In fact, I am embarking on an adventure in my own world. These dangers are just my spice and are not worth mentioning... You even disturbed my interest, which is very rude."
Alex talked freely.
Rotten Persimmon was already looking impatient, and a team member behind him was also somewhat annoyed with this ordinary NPC who was talking big, so he interrupted Alex's words:
"Okay, you idiot who can only boast, our big brother saved your life, so just get out of here right now... I hope that next time you are in danger, no one will help you."
“I’m not bragging!”
Alex frowned, looking a little unhappy.
"Okay, let's go."
Lanshi was too lazy to waste words with an NPC with a stupid brain, so he called his teammates and prepared to leave.
But Alex suddenly stopped them, took out the short axe hanging from his waist, and stared at them angrily.
"You actually questioned me! And you laughed at me and humiliated me! I, Alex, the great bard, will not allow you to trample on my dignity like this!"
He raised the short axe in his hand and pointed at Ranshi and his group.
"I challenge you to a duel! If you are gentlemen, accept the challenge bravely, otherwise you are a bunch of cowards!"
Everyone was stunned.
Rotten Persimmon raised his eyebrows. He didn't expect things to turn out like this. The brain of this NPC in front of him must have been corrupted to a certain extent. He was even crazier than the plague madman.
"Huh? You really aren't afraid of death!"
A team member behind Rotten Persimmon spoke up.
He walked to the side of Rotten Persimmon and whispered a few words. He said that this blond idiot looked good and had an extraordinary temperament, and might have a hidden identity. He might as well kill him and maybe he could reveal something.
Lanshi raised his eyebrows, thinking that it made sense, so he nodded slightly at him.
"Come on, I accept your challenge, let's duel!"
After greeting Rotten Persimmon, this member of the God's Love Guild walked straight forward and stood facing Alex.
"You have the guts! Then stop talking nonsense and get started!"
Alex put his hands on his hips and scolded.
Then he raised his hatchet and strode towards his opponent with great momentum.
"Dragon Slayer Axe!"
His face was ferocious, he shouted loudly, and chopped down the short axe fiercely!
The others were startled by his shout.
Dragon Slaying Axe?!
Bang!
The player who was dueling with Alex, holding a rusty sickle, raised his weapon and hooked the axe handle.
His originally nervous mood suddenly turned into disdain, and then with a little force, he flipped Alex's hand over.
The hatchet fell to the ground with a clatter.
"That's it?"
The player sneered, raised his hand and swung the sickle across Alex's neck.
Puff——!
Alex's eyes widened and he was stunned.
"Is my... world adventure going to end here?"
His throat was cut, blood spurted out, and the next second, his body went limp and he fell to the ground.
A harmonica even fell out of his arms.
[You killed the bard Alex and gained 10 experience points! ]
The player participating in the duel curled his lips, wiped the blood off the sickle, and then bent down to pick up the harmonica on the ground.
【Miscellaneous items - harmonica】
Item description: An ordinary wooden harmonica, a small wind instrument. Its original owner seemed to be a wandering bard, but unfortunately, he was brutally killed in a duel.
"Pah, what rubbish."
The player spat and threw the harmonica away.
"It's just an ordinary NPC, with only 10 experience points, and it didn't trigger any other prompt boxes..."
"It goes without saying, because each of us only received 1 experience point."
Someone responded with a smile.
Rotten Persimmon exhaled, shook his head and said:
"Let's go, don't waste time."
"Okay, Brother Rotten Persimmon."
The group ignored the corpse on the ground and left.
A player walking behind the team even picked up the hatchet. There was nothing they could do, they were so poor that they didn't even have a decent piece of equipment, and this hatchet was much more useful than a rusty kitchen knife.
They continued walking like this for about ten minutes, and suddenly everyone heard screams and curses again.
"...Damn you beast! You made me slip and fall! Oh, my handsome face, it's covered with disgusting mud! Get away! Don't chase me!"
Lan Shi and his teammates looked at each other and felt that this scene seemed familiar.
"Go and have a look..."
Lan Shi gave an order and then led the team to run towards the source of the sound.
A few breaths later, they left the main road and found themselves at the foot of a weed-covered hillside, where they saw a blond young man being chased by a mad dog infected with the plague.
The blond young man wore a hat with feathers on it and a dirty cloak. He had a handsome appearance and was tall...
"!!"
Including Rotten Persimmon, seven or eight players were stunned.
Isn't the guy being chased by the dog the wandering bard from before? ! But he was just killed, how come he appeared here again in the blink of an eye? !
Resurrection from the dead?
Or is there another twin brother?
"ah!"
The blond young man was thrown to the ground.
The mad dog opened its saliva-filled mouth and bit his neck fiercely.
"Brother Rotten Persimmon..."
The companions of the God's Love Guild looked towards the rotten persimmon.
But this time, Lan Shi just frowned, stood there quietly, and watched. He did not come to the rescue like before.
“Ahhh!!”
With a scream, the blond young man had his throat bitten through by the mad dog. Blood splattered everywhere. His hands and feet twitched and he struggled for a while, then he became motionless.
Lanshi and his teammates approached and shot the mad dog that was eating the corpse to death with a single shot.
Then they all gathered around the body of the blond young man and looked at it for a while.
"This... is the bard from before, I think his name is 'Alex'. Why did he appear again?"
“Is it possible that they look alike, but are not the same person?”
"No, it's definitely him. I just checked with the 'Probe'... His name is 'Alex'."
Rotten Persimmon frowned and spoke.
When others heard this, they felt horrified.
They had clearly seen this guy being killed by his teammates with his throat cut, and they even received a notification of the kill and the experience points were distributed. Why did he appear again? !
This is totally against common sense!
Rotten Persimmon took a step forward, picked up the harmonica that had fallen next to Alex's hand, and wiped the blood off it.
【Miscellaneous items - harmonica】
Item description: An ordinary wooden harmonica, a small wind instrument. Its original owner seemed to be a wandering bard. Unfortunately, he was bitten to death by a mad dog infected with plague while traveling.
Lanshi thought about it, put the harmonica in his hand into his pocket, then turned around and took the first step.
"Go! Get out of here!"
He shouted in a low voice.
"Let's hurry to the train station. This is so weird!"
The others looked at each other and saw a hint of panic in each other's eyes.
"It's really weird, let's go!"
"Walk!"
Rotten Persimmon took the lead and started running forward. The members of his team also followed and ran with gritted teeth.
They had just logged into the game, and their first impression of the world was gloomy and depressing.
They had been slaying monsters in the "Epidemic District" map for the past two days, and their nerves were a little exhausted. It had only been a short time since they left when they encountered something even more bizarre and terrifying.
It's really terrifying.
The sun became hotter in the afternoon and the temperature became even hotter.
They ran for a few minutes and then stopped.
Following Ranshi's gaze, the team members looked towards the small hill in front of them on the right, and saw a blond young man hanging upside down on a tree.
They looked at the man quietly, and the man was also upside down, looking at them, and looking at each other.
On this hot summer day, Lanshi and his group broke out in cold sweats!
"Is that guy a ghost?!"
Someone spoke with a trembling voice.
"I don't want to play anymore! I feel my sleeping pod moving!"
The two sides were dozens of meters apart.
It seemed that Alex had stepped into a trap or was caught by someone and was hung on the tree.
He showed no fear, swaying in the air and waving to Ranshi and his group.
"Hey! Hello, fellow travelers passing by!"
Alex looked very happy when he saw the players, and twisted in mid-air.
"Are you coming to rescue me? Ha! Thank you very much! But you don't have to!
I am a great bard, an adventurer who wants to travel around the world. This little danger is nothing to me!"
He fumbled around on his body for a while, then took out a harmonica, and while hanging upside down, he played a beautiful melody.
Rotten Persimmon stared with wide eyes, reached his hand into his pocket, but suddenly trembled.
He discovered that the harmonica he had picked up earlier was missing!
"Go, go, go! Go!"
Rotten Persimmon didn't care about all that. He turned around and ran like mad to the sound of the brisk harmonica.
Seeing this, the other teammates also ran wildly.
More than half an hour later.
Lanshi and his group finally arrived at the train station. They collapsed at the door, almost exhausted, soaking wet and looking miserable.
The strange things that happened on the way are still lingering in their minds, and it’s creepy to think about it.
Rested for a long time.
Rotten Persimmon stood up first with trembling legs.
"Brothers, we're already at the train station! Don't waste time, let's go now!"
Amidst a burst of wailing, everyone dragged their tired bodies reluctantly, followed Rotten Persimmon to buy train tickets, and then boarded the train to Amber City.
As soon as they found a seat and sat down, everyone leaned back in their chairs and fell into a deep sleep in a daze.
There is sleep in the game, too. This nesting doll-like deep sleep can be understood as a negative state after physical overdraft, or it can be regarded as a "cheap means" to restore physical strength and life.
At some point, it can also be used by players as a way to skip boring time.
The specific experience is... similar to normal sleep when you are offline, but with an additional timing option.
I don’t know how much time has passed.
Rotten Persimmon suddenly woke up.
He looked around. In the moving train carriage, his companions from the God's Love Church were still sleeping in their chairs, while the other passengers were silently doing their own things.
Clank, clank, clank…
The shaking was accompanied by the rhythmic sound of wheels and rails.
The scenery outside the window passed by.
A strange uneasiness filled Lan Shi's heart. He opened the panel and took a look. His originally nonchalant expression suddenly froze.
"The level has dropped to level 9...?!"
He stared at the panel in disbelief.
"The number of resurrections has also been reduced by one?! When was it...?"
Rotten Persimmon was in a completely confused state, because he couldn't remember when he had died last time.
He woke up the others in a panic, and then asked hurriedly in their confused eyes:
"Hurry up and check your own dashboards. Has your level dropped? Has your resurrection times decreased?"
"Level drop? Reduction in the number of resurrections?"
The other team members looked puzzled, and then, at the urging of their eldest brother Lanshi, they all opened the panel to check.
"!!"
Soon, their expressions became identical, filled with surprise.
"Really... I really dropped a level! The number of resurrections has also been reduced by one!"
"What the hell is going on?!"
"Why did we all die once? When did it happen? I have no idea!"
They all looked a little flustered.
Rotten Persimmon took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down.
He remembered something, opened the panel again, and then carefully looked through the past prompt records.
Soon, his pupils shrank.
The latest prompt box shows:
[You were killed by the bard Alex in your sleep! ]