freeallnovels Chapter 84: Representatives of the North District Players...
Chapter 84: Representatives of the North District Players...
Chapter 84: Representatives of the North District Players...
[Holy crap, it's here, it's finally here... Brothers, the latest news is that Holy Stone City is about to reopen, and the daily quest check-in day is almost here!]
On the outskirts of the Beth Empire, thousands of players eagerly awaited the latest news. The most warlike Duke, a representative of the Beth Empire's hawkish faction, had promised an order to intelligence agents. According to reliable sources, anyone who could find information in Holy Stone City, even routine news, would receive a reward. This kind of benefit prompted players who were struggling in the north to bring their valuables and travel to this border region.
The North is too harsh. Being born here means you're considered to have very bad luck. Most people in the North are nomads, and the common practice for nobles is a castle-and-herding system, unlike in the South where people like to build large cities everywhere.
This resulted in a scarcity of locations in large cities, where there was no shortage of people. Meanwhile, undocumented immigrants scattered across pastures were easily shot by local samurai responsible for protecting cattle and sheep. There were not many cities that needed cooperation, and the north rarely needed refugees. You either had to become a herdsman, herding livestock day and night, or become an undocumented hunter, hunting on the grasslands or in some mountains. Without a proper job, not only was your hunting efficiency low, but the price you could get for your catch was also questioned, making your life miserable.
The most crucial factor is the weather. Winters in the northern grasslands are extremely cold, and even if players have a backpack with space to carry a tent, they can easily freeze to death in the wild, making their survival rate significantly lower than in the south.
Any player who wants to succeed will not waste their time as a herdsman. In order to survive, they all travel around, and intelligence gathering is the biggest source of income for many unregistered players.
The Beth Empire appears to be a unified entity, but the nobles among the steppe tribes are constantly scheming and plotting against each other. Since their own professional scouts are unusable against their own people, these unregistered players become the most useful resource—cheap and...
Affordable and hardworking.
This is not good for players. The more nobles think you are cost-effective, the more they will exploit you. With more and more players, there is a lot of infighting, and prices are being driven lower and lower.
The area is vast, and intelligence missions are scarce. Often, the travel expenses to a destination are higher than the reward for intelligence.
Such a lavish gesture by the Duke of the Raven is rare even among the stingy northern nobles.
Many players were eager to try their luck, but they were stuck outside Holy Stone City for a whole month without any progress. Many players had almost run out of food, and if the city didn't open soon, they wouldn't be able to hold on.
Are you sure you don't want to be a bro? Don't tell me it's some fake news again. I've been out of rations for four or five days, I'm practically eating grass.
[Yeah, I sold a lot of stuff to raise the money for my trip after hearing this news. Please don't scam me again.]
[I said it from the beginning: Holy Stone City is such a small place, where are there so many intelligence missions? Even if it's opened up, how much of the spoils will we thousands of players get? I'm afraid it won't be long before they stop buying it. I've really had enough. We transmigrated and now we're being ripped off by our own countrymen. You guys are always ripping us off!]
[Brothers, this is guaranteed to be true, absolutely true! Do you know where this news came from? Sweet Rice Dumplings!]
Upon hearing the name "Sweet Rice Dumpling," many players were intrigued. Over the years, since that mysterious player rose to prominence, intelligence has never been wrong. Moreover, it is said that she is the only big shot among the northern players who can ignore the blockade and sneak in.
[Really? Sweet rice dumplings? You're not making this up, are you?]
"It really is her, brothers, why would I lie to you?"
What exactly is going on inside? Has the expert explained it clearly?
I don't know, it seems they said... they'd tell us in person...
【What? 】
Many players are excited; is that big shot about to make an appearance?
A legendary figure who has been rumored to be the top player in the North District for countless years, a free agent who was invited by the Duke but refused, and a true powerhouse who treats this world as a game.
What was the purpose of that big shot's public appearance?
Is it time to meet with a group of players?
Is leaking intelligence going to be free again this time?
Many players had questions, but they quickly got the answers.
[She doesn't meet with all players. Sweet Rice Dumpling only meets with a few key players who can represent them. The players themselves elect their representatives, and at least one hundred people must be chosen to serve as representatives.]
[Sweet Rice Dumpling will reveal some key information to the representative player, who in turn must cooperate with her to avoid disrupting the order within Holy Stone City. Holy Stone City is currently very sensitive and fragile, and everyone wants to earn enough information here to at least recoup their costs. To achieve this goal, they must at least not ruin the city.]
[With so many players, rules must be established. Players who intentionally disrupt the ecosystem here will be expelled by representatives of all players. Those who want to act independently will no longer receive the latest information, and will also be expelled if they damage the ecosystem of Holy Stone City.]
A series of messages sent all the players into a frenzy.
Is this setting rules for all players? On what grounds?
But the thought that if the ecosystem is indeed destroyed, as the other party claims, many players will lose everything, as they would lose everything.
Many players have spent over a month here and are now almost penniless!
[That's what the big boss said. If you don't want to cooperate, you can do your own thing, but after that, she won't share any more information.]
Upon hearing this, even the most stubborn players who wanted to say they didn't need it didn't have the courage. Most players were already broke, and as the saying goes, "a penny can stump even a hero," they simply couldn't afford to drag things out any longer.
In less than an afternoon, the players started a voting campaign, and soon the selected players appeared, totaling about seven.
First, there are two high-level players, [Hungry Wolf] ranked third and [Sword Wind Legend] ranked second. They are both close to level 20 and have already made a name for themselves in the black mercenary world. Hungry Wolf was initially impatient with many players choosing them as representatives, but he changed his mind when he heard that he would have a chance to meet that sweet rice dumpling.
The two individuals each represented the wishes of nearly five hundred players.
Next up is the only high-ranking merchant player, [Black Rose]. As one of the few players who can obtain the Frank Merchant identity, this Northern player has always had a good reputation among players. She often posts high-reward missions for limited blacklisted players. It is said that she has many loyal followers. More than 400 people chose her as their representative this time. In terms of numbers, she is even more representative than Fatal Fury and Berserk.
Then came representatives from four guilds: [Hunting Grounds], [Escort Guild], and [North Sea Guild].
And there's also the newly emerging [Han Metropolis]!
Among them, [Hunting Grounds] is a relatively old guild. It uses a small number of high-level hunter players to monopolize some hunting grounds and then organizes unregistered players to help with the hunting. This guild has a high mortality rate because non-hunter players acting as assistants are easily used as resources. However, if they can persevere, the guild's herding service will help them obtain hunter status.
It is said that in the early days, the hunting grounds had a good reputation, but later on, the probability of becoming a full-fledged player became lower and lower, and many people began to realize that it was a place to fleece players. Many players lost several lives there without being able to become full-fledged players, and its reputation became worse and worse.
However, for many players who are unsure of their direction, it is still an option. The number of people who have arrived this time is only a few dozen, but I heard that they are all regular hunters, and there are also several extraordinary professions.
The Escort Guild, simply put, is a group that escorts goods. The border between the north and south is extremely long, with numerous trade routes, which naturally breeds many thieves. The Escort Guild provides cheap security and is responsible for protecting the safety of merchants who do not have the money to hire large mercenary groups. It is also a large guild that has been developing for more than ten years. It is not very friendly to newcomers. You need to escort more than ten times to have a chance to get a position provided by the guild, and you also need to sign a long-term contract. After becoming a full member, you must serve the guild for a certain number of years.
There aren't many pitfalls in getting a permanent position, but the salary after that isn't high. It's a dangerous business with a high probability of accidents, and the income isn't proportional to the effort. The only advantage is that the future is relatively stable. As long as you don't run into any trouble during the initial escort missions, you're guaranteed a legitimate job. Also, the guild will take care of newcomers in the early stages and won't let them die.
The guild leader who came this time is said to have brought more than ten extraordinary subordinates. He plans to make a big splash here, and all of them are elites.
There are also more than a hundred representative players.
【Beihai Guild】is a guild located near the Beihai region. It mainly recruits sailors as regular professions. Among the three major guilds, it has the best basic benefits. Sailors receive a lot of subsidies and there is also a share of the shipping profits every time. It can be considered the most friendly guild for players at the lowest level. However, its disadvantages are also obvious. There is almost no way to advance. Sailors will most likely remain sailors for life. All the opportunities at sea belong to the captain and the first mates.
The president didn't come this time, but many elite members and nearly ten extraordinary professionals did.
Finally, there's [Han Dudu], a media guild that has risen to prominence in recent years. It has gradually gained fame in the north thanks to its paparazzi news. It's said that the guild leader is a Korean who is rather xenophobic and has a lot of influence in Milan. He's considered an outsider.
This time, the guild leader, Park Young-joon, came in person, representing nearly a hundred players from the guild.
This time, representatives from the four major guilds and the representatives chosen by the independent players arrived at the designated location at the time specified by Sweet Rice Dumpling, ready to meet the legendary number one player in the North District!
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