Chapter 10 – Good evening

Although this was a beta check and the sport firm had used invite codes to restrict the variety of gamers, the beginning village was nonetheless full of individuals.

Some have been working laborious at duties, whereas others have been strolling round and having fun with the surroundings.

The tea shack was probably the most distant sightseeing spot within the beginning village, so after all it was overcrowded. When the group of three arrived, they got a chunk of paper by a waiter, who informed them to queue for his or her place. There have been over 100 individuals in entrance of them.

Dugu Zhuo: “…”

Standing in line behind a hundred-plus individuals, he listened to the gamers’ chatter.

“Bleh! After they mentioned ‘tough tea and easy meals’, I assumed it was simply modesty, however this tea is severely bitter!”

“Don’t remind me! I heard {that a} VR recreation may simulate connoisseur meals, so I raised my style sensitivity to 120%. It almost killed me!”

“This shitty tea prices ten silver taels. Isn’t the proprietor scamming us?”

“If he’s scamming individuals, possibly there’s a hidden quest right here?”

Again within the PC recreation, gamers may open dialogue packing containers with NPCs by clicking on them, however you couldn’t level and faucet on NPCs in a VR recreation. If you happen to ever touched the improper spot, the NPC would both aggro you just like the warrior monk at Tanye Temple and remove you in a single shot, or they’d be like this proprietor right here—

“Honored visitor, this store solely sells tea, not particular companies. If you wish to harass an excellent man, there’ll be a high-quality.”

The second the proprietor completed talking, the participant who had poked the NPC began yelling, most likely as a result of he had heard a system notification. “You shitty outdated man, you’re going to cheat me out of 100 taels only for a poke? My stability has gone into the negatives! Don’t you suppose you’re a scammer?”

He was so mad he was about to cost on the proprietor, and his pal standing by him may now not maintain him again. “If it’s important to pay 100 silver taels for simply touching him, you’re actually going to get punished for attacking him,” the pal reminded.

“Then let me see what precisely the punishment is,” the participant mentioned, swinging a fist.

No punishment materialized. The tea shack proprietor held his head and pleaded for mercy, whereas the waiter deserted his work, working off yelling for the authorities.

The encompassing gamers didn’t precisely approve, however additionally they wished to know what sort of punishment would come of injuring an NPC, so all of them stood on the sidelines and spectated.

Dugu Zhuo didn’t prefer to contain himself in different individuals’s enterprise within the first place, however after some time, the waiter nonetheless hadn’t returned with a bailiff. He idly glanced over the proprietor’s money field and out of the blue considered one thing.

“Let me borrow your fan,” he mentioned to Lengthy @ Aotian.

He grabbed Lengthy @ Aotian’s paper fan and leapt into the air, stepping on the heads of the gamers in line as he arrived on the inside of the tea shack. He calmly tapped a couple of of the attacking participant’s acupuncture factors with the fan, immediately immobilizing him.

“Thanks, younger hero!” The proprietor raised his head and began profusely thanking Dugu Zhuo.

Dugu Zhuo examined the tea shack proprietor’s face and sighed quietly.

Unimportant NPCs within the recreation solely had a couple of distinct appearances. Throw on some completely different garments and a brand new coiffure and pores and skin tone, and so they have been a brand new character. This tea shack proprietor’s options appeared precisely the identical as that of a middle-aged man he’d seen in entrance of the therapeutic sales space, with solely his garments and hair being modified.

It appeared this proprietor wasn’t the one which he had met on the Canglan Mountains. A recreation was only a recreation, in the long run.

“Who do you suppose you might be? That is none of your online business!” the participant Dugu Zhuo had immobilized together with his religious essence mentioned furiously. His associates standing behind him have been additionally evident at Dugu Zhuo.

Qingyue and Aotian couldn’t keep again anymore and in addition rushed ahead to defend their dashen.

They weren’t very heroic individuals, however this was only a recreation anyway, so why not act prefer it this as soon as?

As each side have been in a tense standoff, the waiter lastly returned with the bailiff. The store proprietor pointed on the troublemaking participant and mentioned, “Sir, it was him who broken my store and attacked me!”

The bailiff glanced on the gamers and waved a hand. “Take away the perpetrator and produce his companions for interrogation too.”

“Huh?” his companions yelled. “We didn’t do something, so why are you taking us too?”

The bailiff didn’t care and shackled a few gamers. “Don’t you understand what guilt by affiliation is?”

A number of of the gamers have been degree 10, but they misplaced all their energy when captured and had no capability to withstand as they have been dragged away.

Witnessing their punishment, the spectating gamers now knew for a proven fact that this recreation was anti-violence. You may bully gamers, however you have been completely not allowed to bully NPCs.

Now that the gamers had been taken away, their seats have been free and should be given to the following individuals in line. Nevertheless, after wiping the desk clear, the store proprietor gestured Dugu Zhuo’s group to it with a smile. “Honored visitor, please sit.”

“Hey! Isn’t it presupposed to be our turns?” some gamers in line hollered.

“Paying prospects should comply with the principles, however these are my benefactors,” the proprietor mentioned, with an perspective of ‘I’m the boss and my phrase goes’. “I’m inviting them, and as my company, their tea is on me.”

The gamers in line couldn’t argue. In any case, it was their very own fault they hadn’t helped when the proprietor was attacked.

Sitting on the fundamental desk of the shabby tea shack, Dugu Zhuo thought again to all that had simply occurred.

The bailiffs had proven up after he had apprehended the perpetrator and never a second earlier or later, as if that they had been in hiding and ready for somebody to intervene earlier than they got here out.

And after the troublemaker was captured, he had acquired one other system notification, saying that he had earned one other Righteousness Level by upholding the regulation.

Nevertheless, the method he had used to immobilize that participant had not led to a immediate for him to create a brand new jade slip.

Again when he laid down the Misdirection Array, he didn’t obtain a immediate both, solely when the black cat had been bitten to dying. It appeared that one of many circumstances for making a ability was inflicting the dying of a participant with it.

As he was considering, the proprietor introduced over a pot of inexperienced tea, in addition to some delicate desserts. The opposite gamers have been having tea in crude bowls, whereas they got high-quality porcelain cups.

“It smells good!” Qingyue mentioned, sniffing her cup, a contented look showing on her face.

“Mm, that is scrumptious!” Aotian mentioned, nibbling the teacakes together with his eyes glowing. “It’s candy however not an excessive amount of, and also you don’t have to fret about your weight whereas consuming it!”

The opposite gamers: “…”

They regretted not serving to uphold justice a lot!

Dugu Zhuo took a sip of the tea. It was much better than the bowl he’d had on the Canglan Mountains.

He appeared into the gap, seeing the boundaries of the city shrouded in fog. Qingyue had mentioned that she’d tried strolling into the fog as soon as, however solely returned to her place to begin. She most likely wasn’t a excessive sufficient degree or hadn’t fulfilled some necessities so as to have the ability to go away the beginning village.

“What’s on the opposite aspect of the fog?” Dugu Zhuo requested.

“This outdated man doesn’t know,” the proprietor mentioned. “For generations, my household has lived on this village, and nobody has gone into the fog.”

It appeared like uncovering the mysteries of this world wasn’t going to be really easy.

Dugu Zhuo wasn’t in a rush. He was solely degree 9 proper now and his accidents hadn’t recovered. He didn’t have any leads on Ye Zhou’s soul both, so he may examine slowly.

Cultivators have been untouched by time. Dugu Zhuo had cultivated for a number of centuries to succeed in his present degree, so he was very affected person.

He requested the proprietor a couple of extra questions, however the proprietor was oblivious about all of them. The time was now the second ke of Xushi, or like Aotian would say, 7:30 pm, and the solar was regularly setting.

“Evening is falling,” the tea store proprietor mentioned out of the blue. “I have to shut up store quickly. All of the company within the queue needn’t fear. This store opens daily at Chenshi and everybody’s positions can be retained if they arrive again tomorrow.”

“He’s closing up at dusk? What sort of a store is that?” Some gamers who had been queuing for a very long time have been sad, however they didn’t dare to hurt any NPCs. It appeared this tea shack didn’t have any helpful clues anyway, only a place the place you may drink tea and mess with some NPCs.

Dugu Zhuo additionally stood to go away alongside together with his group, however the proprietor known as for him to attend.

“Please wait, younger heroes,” the tea shack proprietor mentioned in a low voice. “Let’s speak in right here.”

The group of three got here to the kitchen, the place the proprietor took out 100 taels of silver from the cash field and gave them to Dugu Zhuo. “The evening is harmful. Earlier than the fourth ke of Xushi, it’s essential to both sign off or discover an inn to remain the evening.”

“You’re kidding me,” Aotian mentioned. “Evening’s the proper time for leveling up, so why would we go keep at an inn? At 8 pm, the nightlife has simply begun. Who would cease taking part in?”

“You’ll be able to select an inn that gives an power gathering array,” the proprietor mentioned. “Whereas meditating inside the array, you possibly can acquire expertise even when idling.

“These inns are uncommon, although. On this city, solely Youpeng Inn has an power gathering array and its house is proscribed. Thankfully, I’m relations with the proprietor of the inn, so if I write you a suggestion, I’m positive he’ll offer you three premium rooms.”

He handed three letters to every of the group. “The solar has nearly set. Younger heroes, be fast!”

There was urgency in his voice, and even Aotian observed one thing was odd. “Is that this outdated man telling us that there’ll be some hazard within the evening?”

Dugu Zhuo accepted the 100 silver taels and mentioned, “Based on your guess, when the forex alternate is activated, we’ll be capable of buy spirit stones. In that case, why are there two units of forex? What’s the silver used for?”

“For informal gamers to purchase meals and luxuriate in themselves, I assume?” Qingyue mused.

“Not essentially,” Dugu Zhuo mentioned.

Following the store proprietor’s directions, they arrived at Youpeng Inn in 5 minutes. After handing of their suggestions, they obtained themselves three premium rooms.

Every room value 100 taels of silver, so the store proprietor’s reward was solely sufficient to cowl Dugu Zhuo’s keep. Thankfully, Qingyue and Aotian had accomplished a whole lot of duties in the course of the day, so after emptying their wallets, they managed to scrape collectively 180 taels, solely sufficient for one room.

“You’re 20 taels quick,” mentioned the inn’s proprietor. “If you happen to lend me somebody to work within the yard, I’ll offer you 10 taels for an hour.”

Aotian helplessly adopted him to scrub dishes and feed horses, whereas Dugu Zhuo went to his room.

The partitions of the room have been inlaid with religious stones, focusing religious power onto the mattress, in order that one may domesticate simply by mendacity down.

Dugu Zhuo checked the religious power inside the stones. The array would maintain for twelve hours, and lose impact by Chenshi the following morning, or 7 to eight am.

Within the yard, Aotian grumbled as he reduce straw for the horses. “What a lame recreation. If I’ve to work off my debt, can’t it simply drain a few of my stamina? Why do I’ve to truly work for 2 hours? I don’t know why I’m paying a lot to remain at this shitty inn.”

As he was complaining, 8 pm arrived.

The sky had gone utterly darkish, because the moon slowly rose over the bushes. Lengthy @ Aotian out of the blue acquired a paper crane from a pal. “Mwahahahaha! I can transfer now! You all don’t know what you’re in for! I’m the strongest willow yao there ever was!”

Aotian stopped in the midst of feeding the horses, dumbfounded, and performed the message once more.

Qingyue had additionally rushed to the yard by now. “Xiao Wen[1] despatched me a message simply now. She mentioned yao beneath degree 20 may take human kinds at evening, and proper now yao, demons, and ghosts are working about within the streets.”

Xiao Wen was Qingyue’s pal who, after making a demon character, Qingyue had by no means seen once more.

“No method,” mentioned Aotian. “In that case, the people proper now…” He glanced on the again courtyard wall. “Wanna see?”

They climbed to the highest of the wall and noticed crowds filling the streets. Teams of human gamers have been knocking on each door they may, wailing, “Save us! Ghosts and monsters are working round in every single place! Open up, let me in!”

A home’s door opened and a thick arm reached out, killing a participant in a single slap.

The NPCs from the daytime had turned from variety civilians into demons and monsters, and the races who had hassle leveling up in the course of the day, the yao, ghosts, and demons, may now take missions.

As for the people and spirits, the fortunate ones had gotten to Tanye Temple or an inn earlier than 8, whereas the unfortunate ones obtained killed by NPCs, or just logged off to play tomorrow.

There was additionally a system announcement despatched out:

[Good night, everyone. Welcome to the world of ghosts and demons.]

Qingyue and Aotian: “…”

This was additionally a recreation mechanic?

spooooky instances

thanks all for studying!

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