Several hours later, as tiny motes of light coalesced, all three of them respawned together in Northwind Keep.
This ancient teleportation circle was heavily guarded, garrisoned by the most elite and dependable tiefling soldiers arranged by Mezrolash. Fully aware of the miraculous nature of these "Starfallen," the guards found nothing strange in their "resurrections." As long as the players made no move to violate regulations, the soldiers simply looked the other way.
Meanwhile, Mantou and Singo, as seasoned "public servants," had even grown familiar with the soldiers watching over the respawn point.
"Yo, Kairon! You're on duty today?"
The tiefling guard addressed as Kairon politely nodded in response.
"Not bad. Another normal day today without any bizarre Starfallen."
Kairon silently marveled in his heart.
He felt rather fortunate whenever he ran into normal players. One never knew what kind of spectacle they would witness here. Last time, a player had emerged from the circle in broad daylight, buck naked without the slightest shame. That body—which bore no "holy light" in the eyes of tieflings—had been paraded right in front of him, an absolute eyesore!
Whenever he recalled that sight, his hand holding the spear trembled slightly.
Were it not for regulations tying his hands, he would have loved nothing more than to skewer that indecent fellow to death with one thrust.
Yet motes of light coalesced once more in the circle, shaping an uninhibited, brazenly naked body in midair. It represented humanity's most primal pursuit of freedom—and twisted the tiefling guard's expression into something savage and contorted.
Floating above this player's head was still that familiar ID: Wings of Liberty, the very figure revered by the vast closed-beta player base as "Holy Light Bro."
Due to the unique nature of the druid's Wild Shape, Holy Light Bro often charged into the front lines of various battlefields in the form of a giant bear. Death was practically routine for him, which had also made him unilaterally acquainted with these stationed guards.
*I heard the NPCs in this game are highly intelligent. Building good relations with them should have some perks, right?*
He thought to himself.
And so, Holy Light Bro—completely bare, without a single leaf to cover himself—waved "amicably" at the guard.
"Yo, it's you again! Long time no see!"
A gloomy haze instantly fell across Kairon's face, his teeth gritted in fury. In his eyes, this was bare provocation—quite literally.
*Restrain yourself. Under no circumstances can you lose control and skewer him to death.*
*Still, this Starfallen truly deserves to die—*
Watching the bewildered Holy Light Bro scratching his head in confusion in the distance, the tiefling guard thought grimly, his hand trembling slightly around his spear.
...
Meanwhile, Mantou and his companions had long since been eager to return to their temporary base to take stock of the spoils from their run.
Due to the death penalty, Mantou, who had previously accumulated less experience, dropped straight to Level 3, while Singo and Tiansheng Zhankuang barely managed to stay at Level 4.
Yet such a minor penalty meant nothing to them.
They were, after all, professional players capable of participating in top-tier combat, in no way comparable to the vast majority of ordinary players who just slacked off.
At this moment, Mantou's inventory was packed with precious white dragon scales. A faint progenitor dragon bloodline trait had appeared on his character sheet, massively boosting his base attributes, and he had even obtained the unprecedented ability Transform into Dragon.
He had even received the rewards for a hidden quest.
[Hidden Quest: Exploring the Tower of Polar Night]
[Investigate the truth of the Tower of Polar Night (1/1)]
[This high tower stands deep within the Khalkha Mountains and is one of the terrifying legends passed down across the Northlands. Many adventurers sought the treasures within, only to become sustenance for the tower's monsters or even be transformed into half-dragon monstrosities, wandering the tower and issuing shrill wails.]
[Reward: 1,000 XP]
[Passive Trait: Dark Tower Explorer]
[Skill Proficiencies: Insight +1, Investigation +1, Perception +1]
Mantou beamed from ear to ear, his face radiant with the joy of a bountiful harvest.
"Holy shit, we hit the jackpot this time!"
Tiansheng Zhankuang rubbed his bald head until it shone. "Heh heh, our deaths weren't in vain after all! Especially you, Mantou—you made a killing!"
Singo suddenly chimed in with a reminder: "Hasn't it been a long time since you updated your videos?"
"Huh? Update?"
"If you hadn't mentioned it, I would've completely forgotten! I've been so wrapped up in playing games lately... When was my last upload? About a month ago?"
Mantou slapped his forehead, flashing an embarrassed grin.
He could already picture the bullet comments filled with affectionate greetings like "Lock Mantou in the dark room!" and "Mail him razor blades," cold sweat beading on his forehead.
What was wrong with that, anyway?
He was just a creator who wanted the freedom to play games!
Singo patted his shoulder, remarking flatly, "Isn't this dungeon run great material? Plus, you can show off your new ability to the max."
Mantou asked in surprise, "Make it right now? Aren't you thinking about monopolizing the dungeon's resources anymore?"
Singo didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "I still have some self-awareness. The difficulty of this dungeon isn't something we can handle alone. Keep in mind, the NPC intelligence in this game is ridiculously high, practically identical to the real world. We just got a bit lucky this time. Next time, that wizard will be on guard. Once he unleashes all kinds of high-tier spells, won't he wipe the floor with us easily?"
"Alright, then I'll edit it tonight," Mantou said, scratching his head with an easygoing tone.
Only then did he realize that the hand patting his shoulder hadn't moved—and its grip was tightening, pinching him so hard it stung.
Singo said faintly, "Do you still remember those fifteen gold coins?"
"Holy shit, don't hit below the belt!"
"I'll pay you back, alright?!"
...
After draining his pockets to clear his debt and tearfully mortgaging every single dragon scale to Singo, Mantou finally escaped his clutches and pulled an all-nighter to finish editing the video.
He published the episode at three in the morning under a thoroughly sensationalist clickbait title:
*Howling Heard in the Mysterious Dark Tower at Night: Who Is Behind It? Beastly Wizard Transforms His Own Flesh-and-Blood Daughter—A Twist of Human Nature or the Decay of Morality?! All in Elezerg Log Episode 8: Exploring the Tower of Polar Night!*
Mantou's earlier videos had already drawn a massive wave of traffic; beyond his loyal followers, he had attracted nearly a hundred thousand players interested in the game. Although he had ghosted them for a long time without updating, the moment the video went live, swarms of fans clicked in alongside curious passersby hooked by the shocking headline.
"A true return of the missing person!"
"Did Mantou finally rise from the dead?!"
"It's been a whole month! Do you have any idea how painfully I waited this past month?!"
"Everyone, don't misunderstand. Let me clarify: Mantou didn't die, he was just locked in my dark room and ravaged ruthlessly. I've only just had my fill and let him out now. Consider yourselves informed."
"Hahahahaha, the guy above is fucking twisted!"
"Mantou is dead. Burn joss paper for ordinary business, hold a séance for minor issues, desecrate the grave for major affairs. If seen again, purely a zombie resurrection."
Mantou's cheeky face reappeared on the screen.
"Welcome to the long-awaited Episode 8 of the Elezerg Log! I'm Mantou!"
Chapter 204