A sudden burst of bright light filled Lonely as Snow's vision. When it cleared, a bustling, prosperous city stretched out before him, while hundreds of fellow novices in the same starter uniform crowded all around him.
"It's so realistic..."
"Look at how many people there are!"
"Is this Northwind Keep?"
"What a gorgeous city! Sightseers are going to love this."
Lonely as Snow looked around, finding the surroundings rather peculiar. The architecture was distinctly medieval, yet thick plumes of smoke billowed in the distance, and five- or six-story office buildings stood interspersed among classic European-style structures.
Even the tiefling guards carried magitech rifles while wearing traditional knightly plate armor, creating a striking steampunk aesthetic.
Wyverns wheeled and soared across the sky on patrol, while ogres and hobgoblins strode through the streets without a care in the world. The human passersby paid them no mind, long accustomed to their presence. To the newcomers, the scene felt utterly bizarre.
"Holy crap, monsters!"
"What are you yelling for? That's just Northwind Keep's local flavor."
Lonely as Snow muttered under his breath, "So this is Northwind Keep, just like Big S said. The best spawn point for newbies. According to his guide, the first step is earning Faction Contribution to immediately buy a Dragon Blood Potion for the opener. The most cost-effective job for beginners seems to be... mining."
He looked ahead toward the plaza, which was already jammed wall-to-wall with new players.
Out of fifty thousand players, nearly twenty thousand had chosen Northwind Keep as their starting location. The sudden influx swelled the city's population by almost half, grinding local traffic to a crawl.
All sorts of notices and advertisements covered the plaza's bulletin boards, and recruiters were shouting through megaphones.
"Guild recruiting new players! Eight hours online daily, hardworking and resilient candidates preferred!"
"Weapons Factory No. 3 hiring laborers! Daily wage: 100 Faction Contribution!"
"Newbie Training Program! Train to become a qualified paladin meat shield!"
"Novice starter sets on sale cheap! Only 100 copper coins!"
"New guild 'Lord Cassius's Dogs' is recruiting! Shared tastes bring like-minded comrades together!"
"Praise the Omnissiah! Elite powerhouse guild Machine Cult is seeking high-caliber talent! Top-tier benefits, higher academic degrees preferred!"
"Our guild is in urgent need of talent in biology and genetics! Those with relevant research achievements or published SCI papers can join guild leadership directly, receive the title of Gene-Smith, and enjoy maximum benefits!"
"Unrivaled Wangquan! Top powerhouse guild Wangquan is recruiting newbies! Professional gamers preferred, real-life experience in boxing, mixed martial arts, etc., prioritized!"
Lonely as Snow's head spun from the sheer variety. He stroked his chin and mused, "People are tryharding this intensely even in a video game? Are normal players even supposed to have a chance...?"
"Tsk, elite guilds sure are something else."
He had no intention of joining one.
According to Big S's guide, unless a guild was one of those few top powerhouses, its help to ordinary players was practically negligible. In fact, plenty of guilds used "nurturing novices" as a pretext to exploit newbies like sheep. And the requirements of those top-tier guilds were far beyond what an average player like him could ever meet.
Lonely as Snow was self-aware. Aside from being fairly good-looking, he was thoroughly average in every other respect, with gaming skills that hovered right around the median.
He continued following the flow of the crowd until he finally spotted what he was looking for.
A ferocious-looking hobgoblin sat there with an impatient scowl, a wooden sign planted in front of him:
*Bottomless Mine needs fifty miners. Twenty copper coins a day.*
"This must be the place," Lonely as Snow muttered.
Just as he stepped forward to ask, someone grabbed him from behind.
"Hold on, bro! Did you come to play the game or let the game play you? Are you seriously going into a mine shaft to be a slave laborer?"
Lonely as Snow turned around to see a fellow novice. He was also dressed in beginner's cloth robes, with a glittering name tag above his head: "European Emperor."
Lonely as Snow said, "Mining is the most cost-effective job in the early game. That's what Big S's guide said."
"Big S? Sing-dog!"
European Emperor's eyes went wide.
"You actually believe that scumbag's garbage? He's just scamming you newbies!"
Lonely as Snow did not argue, asking instead, "Aren't you a Level 1 newbie too?"
European Emperor folded his arms, brimming with confidence. "I've got inside info. My bro was in the closed beta, so I've already figured out all the twists and turns in this game."
"Look, do you trust me or not? Let's be friends."
Lonely as Snow hesitated for a moment, then nodded.
Though this self-proclaimed insider seemed a bit unreliable, he at least appeared warmhearted enough. There was no harm in making a friend.
European Emperor led him straight toward the densest cluster of players. Nearly a hundred people were packed together, including quite a few high-level veterans. Their faces were flushed, their eyes wild and frantic, as they muttered things like "Give me the drop!" and "Buddha bless me!" Lonely as Snow couldn't help feeling curious.
European Emperor pointed into the distance and said smugly, "Here it is."
Lonely as Snow followed his finger toward a sizable establishment. Above the entrance hung a plaque reading *House of the Dragon's Boon*, and inside, thousands upon thousands of elaborately decorated metal chests were stacked high.
"Cassius's Secret Trove?"
Lonely as Snow frowned, his skepticism toward European Emperor deepening.
He had seen this event in Singo's guide. The veteran guide writer had spared no harsh words, dubbing it "The Newbie Combine Harvester," "The Idiot's Favorite Pit of Fire," and "The Pauper Maker," giving it the lowest possible rating.
Singo had even added a specific note: *"Rather than spending gold to open these boxes, you'd be better off just wiring the money directly to me. At least that won't get you addicted."*
"You know about this event too?"
European Emperor looked thrilled, practically dancing with excitement.
"This is a treasure of an event! Word is it's an exclusive launch celebration. Miss it, and it's gone! Plenty of newbies have no clue."
"Isn't this thing supposed to have abysmal rates...? Big S specifically warned against it," Lonely as Snow said dryly.
"Why do you care about Sing-dog? Everything that comes out of his mouth is hot air! He claimed Faction Contribution was useless before, remember?"
European Emperor shook his head repeatedly with a knowing grin. "That's where you don't get it! This is the launch phase!"
"Think about it. No matter how stingy the devs are, would they scare off new players with terrible drop rates right at launch? This event is purely a welcome gift for beginners! Give you a taste of honey first before hitting you with the stick later, and Cassius's Secret Trove is that honey!"
"What proof do you have?"
"Inside info! Ever heard of insider information? I'm laying it all on the line for you, bro! If you don't believe me, just stand back and watch me rake in the rewards. Don't go regretting it when you see what I pull!"
European Emperor thumped his chest, his tone radiating unshakeable confidence.
Chapter 283