[Server Announcement: Stats adjustment for the LD-47 rifle is complete. It is now available on the shelves of the outpost weapons shop. Players who won the earlier lottery, please collect your equipment from Boss Xia. The LD-47s semi-automatic designated marksman rifle will be available tomorrow. Stay tuned.]
Word that new weapons had hit the weapon shop spread quickly.
Players near the outpost gathered around in droves, though within moments, most of them dispersed.
The weapon itself was not expensive—200 silver coins each, merely double the price of a pipe rifle. The problem, however, was that the ammunition was too expensive.
1 silver coin a round. A thirty-round magazine cost 30 silver. Complete newbies who had just entered the game couldn't afford that at all.
Moreover, the Sickle assault rifle was different from the pipe rifle. The latter had an extremely simple receiver structure; theoretically, as long as the caliber matched, it could fire rolled cartridges or stamped cartridges alike, and if there wasn't enough smokeless powder, black powder could even make do.
Staring at the shop shelves, the new players sighed one after another.
"Fuck! This is way too expensive!"
"Sigh, better level up quickly."
"True. Only higher levels unlock quests with big rewards. Automatic weapons like this are way too hard to maintain early on!"
Chu Guang didn't linger around the outpost. Around two in the afternoon, he took a truck over to Changjiu Farm.
When he arrived at the farm, quite a few players had already returned from Yumu District with prey, turning in quests at Old Luka's desk.
Recently, Changjiu Farm had been short on food, so hunting quests offered high returns.
The base payout for a hyena had increased from 5 to 8 silver coins, while the more valuable-furred snow wolf had jumped from 10 to 15 silver—higher even than the reindeer passing through the northern outskirts of Qingquan City a while back!
Beyond that, there was regional reputation up for grabs.
Quite a few players with production occupations who were eager to set up workshops and weren't short on cash staked out the crossroads leading to Yumu District. They bought prey at high prices directly from hunter players, then turned in the quests at the warehouse on their behalf, essentially trading money for reputation and contribution points.
It was at least ten kilometers from Yumu District to Changjiu Farm. Selling their haul saved hunter players travel time, allowing them to focus entirely on hunting.
As long as the price was right, who cared about losing a few contribution points or regional reputation?
Most combat players didn't really need regional reputation anyway; grinding contribution points was enough.
By twelve noon, fifteen mutant snow wolves and twenty-one mutant hyenas hung from the wooden racks outside the warehouse.
The former averaged a bit over forty kilograms, while the latter hovered around thirty kilograms. Meat yield was roughly forty percent for both, adding up to nearly five hundred kilograms of raw meat.
At this rate, it wouldn't take two days before the players swept Yumu District clean of game.
Luka was swamped at the warehouse entrance.
Seeing the Administrator arrive, he immediately went up to greet him.
"My Lord, we need to hire two butchers to process this game!"
"You can post a quest via the VM and recruit a couple of vault residents to do it."
"I did post it, but... nobody applied," Luka said, looking embarrassed. "I even raised the hourly wage from one silver coin to two, but still hardly anyone is interested."
Every quest and position had a benchmark value. For instance, the butcher's hourly wage was 1 silver coin, plus a commission per slaughtered carcass. When NPCs posted quests, they set rewards based on this benchmark, adjusting according to urgency. Old Luka's authority allowed him to double the base rate.
Yet even so, still no one had applied...
Hearing this, Chu Guang immediately understood where the problem lay.
Most Alpha 0.8 players were still in the beginner's village—the outpost.
An hourly wage of 1 silver coin plus contribution points was quite attractive to newcomers below LV5, but for veterans who had just gone through the expansion, it fell short.
More importantly, butchery had a learning curve. Not everyone had knife skills like Brother Scrambled Eggs, capable of stripping a carcass clean in a flash.
"No matter. If the players aren't interested, we can hire refugees outside. I plan to visit the refugee camp shortly; you can come along."
Although somewhat suspicious of the refugees, Luka didn't object upon hearing the Administrator say so. He bowed respectfully and said,
"Yes, My Lord."
Just as Chu Guang took Old Luka and two guards toward the east gate, conditions inside the refugee camp were far from optimistic.
Looking at the elderly man curled up inside the shack, looking sickly and coughing periodically, Jiu Li's face was clouded with gravity.
This was the fourth one he had seen today.
Even without medical training, he could tell the old man's condition was dire.
"They're sick, most likely typhoid," the gaunt man standing beside Jiu Li warned. "If we don't deal with it quickly, it'll become huge trouble."
His name was Jiu Xun, Jiu Li's younger brother and assistant.
Previously, he had just been called Xun, but after his brother was bestowed a surname by the lord here, he changed his name too, in a way assimilating into the local culture.
Jiu Li fell silent, then said after a long moment:
"We can't just drive them out."
"We have no choice. We have no medicine, no doctor. They won't pull through, and they'll die either way," Jiu Xun tried to persuade him. "Half of us died just getting here! Are we going to let that go to waste for a few old men with one foot in the grave—"
"Who the fuck are you saying is in the grave?"
A furious roar rang out from the side.
A burly man pushed through the crowd, seized Jiu Xun by the collar, and glared at him with bared teeth.
"What do you want to do to my father? I'm standing right here. Let's see who dares drag him out!"
His name was Sun Cheng, a butcher from a small village of around a hundred people in central River Valley Province.
Driven out by marauder raids, he and his fellow villagers had fled their burning homeland, braving the winter cold to migrate south in search of survival.
Like many others here, they had joined the caravan midway. And to reach this place, they had paid a steep price in casualties, just like everyone else.
Out of gratitude for last night's bowl of hot porridge, he had surrendered his gun under Jiu Li's persuasion.
Sun Cheng had thought it was worth it.
Yet just now, while gathering firewood outside, he heard a crowd had gathered at his doorstep.
Suspecting trouble, Sun Cheng dropped his chores and rushed back immediately.
By terrible coincidence, the moment he arrived, he caught Jiu Xun's words. He flared with rage, itching to tear the man apart.
Jiu Xun remained silent, staring coldly without reaction as he was held, though his right hand had already slipped toward the dagger in his pocket.
Seeing hands laid on someone, several bystanders stepped forward.
Some backed Jiu Xun, while others stood behind Sun Cheng, the two factions glaring at each other.
The atmosphere grew tense!
Clearly, Jiu Xun had more backers; most of the surrounding people belonged to their group.
Knowing that if a fight broke out, his side would come out worse, Sun Cheng released Jiu Xun's collar, narrowed his eyes, and looked at Jiu Li.
"Now I see. You're getting ready to slaughter the donkey once the grinding is done."
Jiu Li fixed his gaze on him.
"I never said that."
"Never said that?" Sun Cheng sneered. "You know damn well what came out of your mouths, and everyone here heard it! Need me to repeat it?"
Jiu Li met his gaze calmly.
"I apologize for my brother's thoughtless remarks. I have never said we would abandon anyone, nor do I intend to. Now people are sick. To prevent a plague from spreading, we must separate the sick from the healthy. We made it here because we stuck together, didn't we?"
"Stuck together? Throwing my father out behind my back is sticking together? Did you forget who covered your asses through the snow? I see right through you—you only care about yourselves!" Sun Cheng lifted his chin, glaring fiercely. "Here is my final word: my father isn't going anywhere. I'll take care of him myself. If you want to take him, you'll have to step over my dead body."
The standoff deepened.
Just as the two sides reached an impasse, a hesitant voice suddenly cut in from the side.
"Your father has an infection caused by frostbite. If treated promptly, he can still be saved. Any later, and his leg might need to be amputated."
Both Jiu Li and Sun Cheng turned toward the voice. A young man in his early twenties stepped out from the crowd.
He was neither tall nor particularly muscular. Slightly curly hair clung to his forehead, giving him a weathered look.
Jiu Li didn't remember him well; he must have joined their group midway through the journey.
"You know medicine?"
The young man nodded.
"A little. Though my expertise is mostly... er, you can think of it as surgical procedures."
Sun Cheng grabbed his shoulders, agitated.
"Can you heal my father?"
"I can." The young man swallowed and gave a slow nod. "But I'll need your help preparing a few things... and first, I need to treat his inflamed wound. Can you carry him to my place? The conditions here are nowhere near suitable for surgery."
Jiu Li glanced at his brother and gave him a look.
"I have a stretcher at my place. Go get it."
Jiu Xun looked reluctant, but obeying his brother's command, he turned and went off to fetch it.
The tension eased slightly.
Seeing that his father had a chance, Sun Cheng, who had been ready to throw punches moments ago, also cooled down.
The group bustled about, carrying the old man to the young man's dwelling. As they set down the stretcher, Jiu Li asked the youth,
"What is your name?"
"Yin Fang."
"I don't recall seeing much of you. When did you join the group?"
"A while ago, around the middle of River Valley Province. The snow wasn't this heavy back then." Looking at the rotting, inflamed frostbite on the old man's leg, Yin Fang clicked his tongue. "He's lucky to have held out this long... Could you all step outside? I need a quiet environment."
Jiu Li nodded and led his brother out of the shack.
Though still worried sick about his father, Sun Cheng complied with the doctor's instructions and stepped outside as well.
Though they were no longer at each other's throats, the air between them remained chilly.
Just as Jiu Li was about to say a few words to smooth things over, an acquaintance from his hometown hurried over.
"The Administrator is looking for you at the entrance. Seems he has something to discuss with you."
Hearing that the local lord wanted him, Jiu Li nodded at once.
"I'll head over right now."
...
At the entrance of the refugee camp.
Jiu Li met the local lord once again.
Just like yesterday, he wore a blue exoskeleton, carrying a war hammer and a rifle with a ridiculously long barrel on his back, exuding an extraordinary aura.
Jiu Li revised his assessment of him once more.
Perhaps it wouldn't even take a charge, nor the men behind him—this man alone would be enough to wipe them all out.
At least against him, Jiu Li knew he wouldn't stand a chance.
Thank goodness no misunderstanding had occurred last night.
"How has your rest been?"
"Thanks to you, My Lord," Jiu Li bowed slightly, speaking respectfully. "We have settled everyone and made sure each person has a place to stay. No one froze, no one starved, and even the rowdiest children slept soundly... Last night was probably the most peaceful night we've had in ages."
Music to his ears.
Chu Guang finally began to understand the pleasure felt by those aboard the Pioneer.
With a faint smile, Chu Guang said nothing more of it, glancing around instead.
"I'm glad you're settling in. But... the mood here feels a bit strange."
Jiu Li let out a wry smile. "A small conflict just occurred... As you know, we didn't all come from the same survivor settlement. Many joined our ranks along the way. With so many people, friction is inevitable. Please rest assured, I can handle it."
Chu Guang nodded.
He didn't care to micromanage refugee affairs, and besides, this wasn't necessarily a bad thing for him.
As long as they obeyed the laws he established and things didn't escalate into bloodshed.
Dismissing the thought, Chu Guang looked at Jiu Li.
"I need two butchers to process some freshly hunted game. Does anyone among you know butchery?"
Jiu Li nodded immediately. "Yes, My Lord. We happen to have a butcher here. If you need him, I will take you to him right now."
"Alright, lead the way."
Chu Guang followed Jiu Li, and before long, they arrived outside a shack.
A burly man stood at the entrance. Seeing Chu Guang approach alongside Jiu Li, an instinctive flicker of fear surfaced in his eyes, thinking they had come to settle scores with him.
Yet to his surprise, Jiu Li didn't mention their earlier clash at all. As if nothing had happened, he casually recommended him to the Administrator.
"...This is the butcher I mentioned to you. His name is Sun Cheng, from central River Valley Province. His father suffered frostbite on his leg and is being treated inside the shack. If you could provide him with a room, I believe he would be more than happy to be at your service."
Chu Guang looked slightly surprised.
"You have a doctor?"
Jiu Li hesitated, then said:
"The person treating his father's frostbite is named Yin Fang. We met him along the way. I'm not certain if he is a real doctor, but he's the only one here with medical knowledge, so we can only leave it to him."
Chu Guang didn't say anything, merely nodding in thought.
Interesting.
He would have a chat with him later.
Setting the matter of the doctor aside for now, Chu Guang turned to the man named Sun Cheng.
"I have a job here that requires a butcher to help slaughter hunted game. I will pay you two silver coins a day, plus lodging. Are you interested in the work?"
Sun Cheng froze briefly, then nodded in delight.
"I am at your service, My Lord."
Chu Guang nodded and looked at Luka beside him.
"Over to you."
...
Meanwhile, about a kilometer north of Changjiu Farm.
Several men with rifles slung across their backs crouched beside a half-collapsed low building, peering south at the survivor settlement through monoculars.
The refugees they had been tracking had set up camp on the east side of that survivor settlement. The situation was grim. If it were just a band of refugees, dealing with them would be simple enough, but now there was not only the refugees, but also the survivor settlement harboring them.
This complicated things.
"I see walls and sentry posts... Damn it, those people have plenty of weapons."
"Let me see."
Taking the monocular from his companion, a man with a thick beard squinted one eye and peered toward the settlement.
After observing for a while, his expression grew increasingly solemn.
"The walls are at least three meters tall, and the sentries on watch are all carrying standardized rifles... This bunch won't be easy to deal with."
His name was Eugene, a mercenary who occasionally took on bounty hunter jobs.
Such as right now.
"What do we do?"
Hearing his companion's question, Eugene pondered for a moment before speaking.
"Let's try negotiating with them first. After all, our target is only one person. If we can avoid a fight, all the better."
The others nodded, agreeing with the idea.
Little did they know, however, that while they were suspiciously watching Changjiu Farm, several players not far away were already eyeing them.
Edge Slacker: "What are those guys doing?"
Construction Site Youth and Bricks: "No idea."
Big Eye in Debt: "Refugees? Wait, that's not right. Didn't we disarm them last night?"
Edge Slacker: "Ummm... Maybe they're not with that group?"
Not with that group?
Which meant...
Monsters?
The three players exchanged glances, wicked smiles slowly spreading across their faces. When they looked back at the men, they saw walking silver coins and contribution points.
For some reason, Eugene suddenly felt a chill run down his spine.
Right then, the hunting hound held by a mercenary beside him began barking wildly in one direction.
The mercenary whipped around, turning his rifle toward that spot.
"Who's there?!"
Hearing the sharp bark of a command, the three players quickly ducked behind cover.
Almost simultaneously, a burst of bullets tore into the dirt mound in front of them.
"Fuck! Opening fire without even saying hello?!"
"Marauders! Definitely marauders!"
"Motherfucker! Who gives a damn who they are! They shot first—fuck 'em up!"
Chapter 170