RoleplayNovel Chapter 108: How about some private tutoring lessons?
Chapter 108: How about some private tutoring lessons?
In the open space of the ruined city camp, the mechanical sound of gashapon machines spitting out spheres filled the air, and players cheered with joy as they held classic equipment.
In a dark corner on the other side, the caravan of the City in the Forest found itself in a predicament.
Several earth dragons, which were originally huge, now had their ribs clearly visible on their bellies. They lay helplessly in the mud and water, too exhausted to even chew the dry moss on the ground.
Several guards responsible for unloading the cargo leaned against the wheels, their eyes sunken, their lips chapped and cracked, using their cast iron machetes as walking sticks to support their bodies.
The forced sale just now, although it yielded some coarse salt and a few pieces of roasted meat, was still a drop in the bucket for this team of a dozen people.
Moss's withered fingers gripped the wooden cane tightly as he slowly rose to his feet.
He looked at the path leading underground, the thick rock walls and rubble blocking the passage completely, and a pungent purple mist was constantly seeping out from the cracks.
Even the most skilled hunters familiar with the miasma underground would likely perish within half an hour of entering.
The massive landslide cut off the city in the forest's path to survival, as well as their escape route.
They really can't go back.
Moss dragged his heavy steps into the shadow of the supporting pillar, where Lynn stood, calmly watching the frenzied crowd in the open space.
"My lord."
Moss lowered his head, his tone filled with an undisguised pleading.
"Our route has been cut off, and the caravan's supplies have run out. We need an open space to pitch our tents, and we also need some... food to fill our stomachs."
Lynn's gaze shifted from the bronze pot lid in the distance, his voice calm and collected: "Our rule is not to support idlers. Land can be allocated to you, but food must be exchanged for real value. You've already sold all your building materials and ores; what will you offer in exchange?"
Moss's Adam's apple bobbed, and he swallowed hard.
He knew all too well the cruelty of these outsiders; if he couldn't demonstrate his value, the camp would soon have a dozen more naked corpses.
"We...we can go mining, or we can clear the rocks from the sewers."
"What my territory has no shortage of is laborers."
Lynn interrupted him, pointing to the newlyweds who were carrying large logs and walking briskly over there.
"They're cheaper than you, and they're not afraid to die. If that's all you can do, you can leave the ruined city now."
Moss gritted his teeth and turned to point behind him.
There stood a dozen or so guards, emaciated from hunger, bare-chested, and covered in crisscrossing scars.
"They are the fiercest fighters in the city of the forest, constantly battling wild beasts in anthills. They know better than anyone how to remove traps, find weaknesses, and fight in close combat."
Even when hungry, they could hunt earth dragons.
A hint of joy flashed in Lynn's eyes; this was precisely the resource they currently lacked most.
Although these players were fearless, their fighting style was too primitive. Although Little Snail and the others had mastered the skills of the first job advancement, they still lacked the ability to use them effectively.
When encountering tough, high-level monsters, simply relying on sheer numbers makes the cost of weapons and resurrection too high.
"OK."
Half an hour later, a makeshift arena was set up on the open ground next to the ruined buildings.
A crooked wooden sign hung in the most conspicuous place, which read: Martial Arts Combat Instruction: 10 Maple Leaf Coins per session, three minutes time limit. Those who stand for three minutes will be rewarded with a piece of pretty pork.
The birdsong and fragrant flowers had just made a splash at the gashapon machine, and now their confidence was overflowing.
Da Niu just got some good stuff and wants to go up and try it out.
The two were just wondering where to test the combat effectiveness of their new equipment when they saw this wooden sign, and their spirits immediately lifted.
"Ten coins for a beating? This NPC must be desperate for money!" Blade chimed in from the side.
"What do you know? Didn't you see the sign below that says you get food if you can survive for three minutes?"
Da Niu scoffed, "Those few NPCs who are as thin as bamboo poles from starvation, let alone three minutes, if I were to strike them with my sword, they would have to kneel down and beg for their lives. Otherwise, I'm afraid it would be considered a malicious attack on an NPC and I would be forced offline. This is clearly a daily task that the official team is giving away as a bonus."
He looked at the indigenous guard inside the enclosure, whose ribs were so thin from hunger that they were clearly visible, and Da Niu boldly placed his arm on the toll collection sensor area next to him.
Payment completed.
"Brother, I'm sorry to offend you!"
Da Niu roared, bracing his wooden shield with his left hand and raising his one-handed sword with his right, aiming it directly at the guard Lao Gen.
Da Niu followed the traditional online game approach, trying to overpower the defense with his shield. He started with a heavy slash without holding back, attempting to stun the opponent in one blow.
Lao Gen didn't even draw the earthen dragon bone blade from his waist. Facing the powerful and heavy slash, he only used his left foot as a pivot and slid slightly.
The sword slammed heavily into the mud.
Seeing this, Da Niu instinctively swung his wooden shield, intending to ram it and make amends.
The guard, Lao Gen, saw through the clumsy combo and directly pressed his way in along the edge of the wooden shield, weaving into the blind spot behind it.
Then, taking advantage of the bull's forward momentum, he hooked his toe on the bull's shinbone and slammed his elbow into the bull's unsuspecting back.
Da Niu completely lost his balance and crashed face down into the mud, shield and all.
The whole process was swift and efficient; the player was taken down in less than ten seconds.
Moss watched from a short distance, his heart pounding with fear.
He was afraid that the guards might not know their own strength and anger Lynn's men.
If the other party turns their back on you, you'll lose the temporary place you finally managed to get.
He was about to step forward and scold Lao Gen for being tactful when he saw the big guy on the ground had already turned over and sat up.
Da Niu crawled out of the mud and spat out a mouthful of saliva mixed with sand.
The onlookers thought he was about to lose his temper, but Da Niu was not angry at all. Instead, he was very excited to be beaten.
He had just clearly felt the real physical feedback of his opponent using his opponent's force against him and disrupting his center of gravity.
"Holy crap! This NPC's got something!"
Da Niu shouted excitedly, "It really has stun and center of gravity detection! It's not one of those stupid systems where you just stand there and hack away at each other, relying on stats! That hook and smash just now, I didn't even have time to back away, my body just fell down completely out of control!"
The players next to them also understood the trick.
"Did you guys notice? That NPC didn't even use brute force! Da Niu's stamina bar is definitely longer than that NPC who's almost starving, but after being used as leverage to throw him, his stamina bar emptied a little bit!"
The little snail stroked its chin, analyzing the situation.
"This means that once we learn this melee combat technique, we can not only save stamina from swinging at high-level monsters, but also significantly reduce weapon wear and durability!"
The agents chuckled. "It has to be the Treasure Island actuary," they thought, "he can even calculate weapon wear and tear during a fight."
Without hesitation, Da Niu walked back to the sensing area, paid the credits again, and roared as he charged back towards Lao Gen.
The players who were watching the spectacle immediately erupted in chaos.
This isn't just about paying to get beaten up; it's about learning top-tier fighting techniques. Once you master this high-risk, high-reward tactic, your efficiency in soloing monsters in the wild will definitely double.
In a critical moment, this one move might save them from losing a life, which is much more worthwhile than ten credits.
"Coach! I want to learn martial arts!"
"Line up! Hurry up and die, don't delay my studies! I need to learn that force-dissipating move so I can solo the Three-Eyed Octopus tomorrow!"
Moss stared at the group of people in disbelief.
These people lined up, paying money to be beaten by the guards, and even after being beaten black and blue, they would get up and shout that they enjoyed it.
The mental state of this group of people completely exceeded his decades of common sense and understanding.
Soon, another dozen or so arenas were set up.
The soldiers who were originally responsible for protecting the caravan have now become tireless sparring machines.
Each player who gets knocked down will gleefully hand over their credits, then stand aside rubbing their bruises and reviewing what just happened.
In just one hour, Moss had amassed enough wealth to buy half a truckload of black bread.
Through the pounding of these indigenous instructors, these players who only knew how to throw wild punches were quickly able to shed their naivety and master some basic skills.
By then, ordinary cleanup tasks in the surrounding area will no longer be sufficient for these fourth calamities.