I Forged the Myth of the Ancient Overlords
Chapter 727 - 727 726. Dont do that kind of thing _1

Chapter 727: 726. Don’t do that kind of thing! _1 Chapter 727: 726. Don’t do that kind of thing! _1 “Holy shit, how did I die!”

Old Eggplant was still confused when he crawled out of the mire.

He’d had this heroic fantasy in his mind about a man wrestling with nature, a tale worthy of an epic, with Kratos and the Unkindled and the white winds of the new continent flashing through his brain at that moment. He even struck a preemptive pose, ready to dodge and parry.

But in the end, the massive rock creature just stomped down, and just like that, Old Eggplant and the players around him were wiped out.

Watching as players continued to climb out of the mire one after another, Old Eggplant had a rush of emotions.

He thought he was already pretty tough, able to weave through the trees in the forest for a good ten minutes without getting hurt. He had even taken up some basic free fighting in real life and was among the best with weapons among the players.

But even so, against those extraordinary, gargantuan monsters, he was still like an ant, incapable of putting up a fight, and the monster might not even have been aware of his existence.

As more and more people bubbled up from the mire, Cui Siter, who was learning construction skills nearby, turned to look.

“Didn’t you guys go to explore for resources? What did you find?”

Cui Siter asked.

Old Eggplant gave a brief recount of what he’d seen and heard, and after some thought, Cui Siter told him and the others to take a break and go back to Baron’s Mansion to find Shia and the rest.

“It’s not a lord, just a slightly bigger Iron Lizard.”

Shia pondered and spoke after hearing Cui Siter’s retelling.

“In my time, Iron Lizards had nearly gone extinct. They’re creatures that have been lightly polluted, mostly made of steel, and were a source of iron ore for Gray Tower for a long period. But due to the mages’ hunting and the recurring Demonic Tides, the last Iron Lizard sighting was a hundred years ago.”

“Does that mean it’s a source of iron for the Night Country?”

Lu Ban followed up on Shia’s remark.

“Yes, not only Iron Lizards but also various other mineral-composed creatures, which are known in the Gray Tower records as Crystal creatures, all formed from polluted minerals merging with surrounding life forms.”

Shia nodded in agreement.

“That’s really fascinating.”

Cui Siter stroked his chin.

“So, the mineral resources of the Night Country all wander around on their own, huh?”

Stone pictured this and felt a bit sickened by the thought.

“Exactly.”

Shia looked at Cui Siter.

“The Magic Network needs the support of Joester and me, so you and the exploration team should go and deal with that Iron Lizard. It should be able to provide us with the steel we need.”

“No problem.”

Cui Siter had no objections.

His Faux Solar Flare was simply double damage against such huge creatures, and besides, he was quite curious to see the monsters of this world.

“Hold on a second.”

Lu Ban suddenly spoke up, causing everyone to turn to him.

“I think we should give the new players a sense of involvement, give them a little ‘vaccination’.”

“Vaccine?”

Cui Siter didn’t get Lu Ban’s meaning; after all, in the Abandoned Capital, there was no such thing as a vaccine.

“What I’m saying is, the area around the town is too safe right now. These players have never faced danger since arriving. They should die a death or two, or else when the real Demonic Tide hits, they won’t know how to cope.”

Lu Ban said matter-of-factly.

“…Are you the devil?”

Stone looked at Lu Ban, unsure how to make a comment.

“Of course not, we’re just letting them spend a few days experiencing the Black Forest and understanding the enemies they will face. It’s really helpful for their mental growth,” said Lu Ban earnestly.

“Rather, I’d say I want to help them, which is why I’m letting these players into the Black Forest.”

“You really are a devil.”

Stone stated affirmatively.

Lu Ban, undeterred, went on to rally the players.

In the town square where the muddy ground had been replaced somewhat by stone-paved roads, Lu Ban began to speak.

“Everyone, our scouting team recently sent back a report. They encountered a ferocious monster’s attack and suffered heavy losses. This monster’s body contains a wealth of resources, and if we want to continue developing, we must unite our efforts and confront this beast together.”

Upon hearing Lu Ban’s words, those who hadn’t gone with the scouting team, as well as the second batch of test players, looked at each other, puzzled.

“I didn’t expect we’d have to fight monsters for resources, but I haven’t even leveled up yet. I’ve just been busy moving bricks these past few days.”

“I’m just an ordinary mechanic; asking me to fight monsters is really not my thing!”

“The scouting team is full of veterans, very skilled, and even they were wiped out. If we newbies go up, aren’t we just feeding kills?”

“But I do want to go outside and see. Otherwise, this game is really going to be a simulated overtime, a brick-moving simulator.”

“This must be a world event, the rewards are definitely rich. Just think about the gates of Ahn’Qiraj opening!”

“Anyway, it’s not like we can really die, so what’s wrong with following the experts and taking a look? I won’t be losing any flesh.”

“I heard from someone in the scouting team that the monster is huge, and estimated that even a few hundred of us would just get stepped on like ants.”

Despite their concerns, the more they thought about it, the more they realized that this game was meant to be an open-world adventure. If they always stayed in the town, within the safety zone, then what adventure would there be?

After all, there’s a vast world outside, so it would be a waste to have such a great game and not venture out!

Moreover, most of the players from the second batch of testing really enjoyed playing games, and their desire to explore was still very strong.

The case of Zhou Changqing was key, who dealt with communications at work and did the same in the game, not getting any real gaming experience, which actually made him feel like he was working overtime in the game; this made him even more eager to go out and explore.

Now, even having Zhou Changqing fight a Slime would have made him happy.

Therefore, as soon as Lu Ban spoke, the players were stirred up. They were ready to take up arms and head off on a grand expedition with the enthusiasm of Hobbits who had received unsharpened swords.

Seeing this, Stone’s mouth twitched.

“These people are actually willing to go get themselves killed – er, even though they won’t die, but won’t it still hurt?”

He inquired curiously to Lu Ban.

According to what Lu Ban said, these people came from the same world as Lu Ban, making Stone wonder if the people from that world were all somewhat off in the head.

“Of course it will hurt. What are you thinking? Getting stomped by a monster will at least be as painful as getting kicked in the head,” Lu Ban responded, puzzled by the question.

“…”

Stone was at a loss for words.

“And they’re not just going to get themselves killed. To them, death is also a part of the enjoyment,” Lu Ban added.

“A part of the enjoyment?”

This time, Stone genuinely didn’t understand.

He had seen some big shot’s secret fetishes; indeed, some people only felt excitement when brutally and viciously mistreated by others. But that was a minority, after all. Now, these hundreds of players, could they all be into that?