Chapter 44 - “Summer 3”

Last time, on Apocalypse Lord: Yun Ling travels to Setting Sun Village to look for chemistry equipment, where she encounters Zeng’s Zoo.

This chapter has been brought to you by me and Smash10101.

Chapter 44 – Summer 3

After Apocalypse Calamity opened, Zeng Xu had always had good luck. He picked up a crowd control skill and an attack skill, and also gathered up a team to hunt in order to survive.

Their days were peaceful.

Relying on their team, sometimes, they could even bully the strong, and hunt high level players.

Seeing that they had the purple staff and the purple mage robes, and his teammates growing stronger, Zeng Xu thought that the days would just keep on going. But one day, they encountered a team. Some of the members were hunting monsters, and two members were far from the team, foraging in the resources point.

What was called a heaven-given blessing? This was.

After a while, Zeng Xu had made a plan with his teammates.

He first used the control skill to trap one of the people, and the teammates all attacked the other person.

But people did not plan as well as the heavens. Even with a sneak attack, they did not win. They did not kill even one target, and many on his side had died. Other than him, no one managed to escape!

After that, Zeng Xu was a bit depressed, and wanted to give up hunting players.

But at this time, he encountered two bosses fighting, and got the S-rank skill “Dark Power,” an orange staff and an orange ring.

Zeng Xu came back, gathering another team, and became the top of Setting Sun Village.

He never had thought that he would encounter that evil female star he had wanted to avoid, and would get defeated again.

Last time, while he had lost, at least he managed to escape. But this time, because of the S-rank skill “Dark Power”, the orange staff, and the orange ring, he killed himself due to the damage reflect!

Before losing consciousness, Zeng Xu was full of regret. Why did he do a sneak attack? Why did he use all his skills at once, trying to kill the target before she could react? If he had not wanted to kill the other so urgently, wouldn’t he be fine?

With endless regret, he slumped down.

“Boss?!!”

Shouts sounded. The members looked back and found their leader had died. They were stunned where they stood.

Their leader was dead. Should they keep on fighting?

Immediately, people’s minds changed, and no one dared to move rashly.

At this time, Yun Ling was not actually in a good situation. She had never thought there would be a super expert among the ambushers. She had been trapped, and she lost 400 HP instantly!

There were still 7 enemies. If they charged over together, how would she fight them? How! To! Fight!

Yun Ling quickly took out a High Quality Bandage, and added HP for herself. Then she warily looked at the incomers, and prepared to run at any moment.

The attackers? They looked at each other, wanting each other to charge up and be cannon fodder while they waited at the side to the end to pick up the benefits.

But no one was stupid. Everyone thought this, so the end result was everyone was staring at each other.

The situation was at a standstill.

The assassin shouted, “Kill her! Get revenge for Boss!”

The team members shook. She had killed their boss. Only she could pick up the dropped items. If they killed her, could they split what Boss had left?!

While it was good to have a strong boss protecting them, if they had a chance to become that powerful being, then it would be even better.

Thinking like this, the team members were alert. They held their blades, sticks and daggers, going forward.

Woosh —

An arrow suddenly exploded halfway in the air into the faces of the small team.

“Not good! She has helpers!” The assassin shouted. In the next second, the assassin used the “Swift Dash” skill and ran far away.

The boss had been killed. What was the use in them fighting? The members of the team panicked. When one person started to flee, everyone else scattered like a group of birds.

Yun Ling sighed in relief, and turned to a corner. “How come you came here?”

Lu Chuan said, “I was passing by.”

Yun Ling:”……”

From Rising Cloud Town to Setting Sun Village to here, there was more than an hour on foot. Passing by?

Seeing Yun Ling still conflicted, Lu Chuan had to say the truth. “In Rising Cloud Town, I encountered refugees from Setting Sun Village, and knew that this place was a mess. When I heard you were going to the territory around Rising Cloud Town, I came to have a look.”

Of the surrounding territories, Setting Sun had the worst reputation.

Originally, he thought if she did not go to Setting Sun Village, she should be fine. But when he came, she was in Setting Sun Village, and fighting with unfamiliar players, looking in a sorry state.

“Thanks.” Before departing, Yun Ling had not known that Setting Sun Village was like this. If she had known, she would have taken bodyguards along.

Also, she had not had good luck. With the purple Deerskin boots, she could have easily run away from the people chasing her, but the enemy came with a control skill at the start, and trapped her.

If not for Lu Chuan, she likely would have had a hard battle.

Yun Ling picked up the items. She found there were many materials, many copper coins, 1 x orange staff, 1 x S-rank skill card, 1 x A-rank skill card, 1 x purple boots, 1 x purple mage robe.

“Is there something you want?” Yun Ling asked.

If Lu Chuan had not appeared in time, she would have had to make a strategic retreat, and not have been able to pick up the drop.

Now that she had rich gains, she did not mind sharing half with the other.

“No need, you keep it.” Lu Chuan’s eyes were smiling. He seemed to be in a good mood.

Yun Ling was stunned.

Running over a long way to find her, and helping her without any expectation of being paid back. What good person was this!

“You……” Yun Ling wanted to say something, but when the words reached her mouth, she did not know how to say.

“What is it?” Lu Chuan asked.

“Nothing.” Yun Ling shook her head and changed the topic. “Let’s return to Rising Cloud Town.”

“Okay.” Lu Chuan acknowledged.

**

On the way back, there were many resources that people had not gathered. Lu Chuan mentioned casually, “Setting Sun Village was not like this before.”

“The youth and the strong hunted, the old, women and children foraged and sold what they wove. It was hard, but everyone could survive.”

“Ever since Zeng Xu had his chance, he gathered together a group that suppressed normal players and the style of the entire territory changed.”

“Big fish eat small fish, small fish eat shrimp, and the classes are clear. Those who were able all escaped, and those who could not just wait in the territory for death, living day by day.”

“The players who fled from Setting Sun Village said this?” Yun Ling asked.

“Yes.” Lu Chuan nodded.

Yun Ling murmured to herself, “Is this a territory harmed by power?”

Lu Chuan was silent.

In the game, high level players always had more speaking power. If they were not up right, it was possible for then to pull the entire territory off the right path.

Yun Ling did not want to think too much about this bad thing and changed the topic. “Long time no see, you changed your quivers?”

At this time, Lu Chuan had 1 orange and 4 purple quivers.

“Yes,” Lu Chuan said, “the Tailor Shop sold purple quivers, so I got a few.”

Yun Ling:”……”

All the purple quivers in the Tailor Shop had been made by her hands.

She had put them into the system shop to sell in order to reach the upgrade conditions. She had not thought that, after all this, she was taking Lu Chuan’s money.

Thinking of the other coming so far to warn her, Yun Ling decided to be better to him in the future.

**

Rising Cloud Town.

The archers ran to yell, “Villagers, today, the Standing Post Output Demon King is not here!!”

“He finally left.” Some people cried in happiness. “He was inside the territory everyday, killing monsters when he saw them, and did not let other people live.”

Someone could not stand this and looked sideways at the other. “If you had his strength, would you stand long term in the territory like a post and just attack?”

“Of course! The monsters are attacking the territory, kill as many as you can. Everyone is using their skills, this is a fair competition!” that person said without a thought.

When he realized what he had said, he flushed red, and added guiltily, “But I do not have his strength.”

Other people standing there and creating damage was not letting others live. Him standing there was a fair competition where everyone used their skills. As expected, double standards.

The other did not argue, and just left, but his gaze was scornful.

That person also felt embarrassed after saying this, and his face felt hot.

There were twenty ice elementals coming to attack. He threw his stray thoughts away, pulled arrows out of his quiver and focused on shooting.

There was a volley of arrows. Quickly, many rounds passed.

As he attacked, that person could not help but start to cry.

If the Standing Post Output Demon King left, they would get something? He found he had thought too much.

The other archers were not for nothing. All of them were good at stealing kills.

Also, the territory guards would not just stand and watch.

They would work together to attack a target. Almost each round of arrows, an ice elemental was killed.

In the future, he would not join in on this, and just go out to hunt. That person was sad.

**

With the two strong people working together, purple and orange light flashing, this time, no one came at them.

After walking for about an hour, the pair returned to Rising Cloud Town.

“I am going, be careful when you go out, “Lu Chuan said.

“Thanks,” Yun Ling said as she waved her hand.

After seeing Lu Chuan walk away, she propped her chin up on her hand and thought about what she should give Lu Chuan to express her thanks.

“Lord.” Archer A came close, and said in a low voice, “We killed some of the ice elementals attacking the territory and got four pieces of saltpeter.”

These were white crystal like stones that shone with rainbow light under the sun.

“You did well,” Yun Ling said with approval.

Archer A smiled and did not take the success for himself.

“Summer, saltpeter, ice…not enough time to even make salt, how will there be enough time to make ice? The raw materials are also a problem. When I find a solution, the summer may have already passed…right now, it is more pressing to provide more products to get rid of the heat, so the players can go out.” Thinking of this, Yun Ling decided.

She opened the window of unlockable buildings and chose to unlock and create the “Ice House.”

The moment she pressed “yes,” she got “-100 copper coins.”

In less than three seconds, the Ice House appeared in the center of Rising Cloud Town.

She examined the building details, and saw the window show —

[Ice House (level 1): 200 square meters in area, can provide 1 cubic decimeter1 of ice each day. Can refrigerate food, and extend shelf life. (Note: The lord can set an access list and allow specific people to use it.)]

“Move the meat and foods with short shelf lives out of the warehouse into the ice house, “Yun Ling ordered.

“Yes,” Archer A obeyed.

[Unlockable Buildings: 10]

[Existing Buildings: 8]

Looking at the numbers on the window, Yun Ling was full of helplessness. “The buildings are in short supply, I do not seem to have extra space for the blacksmith shop…”

She closed the window and prepared to just wait and see.

**

In the ice house.

Archers A, B, C, and D moved and worked hard like ants while Yun Ling toured around the ice house.

She found, there were many shelves in the ice house, and the food could be put on the shelves to be refrigerated.

There were many freezers placed in the corner. Most of them were empty, and only one was full.

Yun Ling looked and thought, a small piece of ice was about one cubic centimeter. The ice house produced one cubic decimeter of ice each day, or 1000 small ice cubes.

“If I save enough money, and upgrade the building to level 2, how much will be produced then?”

Thinking of having ice drinks at all times during the summer days, Yun Ling was very happy.

Thinking, she used the cotton backpack to pack up sixty ice cubes, and left the ice house.

**

She first went to the lab, and gave her only researcher aid with the high temperature — 10 ice cubes. She also told him she got nothing from Setting Sun Village today.

Zhang Heng impatiently made a cup of ice water for himself, and felt refreshed all over when he drank it.

After the heat faded, he had the time. “What should we do?”

“You work, and I will go to other territories to see,” Yun Ling said.

Zhang Heng solemnly responded.

Yun Ling comforted him, and took away a fourth of the salt that had just been made. Then she went to knock on Lu Chuan’s door.

“How come you came?” Lu Chuan was surprised.

“Gifts of thanks,” Yun Ling directly answered. Then she took out fifty bags of salt and fifty ice cubes.

Lu Chuan, “……”

The summer days were hot, and there was nothing more refreshing than a cold drink.

The high temperature did not end. The game materials had a long shelf life, but there was still the chance that they would rot and change quality. With salt, one could greatly extend shelf life.

The gifts were so clever that people could not refuse them.

Lu Chuan sighed softly, “Thank you.”

In life, he would probably be in this cycle of owing favors and repaying favors. He just had to get used to it (not).

**

Yun Ling had planned to wait for combat personnel, but after waiting half a day, the system spawned a life skill talent.

Level: 5

Attributes: Strength 15 Agility 7, Stamina 8, Intelligence 5, Spirit 5.

Combat Skills: None

Life Skills: Intermediate Cooking, Elementary Baking

Craftable Items: Mixed Grain Steamed Buns, Rice Porridge, Corn Porridge, Iced Watermelon Juice, Mung Bean Soup, Milk Tea, Black Bread, White Bread, Honey Cake, Crisp Biscuits.

This NPC knew how to make foods for cooling off in the summer and was suitable to be hired.

Yun Ling pressed yes, and gave the name, “Chef D.”

There were materials in the warehouse. That afternoon, new products appeared in the restaurant.

[Name: Iced Watermelon Juice (Heat Relieving Drink)]

Quality: Premium Use Effect: Base recovery speed +3 HP/minute (lasts 3 hours)

Price: 200 copper coins.

[Name: Mung Bean Soup (Heat Relieving Drink)]

Quality: Normal

Use Effect: Base recovery speed +1 HP per minute (lasts 1 hour)

Price: 50 copper coins.

[Name: Corn Porridge]

Quality: Normal

Use Effect: Base recovery speed +1 HP per minute (lasts 1 hour)

Price: 50 copper coins.

**

In the afternoon, You Qing Wen and Zheng Ming Yue were in a hurry and ran towards the restaurant.

Every once in a while, there would be new salt refreshed in the restaurant, sometimes thirty bags, sometimes sixteen. They had gone out to hunt, and came back early just to buy first.

Entering the hall, there were not many customers, just as they expected, and the pair managed to get the salt.

Before they left, You Qing Wen made a sound of surprise. “Look! There are drinks for sale!”

She looked at the price and was in pain. “The cheapest is 50 copper coins…”

“If you like it, just buy,” Zheng Ming Yue said generously.

You Qing Wen could afford it, but felt pain. “How many monsters do we have to fight in order to afford a bowl of mung bean soup?”

Calculating it, she felt her sight turn black.

“What are you afraid of?” Zheng Ming Yue comforted his girlfriend. “We bought a house, we have a lot of food, and we are already official residents. We do not need to pay the overnight fee, and there are not many places where we use money. Just a bowl of mung bean soup. If you want, just buy it!”

You Qing Wen was moved. “Then…I will buy?”

At the end, she added, “We can drink it together!”

“Okay,” Zheng Ming Yue said with a smile.

So the two bought mung bean soup, mixed grain steamed buns, and rice porridge, finding a place in the hall to sit down.

It was painful the moment you spent the money, but after, you did not feel anything.

You Qing Wen picked up the wood bowl, and took a large gulp. Then her eyes lit up. “Delicious!”

The mung bean soup relieved the heat. After drinking, she felt the heat dissipate, and felt much better.

“Let me taste,” Zheng Ming Yue said.

The two of them quickly ate their dinner, bite after bite.

“Our negative statuses have left.” You Qing Wen had a new discovery. “Not just this, but we have new buffs.”

“Base recovery speed +1 HP/minute (lasts 1 hour)?” Zheng Ming Yue asked.

“No,” You Qing Wen shook her head, “base recovery speed +1 HP/minute (lasts 45 minutes), protected from the sun’s effects for 45 minutes.”

“My buff is base recovery speed +1 HP/min (lasts 15 minutes), and protected from the sun’s effects for 15 minutes.” Zheng Ming Yue rubbed his chin. “The time seems to be related to how much soup you drank.”

In terms of time, You Qing Wen cared more about “protection from the sun.” “If we prepare many portions of mung bean soup before going out, would we be able to completely be rid of the negative effects, and fight monsters like usual?”

“Wake up.” Zheng Ming Yue had to break his girlfriend’s dreams. “One portion of mung bean soup is 50 copper coins, you cannot buy in large amounts.”

But You Qing Wen said confidently, “If we cannot buy, then we can train up people to make it themselves!”

There were business people who had made straw sandals to take business from the system shops. She could easily think of a way.

“This is a good idea.” Zheng Ming Yue sank into deep thought.

**

Near dusk, the NPCs came back with the forage team.

Yun Ling heard Guard A report that they had good luck today, and found a melon field. They had harvested eighty large watermelons.

Yun Ling was overjoyed. “Let me see.”

She looked and found the fruit had a good appearance, and looked both large and sweet.

Seeing the foraging team members swallow, Yun Ling grinned. “Cut up four of these into eight pieces. Each person can take a piece back.”

The players, “!!!”

Everyone was shocked and happy they did not know what to do.

Someone asked, “What about the guards? They came out early and returned late, they also worked hard…”

Yun Ling said, “They are counted differently.”

Now the players were reassured.

The watermelons were cut. The flesh in the middle was bright red and slightly transparent.

The players swallowed as they watched.

“One piece per person, take them,” Yun Ling ordered.

“Thanks, Boss.”

“Boss, you are a good person.”

“Woo-woo, I want to work for you my entire life!!”

Some did not eat the pieces, planning to take them back to their families. Someone did not have such scruples, and immediately took a bite. “So sweet!”

There were thirty people in the foraging team. When the four watermelons were split into 8 pieces, there were two pieces left and Yun Ling took one up to eat.

After the players left, she had Guard A send the rest of the watermelons into the ice house.

**

Night came.

The town came to life.

“Selling peanuts! Delicious peanuts!” Qiao Qiao set up a stall, and shouted.

“What flavor? How is it being sold?” Soon, people came to ask the price.

Qiao Qiao smiled and said, “Five spices flavor, by the bowl, 5 copper coins per bowl.”

That person was obviously moved and asked, “Can I scoop it myself?”

“Yes,” Qiao Qiao agreed.

The person immediately paid 5 copper coins without another word. Then he dug the wood bowl into the peanuts, and got a large portion. When he took the bowl back out, the top was slightly pointed.

Qiao Qiao did not care at all. “What you took belongs to you!”

“How embarrassing…” that person said, but his movements were not slow at all. He used his clothing to hold the peanuts, and then ran back home.

A bite of peanuts and then a drink of wine, how great was that? It could make people forget the worries of the world!

“Selling peanuts! Delicious peanuts,” Qiao Qiao started to call again after seeing off the customer.

**

Yun Ling ate the two pieces of watermelon. Then she strolled through the territory, wanting to digest.

“Malt sugar! Delicious malt sugar!”

The shouting attracted her attention.

Yun Ling walked to the stall and asked, “How are you selling this?”

The stall owner was a tanned and thin man. Seeing a customer come, he was slightly timid. “There are two kinds, one is a deep colored liquid, also called sugar syrup, it is in the jars, and twined with a wood stick to eat. The other kind is a white sugar cube, and you can bite it.”

Yun Ling asked, “How much?”

“The rolled kind 5 copper coins, I give you the wood jar. The sugar pieces are 2 for 1 copper coin,” the man answered.

Yun Ling touched her pockets. “I want a jar, and 10 pieces. Here are 10 copper coins.”

“Okay.” The man was overjoyed, and handed over the sugar syrup and pieces. “New shop, you are my first order. Since you did not bargain, then I will give you a few more pieces for free!”

“Okay.” Yun Ling smiled.

When she got the malt sugar, she found the liquid in the jar was slightly sticky. It was sweet when she rolled it to eat and was good to the taste.

The sugar pieces were slightly sour, but had the fragrance of the malt, and an unique taste.

“Your malt candy is so delicious.” Yun Ling praised as she ate, “Some people’s malt candy is too hard, and you cannot eat it easily. Yours are different, they are perfect in their softness and just sweet enough.”

The tanned and thin man was embarrassed at the praise. He explained, “My family is from the countryside, and in the past, we made stove candy during the New Year. I gained my skills back then.”

“Now, these are not popular, and it has been long since I touched them. Lucky that I did not forget the steps, and my skills are still here.”

“Years ago, people used sugar syrup to draw. Those were good looking and delicious!”

“Now that you mention it, I want to eat sugar drawings,” Yun Ling said, half jokingly.

“One of my uncles knew how, but he did not manage to survive.” The man’s face dimmed.

“You just came to Rising Cloud Town?” Yun Ling asked.

“Yes.” The man nodded. “I was originally in another territory, and I could not survive so I came to Rising Cloud Town to try my luck.”

Then he sighed with envy, “This place is really good! The crafters do not need to fight monsters and can support themselves. Would this work at other places? If you do not go out, and do not hunt, either your family will starve to death or you will be driven out of the safe area!”

“Rising Cloud Town is not the same as other places,” Yun Ling said solemnly. “After the rainy season, the players who knew how to make bamboo hats, bamboo umbrellas, and straw raincoats all got rich and bought houses.”

“Right now, they live well, just as good as high level combat players.”

“Exactly!” The man became spirited when he was talking about his interest. “I heard that some old people relied on weaving straw sandals to buy a house. I know how to make them too. I was just unlucky, and did not find the right place. Otherwise, I could have started living well just like them long ago!”

“There will be chances in the future,” Yun Ling comforted, “as long as you have skills, you do not have to worry about starving.

“Then I will borrow your good words.”

As the two chatted, other customers came to ask the price.

Those with more money spent 5 copper coins for the syrup, those with less money spent 1 or 2 copper coins to buy for their seniors and children.

“I wish you a prosperous business.” Yun Ling said and went to roam elsewhere.

The man was in a hurry to take money and hand out sugar pieces.

While he was very busy, he felt happy inside.

Hey, look at this. Just this little while, and he earned more than 30 copper coins. Could other territories compare to this? Rising Cloud Town was a good place as expected!

Editor’s ramblings: Do you think wyh would notice if I changed it to Chef Boyardee?

Translator Ramblings: Food is delicious.