Chapter 53: Hit on

"Combat with cold weapons is reserved for the big shots..."

"I feel... he's not as good as our boss," Kuang Xin remembered who had given him the chance to rise.

The feeling of sweeping through enemies in the chaotic battle due to the trait "well-trained" was just too exhilarating!

Could these people from the Heretical Arbitration House give him such ability? No!

The reward was only 100 Blackwater Coins, not even close to what their boss could give!

"But is this mission over just like that?"

Gong Yan was somewhat puzzled, it didn't seem like the mission was a success, was it?

The main goal was to kill the rat horde, right? But in the onslaught of the rat tide, everyone had just scrambled out of the sewer manhole under the burly man's sacrificial cover.

As for the mastermind behind it all... emmmm, was there one?

"Alright, thank you for your help. This matter ends here for now, and what follows does not concern you. You may leave."

The burly man came over and dismissed the four of them.

He had never expected to get straight to the heart of the problem. It was rare to encounter a mission that was a bit tricky yet not overly dangerous; the idea from above was to let that young lady gain more experience through practice.

It's normal not to succeed on the first try. How to proceed was something the young lady should contemplate.

After watching the four odd Chevie leave, the burly man approached Franca, who looked a bit ragged, "How about it? Got any ideas now?"

Her exquisite skirt was torn and tattered, yet Franca's tone remained spirited, "Of course!"

The young lady already had a plan up her sleeve!

...

"Let's go, let's go! Time to head back and do the mission."

"How much lumber did we prepare yesterday? How much more do we need to add today?"

"About ten more pieces, I guess?"

With complete tools and increasing experience, chopping down trees had become easier and easier for them.

Finishing tasks ahead of time meant they could prepare the materials needed for the next day's mission in advance.

While the ability gains from the tasks were dwindling, the speed of completing them had increased a lot!

The time saved could be spent doing other tasks all over the place, creating more income!

As long as the boss kept assigning missions, they could keep collecting their loot!

...

[Feedback from the commission: Heavy Weapon Mastery experience +18.]

[Feedback from the commission: Lumbering experience +8.]

[The commission you issued—"Materials Needed for Repair" has been submitted. Please proceed to the inspection as soon as possible.]

Bai E, who had just finished chatting with Mashati, received a message and paused in his gun maintenance.

The task is completed?

After half a day without any prompts, did the missions just complete themselves this easily after several alerts?

The feedback is getting less and less...

Bai E narrowed his eyes, feeling that this could not continue.

He wasn't here to do charity work; the only reason he gave players tasks was so they could grind for him.

Now that they found the tasks as simple as drinking water, what benefit did he have?

Those useless pieces of lumber and the abandoned wolf corpses?

They were of no use to him...

"This can't go on like this!"

He needed to find them some work with a bit more difficulty.

However, his current understanding of this world was not very deep, especially regarding the dangers and specialties of the vicinity.

Maybe tomorrow... should he leave camp to look for opportunities? It was only in places where ordinary people congregated that he could find more information.

Having made up his mind and about to take the large gun handed over by the warrior beside him, Bai E suddenly paused.

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No! The only opportunity to leave the camp tomorrow is at noon, but that's when those players are waiting at the task submission spot as agreed. If I don't show up and miss the timing, I have no idea when I'll be able to meet them again.

Breaking the appointment would be a waste of time, and issuing a task would waste the quota for the day.

Leave now!

The night is when most people are idle. Maybe I could gather more information.

Bai E stood up and left.

"Hey brother?" The rifle-carrying warrior was a bit taken aback as he watched Bai E's receding figure.

Without looking back, Bai E waved his hand, "Not tonight, I still have things to do."

"Ah?"

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On the open ground where tasks were handed in, Dai Lian and his two companions looked at the pile of wood before them and worried.

The task involving the wolf pack and the wood was completed, but...

"How should we handle this construction task?"

"Isn't it just digging a storage underground? It shouldn't be that hard, right?"

"Not hard? Just digging a pit almost killed us with exhaustion. Digging a pit big enough for a warehouse while ensuring it stays hidden and doesn't collapse, do you know how hard that is?"

With a roll of his eyes, Dai Lian, who was proficient in traps and had some civil engineering experience, continued.

"Why don't we just give it a try? The rewards are settled based on progress anyway. Even if we can't do it now, it should be fine to do it later, right? There's no time limit on the task anyway," Gong Yan suggested, tilting her head.

Dai Lian looked up at the dark night sky and nodded, "It's early still, so giving it a try wouldn't hurt."

This construction task was also the first task for the faction force, with rewards including faction identity and contribution points.

Faction identity would unlock the Faction Shop, while contribution points were the currency used within the organization—both crucial resources. The task definitely needed to be completed.

"However, just giving it a try might not necessarily succeed. We need a backup plan," Dai Lian said, frowning.

"Here's what we'll do: we'll split into two groups. One group tries to dig here, while the other goes to the settlement to find an opportunity. See if we can find NPCs or other players with similar skills to help, or take the chance to learn relevant skills ourselves," he suggested.

Pu Jie had informed him in the afternoon that in this game, one must learn the professional knowledge before using it; not everything can be done just by using their common sense.

They all knew that digging a hole underground required preparations against dampness, insects, and collapses. But as for how to do it, especially the details, no one knew.

And in this world with the most realistic physics engine, one slight mistake could cause a catastrophic collapse in minutes.

Any irresponsible work was, in essence, deceiving themselves.

Kuang Xin nodded in agreement with Dai Lian's decision, trusting in Comrade Dai's professional integrity, "Okay."

"Then I'll go," Gong Yan volunteered.

Dai Lian nodded, as his plan was to send Gong Yan; it was the best choice, "Okay, then you go, but be careful. If anything happens, come back. We'll be right here."

"No problem!"

...

Gong Yan cautiously passed through the settlement.

The age-old hardwood emitted a musty, damp smell of decay and fungus, and the moss in the corners added to the shabby appearance of the long, gray streets.

Ramshackle wooden planks and sheets of metal haphazardly patched up the dilapidated houses on both sides of the road, while numb gazes peered out from the cracks that let in drafts, sizing up the occasional passersby.

This was not a safe area.

The danger didn't come from other players but from the NPCs themselves.

Outskirts of town... it couldn't even be considered the outskirts, just a human settlement outside the city, exuding a deathly stillness yet striving to survive each day.

The only place that seemed to have any vitality was the tavern here, which opened only after dusk had fallen.

There was the place for many deals and entertainment, where those in the know could easily gather useful information...

However, tonight there seemed to be an out-of-place figure.

As soon as Gong Yan stepped into the tavern, she saw, amid the dim flickering lights, a figure neatly dressed, with a quiet and imposing aura, sitting at the bar with his back to the door…

"So you're here!"

Bai E felt a tap on his shoulder and immediately heard an unexpected voice.

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