CHAPTER 28: CHAPTER 25: THIS IS THE CHOSEN ONE OF THE PATCH

Black Obsidian Martial Arts Hall, training ground.

"After digging dirt for so many days, we finally get to change it up a bit. I wonder what this new map is like."

"But the task requirements are a bit high, with strength needing to be 95 kilograms and speed at 9.5 meters per second. My current Breathing Technique is just at 4% entry level, so I’m a bit short on both strength and speed. Has anyone reached it?"

"I’ve been practicing Leopard Shadow Step a lot recently, so my speed is up to par, but I’m still 3 kilograms short on strength."

The four newcomers, One Leaf Floating Cloud and the others, looked at the task on the bulletin board, their eyes burning with excitement, but they were only four days into being rookies.

Even with non-stop training for 24 hours a day, they were still a bit short of the task requirements.

"This new map being opened, even if the task rewards aren’t special, the game company testing the game wouldn’t do so randomly. There might be a special storyline or special tasks involved," Twilight of the Gods said as he walked over, his eyes lighting up.

Previously, when he dug a hole, he triggered a special storyline and got 500 Points as a reward, which he sold to Luo Wushang for a cool hundred thousand. This time might just be another opportunity.

With a hundred thousand, he wouldn’t have to worry about living expenses for several months and could even afford extra meals daily, making the rest of his dorm mates envious, all wondering if he won the lottery.

Even the recent deaths from exploring the underground radiation zone didn’t require him to be frugal; he could die casually for fun.

To better explore the underground and increase efficiency, he went through more than ten deaths to get the Shocking God Breathing Technique to 8% entry level.

Now, his physical condition met all the task requirements, just a step away from being a true Apprentice.

"Qingwei, how are you doing?" Luo Wushang asked Zhang Qingwei, who had just walked over.

"No problem with speed, just 0.4 kilograms short on strength," Zhang Qingwei replied with a smile, "but taking on this task today should be no problem."

Zhang Qingwei sat cross-legged and began practicing the Shocking God Breathing Technique, but only a few minutes in—

Blood spurted from his mouth, splattering everywhere.

"There, my Breathing Technique has reached 8% entry level," Zhang Qingwei wiped his mouth, displaying a pleased smile, "but I’m quite badly injured, with severe lung hemorrhage. Hold on, I’ll respawn."

Zhang Qingwei vigorously activated the Shocking God Breathing Technique, nearly turning into a blood person, and then into ashes.

The scene made One Leaf Floating Cloud and the others look on in envy.

The Breathing Technique isn’t something that can just be enhanced; it requires constant exploration by oneself. If you have an idea, the improvement of the Breathing Technique can be fast, but without one, even dying a few times won’t help.

"Brother Zhen, are you going?" Outer Gunman asked.

"Go, why not go?" Fang Zhen replied without hesitation, "Worst case, I’ll just take a day off and let the captain and the others scold me."

"It’s really a pity. Our advancement in the Breathing Technique has been slow, now only at 7%, so we’ll have to rely on Brother Zhen to scout ahead," Bit said with a sigh.

Currently, in the mecha squad, only Fang Zhen’s Breathing Technique reached 10%, making him a quasi-apprentice.

Among their group of ten, he’s one of the only two quasi-apprentices. To catch up, it might take them two or three more days, and even then, they’d need to spend a lot of money even if they wanted to speed up, which might involve dying a few times.

Outside Chasing Light City.

The scorching midday sun blazed down upon the earth, and all around was visible ruin, with not even a single blade of grass; only irradiated wasteland remained.

A tricycle the size of a small truck moved slowly along the cracked street, with Fang Zhen, Luo Wushang, Twilight of the Gods, and Zhang Qingwei sitting in the back, curiously observing their surroundings like newborns, fascinated by everything around them.

"The size of this map is incredible! We’ve been traveling for over an hour at this speed, and we must have covered at least thirty kilometers," Fang Zhen said, awestruck by the scenery along the way. "Creating such a vast and detailed map must have cost a fortune."

"It really is vast," Twilight of the Gods agreed, "with such a large map, any other game would have designed several towns by now. In this game, there’s not a single town. To create a sense of realism, they’ve really gone all out."

In normal virtual games, even though the maps are large, you wouldn’t typically travel tens of kilometers just for scenery; they’d usually design many checkpoints, tasks, and numerous structures. But in Descent of High Martial, there’s none of that. Such extravagant execution is truly unheard of.

"This vehicle is pretty nice. I wonder when we’ll get one. It would make traveling much more convenient," Luo Wushang was more interested in the large tricycle rather than the scenery.

If they could own a transport vehicle comparable to a small truck, they could outpace NPCs and transport minerals and timber, making Points much quicker than by digging.

"With such an awesome vehicle, they probably won’t let players own it," Fang Zhen said as he touched the metal vehicle, longing, "It runs on electricity, just needs charging. If I could own one, I’d plunder the Martial Arts Hall Master bald."

Hearing their conversation, Lin Qi, who’d been driving the tricycle all along, couldn’t help but feel speechless.

It’s just an electric tricycle, passed through countless hands, used for countless years, and yet it has become a divine artifact in the eyes of players.

Lin Qi couldn’t even imagine that if players found out that in the world of Gao Wu, not only are there vehicles capable of confronting ordinary exotic beasts, but also battle armors to arm martial artists, all of which are directly sold in Chasing Light City, they wouldn’t know how ecstatic they’d become.

Of course, Lin Qi also yearned for those things, but the price was something beyond the reach of an average person for a lifetime.

In fact, for the current Lin Qi, even this broken electric tricycle’s price set by those profiteers was fifty thousand Bits, with a rental fee of two thousand Bits a month, completely unaffordable for black-marketed vagabonds.

If he hadn’t considered the efficiency of repairing the martial arts hall, Lin Qi really wouldn’t be willing to rent this electric tricycle.

Grizzly Mine.

After driving for more than three hours, a series of mountains came into view, with towering trees growing everywhere on the mountain, completely different from the ruins along the way, giving off a flourishing sense of vitality.

Just as Lin Qi was driving on the mountain path for a short while, a drone with a radius of over two meters flew in from afar, directly scanning Lin Qi and the others, equipped with machine guns and two RPGs.

"Identity confirmed, now you may follow me to the mine area."

The appearance of the drone, along with its smart armament level, instantly left Fang Zhen and the other three dumbfounded.

Not only Fang Zhen and the others, but even the live audience was also dumbstruck, completely unable to believe this was real.

What was promised to be an apocalyptic wasteland has now become a futuristic technology world?

Is there still a need to learn martial arts?

Wouldn’t it be better to learn how to use guns?

"Guys, am I too late to switch to studying mechanics now?"

"Damn! The world background of Descent of High Martial is quite something, I’m not really interested in martial arts. If it wasn’t for the 100% virtual immersion, I probably wouldn’t have booked it, but now I’m in love with it; mechas, cannons, I’ve got to get in and play. My spear technique is top-notch, fast, and accurate within ten steps."

While the live chat audience engaged in a heated discussion, Lin Qi also followed the drone to the entrance of the mine.

"Okay, now you split into two groups, one group moves the ore in the mine, another goes to cut trees," Lin Qi glanced at the departing drone and directly instructed the four.

Grizzly Mine is vast, even if occupied by a major faction of Chasing Light City, they couldn’t cover every aspect; they mainly prevent outsiders from entering. However, he has a collaboration with Cangjing Weapon Shop: they keep a record of how much ore is extracted here to be sent to Cangjing Weapon Shop later.

So regarding the ore, neither party is worried about issues, unless those transporting the ore wanted to die.

Grizzly Mine values ore the most, they don’t care about ordinary trees on the mountain, naturally they won’t manage them cutting trees.

As Lin Qi finished instructing, the four exchanged glances.

Luo Wushang and Zhang Qingwei went directly to move the ore, while Fang Zhen and Twilight of the Gods went to cut trees.

In the woods.

"Brother Zhen, why don’t you compete for moving the ore? With your strength and speed, you shouldn’t lag behind Qingwei, maybe the hall master would agree," Twilight of the Gods looked at Fang Zhen oddly.

Fang Zhen is number one in strength among ten people, only second to Luo Wushang in speed, and moving ore isn’t hard, just loading it on the vehicle is enough, mainly due to the depth of the mine requiring multiple trips, but 100 kilograms is 3 Points, much better than cutting and carrying trees.

"You don’t understand, do you?" Fang Zhen chuckled and said, "Before they opened the new map, the NPC made us learn two martial arts techniques. Among them, Leopard Shadow Step can be practiced during transport, so what about Shattering Stone Fist? I’m very curious about this; a game test wouldn’t bring out something useless."

"You’re saying? Shattering Stone Fist is to be used here?" Twilight of the Gods was still a bit perplexed upon hearing.

"Of course." Fang Zhen nodded, with a look of a professional gamer, and said, "Every game test has a purpose, before we tested Leopard Shadow Step in the martial arts hall’s basement, and now we’ve come to Grizzly Mine, naturally to test Shattering Stone Fist, and doesn’t it say clearly on Shattering Stone Fist?"

"First Layer is Pile Shattering Realm, shatter piles, aren’t these natural wooden piles? So many wooden piles placed here, this is a natural martial arts training ground, if not practicing now, when to practice Shattering Stone Fist?"

"Brother Zhen, you’re amazing! This understanding of the game is unbeatable," Twilight of the Gods was deeply impressed, raising a thumb.

Originally thought Leopard Shadow Step was the answer to the version, unexpectedly Shattering Stone Fist turned out to be the child of the version!

"Alright, let’s hurry and practice, don’t let them find out."

"Otherwise, they’ll definitely fight us over it."

Fang Zhen waved his hand nonchalantly, directly finding a four or five meters high big tree, about to practice Shattering Stone Fist.