Chapter 224: Shutdown Festivities??
The square of Northwind Fortress was already bustling with excitent.
“Best red wine in Northwind Fortress!”
“Frost wolf fur coat, a luxury item for the nobility of the North!”
“Lackman Steel Greatsword, once the favorite weapon of the rulers of Northwind Fortress! Now on sale for only 180 gold coins!”
“Looking for teammates to play after the official launch, no wild sorcerers allowed! No wild sorcerers!”
“Guild recruiting! Magic Coin, the paradise for all spellcaster enthusiasts!”
Players gathered as if celebrating a holiday, their cheers echoing in the air. They wore flamboyant costus, and so even paraded around without clothes, creating a raucous scene, taking on so rather indecent poses.
Even the local residents, long accustod to the chaos of the Starfallen, closed their doors and windows tightly, worried their children might be led astray by these lunatics.
Yet, there were also many townsfolk who saw a business opportunity and set up stalls in the square, hoping to make a good profit off these excited people.
Mantou was perched atop a wyvern, looking down at the singing and dancing players, feeling a mixture of emotions.
“Ah, the closed beta is finally coming to an end, I can’t help but feel a bit sentintal.”
“What are you getting all emotional about? You’ll be back in a month, won’t you?”
Singo took a swig of his drink, grumbling.
Mantou retorted, “What do you know, I’m not talking about , I’m talking about Noodl. I’ll be back in a month, sure, but in this ‘Erezaghe’ world, four years will have passed.”
He stroked the long neck of his wyvern and muttered:
“Noodl, Noodl, during these four years, you have to wait for
obediently. Don’t go off and find another rider. In my hotown, such shaful behavior is called ‘bull-headed’, and it’s considered a serious cri...”
“Rawr—”
The wyvern let out a cheerful howl, clearly not understanding what he was saying.
Singo almost spat out his drink when he heard Mantou’s words, especially when he saw his serious expression.
Mantou then noticed the elaborately packaged cocktail in Singo’s hand, his eyes widening in disbelief.
“What the heck, are you crazy? Have you been possessed or sothing?”
“What are you fussing about?”
Singo gave him an indifferent glance, taking another sip.
Mantou began rattling off details:
“This is the infamous ‘Fire Witch’s Kiss’ from the Sleeping rmaid Tavern, the priciest drink around. Just one bottle costs twenty gold coins, and it’s said to give the sensation of a passionate encounter with a succubus, yet offers no real boost.”
“Soone like you, who only cares about gaining strength and nothing else, actually buying sothing purely for enjoynt?”
He unsheathed his sword and pointed it at Singo, declaring righteously:
“Speak! Who are you really? Where is the real Singo?!”
Singo sneered and replied, “Don’t be ridiculous. This is a special gift from Alger to comnd my contribution in the Crimson Scaled Conquerors.”
“How about it? Want a sip?”
Mantou’s eyes imdiately lit up, his expression turning fawning.
“Singo—no, Big Brother Singo, just one sip.”
“Alright, look at you, so hopeless. Let
gather Battle Maniac and Autumn Rain, and we’ll head to the tavern to drink until the server closes.”
“Alright, alright, if you don’t give
so, watch out or I’ll report you for drinking and flying!”
The two landed and dismounted skillfully.
“Yo, you guys are here.”
Sumr Night Autumn Rain and Born Battle Maniac had been waiting for so ti, and surprisingly, even Langli Baitiao, with his bruised face, was there.
Mantou was puzzled: “Brother Langi, you usually know what’s up. Where did the Machine God Church people go? I haven’t seen any of them.”
He didn’t bother asking about Langi’s injuries. After all, it was nothing new for him to get beaten up.
Langi’s face, which was visibly healing quickly—a testant to his vampire resilience—wore a mischievous grin.
“You an Iron Frenzy and those guys—”
“Heh, they’re busy handling the handover. The Machine God Church’s food processing plants, military manufacturing facilities, and a series of other projects have attracted significant attention from the kingdom’s upper ranks. Since last month, they’ve been busy training the locals and handling various transitions. No one’s allowed to leave until the work is done.”
“They’re probably working overti, explaining how to operate the machinery to the locals.”
“They’re relentless.”
Mantou broke out in cold sweat.
A month of high-intensity work—he couldn’t even imagine it. It seed that the Machine God Church fanatics were the true workhorses destined for such labor.
“And Iron Frenzy got caught embezzling funds to make a personal suit of armor. Now he’s buried in debt. If he doesn’t work hard, his position as guild leader is at risk.”
Sumr Night Autumn Rain added rcilessly.
Mantou sighed, thinking:
“That’s probably the price of showing off.”
But rembering Iron Frenzy’s manic laughter while piloting the armor, it all seed well-deserved.
“Look over there, what kind of event is that? Why are there so many people?”
Born Battle Maniac, looking at the crowd in the distance, rubbed his bald head, his curiosity piqued.
“No idea, maybe it’s so kind of shutdown perk?”
“Let’s go check it out.”
Mantou and the others were intrigued and rose to see for themselves.
With his towering stature, Born Battle Maniac muscled his way through the crowd until they finally saw what lay at the center: several beautiful serpent won standing by hundreds of ornate tal chests.
“Lord Cassius, in gratitude for your great contributions to the kingdom, has taken precious treasures from his hoard to generously reward you brave heroes.”
“Know that Lord Cassius’s favor is not easily earned, and it’s first co, first served!”
“We only ask for... a small, insignificant amount of gold in return.”
The serpent woman’s enchanting voice made people’s heads spin, but what really excited them were the tal chests behind her.
Panels appeared above the chests.
Special Item: 【Cassius’s Secret Treasure】
Probability of acquiring magic items of rarity ranging from 【Common】 to 【Rare】.
(Note: Each chest is priced at 5 gold coins.)
“Holy crap, isn’t this just a gacha?”
“Is there a guaranteed pity pull?”
“Today, I’m gonna show you all what it ans to be a luck king!”
“I can’t hold back, it’s ti to go all in on a ten-pull!”
Initially drawn by the beauty of the serpent won, the players were further whipped into a frenzy upon seeing the information on the chests.
So players, who had spent ages in gacha gas, felt their hands tremble, struggling to resist their compulsive urge to try their luck.
This lottery-style gaplay was the epito of vice. Various gaming companies had made a fortune off of it, and countless players had fallen victim, yet the trend endured, with players constantly diving in headfirst.
Whether the players lost or gained, the house always won.
This was, of course, Cassius’s carefully planned sche for the players. The closed beta players still had too much money. If things continued like this, how would they be motivated to work hard when the official ga launched?
This was one last harvest before the servers shut down, a final reaping of the players’ wallets.
A piece of 【Rare】 magic equipnt could easily cost over a hundred gold coins, affordable only to large guilds or professional players.
But a “Secret Treasure” box for just five gold coins was a different story. Any player with modest savings could afford one, and those willing to sell everything could even buy several.
With just that, there was a chance to obtain equipnt coveted by large guilds. For so of the more gambling-prone players, it seed like a deal too good to pass up!
What if...
What if they were the lucky one?
This was the thought running through the minds of countless onlookers.
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