Chapter 225: Cyborgs and Oil Bottles
The fourth floor of the labyrinth, outside the Misty Town, deep in the Misty Forest.
【The rich man who eats dirt】kicked away the remains of the demonic wolf that was blocking the way, and the enchanted armor glowed with a metallic glow under the light of the cyanobacteria.
He looked back at the crowd behind him - fifty "adventurers" carrying pitchforks and hoes were squatting on the fungus, munching on roasted sweet potatoes, like a group of crows pecking at carrion.
"I'm talking about you guys," he lifted his visor and wiped his sweat, "We are all black and iron, and we still bring these rookies. What's the difference between us and the max-level bosses going back to Novice Village to fry fish?"
As if to confirm his words, an exclamation suddenly came from not far away. Three farmers were arguing around the steaming corpse of the monster. The chipped shovel was stuck in the gelatinous remains and could not be pulled out. The point of their argument was not about fighting skills, but whether the slime could be taken back and used as fertilizer.
"Get out of the way!" [Jade Faced and Hand-Tired King] quickly stepped forward and poked the slime with the torch in his hand. Accompanied by the pungent green smoke, the monster's remains instantly curled up into a blackened hard mass.
The crowd of onlookers He immediately sighed in admiration, not realizing that he had just walked through the door of hell.
"As expected of a magician!"
"This is alchemy! I've seen it in the market!"
"It is clearly a gift from Lord Yan"
Listening to the increasingly outrageous comments, [The rich man who eats dirt] had black lines all over his head, and [The King of Jade Face and Tired Hands] leaned into his ear: "I finally understand, taking them to work is equivalent to opening a nursery school."
"Isn't it a nursing home?" [Iron-blooded Fat Mansion] teased.
"There's no difference, they're all just a bunch of colored pens." [Green Wolf Lame] curled his lips.
This is the truth.
This is also the unanimous idea of other players.
Although these adventurers they recruited casually had no objection to the reward, they were relatively useless and could do nothing.
But it’s not their fault. They were not professional soldiers to begin with, they were just farmers who had received basic training.
And this so-called training does not include fighting on the battlefield, but just walking in formation, loading muskets according to commands, and shooting targets among the crowd. Rather than training their combat literacy and fighting skills, it is better to train their obedience so that their morale on the battlefield is slightly higher, so that they can hold the battle line and buy time for the main force, so that they will not collapse like hell's cannon fodder.
Hands on the idea that the more the better, the more the better. Although the members of the Invincible Supreme Adventure Group were discouraged, they still carried these oil bottles and wandered around the maze for several days.
With their own efforts and tempering in battle, they finally broke through the ordinary bottleneck and worked hard to reach the black iron level.
However, when they looked back behind them, the group of adventurers they had recruited were still ordinary people with no fighting ability and no progress at all... They all felt discouraged.
After experiencing a great battle, the four players standing on the corpse of the Warcraft looked at each other and saw the despair in each other's eyes.
· A few days ago, they were immersed in the excitement of preparing for the "Magic Plant Frenzy", but now they have to face the cruel reality-
· Fifty mouths need to eat two carts of sweet potatoes every day.
· And it can be seen with the naked eye that these NPCs have brought them completely negative benefits.
"MMP, we are all at the Black Iron level, but in the end, we still have these guys who can't even deal with a monster," [Iron-Blooded Fat Man] wiped the weapons in his hands and couldn't help complaining, "When they can be put to use, I'm afraid we won't even be able to drink soup!"
He didn't believe in evil before.
Now he can be sure that the setting of this game is like this. Some people are born as NPCs, and mud cannot hold up the wall.
Of course, this is not their own fault, there may be other factors involved such as soul level. And they themselves are not adventurers, they are just forced to take risks and live another life that they did not originally want.
【Green Wolf Lame】 also sighed: "Yes, with them, we are very careful in leveling up in the maze, for fear that something may happen to them."
[The King with a Jade Face and a Tired Hand] frowned and thought for a moment, then said, "The point is, we can't bear to just leave them here. After all, they all followed us."
"But it's not a problem to keep them like this all the time. We still have to participate in the Magic Plant Frenzy event, so we can't be dragged down by them all the time."
He made a calculation in his mind.
If this trend continues, let alone recovering the cost of the initial investment, he is afraid that after a while he will have to go to the forum to collect some ghost coins and raise these "electronic pets".
Hearing the complaints from the "bosses", the rookies around looked at each other and felt a little sorry in their hearts. Even the roasted sweet potatoes in their hands no longer tasted good.
They are not lazy people. In fact, they are very hard-working. They feel uncomfortable all over after being idle for a while, so when they follow the bosses to do tasks, they always think about picking up something, and they end up getting into a lot of trouble... Just like just now, they didn't expect that some monsters would have the special effect of "exploding corpses" after they died.
While everyone was worried, an "adventurer" named Tom came over, looked at the leader and said cautiously.
“Brother, we don’t want to drag you down, how about... we figure it out ourselves?”
These kind people have helped them enough, and he is embarrassed to continue to make things difficult for them.
Besides, many people do not have to go hungry because they have enough to eat. They also have wives and children waiting for them to support.
Eating is a stopgap measure, settling down is their ultimate goal.
It's a pity that these people chose the wrong path. Mist Town is definitely not a good place for them to settle down.
The [rich man who eats dirt] who was sitting and resting rolled his eyes at him.
"What can you do? In this maze, any low-level monster can take care of you."
Tom scratched his head and smiled honestly.
"Although we don't know how to fight, we have strength. If we can't, we can still carry bags for other adventurers. Why don't we go out and find some work? It's better than waiting here... and dragging you down."
This sentence reminds [the rich man who eats dirt].
He was stunned for a moment, then his eyes lit up, he turned off the translation crystal, looked at the other three buddies next to him and said.
"That's right! I almost forgot, we can take them to find work outside the maze. This way we can settle them down and advance the main quest! It's not too late for us to come back and take them after the activities are over."
"That's a good idea!" [Gray Wolf Lame] had long wanted to get rid of these bottlenecks, and quickly raised his hands in agreement, even raising both hands.
The other two brothers also nodded, and the matter was decided.
"I'll go discuss it with these NPCs!" The determined [Dirt-Eating Rich] slapped his thigh, stood up from the ground, and shouted to the sparse crowd, "Gather!"
Hearing the sound of gathering, the people who were searching for loot on the ground put down their work and gathered in groups in the direction of the leader.
Looking at those worried and doubtful eyes, [The rich man who eats dirt] cleared his throat and spoke.
"The income in the maze is too low. We have been busy for almost a week and completed a lot of commissions, but we still cannot make ends meet. If this trend continues, our team will have to disperse sooner or later!"
Everyone looked ashamed when they heard this. Many people lowered their heads, and some looked aside shyly, or hid the roasted sweet potatoes in their pockets.
Looking at this group of useless guys, [The rich man who eats dirt] was angry and funny, and finally shook his head and continued.
"Anyway, we can't go on like this anymore. We also have our own things to do, so I discussed it with the elders in the group and decided to try my luck in Thunder City. I heard that there are a lot of jobs there, although the pay is less. But the best thing is that there is no danger and everyone can do it... I want to hear your thoughts." As soon as his voice fell, the crowd suddenly started to murmur, but it didn't take long before it turned into a chorus of echoes.
「I’m fine!」
"Me too!"
"You decide, boss! We will follow you wherever you go!"
"That's right!"
They were not people with ideas to begin with. They heard that there was money to be made in the maze, so they followed the caravan here. Soon they discovered that the money was not as easy to make as they imagined. Many people had already thought about leaving, but they just didn't have the nerve to say it.
Seeing that the vote was passed unanimously, [The rich man who eats dirt] snapped his fingers.
In order to save time and avoid unnecessary conflicts, the players deliberately chose the route with the lowest risk, but this also meant that they did not collect anything along the way, let alone encounter any monsters worth hunting.
It was already noon when the group left the maze.
When they stood on the street on the outskirts of Thunder City, the adventurers passing nearby cast them joking looks, and some even pointed and talked, as if they were looking at a group of rats emerging from the sewers.
Obviously, these adventurers, like the workers in Thunder City, hate these guys who come out of nowhere to grab jobs...even if they actually have the same origin.
As for Tom and the others, they didn’t care about the strange looks. They just looked around as if they had never seen the world, shouting and yelling at the dazzling shops on both sides of the street and the carriages speeding on the street. Their wide-eyed eyes almost fell out of their sockets.
"Is this the Thunder City?"
"Sign of honor... There are more houses here than in my master's manor! They are even more beautiful!"
h "How can so many people live here!"
"This land has been paved with stones and cannot grow crops. What do they usually eat?"
"You don't care what they eat. This road is really flat, much better than the roads in our village!"
"Yes, look at that carriage, it runs really fast!"
The streets are wide and flat, and the bluestone roads glow with a simple luster under the sunlight. The architectural styles on the street are different, including wooden pubs with exquisite carvings on their signboards; and stone shops with heavy doors that highlight their heritage.
· Pedestrians dress differently. The rich wear gorgeous silk and satin clothes with exquisite jewelry around their waists; while the ordinary people mostly wear coarse linen clothes, which are simple but neat. As for the adventurers, they wore different styles of protective gear. The street stalls are filled with a dazzling array of products, the brightly colored fruits on the fruit stalls exude an attractive aroma, and all kinds of tools and daily necessities are neatly arranged in the grocery stores.
Not only the NPCs, but also the players were amazed by the exotic "modeling" here, but it was not as exaggerated as these NPCs made it out to be.
“...Can you please be quiet for a while? We are going to work, not for a spring outing.” [The rich man who eats dirt] sighed helplessly and shook his head.
After hearing the leader's words, several "adventurers" shut their mouths for a while, no longer shouting, but they were wondering in their hearts what kind of oil "Spring Oil" was and whether it was delicious.
After all, there are only a few tenant farmers who have been to Thunder City. Many of them have only been to towns near the village. Their impressions of Thunder City are basically obtained from adventurers. It is well known that adventurers never make drafts when they brag, and most people do not believe the nonsense spoken by outsiders.
Now that I saw them with my own eyes, I suddenly realized that this place was actually even more exaggerated than what the adventurers and bards had said!
[Jade-Faced Hand-Tired King] looked at these shouting guys with a speechless expression, and felt a headache as he pressed his index finger on his forehead.
This group of guys were chattering non-stop along the way. Now that there is no threat from monsters, they have completely let themselves go. They are more like newbies than newbies.
In fact, Misty Town is not bad, there are two more rows of street lights, but I didn't see them making such a fuss...
[Green Wolf Lame] and [Iron-Blooded Fat Mansion] looked around nervously, for fear of attracting the attention of the guards.
But fortunately, the guards didn't bother to pay attention to them at all, and they were already accustomed to the country bumpkins coming out of the maze. Not to mention doubting their identities, it was troublesome to even look at them. This made a few wary "old players" gradually calm down.
After confirming that there was no danger, [The Soil-eating Rich] handed the only materials in his team to the Adventurer Guild's service point near the surface entrance. After waiting for the count to be completed, he took a bag of shining silver coins from the hands of the counter lady.
The currency used on the surface is different from that in the labyrinth, mainly silver coins and copper coins. He roughly counted 271 coins in total, and he was able to find 2 gold coins!
Before coming to Thunder City, he had learned about local prices from the forum. A piece of bread cost about 5 copper coins.
If you eat bread for three meals a day, these 271 silver coins will be enough to feed fifty people for a long time. However, when you have to take into account issues other than eating, the money seems to be stretched.
"We have to find jobs that these guys can do as soon as possible, otherwise we have to make do in the refugee camp first."
While [The rich man who eats dirt] was looking around for job opportunities, the notice posted next to the adventurer notice board caught his attention.
【The Jade-faced Hand-Lei King】walked next to him and came over curiously.
"What's written on it?"
"It's an administrative order signed by Princess Eileen Campbell," [The Rich Man Who Eats Earth] relied on the translation function of the player system to interpret the above text, and whispered, "In order to protect the lives of the residents of Thunder City, she requires that factories in non-core urban areas of Thunder City must provide dormitories for employees, otherwise an additional 10% tax will be levied."
[Iron-Blooded Fat Man] asked in confusion: "What does this have to do with us?"
"Silly! Isn't this a job opportunity? All factories in the city need to build dormitories!"
"Is this okay?!" [Iron-Blooded Fat Mansion] glared.
Is this game so real?
"Anyway, you can try your luck, at least you don't have to run around on the street like a headless fly." [The rich man who eats dirt] glanced in the direction of the new city.
No skills required, only strength.
After thinking about it, only the construction site is the most suitable for these guys.
…
Through the area where citizens live, they came to a new industrial area not far from the local area. The scene here is completely different from the scene in the city. There are no majestic guard handles. Looking around, what comes into view is either the construction site or the people working on the construction site.
Part of them are refugees from the Twilight Province and live in a nearby refugee camp, while the other part are local residents living not far away. However, even if they stay in their hometown and face the cruel living environment, the lives of these people are not much better. It can only be said that they are not too bad.
But even so, they still have hope. After all, they have finally found a job. Unlike in the refugee camps, there are still a large number of people who cannot find jobs and can only wait for relief from the royal family.
Looking at the scene in front of him, [Canglang Lame] couldn't express his feelings: "I didn't expect the people here to have such a difficult life."
[Iron-Blooded Fat Mansion] couldn't help but sigh: "Yes, compared with the rich people in the city, there is a huge difference."
"But on the other hand, this also means opportunities." [Jade Faced Hand Tired King] looked around with confidence, his eyes shining with hope, "It seems that we are lucky. With so many construction sites, we will definitely find work."
He was already eager to get rid of these oil bottles!
Other players had no objection, after all, they thought so too, so everyone cheered up and started searching on the street with the team members behind them.
Due to Erin Campbell's executive order, this already busy industrial area has become even more busy.
Huge chimneys stand like giants, emitting billowing smoke, and the roars of machines intertwine to form a noisy but energetic movement. The workers carried construction materials and hurriedly shuttled between the various construction sites without stopping for a moment, like clockwork that was wound up.
Everyone inquired around and finally found a textile factory that needed manpower.
The door of the factory is open, and the rhythmic hum of textile machines can be heard from inside, like the noise of mosquitoes.
A tall and thin man was standing at the door. He was Horace, the owner of the textile factory.
His figure was as thin as a piece of paper, and he was wearing a black dress that had been washed white and the collar was full of wrinkles. His cheekbones are high and protruding, like two abrupt hills, and a pair of small mung bean-like eyes are always spinning, like beads on an abacus, revealing shrewdness and calculation, making people don't want to get close.
This is the last factory that "keeps up with the trend" and stubbornly refuses to join the wave of "building dormitories".
If it weren’t for the tax officer who came to the door and couldn’t continue to pretend to be deaf and dumb, he would never have been willing to squeeze a penny out of his pocket to build that kind of employee dormitory.
He wished that all his employees would live in the refugee camp, so that he could save more money.
[The rich man who eats dirt] took a deep breath, took a step forward, and said politely: "Hello, boss, we are here to find work. I heard that you have a project to do here?"
Horace looked them up and down, the corners of his mouth raised slightly, revealing an imperceptible smile, which was like the cold wind in winter, with a hint of chill.
"That's right, I'm going to build a dormitory building here. It depends on whether you have the ability to take it." As he spoke, he tapped the pillar beside him with his bony fingers, as if to hint at something.
【The rich man who eats dirt】then asked: "Boss, can you tell us in detail the requirements and construction period of this job?"
Horace raised his chin slightly: "Request? You can do whatever you want, as long as you can fit the livestock into the house behind me. As for the construction period, it may be a bit rushed. You only have three months. If you can't finish it, I will lose a lot of money, and you won't want your wages."
The four players were stunned.
This is the first time they have seen such a sloppy letter from Party A, who actually has no requirements at all.
【The Tired King with a Jade Face and Hands】 couldn't help but ask: "In terms of wages, how much do you plan to pay?"
Horace yawned.
"20 copper coins per person per day, this is the highest price I can give."
Hearing this number, [Jade Faced Hand Tired King] almost jumped up.
“What? Only 20 copper coins per person per day? You are too stingy!” [Jade Faced Hand Tired King] glared at Horace angrily, his eyes seemed to burst out of fire, his hands clenched into fists, and his body trembled slightly with anger.
【The rich man who eats dirt】 was silent.
Calculating it this way, after six months of construction, fifty people would only get 18 gold coins.
Although he never thought about making money from these poor people, this guy really doesn’t want them to make any money...
Even if it’s just to bargain, he’s too cruel!
However, Horace looked indifferent and spread out his hands with protruding bones: "Am I stingy? This is your first time coming to Thunder City, right? That's how it goes! You know, I've paid for all the materials! Look around, there are people looking for work everywhere. If you don't do it, there are people rushing to do it!"
At this point, he added as if he remembered.
"By the way, I only have a total budget of 100 gold coins, and it will be gone when it is used up! Don't think about playing tricks on the materials, I will personally arrange for people to purchase them!"
Hearing this, [Iron-blooded Fat Mansion] almost laughed angrily.
"We have inquired, the average salary in Thunder City is 2,000 copper coins per month, you are simply sending a beggar away!"
Horace said without blushing.
"That was all last year!"
[The rich man who eats dirt] took a deep breath and said in a deep voice: "Boss, you think this job is not easy. 20 copper coins is too few, can't you add more?"
After a pause, he glanced around and continued.
"Furthermore, I carefully read the executive order posted by Erin Campbell. Don't you think that if it is not completed in six months, your losses will be greater?"
Horace's face froze, and his eyes were obviously a little panicked, and he did not look like he had convinced them before.
But he was still trying to be brave, forcing a nonchalant smile on his face, and said in a high voice: "More money? Impossible! If you think it's less, you can find other jobs! Haha, don't think I'm afraid of Her Highness Eileen's executive order... I'm a small business, and the profit is just that much, if the big deal happens, I'll add 10% tax!"
"Really? What about the land? The land granted to you to build the dormitory has not been built yet. Will the royal family take it back? Unless they are blind, or... you can even bribe Irene Campbell?"
Horace stared at him, as if he were looking at a monster.
How does this guy know so much about Thunder City? !
Indeed.
If the 10% tax only makes him feel sad, the soaring value of land use rights has indeed stepped on his tail.
He took out a face towel from his arms and wiped the sweat.
However, just when [the rich man who ate dirt] showed an expression of victory on his face, the "adventurers" following him could not sit still.
Tom quickly grabbed the [rich man who ate dirt] and said anxiously: "Boss, 20 copper coins is a lot. In our hometown, you may not be able to earn so much after a hard day's work. Let's do it." His eyes were full of sincerity, and he held the arm of "rich man who ate dirt" tightly with both hands, for fear that he would refuse the job.
“Yes, boss...”
“This is already a lot of money!”
Other "adventurers" also nodded in agreement, their eyes full of desire for this job.
In their opinion, it is very rare to have a stable income. At least in the next six months, they will have a home of their own.
Those pleading voices gave Horace renewed confidence in bargaining.
His eyes rolled slightly, and he immediately seized the opportunity and said.
"I suddenly felt that I should think about it carefully... Yes, why don't I go to the refugee camp to recruit a group of people? I can actually do this work myself, how difficult can it be to build a house?"
Looking at the faces that turned into despair, he coughed lightly and continued.
“Of course, I am still willing to give you this opportunity. In addition, I have seriously considered it. I can let you enjoy the same treatment as the workers in the factory and eat with them. How about this? Go outside and take a look. Prices are not cheap now. A piece of bread costs at least 5 copper coins! You have to eat two meals a day, right? "
Of course, his bread is made in the kitchen, and the cost is definitely cheaper than what is sold in the store, and he didn't say how good he wanted to feed them.
Hhearing these words, the surrounding "adventurers" suddenly became anxious, looking at the leader imploringly, and at the same time looking longingly at the guy who could solve their urgent needs.
【The rich man who eats dirt】Looking at these longing faces, he was silent for a long time, and finally sighed.
ifierony will be used
They have been waiting for these NPCs for too long.
If it weren't for the extra sympathy, if it weren't for the fact that these NPCs looked too human, they would have devoted their energy to the recently updated activities.
There are many ways to infiltrate the human world. They can actually leave these guys alone in Mist Town.
Everyone, including Tom, was overjoyed when they heard this and thanked him profusely.
Horace looked at the man who nodded in front of him, with a greedy smile on his lips, like a winner on the ring, as if he had seen the gold coins waving to him.
"Happy cooperation, my friend."
Glancing at the hand extended by Horace, [The Rich Man Who Eats Earth] chuckled, did not hold it, and turned towards the grateful "adventurers".
He won't be able to stay here for long, he still has some things to explain to them.
Horace stood there awkwardly, shrugging his shoulders, but didn't care. He just glared at the rude guy fiercely, thinking about how to get rid of this bad breath in the payment method.
Just wait and see!
He will let people know who is the boss here!
At this moment, no one noticed that a pair of gloomy eyes were staring here, like hungry wolves lurking in the shadows, watching them quietly...