Chapter 115: The past is the past, the present is the present

In Dream Online, time flowed like the tide, and system notification sounds occasionally rang out, all being messages of players being eliminated.

"F-rank player "Ganla Zhanshen" eliminated on map "Highway" by a player!"

"F-rank player "Jindan" eliminated on map "Highway" by a player!"

"F-rank player "ooxx" eliminated on map "Highway" by a player!"

"F-rank player "Xie Bu Rou" has perished in the cold night."

In just ten days, three players on the same map were eliminated in the same way; it's obvious that a greedy scoundrel is up to no good.

And that player who perished in the cold night likely got lost in a blizzard and then directly froze to death, an unlucky fellow.

As for Zhang Jie, he spends his days grilling meat, doing chores, drying pelts, living quite comfortably.

A normal player's game progression might be: birth — gather supplies — find tools — find fuel — craft bow and arrow —.... — hunt prey — live out one's years.

But Zhang Jie is different; his game progression is: birth — lie flat.

Now, Zhang Jie doesn't even need to grill meat himself; he relies entirely on the Crimson Vein to do the work, and he's been literally raised into a good-for-nothing.

Zhang Jie has already gotten a lot fatter than before; if it weren't for the fact that Dream Online resets to the initial state after the game ends, he probably wouldn't know where to cry.

Over these ten days, Zhang Jie gained quite a few attribute points by using his scepter to slay prey, but after all, only a 1% loot rate, and the added attributes haven't reached an outrageous level.

"1% is still too low..."

"I still need to make money quickly to upgrade my little cane."

"If he wants to upgrade his little scepter via pay-to-win, he needs at least over five million game coins; if he sells meat chunks, he'd have to sell at least ten thousand catties to earn enough."

At this moment, the Nightmare Giant Wolf that had gone out hunting finally returned; the chubby Zhang Jie laboriously rose to his feet, stepped in his shoes down from the second floor, and opened the door for it.

"What's going on?"

"Just one rabbit today?"

Looking at the rabbit tossed on the ground, barely alive, Zhang Jie pulled out his scepter and struck its head with the scepter's tip, shattering it.

But the expected bloody scene didn't appear; instead, the rabbit's body flashed white in an instant, then its whole body shattered like broken glass into shards of white light scattered across the floor.

The rabbit's meat and fur were also instantly decomposed and entered Zhang Jie's item box.

"Ow! Ah-ow-ow-ah!"

The Nightmare Giant Wolf felt somewhat wronged, howling at Zhang Jie for a while.

"What do you mean there used to be more prey?! This map has no animals—go to another map!"

"That was then, this is now! You can't keep using the past as the present!"

"Whoo!! Whoo-whoo!"

"After all these days, think about your own reasons, howl—did you seriously hunt today, did you seriously work?"

One conversation left the Nightmare Giant Wolf dazed, wondering if it was truly because it wasn't trying hard enough.

At that moment, as if to confirm its thought, the other side's Anren, who had gone out scavenging supplies, returned, its back tentacles coiled around a huge pile of supplies, both arms stuffed full, Canned food and snacks clattering to the ground.

"Look! Look at Anren over there!"

The giant wolf sat on the ground, lifted its paw to look, then glanced at Anren's tentacles and arms behind it, gazing at Zhang Jie with a resentful expression.

One person and several Nightmare began sorting and counting the supplies Anren brought back; not long after, the Nightmare Thunder Eagle sent out to scout also returned.

And the news it brought was more valuable: it had found the person who was harming other players!

Of course, Zhang Jie wasn't looking to punish evil and promote good; he had his eye on the other side's wealth.

According to the Nightmare Thunder Eagle, the other side's lair is on a watchtower in the "Highway" map, possessing plenty of supplies.

The other side had looted supplies from at least five players; although it's not more than what Zhang Jie has, why not take what you can get?

When hunting other players, he should realize that he too will someday be hunted.

Moreover, the place Zhang Jie currently occupies is the exact center of the whole map, and likewise the area with the best climate, least likely to get lost.

Even if Zhang Jie doesn't go looking for his trouble now, wouldn't he still come looking for Zhang Jie's trouble?

Maybe this person will come looking for Zhang Jie's trouble before long.

"Alright, Nightmare Thunder Eagle, you lead the way; let's go ransack his place."

With a gesture, the Nightmare Crimson Vein automatically clung to Zhang Jie's body, turning into a black windbreaker draped over him.

Zhang Jie stepped out the door, and several Nightmare creatures made as if to follow.

"Hey hey hey!"

"Don't go, stay and keep watch."

Several Nightmare creatures glanced at the giant wolf, which blinked, then lifted its paw to point at itself.

"Who?"

"Exactly, it's you."

"Whoo!"

That proud Nightmare Giant Wolf! Zhang Jie's longtime employee! How could it be a guard dog?!

"For the raid, we have a giant bear to carry the supplies; we don't need you."

"No nonsense, just stay and guard the house!"

"Whoo..."

The giant wolf responded helplessly, turning into a black stream that slipped into the room, sullenly hiding itself on the ceiling.

Seeing the Nightmare Giant Wolf retreat into the house, Zhang Jie gestured, and the Nightmare Thunder Eagle took the lead.

Zhang Jie rubbed his protruding belly and double chin, then gave a helpless shrug of the lips.

"It's time to exercise."

Feeling the Crimson Vein's power flowing into his body, Zhang Jie warmed up, watching the Nightmare Thunder Eagle soar in the sky, and his body shot forward like a bullet.

On the other side...

「Again, damn it, it's empty」?

Looking at the empty house in front of him, the middle-aged man with a hunting gun on his back furrowed his brows deeply; this was already who-knows-how-many times he'd encountered an empty house while searching for supplies.

「Hah」!

「Still quite good at searching」!

The man smirked, slowly loading a few bullets into his rifle.

「Then I'll take your supplies」.

The middle-aged man wasn't in a hurry; since this map had already been cleaned out by the other party, he simply gave up scavenging and instead set his goal on finding the other's hiding spot.

「Let me guess.... 」.

「Is it the 「office」, or the 「hunter's cabin」, or maybe... the 「dam」? 」.

These three locations are the most suitable spots on this map to serve as a base.

The 【office】 is located at the center of the map; turning right upon exiting leads to the ice lake, very convenient for fishing.

The 【dam】 is located at the edge of the map, its interior is extremely vast, most suitable for storing supplies.

After some thought, he decided to go to the 【office】 first, as it is the nearest to him.

The middle-aged man observed his surroundings, confirmed the direction, and then headed toward the 【office】 where Zhang Jie lives.