Chapter 101: The Goblin I Recommend

Ji Ming can enter the dungeon in an instant, but Bai Yesheng still needs some time to fall asleep and link to the Yangyue World.

So, taking advantage of this spare time, he opened the closed‑beta player group to peek at the screen and see what conspiracies they might have plotted against him recently.

However, most players were in the game at that moment, so aside from two overtime workers killing time, no one was chatting in the group.

But as he leisurely scrolled up the chat history, Ji Ming's expression changed, and he quickly opened D Station.

Sure enough, among countless abstract and mobile‑game videos, the site's trending list featured a rather unusual title, "The Goblin I Recommend".

Although it used the standard cover for this kind of cover‑song, a corner clearly showed a goblin from the dungeon.

And its terror was visible to the naked eye, as if it were about to be ripped apart.

Ji Ming took a deep breath, fully prepared himself, and then clicked on the video.

The content was pretty much what he expected: over‑the‑top lyric writing, off‑key singing, paired with in‑game screen recordings and a barrage of joke‑filled bullet comments.

Expressionless, he lowered the volume and, with his emotive duck‑like voice, smoothly glided into the hot comments.

【It's getting intense, I actually saw someone on D Station singing to a goblin with deep affection! (covers face laughing)】

【Quick Q&A: Who captured the goblin? A blushing knight, a nervous elf, an anxious priest, or a Code·Yangyue player with solid alibi who's been bedridden and limb‑less for years】

【Awesome! Although the uploader's musical skill is down in the pants, the emotion feels genuinely full, not acted!】

Sss……

A puzzled Ji Ming read the historian's righteous exposition in the comment section, and only then did he have an epiphany.

He works day and night regardless of the day of the week, but today is a rest day on Earth,

especially after the job‑change quest was announced last night, a massive wave of players logged in during the day, scrambling everywhere to collect enough exchange points.

Those who succeeded in the exchange became even busier, since they still had several hundred experience points to grind.

Thus, before noon, the newly refreshed quests and the goblins that respawned in the wild were all cleared out by players.

Although a new version was indeed launching today, the next batch of quest commissions and bounty hunts wouldn't go live until at least 10 p. m.

So there was a full ten‑hour gap, and the players, stuck in a frantic state, saw their cyber‑San values plummet wildly.

【Eeeee! Where is my goblin!!!】

When the first shot rang out, everyone started going berserk on the public chat.

【Goblin, I really love you, mua! For you, I'll invent a Star‑Burst Abandon‑Healing Slash!】

【Si Lin Fist, thoughts flow like a spring! Nian Lin Sword, remembrance never fades! Bu Lin Palm, eternal across lifetimes!】

【The episode where the goblin addiction spikes the most, I'm kneeling on the ground grinding my blade…】

【Seeking a kind soul to give a goblin's location, I'll trade my white‑silk leg for it!】

【Really? If I'm not a male‑girl, I won't watch】

As a ten‑thousand‑year‑old elder, Xi Er Wei Ya had never seen such a scene, and, frightened, quickly sent a message to Ji Ming.

But Ji Ming was busy performing a continuous‑axis surgery at the time, casually replied, "An extra batch of goblins revived," and then pushed the matter out of his mind.

Even with the extra batch, it was still a case of too many monks and too little porridge, so the red‑eyed players had to start a carpet‑style search.

It was precisely under such emotions that someone cobbled together some delirious literature, shouted wildly a couple of times, and posted it on D Station as a whole act.

Then……

And then it went viral, and even the once‑fading popularity of "Code·Yangyue" got a boost.

The first wave of users appearing in the comment section were naturally the game players drawn in by the traffic.

【Thanks for the invite, we Yang Critics are like this (dog head holding a flower)】

【It hits the heart, my buddies from Guangfu and I were practically crawling today, afraid to miss the goblin in the stone crevice】

【Fun, suggest a sister piece 'Doggy Cycle', to talk about how everyone entangles villagers and repeatedly farms quests】

【@Ji Ta Xuebao, Brother Bao, could you instantly do a finger‑style cover? (call)】

Ji Ta Xuebao: 【(laugh‑cry) This delirium is too much, I can't match it】

Since the hype was "stir‑fried", it naturally attracted responses.

【Why is another delirious thing trending again? D Station has really changed (awkward)】

【How much money did you slip to uncle? That crappy hype video pushed the PVs of the neighboring new version down (Hidden Fox)】

【It's a mess, only a hundred people still call themselves critics, do you think the lower‑class crowd has room for you? (melon‑eating)】

Nevertheless, as a breakout hit video, most of the voices still came from the vast number of bystanders.

【Haha, this huge crowd of guys wearing pet‑dog heads walking around is just too funny to watch】

【No, that dog that can draw blade light, why does it look kinda familiar to me?】

【Some fight scenes are well done, already able to instantly kill many fresh‑face actors in TV dramas】

【I'm an old movie fan, the fist‑and‑foot part even has a Shaw Brothers vibe, thrilling!】

【When will this game start its second round of testing? I've already saved up money for a helmet】

But if that's all there is, the video is just another online festivity.

Yet beyond the hype and fun, Ji Ming also noticed many relatively serious comments in the comment section.

Small groups gathered to discuss the game's authenticity.

【I'm really kind of wanting to play, does this game actually exist?】

【It's still in closed‑beta; just search and you'll find related videos】

【Everyone, I've been following this game, and honestly, I'm increasingly convinced of its real existence】

【Indeed, I've also researched; including this video, across the entire internet—officials, bloggers, and ordinary bystanders—all videos share no similar footage except the opening CG's screen capture】

【If such effects and designs were a scam, the cost would be absurdly high, and I can't find any profit point at all】

There's even a dedicated forum thread analyzing the combat segments.

【This goblin's attack pattern seems to be fast‑slow blades; even a shabby little monster has this ability, so the game's difficulty is probably high】

By the way, have you noticed that every goblin in the video has a slightly different attack style? Is this some new technique?

Whoa, this muscular guy must be using an external style of boxing, and his stance is spot‑on, his strength is huge—definitely the real deal.

I watched it once; I won't comment on anything else, but the game's action design is clearly well‑crafted.

Pay attention to that funny‑looking dog; if you look closely, its swordplay actually follows a certain technique.

For a game, if the purpose of pay‑to‑win players is to boost revenue, then the purpose of high‑skill players is to raise hype.

Although not everyone, many of the players who are shining in the closed beta are actually talents from the real world.

Ji Ming glanced at a few of the users taking part in the discussion and found that a good number of them are content creators, some even being major influencers in the relevant field.

They've already developed a strong interest; if we can bring that talent into the game, won't the next plan go more smoothly?

Ji Ming sent his ideas and analysis to Yangyue, who thought it over and expressed approval.

"Hmm, then I'll ask the little boss to help gather information."

After sending the message, Ji Ming hurried back through the portal to the Yangyue World.

When he entered the Sanctum, he found Bai Yesheng already waiting on a long bench.

She turned her head and looked at Ji Ming, whose face radiated an ethereal aura.

"What's wrong? You look so sleepy."

Ji Ming subconsciously wanted to blurt out something outrageous, but reality and the internet have to stay separate, so the words dissolved before he could speak.

"Overtime, huh? As a fresh hire at the studio, don't you have to rush to deliver some results?"

He told a harmless little lie and then pretended to be envious.

"You think everyone is like you, with daytime free to surf the web?"

"Ha, that's just jealousy."

Bai Yesheng couldn't deny it, smiled, and then began to explain.

"Actually, I wasn't planning to log on today, but I just saw that video on D site."

Her grin grew even more mischievous.

"If I don't jump in and play, it'd be a disservice to all those people's admiration!"

That makes sense!

Ji Ming nodded in wholehearted agreement.

"Then let's go, Tie Zi, we'll head to the Novice Village right now!"

Crossing the towering teleportation gate, the quiet teleport hall gave way to the noisy Dog Village.

Bai Yesheng looked around curiously, unable to contain her amazement.

"No way, it's really exactly like the video—everywhere are dogs that have turned into spirits."

She stepped back a few paces, turning Ji Ming and the villagers into the backdrop for photos.

Then, without looking back,

she gave a thumbs‑up.

"Wai Shu, you fit right in there!"

Hey, it's starting again, huh?

Ji Ming let out a cold snort and immediately retorted with sarcasm.

"Weird, Aurora, why did you suddenly start barking like a dog?"

The villagers have already grown used to the player's shouting and yelling, even too lazy to cast a glance, and simply continue busy with their own affairs.

The villagers have grown accustomed to players shouting and squealing, barely glancing their way, and just continue with their own tasks.

Amid the clash of odd jokes and lame memes, the two strolled around the village and arrived at its center.

Strangely enough, even though the new version is live, you can still see a group of players gathering in the distance, murmuring together,

When passing by, Ji Ming perked up his ears and realized they were heatedly debating how to tackle the Novice Village boss after completing the class change.

Moreover, on closer look, a few familiar faces were mixed in, including Ao Li Gei and Mo Gu Ge.

Ji Ming suddenly couldn't hold back.

Each of them must have been tormented into a mental breakdown!

I wondered why no one was chatting in the group, only to find they'd all moved into the game for on‑site investigation.

Anyway, both class‑change quests are already on sale in the game store, and regular players are busy pioneering the new version.

So he doesn't plan to set up a stall today; he took Bai Yesheng straight to the Bulletin Board.

The so‑called new version is actually the "Sacred Tree Lake Reclamation Plan."

Although Slimes aren't particularly aggressive, who knows when they'll treat you as an invader?

Thus the plan's goal is, via quest commissions and bounty hunts, to encourage players to proactively clear the Slimes west of Dog Village, carving a safe road to Sacred Tree Lake and introducing a brand‑new gameplay mode.

Bai Yesheng read the Bulletin Board once, then turned and asked.

"By the way, I'm still level one; if we don't grind monsters in the Armory, can we just start a commission?"

Ji Ming presented a normal level‑three profile, so he immediately took a hunting commission for a designated area.

"What are you afraid of? I'm a veteran player; let's go, I'll take you on!"

"Heh, if something goes wrong, just leave me and run."

"Silly kid, when has your adoptive father ever betrayed you?"

"Son, last time it was the forest—you left me alone in the water; the time before that was the Seven‑Day Kill—you left me alone on the second floor; the time before that…"

"Alright, that's enough; you don't need to keep saying it."

According to the rules, the more monsters of the same type you farm, the less experience they grant.

After these days of high‑intensity battles, not even top players—let alone mid‑tier players—can get more than two experience points from farming Goblins.

The two of them arrived at a map and marked a red area; a few slimes came into view.

He didn't know what other regions were like, but the slimes here were a group of green, viscous balls each at least the size of a washbasin.

They writhed on the ground like snotworms, looking harmless to both people and beasts, making them perfect for striking first.

So with a swift "whoosh", a sharp arrow struck its body…

Then it pierced through without obstruction, leaving strands of slime stuck to the ground.

The slime, not knowing what happened:?

Bai Yesheng, holding a long bow:?

"Wait, why did you exchange for this kind of thing?"

Looking at Ji Ming with a puzzled expression, Bai Yesheng opened her mouth.

"Because… I learned it when I was a child, I still have the skill on my panel."

Saying that, she showed the panel to Ji Ming.

In the skill bar there was indeed an enviable 【Bow and Arrow Mastery·Proficient】, but what caught the eye even more was her four stats.

【3, 3, 7, 8】.

Ji Ming's pupils instantly exploded.

No wonder she could walk just two steps and still breathe as if she were gasping quickly; possessing proficient bow and crossbow skills, her shot was still so soft and weak.

— How come the HP is three again.

He wasn't unfamiliar with such absurd numbers, after all his own start was like that.

But the problem was…

That panel was something he had just fiddled with in a pixel mini‑game, how could anyone be so underpowered and unconventional in reality?

Yet recalling this internet buddy's sickly daily routine, and her still crooked gait, Ji Ming roughly understood the situation.

Tsk.

Seeing that Ji Ming lingered without answering, Bai Yesheng couldn't help but ask.

"What's wrong?"

Ji Ming shook his head and smiled.

"Nothing, just remember to eat well, don't be picky, go to bed early and get plenty of sleep."

"Huh?"