Chapter 181

After brutally suppressing the rebellious child who loved to spout nonsense, Ji Ming sat behind the curtains once again, reviewing all the incidents that had occurred in the dungeon tonight.

With a hundred closed-beta players as a foundation and taking the lead, the internal-test players, although they had also experienced a period of chaos, quickly returned to order.

It's just like how freshmen, before the start of the semester, contact like-minded classmates online to form a harmonious dorm that often teeters on collapse by March.

Before the internal test even opened, players had already completed the recruitment of team members through various channels, and upon entering the game, they immediately completed the official registration of their guild under Elder Big Yellow.

The most prominent among them were naturally the Spear Blade, which emphasizes collective strength, and the Justice Hero, which emphasizes individual strength.

But besides these two longstanding forces, another brand-new guild has risen……

Tian Ting Entertainment and Orange TV spent so much money, mobilized so many people, just to drag out a variety show in a mere half month, even diverting manpower and resources and delaying many other production schedules—wasn't it all just to be the first to eat the crab?

Moreover, behind this there is Thomas Capital's hundreds of millions in financing—how could Mr. Huang's money possibly be taken for nothing?

If this messes up, I think the shareholders will all have to compensate!

So after enduring the initial embarrassment, they gritted their teeth and quickly increased investment, hiring a large number of players as staff.

Although they certainly couldn't offer a high price of ten thousand per day, who could refuse earning five hundred a day just by strolling beside them for two or three hours according to their schedule?

Thus, the financially strained players flocked in, and with so many as security, the show plan could barely proceed.

Consequently, the Spear Blade, Justice, and Starry Sky guilds were established, each with over a hundred players participating.

Besides that, naturally there are many small guilds formed by a few like-minded players who don't want to be bound by the big guilds.

For example, the "Beast Heart" guild upgraded from the beastman squad.

The "Writing Brothers Herbal Paste·Read as Planning Great Shark Arm" guild upgraded from the pretty boy squad.

And……

Damn!

Ji Ming simply couldn't believe the list in his hand.

Seeking death, fighting strong son, fishing heavenly lord, gourmet, big mushroom……

Although a few of them changed their somewhat embarrassing IDs, one can still tell who is who at a glance.

With these few heavyweights together, wouldn't the game still not give them a heaven‑shaking overturn?

【Sylvia, Grayson, keep a close watch on these for me!】

Of course, as a special operations team, the Fei Ying also registered a guild when they passed through Dog Village on their northward march.

Since they are willing to risk their lives for five hundred yuan to serve capital as workers, isn't it only natural for me to join the organization for ten thousand?

So Ji Ming joined the small guild called "Nightclad in Brocade", becoming one of its only three members.

Turning to the next page shows the current development status of the major players.

Today's top level is still the trainee warrior【Spear Weapon Not a Vessel】who has completed advancement and broken through to level eleven.

Besides that, several new players are leveling up quickly, such as the Spear Weapon friend's【Blade Weapon Not Contending】and the one who went shark‑mad in the training camp, 【Great Desert Cang Lang】.

In terms of race, out of the 1,200 players, over a hundred chose a non‑human start, the vast majority being beastmen.

Of the remaining four, two guys lost their heads and chose dog‑man and goblin starts.

As for the last two, they are truly lucky ones.

One drew the【Goblin Chieftain】race, or rather inherited the mad king's corpse as the【Assassin Goblin】.

Speaking of this mad king, he really is a remarkable fellow.

Although he is long dead, his soul still clings to his bones and refuses to leave.

According to the joint research and appraisal of Sylvia, Bu Long Fei Er De, and Mo Shou San, he must have suffered some special curse—his spirit and flesh can never be separated, even in death.

In other words, if a player is reborn from his bones, even though the supreme divine power's favor prevents sovereignty from being taken away, they can still hear his soul speaking.

"Hey, with this description, isn't this just the Ring Grandpa?"

Ji Ming explained to them the tropes of some fantasy novels on Earth.

The three pondered for a moment and then all said.

"Ha, wouldn't this player then start with a guide? It feels a bit like having dragon blood."

"Not necessarily; the mad king died at our hands, he surely hates the Pioneers to the core—who knows what he might do."

"But for players, this is just a game, so they probably wouldn't care that much—I'm still quite interested!"

After deep consideration, Ji Ming still chose to retain the mad king's soul, to see what wonderful things might happen.

After all, to retain consciousness for so long is no small feat; this guy is definitely not simple—he might be a hidden thread.

The other lucky one directly drew the corpse of the elf paladin, enjoying a one‑in‑a‑thousand elf start.

Looking at the panel, that extraordinarily handsome face with distinct features yet a hint of softness.

Ji Ming let out a slight sigh, feeling that it was indeed so.

The boss certainly wouldn't let just anyone into the game, so every player's data undergoes a thorough check upon entry; Ji Ming only needs to move a finger to see all his information.

【Howard Thomas, thirty‑two, White Eagle People, Starry Sky Guild president, Thomas Capital Asia‑Pacific Executive CEO……】

One title after another linked together, like a ladder to godhood—pulling out any one is a lifetime achievement.

He pondered for a moment, then began typing on the transparent keyboard.

【Boss, is race selection completely random?】

【Strictly speaking, no; although I strive for complete fairness when drawing races, as a higher‑dimensional being, even with a projection layer as a filter, their own fortune still easily influences the draw.】

Fortune is a profoundly mysterious thing; in reality, those who are luckier usually also have stronger abilities.

Or put another way, being able to draw a good fetus, having good talent, meeting a benefactor willing to help—these themselves represent strong fortune.

Therefore, allocating more cultivation resources to the stronger individuals, from the perspective of training strong ones to save the world, is hardly blameworthy.

For example, the closed‑beta powerhouses Spear Weapon and Lost One, when they redraw races, will definitely get something like "Tiger Person" or "Gray Lion Person"—powerful beastmen.

They just aren't interested in another kind of life, so they simply didn't choose it.

But to be able to draw a hidden‑gem‑level Elf Paladin in one go, this Howard is probably no ordinary person……

If this were reality, Ji Ming would have rushed to warn Cang Lang and Fei Ying to be on guard.

But this is a game, everything is under his control, so he didn't do that.

After all, showing up with such a conspicuous face, just like Cang Lang, the other side never intended to hide.

And according to history, appropriate competition and conflict benefit a faction's rapid development.

If one meddles in everything and changes everything, what's the difference from being a full‑time nanny?

So he compiled the general status of the major guilds and brief info on the currently prominent players into a booklet, and Ji Ming turned it into a document and sent it to Director Zhao.

【Received】

LaoZhao replied quickly, probably because he had been watching the live streams across the net all night without sleep.

After about three minutes, another message came.

【More thorough than I imagined; looks like you have a talent for this line of work (thumb)】

【Transfer: Keep it up — 10,000 yuan】

"Both ends are perfect, I'm thrilled."

Because the server opened late on the first day and it was a weekday, most players only had eight hours of activity time.

Many people didn't even finish exploring the dungeon and had to log off quickly due to life obligations.

"Alright, alright, stop calling me; I didn't do anything to you, it's just a game."

After listening to the Mad King nag at his ear for half the night, Lin Luo sighed and took off his helmet.

A worker, a worker's spirit— even if the game gave little joy, today's work is inescapable.

He poured a spoonful of salt into the pot to season the instant noodles without a seasoning packet, ironed the mysteriously wrinkled jacket flat, and quietly stepped out.

He pushed open the hallway door, deftly avoiding a landmine buried by some stray dog, but when he reached the bus stop, he only saw the rear of a bus that had already driven away.

One mishap brings a wry smile, two brings a sigh, three brings a curse.

And for a guy like him who endures countless mishaps all day, all he can offer is a habitually expressionless face.

He scooted a shared bike to the office and enjoyed his first luck of the day—no tardiness.

— Damn! Less than half a month on the job and already three times late; one more and the boss will definitely fire him!

He brewed a cup of ultra‑bitter plain coffee, the only kind left after the instant one was finished, and Lin Luo began his morning work.

Work?

Goofing off!

Pretending to be diligently working, he finished a PPT and then eagerly entered his slacker time.

He quietly opened D Site, and Lin Luo wanted to check whether his favorite few manga review UPs had posted updates.

But as a long‑standing top‑tier game, the first thing that caught his eye was D Site's newly added "Code Name: Sun Month" section.

He moved his mouse to glance at other players' vlogs or funny videos, and a vague idea suddenly rose in his mind.

…Right!

The Goblin Chieftain starts off unable to control his body but can beep, and the Mad King—what a gimmick!

"Damn, why did this idiot only think of it now?"

Excited by the strange idea, his fingers trembled as he quickly registered a new D Site account.

He changed the avatar to a selfie from the game and set the ID to "【Me and My Digital Pet Mad King】".

He downloaded a file from the cloud drive, eager to edit and process the video he shot last night, when suddenly he felt a chill behind him.

Turning around, he saw a broad‑shouldered, round‑waisted middle‑aged man resembling Bommer standing behind him, his square glasses flashing a dangerous glint.

"Le—Leader, I'm just gathering material…"

With a tractor‑engine‑like gasp, the other slammed his hand on the table.

"Gathering material? What a load of crap!"

So at night he heard the Mad King howl wildly, and by day he heard the leader rant hysterically.

Lin Luo felt a throbbing headache and, in a daze, could no longer tell reality from the game.

Fortunately the roar didn't last long, followed by a cough.

"Enough, go back to work; I'll check tonight!"

Manager Sun patted his back as he returned to the office, looked at the bewildered young man sitting by the louvered window, and couldn't help sighing.

"What on earth is happening with today's youth? They've lost all vigor and spirit."

He took a sip of hot tea, opened the advertising proposal before him, and glanced at the signature.

"Hey, Ji Ming, wasn't this the same workstation before…"

"Damn, why do I suddenly feel a terrifying presence of Manager Sun behind me!"

After finishing this morning's shift, Ji Ming cleaned the treatment room, lifted the mop to finish, and suddenly shivered.

He glanced around skeptically, shut the shop door against the howling cold wind, and when he turned back he suddenly saw AdaiEr slumped on the sofa.

"Isn't it after work? Why haven't you gone back yet?"

AdaiEr didn't even open his eyes, rolled over, and pulled the blanket up.

"Rent for seven days, get two free; lease expired, and they kicked you out."

Ji Ming wasn't intent on evicting anyone; it's just his favorite sofa.

If it were gone, watching players' fun at night would no longer feel comfortable!

Thus he was filled with righteous indignation and frowned.

"Is the innkeeper really that ungracious? Come on, this time we'll just rent from him for a month!"

But AdaiEr still didn't react, his back turned to him, motionless.

Ji Ming could only bring a stool and sit beside him, speaking earnestly.

Don't ah, you're still young, you might not know, but actually living alone is great.

AdaiEr let out a cold snort.

I've lived alone while others haven't; in the first half of the night I hear people drinking and fighting at tables, in the second half I hear people kissing and wrestling in bed—I've had enough of this kind of life!

Damn it, how can they even make a catchy saying out of this!

Ji Ming was shocked and dismayed; after all, they'd been together for so long, they'd developed some feelings, and besides, he had promised Si Tong and the others to take good care of AdaiEr.

Looks like we need to tighten up youth education!

Um, although it's embarrassing to say, but now Sunlight City is so chaotic, as a doctor I've indeed made a small profit.

Like this: I'll contact Ku Po to see if there's a better place nearby; we'll just take it and be done with it.

Who knew AdaiEr would blurt out a sentence.

Isn't the second floor pretty close? I remember only one room was renovated into a bedroom, with plenty of space left.

How long have you been longing for it? How do you remember it so clearly?

Ji Ming hurriedly rebutted.

Not appropriate! I'm now a God's Chosen Saint, my identity is complicated, having an opposite-sex person stay at home would invite gossip.

No choice, he had to resort to his killer move.

You don't want me, when I later advise others to do good deeds, to have people throw this back at me, right?

Its power was huge, it killed instantly on the spot, and AdaiEr didn't utter a sound this time.

But just as Ji Ming was preparing to say some soft words to gloss over this, she suddenly turned around.

After wiping her tears with a blanket, AdaiEr, her eyes red, shrank back inside.

"Doctor, are you hiding something from me?"

……

Holy crap, she pulled out a famous blade, the Controller of Fate!