Chapter 184: You Look, It Looks Like a Dog

Since the gusty wind is howling, the one that flies the farthest is naturally the biggest pig.

Even though the first night's live broadcast was a disaster, the hype‑filled "Crazy Alternate Dimension" still peaked at over 300 million simultaneous viewers worldwide.

Thus, even if the ad slots we could offer were just a few hand‑written signs in the background or the guests' shouted slogans during transitions, advertisers kept coming nonstop, and some generous sponsors even quoted a price of three million per hour.

It may sound pitifully small, nowhere near the hundreds of millions a Spring Festival Gala sponsorship can fetch, but this isn't a traditional variety show—it's fully virtual, no need to wash up, no real sleep required, you can stream an entire night with ease, and even record daytime VR variety content!

Thirty days of internal testing means at least 240 hours of airtime, which adds up to over 700 million in advertising revenue.

When the production team tallied everything, they found that just the upfront deposit for this ad alone could already cover all the initial costs.

Not to mention the other advertisers, plus the upcoming live interactions, merchandise sales, endorsement deals, and other traditional items.

No financial reports needed, no calculations required.

They can now go out with megaphones shouting that this is the most profitable investment for the two companies this year, perhaps ever.

Hearing the buzz and smelling the coppery stench, rival firms are so sour they could squeeze water out of it.

They're flocking online to the Great Holy Seat company, demanding to pay top dollar for more internal‑test slots.

Even a certain internet troll who turned the little blue bird into a big black cross posted a banner offering a slot for $100 million, aggressively riding the related hype.

Unfortunately, the closed‑beta players sold out all the invitation codes, so the bounty can only linger there, becoming an internet legend.

Amid this frenzy, from Weibo to Bilibili, even the most acerbic commenters are showering endless praise.

Future light, a contemporary marvel, a 5‑A‑rated scenic‑area game, the greatest artwork of humanity in the twenty‑first century…

Rainbow flattery fills the sky; some still cling to stubbornness, but they're only hung up as clownish mockery.

So Ji Ming didn't click any of them, and instead just scowled.

"Where were you when I was getting scolded? Now that it's a success, you're popping champagne for me, huh?"

Compared with these cloud‑play live streams, the gamers have retained the calm atmosphere since the closed beta.

Just teaming up with friends to shoot a short skit for a vlog is enough, so no major issues have arisen yet.

Of course, money moves people; Ji Ming can't guarantee no trouble will arise later, but he can once again stress safety to the little boss, Xi Er Wei Ya, and Ge Rui Sen.

Unfortunately, just after Ji Ming followed that guy who pulled the Goblin Chieftain, before he could even watch his first video, Ji Ming received another message from the team and had to log in immediately.

Players still adore Dog Village, but the numbers have swelled by more than tenfold, so it can no longer serve as the sole hub.

Consequently, the respawn point for the overwhelming majority of players was set in the sprawling, relatively spacious Training Ground.

But when Ji Ming returned here, he saw not yesterday's chaos and clamor, but orderly arrangement.

In a daze, it felt like returning to university; the left side of the arena was dotted with erected canvas tents, where the major guilds were conducting unified recruitment.

"Check out Beast Heart; orc players, you must join our Beast Heart!"

Beneath the brightly colored, raised tent roof sat a long table full of orcs.

There were gray werewolves, dog‑people, cat‑people, and also one…

Cow‑person?

And still male!

【Little boss, this one needs close monitoring; feels like it'll cause trouble in the future.】

"If you want fun, come to the Challengers; if you're not afraid of death and love to play, hurry up!"

With bold strokes, they set up a three‑bow crossbow for anyone to inspect and tinker with.

Logically, with Death God and Qiangzi and other star players stationed there, the guild shouldn't be deserted; at worst it should be bustling.

Yet on that tiny square table, a sealed bottle of green liquid served as the ultimate deterrent.

Because a sign beside it read: "Drink one cup, and you'll join the Challengers directly."

But Guldan, what's the price?

And…

"Join the Brother Herbal Mud Guild now and get a free dress! Ah Fu, feel free to pick!"

"Brother, I see your skeleton is remarkable; you'd be perfect for playing…"

"Get lost!"

Ji Ming leapt three steps to dodge the hulking man striding toward him, slipped away quickly, leaving only birdsong and fragrance behind.

Of course, these are just minor scuffles; to see the real picture you have to look at the three major guilds.

The most extravagant is the Starry Sky guild, which partners with the production team and built its fame by throwing money.

To flaunt their wealth, they wrote "3 hours, 500 coins" on a huge sign planted on the ground.

Crude, vulgar, ugly, yet simple and blunt, it attracted countless players' attention.

Beneath the sign lies the guild's other major strength.

"My god, is that an elf? So handsome!"

"I heard a lucky player got an elf lineage and naturally has Holy Light affinity; could it be him?"

"Strong and handsome, I declare I no longer love the gunner."

It's unclear whether they truly love street fever or are just creating show effects in the live room, but a few crab‑players who are clearly female streamers actually gathered to try to flirt with the guild master.

But before they could get close, a few security‑duty players brandished rods and tossed them away.

Howard, seated in the middle, remained unmoved, merely gazing into the distance.

But as Ji Ming passed by, he turned his head and glanced.

"Kid's memory's pretty good, they even recognize me…"

Unfortunately, when masters spar, Ji Ming is never outmatched; he blinked, recalled his first zoo visit when a rhinoceros turned its back on the crowd and erupted, holding that astonished expression as he left.

On the other side, the Lost Ones of the Justice Guild simply set up an arena.

Using a top‑tier weapon that beginners could never obtain as a wager, they clanged away, brutally beating the low‑level Karami.

"How's that? My fist technique isn't bad, right? If you want to learn, join my guild—I'll teach you everything!"

But when Ji Ming arrived here, he realized that his opponent was none other than Cang Lang.

…No wonder Howard had been staring at this spot; he was gauging his opponent's strength.

Hold on.

I recall the Lost Wanderers are already at level ten, right? Cang Lang only joined the game yesterday, how can he already be a 5‑5 match today?

He quickly opened Cang Lang's profile and saw that after just one day, his level had skyrocketed, jumping a full eight levels.

Zhang Tu, thanks to his innate talent and having practiced boxing since childhood, is indeed skilled in hand‑to‑hand combat, but he remains only a folk expert.

Compared with someone like Cang Lang, who undergoes year‑round system training and is cultivated as an official elite in the troops, he is inevitably a step behind.

Although players universally acknowledge the top master as "Gun Soldier No Weapon", that is a weapons‑based melee style.

If we talk about bare‑fisted combat, Zhang Tu is still confident in himself; he didn't expect to meet such a master on the second day after the server opened.

Consequently, as the blows exchanged, his anxiety grew, and sweat gradually soaked his clothes.

Moreover, after being idle in the prison for so many years, even if he holds his breath, his endurance can't match Cang Lang's.

Even though his HP was still a few points higher than his opponent's, in the end a single careless move caused him to lose regretfully.

"I concede, friend!"

Cang Lang immediately reached out and helped the Lost Wanderer to his feet.

If it were the younger Zhang Tu, he would certainly be incensed and demand an immediate rematch.

But life's ups and downs are themselves a worldly crucible for the heart.

Thus, Zhang Tu grabbed his arm from behind.

"Friend, you fight with great openness and ferocity, fast and ruthless. My great‑grandfather served in the army; you must be a military‑trained fighter, right?"

As mentioned before, Cang Lang's dignified appearance can't hide his identity, so he readily admitted it.

"Ah, what soldier‑or‑not? He's been retired for ages; now he's just a barbecue vendor…"

"Friend, our Justice Guild needs talent like you; please consider joining us."

Cang Lang naturally shook his head and showed his profile to him.

"Sorry, buddy, I've already joined a friend's guild; I doubt I can join another."

A hint of regret flashed in Zhang Tu's eyes, but he didn't dwell on it further.

He smiled and readily took a two‑handed sword from Fei Huo Liuxing's hand.

"No problem. Since that's the case, let's use this sword to forge a good bond!"

"Sounds good."

Proud of his new gear, Cang Lang turned his head and—perhaps only pretended to—notice Ji Ming watching from the side.

"Hey, little brother, you're here too. Look, I'm impressive—should you reconsider my earlier invitation?"

"Addicted to role‑playing, huh? Stop the act…"

Ji Ming could only go along and say,

"I've thought about yesterday's matter all day; fine then."

"Very well. As long as you calmly act as a guide, money won't be an issue; our game studio's funds are more than sufficient!"

Pretending to chat, Cang Lang even lowered his voice deliberately—of course, all of this was said for Howard's ears.

A short distance further lies the official training ground, which also serves as the final guild promotion site.

As the most renowned guild among players, Spear Blade's promotion is blunt and simple: a crowd gathers, trains together, and that's it.

Meanwhile, the Pioneers all logged in, and the instructor team Ji Ming assembled officially began its duties.

They were also here, where they encountered Fei Ying running amok.

"Utterly marvelous; today I experienced most of the dungeon content, and it was unbelievably realistic."

He scribbled and doodled in his notebook, too lazy to even lift his head.

After finishing his notes on the bow and crossbow experiences, he pulled something out of his backpack.

"By the way, I went to the Forge Workshop and forged this item."

It was a rough iron pipe, unpainted and never even sanded, yet its hollow interior was remarkably smooth and round.

"I can only say the dwarves in the game truly match the described lore; that master's forging skill is superb, and after a brief discussion we met the intended specifications."

"Barrel?"

"Even knowing he's a professional, that efficiency seems excessively high, doesn't it?"

But after Ji Ming asked for details, he realized he was overthinking; this pipe couldn't possibly be used to make a modern firearm, even a flintlock would be a stretch.

But.

"Actually, if we really wanted to, I think we could craft an early firearm by tomorrow—how about a three‑eye gun?"

Watching Fei Ying's eyebrows dance with excitement, Ji Ming's mind lit up and he posed a soul‑searching question.

"By the way, creating dangerous explosives and lethal weapons in the game—won't we get caught?"

Both of them simply shrugged.

"I don't know; anyway, the manual doesn't mention it."

"Besides, it's been almost a month and we still can't even get near the company's front door, as if we could stop them."

"Then it's settled—let's get started!"

After the squad gathered, the three didn't walk further; they followed the teleport hall straight to the forward base.

To ease player traffic, the city gates here remain perpetually open.

But to prevent outsiders from accidentally entering and disrupting the closed beta, Ji Ming had Ge Ruise craft two towering, imposing treant guards to stand on either side.

Because Cloi had heroically saved the day last time, she was specially transferred from the bitterly cold border back to the team's core, relocating her to here.

When she learned the news a few days earlier, she was quite happy, thinking that she finally made it out of the grind and wouldn't have to anxiously run around anymore.

As a result, starting yesterday, almost every Pioneer who saw her would, after a brief surprise and curiosity, lower their voice……

Oh no, expecting lawless players to consider NPCs' feelings is impossible; they should be talking and laughing loudly.

"You look at it, it really looks like a dog."

"I thought that handsome closed-beta debut would be an important NPC, but it turns out to be just a gatekeeper dog mascot."

Cloi: Ah! My mindset collapsed!

She was already feeling emo, but then the dog lovers among the players, loving her, they loved everything associated with her, took her as an unofficial member of Dog Village and fed her three times in one night.

Cloi: Then it's okay.

So when Ji Ming saw her, she was lying on a hillside, ears and tail drooping as she ate grilled fish, really looking like a dog.

Perhaps because his codename also contains the word 'wolf', Cang Lang shook his head and sighed.

"I don't know what the officials were thinking; the model is clearly a wolf, but its movements and expressions are modeled after a dog."

Fei Ying pinched his chin and began to analyze wildly.

"Maybe they wanted to offset the treant guards' shock value, after all, the axes they hold are really big and quite scary."

Ji Ming: ……Yes, yes.

The special team wasn't the first to arrive at the Underground Plain; in fact, with the efforts of the vast player base, after a day, many locations in the Underground City had already been lit up.

Especially the closed-beta players who held the title 'Dog Village Guardian', under the influence of the small boss, when they saw creatures of the Underground Plain, their charm would uniformly increase to twenty, and having a certain base favorability made it easier to start conversations.

So far, although the players haven't developed any allies, they also haven't encountered any hostile forces, making for a smooth start.

And following the map's guidance, the three also came to the location nearest the city gate.

And just like every player who comes here, they merely glanced and let out an exclamation.

"Holy cow, there are so many minotaurs!"