Chapter 92: The Nineteenth Chapter: We Humans Are All Great People

A single shovel swing sent the player in front of him flying away, and Ji Ming let out a satisfied sigh.

Murderously slaying the raging goblin is just for fun; if you really want to relieve stress, you still have to kill players!

Among the onlookers, some people kept recording the skills and gear he had used.

To their surprise, they found that the Mysterious Merchant's attack pattern was different each time.

There was no similarity at all, so they couldn't deduce any pattern or weakness.

"There's not even a background board; could this so-called Novice Village boss really be beatable?"

So pessimists began shaking their heads, thinking this was just a scheme to waste players' energy and delay their development.

But some remained optimistic, merely giving a relaxed smile.

"Maybe it's because everyone's level is too low right now, and they have no real classes or skills."

"If we wait a few more days, form a big group, maybe we could take it down."

Unfortunately that day wasn't today; after slaying a player and racking up kills, the Mysterious Merchant vanished along with his stall.

"Ah, that's it?"

"Sigh, that's boring, let's go."

"When there's another exciting event, remember to shout in the public chat."

The bored onlookers dispersed, and no one noticed a figure appear in the corner of the small plaza.

At this stage, players can't afford the stall's goods, and killing players doesn't grant experience, so why add extra burden to themselves?

After stretching his sore limbs, the relieved Ji Ming decided to take a break and experience what it's like to be a player.

The first step was to walk over to the nearby notice board.

The tasks listed were nothing more than three types.

—Gathering: pick mushrooms, pick wild fruit, collect firewood, settled by weight, very low risk.

—Escort: escort various caravans organized by the village for long trips, settled per run, higher risk.

—Hunting: this category is freer, with target-specific hunts and location-specific hunts; risk is unpredictable, purely luck.

Hmm, wait, something feels off.

Ji Ming scratched his head, compared his map, and realized that Da Huang, the old dog, was indeed a dog.

It turned out several quests intertwined, and with the location-specific checks, they formed a huge net that surrounded Dog Village.

Any enemy trying to approach Dog Village would inevitably first encounter a player.

Even if the players die, the intel can be transmitted through the chat area.

This design essentially uses the players as fearless tools!

…

Brilliant.

Jiang is still sharp with age; we should learn more from the senior.

Ji Ming quickly recorded these ideas for future reference and use.

But exchanging points was useless, so he left the plaza without taking any quests.

Walking the village paths, he noticed players everywhere chasing villagers, frantically asking what they still needed.

Although, that's overly fanatical—do they all love the dogs that much?

Ji Ming felt odd and stopped one to ask.

He then realized his description might have been off; the villagers' verbal quests also have corresponding rewards.

Although they may not give exchange points, other items might still be useful.

A hemp scarf woven by a village beauty, a bamboo backpack convenient for gathering…

In certain situations, they could be worth more than exchange points.

With such generous returns, players' motivation maxed out, eager to boost the whole village's goodwill in one night.

No wonder Da Huang clung to his hand yesterday, shouting wildly that humans are all great people.

Isn't this just a massive iron‑blooded injustice!

Shaking his head, Ji Ming left Dog Village.

Novice Village lies in the southern part of the Training Ground; its open terrain makes it well connected.

Going west toward Sacred Tree Lake, besides scattered dark mushroom clusters, there are swarms of wild slimes.

Going east, past layers of glowing wild‑fruit forest, lies a mine occupied by dog‑headed humanoids.

Going north, besides ubiquitous raging goblins, an uncommunicative Ogre Tribe blocks the road to the ancient battlefield.

Every direction was the same; Ji Ming tossed a stone and finally decided to try his luck westward.

Along the way he met many players—some gathering, some fighting, some traveling, and others…

"Friend, is this edible?"

The worried young man fiddled with nearby mushrooms, unable to tell which were edible.

Ji Ming, clinging to the false rule that darker colors mean less toxicity, randomly picked a few for him.

"Give it a try; worst case, restart."

"Fair enough."

But shortly after, a message appeared in the public chat.

【Thanks to the brother who just helped me pick mushrooms, I finally know what it feels like for every part of my body to ache.】

The players who died last night revived at full health, so they were unaware.

After logging in today, a few 'survivors' were surprised to discover the game actually has a complete hunger system.

Moreover, most have already reached level two; they could use it, but are reluctant to trade a death for satiety.

Although for top-tier players like Hua Shu Qiang Ge and Xuebao Mao, food is not a problem.

Just casually taking a few hunting quests, the few pounds of meat that leak out are enough to fill one's stomach.

But for players with average or even poor skills, it truly is an urgent matter that needs to be solved.

At this moment, the public channel is heatedly discussing what the most suitable way to obtain food is,

Finally, the players pooled their wisdom and came up with two answers.

The righteous way is hunting and gathering; although there is a risk of failure, it is also the simplest and most brutal way to fill one's stomach.

Therefore, Qiang Ge's expedition team has already gathered over twenty people, planning to eat, drink, and earn points along the way, solving all problems at once.

The evil way is to fiercely raise villagers' favor, act as a cyber beggar, receive electronic relief, and eat virtual hundred-family meals.

Especially after a player posted the pork rice they mooched from Samoye Xiao Jie's house, the popularity of this method has been rising steadily.

Of course, there is also a demonic way that no one dares to mention.

By sheer coincidence, Ji Ming encountered Ao Li Ge, who had come to court death the previous night, in a ruin.

"Friend, what are you thinking about staring at the goblin's corpse?"

"I'm thinking..."

Ao Li Ge wore a heavenly eye on his head, sat cross-legged, and his inner self seemed to be locked in a heavenly-human struggle.

"... Can goblin meat be eaten?"

Silence fell for a moment.

"Have you played The Forest?"

"Even the second generation has gotten bored with it, what's up?"

"Nothing, keep going."

Ji Ming was startled and jumped up, hurriedly returning to the clinic and moving out half of his stored grain.

【Everyone, good news, bread has actually been put on sale in the mall!】

【Heya heya heya, I've even baked pastry on my goblin, and you tell me there's food to eat?】

【???】

【Also good, perfect for balancing meat and vegetables, Ao Li Ge, cheers bro】

……

【Oh dear, I haven't eaten yet, how did I suddenly end up squatting in the urinal pot again?】