Chapter 84: The First Glimmer of Cold

Players chattered excitedly, completely ignoring the bewildered villagers and Guard Team members at the village entrance.

After their initial curiosity, some players weren't content to stay put and began running outward.

Jing Yan, blended among the villagers, watched this scene and silently activated his recording button, zooming in on the players running away—he'd even thought of a title: "I Remember That Run Under the Sunset, That Was My Lost Youth."

Perfect, his studio had a new show: targeting ordinary players, showcasing their mundane, plain daily lives.

While Jing Yan was thinking about this, Lin Ling had already frowned and shouted, ordering the refugees to follow his commands.

But no one paid him any attention; players amused themselves, chatting enthusiastically, and some even criticized Lin Ling openly.

"Man, why didn't the game company make a beautiful woman as the new player guide?"

"Yeah yeah, this guy looks shifty and sneaky—clearly not a good guy—and he's yapping nonstop, driving everyone crazy. By the way, did anyone find the mute option?"

"To be honest, I've been playing online games for thirty years. From my veteran perspective, this new player intro is absolutely terrible. I suggest skipping straight to the village's destruction and joining the Hong Men as its last disciple!"

"I say skip straight to one-slash-999!"

"Gotta get those giant wings!"

"Is the Blade of the Dragon-Slayer a free gift? Hahahaha!"

Players got lost in their own revelry, the conversation veered wildly off-topic, and they laughed heartlessly.

While Lin Ling was being critiqued by a new wave of players, someone in the crowd boldly strode toward the village, only to be blocked by the Guard Team.

"Oh? You're blocking me? Try giving me another glare!"

The Guard Team member remained expressionless and continued blocking him, refusing to respond.

But this player, named Da Kela, wasn't happy—he was blocked again, so he shoved the guard.

"Brothers! This NPC is blocking the way! Barefoot aren't afraid of shod feet—take him down! One drop of HP each, we'll kill him!"

Saying this, Da Kela swung a fist as big as a sandbag toward the guard's head.

Then his head throbbed—he was stunned, ejected from the game.

Da Kela himself might not have known, but the other players in the game saw it clearly.

The Guard Team member, after being shoved, expressionlessly raised his spear and pierced Da Kela's throat—no chance to struggle, no mercy, just a kill.

"WTF! Are these NPCs this brutal?!"

"Holy shit! Kill on sight without provocation? But this NPC doesn't even have a red name!"

"What red name? Nobody's got names or HP bars above their heads—you don't even know your own ID color, let alone theirs."

The Guard Team member's brutal action temporarily silenced these new players.

But only for a moment—once they regained their senses, Da Kela's comrades weren't happy.

"You killed my brother Da Kela? Brothers, let's go—take him down together, avenge our brother!"

"Exactly! Barefoot aren't afraid of shod feet—we're all level one, what's there to fear about dying?"

"Blood's boiling—let's crush him!"

"Charge!"

"One punch each, drain him dry with a drop of HP!"

About ten or so players cursed and charged out from the crowd toward the Guard Team member.

Players naturally love spectacle; seeing trouble, they immediately cheered and shouted, the atmosphere instantly ignited.

But…

The Guard Team member stepped forward, expressionless, and swept his spear horizontally—half the charging players collapsed instantly; then he raised the spear and stabbed the neck of the nearest one, piercing a hole through.

Before those dozen players even reached the Guard Team member, more than half were already dead on the ground; those knocked down by the initial sweep were mercilessly finished off.

"Uh… oh…"

The previously heated atmosphere froze instantly.

"No way, are they this weak?!"

"Can't they even play? One spear, one little kid!"

"Something's off, something's seriously wrong with this game."

Seeing the refugees finally quiet down, Lin Ling ordered them to go to the temporary refugee shelter outside the village—the pigsty converted by Shi Wuliao and others the previous night.

"Huh? You want us to live here?"

"I'm sick. What kind of new player treatment is this? Where's my traditional Wooden Sword and cloth armor set? Give it to me—I'm going to kill chickens!"

"So what if it's dark? Does darkness mean you can't move around? That's not how the world works! I'm an outdoor survival fanatic—anyone want to explore outside with me?"

"Looking for a romantic partner! I'm beautiful, stunning, with long white legs!"

Some left grumbling; others circled the village entrance, trying to climb over the wall—but it was pointless. Gu Yue Cun's people were tightly knit; strangers were instantly recognizable, and if reported to the Guard Team, they could be executed on the spot.

Others tried chatting up the Guard Team members at the gate, promising all sorts of rewards, hoping to get something for nothing.

Unfortunately, no one paid them any attention.

More players, however, quietly obeyed, staying obediently inside the refugee shelter, waiting listlessly.

"Listlessly" wasn't quite right—even just sitting in the shelter, with so many chatting and the novelty of the game, their chatter never stopped, buzzing constantly.

This continued until Lord Han and Divine Doctor An arrived, finally bringing it to an end.

Lord Han glanced at the crowd gathered at the village entrance's refugee shelter and gave an order.

"Light the Human Soul Bonfire, and have the village's craftsmen come over—see if there are any usable talents among them."

He paused, then asked curiously, "Where's Xiao Ye?"

Lin Ling tugged at his mouth, briefly explained that Fang Yue had taken leave; as for the strange injury incident in the afternoon, someone had already reported it to Lord Han upon returning to the village.

"I don't understand refugees' routines—if he has something to do, let him handle it."

"Yes."

Seeing this, Lord Han gave a few more orders and left the village entrance.

In just a few steps, he was already back at the gate of Han Fu. Looking up at the bright moon high in the sky, Lord Han's brow furrowed slightly. He couldn't help but cover his mouth and cough once. When he spread his hand open, amid the red blood on his palm, there was an extra drop of striking black blood.

"... Am I about to not be able to hold on anymore..."

"Xiao Ye... Spirit Root..."

"Will you be my last hope in stepping onto the immortal path..."

As if thinking of something, Lord Han gathered his emotions, pushed open the great gate, and went back into the residence to rest.

Not far from Lord Han's room, in Divine Doctor An's room.

A tall, burly man, bound tightly with ropes.

His entire body was taut with muscle, yet his expression was dull and foolish. From his mouth he could only make sounds like "aba aba" and "wabi wabi wabi babu."

"—and the like.

And this person was none other than Niu Niu.

Compared to his previous appearance, Niu Niu's build had grown bulkier by a good half, and his heart and arm had both been reattached. He looked extremely muscular at a glance — clearly a tough-guy type.

And at this moment, Niu Niu was sending a message to someone who was offline.

"Ye Ge! I've gotten stronger! And more muscular too! But my mouth isn't working right!"

"Ye Ge! From now on when you see me, no matter what I say, just look at my messages directly."

"Ye Ge! Come visit me when you have time. Although getting stronger makes me happy, I always feel like there's something off about the way Divine Doctor An looks at me!"

Seeing that Fang Yue hadn't responded, Niu Niu could only go offline helplessly.

The burly man in the room immediately became blank-eyed, motionless as a corpse.

……

Recommending a big-shot author's book "Players Are Ferocious" by author Black Lamp Summer Fire.

Quite a few people should know this one, right? It's really good — strongly recommend!

Synopsis: This is a real game that transcends dimensions,

this is the fierce competition of all heavens and myriad worlds,

an epic myth of magnificent grandeur,

bizarre and twisting fantasies of other worlds,

Players Are Ferocious!

(End of chapter)