The tourists have all gone offline to wait for the lottery results. Everything online is deserted. There is no longer the hustle and bustle of the past. Most of the shops on the street are closed. Only then do the players realize that they have become accustomed to the presence of tourists.
Without them, at least half of the life on the line would be gone.
Zhang Miao's caravan is also at a standstill because the tourists are not online. It can only be near the border of the 'Wenming World'. The Norwegian national server... Ah, no, it should be the Norwegian Viscounty that has stopped now, and is waiting for 6
The test has officially come to an end.
The server is constantly being updated, and there is really no feeling online. In the past, when the server was stopped, it was just like the New Year's Eve, and everywhere was very lively. Players all took advantage of the last period of time to do something, no matter it was useful or not, at least it was in the market.
Extremely active, unlike now, just like Beishan Guangshen where people have gone to empty buildings.
Viscounty of Norway…
Overnight, almost all national servers have launched their own representative characters as symbols of online rights, and they have all adopted AI artificial intelligence as their online representatives. This Viscount of Norway is said to be a woman.
Wearing animal skins and clothing, she looks very original and cool.
Almost every representative figure represents some kind of symbol of a country, region and nation. Earl Walter Xia is customized based on Chinese culture, history and myths and legends. What he looks like, how tall he is, his skin color, and his hair.
Every detail of the body, including decorations and decorations, has gone through rigorous demonstrations and extensive discussions, and finally a virtual character that is most in line with Chinese history and cultural traditions has been chosen to shoulder the important task of representing the entire national costume.
Zhang Miao's caravan is composed of players, tourists, NPC employees and NPC natives.
It has been distributed to more than 100 people, more than a dozen beast-carriages, and the total value of the goods is several platinums. A business trip, which lasted for several weeks or several days, covered the entire game area, 138 national servers... ah
, is a noble domain under the Principality of Norman, and I have been to all of them.
This time he was ready to cross the limit, leave the Grand Duchy of Normandy, and go to the "civilized world" ruled and oppressed by evil gods. The Norwegian Viscounty was the last stop.
Because it is located on the edge of the principality, Zhang Miao found that there are many NPCs in the neutral and allied camps with red borders here. Compared with them, the system NPCs and aboriginals lack a sense of... anger, because they cannot predict their actions.
You can't guess what they are thinking or doing.
Regardless of their honesty, they may be planning to capture this safe zone and rob, burn and kill them.
Similar 'disasters' have occurred in the Norwegian Viscounty more than once, and several safe zones have been captured. Therefore, the atmosphere here is completely different from other places. Everywhere is heavily guarded, and there are NPCs and NPCs on the city walls at all times.
The player is on patrol.
The Viscounty of Norway is not very big, with only about a dozen safe zones. The largest safe zone is the seat of the territory and is called Norway City. It is not as good as a second-tier main city in China. Logically speaking, it should be very barren and depressed.
That's right.
The reality is not like this.
The developed 'import and export trade' has made this small, seemingly precarious viscounty very wealthy. This can be seen from the shops lined up along the street and the high level and title cloaks commonly worn by players. Prices are extremely high. This kind of shabby inn,
It only provides a basic function of online and offline, and the cost per day is as high as 2 gold coins.
2 gold coins for a day's accommodation. In the past, Zhang Miao would rather camp in the wild, but now he doesn't care much. This is a cost that Hongshang said must be paid. The cost of saving is often not worth the loss. I don't know how many unlucky people have lost their lives because of saving this little money.
Everything was robbed. In today's public security environment, monsters are no longer the biggest threat to business travelers, but players are.
When there are more good guys robbing homes and properties, the cost of security goes up, and the cost is naturally passed on to the goods.
Zhang Miao hopes that this time he can open up a trade route and establish preliminary contact with the civilized world. If successful, he will discover the river flowing the gold coins.
With this expectation, no matter how many difficulties and risks he faces, he can bear it. He now understands the original intention of why the Netherlands and the British traveled thousands of miles to trade with China. It would be best if they could open up trade routes as they wished.
, he wouldn’t mind being a robber who forcibly kicked open the owner’s door.
NPC employees are all recruited red-edged NPCs, that is, adventurers from the civilized world. This character system does not provide a 'guarantee'. If you want to control them without being betrayed by them, it will really test Zhang Miao's ability.
.
Fortunately, there are systematic indigenous NPCs as a team, which can suppress these desperadoes with ulterior motives. In addition to these two groups, there is also a management team composed of four players and seven tourist shareholders.
There was a bonfire burning in the yard, and the two groups of NPCs were clearly not talking to each other. When Zhang Miao came in, except for the core team of system NPCs, who all stood up to say hello, the others were just eating meat and drinking wine, as if they didn't see him as their employer.
.
Zhang Miao smiled and motioned for everyone to continue. He sat cross-legged on the main seat, cut off the browned meat with a knife, and ate it boldly.
"master?"
"Um?"
A guy with a fierce face among the NPC employees suddenly said to him, "Under the Grand Dukedom, as long as you make meritorious deeds, you will be enfeoffed. Is it true?"
"It's absolutely true," Zhang Miao replied, "merit is hard currency, just like gold coins, sparkling."
"Do you want to convert?", another half-elf asked next.
"The Norman Archduke championed freedom of religion."
The NPC desperadoes with the red border started talking one after another. This 'freedom of belief' was heresy, and the impact was very strong, which was enough for them to digest for a while.
"Those who left have gone to another world...your hometown, right?"
"right."
"What kind of world is that, sir? I heard it's like 'heaven'"
Paradise is a systematic translation. There is no paradise in Canaan, and the literal meaning should be the Kingdom of God.
This is really hard to explain.
Zhang Miao was about to change his wording when another 'master' in the room called him, and he escaped just in time.
"What nonsense are you talking to these guys with brains as big as walnuts? Just do it if you don't obey, and you can still get experience and drops."
Partner, another merchant, a player whose ID is Xiao Xie Feidao said.
Zhang Miao smiled and did not take him seriously.
"Let's take a look at the map. After passing this safe zone, there is the civilized world ahead. There are obviously more bandits on the road. The guard force needs to be strengthened. I think all the players in Norway are poor. How about hiring a team?
"
"Do you have a suitable candidate?"
"Just register with the Mercenary Guild. If you agree, I'll do it."
"Okay, I guess there will be trouble offline for a while, so we can take advantage of this time to make good choices."
"Then I'll go."
"Um."
"By the way, don't talk too much to those people outside. You can't do anything wrong with that world or your hometown."
"I see."
With the in-depth understanding and exploration of the world of Canaan, many players have something called a 'sense of optimization'. Originally, what sense of optimization can they have for program codes? The problem is that the indigenous people of Canaan, regardless of system wisdom,
Type NPCs, or aboriginal NPCs from other camps, cannot be described with program codes.
That is a living, flesh-and-blood person, an intelligent being.
Some players have 'evolved' empathy towards them, while others have developed this so-called 'sense of superiority'. The more they get to know them, the deeper this 'sense of superiority' becomes.
Players think that they are noble, the other party is "low-level", they are civilized, the other party is ignorant, they are smart, the other party is stupid...such comparisons.
This is proof that the drama is getting deeper and deeper, and it is also the result of becoming more and more integrated into the systematic narrative, although it does not only bring positive things.
Zhang Miao also has a sense of superiority, but she will not let this boring emotion affect her career.
After giving up the mainstream game process, I chose the "talented" career of game merchant that I accidentally opened up.
He has not leveled up for a long time. Missions to clear monsters and PK adventures are getting further and further away from him. His wealth is getting richer and richer, but he is more and more recognized for the profession of a businessman. Now he has long forgotten his original intention (to make money and then level up).
Combat strength level), going further and further on the road of no return as a profiteer.
Making money as a businessman can also bring you the same pleasure as mainstream game progress. It was only now that he realized the three flavors.
Hosting and operating such a large caravan, more than a hundred people of all kinds need to be managed by him. Far-flung trade routes, unknown journeys full of opportunities and risks. Reading thousands of books is not as good as traveling thousands of miles. The ancients sincerely encouraged him.
Get up for me too.
Therefore, as a small shareholder, Xiao Xie Feidao can act as he pleases, but he cannot.
After he left, Zhang Miao came outside again, mingled with the two groups of NPCs, patiently answered each NPC's seemingly childish and ridiculous questions, and grasped the thoughts of each of them, so that he knew what they were thinking.
After appeasing the people in the team, he went to the warehouse to check the goods. Then he took out his map and looked at it repeatedly. It seemed that he could see a flower on it.
This map is what he values the most. The annotations and routes on it completely record the journey of a player businessman from being ignorant to being a skilled trader. From a small vendor with one or two people, to now he is setting out to open up wasteland in the game area.
The big business trip... This sense of accomplishment is indescribable even after earning so many gold coins.
Just as I was watching attentively, the system prompted that there was an incoming 'dimensional long-distance call'.
"Haha, waiter, guess who I am?"
"Isn't this our demon lord Dada?"
"Haha, you guy, how's your business going?"
"It's okay, how about you?"
"Me? Haha, you see I can use 'plane communication'"
"Big devil or middle devil?"
"The middle is a devil, hahaha..."
"Do you have a territory?"
"It's necessary, my territory is bigger than some national servers, haha..."
"Damn it, are you so awesome?"
"It's just that they are lonely and can't easily go to the material plane. So what...how did it go with the thing I asked you to do last time?"
"Help you develop followers?"
"It's not a believer, it's a plane coordinate. If you don't have this thing, you can't come over to play. When can we brothers meet?"
"I scattered the things you gave me last time."
"This won't work. You have to go out in person to help me spread the word to my brothers."
"What kind of propaganda? Isn't it just to help you deceive? You are a middle-level demon. I certainly can't trust smart NPCs. I can only find kobolds, jackals and other low-intelligence people."
"Just them, please."
"Okay, I'll pick up some demi-human slaves on the way to help you try."
"Thank you. I'll treat you whenever you come to the abyss. Miss Devil has enough control. You can come as long as you like."
"Really or not?"
"Of course it's true. You don't know how comfortable it is to be a devil, haha..."
"The system doesn't care?"
"The system doesn't care. How can a devil still obey the four virtues? That kind of thing is not as common as eating and drinking. I'm pretty good. Some guys are having fun every night."
"Damn it, why isn't there any news?"
"They're all pretending to be confused, pretending to understand."
"I really envy you, kid..."
"Envy commits suicide all over again. I have a link and I can transfer it to you."
"Just blow it."
"Seriously, there is a way. I can't do it, but my boss can. He is a high-level demon and has indicators in the system."
"Forget it, let's talk about it later. I'll go and seek refuge with you when I'm desperate that day."
"That's it... Damn it, long-distance distance is so expensive? This is a black-hearted system..."
The plane communication was hung up and after the light of the magic circle dissipated, the floating black hole melted into the void like fireworks.
In reality, Zhang Miao has not seen her former friends for a long time. They have all moved away and spend most of their time online. The offline home is becoming more and more like a tomb. Except for the aunt who comes to clean regularly,
Social activities are basically zero, which creates many problems. Living together is really unnecessary and inconvenient.
Besides, if you already have your own position in the game, and if you force them to come together, you will feel uncomfortable, and others will also feel uncomfortable.
It's okay to be separated.
After separation, I seemed to be the only protagonist, carrying out a real second life. There were other people around, always reminding myself that this was just a game, a dream, which hindered excessive investment and immersion.
Only by truly immersing yourself in it will you discover the fun of immersion.
Zhang Miao now has a deep understanding of the three flavors, so his second life is becoming more and more real and exciting.
Xiao Xie Feidao completed the commission, and in the afternoon, players from the Viscounty of Norway came for an 'interview'. The inn that was booked was quickly overcrowded.
May Day passed just like that on the antenna. When other tourist minority shareholders came online, the size of the caravan expanded again.
"Did you win the lottery?"
"I hit the mark, haha"
"Damn it, there's a one-third chance that I didn't win. With such bad luck, am I destined to just be a tourist?"
"The lottery for tourists is about to begin. This time it's 20 million. It's going to be a mess."
“The system doesn’t give people a way to survive.”
"It would be nice to have more people. At least there is no shortage of manpower. Now everyone is like an uncle."
…
Some people win and some don't. Those who win are not very happy, and those who don't are not very depressed.
For these people, players or tourists don't seem to be that important, because they have already found their place in the game and have goals and plans for the future. Winning is just the icing on the cake.
