novellk Chapter 34 Finally, there's a forum!
Chapter 34 Finally, there's a forum!
In the real world, late at night.
【Did you go on an adventure today?】Chat group.
The messages are scrolling at a rate of more than ten per second.
Since the game currently does not have screenshot and recording functions, players can only rely on text to entice "armchair gamers," who in turn rely entirely on their imaginations to fill in the gaps in the game's content.
Climbing Snail: "Brothers, not being able to take screenshots is driving me crazy! You guys didn't see the battle on the beach a couple of days ago, thirty elite law enforcement officers in heavy armor, and we wiped them all out! The realistic physical feedback was absolutely amazing!"
Jinling's Little Writer: "The group owner is awesome!"
Still Too Thin Rice: "Bragging to the group admin is useless; he can't give you a game spot anyway."
Agent: "What's so great about annihilation battles? Yesterday, leading those hundreds of native NPCs to build docks and do infrastructure work was truly impressive! The special effects for that old man were absolutely amazing, and then there were hundreds of NPC laborers charging in! This kind of visual presentation blows away all those AAA games on the market!"
Roasted Whole Lamb: "Today's MVP has to be me and the goose! If it weren't for our big pot of fried dough, would these NPCs have switched sides so easily? The taste simulation in this game is amazing. The aroma of that mutated pretty pig made my mouth water even after I logged off. It's just a bit water-intensive though."
Elliott: "I also want to eat in the game :)"
The group not only included players who were still exploring the first test, but also those who had been lurking for a long time and were now completely unable to sit still after seeing these outrageous battle reports. Their cries of despair were deafening.
Still Too Thin Rice: "Wait, what kind of game are you guys playing? Just a couple of days ago you were talking about hand-mashing cement, and today you're wiping out heavy armor and leading hundreds of laborers in a port uprising? Is this some kind of RPG, RTS, or simulation game?!"
Jinling's Little Writer: "Urgent! Is the game planner in the group? When exactly is the second closed beta test starting?! My liver is extremely healthy; I can be online for eighteen hours a day. Please give me a beta test code!"
Da Niu, being rather lazy: "Hey bro upstairs, don't cut in line, I was here first! This holographic simulation technology is so hardcore, I was even ready to smash my keyboard. I'd do anything if I could just get a VR headset and go inside to do bricklaying and eat mutant rats!"
Happy Brand Blades: "Looking for an account with a hefty reward! Anyone interested in a new account they don't want to play anymore? Price negotiable!"
Seeing the eager anticipation from the casual gamers in the group, Tieguodunda NE sent a message with extreme frustration:
"Is the planner even here?! This damn QQ group is flooded with messages so fast! My hand-typed 'Complete Guide to Homemade Cement and Alkali Purification,' a full 3,000 words of hardcore strategy, was instantly buried by these beta tester monsters! Hurry up and open an official forum, this group is impossible to use for infrastructure and technical discussions!"
...............
Pearl Harbor, new pier in the shipwreck area.
Lynn sat in the newly built underground command post, his consciousness connected to the control panel, watching the chaotic scene in the chat group like a lurker spying on the screen.
Seeing the complaints from the goose and the enthusiasm of those "armchair gamers," he deeply sympathized.
With the number of players about to increase and territories expanding, chat groups are indeed no longer sufficient to meet the demand.
The strategy guides couldn't be kept quiet, and the quest discussions were in complete chaos. Moreover, he planned to introduce a second batch of players after defeating Bolton, and he needed a more authoritative platform where version updates could be released directly.
Lynn brought up the system panel to check the total results of the past few days.
Current Energy Points: 12527
Lynn was very satisfied with the number.
The complete annihilation of Bolton's heavily armed law enforcement team cleared the beachhead of high-end military threats. The completion of the landmark deep-water pier infrastructure milestone, coupled with the incorporation of hundreds of laborers today and the surge in faction influence brought about by the opening of the Treasure Island merchant shipping route, further solidified this achievement.
These substantial gains have given him an unprecedented abundance of system energy points.
"System, unlock the [Official Website and Forum] function module," Lynn commanded in his mind.
[Ding! 10000 energy points deducted.]
[The official website forum module has been unlocked, the domain name has been automatically generated, and the server has been completely disguised and encrypted on the global network.]
Almost instantly, a clean and tidy backend management interface appeared in Lynn's mind.
He recalled the game forums he had browsed in his previous life, and skillfully divided them into several sections: [Official Announcements], [General Discussion], and [Strategy Guides].
Experiencing the smooth, lag-free operation and watching the exquisite webpage framework quickly take shape according to one's wishes, Lynn sincerely exclaimed in his heart: This system is really easy to use; it truly hits exactly where you point.
After the setup was complete, Lynn switched back to the Earth Network chat group, changed his persona to that of a game company manager, and typed out a message.
Lynn: "Good evening, adventurers. Due to popular demand, the official forum for MapleStory Holographic Edition is now live. Due to the limited capacity of the QQ group, please use the forum for all major updates and strategy guides. Also, after the Pearl Harbor expansion is fully completed, the official second closed beta test will be launched, and a limited number of game slots will be available."
Will players receive a second closed beta test slot after completing the Pearl Harbor expansion?
The chat group exploded as soon as the message was released.
But before the players could flood the chat with messages, Lynn casually dropped a forum link and immediately banned everyone from speaking.
Seeing the massive influx of registered IDs and soaring daily active user data in the backend, Lynn typed a brand new pinned post in the [Official Announcements] section.
Version 02 Preview: The Rise of Factions and Unknown Storms
To all the brave pioneers:
Thanks to everyone's excellent combat and infrastructure capabilities, our faction in Pearl Harbor has initially established itself.
But be warned, wealth and vitality are often accompanied by envy. The old guard in the Upper City will never willingly relinquish their gains. The challenges to come will likely extend beyond mere handouts of weapons.
Dear pioneers, please consolidate your positions and improve your logistical defenses as soon as possible. Prepare to face the true baptism of the wasteland.
After writing this announcement, Lynn shut down the system.
This is not just a way to enrich the game's setting, but also his firm belief based on the dark laws of this world.
Bolton, a local tyrant who rose to power through ruthlessness, would definitely retaliate against such a huge loss with methods that would exceed the bottom line of ordinary people.
One family rejoices while another grieves, both in the same district of Shangcheng.
Inside Bolton's luxurious mansion.
A valuable antique vase was smashed against the wall, its shards scattered everywhere.
Bolton stood in the center of the study, his hair disheveled, his chest heaving violently. His once beautiful face was now twisted like a ghost due to extreme anger.
The trusted subordinates kneeling on the carpet trembled, their voices shaking:
"Sir... the old docks are completely empty... even half of our own people have fled, and all the merchant guild's ships are docked at Lynn's dock. We... we've completely lost control of the Pearl Harbor shipping route."
"Useless! They're all useless!"
Bolton kicked over the solid wood coffee table in front of him.
At this moment, her mentality was not so broken that she was ready to fight to the death, but rather filled with extreme rage at being offended by inferiors and an intense desire to regain power.
Bolton knew very well that if she completely lost her labor force and trade routes, she would soon become a pawn of the Treasure Island Trade Arbitration Committee.
There is absolutely no way she would hand over the territory she has cultivated for more than ten years to a group of refugees and country bumpkins from the shipwreck area.
She wants revenge.
She wanted to use the cruelest methods to punish those lowly laborers who dared to defect, severely damage Lynn's power, and then seize the newly built, highly efficient dock for herself!
Can't beat those fearless lunatics? No problem. In this world, there are far more ways to kill than just swords and knives.
With a cold expression, like a venomous snake, Bolton turned and walked to the bookshelf at the back of the study, forcefully pressing a protruding mechanism.
With a dull creak of gears meshing, a hidden door slowly opened.
Bolton dismissed his men and went alone into the cold, damp underground chamber.
At the far end of the sealed room stood a heavy, miniature freezer safe.
She took a deep breath, put on a pair of heavy gas gloves, and entered the password with trembling hands.
As the white mist dissipated, Bolton carefully took out a square, sealed lead box.
Through the glass at the top of the lead box, one could vaguely see a clump of viscous, slightly wriggling green fungus lying quietly inside.
This thing emitted a faint green light, which made people feel nauseous just by looking at it.
If placed in fresh water, the mother fungus will rapidly multiply, contaminating large areas of water sources. People infected with this fungus initially experience only mild dry mouth and coughing, but within three days, their lungs will be filled with dark red hyphae, completely losing their ability to move and becoming useless individuals who can only lie on the ground waiting to die.
Bolton stared at the lead box, unable to suppress a sinister grin.
She had already devised an extremely perfect series of poisonous schemes in her mind.
She wanted to send her most loyal bodyguards to throw the thing into the public reservoir upstream of the shipwreck area overnight.
Didn't those lowly laborers think Lynn's big fried pancakes were delicious? Didn't they say they'd get thirsty after eating them? After eating something so oily and high in calories, they'll definitely be drinking water like crazy tonight!
When the laborers in the shipwreck area and those country bumpkins are all dying and lying on the ground howling in despair, Lynn's dilapidated dock will surely collapse on its own.
At that time, she will descend upon the shipwreck area as an official agent, bringing with her the "antidote" she bought at a high price.
She could not only trample those laborers underfoot like dogs again, making them grateful and willing to work hard, but also rightfully take over the brand-new dock.
"You dare steal my things..." Bolton gently stroked the surface of the lead box, his face full of malice. "I'll make you kneel on the ground, crying and begging me to take back Pearl Harbor."