novellk Chapter 14 The Secret of Old Lucas
Chapter 14 The Secret of Old Lucas
...In the following hours, the southern coast experienced its darkest twilight ever.
Those muscular, short-tempered pigs, whom even the village hunters were reluctant to provoke, became nothing more than targets on the assembly line for players eager to make their first fortune.
With the dual allure of credits and exclusive badges, players' potential has been fully unleashed.
In just one evening, the coastline that was once home to hundreds of dappled pigs was almost completely cleared out, leaving only a few for breeding.
As night fell, truckloads of pork were transported to Rainbow Village, while the thick layers of fat and tough pigskin were taken back to the old dock on the east side of the village.
At the village's recycling point, Lynn generously distributed a huge amount of credits as a reward for completing the mission.
Looking at the numbers flashing on the arm emblem, the players couldn't stop smiling.
As a construction contractor, "Carrying Bucket and Running Away" not only hunted but also oversaw shipbuilding, making the most money and his personal balance soared to 600 points.
The little snail was responsible for pulling monsters and giving commands, and was assigned 580 points.
The agent focused on exploiting weaknesses and scored 550 points. Xiaoyu, as a support, also received 480 points.
Roasted Whole Lamb, fearless and relentless, managed to rack up 520 points in his account by aggressively stealing kills and carrying heavy loads. This was undoubtedly the biggest sum of money he had ever earned since entering the game.
The massive, dilapidated ship skeleton lay silently on the beach. In the AR interface provided to the player's retina by the system, the wreckage was divided into thousands of geometric modules that emitted a ghostly blue light.
Without any NPCs giving instructions, the bucket-carrying runner and the village's shipbuilder stood directly on a giant rock, like a commander pointing out the direction of the land, directing everyone to precisely embed the shaved wood into the stress points of the hull.
Guided by the AR system, several thick keel beams were forcibly pulled back to their original positions using pulleys and levers.
He carried a bucket and ran away with a homemade woodworking plane in his hand, muttering words like "stress" and "waterline" that most of the indigenous people couldn't understand while he was working.
The roasted whole lamb and Agent Jack transformed into ruthless ash-making machines, filling the gaps at the bottom of the ship's hold with makeshift ash made from burning blue snail shells.
Lynn stood silently on a cliff in the distance, watching the players below who were willing to eat dry rations to save a few credits, yet were sweating profusely as they repaired their ships. He felt a mix of emotions.
In his system backend, Rainbow City's energy reserves were climbing at an extremely healthy and astonishing rate.
He acquired the players' prey with low credit limits and then sold the broth back to them at high prices, perfectly completing the first wave of capital accumulation.
He thought to himself: It has to be a little snail.
Lynn turned his head and looked towards the turbulent southern sea. At that distant horizon lay the bustling Pearl Harbor, the gateway to Treasure Island.
When I first arrived there, I did the lowest-paying jobs. What will it be like when I go back this time?
"Let's cheer each other on, little bulls!"
Lynn murmured, "When you get used to working your butts off for numbers, nothing in this world can stop you."
As night deepened, the makeshift forging furnace in Rainbow Village gradually went out.
On the eve of the opening of Pearl Harbor, the players' bases were not tense like before a major battle, but busy with the rush to complete the project.
"Civil engineer, have you brought enough raw materials?" The climbing snail stood beside the wooden cart, checking the supplies list in its hand.
"Three truckloads of high-grade cement raw materials, plus several sets of leather armor that Sofia helped to make, are all here."
He patted the cart as he ran off with the bucket, pointing to the neatly stacked hardwood beside him. "This wood is extremely resilient. Once we get to Pearl Harbor, as long as I have enough iron, I can hammer out the frame of the truss crane in just a few days."
"Alright, basic supplies are not a problem. Everyone is forced offline to rest, and will log back in promptly at 6 PM to prepare for the raid."
The little snail's suggestion was accepted by everyone.
"No sleeping in! I'm setting my alarm for 5:30!"
Before logging off, Roasted Whole Lamb excitedly rubbed his hands together, "Brothers, we're finally going to enter the main map. I can't stand being in this newbie village for another second."
"Come on, the prices in Pearl Harbor will probably scare you to death. Get ready to go there and continue to be a beast of burden." Xiaoyu yawned.
"If all else fails, become a gigolo. It's quick money," the agent added.
As they were talking, the group found a makeshift shelter from the wind, then collapsed one after another and logged off.
George, who was worried about his master, lay down where Xiaoyu had been standing after logging off, closed his eyes and pretended to sleep, acting as a temporary sentry for the camp.
Inside the outpost, the charcoal in the brazier crackled softly.
Lynn sat at the wooden table, examining a yellowed nautical chart by the light of the fire.
This was just delivered this afternoon. It's covered with dense markings of the distribution of reefs and black market waterways in Pearl Harbor decades ago.
The wooden door was gently pushed open, and the old village chief, Lucas, walked in. He wasn't using a cane as usual, and his back was unusually straight.
Lynn looked up: "Have the villagers who stayed behind been settled?"
"Reporting to you, sir, the able-bodied men have been incorporated into the patrol team, and the village will continue to operate as usual. We await your good news."
Lucas walked to the wooden table, suddenly knelt on one knee, and held up a heavy black lead box with both hands.
Lynn frowned slightly, his gaze falling on the lead box.
There was no magical fluctuation on the surface of the box, but the material itself exuded a sense of oppression.
"What is this?"
Lucas slowly opened the lead box.
On the velvet cushion lay a black iron seal, its edges worn and its center engraved with an extremely intricate emblem resembling a crossed scale and anchor.
"My lord, the outside world has long been firmly controlled by a pack of greedy hyenas."
Old Lucas's voice was extremely deep, carrying a long-suppressed emotion.
"My past is insignificant, but this little object... was once part of the rules governing this continent."
Lynn didn't go to take it immediately, but just watched him quietly.
"If you encounter insurmountable official obstacles at Pearl Harbor..."
Lucas raised his head, a chilling glint flashing in his cloudy eyes.
"Show me this. It may not help you kill someone, but it can earn you the right to sit at the same table with the truly important people."
Lynn reached out and picked up the seal, feeling its weight; some dried, dark red marks remained on the cold metal surface.
He didn't inquire about the bloodshed and history behind the seal, nor did he ask Lucas why such a symbol of power would be hidden in this poor village where even shovels were scarce.
That doesn't matter anymore.
Revealing your hand at this critical juncture signifies absolute surrender.
"I understand." Lynn put the seal into his pocket and placed it close to his body.
"And this letter."
Lucas then handed over an unsigned manila envelope: "Pearl Harbor shipwreck area, look for a blind man called Old One-Eyed."
If he's still alive, this letter could give him a clean, impoverished identity to cover your men's actions.
Lynn nodded and placed the letter next to the old nautical chart on the table.
All preparations for departure tomorrow morning are complete.
Three truckloads of cement raw materials, a batch of high-toughness load-bearing timber, an old nautical chart, a letter of recommendation, and a black iron seal of unknown origin in his arms.
"Go and rest, Lucas." Lynn stood up, looking at the dark night outside the village. "Once the Pearl Harbor shipping route is fully opened, Rainbow Village won't be as isolated as it is now."
Lucas bowed deeply: "This old man awaits Your Majesty's glory in Rainbow Village."
After the old village chief stepped down, the outpost returned to silence.
Lynn closed his eyes and connected his consciousness to the system's backend.
Several players were already offline, but the data in the real-world chat group was being updated rapidly.
Countless souls on Earth are celebrating all night in anticipation of tomorrow's expedition.
Tomorrow at dawn, the transportation hub of Victoria's Treasure Island will face its destined end and rebirth.