Chapter 14 – Difficult Resource Assessment

As Mu Yuan walked deeper into the association, he found himself utterly amazed—though as a newcomer who had only been in this world for a day and a half, his frame of reference was practically nonexistent.

Inside, there were not only a considerable number of players but also occasional sightings of various troop types.

There were Great Goblins with bulging muscles, looking like bodybuilders.

Compared to the one Mu Yuan had encountered in the game world, this one wasn’t even on the same level—the difference in intimidation was immense.

Yet within the association, the Great Goblin was just a common troop type, and it even seemed to be trembling slightly.

Because a graceful figure passed by not far away.

Tall, curvaceous, elegant, with delicate features, pointed ears, and a cascade of green hair.

“Is that… a rare three-star troop, a Nature Sprite?!”

Frog-Selling Bro exclaimed, his eyes filled with intense envy.

Who wouldn’t love a strong, elegant young lady who also fits their aesthetic preferences?

Mu Yuan also took a few extra glances—don’t misunderstand, it was mainly because this was his first time seeing a living troop in reality.

He needed to observe more to broaden his knowledge.

“Will we… be able to recruit troops like this in the future?”

Hearing Frog-Selling Bro’s words, the Guide Miss offered an awkward yet polite smile.

After a moment of consideration, she said, “The Lord who commands this Nature Sprite is a top-tier figure in our White River Association.”

The implication was clear: Did ordinary players really think they could recruit Nature Sprites? Dream on!

But Frog-Selling Bro didn’t catch the underlying meaning. Stroking his chin, he asked, “So, as long as we pass the trial and become Lords, we’ll have more opportunities to recruit rare troops like this?”

Guide Miss replied, “That’s not entirely wrong. Compared to Ranger players, Lord players have access to more resources and opportunities. Over time, the gap between these two types of players will only widen.”

“However, becoming a Lord player isn’t easy. As players, you should all be well aware of the dangers of the Eternal Continent. Players not only need to sustain their territory for a month but also must pass an extremely perilous trial.”

“The association hopes more players can pass the trial and establish territories, but we also advise everyone to act within their capabilities.”

Guide Miss wasn’t a player herself, but she was a professionally trained staff member with extensive theoretical knowledge about the “newcomer phase.”

Mu Yuan managed to glean a lot of information from her.

At the very least, while Old Yang had been vague about the details of the Lord trial, Guide Miss had no such issues. It seemed Old Yang really was too unreliable.

Mu Yuan compiled the information:

「During the Lord trial, the Crimson Mist envelops the land, and monsters become frenzied and bloodthirsty, making them far more dangerous than usual. Therefore, surviving the Lord trial requires not only a strong territory but also strategic planning.」

「Players must clear out as many surrounding monsters as possible before the trial begins.」

「However, with players’ limited strength, it’s impossible to eliminate all monsters. Thus, players must set up a solid defense line in front of their territory, tailored to the types of monsters in the vicinity.」

Previously, Old Yang had mentioned that the official organization would provide some support to outstanding newcomers to help them survive the Lord trial.The official support includes second and third-star troop types adept at defending cities, trap blueprints, defensive structures, and more.

Mu Yuan found it all enticing, let alone Frog-Selling Bro, Liver Emperor, and the others.

Even Liver Emperor, who looked on the verge of collapse, seemed to perk up as he inquired for details.

Guide Miss explained, “The resource assessment has two parts: a written test and a combat test. The written test evaluates the player’s operational and command skills, while the combat test assesses the strength of their troops and their on-the-spot performance.

“Since the purpose of the resource assessment is to determine whether a player has the potential and the ability to pass the Lord trial, the test is scheduled for six days from now, which is the first Sunday after players obtain their game qualifications.

“This allows both an evaluation of the player’s level and gives them ample time to make full use of these resources.

“However…” Guide Miss shook her head, “the competition in this resource assessment is extremely fierce. Securing a spot isn’t easy—no, it’s incredibly difficult. After all, Lord players are a minority among the player base, and only a very few can pass the trial and establish a foothold in the vast Eternal Continent.”

Hearing Guide Miss’s words, Frog-Selling Bro and Three Ying couldn’t hide their disappointment.

“To even have a chance at a spot, you need at least three or four third-star troops and to train your main forces to levels 4 or 5? That’s way too hard! No, for us ordinary players, that’s practically impossible!”

As expected, the official support benefits weren’t easy to obtain!

Frog-Selling Bro’s eyes widened in shock.

Mu Yuan pondered: he already had three third-star Skeleton Soldiers, and with a few more days of effort, he’d have more than three rare troops.

When the time came, should he display one rare troop or ten third-star troops?

It was such a tough decision.

So difficult.

Musing, Mu Yuan sighed along with the other players, “Yeah, it’s way too hard. For ordinary folks like us, there’s simply no way out.”

Frog-Selling Bro patted his shoulder, actually comforting him, “Don’t lose heart, bro. We’re lucky to have gotten player qualifications—that already puts us ahead of many others.”

He hadn’t expected Frog-Selling Bro to be so kind, but Mu Yuan had already decided to become one of the top grinders.

…

Under Guide Miss’s guidance, the group quickly completed their identity registration.

The process wasn’t complicated.

The authorities didn’t require players to fill in details about their territories or troop types, though players could choose to do so. Some players wrote it up like a job application, aiming straight for positions in official organizations.

After registration, the forum feature officially opened for players.

At this point, Liver Emperor excused himself, planning to return home and continue grinding the extraordinary game.

Mu Yuan also felt like going back to grind, but he figured since he was already here, he might as well look around. Gathering more intel would help with exploration and expansion.

Moreover,

“Is that the Trading Market up ahead?”

“Yes, it’s the new player period, so many veteran players come to check it out. The market is much livelier these days than usual.”

The group headed toward the market.

Mu Yuan had already been thinking about trading away a few Remnant Souls, so he perked up at the sight. The other newcomers were also seeing this for the first time and were very curious.

The Trading Market… could they witness veteran players trading and even legendary Treasures being auctioned?

The thought alone was thrilling.But soon, inside the market, the newbie players fell into silence as they looked at the stalls before them.

“Best starter set for newbies clearing wilderness—come take a look, selling cheap!”

“Remnant Souls at rock-bottom prices, accepting Soul Sand or Xuan Nation Coin transactions.”

“The most suitable Remnant Soul for newbies—Little Skeleton Remnant Souls on sale, don’t miss out!”

Mu Yuan: “…”

The vibe felt a bit off.

In his imagination, veteran players should solemnly bring out treasures for appraisal and trade, spending fortunes without batting an eye—so why were nine out of ten stalls targeting newbies? Were veteran players really this enthusiastic?

However,

when Mu Yuan reached stall number nine, his eyes lit up. Wasn’t this the Little Skeleton Remnant Soul he’d been longing for?

Seeing his interest in purchasing, the boss immediately became more enthusiastic, continuously urging him.

“Come, come, young man, let me introduce you to this Skeleton Soldier unit.”

“Many people see Little Skeletons as weak units, but that’s a huge misconception. While Little Skeletons aren’t particularly strong, they’re only one-star units after all. In my opinion, Little Skeletons are absolutely top-tier among one-star units. Why do I say that? Let this uncle explain it to you.”

“Little Skeletons don’t consume food, don’t need rest, and can perform any manual labor as directed by their Lord… and these advantages are exactly what newbies need most. Think about it—during the early stages, you don’t have many units to begin with. If you still need to operate in shifts, wouldn’t that make you even more short-handed?”

This seemed quite reasonable?

Some newbies stopped walking and showed signs of being convinced.

A Guide Miss opened her mouth as if to say something but ultimately remained silent.

The veteran players at surrounding stalls sneered in disdain. True, what Old Zhang said were indeed advantages of Little Skeletons, but he completely omitted mentioning the drawbacks—Little Skeletons had stiff combat styles, moved slowly, and coordinated extremely poorly with other units.

Otherwise, why would there be the saying about Little Skeletons and Goblins being the “Crouching Dragon and Young Phoenix” of useless units?

But they wouldn’t say anything. After all, like Old Zhang next door, they also intended to ‘fleece’ the newbie players.

They didn’t need to worry about newbies having no money either. While newbies truly couldn’t produce Soul Sand or treasures, they still had Xuan Nation Coins.

Veteran players needed to make a living too, and now was the perfect time to clear out some unsold bottom-tier stock.

Seeing that Mu Yuan was genuinely interested in buying, Boss Old Zhang said, “I know you newbies are short on Soul Sand and can’t offer other things at this stage. How about this—I’ll take a loss and sell it to you for Xuan Nation Coins.”

But purchasing supernatural treasures with Xuan Nation Coins, even the lowest-tier treasures, always came with significant markups.

Definitely not something ordinary families could afford.

Frog-Selling Bro stared wide-eyed at Mu Yuan: Weren’t we supposed to be struggling together? Turns out you’re a whale? I misjudged you!

“Um…” Mu Yuan paused, carefully choosing his words, “Do you only accept Xuan Nation Coins? Could we trade with something else? For example, Remnant Souls.”

Boss Zhang: “???”

Huh? Wait, you actually have Remnant Souls (°ο°)?

Thanks to ‘Bookfriend20180227134730703’ and ‘Big Eyeball on the Lunar Surface’ for the tips~

(End of chapter)