Chapter 86

Chapter 86: At This Moment, Everyone Loves Bai Fu! [5k]

The official game website provided a brief introduction to the various classes of each faction and selected many exciting combat videos posted by players during the game’s operation to be pinned on the class introduction interface so that players could choose their favorite class for their adventures.

To date, most players’ understanding of the Spiritual Energy-based classes was still limited to those few lines on the official website.

[Full of imagination], [Spiritual Ascension], [Extraordinary Power]…

These words, whether taken separately or combined, gave people the feeling of “being totally amazed.”

But feelings are just feelings. In reality, after one version update, most players’ impression of the Spiritual Energy-based classes was “weak,” at least in the early stages.

Even those big players who recommended the Spiritual Energy-based classes would suggest learning another combat main class and treating the Spiritual Energy-based class as a “secondary” role when making recommendations.

[Combat Future!]

[In the early stage, level up a few levels, learn some basic skills, focus on that main class first, and invest resources into the Spiritual Energy-based class if there are any leftovers.]

The official website’s摘录of those Spiritual Energy-based class combat videos also kept reinforcing this view.

The combat style of Spiritual Energy players usually involved buffing themselves up and then shooting biubiubiu, which was neither as spectacular as the Physical cultivation stream nor as straightforward as the Mechanical stream, and they were easily overwhelmed by the Mental stream.

Therefore, even though Bai Fu did a lot of promotion and even brought out the bait of the Spiritual Energy knowledge chain, many new players joining Silent Courtyard were still hesitant and didn’t dare to choose the Spiritual Energy-based class, fearing that they would ruin their accounts.

But with Convert to Me Fu displaying the effect of the “Combat Etiquette” Prayer Card on the community, the situation completely changed.

A hard control time of 2 seconds was already quite astonishing; so far, only a few skills from Mental-based classes could achieve such an impressive effect. But the real strength of Combat Etiquette wasn’t this—it was the ability to force the opponent and the user to do exactly the same action within those 2 seconds!

[What I mean is, suppose, if a female player controls a male player, and then bang hits the uneven spot…]

[Are you a devil?]

[Everyone don’t panic, this game can turn off pain sensation.]

[No, even if the pain sensation is turned off, you will still get hurt.]

[Everyone don’t panic, I’ve double-checked. To prevent players from going wild, this game apparently doesn’t allow pants removal, and the modeling of the players’ key parts seems to be fake. Getting hit there is no different than getting hit on hands and feet, with no special critical hits.]

[How do you know? You wouldn’t have hit yourself, right?]

From this topic, countless experts came forward and proposed their own views on the use of Combat Etiquette.

Some of these uses Bai Fu had already practiced, while others she hadn’t even thought of.

For example, encountering enemies guarding the door, using Combat Etiquette to control one of them to forcibly kiss the other, next, whether they fight at the door or passionately beat each other elsewhere, the door won’t be guarded anymore.

Looking at these comments, Bai Fu’s evaluation was—

When it comes to creativity, you guys are really something!

However, the reason why she didn’t come up with such ideas wasn’t because her imagination wasn’t rich enough, but mainly because she and the players fundamentally differed. Players, due to their ability to resurrect, often subconsciously liked to have fun, whereas she pursued higher efficiency in killing enemies and completing tasks.

When encountering enemies guarding the door, what Combat Etiquette? Just charge in and finish it.

Anyway, after the effects of Combat Etiquette were exposed, the players’ perception of Spiritual Energy-based classes underwent a tremendous change.

They couldn’t say for sure whether the Spiritual Energy-based classes were strong or not, but they were definitely fun!

[I wonder if this card will be sold in the store of Silent Courtyard later.]

[Isn’t this more interesting than being a martial artist and punching each other?]

[I declare, I want to switch to become a Spiritual Prayer Mage!]

That’s right.

Bai Fu originally wanted to use the battle against Graham to advertise for the Spiritual Energy-based classes, hoping more players would switch to them.

Now her video of fighting alone against ten foes and the effect of Combat Etiquette have sparked heated discussions in the community, achieving half of her goal.

The other half would depend on the players’ efforts.

No matter how good the data on paper looks, it can’t compare to the actual effect. Once the players truly experience the effect of Combat Etiquette, the promotional effect will reach its maximum.

“List it, start selling!”

Bai Fu listed the “Combat Etiquette” card in the faction’s special store, with a limited sale of 10 cards, each priced at 800 credits.

This price was expensive, and most new players couldn’t afford it. Even old players would feel the pinch when buying one, but compared to the 380 credit price for the 200-specification Spiritual Energy Shield card, this price seemed like a bargain.

Soon, players discovered that Anya’s shop had new items, and the news spread quickly from Shelter No. 11 to the player community.

[Are there any kind older brothers or sisters who can buy one and try it out?]

[800 credits? That’s not cheap. Even if someone buys it, no one would dare to use it casually.]

[True, and limited to 10 purchases. After using it once, who knows when the restock will be.]

After much deliberation, the players in the community thought of Jiujiao.

[Digging treasure, digging treasure, buy one and make a review.]

[@Jiujiao]

[Jiujiao, hurry up and release a video, I’ll give you a triple click.]

Jiujiao was stumped.

She really wanted to make a review because this was undoubtedly a big hotspot that would bring her more attention, but now there was a very serious problem facing her—

“I don’t have the money!”

Forget about 800, she couldn’t even scrape together 400.

While other players were seriously doing quests and earning money by trading Sand Worm materials, she was earnestly filming videos and live streaming, resulting in earning several months’ rent outside the game but being broke inside the game.

Looks like she’d have to ask someone else for help.

The first person Jiujiao thought of was the wealthy Calamity Dragon. The two of them got along well when they were in the abandoned cooling plant and Lín’ēn Jùjūdì, but later, when Jiujiao ran away with Bai Fu to Goli Desert, they temporarily parted ways until the 1.1 version started, and Calamity Dragon caught up.

She found Calamity Dragon at the entrance of Anya’s shop.

“What, you bought 5 Combat Etiquettes and 5 200-specification Spiritual Energy Shields all at once?” Jiujiao was stunned by Calamity Dragon’s generosity. “Where did you get so many game coins?”

“Bought them, playing games is about having fun.”

Jiujiao remembered that Calamity Dragon spent money hiring other players to help her complete tasks before, so this didn’t seem surprising anymore.

She explained her intentions and promised to repay the money as soon as possible.

Upon hearing that she wanted to borrow the card to make a review, Calamity Dragon became interested.

“How about we collaborate? Open a new video column besides ‘Silent Courtyard News Express,’ call it ‘Anya’s Mysterious Shop,’ focusing on reviews of Spiritual Energy-based items sold in the shop. Since Spiritual Energy-based classes are currently niche, there hasn’t been anyone reviewing these kinds of items, I think if we go in this direction, we will definitely become popular.”

Calamity Dragon’s words made Jiujiao excited.

She was basically releasing news express videos at a frequency of one episode, which was a bit low for a gaming information video creator.

It’s not that she didn’t want to speed up, but the development of Silent Courtyard took time, so recently she had been considering making some other videos to fill the gap. She considered interviewing NPCs from Silent Courtyard and editing Bai Fu’s combat clips, but none of these videos seemed as good as Calamity Dragon’s suggestion.

Of course, this didn’t mean she was giving up on those previous ideas. Mainly, review videos looked like they could last for more episodes. As the versions progressed, as Silent Courtyard developed, and as Bai Fu’s power grew stronger, the items sold in Anya’s shop would surely become more varied.

Jiujiao and Calamity Dragon reached an agreement immediately and began discussing how to evaluate Combat Etiquette and Spiritual Energy Shield cards.

“Find someone to fight.”

“Fighting monsters works, but it’s not intuitive enough. Players from other planets can’t accurately judge how strong the monsters we fight are.”

“Isn’t the new version introducing an arena? Now many players hang out in the arena PKing, we can definitely take advantage of that.”

The two quickly made a decision.

That evening, a video titled “Anya’s Mysterious Shop (Episode 1)” was released, and this video immediately drew…





It drew a lot of attention from the players.

The content of the video was very simple. At the beginning of the video, Jiujiao introduced the effects of the Spiritual Shield Card and Combat Etiquette Card, and stated that the content to be played next had already been approved by the parties involved.

Then, Calamity Dragon appeared as the evaluator and entered the arena to challenge a gaming god who had already achieved 34 consecutive victories.

Whether from levels, skill richness, or game proficiency, Calamity Dragon was crushed by that gaming god. If it were a normal match, she would become the stepping stone for that gaming god to unlock 35 consecutive victories.

However, she first pulled out the Spiritual Shield Card!

“Henshin!”

200 shield points were thicker than Calamity Dragon’s health points. After equipping it on her body, she directly transformed into a reckless berserker warrior, not dodging or avoiding, and began a life-and-death melee fight with that gaming god punch by punch.

This completely confused that gaming god.

What the heck?

His profession was very suitable for solo combat as a martial artist, but in close-range combat, he fought evenly with a gunner who didn’t carry a gun, making him start to suspect if the game had a bug; otherwise, why did his attacks have no effect on that gunner at all?

It can be said that the puzzled look of this gaming god became one of the biggest highlights of the video, especially after Calamity Dragon pulled out the Combat Etiquette Card.

“I won!”

Calamity Dragon took two steps to the left, and the body of that gaming god also uncontrollably moved two steps to the left. He was actually standing on the edge of a cliff at this point. After taking two steps to the left, he fell down directly, resulting in an instant Game Over.

“?”

What the hell.

He didn’t even understand how he lost.

He didn’t understand, but how could the players who have been paying attention to Jiujiao and Silent Courtyard not understand?

【It’s Combat Etiquette!】

【Cheating, this is cheating, winning without honor!】

【Nonsense, the arena hasn’t banned the use of props. If props are banned, what about equipment? If equipment is banned, can mechanical-related professions still play?】

【My God, Spiritual Shield + Combat Etiquette, it’s simply a PK godsend】

【This thing is too insane. Give me a stack of Spiritual Shields and Combat Etiquette, and I can dominate the arena!】

The promotional effect of this wave was explosive. The barrage and comment section were like they had suffered a nuclear attack, reaching maximum heat.

Especially the guild players, professional players, and high-scoring individuals who frequently visited arenas across various games reacted most intensely.

For ordinary players, the arena is just a place for PVP entertainment, but for them, the arena is a business. Whether it’s organizing competitions in the future or gaining fame in the arena to attract sponsors, they couldn’t help but take seriously the video collaboration between Jiujiao and Calamity Dragon and the Prayer Cards featured in the video.

If their opponents in the future all had Spiritual Shield and Combat Etiquette while they had none, then what’s the point of playing?

For a time, various guilds took action, having the players within their guilds switch to Spirit-based professions.

Even more players called for change in the community.

【Damn it, currently only Source Star sells Spiritual Shield Cards and Combat Etiquette Cards, which is extremely unfair to us players on other beginner planets】

【Exactly, we need our own Bai Fu too!】

【Planner, come out already, stop pretending to be dead!】

【Jealousy, envy, ha ha, I just created a new account and got assigned to Shelter No. 11】

【You fool, you’re going to die!】

【Damn, I previously criticized Bai Fu when I was working under the Gene Progenitor, I hope Bai Fu doesn’t hold a grudge. I want to join Silent Courtyard now too】

This moment was special.

Because on the front page of the community, in the top posts of the front page, and in the top comments of the videos on the front page, there wasn’t a single post or comment related to Bai Fu. Even those expressing dissatisfaction were merely saying that the Prayer Cards were too disruptive to balance for current players.

【Everyone loves Bai Fu】

This was the conclusion Bai Fu reached after reviewing the community. Her battle plan achieved unprecedented success!

The benefits of successful promotion were evident: within half a day, nearly 200 new players arrived at Shelter No. 11. Adding up the previous arrivals, Shelter No. 11 now had almost 900 players, nearly enough to fill two battalions.

If player spawning villages weren’t randomly distributed, Bai Fu estimated this number would be several times higher.

To be honest, this growth was a bit too fast. Shelter No. 11 couldn’t handle so many players, and the other camps she commissioned the Gao family and players to build were still some time away from completion.

But anyway, this wasn’t a bad thing.

Bai Fu was in a great mood.

Most of these players would eventually become Spiritual Prayer Mages. The more Spiritual Prayer Mage players there were, the more potential customers she would have, the more money she could earn, the faster she could grow stronger, the faster she could attract more players to join her.

Perfect!

“Boss, save me, I can’t hold on much longer!”

Just as Bai Fu was happy, Anya rushed in urgently from outside.

“What happened?” She looked confused.

Anya started complaining.

In short, there were too many people, and she couldn’t handle it alone. Even with the help of some veteran players, she still couldn’t keep up.

Bai Fu nodded. This was indeed a problem. When the other camps opened later, Anya would be even less able to handle everything alone. It seemed she needed to hire more NPCs to work.

She first thought of Elder Nissen and Sean, who knelt to thank her in the tavern that day.

“You can recommend anyone you know and consider reliable to me.”

Bai Fu called this the “Watchers Camp Old Employee Re-employment Plan.”

She had said she would help Elder Nissen achieve his unfulfilled dream, and helping Elder Nissen and Sean settle the elders scattered around after Watchers Camp was disbanded would also strengthen Elder Nissen’s commitment to her.

Elder Nissen never expected Bai Fu to say such a thing. He was stunned for a while before sincerely expressing his gratitude.

Early the next morning, he and Sean found six NPCs. Elder Nissen had fallen on hard times, and these six NPCs had it even worse after Watchers Camp was disbanded.

They actually had some strength, but because they had too many enemies, they dared not show their strength and were even more reluctant to expose themselves easily, living a hard life with no end in sight.

Bai Fu’s arrival gave them another chance in their lives, which seemed to have already come to an end. Therefore, they didn’t hesitate to decide to join Silent Courtyard.

Upon hearing that Bai Fu was going to Black Eagle Base to rescue Youlia’s relatives and friends, they immediately expressed their willingness to go together and contribute to the rescue operation.

The passion of the elderly was fully displayed at this moment.

Bai Fu acknowledged their spirit but disapproved of their rash behavior.

Players can revive after death, but if you die, you’re really dead. Don’t joke with your lives!

“You should now familiarize yourselves with this dramatically changed Shelter No. 11 instead of going with me to Black Eagle Base. Whether it’s eliminating all the wandering camps causing trouble or constructing the Goli Desert, your strength will be needed. This is your main battlefield. Don’t forget your dreams!”

As Bai Fu’s figure disappeared into the distance, the six NPCs looked at each other, finally looking towards Elder Nissen and Sean.

“Where did you find her?”

Find?

Elder Nissen remembered the day Bai Fu appeared in the tavern.

No.

She burst into this dim world like the morning light.

…

After leaving the tavern, Bai Fu opened her personal terminal. Yesterday, she asked the Darknet to help collect intelligence, and now the intelligence had been sent over.

The first piece of information indicated that after receiving her message, the Gene Progenitor, Railway Guild, and Former Republic indeed took action.

“Since that’s the case, it’s about time for me to set off.”

The second piece of information was about Graham’s mentioned mechanical engineer Qiyuan that they should pay attention to.

The intelligence was simple. Qiyuan, 33 years old, a mechanical engineer, renowned for operating mechanical dog swarms, mechanical bee swarms, fixed turrets, and unique Power Armor in combat.

“Truly an army of one, albeit a mini version right now.”

Bai Fu nodded.

But she had nothing to fear.

Qiyuan can control mechanical dogs, but she can control a group of players.

Comparing the number of people, huh?

Let’s see whose side is harder—your mechanical dogs or my players!

PS: Thanks to Dust World Travel Days for the tip

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