thefictionvixens Chapter 38 Preparations for Departure and the Boss's Caravan
Chapter 38 Preparations for Departure and the Boss's Caravan
Many people who have committed crimes have a guilty conscience and are always on edge when they go out.
However, Lin Zhuo was very relaxed. Even though he knew that the security department was almost frantic trying to find him, he remained calm and composed as he walked down the street.
He went out, took the elevator, and entered the workshop to buy carbon fiber cables. His account points could be redeemed normally via QR code, indicating that Chijiang had not blocked his citizen privileges.
The conveniences of modern life remain open to him.
If it were any other suspect who had committed a crime, with all their privileges remotely blocked by Chijiang, they would certainly find it impossible to move an inch in this artificial dome city.
There was an unspoken understanding between Lin Zhuo and Chi Jiang, and they both pretended that everything was normal.
After much effort, the broken rope of the serpent chain hammer was replaced with a new one, and the dented parts of the hammerhead were straightened. It took more than half an hour to finally get it done.
It was just past midnight, and a new day had begun.
Based on the strategy guides in the dungeon's chat channel, Lin Zhuo planned out the preparations he needed to make before entering the dungeon.
First and foremost, a large amount of gold and silver currency is essential. In the world of "Cangcheng," money is an extremely valuable resource; to borrow an ancient Earth proverb, money can move mountains. Sufficient wealth allows players to quickly gain an advantage, seize social resources, and facilitate strategic planning.
For players on the cross-network, ordinary gold and silver jewelry that is not spiritual material is considered a very cheap commodity.
Lin Zhuo still had several hundred disaster coins left. After returning home, he purchased a lot of gold ingots, silver ingots, pearls, gems, as well as some gold sheets and loose silver on a player trading platform called "Strange and Wonderful Items Trading Company".
[Network notification: The transaction has been confirmed and the player trade channel is being opened]
A sea-blue vortex of spacetime condensed in the open space before them, from which floated a square, solid wooden treasure chest, which Lin Zhuo caught.
Although the goods were not large in size, they were heavy and felt substantial in his hand. Opening the treasure chest, he found three layers inside, each with many compartments, as well as individually packaged wooden boxes. The dazzling jewels shone brightly, making his cheeks glow.
The gold and silver coins he bought were all unverified items on the network and could not be directly stored in the player's inventory. Therefore, the seller provided special boxes, chests, and wrapping cloths to categorize and pack all the gold and silver jewelry before delivering them to Lin Zhuo.
I glanced at the player's Disaster Coin balance: 1
Lin Zhuo had lived in the human community for over twenty years and had never sighed over money, but he started worrying after only a few days of playing on the variety show.
If one day he becomes very rich, he can buy the player's backpack expansion storage module, which is equivalent to having a portable warehouse, so he can put all kinds of odds and ends in it, without having to carefully pack his luggage every time he goes out.
After preparing the gold and silver, the next step is clothing. In the world of "Cangcheng", the materials, workmanship and styles of the clothes are very retro. Commoners mostly wear coarse cloth clothes woven from plant fibers such as hemp, kudzu and cotton, while wealthy merchants and nobles mostly wear silk and animal skins.
The power system of this world is Qi Gong Master, but the upper limit is not high. The realm of the top experts is similar to that of a Level 5 Qi Gong Master in the Comprehensive Network. The highest quality of their techniques is blue.
Qigong masters are few in number compared to ordinary people, but their social status is vastly different, and they generally enjoy excellent economic conditions.
In terms of clothing materials, they mostly use fine cotton or silk fabrics, and the styles and workmanship all bear the characteristics of their sect. They are basically all kinds of fitted and tight-fitting clothes, with the aim of not restricting their movement.
At the same time, these warriors often wore armor.
This involves a rather important historical background. In the world view of the "Cangcheng" instance, there is no unified centralized government. Local areas are governed by martial arts sects formed by Qigong masters. The major sects jointly form a symbolic martial arts alliance. Important national and family affairs are usually decided by the alliance leader elected by martial artists from all over the world, as well as representatives of the twenty-four major sects.
The Wulin Alliance's main daily work is mediating conflicts between various factions across different regions. During times of natural disasters or man-made calamities, it is responsible for mobilizing manpower and resources from various places for disaster relief. Although it also has a department with the function of overseeing the entire country, it has little actual control over the grassroots level.
As a result, the forging of armor and crossbows was never prohibited by law, and it was commonplace for warriors to wear armor.
Lin Zhuo, a cross-platform player, is a typical outsider. Once he enters the world of "Cangcheng", he becomes a free agent without any sect or faction. Therefore, he needs to pay extra attention to his clothing to avoid wearing the same uniforms as those famous sects.
Individual details such as clothing and hair color also need to be carefully considered. After all, practicing internal energy can change physical appearance; some sects have members with white hair from head to toe, while others are all bald, muscular men. This uniform style is also a form of recognizability.
To avoid misunderstandings, wandering martial artists would either disguise themselves as ordinary people or dress in strange and unusual ways to create a distinctive personal image. They would dye their hair green, yellow, or purple, tattoo dragons on their faces, paint tigers on their shoulders, wear eyeshadow, and get earrings. Such images were quite common.
Lin Zhuo has always been averse to strange and unusual clothing. However, as someone from a technologically advanced world, he would already stand out in an ancient setting simply by wearing the latest fashions.
His wardrobe was very simple; his everyday clothes were mostly chosen for him by his mother, Zhou Lingning.
In summer, one usually wears short sleeves and capri pants, but in the world of "Cangcheng", the player enters during mid-autumn, when the temperature is slightly cool, so he changes into a plain striped shirt, paired with a khaki jacket made of faux leather and dark green cargo pants.
Pack an extra set of clothes, especially cotton socks and underwear. You can bring extra, since this is a long trip.
As for retro-style armor, it's not easy to find these days. Lin Zhuo had only seen a few sets in Min Pei'er's private training room.
The armor he wore during his university service was made of composite materials and had a modern industrial aesthetic, but it was classified as controlled equipment and is now unavailable.
A set of excellent armor is just as valuable to a Qigong master as a divine weapon.
After much thought, Lin Zhuo decided that he would buy a ready-made set of armor from a local weapons shop after entering the dungeon. He didn't want to trouble Min Pei'er with such a small matter, lest she destroy her beloved and treasured armor during the fight, and then Min Pei'er would turn into an angry pufferfish.
He also packed some other miscellaneous items such as medicines, food, and condiments, just in case, so that he could set off at any time once he had packed his bags.
In the dungeon chat channel, many newcomers like Lin Zhuo have joined and are trying to form teams. It's also common to see veteran players forming four-person teams to help newbies through dungeons.
In fact, the biggest benefit of low-level dungeons for players is not the amount of resources they provide, but the opportunity to meet a large number of friendly veteran players.
Their levels have far exceeded the dungeon cap, and running through the map yields almost no benefit, but they are still willing to lead newcomers. They are generous with their guidance and often give newbies low-level equipment and items that they no longer need. They are like timely rain in the martial arts world and living bodhisattvas in the online world.
Lin Zhuo is willing to trust strangers, after all, he grew up in a society that unites people through empathy.
While it's always wise to be cautious, the team-up system on the integrated network is sufficient to eliminate potential risks.
If a player encounters an attack or injury that goes against their will, including cognitive distortion and mental influence, the teammate who caused the injury will enter a red name status and be immediately kicked out of the current instance. After that, they will be on guard by all players in the channel.
With this safety net in place, newcomers can confidently explore the maps with experienced players.
[Hero Loves Noodles]: I'd also like to form a car team, one person carrying three others. Anyone interested can sign up.
[Knocking on a gong]: Me! Me! Me! Look at me, boss! [Little raccoon bowing.jpg]
[Mingxiao Drum]: +1 (shy)
[Mayfly Yue]: I'm signing up too! (Raises hand)
Lin Zhuo, quick as a flash, snagged the last spot. He had already prepared the chat in the web chat box using his mind, and as soon as he saw a big shot start a conversation, he immediately sent it.
[Network notification: You have received a new friend request]
[Contact person added: "Daxia Loves Noodles"]
[Network notification: Player "Daxia Ai Chi Mian" invites you to join the dungeon campaign [Cangcheng Rain and Snow Demon Blade Chronicles]. Do you agree to join the team?]
"agree."
[Network notification: Player "Fuyou Yue" has joined the current team's chat channel]
Number of players in the team: four
As the dungeon invitation in Lin Zhuo's hand glowed with a floating light, a deep purple spacetime vortex unfolded on the open ground.
He gave his backpack a final check, glanced around to make sure he hadn't forgotten anything, and then stepped into the teleportation tunnel, disappearing without a trace.