Chapter 57: Crino Prairie 1
This man was also a player. He had tried to rally other players to form his own little faction and declare himself king.
Because he had ample supplies, he actually managed to persuade some players to pledge their allegiance. However, most people in the residential complex refused. Did he really think no one could see through his petty schemes?
’We’re all players, so what makes you think you’re better than everyone else?’
After being rejected, the man didn’t give up. He started thinking about teaming up with outsiders to teach everyone a little lesson. Then, he would swoop in and play the hero, offering a helping hand to the very people he’d targeted.
When they were kicked out, they weren’t allowed to take anything with them except the clothes on their backs.
Their belongings were confiscated as compensation for the mental distress they had caused.
The exiled man was still defiant, shouting that he would get his revenge sooner or later and make them all pay.
But just as he and his few followers walked out of the residential complex’s main gate, a group of fully armed officers approached and "escorted" them into a police car.
Watching the man get taken away, Shane Rhodes cursed "idiot" under his breath. ’There’s no way I’d let a tiger back into the mountains. Go be a good little drone for the state.’
The next day, Moira Lynch was startled awake by the sound of notifications on her phone.
She opened her phone and saw a stream of trending news alerts. A bad feeling welled up inside her.
She tapped on one of the videos. The first thing she saw was a massive explosion, flames soaring into the sky. Immediately after, a lion-like person emerged from the inferno and began to burn, kill, and plunder.
Moira Lynch: "??!!!"
’Did this happen yesterday?’
’Don’t tell me he caused that explosion, too?’
But Moira Lynch soon realized the lion-like man hadn’t caused the explosion, because she watched as a rocket flew in from a distance and scored a direct hit on him while he was wreaking havoc.
Moira Lynch clutched her chest. ’Seriously? This much excitement first thing in the morning?’
Players had only awakened talents; they weren’t superhuman. Even a player with a body-strengthening ability couldn’t take endless attacks without getting hurt.
It went without saying that the lion-man in the video was a goner.
’Still,’ she thought, ’resorting to missiles at the drop of a hat, with no regard for the safety of bystanders... that doesn’t seem like our country’s style.’
It was then that Moira Lynch realized the video wasn’t from her own country; it had come from overseas.
A sense of understanding instantly washed over her. ’That explains it.’
She closed the video, opened up the domestic news, and got ready to head downstairs for breakfast.
As she went downstairs, she heard barking and meowing coming from the living room. Only then did Moira Lynch remember that she still had over a dozen stray cats and dogs to look after.
After spending time with them yesterday, the cats and dogs could now understand her commands. But understanding them was one thing; obeying them was another matter entirely.
After all, these strays weren’t the brightest, so some things would just take time.
After pouring food for all the animals, Moira Lynch went into the kitchen to prepare her own breakfast.
With all the practice she’d been getting lately, she was now quite handy in the kitchen.
She stir-fried a couple of dishes for herself, steamed some rice, and began to enjoy her meal.
Moira Lynch had originally planned to upgrade her shop after breakfast and sell a batch of goods, but just then, a familiar, mechanical voice rang out.
[Dear official player SoySauceDrunkard, a new round of the game will begin in five minutes. Please prepare yourself.]
Moira Lynch shot up from her chair and bolted for the second floor without a second thought.
’Damn it,’ she grumbled. ’Don’t these games usually start at night? Why is this one in the morning?’
But no matter how much she complained internally, Moira Lynch’s movements were swift.
She changed into the clothes, pants, and shoes she had prepared in advance, put on a mask, and tied up her hair. ’Gotta keep my identity secret.’
[Three, two, one.]
In the final second of the countdown, Moira Lynch grabbed a hat and put it on. Her vision went black, and when she opened her eyes again, she found herself standing in a vast prairie.
She was surrounded by other players who had also been brought here for the game.
The previous games had all started at night, and by now, people had developed the habit of being active at night and sleeping during the day.
So when this game began, many people had just been getting ready for bed. It was no wonder they were in a flustered panic after suddenly hearing the announcement.
Many people hadn’t even buttoned their clothes properly, were still in their slippers, and were clutching their shoes in their hands.
Others were fully dressed but were hugging a pile of gear—wetsuits, sportswear, even down jackets.
It was all about being prepared for anything.
However, as Moira Lynch gazed at the endless prairie surrounding them, she realized all those preparations were for naught. None of that gear would be of any use here.
Thanks to their experience from previous games, everyone remained relatively calm despite the hasty start, standing in place and waiting for the system’s next announcement.
Soon, the game’s familiar voice sounded in their ears once more.
[Dear official players, hello. Welcome to the Crino Prairie.
As the largest prairie on Planet Crino, the Crino Prairie is home to many Beastkin. The Beastkin are formidable in combat and are natural-born warriors, but they have troubles of their own.
Mission: Find and help the Beastkin resolve the troubles they face. Within ten days, you must collect ten "Satisfied Smileys." The system will grant rewards to players based on the degree of the clients’ satisfaction.]
As the system’s voice faded, a smiley-face badge appeared in Moira Lynch’s hand. It was ringed by a circle of unlit lights. She counted them—exactly ten.
’So, collecting "Smileys" must mean lighting up all the lights on this badge,’ she figured.
Moira Lynch pinned the badge to her chest, and the others did much the same.
The game would last a full ten days, even longer than the Mocha Forest mission. That meant this game was either incredibly difficult or just extremely time-consuming.
Ten days, ten smileys. That averaged out to one per day.
After a few seconds of silence, the area erupted with a clamor of voices and curses.
Nearly everyone was complaining about how suddenly the game had started, leaving them completely unprepared.
"System! Ten days with no food or water! How are we supposed to survive?!"
In the Mocha Forest, they hadn’t been given food or water either, but their mission had been to gather food. The forest was full of edible things; as long as you were brave enough to try them, you wouldn’t starve. This time was different.
Looking out at the endless prairie, what were they supposed to eat? Grass?
After complaining for a while and getting no response from the system, the players realized the situation was unchangeable and began to accept their fate.