Chapter 261 - 178: Shadow Cave
After hearing what Luo Ge said, the eyes of every player present lit up.
’Go be a spy in the Shadow of Deceit?’
’No wonder the announcement mentioned a completely different gameplay experience!’
’Le Ti’s main base... I wonder what kinds of interesting things they’ll have there.’
At this thought, the group of players grew eager.
However, Luo Ge quickly laid out the new requirements.
The candidate needed to be patient and meticulous, possessing keen Observation Power.
And they couldn’t be someone who gave up halfway—Luo Ge didn’t want to see a new face every day.
He also gave the players a heads-up, explaining that the mission might be quite boring.
Upon hearing this, some players immediately lost interest.
They played the game mainly to slay monsters, level up, and explore; this kind of intelligence work clearly wasn’t for them.
However, some players were quite interested.
"Candlekeeper, let me do it."
Storyteller spoke up.
The moment the update finished, he had dropped his video editing and logged straight into the game.
After hearing Luo Ge’s requirements, Storyteller felt the job was a perfect fit for him.
’Going to Le Ti’s home turf, the Shadow of Deceit, to gather intel... This is brimming with content!’
’I could probably churn out a whole video with just a few random tidbits from there!’
"Very well. The mission is yours."
Seeing Storyteller volunteer, Luo Ge agreed without hesitation.
He had been inclined to choose Storyteller for this job anyway. After all, other players would most likely be unreliable, and the thought alone was a headache.
"However, this is likely more than a one-person job. You may choose your own assistants."
Luo Ge nodded at him.
Then, he sent over the mission he had prepared in advance.
[You have received a special mission from the Candlekeeper: Establish a Contact Point]
[Mission Requirement: Gather enough personnel to ensure the future contact point is manned at all times. Collect information for Candle Island.]
[Mission Reward: The Candlekeeper will provide the Watchers with a generous daily base reward of Wax Oil. Additional rewards will be granted for any progress made on the intelligence front.]
This special mission was clearly out of the ordinary. It not only detailed the requirements but also offered long-term rewards.
’But... someone has to be on watch at all times. That means I’ll have to find a player for the "night shift,"’ Storyteller thought.
"Come back to me when you’ve found enough people. I will have someone take you to the location of the Shadow of Deceit."
Luo Ge gave him a slight nod, and then his form vanished.
After a brief discussion with the other players, Storyteller excused himself. He needed to find suitable candidates right away.
...
The Spirit Candle officials released another short promotional video for the new version.
It depicted one dead, silent island after another across a calm sea. Within the Dark Boundary, unknown figures flickered in and out of sight, heralding an imminent crisis and creating an intense sense of pressure.
On the farthest island, a Spirit Candle radiated an azure Firelight...
[Attention: A large-scale regional war is now in preparation. Players who have reached the Scorching Charcoal Tier Ignition Point may enter the main battlefield. You will be automatically assigned when the war begins.]
[Upon meeting the victory conditions for this war, players will be awarded Contribution Value, which can be exchanged for contribution rewards.]
[The large-scale regional war has not yet begun. Stay tuned!]
Most players saw this brand-new game prompt upon logging in.
"You need to be Scorching Charcoal Tier to enter the main battlefield? What the hell, I just ignited my Warfire! How am I supposed to farm Contribution Value?"
"Damn it, and I was planning on just following the top players around and picking up scraps."
"No way. I’m just a bit of Wax Oil short. I have to go grind levels right now. I have to get to the main battlefield!"
Upon learning that only players of the Scorching Charcoal Tier could enter the main battlefield, those who were close to reaching it felt a sudden sense of urgency and flocked to grind levels.
As for the players who were much further behind, they could only give up on the idea for now. Still, they eagerly awaited the coming battle and focused on improving their own strength.
For a time, all of Candle Island was abuzz with a competitive, vibrant energy.
...
It didn’t take Storyteller long to find suitable candidates.
As a content creator, he had plenty of fans and friends, including others who made a living off Spirit Candle, so finding a player for the night shift was a relatively simple task.
Besides, the mission’s personnel requirement wasn’t that high. ’Three people should be enough, which means I just need to find two more,’ Storyteller figured.
Of course, just to be safe, he found three people. After all, while it was a game, people still had real-life matters to attend to. It was best to have a substitute who could fill in.
Luo Ge glanced over the people he had brought and nodded slightly.
"Follow me."
With that, he waved his hand, and an azure Candlefire enveloped the players.
At the same time, they lost control of their bodies.
’Looks like we’re heading into a cutscene,’ Storyteller mused.
The next moment, the surrounding scenery shifted, quickly settling on the main gate of the Divine Hall in Gael’s Depression.
Le Ti, who was leaning against the gate of the Divine Hall, saw Luo Ge and his group arrive. He immediately broke into a warm smile and walked over.
"I’ve been waiting for you. But... why are there four of them?"
Le Ti stared, dumbfounded, at the four players behind Luo Ge.