The biggest taboo when tackling a multiplayer dungeon is lack of cooperation.
Now, the giant merman appearing before everyone's eyes clearly overpowered the lesser monsters that Jiang Ye and their team had cleared previously in terms of Level and skill moves.
A Level 30 Merman Wraith stood before them, roaring and opening its gaping maw, its rotten breath potent enough to make one dizzy.
"Everyone, turn off your sense of smell," Jiang Ye reminded them.
"Is this a tactic?" someone asked.
"No, it's just for your psychological well-being."
It's difficult for ordinary people to endure such a rotten smell.
Once a person's attention is fully captured by this smell, they tend to get distracted, perhaps unable to fully concentrate on fighting the monster.
This is not the outcome Jiang Ye desired.
Everyone complied and turned off their sense of smell.
As a result, the sense of oppression exerted by the giant merman on the players was significantly reduced.
The biggest difference between full-dive VR games and keyboard-based games is immersion.
Playing keyboard games, even horror-themed ones, at most results in being scared half to death through the screen.
But in full-dive VR, everything feels so real. And when it's too real, a person's emotions can affect their brain and actions, leading to inconsistent game performance.
Turning off the sense of smell can reduce this influence to a certain extent.
"What do we do now?" Yuchi Xi looked at Jiang Ye.
"Tank pulls aggro, triangular formation. Team One attacks from the front to keep the monster's direction, the other two teams attack from the flanks and rear. Yuchi, Young Master With Money, Super Fierce, and that Enchantress, you're with me. Xian Feng, you lead your five people. Qian Shan Night, your team takes the lead, as their combined strength of Shield and Healer is balanced and more stable. Oh, right, Junlin, you'll be with Qian Shan Night and his four members, okay?" Jiang Ye's thoughts were clear.
Junlin Tianxia gritted his teeth fiercely when he heard the word 'younger brother,' glaring at Jiang Ye menacingly.
Jiang Ye smiled with a curve of her lips, unfazed, and even pushed her luck by calling out again: "Junlin, did you understand?"
"Understood," Junlin Tianxia replied through gritted teeth. He moved his steps, walking closer to Chun Deng Luan.
"Don't worry, we'll take good care of you," Jin Luyi said gently.
"As if we need your care," Junlin Tianxia said unceremoniously.
Jin Luyi glanced at Qian Shan Night, who shook his head with a smile.
Feng Wu Yaoji had been acting with Junlin Tianxia, who was also a solo player, since joining the team. Now, being suddenly separated from him, he felt a bit reluctant.
"Jun Shang~ I'll come find you again!" the man shouted in a deliberately effeminate voice.
"Scram!" Junlin Tianxia felt so disgusted he almost threw up.
Jiang Ye smiled helplessly at this.
It seemed that no matter the era, straight men had some strange ways of being disgusting.
Who understands straight men?
Jiang Ye certainly didn't.
Compared to straight men, she understood games better!
"Now! Let's move!"
At Jiang Ye's command, the players orderly moved to their assigned positions.
After Qian Shan Night saw that everyone was mostly in place, he initiated the attack by throwing a Taunt at the BOSS.
Sleepyhead raised his hammer and swung. Just as he finished, he saw the BOSS spit out a giant bubble, seemingly to engulf him.
He dodged it, and the bubble shot directly towards the direction behind him.
"Watch out for the bubbles!" Sleepyhead warned.
"Do I need you to tell me?" Jin Luyi dodged to the right.
"Can you stop fighting!" Junlin Tianxia shouted impatiently.
This team busily managed the BOSS's attack direction, while the other two five-person teams seized the opportunity to attack, constantly calculating and comparing their attack data with the first team.
If they dealt too much damage, exceeding the limit, the BOSS's aggro might shift.
After chipping away a third of the BOSS's health this way, the BOSS began to use AOE area-of-effect skills.
As a strange song began to play, the entire sea started to shake.
The Merman Wraith summoned the sea with thousands of chorused mournful songs.
Seawater began to surge towards it, centered on the BOSS.
Simultaneously, an irresistible suction force followed.
Jiang Ye felt as if she were being pulled back by a giant vacuum cleaner, and she had to desperately use all her strength to run forward.
While being sucked in, Jiang Ye's HP was also rapidly decreasing.
And the BOSS's HP was slowly increasing.
[The Merman Wraith is activating the skill "Blood Swap," skill duration: 30S]
"What kind of perverted skill is this!" Xian Feng cursed!
"Everyone walk forward! Walk with your backs to the BOSS! Don't get sucked in!" Jiang Ye shouted.
"Healers, keep an eye on HP, take potions if you're in danger! Based on this HP loss rate, as long as we don't get sucked in, death shouldn't occur!"
As soon as she finished speaking, she heard a scream.
Jiang Ye dared not look back, only staring at the team's system notifications.
[System: Teammate "Feng Wu Yaoji" has died.]
".......".
Sad!
"I'm so sorry, everyone!!" Feng Wu Yaoji shouted anxiously, "I panicked for a second and ran backward!!"
"Brother, what's wrong with you! You can run backward into this? You're like a mouse offering itself to a cat, risking your life! Entering a tiger's den!" Xian Feng complained.
"What did you say?" Super Fierce raised an eyebrow slightly, her claws flashing.
".......".
Xian Feng still remembered the ferocity of this cat during the fish hunt, and now he didn't dare to continue babbling.
"Sorry, sorry, it's my first time in this kind of large-scale dungeon. This is my fault, sorry everyone." Feng Wu Yaoji's attitude was good, constantly apologizing.
"It's okay," Jiang Ye knew it couldn't be blamed on him in this situation.
When she first started playing games, she was also a novice, unable to understand the game mechanics, scared whenever the BOSS used a big move, worried about holding back her teammates. Little did she know, the more she worried, the more problems occurred.
Playing games!
Everyone grows through countless trials and tribulations!
"Feng Wu, you can rest for now. If you have other things to do, you can leave the team. You'll still get rewards based on dungeon contribution after we clear it," Jiang Ye said.
"No, no, no, God-tier player, I'll cheer you on from here!" Feng Wu Yaoji was very enthusiastic.
"Shut up," Junlin Tianxia couldn't stand it.
"Not speaking is the biggest cheer!" Xian Feng said unhappily.
Feng Wu Yaoji fell silent, quietly returning to being a corpse.
30 seconds passed, and the BOSS's ultimate move ended.
With the help of the healer, Xian Feng replenished his HP, strutted around Feng Wu Yaoji's tombstone, wiggled his butt, and returned.
Jiang Ye's side, lacking a healer, suddenly faced immense pressure.
"Can we still fight? We're short a healer," Xian Feng said worriedly.
This was also why he was so dissatisfied with Feng Wu Yaoji's death.
"Yes," Jiang Ye was not flustered at all.
She flipped her palm, and a Cold Salad Sea Cucumber with healing effects appeared.
Jiang Ye gave each of her teammates three portions.
"Eat first. Tell me if you need more."
"Thanks, sister!" Super Fierce quickly ate one, "Did you steal this from the streamer's warehouse too?"
".......Is it stealing when it's about the agent's affairs?" Jiang Ye said, "We're all fighting in this dungeon for the streamer anyway, so what's wrong with using the items she picked?"
"God-tier player, can we have some too?" Xian Feng was tempted.
Sleepyhead also looked over.
"What are you talking about? Is the healer's healing not enough for you?" Jiang Ye brushed them off.
"God-tier player! You're so heartless!" Xian Feng cried out.
"How about you commit suicide? I'll split the food with you," Sleepyhead turned to Jin Luyi and said.
"Do you want to die!" Jin Luyi was furious.
Amidst their playful banter and jokes, they managed to reduce the BOSS's health again.
As they approached the last third of its health, everyone's attack speed slowed down unconsciously.
"It's probably going to use a big move soon," Qian Shan Night said.
"Yes," Jiang Ye nodded, "Everyone prepare yourselves mentally. Pay attention to the water's glowing rings. If they appear, that's the attack range; dodge it at any time."
"Okay!"
With this prior communication, everyone felt that dealing with the BOSS's big move wouldn't be a problem.
Everyone even deliberately distanced themselves from the BOSS while attacking, to prevent the next move from being another "Blood Swap."
Unexpectedly, the BOSS acted as if it knew.
As if it deliberately saw them distancing themselves, this time its move was the opposite.
[The Merman Wraith is activating the skill "No Coincidence," countdown: 5s, skill duration: 1min]
"What the hell is this!!!" Xian Feng was extremely frustrated.
"There are numbers on the coral reefs near the BOSS," A-Xing, with sharp eyes, noticed this and immediately shouted to his teammates.
People, when playing dungeons, can't help but raise their voices and become excited.
"Numbers, what good are numbers!!!" Xian Feng still didn't understand.
An idea flashed in Jiang Ye's mind.
- A number-hugging game!
When the host calls out a number command, everyone has to group up according to the number.
There's no host now, but the numbers on the reefs represent the number of players within a small radius near the reef.
"Each number represents the corresponding number of people," Qian Shan Night explained in a low voice, "Everyone, move."
He, along with Jin Luyi and Sleepyhead, had already occupied a reef marked '3'.
Junlin Tianxia, pulled by Chun Deng Luan, stood near a reef marked '2'.
Three stones remained under the BOSS's feet.
One marked '5', one marked '3', and one marked '2'.
Adding them up, that was 15 people.
Xian Feng, after grouping his five-person team, realized this and cursed again.
"Feng Wu Yaoji, why did you have to die, you idiot!"
[Team · Feng Wu Yaoji: I'm sorry TVT]
"God-tier player, what about you guys?" Xian Feng worried.
"I'll tank it," A-Xing stepped forward, "My attack contribution is the least, and my HP is quite high. My class is for taking damage. If I die, it won't matter."
"What are you thinking?" Jiang Ye reached out and pushed A-Xing, Yuchi Xi, and Super Fierce onto the reef marked '3'.
"A Leaf Boat! You are the team's strongest combat power! If you die! What do we do!"
"Who said I'm going to die?"
Jiang Ye immediately stood by the reef marked '2'. Then, without a word, she summoned the human form of the Ocean Sunfish.
Fan Xiao Che, a silly and naive cute girl.
As soon as she appeared, Fan Xiao Che hugged Jiang Ye's thigh, looking somewhat scared.
Jiang Ye patted her head, waiting for the countdown to end.
She was gambling.
Gambling that human-shaped pets would also count.
The moment the BOSS's skill activated, Jiang Ye realized she had no talent or luck for gambling.
The Merman Wraith opened its large mouth, and Jiang Ye was immediately sucked into its belly.
In an instant, she disappeared.
"No!!!" Xian Feng cried out in pain.
"You bastard, I'm going to kill you," Super Fierce immediately tried to charge forward.
Yuchi Xi grabbed her.
"If you go out now, the three of us will die."
This calmed Super Fierce slightly.
The BOSS's skill duration was still 48 seconds.
"Why are you panicking?" Sleepyhead raised an eyelid lazily, "Is there no death notification for A Leaf Boat in the team information?"
Indeed.
But...
From the avatars in the team list, one could see that A Leaf Boat's HP was rapidly decreasing at an insane rate.
"What's the difference between this and being dead..." Xian Feng couldn't help but say.
"You might die," Qian Shan Night said with a smile, "But she's A Leaf Boat."
As soon as he finished speaking, Xian Feng noticed that Jiang Ye's HP was slowly climbing.
And the climbing speed was getting faster and faster.
At the same time, the BOSS's HP was decreasing.
Xian Feng's eyes widened.
"How is this possible!"
"Never seen a skill like this!"
Xian Feng had certainly never seen such a skill, as it did not belong to any of the player attack skills.
During the days Jiang Ye spent frantically upgrading her island, she had collected a strange fish.
- The Toothpick Fish.
This name sounded like a nickname, but it was genuinely the name listed in the classification records.
It belonged to the catfish family, a parasitic species.
It was supposed to be a river creature, but it unexpectedly appeared in the ocean.
It was probably the smallest vertebrate in the world, not exceeding 10cm in its adult stage, with a translucent color, usually difficult to spot.
Jiang Ye only found it by accident.
She saw this fish on a dying large fish.
The Toothpick Fish also had a real alias.
Vampire Fish!
Its body was covered in sticky adhesive fluid, allowing it to easily enter other fish. Its gills were equipped with barbs and spines, which could directly hook onto the flesh of other fish, surviving by sucking blood.
Jiang Ye hadn't expected this little guy to be useful at first, as using this species required the condition of "entering the body."
Now, by a twist of fate, it had entered the BOSS's body.
Jiang Ye used her short sword as a fulcrum, firmly stabbing into the inner wall of the BOSS, suspending herself so as not to touch the rolling venom inside the BOSS's belly.
At the same time, the Toothpick Fish she had released in batches were desperately sucking the BOSS's blood and, to some extent, sharing this blood with their master, Jiang Ye.
This was why Jiang Ye was able to turn the tables.
"Now, continue attacking!" Jiang Ye said in the team channel.
The BOSS's skill ended, and the other teammates resumed their attack rhythm, outputting damage without pause.
Jiang Ye was also attacking the BOSS from the inside.
With the combined efforts of both sides, the BOSS was finally defeated.
Jiang Ye directly broke open the BOSS's corpse with the short sword in her hand and emerged from its belly.
She expected to be covered in filth, but to her surprise, upon emerging, the surrounding environment had changed.
The Merman Wraith had dissipated.
The originally exquisite and beautiful underwater world became desolate.
The soft white sand underfoot had turned into piles of bones.
The BOSS, which had been terrifying moments ago, had vanished, replaced by a beautiful mermaid.
He was wearing armor, resembling a general.
"We have lost this battle against your kind," the NPC said slowly, "Now, as long as you kill me with one sword, you can obtain everything you desire."
"What are you waiting for! Take him down!" Super Fierce eagerly said upon hearing this, rolling up her sleeves.
Xian Feng glanced at Super Fierce.
He hadn't expected such a well-behaved young girl to speak so crudely!
However, it suited his intentions.
"Take him down!" Xian Feng was already a bit too invested in the fight, "I don't believe there's any BOSS we can't defeat in this world!"
"Brother, you're getting carried away," a teammate reminded him.
Jiang Ye slowly conjured a sword in her hand.
As the person who dealt the highest damage, she had the final choice.
Under the expectant gazes of her teammates, Jiang Ye stepped forward, walked up to the general, and raised the sword in her hand high.
The NPC looked at her intently, without fear.
Jiang Ye brought her sword down.
The sword grazed the NPC's cheek, severing a lock of his hair.
Black strands scattered in the water.
"Is this your choice?" the NPC looked back at Jiang Ye.
"Yes," Jiang Ye replied, "This is my choice."
"I understand."
The merman in front of her, no, the merfolk in front of her, nodded slightly, made a gesture towards Jiang Ye, and announced his name.
"My name is Xing Gu."
"Outworlder, please proceed forward."
"Ahead, there is a reward for the choice you haven't made in the past."
After leaving these words, Xing Gu disappeared.
This turn of events left the surrounding teammates stunned.
"What kind of progression is this?" A-Xing asked in confusion.
"Didn't you read the game's backstory?" Jiang Ye said to A-Xing.
"Do you have to read that kind of thing?" A-Xing shook his head.
"Brother, let me tell you!" Xian Feng swaggered forward, trying to put his arm around A-Xing's shoulder, but he found his height limiting, so he changed his action and smoothed his hair, "The background of "Carefree Wanderer" is related to merfolk."
"Since ancient times, the Human, Immortal, and Monster races have coexisted, each residing in their own territories, not interfering with each other. The merfolk lived deep in the ocean, unrelated to the three races. However, later, the entire merfolk race was found guilty, and the three realms punished them, causing the ocean to disappear and the merfolk to hide," Xian Feng finished this part in a storytelling tone.
"Hmm, and then?" A-Xing listened with fascination.
"And then..." Xian Feng chuckled, "And then the game begins."
"You said it for nothing!" A-Xing laughingly scolded.
"From the scattered weapons at the beginning, the different characters on these weapons, and the words the NPC just spoke, it can be simply deduced that what we are experiencing now might be a past battle against the merfolk," Chun Deng Luan couldn't stand it and explained.
"Mm," Jiang Ye nodded, "And did you notice the BOSS's name just now?"
"You mean the Merman Wraith?"
"Yes." Jiang Ye raised her hand, tossing the short sword in her hand high. The short sword disappeared in the water. She had a relaxed smile on her face, "When facing a wraith, if you don't choose forgiveness, why would you still stab it?"
"As I said, people should repay kindness with kindness." Jiang Ye said with a smile.
Xian Feng thought that when this person dealt with Qian Shan Night, she didn't seem to consider "repaying kindness with kindness" at all.
This was all just a choice for maximum profit.
Everyone moved forward, to the area indicated by the NPC, and found a treasure chest in a giant shell palace.
This was the reward for the trial.
Everyone's eyes lit up.
"Who wants to open it?" Jiang Ye took a step back.
"God-tier player, you do it!" Xian Feng said enthusiastically, "We haven't forgotten your lucky red hand back then!"
"Then have you forgotten my African history?" Jiang Ye said coldly.
"That must have been an accident!" Xian Feng played along.
Jiang Ye thought, the lucky red hand was the accident.
However, since no one else was willing to open the chest, Jiang Ye, with Fan Xiao Che, stood by the chest, took a deep breath, and opened it.
After waves of golden light flashed, the rewards inside flew out.
There were several Legendary-grade items, and many other strange and unusual things.
Xian Feng swallowed his saliva.
But he still had his reason.
"Should we go back to the island and let the Island Master distribute it?" Xian Feng asked.
Jiang Ye thought, absolutely not.
The puppet's effect had expired, and it couldn't be used now.
If the Island Master had to distribute it...
For the first time, Jiang Ye wished her teammates would be a little selfish and not adhere so strictly to the recruitment agreement.
Unexpectedly, everyone was very calm and said enthusiastically: "Let's wait for the Island Master! Or shall we return to the island first!"
Re... return, what nonsense!
---------------
All fifteen people returned to the island together.
On the island, they met the streamer "So Poor Won't Chat" again, and under the streamer's arrangement, the rewards were distributed.
The system automatically allocated rewards and gold coins based on dungeon contribution, and for the items from the treasure chest, Jiang Ye generously let everyone roll the dice to choose.
After about ten minutes of fuss, when the system reminded other players that it was time to leave the island, they reluctantly said goodbye to the streamer.
Before teleporting, Super Fierce pulled Jiang Ye to add her as a friend.
Qian Shan Night also sent a friend request.
After all, they had cleared the dungeon together, so Jiang Ye couldn't refuse and agreed to both.
She hadn't opened any permissions for her friends list anyway, so adding friends was fine.
At the moment the countdown ended, Jiang Ye entered the teleportation array with the other fifteen people.
However, after everyone else had teleported away, she remained on the island.
A-Xing sent her a message as soon as he returned to the newbie village.
"Boss, how did you do that? Why are there two of you?"
"A wise man has his own ways," Jiang Ye replied.
Actually, before doing this, she wasn't sure if this trick would work.
She was just gambling.
Fortunately, luck has its ups and downs.
She gambled incorrectly when fighting the BOSS and ended up inside its belly.
Now that she was ashore, she had finally gambled correctly once.
- Blanket Octopus.
The first time Jiang Ye encountered the Blanket Octopus, she was mesmerized by the illusion it wove and fell into past memories.
This indicated that the Blanket Octopus had the ability to create illusions.
Just like its incredibly beautiful form, it was like a dreamlike shadow in the deep sea.
Jiang Ye used the Blanket Octopus to create a very short illusion for the players after they landed, making them see "the streamer." In reality, what they saw was a pre-arranged illusion, and the Blanket Octopus impersonating the streamer.
She hadn't expected this trick to work.
It's just a pity that the Blanket Octopus's illusion has a duration and many limitations, and cannot be used frequently. It was likely only useful for dealing with urgent situations like this.
After sending the players away, Jiang Ye's anxious heart finally settled.
A recruitment completion message popped up in the world chat.
The long string of rewards and Levels were all above Rare, and there were even Legendary equipment and items that made other players' eyes red with envy.
[World · Drizzle: I only wish the person participating in the recruitment wasn't me.]
[World · Melon Field Mistake: Ahhhhhh!!! Unfair!!!]
[World · Just Watching Not Talking: Island Master, Island Master, are you watching? Can the Island Master open the trial again, or just make the trial dungeon a permanent feature? We other players are also very envious!]
[World · Mu You: I missed an opportunity to team up with Yi Ye Zhou, I'm so sad.]
[World · Shui Ling: Let me translate for the user above: I missed an opportunity to hug Yi Ye Zhou's thigh, I'm so sad TVT]
[World · Mu You: Hugging her thigh for what! I just wanted to admire the God-tier player's heroic posture up close!]
Jiang Ye glanced at the world chat, switched to private chat, and found many private messages.
Most of them were words of gratitude.
"Thank you, God-tier player. If it weren't for your invitation, I probably wouldn't have had this opportunity to participate in this recruitment. My teammates feel the same way. God-tier player, I'll remember this kindness. If you ever need anything, dirty work, or anything you don't want to do, just ask me, it's no problem!" This was a message from Xian Feng.
"Sister, it's Super Fierce, do you remember me? I wonder when we can team up again? Do you also like watching the streamer's live streams? I like them a lot too. But I think that streamer is a bit bad, she's too greedy. Sister, you need to be careful and not be tempted by dried fish snacks. Um... next time if you have time, Sister, let's go to the main city to buy clothes together!"
As the streamer criticized by Super Fierce, Jiang Ye smiled helplessly.
This child had a full talent meter but lacked the mood to play games properly. She spent her days either watching live streams and eating, or browsing and shopping.
Leisurely and content, just as a little cat should be.
Jiang Ye felt it was a pity, but she knew that everyone's purpose for playing games was different, and the way they played was also different. "Carefree Wanderer" created a sufficiently open world, allowing players with different preferences to choose the gameplay they desired. This was the charm of the game.
Jiang Ye didn't accept Little Cat's invitation and replied with a kiss emoji.
The messages from others were similar. Qian Shan Night's private message inquired about her intention to join the guild later, and Jiang Ye politely declined upon seeing it.
What was noteworthy was Junlin Tianxia.
Seeing the content of the message he sent, Jiang Ye finally remembered why she felt a sense of familiarity upon seeing this ID for the first time.
"A Leaf Boat, have the guts to fight me. I'll pay!"
When her ID was first exposed by Ji Shanshui, didn't this Junlin Tianxia add her to challenge her to a fight?
She really couldn't tell.
He was cold and distant when they met offline, but online he was a boisterous guy.
[Private Chat · Jiang Ye: Wait until you catch up to my Level.]
She was now Level 30.
For Junlin Tianxia to catch up to her, it might take some effort.
Jiang Ye intended to use this sentence to dissuade this overconfident kid, but it instead became motivation for him.
[Private Chat · Junlin Tianxia: You said it!]
[Private Chat · Junlin Tianxia: When I reach your Level, we'll have a fight!]
Jiang Ye looked at his serious reply and couldn't bear to ask him: Do you really think that day will come?
So she replied with an emoji that middle-aged and elderly people in Blue Star loved to send.
[Private Chat · A Leaf Boat: /smile]
[Private Chat · Junlin Tianxia: Even if you smile at me, I won't change my resolve!]
Very good.
It seemed that no one in this damn interstellar world could understand the mockery in her smile anymore.
Jiang Ye, like reviewing memorials, clicked on all the red dots in her private chat, and her unbearable obsessive-compulsive disorder finally eased.
She closed the chat window and looked down, finding a large chest at her feet.
This chest was tightly sealed, but golden light could still be seen from the gaps between the lid and the body.
This was a Legendary-grade treasure chest.
Jiang Ye identified the chest's information.
[Gift of the Mermen]
[After passing the trial, the mermen sent you a gift of friendship.]
Jiang Ye eagerly opened the chest.
A set of Level 30 Legendary equipment, the skirt shimmered, and after putting it on, the hem resembled the merman's beautiful tail, making Jiang Ye look like a majestic princess floating with ethereal energy from afar.
The princess shouted, "Holy crap!"
"There's this thing too?"
Jiang Ye picked up a small seashell in her hand.
This unremarkable seashell was the [Token of the Mermen].
[Using the magical seashell will summon Merman Soldiers to assist.]
[A thousand troops and horses, coming for you.]
[Remaining uses: 3/3]
The item description was so grand that Jiang Ye didn't need to guess that this was deliberately a powerful weapon.
She immediately put it in her small backpack, not wanting to lose it.
Even if she didn't know what it was for, it's never too late to keep good things.
The remaining items were nothing special.
They were for daily use.
The dog-like thing at the bottom of the chest caught Jiang Ye's attention.
She picked it up.
[Xiao Bao’s Warm Bed]
[Made from deep-sea seaweed, with excellent warming properties, suitable for incubating baby pets.]
Jiang Ye stared at the nest, not reacting for a moment.
Could it be that merfolk are egg-laying, not mammalian, creatures?
This setting was a bit subtle.
Despite her grumbling, she still took out the pet egg from her backpack and placed it on the nest. The bottom of the egg fit perfectly into the indentation of the seaweed nest, as if it were custom-made.
As soon as the egg was placed, Jiang Ye saw a countdown appear on the pet egg, which she couldn't break no matter how much she knocked or smashed it.
This was the incubation countdown.
Remaining time: 23 hours, 59 minutes, 59 seconds.
Jiang Ye placed the egg and the nest in her small wooden hut.
With this, the treasure chest was finally emptied.
Jiang Ye waved her hand, and the treasure chest completely disappeared from her sight.
[System: Dear player, congratulations on opening Phase Two of the Sea Island.]
[System: You will now be granted 30% control of the Sea Island. Please explore and use it at your discretion.]
[System: You have obtained the title "Island Master." Wearing this title will exert pressure on players who come to the island.]
[System: The Sea Island's area and territory have expanded. The Deep Sea Merfolk Home is now open to you.]
Jiang Ye clicked on the detailed panel information of the island.
A small island (unnamed)
Island Master: Yi Ye Zhou (Bound) (Possesses suppression talent over island residents and guests) (Can use the skill "Absolute Command")
Island Residents: None (Attack Power +30%, Recovery Speed +30%) (Remaining slots: 25)
Level: 25
Area: 20,000 sq meters (New territories have appeared)
Capacity for Tourists: 2000 people (Small town)
Natural Landscape: Sandy area, grassy area, beach, hills, River, shell beach, mangrove wetlands (Slightly scenic, not dull)
Hidden Map: Deep Sea Merfolk Home (Teleportable)
Buildings: Level 1 Personal Wooden Hut x1, Level 3 Warehouse x1, Level 3 Workshop x1, Level 3 Farm x1, Self-built Chicken Coop x1 (Illegal structure, quality not protected by the system)
Stationed NPCs: 1 (Aka Jing Lian) (Remaining slots: 4)
Island Residents was a newly introduced setting.
Jiang Ye studied it and thought it was likely something that could be used to invite players to permanently reside on the island.
Much like stationed NPCs.
As for the Island Master's suppression of other players on the island, Jiang Ye understood it as a special skill of a lord. This arrangement was probably to prevent other players from causing trouble arbitrarily.
The hidden map, Deep Sea Merfolk Home, was likely where they had been during the dungeon.
Jiang Ye curiously teleported over to take a look.
Everything was incredibly fantastical, and various items that could be dug up were hidden everywhere.
This place was like a casual dungeon, where players could explore and search for treasures.
Jiang Ye returned to the island and found a new system notification.
[System: Remaining Teleportation Uses: 9/10]
This meant that teleporting to the Deep Sea Merfolk Home was limited.
However, Jiang Ye didn't think she would be idle enough to spend all her time there every day.
Although the Merfolk Home was beautiful, she preferred her own island.
After clarifying this information, Jiang Ye began to search the handbook.
In addition to the usual biological collection list and building map, the icons for posting quests and island rules were now lit up.
The former had expanded from once a day to one hundred times a day, with no restrictions on quest types.
The latter was similar to an island entry treaty, allowing the Island Master to set rules to regulate the behavior of tourist players.
Several new options had also appeared in the building section.
The Dock and Lighthouse were newly added.
Along with them came the Construction Workshop.
Jiang Ye guessed that with the Dock, there would be ships, and the Construction Workshop was likely related to shipbuilding.
To understand the meaning of the 30% island control mentioned in the system notification, Jiang Ye began to explore the island like she had when she first landed.
Before, when she touched a coconut tree, there were only options for harvesting and cutting.
Now, a special small box had appeared.
Setting Editor
Jiang Ye clicked on it and found that it was like a program editor. However, unlike programming, which requires writing code to achieve effects, it was more like an effect generator. As long as you input the desired effect, after system review and approval, the effect could be directly reflected in the game.
For example, Jiang Ye wrote the words "Coconut Blossom."
This sounded absurd, but the system deemed it acceptable. The next second, the coconut tree before Jiang Ye sprouted white flowers.
It had a strange beauty.
Jiang Ye continued to explore.
She tried to adjust the harvesting method for the coconut tree.
She chose to input "Harvesting through a mini-game."
After waiting for one minute, the system approved and asked Jiang Ye to further refine the mini-game's content.
Jiang Ye immediately borrowed the design of a "catch the falling eggs" game from an old arcade.
She set it up so that the person responsible for harvesting coconuts would hold a basket under the coconut tree, waiting to catch the coconuts falling from above.
If a coconut successfully landed in the player's basket, the harvest would be considered successful.
If they failed, they would have to pay compensation to the Island Master.
If they chose to challenge again, there would also be a challenge fee.
After setting all this up, Jiang Ye submitted it and stood by the coconut tree, rubbing her hands in anticipation.
The only part she worried about the system not approving was the fees.
But this was the core of her design.
If it could be successful...
[System: Your submitted settings have been approved. Do you wish to overwrite now?]
Jiang Ye clicked yes without hesitation.
This result clearly proved Jiang Ye's idea and opened up a new source of income for her.
From now on, she would turn this island into an amusement park!
Not just for players to come and see the scenery, but more importantly, to let players experience a leisure game that they couldn't find anywhere else, one that might even be addictive.
This way, the island's visitor rate would definitely increase significantly.
And her income would also increase.
At the same time, she would complete her latest quest.
[Unforgettable Island Challenge Lv1: We are Repeat Visitors!]
[Have one hundred tourists with a visit rate exceeding 2 times.]
Having formulated her plan, Jiang Ye immediately threw herself into implementation.
The top priority was to spend money to expand the island, renovate the hotel, build the dock, and buy boats.
This series of operations made Jiang Ye's heart ache a little.
After all, every construction was an expense.
Fortunately, there was feedback from the experience.
At the same time, Jiang Ye understood that every penny she spent now would be earned back once she opened the island.
Because...
Player entry qualifications would be exchanged for labor, residency would require payment, and exploring and using island facilities would also require payment.
Well, it's a tourist destination.
Where is there a place that doesn't cost money? It's already merciful that she hasn't sold sky-high priced lobsters!