boyutpedia Page 148
Page 148
"I understand!" Gan Gan jumped up from the ground, patted her chest confidently, and said, "You'll come after you're ready, right? Don't worry! If there's a war, I'll be there when called!"
Watching Gan Gan skip and hop out the door, you couldn't help but cover your head and mutter, "Did she really understand...?"
"Hmph." Jennifer blushed slightly as she put away the armor, then jumped onto the bed wearing only a thin undergarment. She hugged her pillow and sighed contentedly, then rolled up in the blankets and peeked out, saying, "Well... goodnight? Lord Latis, the time isn't quite right yet?"
"Hmph, hmph hmph hmph..." You let out a howl with your eyes closed, sprawled out on the bed in a starfish shape, shook your head, looked at Jennifer whose head was still glowing, and couldn't help but ask, "So Jennifer, can you turn off this glowing effect?"
"Hey, of course you can!" Jennifer, wrapped in her blanket, wriggled over and bit you fiercely, saying, "Right now, it's just that my broken vessel hasn't been transformed into a state that holds pure light yet. Once it contains all that light, everything will be different, you know? I'm about to advance to a fifth-level knight!"
[From her explanation, you learn that different forces of light are incompatible. Her original power was like the light permeating the air of this desolate mountain territory, filled with a fiery, restless, and corrosive quality. Pure light, on the other hand, is purer, more profound, and of a higher rank. Although you don't know what this difference symbolizes, the Pope of the Church of Light feels that if nothing is wrong, then there shouldn't be any problem.]
[You mentally grumbled about the cult of light, calling it a makeshift operation, then hugged Jennifer and decided to go to sleep to conserve your energy for tomorrow's mining trip.]
Half an hour later, you opened your eyes, looked at Jennifer's peaceful sleeping face, sighed, and covered your eyes with a cloth.
The next day, you and Jennifer were awakened by a series of groans and moans. You opened your eyes, which already had dark circles under them, and opened the bedroom door, looking at Gan Gan in the center of the courtyard, practicing his dwarven combat skills.
"Oh my! You're awake!" Gan Gan waved enthusiastically, ran to the small table in the courtyard, flipped through the Book of Hatred that served as a memorandum, and muttered to herself:
"Oh, the next set of combat techniques is the Qi Pi Crazy Hammer Technique passed down from my great-great-great-grandfather. Hmm, the first move is the Qi Pi Groin Protective Hammer..."
Oh, the man who saved Gan Gan was named Latis. He was a burly man, tall and strong, with powerful arms and a steady gait. His body was as solid as a wall, imposing and handsome, with shoulders like double-door refrigerators. His eyes shone like cold stars, and his eyebrows were as dark as if painted with lacquer, like a demon king descended from heaven. He was truly a god among men, with broad shoulders that could make a canary nestle...
You took a deep breath, glanced at Gan Gan who was dangling a wooden hammer back and forth, and put down her Book of Hatred.
[At this moment, you desperately want to help her tear out this page of embarrassingly cringe-worthy description... No, you glance at the Book of Hatred again and feel that this entire booklet shouldn't exist in this world. Destroy it, it must be destroyed!]
"Oh, what's this?" Gan Gan, who had just put away the Book of Hatred, looked at the stone you took out of your bag and asked curiously.
"Uh, here's some takeout for you." You handed the stone over without batting an eye, exchanged a suspicious glance with Gan Gan, and nodded encouragingly.
She picked up the stone, thought for a moment, and then decisively took a bite.
[To your astonishment, a gash was clearly visible in the stone. Gan Gan chewed it a couple of times with a pained expression, then gagged and spat it onto the ground.]
"What is this? It's not even as tasty as the stones from the pickled cabbage stalls in my town..." Gan Gan licked her tongue to remove the stone fragments, then said, "Even our gold-devouring dog wouldn't eat this!"
"Sperm-swallowing dogs? What are those?" you couldn't help but ask. "Do you dwarves go this far?"
Gan Gan looked at you with a puzzled expression and said, "The Gold-Eating Dog is a kind of magical creature that our race raises. Some unusable ores, after being eaten by it, will decompose and layer inside its body, forming segments of pure minerals. After being expelled from its body, these segments can then be used."
"I see, the world is truly full of wonders." You exclaimed, turning to look at Jennifer, who was already fully dressed in her armor. You stretched and suddenly asked with a smile, "Shall we set off?"
"Okay!" "Charge! Charge!" The excited girls rushed out of the house first.
After leaving the town and walking for about half an hour around the edge of the mines, you arrived at a mine shaft.
Although it was still early morning, many miners were already carrying cartloads of ore at the mine entrance. You glanced at it and noticed it was mostly raw ore, with only a few scattered pieces of "unattribute mixed silver" on top. You scratched your head; it was no wonder the town's reserves were so low—there were indeed several reasons for it.
You didn't rush down into the mine; instead, you looked around first. Although it was a busy mine, the transport route wasn't easy to navigate. The rugged terrain was bisected by hills, creating sections of curved paths.
You climb a hill and gaze into the distance, suddenly noticing that a mountainous area in the distance looks vaguely familiar.
You scratched your head, thought for a moment, took out a photo of Teacher Yin from the dimensional rift, touched the face of young Yin Xiu'er, and glanced at the building behind her.
"No...it's not easy to see, but there really is that mountainous area beneath this building..." you muttered to yourself, frowning. "But why is there nothing there now on that mountainous area?"
Before you returned to the mine, you asked the manager about the mountain area. After glancing at your student badge, he smiled and said:
"Do you have any exploration quests for that mountain area? There doesn't seem to be anything there... Oh, wait! I seem to remember, there used to be a mine there, but it's abandoned now..."
“If you have time, you can go to the Listening Wind Platform in town and ask. It's on the hillside directly opposite the central market. The town used to use it to predict danger, but after the method was lost, it's now used to store information.”
You nodded, planning to go check it out that evening. Now, as originally planned, you must enter the cave and dig deep into the rock walls.
Chapter 156 When Miyazaki Hidetaka was a child, he couldn't open the door from this side.
Those who frequently join American-style adventure tours know that you should never enter a cave. If you absolutely must, it's best to pack self-defense items such as ropes, bandages, a digger, Philippine firecrackers, and even a nuclear bomb in your bag. If you can't bring all that, it's advisable to secretly bribe the tour leader (KP) with some food and drinks.
[It's a pity you didn't bring any self-defense equipment and stubbornly went into the cave. You also don't have any Keepers (KPs) to bribe. But luckily, this simulator is very reliable and can meet all your needs. Here's what we'll do: it's Thursday today, so I'll give you a chance. V-Simulator 50...]
[What, not v? Hehe, this emulator isn't the kind of vengeful junk program. Oh, I accidentally downloaded a 2345 suite for you just now, please delete it yourself ^^]
"...Are you sick? You've really caught a yandere?" Latis couldn't help but retort. He scratched his head, looking completely bewildered. After checking the simulator and confirming that no other buttons had appeared, he breathed a sigh of relief and continued looking at the simulated text.
The three of you quickly descended the mine shaft to a depth of about ten meters. Here, tracks were laid to guide the mine carts, which were pushed by miners into various branching tunnels.
Inside each branching mine shaft, groups of three to five miners were diligently extracting ore. You stroked your chin and couldn't help but mutter to yourself, "Given how advanced Norard's magic network is, why don't they use magical artifacts or simply employ some folk magic?"
"I don't know!" Gan Gan said decisively. "But we dwarves didn't use magic when we were mining! My great-grandfather used to say, 'Mages are all talk and no action!'"
"Whether you dwarves can even connect to the magic network is another matter..." you muttered to yourself, glancing at Jennifer, who seemed lost in thought.
"I think there must be various reasons," Jennifer said, a ball of light appearing in her hand. She flicked it gently, suspending it above everyone's heads, and continued walking towards the bright path ahead.
"Although the prices of many magical artifacts have come down, there are still barriers to using them. Whether it's maintenance or repair, it's not a simple matter... And the stability of the magic network is closely related to magic essence. In a mine, which is almost a sealed place with no interaction with the outside world, the magic essence level is not very stable..."
"Ah!" Gan Gan exclaimed as if suddenly remembering something, "Indeed, my family said before that the swirling magic energy in the mine is quite annoying! Usually, before starting any blasting work, they'll use some tools to disperse the magic energy."
"Okay, that sounds like mining is pretty primitive." You nodded helplessly and said, "Shall we go deeper and find a secluded cave to start digging?"
The two girls naturally had no objections, and you had already learned from Gan Gan that she could sense nearby mineral resources. So, in your opinion, what followed was simply a period of idle play: opening the magic network to farm in Xiaonanliang, farming skeletons for gold, then coming back to collect the drops, and finally encouraging yourself with "Today was really tough," and another wonderful day would be over, right?
"...Why did the simulation suddenly turn into an attack on someone?!"
Latis threw the empty Epper into the trash can and loudly complained:
"Emulator, have you been acting weirder lately? You haven't been secretly downloading plugins from Nico Nico Douga behind my back, have you? I'm so worried, Omnic Crisis!"
[It's time to introduce the newest learning tool for this simulator! Led by the great designers of Magic University, we've developed this tool that transforms tedious practice problems into a game-like learning experience—ta-da, Integrated Strategy!]
"Huh?" Latis was stunned, his eyes widening. "Holy crap!"
[Don't be too reverent about this; it's merely an auxiliary function of the Magic University Simulator, developed by Mr. Latis as an incentive to further your path as a mage! Come and learn about it!]
[Integrated Strategy: Consume 10-50 Goddess Water to transform a simulated adventure into a roguelike game. With the help of Goddess Water, the original adventure will be reduced in difficulty to some extent, and new story branches may also be introduced. Please carefully consider the risks and rewards behind each option and forge your own path to victory!]
"Hey! Even in a simulation, you're deducting my tokens? You heartless simulator!"
Latis cursed angrily, shook his head, and began to think about the changes brought about by the new simulator feature.
"As expected, I guessed before that there would be other changes in the simulator after advancing to the intermediate-level mage, and it really is true..."
"However, consuming Goddess Water is indeed a bit tough. Fortunately, I can get more after the simulation ends, so it's like using battle to sustain myself. I still have 200 Goddess Water left... How much should I spend? Hmm, going all in is a kind of wisdom..."
"I don't know what the definition of an adventure is. Is it like a mini-dungeon in a simulation? Or is it a storyline where practical experience is much more rewarding than idle gameplay?"
The event options that had occasionally appeared in previous simulations flashed through his mind, and he pondered for a moment.
"Indeed, looking back now, some choices could have drastically altered the subsequent plot. But it was just a simulation; was it really necessary to be so meticulous? Although the number of simulations decreases as my mage level increases, as long as I ensure I avoid the risks predicted in the simulation, achieving a happy ending in reality shouldn't be too difficult, right?"
"Could it be that the simulated scenario also has some kind of effect? It seems possible..."
Latis considered the real-world travels to different planes and decided to leave that possibility open for the time being.
"Anyway, give me 50 points of Goddess Water first. Simulator, I'll show you how your little dungeon is utterly crushed by this big brother!"
[You consumed 50 Goddess Water, gaining Miner Strength +1, Healer Strength +1, and Trainer Strength +3]
"what?"
Latis paused for a few seconds, forcibly suppressing the urge to retort, and squinted as he read:
"Wow, this is too strong! This is the best start I've ever had... Can I start another game?"
However, the simulator ignored him and continued the simulated storyline.
[Initial spacetime balance: 50. Note that event progression will affect the balance; when the balance falls below 0 or exceeds 100, the exploration will be forcibly interrupted.]
[You feel the power suddenly surging into your body, realizing you can now easily surpass thirty succubi simultaneously. Under the bewildered gazes of Jennifer and Gan Gan, you flex your muscles and confidently walk towards a deserted fork in the road.]
[Where Does the Road Lead: This is a deserted fork in the road. The deep, dark caves and the overly rugged paths make the miners prefer to while away their time in the increasingly depleted upper mines rather than become brave adventurers. But understandable, with only 10 gold worth of white gold a month, why would they risk their lives! Fortunately, our beloved Mr. Latis has reached his faithful mine today. So, which path will you choose to take?]
[A. A real man should go all the way in and continue along the track into the underground; B. Left eye twitching means wealth, enter the left mine tunnel to make money, choose the left; C. Right-wing conservative, you're a fundamentalist, pure handmade glue maker, choose the right; D. It's too dark and scary underground, hide behind Jennifer and let her choose.]
"No way, what kind of ridiculous instructions are these?! How the hell am I supposed to make a normal selection?!"
Latis slapped his face, sighed, thought for a moment, and said:
Choose C.
You betrayed the twelve Holy Grails in your home, resolutely heading towards the mine on the right. Alas, this is the attitude men have towards their former loves. Hopefully, when your Holy Grails are discovered one day, you'll be just as resolute as you are today.
Jennifer's sphere of light faintly illuminated the scene inside the mine. You noticed that the mine showed few signs of mining, with the excavation path extending only six or seven meters forward. You entered the mine, picked up an identity badge from the ground, and glanced at it. The back of the badge read "Illuminati," the name of a folk organization in the Wilderness Territory that you had learned about in your history class at Queen's College, so the badge was probably twenty or thirty years old.
[Hesitant: You put away your badge and watch the dwarf Gan Gan excitedly sniff around like a puppy, marking several mineral-rich areas in just a few minutes. At that moment, you seem to hear the sound of dripping water, and Jennifer suddenly frowns and says to you, "This place feels a bit chilly. Should I activate my divine power to cleanse the environment?" You think for a moment and then decide.]
[A. Your mining addiction is huge. Tell Jennifer to hold back for now and see if Gan Gan's abilities are real before cleaning up the environment to prepare for long-term mining; B. First, find the source of the water sound, otherwise you'll feel the urge to pee; C. Finding blessing points before starting to clean the map is a basic courtesy of every Faded One. Let Jennifer cosplay as Melina first; D. When in doubt, always be polite.]
"Not a buddy?" Latis took a deep breath, suppressing the urge to choose D, and pondered:
"Logically, each choice should lead to a different storyline, and showing respect to Sun Quan might even have some side quest... No, no, this is my first time playing a roguelike game, don't mess with it..."
The first three options correspond to different clues in the simulated scenario, but they shouldn't conflict, right? Does this mean that making a choice will trigger a series of subsequent events?
He pondered for a moment, then said:
"Choose B. The sound of water might indicate an underground river or something similar, suggesting there might be a hidden map."
You gestured for the girls to be quiet, then walked towards the sound of water. After confirming it wasn't a hallucination, you rolled a few times in front of the rock face.
Unfortunately, you didn't manage to roll out of the hidden map. You frowned, extended your sturdy, chained fingers, and intended to carve the words "No Horses Before" into the rock wall. Unexpectedly, with a gentle poke, you pierced right through the rock. You paused, then slammed the rock a few times, creating a small hole. Under the light of the orb, you could vaguely see the damp ground inside.
[On the Verge: The clearer sound of dripping water indicates you've found the right direction. You think for a moment, about to ask Jennifer and the others to clean up the area and explore this hidden region cautiously, when suddenly a rustling sound interrupts your thoughts. You immediately look into the small cave, and in the dim light, you see countless bats flying towards the entrance! You choose...]
[A. Calmly block the cave entrance with your body and shout, "I am Batman!"; B. Abandon illusions and prepare for battle! Immediately begin chanting spells; C. They're just bats, what's wrong with letting them suck some blood? They say a drop of semen is worth ten drops of blood, do you think you can give them more?; D. While shouting "Suck, suck, suck," try to train them.]
"Sometimes I really want to see what kind of storyline those crazy options will lead to..."
Latis took a deep breath, just about to choose to fight, when his gaze casually swept over option D, and suddenly his eyes froze.
"Wait, do I have some kind of dominatrix strength...? Simulator, select D!"
[Undeterred by the danger, amidst the resounding flapping of wings, you calmly reached out and began to lick.]
However, the bats remained unmoved! Your eyes widened, and you suddenly realized that bats seem to perceive sound frequencies differently than human ears; they couldn't understand your hissing!
[You frowned, just about to change your strategy and use your burning hands to refine them instantly, when suddenly a strange howl came from the depths of the cave.]
Amidst this mournful, muffled howl, the bats swarmed in terror. After a chaotic scattering, they left behind a trail of stunned, battered foes, and then darted away along the mine's ceiling, avoiding you.
You and the two girls exchanged a glance, thought for a moment, and then bravely crawled into the hole you had just created. After sliding a couple of steps on the ground, you found yourself in front of a damp and cramped path.
Jennifer followed you, bringing her light. You carefully made your way along the path, winding your way for over a hundred meters and descending about four or five meters, until a wide underground cave appeared before you.
Before a bronze door embedded in the rock wall, a dog with its tongue lolling out looks at you obsequiously, a heavy chain around its neck. A sign on the ground not far from the door reads, "Beware of vicious dogs."