ATPnovel Chapter 2: Hidden Talent
Chapter 2: Hidden Talent
In a dilapidated village, a young man sits in a black wooden wheelchair, his face full of melancholy.
Shen Xing never expected that he would have to use a wheelchair again after entering the game world, just as he used one in the real world.
It shattered his fantasy of getting back on his feet.
At that moment, he noticed a line of semi-transparent text at the edge of his field of vision.
The game world and the real world are deeply connected; the player's real-world body will be 100% synchronized in the Misty Lands.
...
"A 100% real-world body synchronized with the game? That sounds amazing."
Shen Xing chuckled: "If you're so capable, why don't you bring your game abilities into reality as well?"
He stopped worrying about the wheelchair and started checking his attribute panel.
Lord: Shen Xing
[Level: 1]
[Attributes: Strength 4, Spirit 6, Agility 0, Constitution 5]
[Skills: None]
[Talent: None]
[Evaluation: A novice lord newly arrived in the Misty Lands, physically crippled and frail, he appears unlikely to live more than three days.]
...
"You won't live more than three days, and what the hell is 0 agility?"
"Even if I don't have legs, you can't deny me any agility, can you?"
Shen Xing mentally complained, feeling that there was something strange about this game.
"But to be fair, the visuals are really realistic!"
The black wooden houses and the black earth created a dark and oppressive atmosphere throughout the village.
If it weren't for the warm glow of the roaring campfire in the center, this place would look like a scene from a horror game.
He looked at the most conspicuous campfire, and a message appeared before his eyes.
[Campfire: Level 1]
[Campfire effect: Increases the temperature of an area with a diameter of 20 meters and dispels fog]
[Upgrade Required Materials: Soul Stones x5]
[Note: This is the survival fire of the territory; be careful not to let it go out.]
...
"I remember Qin Lang saying in the group that the fog outside the village should not be entered lightly."
"In other words, our activities are restricted to the area affected by the fire."
"So it seems this campfire is very important."
"If the monsters in the mist rush in and destroy the campfire, it's basically game over."
Shen Xing analyzed the situation and then looked towards the campfire.
There was a completely black building there, which looked like an altar.
It is about three meters tall and looks like it was made of obsidian.
[Should we randomly select troop nests?]
"So this is where you draw your unit type?"
Without hesitation, he clicked to draw.
"Buzz~"
The obsidian altar trembled slightly, releasing a ball of white light that transformed into a slowly rotating sphere of light in front of Shen Xing.
[Draw successful! You have obtained the initial troop type nest: Orc Barracks (Normal ★)]
...
Orc Barracks
[Level: Common ★]
[Recruitable Unit: Orc Infantry (Normal ★)]
[Number of recruits available: 10 (first batch free)]
[Recruitment Requirements: Soul Stones*3, Vinar Silver Coins*3, Food*10]
[Upgrade Requirements: Soul Stones*20, Vinar Silver Coins*20, Food*100]
[Description: An ordinary orc barracks where you can recruit green-skinned orc infantry to fight for you.]
...
"They're orcs, what a piece of trash."
As one of the initial unit types, orcs can be considered an extremely ordinary type.
His brain is basically useless; he eats the equivalent of three people.
The only good thing is that they don't know what fear is, they are really brave when something happens, and they are extremely fierce when they fight.
"The first batch of troops is free, so let's recruit them and see how it goes."
With a thought, Shen Xing placed the troop nest he had just drawn on the open ground next to the campfire.
A flash of light appeared, and a crudely built wooden house, adorned with animal teeth and tattered flags, materialized out of thin air.
Then, the entire wooden house was enveloped in a layer of white light.
[Recruiting the first batch of initial troops...]
Recruitment successful, territory population +10
...
Orc Infantry
[Level: 1]
[Attributes: Strength 6, Spirit 3, Agility 4, Constitution 5]
[Potential: Average ★]
[Skills: None]
[Talent: None]
[Bond - Orc (Activated): When there are more than 10 orcs present at the same time, the strength of all orcs is increased by 10%]
[Description: A group of orc recruits fresh out of the barracks; they don't seem very bright.]
...
"Bang!"
The wooden door was smashed open, and out emerged a group of orcs, each about 1.56 meters tall and with green skin.
They stood side by side, their eyes vacant, each clutching a rough stone axe, its design rather shabby.
"...Are you sure this is an orc?"
Although Shen Xing didn't have high hopes for this initial unit, it was still too different from the tall and mighty orcs he had imagined.
This thing looks like a bunch of green potatoes that were just dug out of the ground.
Shen Xing suddenly felt a little melancholy, because according to the game rules, monsters would constantly emerge from the mist and attack the village.
He felt he wouldn't last past the first day with this bunch of green-skinned people.
Just then, my phone in my pocket started vibrating.
Shen Xing immediately took off her glasses, and her vision instantly switched back to the narrow rented room.
I must say, this game is quite conveniently designed; you can exit it at any time.
When you want to go online, you can switch back instantly by simply putting on your glasses, without any discomfort.
On the green bubble, a four-person discussion group was having a lively chat.
Du Dai Wan Gu: "Wow! This is seriously amazing! This game is incredible!"
I kept eating and saying, "Yeah, it's so realistic, it's like entering another world."
"It's a pity I didn't get the tall, muscular, and handsome guy with abs that I wanted in the random draw."
Upon hearing their comments, Aiwan Xiangcai sent a laughing emoji: "Now you believe me, right? This game is absolutely a groundbreaking masterpiece, and it's definitely going to be a hit!"
The other two simultaneously sent a series of approving emojis.
Du Dai Wangu then asked, "Qin Lang, you entered the game earlier than us. Do you have any experience to share?"
"I only started playing with it half a day earlier than you guys, so I don't have any experience to share." (referring to a user named "Aiwan Cilantro")
"If I had to say... there are indeed some things I need to be aware of."
"First of all, there's the fog outside the village. Don't venture in lightly. I sent a halfling to test it out before."
"Just a few seconds after entering the mist, black spots appeared on the halfling's body, and he almost died inside."
"He's still lying in the barracks, half-dead and clinging to his last breath."
Du Dai Wan Gu was shocked: "That's terrifying? Does that mean we can only stay in the village?"
Aiwan Cilantro: "That's definitely not the case. This game is very difficult. Every now and then, monsters attack the village, and they get stronger and stronger."
"If we stay in the village, it's no different from waiting to die."
"So we need to use the [Lantern] in the game, which is in your personal inventory."
"The lantern can dispel the fog within a certain range, allowing us to explore and collect resources, but it can only last for a period of time, and we need to return to the village to recharge it in time."
Everyone suddenly realized what was happening and opened their backpacks to check. Sure enough, they saw a simple and antique-looking brass lantern.
After a pause, Aiwan Cilantro added, "Also, there's something else very important."
"Shortly after entering the game, we will face our first battle, so be sure to take it seriously."
"The system will rate the combat performance and troop damage, and then give different rewards."
"The rewards vary greatly between each rating, from D to S."
"It's said that if you can get an S-rank, there are even extra special rewards, such as rare units or skill books."
Everyone's expressions changed; this was indeed crucial intelligence.
Different rewards will be given based on performance in battle.
If played well, it can accumulate a significant advantage in the early stages.
"So there's such a mechanism." Du Dai Wangu pressed, "Qin Lang, what was your score in your first battle?"
The user "Aiwanxiangcai" posted a confident emoji: "With Brother Qin taking action, of course it's... Grade C."
The three people: "..."
"Damn it," said Cilantro, annoyed. "This game is seriously difficult. The monsters' skills are disgusting. They killed three of my halflings in the first wave."
"This is also related to my foolish attempt to test the fog with a halfling. You must not follow my example; this is a lesson learned in blood and tears."
While sending out laughing emojis, everyone silently kept this lesson in mind.
At that moment, Shen Xing's glasses, which were resting on his lap, vibrated.
After putting it on, a prompt appeared in front of my eyes.
Your territory is about to be attacked. Prepare for battle.
Shen Xing's expression immediately hardened, and his consciousness returned to the dilapidated village.
The campfire still burned brightly, and the ten dumbfounded orc infantrymen drooled, completely unaware of the danger approaching.
Looking around, something seemed to be wriggling in the thick fog, and a chilling aura wafted over.
For some reason, Shen Xing felt a chill run down his spine.
Just like that night, when the Dayun N6 truck was about to run him over, the fear of death welled up in his heart!
"This is really interesting; I actually experienced fear in a game."
He pushed his wheelchair to the village entrance and ordered in a deep voice, "Beastmen, prepare for battle."
"Yes, sir. The one in the wheelchair... Boss."
The orc with a rooster-like comb at the front shook his head and led the other orcs toward the village entrance.
"..." Shen Xing's face darkened: "What the hell did you call me?"
The rooster-headed orc looked dazed and scratched his head.
He sighed. Oh well, he couldn't be bothered arguing with these green potatoes who only had muscles in their heads.
However, from this small detail, he further realized how realistic the game was; even these cannon fodder units had a high level of intelligence.
At the same time, the gray fog ahead began to churn violently.
"Heh...heh..."
A series of hoarse sounds came from behind, sounding like someone whose voice had been ruined by smoke and was gasping for breath.
Immediately afterwards, tall, slender figures emerged from the mist and stepped into the area of firelight.
They had human-like outlines and charred bodies, resembling corpses crawling up from a fire scene.
One, two, three... a total of fifteen charred black figures appeared at the same time.
The Lost Ones
[Level: 1]
[Attributes: Strength 5, Spirit 6, Agility 4, Constitution 4]
[Potential: Average ★]
[Skills: None]
[Talent: None]
[Bond - Lost Ones (Activated): When there are more than 10 Lost Ones present at the same time, the special ability [Voice of the Lost] is activated.]
[Description: Creatures lost in the mist, their souls long since vanished, yet their bodies continue to wander within the fog.]
...
"The first wave of attacks has 15 monsters, this is a bit tricky."
Shen Xing's face turned solemn: "No wonder Qin Lang lost three halflings right from the start, while my ten orc infantrymen..."
He looked at the group of drooling, dumbfounded orcs, then at the wheelchair beneath him, and suddenly felt that the future was shrouded in darkness.
After all, although Qin Lang was also a new player, at least he was a normal person, and even if he was not good at it, he could still stand in the back and throw a few stones.
And all I can do is sit here and watch helplessly, unable to help at all.
But since things have come to this, we have no choice but to go through with it, even if it's tough.
Just as Shen Xing took a deep breath, preparing to command the orc infantry in battle.
[Special destiny detected in Pioneer 'Shen Xing', activating a unique hidden talent: Sacrifice Evolution]
[Sacrifice Evolution: Permanently sacrifice one basic attribute, allowing a single unit within the territory to complete one potential advancement and permanently gain the sacrificed attribute value.]
...