Chương 21: The Beast Wave Approaches

The Green Ivy Group's strength ranks within the top ten in the capital city. Moreover, James and his sister Lily were among the first batch of beta testers. The guild had now recruited a large number of players from all over the country, making it a force to be reckoned with.

"Mr. Irving, as long as you're willing to join the guild, I can guarantee that all the resources within the guild would be supplied to you as a priority! Whether it's collected materials, equipment, or blueprints..." James said in a solemn voice.

If someone else heard this, they would be green with envy.

All the resources of a guild being prioritized to a single player showed just how much James valued Irving.

"I'm sorry, but I have no intention of joining a guild." Irving said.

James was stunned. He had thought that no one could refuse the conditions he had offered, yet Irving's words felt like a bucket of cold water was dumped over him.

If he knew that the official Angel Squad had extended an olive branch to Irving several times only to be refused, he might not have been so surprised.

Irving had his own plans.

Although joining a guild would have its advantages, it would also mean being tied to a single boat. His awakened talent was [Ten Times Drop Rate], and he had successfully become a [Necromancer]. He really didn't need to join any guild.

However, the mine he discovered last time would inevitably become a target for players in the game. Sometimes, being a lone wolf, many things couldn't be accomplished simultaneously.

Seeing James's disappointed face, Irving showed a smile: "Although I can't join your guild, it doesn't mean we can't cooperate."

"How can we cooperate?" James asked quickly.

Irving explained, "Your Green Ivy Guild could act as my agent. For instance, I recently discovered a mine. I will take care of the surrounding beasts, and your guild can take over the mining and guarding of the mine. Then, you can supply me with the required ore on a regular basis."

James, who had been running the family business for several years, instantly understood Irving's meaning.

If the 23 pieces of equipment had surprised him, the mention of the mine was like a boulder dropping into a still pond, causing ripples of excitement in his heart.

Whether it was for shelter upgrades or equipment, a lot of rare ore was needed!

And a resource like a mine would surely attract countless players to scramble for. However, there were usually powerful beasts around mines. Not everyone had the strength to fight for them...

James knew the benefits and risks, and immediately agreed.

"I'll send you the location of the mine. I've cleaned up all the beasts around it. After the first wave of disaster, you immediately take people over there and secure the place." Irving said. He didn't want the mine he had worked hard to clear to be taken over by others.

The next instant, a prompt sounded.

[Do you wish to share map coordinates with another player?]

[Prompt: The areas explored by the player will be displayed on the map, and specific location coordinates can be shared.]

"Yes," Irving replied.

After sharing the location of the mine with James, Irving promptly left the office.

As he was descending the stairs, he caught Alice looking at him with an indecipherable expression, as though she wanted to say something.

However, Irving did not give her the opportunity to speak, walking out without a backward glance.

...

Once back home, Irving checked the time and immediately logged into the other world game.

Inside the shelter, Vicky had somehow procured a significant quantity of pork, which she had cooked and was now feeding to Little Black. The little creature was enjoying the meal, wagging its tail in delight.

As soon as Little Black saw Irving, it scampered over, rubbing its small head against his trousers non-stop. After spending these past few days together, Little Black had already acknowledged him as its master.

"You're back?" Vicky greeted Irving with a brilliant smile upon seeing him. She added, "Earlier, some Pigmen were attacking the shelter. So, I took Little Black out and dealt with them."

Hearing this, Irving's brows knitted into a frown.

Once he stepped outside, he quickly realized what had happened. The shelter, which was originally underground, was now exposed in the midst of a forest.

[The first wave of disaster will arrive in 1:32:19.]

[Player's shelter's newbie protection period is over, the shelter will be moved to the surface. Please reinforce it quickly to withstand the beast attacks...]

Looking at the log cabin in front of him, Irving shook his head.

This level of defense could just barely fend off low-level beasts like the Pigmen. But if it were the Butcher that he had encountered at the altar earlier, it would probably only take a few hits for a hole to be knocked into the wall.

Irving checked the materials he had at his disposal.

[Stone*7337]

[Wood*7124]

[Black Iron Ore*35]

[Gold Sand Ore*89]

[Obsidian*4]

The shelter was only 100 square meters in size, expanding it wasn't an urgency. Irving's gaze landed on the shelter upgrade interface.

[Do you want to spend 800*wood, 1000*stone to build a Wooden Fence?]

"Yes," Irving responded.

The next moment, a row of fences appeared around the perimeter of the shelter.

To be safe, Irving added two more layers of fences.

Now, there were three rows of fences surrounding the shelter, effectively delaying the pace of beast attacks.

[Do you want to spend 3000*stone to upgrade the shelter to a Stone Wall?]

"Yes," Irving replied.

The original wooden hut immediately transformed into a stone house, its durability significantly improving, although subsequent upgrades would require a large amount of stone.

However, Irving was not worried since he had discovered that mine.

"That should be enough for now." Irving said, shaking his head helplessly as he saw the materials he had just collected get used up in an instant. He then took out the[blueprint for the 'Swamp Trap].

[Do you want to use "Swamp Trap" immediately?]

[Materials required: Wood*2000, Stone*500]

[Hint: Once used, a 10m*10m swamp area will be created!]

Irving furrowed his eyebrows in deep thought. If he haphazardly placed the trap and the beasts happened not to pass through the[Swamp Trap]during their attack, the trap would be wasted.

Taking this into consideration, he decided to dismantle part of the recently constructed three-layer wooden fence, creating a passage in the middle.

Following that, he positioned the[Swamp Trap]specifically at the entrance of this passage. Everything was ready!

Irving looked over his handywork with satisfaction. Suddenly, he remembered the most crucial part: he hadn't upgraded the[Severely Damaged Staff]yet.

The fences and traps surrounding the shelter were merely supplementary. If he wanted to successfully survive the first wave of disaster, his personal strength would be the most vital factor.

He took out the staff that resembled a fire stick, a glimmer of anticipation in his eyes.

[Would you like to consume Black Luminous Stones*4 to upgrade?]

"Yes!" Irving's words had barely finished echoing when he saw a flash of golden light before his eyes. The four Black Luminous Stones transformed into a stream of light, swiftly sinking into the staff.

The next moment,

[Upgrade Successful!]

[Item Information: Damaged Staff]

[Staff Affinity is rising, Affinity: 20 points]

[Attached Skill 1: Intermediate-level Fireball (Increased attack range, enhanced burn damage)]

[Successfully activated Attached Skill 2: Low-level Gravity Mud! (Skill Tip: Applies gravity magic within a certain range, currently at double gravity. The speed of beasts or players in the spell range will be slowed down...)]

Although Irving had long known that the staff in his hand, which resembled a fire stick, was extraordinary, his heart still couldn't help but be filled with excitement when he discovered another activated skill: "Gravity Mud? Swamp Trap! They're a perfect match!"

The[Swamp Trap]itself could slow down the beasts, and with the addition of the [Swamp Trap]Gravity Mud]skill, it could trap all the beasts attacking him. Then, by using the fireball spell...

Irving could already imagine the spectacular sight.

Just then, the ground inexplicably began to tremble subtly. Little Black, who was following behind Irving, was staring in one direction and making a series of howls, as if warning of some impending danger.

Irving immediately climbed up the lookout tower, from where he could monitor all activities within a five-kilometer radius.

However, when he looked through the telescope at the scene of a sea of beasts rushing like a tide, his face turned serious.

He could see that a tide of thousands of beasts was surging towards him!

Although they were still three to four kilometers away from the shelter, he could already hear the earth-shaking roars of the beasts.

In addition to the pigmen, there were beastmen with wolf heads, and further back, there were sporadic butchers...

What was strange was that these beasts seemed to be organized. Different species mingled harmoniously within the horde. This gave Irving an ominous premonition.

"Never mind that for now. At this rate, they will be here within two to three minutes."

Irving looked at the wooden fences in front of the shelter and began to worry.

Faced with the beast tide, his few layers of defense would not hold for long. He turned to Vicky: "Stay by my side and focus on casting your support magic!"

"Understood!"

Vicky took the situation seriously. She knew that if Irving fell, it would also mean the end of her. This man was her only hope!