章節 87: Chapter 86: Leveled Up!
The demonic fog was completely cleared, leaving the entire historical slice bright and clear. The players, still savoring the previous battle, felt a lingering sense of excitement.
So this is what a massive, thousand-player, passionate national battle is all about?
And a 100% realistic virtual reality game?
It could even be called beyond 100% real, since you'd never see such a grand spectacle of demons clashing with Restorers in real life!
Just as the players were reveling in the thrill of victory, mist began to spread, signaling that their enjoyment was over for today and they would soon awaken in reality.
"Huh? It's over already?"
"No way, I haven't had enough yet!"
"See you all on the forum!"
The players hurriedly said their farewells, then began to disappear one by one.
In the vast historical slice, only Meng Yuan and Can Shang remained.
Clapping her tiny hands, Can Shang congratulated Meng Yuan.
"A thoroughly satisfying victory! Although we moved after careful preparation and our accumulated strength surpassed the demons of this historical slice, this victory is still hard-won.
"Most importantly, using the players to fight the demons offered a great advantage compared to the solo battles that Restorers faced before.
"And I'm pleasantly surprised at how quickly the players adapted to the battlefield! And of course, as the genuine Restorer, you performed well in the end.
"Even though using the aura of righteousness to destroy a demon in its true form is something anyone with hands could do, well… at least you had hands."
Meng Yuan raised an eyebrow, smirking. "What's that supposed to mean—'anyone with hands'? If I hadn't cleverly rallied the players, repelled the demon attacks, and forced the demon to consolidate its power in rage, how would there have been a chance for a final blow?
"I'm a smart player, not like those previous Restorers who only knew brute force, okay? So, now that we've reclaimed the first historical slice, what's next?"
Can Shang replied, "Of course, we'll use it to enhance the Restorer's power."
She floated up, her small body suspended in mid-air, strands of her hair rising as if charging with an intense power!
Countless wisps of black smoke rose from the ground, the city walls, and various buildings. This was demonic energy infused by the demons when they altered the historical slice, or demonic energy created from corrupting the original aura of righteousness within the historical slice.
As the slice was reversed and corrected, these energies were naturally absorbed, transformed into power for the Restorer.
The black smoke rose, purified in the air, gradually turning into white righteous energy that was absorbed into Can Shang's body. Afterward, she visibly grew a tiny bit taller.
Meng Yuan fell silent for a moment, then remarked, "That's it?"
Can Shang's face darkened, almost ready to jump up and punch Meng Yuan's knee. "What do you mean 'that's it'? This was just a small historical slice, not some stronghold of great demons…
"And besides, this power boost is actually significant!"
As she spoke, she placed her small hand on Meng Yuan's forehead.
Instantly, a flood of information rushed into Meng Yuan's mind! As the Restorer, his power had indeed increased dramatically.
The Restorer's skill library now unlocked "Xin"-level skills, one rank higher than the previous "Ren"-level skills.
The historical timeline also expanded; whereas before he could only access mid to late Da Sheng Dynasty slices, he could now travel to any part of Da Sheng's history.
He could now assign some of the Restorer's talents as permanent abilities to players.
The exclusive skills of Warrior, Assassin, Scholar, and Ranger were upgraded.
Players' weapons, armor, and other equipment were upgraded.
This historical slice could now be freely modified to become a fortress and outpost for resisting demon invasions.
Of course, the information was more complex than this, but thanks to the Restorer's power, every detail was instantly transferred into Meng Yuan's mind with perfect clarity.
"Alright, time for the Chief Operating Officer to get to work again!" Meng Yuan organized his new Restorer powers and began drafting—oh no, carefully planning—the update announcement for the game's official website.
…
Meanwhile, as players awoke in the real world, discussions on the *Ashes of Darkness* official forum quickly gained momentum!
"Last night's Restorer Expedition was so exhilarating!"
"Right? I thought this game was mainly single-player, but this massive multiplayer national battle was so much fun!"
"I was cutting down bandits left and right—it was awesome! Too bad it ended before I was satisfied."
"Really? I saw you get killed twice at lightning speed."
"Hey, stop slandering me! Wait until you see the replay!"
"The final scene with the cinematic cutscene was spectacular—makes every other game's CG look like child's play! Did anyone analyze Quitter's mysterious identity?"
"I think the top-ranking players are the real MVPs. They cleared the ultimate trial at 100% pain threshold in one go! I thought the Restorer Expedition would take until tomorrow. I wonder how the ultimate trial differs from the standard quest?"
"Didn't they say the ultimate trial footage would be edited into a video? When can we watch it?"
"Now that we've reclaimed this historical slice, can we start farming and building there?"
"Why wasn't I summoned? Is it because I haven't passed the basic trial scenario yet?"
"Can anyone post a detailed battle report for those of us who couldn't participate?"
Those who missed the event were practically gnashing their teeth with regret. If they'd known it was this exciting, they'd have risked everything to pass the 'Final Judgment' scenario and qualify!
Now, not only had they missed out on the Restorer Expedition group event, but they also faced the possibility of losing their beta testing slot after the update.
It was a struggle to keep up! *Ashes of Darkness* had already revoked some beta slots, and players had no choice but to constantly push themselves to retain their access.
Soon, battle reports, replays, and breakdowns of the previous night's Restorer Expedition started appearing on the forum, with players sharing their experiences in the national battle gameplay.
Chu Ge, in particular, detailed the battle's specifics, thanking all the players for their support and coordination. He hoped that in future national battles, players would act more like a disciplined army, focusing on teamwork over individual heroics.
Fan Cun and others who had acted recklessly admitted their mistakes but maintained they would still gauge the situation before charging in recklessly next time.
In short, those who participated discussed it enthusiastically, while those who missed it or hadn't qualified were left with an itch they couldn't scratch.
Where's the replay?
I really want to see what happened!
Soon enough, both the replay of the "Restorer Expedition" event and the new version update announcement appeared on the official website! However, the replay for the "Final Judgment" ultimate trial was still "being edited, stay tuned."
Eager players who'd been anticipating the release rushed to watch the "Restorer Expedition" replay.
…
In the dormitory of the History Department at Tiandu University, Chu Ge's roommate, Li Hongyun, watched the replay of the Restorer Expedition, stunned and envious.
Though labeled as a replay, it was worlds apart from typical game replays or CG cutscenes—it was like a meticulously produced blockbuster!
Thanks to *Ashes of Darkness*'s almost 100% realistic physics engine, every detail in battle was captured perfectly. For example, each Warrior player had unique bow-drawing and shield-raising animations, and the realistic, brutal scenes of war were portrayed in full detail.
Since the bandits were possessed by demons, there wasn't much blood, with black smoke emanating from the wounds instead. The editing also avoided overly graphic scenes, but the excitement and intensity of a large-scale battlefield were flawlessly conveyed!
The replay was like a documentary showing a panoramic view of the players' efforts. Lasting over four hours, it included not only clips of prominent players like Chu Ge, Huo Yunying, and Fan Cun, but also snippets of every player who made an outstanding contribution.
The battle against the demons was presented from countless angles, including a few sweeping aerial shots that were grander than any real landscape and more authentic than CG.
And the final showdown between Restorer Beichen and the Demon was a cinematic climax that left everyone's blood boiling!
Li Hongyun was mesmerized. "This is too intense!"
"This replay could rival any movie—no, it's even more thrilling! Movies are scripted, but this battle was fought by real players, making it completely unpredictable! *Ashes of Darkness* is a game that blows other VR games and even movies out of the water!"
"Damn it, I'm so envious of you, commanding from the city wall like a king! The replay even gave you so much screen time. You really pulled off that heroic act!"
Chu Ge chuckled. "It was all thanks to the players' cooperation. My commanding just added a little polish."
Li Hongyun sighed. "You're getting smug! When will I finally get to play this game?"
Chu Ge replied, "Didn't you see the announcement on the *Ashes of Darkness* website? They're doubling the official beta slots to 40,000, and instead of a straight selection, they're choosing 100,000 players to test, with only those who pass qualifying for beta access."
Li Hongyun's face lit up. "Really? So there's hope for me!"
每周推薦票狀態
-- 推薦票
榜單 
-- 推薦票