HideousGrain
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Forgotten Lands - Chapter 12 (Book 2)
🕑 Added 2024-03-29 11:00:07 +0000 UTCEveryone but Zayn was exhausted. He glanced at the Players, who were lying on the ground writhing in pain, the corner of his lip tucked upward.
“Erik is the only Player with a decent reaction speed. Everyone else is leagues behind him. Your movements are sluggish and too slow,” Zayn mumbled. He glanced at Erik, “You are an athlete, right?”
Erik smiled wryly, “I retired a few years ago when my daughter was born.”
“But you keep your body in shape. That’s the biggest difference to them,” Zayn gestured to the other Players, who looked at him confused.
“Y’all have to watch my other videos and read the Player Guides. If you watched them all, you would have known that a trained body allows you to react faster.”
“Isn’t that unfair?” Elveriun complained, but Zayn shook his head.
“Not really. Erik’s physique is not why he is so much better than everyone here. His biggest advantage is that he knows how to move his body. His body responds naturally while you guys are…struggling.”
Zayn made a note on a holographic screen as he spoke.
“That’s also why everyone has to join a gym, preferably a gym with a dojo, to learn martial arts outside Forgotten Lands. You’ll have to train a lot to learn more about your body, but it will be worth it. As long as you give your best, you will be even better than Erik”
He winked at Erik, who forced a smile down his lips after he emptied a healing potion.
“What about you?” Storm Monarch asked.
“Me? What do you mean?”
“Can we reach your level as long as we train hard as well?”
Zayn tilted his head lightly and didn’t say anything for a moment.
“Who knows?”
Zayn ignored the follow-up questions of the other Players and focused on the holographic screen in front of him. Once he was done, he forwarded a message to Erik and the other members of Golden Age.
It was a workshop contract.
As long as the Golden Age members signed the contract, they would be officially accepted into the Golden Age workshop. They would be given a weekly salary with various bonuses according to their achievements and guild ranking.
The contract was a little complex, with various clauses to protect Golden Age’s assets – including the members – but it was a standard contract. A standard contract from guilds after the Gods’ domains descended.
Some clauses looked a little bit weird because they had nothing with Forgotten Lands to do, but nothing was weird enough to be questioned. The offered salary and boni were enticing enough to convince most Golden Age members to become officially part of Zayn’s workshop.
He glanced at the notifications as they arrived.
[Storm Monarch has been contracted. The Player has become an official member of Golden Age!]
[SupremeDaddy has been contracted. The Player has become an official member of Golden Age!]
…
…
Zayn smiled at the notifications and sent several links to Golden Age’s group chat. The links lead straight to his Player Guides, Videos, a training schedule for Beginners, Amateurs, and Professionals, and various books that contain knowledge about the Class Paths in Forgotten Lands.
Zayn had created a detailed guide for dozens of Rare Class Paths and a bunch of Epic Class Paths. He added two Unique Class Paths as well, including the conditions to unlock them and various Cards that could come in handy if they procured and leveled them before finalizing the integration of certain Class Paths.
By reaching the level cap, Players could unlock the upgrade conditions of certain Cards.
The information were useless for Zayn because he would integrate a Class Path he never heard before, but the others could make use of the detailed information sheets that he prepared for his brothers.
“There are many things we have to do, but I think everyone wants some equipment,” Zayn said lightly, “I marked the Class Paths that I consider the most useful for each of you, but I won’t force you to take them. If you don’t think that you will be a good Spearman or Sorcerer, you don’t have to be. It’s merely my recommendation. However, I hope everyone can think carefully about my suggestions. There is a reason I picked those Class Paths for you. Think about it and ask yourself why I picked these Class Paths for you.”
[Zayn transferred 25 gold coins to Storm Monarch.]
[Zayn transferred 25 gold coins to SupremeDaddy.]
…
…
“I’ve given everyone 25 gold coins to purchase potions, armor sets, and weapons. It’s not enough to buy powerful Ranked Armaments, but that’s not why I transferred 25 gold coins to everyone. My reasoning is pretty simple. I have a mission for the lot of you!”
Erik and the others stared at Zayn, unsure what the Guildmaster wanted from them. They didn’t like Zayn’s smile. It was dangerous. To their misery, they had already signed the employment contract with the Golden Age workshop.
Zayn displayed the map of the Magma Prairie and marked a small area far in the north.
“The first part of the mission is to use your finances to purchase enough equipment to conquer a cavern system in the northern part of the Magma Prairie. I won’t influence your purchases, but I will not accept failure either. The cavern system is an extraordinary grinding spot for what you lack the most.”
“A grinding spot for Soul Essences and Rare Cards? That sounds amazing!” Elveriun exclaimed, only to shut his mouth the moment he saw Zayn’s smile.
“You can get Soul Essences and Rare Cards in the cavern system as well, but you will have to survive to get hold of either. The cavern system is a grinding spot for combat experience and battle awareness. That’s what everyone here lacks the most. Magma Goblins are hiding in the massive underground cavern system. They’re far stronger than ordinary Goblins even if their Foundation is not that high. Magma Goblins are known for their magical talent and incredible high battle awareness. Their magical talent enhances their intelligence. Therefore, they’re great at scheming, and they can fight you head-on easily as well.”
“The loot you can procure in the cavern system is decent. The most important is the combat experience you will have to acquire through bloodshed; otherwise, bounty hunters will be your smallest issue in the future.”
Zayn came up with a plan to use the Magma Goblins and daily workouts outside Forgotten Lands to improve the Players’ combat prowess. Once they were up to standard, Zayn would teach them how to use Cards properly and how to use their Heart Deck as an extension of their body rather than a tool.
Erik and his friends had a low Foundation, and they didn’t own many Cards after being preyed upon for days, but that was hardly an issue for Zayn. He could help them procure powerful Cards and strengthen their Foundation once the time was ripe.
However, for now, they had to struggle against the Magma Goblins.
That was necessary to get stronger and survive in Forgotten Lands, but also to prepare the members of Golden Age for the apocalypse.
Before Erik and the others could say something, Zayn prepared to log off.
“I will come back to spar with each of you in three days. If you haven’t improved, I will terminate the employment contract with you,” He said with a smile on his face. However, his eyes weren’t smiling. Zayn’s eyes were ice-cold.
“I won’t waste precious resources on people who don’t know how to appreciate opportunities. Either you grasp the opportunities with all your might, or you give them up for those who know how to value them!”
His figure dissipated in countless mots of light, leaving Erik and the other Players alone.
“Did he just leave…just like that?” One of the Players asked, “What about the bounty hunters?”
“I…am not sure what’s going on…” Another Player revealed in all honesty.
“This is fun,” Storm Monarch said, “25 gold coins is a lot. We can buy high-quality weapons and armor sets and two or three Common Cards with that.
“The bounty hunters have been dealt with. There might be more, but I doubt that they’re willing to risk their lives to hunt us. Not after what happened to the others, at least.” Erik said, “Even if some bounty hunters come our way…we have to deal with them. I’m fairly sure that Zayn takes Forgotten Lands far more seriously than most people. He will throw us aside if we don’t meet his requirements.”
“I joined Forgotten Lands to have fun and to earn money…” A young Player grumbled, only for Erik to frown deeply.
“I don’t think Zayn forced you to join his guild. He helped you guys against the bounty hunters, and he gave us the opportunity to play Forgotten Lands professionally. I don’t think we deserve this opportunity. We are way too weak. I do no know what he sees in us, but I want to try it. Money is not my highest priority.”
The young Player didn’t seem convinced.
“You never wanted to play Forgotten Lands professionally. And why is money not your highest priority? You didn’t strike me as a gamer, so I doubt your highest priority is having fun.”
Erik raised an eyebrow, and his lips parted. His mouth sealed shut in the next second. He had to think about the young Player’s words for a while before he could answer.
“I don’t know why, but getting stronger in Forgotten Lands feels important. I think I will have big regrets if I don’t grow as strong as possible in the next few months…it’s a weird feeling, and I think Zayn can help me…help us…”
The Player ruffled through his hair and grunted in a whisper.
“If you say so. It’s worth a try…I guess…”
