Absolute Death Game

Chapter 41: 41 Charge

The weather in this game, just like in World of Warcraft, was synced with reality. By a little past seven, it was already pitch black. A few people, after hearing the caravan owner’s words, thought that was it for the day and went to find a tent to crawl into—logging off in different locations could affect your status when you log back in.

If you log off in a room, you’d get a "full of spirit" buff when you log back on, which increased the proficiency gained while learning skills, and apparently had some other uses. If you logged off in the wilderness, you wouldn’t get this, so all four chose to enter a tent before logging off.

Xiao Buli was about to log out when he suddenly remembered a question.

So, he left the tent and asked the caravan captain, "Excuse me, what time will we be starting out tomorrow?"

"We shall depart at the first quarter of the Mao hour tomorrow. You fellows best not be late."

"The Mao hour, what time is that?" Han Baiqiang chimed in at that moment.

"What time? What does that mean?" The caravan owner seemed to have no concept of the hours. Xiao Buli had long known about the game’s quirks, so he didn’t find this strange.

After logging out of the game, Han Baiqiang couldn’t help but stretch and yawn, "What time do we need to log in tomorrow, Xiao Buli?" "The Mao hour is between five and seven o’clock, and a quarter is equivalent to fifteen minutes. That means the caravan will leave at five fifteen. So, we have to get up by five at the latest, otherwise there’s a risk of falling behind."

"Five o’clock?! That’s brutal," Han Baiqiang groaned in dismay. "The design of this game is such a pain. I haven’t had to wake up this early since high school."

"It’s just getting up a bit earlier, no problem for me," Sun Bin said before giving Han Baiqiang a sly look. "Of course, you can log in a bit later, but we won’t wait for you."

"Come on, I didn’t say I couldn’t do it. Just complaining a bit, man. By the way, is the restaurant still open? I’m craving fried chicken legs."

Chatting and joking, the group left the newcomers’ studio and just happened to see Li Jian as they walked out.

"Oh, Li, you’re still waiting for us?"

"Yeah. How did your schedule go, everything smooth?"

"Pretty smooth, it’s just that we have to get up early tomorrow. The caravan sets off at five, would it be alright for you to help us open the door then?"

"Of course, that’s no problem. Oh, you three go ahead, I’ve got something to discuss with Xiao Buli."

Li Baocheng and the others nodded and went on their way, while Xiao Buli watched them leave, feeling a bit puzzled. He wondered, what did Li Jian want with him?

"I heard you took a day off yesterday to burn paper for the restless spirits on the mountain. That can’t be true, can it?" Li Jian asked half-jokingly.

However, Xiao Buli did not think the other was just joking. He nodded calmly, "It’s true. My mother is quite superstitious, and she believed a fortune teller who said I was haunted by a restless ghost this year. She insisted I burn paper money on the mountain for the wandering ghosts and wild spirits on March 13th. Of course, I don’t believe in it, but to set her mind at ease, I did it anyway.

Strangely enough, Manager Qin actually gave me the day off. Manager Qin really is a good person. But why do you ask?"

"Heh heh, is that so?" Li Jian chuckled, then asked, "So, have you received any unusual quests in the game lately?"

Xiao Buli was instantly startled. Why would he ask that? Could he know about Lu Jiang’s matter? But how could he, it shouldn’t be known by others. Only he could see the Soul of Lu Jiang; even Han Baiqiang and the others couldn’t.

Could Li Jian see it as well? No, that’s not right! Suddenly he remembered something: among the three White Tiger Group members with Li Jian that day, one seemed to be an Onmyoji. Could he also see the Soul of Lu Jiang? It seemed very likely.

With this thought, he knew he probably couldn’t keep hiding it, at least he shouldn’t blatantly lie. Nodding, he said, "I did indeed receive a strange quest. The one who gave me the quest was actually a ghost. He asked me to deliver a sum of money to his family, and after I completed the quest, I was given the title ’A Good Person,’ along with 100 Merit Points and a Luck buff."

What he said was more or less the truth, only he didn’t mention that the quest was completed in the real world.

Li Jian listened, nodded, and said, "Well, your luck is really not bad. Merit Points are valuable assets, definitely useful when you level up. I won’t disturb you during dinner then, goodbye." After speaking, he turned and left.

Watching Li Jian’s retreating figure, Xiao Buli hesitated. Should he come clean to him? After thinking it over, he decided against it. Since everyone had silently chosen to make a fortune quietly, it was better not to burst their bubble. However, he wasn’t sure if Li Jian harbored any suspicions about him.

The next morning, Xiao Buli was awakened by a ringing sound. To make sure he would wake up on time, he had purposefully set an alarm in his brain. Opening his eyes, he saw the dark room and rubbed his face in annoyance. Accustomed to a 9-to-5 lifestyle, waking up early was undoubtedly a painful matter.

But there was no helping it; he knew the consequences of dying in the game. And since the game didn’t have anything like town portal scrolls, if he didn’t keep up with the caravan on time, being left in the wilderness could be very dangerous. So, despite being extremely reluctant, he forced himself to get up.

Dressed neatly and washing his face with cold water, he felt somewhat refreshed.

By the time he got to the computer room, Li Jian had already arrived early, bringing with him several cups of steaming coffee.

"Have some; it’ll help you wake up." Compared to usual, Li Jian seemed much more polite today. Han Baiqiang and the others also arrived one after another, looking lackluster as they hurriedly booted up their computers to log in. Upon logging in, they saw the caravan crew packing up the campsite, ready to set off.

The in-game sky was just dawning, appearing dim and overcast, while the torchlight flickered, illuminating only the vicinity and adding an air of tension.

None of the four had any preparation to do and directly boarded the carriage.

The convoy set off, traveling along a rugged mountain road, heading deep into the Misty Forest.

Although this road was a must-pass to Nine Dragons City, it was far from smooth. Just like the previous day, their characters didn’t need any input once aboard the carriage, but because they had to keep an eye on their own characters, everyone had to stay in front of their computers.

With nothing better to do, Sun Bin chatted up the Guard Captain, and in doing so, surprisingly found out he could learn a skill. Perhaps due to the relevance of their professions, after accepting five silver coins, the Guard Captain taught him a charging skill.

Charge LV1: Launch a powerful charge forward, sprinting ten meters at high speed. The charge will stop upon hitting a target, dealing double the weapon damage to it (can only be used when equipped with a polearm).