freenovelworld #495 - Chapter 495
#495 - Chapter 495
Casual Player: "If you sell your car just to go on a blind date, are you even human? Only those of us who sell our cars to play games are on the right path."
Tang Ping: "I finally got the Qingming Festival wings! It's time to draw for the Krypton Birds! We must get them!"
After that, Tang Ping invested heavily and finally maxed out the level, rank, and equipment of his Genshin Impact character.
With the increase in combat power, Tang Ping defeated many rare bosses in the game and accumulated a lot of equipment.
At this time, Tang Ping's game account showed that the amount available for withdrawal was 24,000 yuan.
However, when he clicked to withdraw, it showed that the withdrawal failed, and only three cents were credited to the bank card.
The game popped up a message: "You can only withdraw three cents a day. Only by becoming the City Lord of the Imperial City can you withdraw all of it."
Tang Ping scratched his head: "Then I'll just keep spending money."
After all, if he didn't continue to spend money, all the money he invested in increasing his combat power would be wasted.
Tang Ping: "The first step to improve combat power is to get an artifact."
Tang Ping took a deep breath, his eyes fixed on the game screen. His fingers slid quickly on his phone, opening the "Artifact Enhancement" interface. Above the interface was a huge anvil icon, and below were seven artifact icons flashing with different lights.
"Let's start with the Crystal Skull first," Tang Ping said to himself, clicking on the first icon.
The screen immediately switched to the detailed page of the Crystal Skull. It was a translucent skull model with a faint blue light flickering in its eye sockets. Tang Ping clicked the "Enhance" button, and a golden light flashed, and complex runes appeared on the surface of the skull.
"Ding!" The system prompt sounded, "Congratulations! The Crystal Skull has been successfully enhanced, Intelligence +500, Spirit +300."
Tang Ping smiled with satisfaction, and then clicked the next icon - the Soul Lamp.
The Soul Lamp was a simple bronze lamp with a green ghost fire flickering at the wick. Tang Ping took a deep breath and clicked Enhance again. The lamp body began to rotate, and the ghost fire burned brighter and brighter.
"Congratulations! The Soul Lamp has been successfully enhanced, Summoning Ability +30%, Ghost Damage +50%."
Next was the Ship in a Bottle. It was a delicate glass bottle with a miniature sailing ship floating inside. After Tang Ping clicked Enhance, waves began to surge in the bottle, and the sailing ship rose and fell on the crest of the waves.
"Ship in a Bottle has been successfully enhanced, Water Magic Power +40%, Navigation Skill +20 levels."
The fourth artifact was the Eye of the Demon, a blood-red eyeball floating in the air with an evil light flickering in its pupils. During the enhancement process, the eyeball twitched violently, as if trying to break free.
"Eye of the Demon has been successfully enhanced, Dark Vision +100%, Fear Aura range increased by 50 meters."
The Golden Wall Brick looked unremarkable, just an ordinary golden brick. But after enhancement, complex mechanical patterns appeared on the surface of the brick.
"Golden Wall Brick has been successfully enhanced, City Defense +10000, Repair Speed +200%."
The Scales of Judgment were simple golden scales, with the plates on both ends constantly swinging up and down. During the enhancement, the scales began to emit a dazzling golden light.
"Scales of Judgment have been successfully enhanced, Justice Aura effect increased by 30%, Judgment skill cooldown time -20%."
Finally, there was the Orc War Banner, a tattered animal skin banner with a ferocious orc head pattern painted on it. During the enhancement process, the pattern on the flag seemed to come alive, making a low roar.
"Orc War Banner has been successfully enhanced, Orc Morale +50%, Wild Aura range increased by 100 meters."
With the last artifact enhanced, Tang Ping breathed a sigh of relief and wiped the sweat from his forehead. He checked his combat power value and was pleasantly surprised to find that it had broken through to a new level.
"Great!" Tang Ping shouted excitedly, "Now I'm one step closer to becoming the City Lord of the Imperial City!"
However, just then, a new prompt box popped up on the screen:
"Dear player, your artifact has reached the highest enhancement level of the current level. To continue to improve, you need to unlock the 'Artifact Advancement' function. Do you want to buy the Artifact Advancement Gift Pack immediately?"
Tang Ping's eyes lit up, and he clicked "Buy" without hesitation.
"Are you sure you want to spend 9999 yuan to buy the Artifact Advancement Gift Pack?" the system confirmed again.
Tang Ping's finger hovered above the screen, hesitating slightly. He remembered the large amount of money he had already invested, and the 24,000 yuan that could not be withdrawn.
"Now that I've come this far, I can't give up halfway," Tang Ping murmured to himself, and then firmly pressed the confirm button.
With a pleasant prompt sound, the Artifact Advancement Gift Pack appeared in Tang Ping's backpack. He took a deep breath, ready to start a new round of enhancement. In his eyes, the flashing artifact icons seemed to be the steps to success, and he was ready to continue climbing.
……
After enhancing for a while, Tang Ping felt that leveling up one by one was too slow, so he directly bought a 398 yuan upgrade gift pack.
After buying the upgrade pill, Tang Ping directly leveled up 15 levels, but he quickly encountered a bottleneck in cultivation resources again.
So, he remembered the online reviews about the pocket version of "Greedy Red Moon", and quickly downloaded it to explore.
Tang Ping couldn't wait to click the download button and waited for the pocket version of "Greedy Red Moon" to finish installing. With a pleasant sound effect, the game icon appeared on his phone screen, a blood-red full moon emitting a strange light.
Clicking to enter the game, Tang Ping was shocked by the gorgeous opening animation. The blood moon slowly rose, illuminating a desolate land. Countless monsters crawled out of the ground, roaring at the moon. The screen turned, and a hero wearing heavy armor waved a giant sword and charged into the monster群.
"Welcome to the pocket version of 'Greedy Red Moon'!" A pleasant female voice sounded, "There are endless adventures waiting for you to conquer!"
On the main interface, a huge blood moon occupied the center of the screen, surrounded by various function buttons. Tang Ping's eyes were immediately attracted by the flashing "Limited Time Offer" icon in the upper right corner.
Clicking to enter, what caught his eye was a dazzling array of gift packs and props. "Newbie Special Gift Pack", "Limited Time Discount Gift Pack", "Supreme VIP Gift Pack". Each gift pack icon flashed with tempting light, next to which were marked "Original Price" and "Discounted Price", with discounts of up to 90% or more.
Tang Ping's finger slid on the screen, and more dazzling options appeared:
- "Top-Quality Equipment Draw": Spend 100 yuan for one draw, guaranteed to get orange equipment
- "God-Level Pet Egg": 1000 yuan each, with a chance to hatch a legendary divine beast
- "Endless Energy Stone": Recharge item, can quickly restore stamina and magic value
- "Experience Carnival Card": Use to double experience gained within 24 hours
- "Lucky Charm": Increase equipment enhancement success rate, no downgrade on failure
Each option was marked with words such as "Rare", "Limited", and "Soon to be Removed", as if urging players to place an order quickly.
Scrolling down, Tang Ping saw the "Cultivation Resource Zone". It was piled with various rare upgrade materials: Holy Light Crystal, Magic Essence, Dragon Blood Gem, Tears of Angels. Each one flashed with tempting light, as if saying "Buy me, buy me".
The most eye-catching thing was the "Super Cultivation Gift Pack" in the center of the page, priced at 1999 yuan. The gift pack description read: "Contains massive cultivation resources to help you soar to the sky! Limited to 3 purchases, don't miss it!"
Tang Ping took a deep breath, his finger hovering over the "Buy" button. Just then, a message popped up in the lower right corner of the screen: "Congratulations to player 'Invincible God of War' for purchasing the Super Cultivation Gift Pack, combat power increased by 100,000 points!"
This message was like a shot in the arm, and Tang Ping clicked Buy without hesitation.
"Are you sure you want to buy the Super Cultivation Gift Pack? Price: 1999 yuan" the system confirmed again.
Tang Ping gritted his teeth and clicked Confirm.
"Purchase successful! You have obtained: Holy Light Crystal x1000, Magic Essence x2000, Dragon Blood Gem x500, Tears of Angels x100" A long list of items scrolled across the screen.
Tang Ping rubbed his hands excitedly, ready to make a big splash. However, when he opened his backpack to use these resources, he found that he also needed "Cultivation Pills" to maximize the effect.
Helpless, Tang Ping spent another 998 yuan to buy the "Cultivation Pill Gift Pack". This cycle repeated, and unknowingly, he had spent tens of thousands of yuan in this pocket version of the game.
However, all of this was seen by the players who were watching the live broadcast. The barrage exploded instantly:
"My God, isn't this just a money-grubbing machine?"
"It hurts to watch, is this guy being brainwashed?"
"This game company is too greedy, it's simply blatantly cutting leeks!"
"I bet five cents that when he spends until his hands are soft, the game company will release a new version."
"Isn't this just a numbers game? Is it interesting to invest so much money?"
"I feel sorry for Tang Ping's money for a second, no, I feel sorry for his wallet for a second."
"I think he needs to see a psychologist, this is already pathological."
"Game company: Thank you, big brother, for paying our rent!"
"This is the modern version of 'The Farmer and the Snake', pitiful and sad."
However, Tang Ping, who was immersed in the game, was completely unaware of these comments. In his eyes, there were only the constantly rising numbers and the vanity in his heart that could never be filled.
……
After that, Hua Xiaoyu, whom Tang Ping met in the game, sent him a private message again:
"Brother, you are so powerful, you can become the City Lord of the Imperial City. There are no restrictions on withdrawals!"
After that, Tang Ping continued to improve his combat power, and his ranking in the entire server soared instantly.
In the evening, Tang Ping was so tired that he fell asleep in front of the computer.
He dreamed of Jackie Chan again.
Tang Ping said dissatisfied: "Why is it you again? Didn't you say that equipment recycling can make money?"
Jackie Chan: "You can only recycle equipment and make money when you become the City Lord of Sabac. Go create a guild, then become the City Lord of the Imperial City, and reach the peak of your life!"
Tang Ping said suspiciously: "Can you really withdraw money if you become the City Lord? You're not trying to fool me, are you?"
Jackie Chan: "I'm an international movie star, how could I deceive you!"
Tang Ping nodded: "Yeah, such a big star, he wouldn't deceive me..."
……
The next day, while playing the game, Tang Ping directly created a guild.
Tang Ping opened his sleepy eyes, Jackie Chan's words still echoing in his ears. He couldn't wait to open "Greedy Red Moon" and prepare to create his own guild.
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On the game's main interface, a flashing "Guild" icon attracted his attention. Tang Ping took a deep breath and clicked to enter. A towering castle appeared on the screen, with a plaque hanging above the city gate that read "Guild Headquarters."
"Welcome to the guild system!" The system prompt sounded, "Do you want to spend 10,000 yuan to create your own guild?"
Tang Ping clicked "Confirm" without hesitation. Immediately, a gorgeous interface popped up, asking him to name the guild and choose a badge.
After some thought, Tang Ping decided to name the guild "Glory Kings". He chose a golden crown pattern for the badge, symbolizing his desire to become the City Lord of the Imperial City.
"Congratulations, you have successfully created the guild 'Glory Kings'!" The system announced happily, "You are now the guild leader!"
After creating it successfully, Tang Ping couldn't wait to start recruiting members. He posted a recruitment announcement on the world channel: "Top guild 'Glory Kings' is recruiting enthusiastically! Join and get rare equipment!"
Soon, applications to join came flying in like snowflakes. Tang Ping carefully reviewed each application, selecting players with high levels and good equipment. Every time a new member was recruited, the system would play cheerful music, and a new character image would appear in the guild hall.
As the number of members increased, the guild hall became lively. Various dialogue bubbles floated above the players' heads:
"Wow, the guild leader is so awesome, his combat power is so high!"
"The guild benefits are really good, this equipment is too awesome!"
"Let's go to the dungeon together and hit the leaderboard!"
Tang Ping's heart was filled with pride. He walked to the center of the guild hall and began to deliver his inaugural speech: "Welcome everyone to join 'Glory Kings'! Let us work together to conquer this game world!"
The system cooperated in a timely manner, releasing a burst of cheers and confetti effects. Tang Ping felt as if he had really become a powerful guild leader.
Next, Tang Ping began to organize guild activities. He led the members to attack monster nests, kill rare BOSSs, and collect a lot of resources. Each victory, the system would play passionate music, and the guild experience bar would rise rapidly.
Soon, the name "Glory Kings" appeared on the guild leaderboard. Tang Ping excitedly watched the ranking continue to rise, and the sense of accomplishment in his heart grew stronger and stronger.
However, to become a truly top guild, more investment was needed. The system timely pushed a series of "Guild Enhancement Gift Packs", promising to greatly improve the guild's level and strength.
Tang Ping did not hesitate and took out his wallet again. He purchased multiple gift packs such as "Guild Flag Enhancement", "Guild Residence Upgrade", and "Guild Skill Improvement". Each purchase, the system would release gorgeous special effects, the guild buildings would be brand new, and the cheers of the members would rise and fall.
Day and night of unremitting efforts finally paid off. On the third day of creating the guild, "Glory Kings" successfully entered the top ten of the guild leaderboard. The system sent a congratulatory message, and the entire guild was immersed in the joy of victory.
Tang Ping stood at the highest point of the guild's castle, overlooking the bustling guild territory. Members below were busy crafting equipment, trading items, and enjoying themselves. He felt that he was one step closer to his goal of becoming the city lord of the imperial city.
However, what he didn't know was that this seemingly glorious guild empire was actually built on the real money he constantly poured in. And the game company was silently counting the money behind the scenes, revealing a satisfied smile.
After that, Tang Ping began to enhance his equipment.
Tang Ping took a deep breath, his finger hovering over the screen. His eyes were fixed on the legendary weapon flashing with purple light—the "Dragon's Roar Shattering Sky Sword." This sword had already been enhanced to +12, and each level beyond that was a huge leap.
"It must succeed!" Tang Ping muttered to himself, clicking the enhance button.
A magnificent magic circle appeared on the screen, with the "Dragon's Roar Shattering Sky Sword" suspended in its center, surrounded by flashing runes. A dazzling beam of light descended from the sky, enveloping the weapon.
Tang Ping held his breath, his heart racing. The light grew brighter and brighter, almost stinging his eyes.
"Ding!" A crisp sound rang out.
"Congratulations! Enhancement successful! Your 'Dragon's Roar Shattering Sky Sword' has been upgraded to +13!"
Tang Ping excitedly slapped his thigh, a bright smile blooming on his face. He couldn't wait to check the weapon's attributes, and sure enough, all the values had been significantly improved.
"Again!" Tang Ping was full of fighting spirit, ready to challenge +14.
However, the system prompted him that he didn't have enough enhancement materials. Tang Ping frowned, then opened the store and bought a "Top Enhancement Gift Pack" without hesitation.
With sufficient materials, Tang Ping clicked the enhance button again. This time, the light of the magic circle was even more dazzling, and the surrounding runes rotated faster. Tang Ping's heart also hung in the balance.
The light gradually faded, and Tang Ping stared at the screen expectantly.
"We regret to inform you that the enhancement failed." The cold system prompt made Tang Ping feel as if he had fallen into an ice cave.
"It's okay, let's try again!" Tang Ping gritted his teeth and clicked enhance again.
Failure.
Another failure.
The continuous blows made Tang Ping start to sweat. He glanced at his rapidly shrinking game currency and felt a burst of panic in his heart.
"No, I must succeed!" Tang Ping hardened his heart and bought an even more expensive "Supreme Enhancement Gift Pack."
With new materials, Tang Ping regrouped. This time, he also used a "Lucky Charm" before enhancement, which was said to increase the success rate.
The magic circle lit up again, and Tang Ping's heart was beating so fast that it was almost jumping out of his chest.
"Ding!"
"Congratulations! Enhancement successful! Your 'Dragon's Roar Shattering Sky Sword' has been upgraded to +14!"
"YES!" Tang Ping shouted excitedly, attracting the puzzled gaze of his roommate. He didn't bother to explain and immediately checked the weapon's attributes. Sure enough, all the values had an amazing increase again.
With his confidence doubled, Tang Ping decided to continue his efforts and attack +15. However, the following process was as turbulent as a roller coaster.
The +14 to +15 enhancement failed five times in a row. Sweat dripped from Tang Ping's forehead, and his palms began to get wet. With each failure, he felt as if a knife had been stabbed into his heart.
"No, I've invested so much, I definitely can't give up!" Tang Ping gritted his teeth and took out his mobile phone to recharge again.
Finally, on the eighth try, accompanied by an unprecedentedly gorgeous light effect, the system happily announced: "Congratulations! Great success in enhancement! Your 'Dragon's Roar Shattering Sky Sword' has been upgraded to +15!"
Tang Ping slumped back in his chair, letting out a long sigh. He felt as if he had experienced a fierce battle, both tired and excited.
However, when he checked his game currency balance, Tang Ping's heart sank again. He had spent nearly 20,000 yuan for this enhancement.
"Is it worth it?" A small voice sounded in his heart.
Tang Ping shook his head, shaking off the thought. He looked at the +15 weapon shining with dazzling light and felt that all the effort was worth it.
"With this weapon, I will definitely become the strongest player!" Tang Ping secretly made up his mind, ready to advance towards higher goals.
However, what he didn't know was that the game system had already set the success rate of the enhancement, and those expensive "Lucky Charms" were just giving players the illusion of being able to control their destiny. In this carefully designed digital trap, Tang Ping was sinking deeper and deeper, unable to extricate himself.
Tang Ping was getting addicted to enhancing equipment when he suddenly realized that he had run out of cultivation resources.
Tang Ping bit his lip: "Insufficient bank card balance, that's easy! I remember there is a property ownership certificate in the safe!"