Chapter 68: Beta Test (Part Three)

Facing the rowdy players, Medrolash stepped forward, raising his blood-stained greatsword.

"Silence!"

But the players, like defiant teens, only got louder, throwing out an array of cheeky comments.

“Oh, let’s go, hubby.”

“Forget the male wife; I’ll take over.”

“Why is this red-skinned NPC acting so cocky? One day I’m taking him down.”

“That gear is so cool! Can we buy it in the shop?”

“He’s so arrogant, I kinda love it.”

Medrolash’s scalp tingled at the chatter, but he pressed on.

"Warriors from unknown lands, I am Medrolash, steward of Baator City and Teifling warrior under the Red Dragon’s command. You may call me Medrolash. By my master’s order, I am here to welcome you.”

“But our city of Barto—and the entire Ember Nest—do not welcome idle hands. You must prove your value to me.”

“As you can see, Baator City is still under construction. We hope you’ll contribute your strength to its growth.”

Medrolash tried to sound stirring, but few players, aside from hardcore roleplayers, were actually listening.

“That gear is slick. He must be at least mini-boss level,” muttered Mantou, instinctively pulling up his interface to use Inspect.

[Loading data…]

[Data loaded!]

[Based on your current power level, here’s the information you can observe.]

【Medrolash, the Oathbreaker】

Faction: 【Ember Nest - Baator City】

Base Abilities: ???

Challenge Rating: ???

Favorability: -5 (Mild Dislike)

“According to the official guide, if the challenge rating is five levels above yours, information won’t show up. This starting NPC is that strong?”

“Wait, why did my favorability go negative?”

He looked up to see the Teifling staring at him with a dangerous glint in his eye, clearly aware of his prying.

“Whoa, even Inspect can get you caught?”

Sheepishly, Mantou dismissed the panel and stood at attention, listening obediently.

Medrolash cast a warning look over the crowd before continuing, “You may take on tasks, and Baator City will reward you accordingly.”

“Everyone, wait.”

He paused.

“Captain, we’ve found him,” reported Damacus, stepping forward.

Several burly Teifling guards dragged a newly arrow-riddled body from the cave, placing it next to the previous one—it was the same “White-Water Wanderer.”

Only this time, he hadn’t even managed to utter his final line.

Medrolash already knew from Cassius that players could revive and understood the limits on their resurrections.

In 《Erezaghe》, players could revive once every ten minutes with an experience penalty based on their level, and they were limited to three revives per day. A third death would leave them stuck chatting in the forums.

“No way, this NPC’s actually smart?”

“Camping respawn points?”

“Official AI is just here to mess with our minds.”

“Finally, White-Water Wanderer is getting what he deserves. This guy once drew the final boss to our main city and wrecked the place. Let him suffer and break his spirit.”

“I think I’m becoming a fan of this NPC.”

“Seeing a player get spawn-camped pains me, but when it’s White-Water Wanderer, I’m thrilled.”

“Good NPCs still exist…”

Medrolash’s face broke into a chillingly kind smile.

“Please, be silent.”

“Consider this a minor warning.”

This time, as soon as he spoke, the players fell silent, like school kids caught by a teacher.

After all, nobody wanted to be spawn-camped at the start. Medrolash’s words held particular weight as he stood by White-Water Wanderer’s arrow-strewn body.

Medrolash then followed the Red Dragon’s instructions and began explaining the town’s services.

“The blacksmith sells weapons and armor, food and water are sold in the marketplace, drinks are available in the tavern, which also has rooms on the second floor. You can accept quests at the task board in the square and collect rewards from the Baator City Adventurers’ Guild…”

Following Medrolash’s explanation, the players got a rough understanding of Baator City.

As quests became available, task data appeared on their panels, including building the city walls, constructing homes, hunting, and taking down hostile creatures.

Rewards were based on task difficulty and resources used, while faction contribution points were managed by Cassius as faction leader.

Most of the tasks were life-oriented—mostly grunt work, with minimal monster-fighting for leveling up. After all, the Ember Nest practically controlled Storm Highlands, and the few monsters left could only be found deep in the forests.

“So many tasks…”

“This Wild Boar Hunt quest gives a full City Guard kit. Watch me start with OP gear!”

“You can’t even beat a chicken with these stats.”

“You can’t beat a chicken.”

“Why are there so many grunt work tasks…”

Freshly logged in, the players were so engrossed in the range of tasks that they barely noticed White-Water Wanderer’s body being carried out again.

Now, three corpses were neatly lined up in a row.

They seemed to silently testify to the fate of this prankster.

While Baator City had the makings of a town, it was still underdeveloped after only five years, with sparse resources and modest buildings.

The biggest issue was the shortage of labor. While Ember Nest’s support had eased this, it was far from enough.

With the arrival of these hundreds of players, Baator City’s development could finally accelerate, especially with this deathless, tireless workforce.

Thus, the players began their explorations.

“Whoa, there’s an ogre in the tavern! Can’t they see that?”

“Wait, buddy, don’t hit me! I’m a good human!”

“That big-nosed goblin is part of the patrol? I thought it was a mob.”

“The drakes can understand us!”

“Ogres, goblins, drakes, and uh…Teiflings. This starting area doesn’t seem legit.”

“That dragon statue in the square looks cool. I think that’s our boss.”

“Wait, are we really in the boss’s lair?”

“…”

Standing on higher ground, Medrolash silently observed the players bustling around, collecting quests, deep in thought.

While these “Starfallers” brought chaos, they also offered a fresh, limitless potential. Though he often felt exasperated, Medrolash understood this as well.

“I’m beginning to understand what the master meant by ‘Tempt with benefits, threaten with force.’”

The Teifling Paladin thought to himself.

…

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