Chapter 140: The Mount

"Am I seeing things? Lai Junchen just bowed to him!"

"Who on earth is that?"

"Doesn't it have a name right there? Forest Fairy."

...

Players muttered among themselves, and in an instant, the Heartless Puppet received a rapid stream of notifications: Shock +1, +1, +1, +1... Before long, it quickly reached one hundred points!

This was hardly surprising; there were simply too many people around. Back at the arena in the ancient Greek world, the spectators had been restricted to the stands, but here, countless players were gathered in the immediate vicinity.

100 points of shock!

Unfortunately, these were not the four basic emotions of joy, anger, sorrow, and pleasure. Otherwise, they could have been infused into the mask to send its attributes into a berserk frenzy.

Yan Luo suddenly realized a problem: personality masks required at least two emotions. How could one fuse them with only a single instance of shock? Having no other choice, he had to release some of it—though fortunately, right above his head, the title "Forest Fairy" functioned as the legendary Sage tier.

Under the Sage state, Yan Luo's mind remained completely undisturbed.

He said to Lai Junchen, "You are too kind, Lord Lai."

After exchanging a few pleasantries, Yan Luo inquired about Wu Zetian.

"Her Majesty is currently within the tribe, accompanied by dignitaries such as Di Renjie and Shangguan Wan'er. Ordinary players, of course, cannot hope to see her. As for you, my friend... you cannot simply meet her on a whim; it requires rendering distinguished service or encountering some rare fortune," Lai Junchen said with a smile.

The high-level NPCs in this online game actually possessed emotional simulation systems that completely surpassed the technological development level of the corresponding inner world. This had led some to suspect that Tencent had obtained an alien spacecraft that crashed onto Earth and reverse-engineered the black technology hidden within...

"I have here a piece of artwork to present to Her Majesty."

"Artwork?"

Yan Luo produced the statue. At the sight of it, Lai Junchen's eyes narrowed instantly.

"This is a work by the Greek sculptor Phroniskos! He is the father of the great sage Socrates! Such a statue holds immense value. Her Majesty has few playthings or trinkets around her, and since we are currently in the Stone Age, it is impossible to acquire much. Receiving this will surely delight Her Majesty... Are you truly willing to donate this artwork?"

Several players nearby who had been pricking up their ears to listen to the NPC's words were left speechless. Did Lai Junchen come with a built-in Appraisal skill? Moreover, the fact that he even knew they were in the Stone Age felt completely out of place!

Some players felt utterly astounded. The work of Socrates' father—how on earth had this guy acquired it? That heavy gold chain was obviously a VIP reward accessory, while other items could not currently be purchased from the mall because of the Stone Age setting.

"Could it be a treasure spot?"

The beginner's guide manual introduced a great deal of intelligence, such as ruins—a mechanic similar to the "goody huts" in the Civilization games, where one might even discover advanced technology—and "treasure spots," where players could unearth treasures, a feature reminiscent of Metal Max that allowed certain players to enjoy the simple pleasure of digging around in a Minecraft-style world.

Both ruins and treasure spots would automatically display on a player's personal map when they approached them.

In the eyes of the players, the artwork must have been dug up from a treasure spot.

"Such a European luck-sack!"

However, these people failed to notice that the statue bore the exact same face as Yan Luo. Otherwise, if Socrates' father—an ancient Greek sculptor—had created a work depicting a player, what on earth was going on? It would likely have turned into an insoluble, mysterious incident.

The few players nearby could hear the conversation between the two, while those further away were utterly stunned to see Yan Luo and Lai Junchen chatting and laughing so cordially.

Yan Luo handed the "artwork" over to Lai Junchen, who slipped it into his sleeve. There was no need to fear embezzlement here; after all, this was a game, not real historical figures. If the tribute submitted by a player were stolen by a corrupt minister, implementing such a feature would provoke the fury of players worldwide.

"I shall present this to Her Majesty. However, what reward Her Majesty might bestow is not something I can predict."

"I am counting on your kind words, my lord," Yan Luo said.

"Naturally, naturally. Given your status (Supreme Diamond VIP) and your strength (Boss template), this official will certainly put in a good word for you before Her Majesty. Furthermore, since you are offering such a remarkable piece of art, Her Majesty's reward will undoubtedly be substantial."

Someone in the distance was beginning to feel displeased.

That Golden VIP holding an iron sword and wearing a jade pendant, whose name above his head was "I Want My Elder Sister," had only been greeted with a modest cupped-hand salute from Zhou Xing. Yet Lai Junchen, a much more prominent figure, was chatting and laughing with the "Forest Fairy."

As a self-proclaimed literary youth with great taste and style, he deeply despised upstarts and vulgar people. His weapon was an iron sword representing the "identity of a gentleman," and at his waist hung a piece of jade symbolizing the "virtues of a gentleman."

And Yan Luo...

He had a thick, finger-wide massive gold chain hanging around his neck, and behind him were five long spears! Four made of wood and one of stone—he looked practically like a peacock spreading its tail feathers.

The aura of a vulgar upstart was stifling!

Most crucially, this was a pretty boy who was taller and better-looking than him...

"I Want My Elder Sister" walked up to Yan Luo and Lai Junchen, eyeing the "Forest Fairy" with a look of utter disdain. Too lazy to speak to this fellow, he greeted Lai Junchen instead: "Greetings, Lord Lai."

With a Supreme Diamond VIP standing right beside him, Lai Junchen, acting as a high-level intelligent NPC, naturally paid little attention to a mere Golden VIP. He enthusiastically said to Yan Luo, "I shall go and see Her Majesty the Empress right away. My friend, there is no need to be anxious; just wait here in peace."

With that, the fellow scurried off toward the tribe like a puff of smoke.

"I Want My Elder Sister" stood there with his mouth open, his face frozen in a complex expression blending doubt, astonishment, and sheer disbelief. He felt like cursing the heavens. Right now, thousands of players were watching this scene, yet Lai Junchen had completely ignored him? It was utterly humiliating.

Just as he was about to throw a tantrum, a commotion suddenly erupted in the distance.

"Is that a mount?"

"Indeed, it's a mount!"

"A mount only available to Supreme Diamond VIPs! You'd have to top up a million for that—a local tyrant, a true local tyrant!"

Indeed, a wealthy whale had arrived. Even though it was only the very first day of the game's official launch, topping up a million was utterly insane, and as for mounts, they were only temporarily rare. After all, once a city was built and a stable established, anyone could theoretically tame a wild horse and use it as a mount!

Yet, the one thing this world never lacked was wealthy individuals.

Having money meant being able to do whatever one pleased!

The player arriving in the distance went by the name "Pure and Innocent Little Brother." This online game scanned the player's actual appearance, allowing for a maximum adjustment of ten percent. He was over thirty years old, with a round face and a protruding belly, giving him the plump and affluent look of a wealthy country squire. At that moment, he was riding in on a donkey.

Never mind a donkey—even if it were a dog, possessing a mount at this stage would naturally draw the gazes of everyone present.

Driving a Lamborghini supercar in the real world probably wouldn't feel half as prestigious as riding a donkey right here.

His vanity was bursting at the seams!

"Other players possess mounts as well? It seems I no longer need to keep this hidden."

If Yan Luo wanted to farm attribute points in this world, keeping a low profile, acting stealthily, and making a fortune in silence simply wouldn't work. When it was time to make a high-profile entrance, he had to do so—only then could he attract players and NPCs to act as supporting forces and elevate his status!

A horse materialized beside him.

A demonic horse!

"Hiss..."

The players who had just cried out in awe at the sight of the donkey now beheld a towering, robust, genetically modified, and unimaginably fierce heavy warhorse! This blew the minds of countless people in an instant. A collective sound of sharp intakes of breath echoed like a toothache, merging together to create a swirling vortex of moving air right there on the spot.

Too magnificent!