Volume 1, Chapter 64: Junior Players!-Começando com uma semente, graças a Deus eu tenho óculos de probabilidade(a rã que come carne)

After destroying three more rule statues, Li Chuan finally laid eyes on the golden statue required by the quest.

【Koi Statue: Pink】
【Health: 50,000/50,000】
【Level 50. An anomalous existence wielding partial control over rules; it will obliterate all who dare offend it! Extremely dangerous, do not approach!】
【Attack Range: 50-meter radius. Attack Method: Transformation. Trigger Time: None.】

The taboo is offending it?
Damn it, that is way too vague. Isn't that just: if I don't like the look of you, I'll wipe you out?
Cancel the god-slaying plan! Better honestly take a photo and get out of here.

Unlike the other monsters Li Chuan had encountered, while bizarre, these statues were quite easy to deal with as long as one followed their rules. That was why Li Chuan had originally intended to kill this so-called golden statue.
However, this golden statue did not play by the book. Left with no choice, Li Chuan stood safely outside the koi statue's attack range and used the system's built-in camera function to snap numerous pictures of it.
He only stopped when the quest log showed that the task was completed.

【Daily Quest: I long to gaze upon that peerless work of art once more. Completed.】
【Golden Statue Photo: 10/5】
【Quest Rewards: 100 Gold Coins, 10,000 Experience Points, Silver Treasure Chest x1, Temporary Photosynthetic Cabin (Blue) x1.】

The quest was finished, but just like before, he had to wait until the two-hour time limit expired.

"In that case, can I test out that idea I had earlier?"

Harboring a bold idea, Li Chuan plunged headfirst into the withered wood forest.

...

【Ding! Ten minutes remaining for the daily quest. The teleportation will activate in ten minutes.】

As the system prompt rang out, Li Chuan quickened his pace even further.

"Why am I still not running into anyone? Did I pick the wrong direction?"

Just as he was muttering to himself, Li Chuan abruptly sensed something watching him.
He snapped his head around.
Crouching behind a shrub not far behind him was a young man wearing a leather cap.

【Zhou Mingkai (Brother Triumph): Human】
【Health: 100/100】
【Level 9. A human warrior with ordinary constitution. Weakness marked.】

...

A player! And specifically at level nine, the exact level of someone who had just entered the Land of Taboo!
Li Chuan was pleasantly surprised!
The Land of Taboo truly did receive subsequent waves of new players.
This meant that the world he currently inhabited—and he himself—were very likely real, not virtual! Everything was unfolding according to some underlying order!

Li Chuan immediately took long strides toward the newcomer, Zhou Mingkai.

"Zhou Mingkai, once you complete this quest, you will enter a metal gladiatorial arena..."

Yet for some reason, the moment Li Chuan spoke, Zhou Mingkai suddenly turned and bolted as if he had encountered some primordial beast.
Li Chuan wanted to give chase, but the quest timer expired right at that exact moment.

...

Inside the withered wood forest, Zhou Mingkai ran for his life, his expression filled with absolute terror.

"Gibberish? What kind of nonsense was that?"
"Damn it, can the statues in this cursed place actually talk?"
"What on earth did those two sentences mean? Incantations? Curses?"
...Could it be that the source of that heart-stopping dread was the statue in the withered wood forest?

...

Aman Forest — Giant Sanctuary.
The Oasis belonging to the Illuminati.

Gao Han, clad in pristine white mage robes, furrowed her brow tightly.
Disagreements among her subordinates had once again placed her in a dilemma.

"President, this bunch just defected to us last night, they should be the ones sent into the palace to explore first!"
A young male player said with dissatisfaction.

As soon as his voice fell, a dependent player protested indignantly.

"Why should we? Just because we don't have plant spirits, we have to explore first?"
"Exactly! Is your life the only one that matters, and ours doesn't?"
"Why should we go? We defected here, we didn't sign up to be your cannon fodder!"

...

One stone stirred a thousand ripples, and the dependent players began to clamor noisily.

Liu Haizhu glared fiercely.
"Are we supposed to go scout the path, then? All our plant spirits are planted right here; who knows if you bastards will take advantage of our absence to harm them?"
"That's right! You were crying and begging when you joined last night, but the moment you're asked to do a little work, you make excuses. We shouldn't have taken you in at all!"

...

"Enough!"

Gao Han's cold, crisp voice temporarily quelled the dispute.
The influx of a large number of players without plant spirits had indeed caused her no end of trouble.
Because these players were different from those with plant spirits.
Players with plant spirits planted them here, which largely meant they belonged to this faction; they would think things through carefully before acting or speaking.
But this group of players without plant spirits was different.
Having lost their plant spirits, they were paradoxically more free. After all, the Illuminati wasn't the only place offering shelter; any player's plant spirit could help them survive the foggy nights.
This crowd possessed virtually no constraints. Trying to get them to do work was a monumental task.

"Players with plant spirits and players without plant spirits will each split fifty-fifty to participate in today's palace exploration! We'll flip a coin to decide which group goes first. Is that fair enough?"

The original members of the Illuminati reluctantly agreed. This distribution plan would at least leave half the people behind to guard the plant spirits, which was far better than sending everyone out.
The players who defected last night tentatively agreed, but the moment they were selected to be in the first batch entering the palace to scout, they started kicking up a fuss all over again.

"Why do we have to scout first?"
"Right, everyone's equal. Why should others get to stay here and wait for a guide?"

...

Gao Han felt her head splitting with a headache.

"This won't do, that won't do either! Other players have already been exploring for two hours, and we're still here bickering endlessly!"

...

The moment the time limit was up, Li Chuan's figure vanished from the withered wood forest in the Land of Taboo, reappearing inside the tent at the Giant Sanctuary.

"Ah!"

Cheng Nannan, who was preparing food inside the tent, suddenly let out a shrill scream.
Li Chuan looked at her in puzzlement.

"What are you screaming for?"

Cheng Nannan hurriedly covered her chest with her hands.
"You, you suddenly popped up and scared me."

Li Chuan chuckled lightly.
"Heh, I hope it's not because you have a guilty conscience."
"Where is Yaoyao?"

Cheng Nannan stood up.
"Sister Yaoyao went out a while ago. She probably went into that palace."

Li Chuan nodded, seated himself on a wooden stump, took out the Silver Treasure Chest, and silently stared at the numbers floating above the chest that only he could see.
Cheng Nannan washed her hands in a basin of water, bit her lip, and paced over to Li Chuan's side.

"Chuan, Brother Chuan."

Li Chuan did not look up.
"Something the matter?"

Cheng Nannan bit her lower lip.
"I-I don't look that bad, do I? Back at the company, several guys pursued me."

Li Chuan answered truthfully.
"You don't look bad. You're quite pretty."

A flash of delight crossed Cheng Nannan's eyes.
"Then, then why did you reject me last night? Do you think I'm tainted? I'm not tainted at all. Actually, ever since I entered the game, I haven't let any man touch me."

Li Chuan frowned and shook his head.
"It's not because of that."