NOVGO.NET Chapter 391: Evil Chopping Plan!
Chapter 391: Evil Chopping Plan!
HE was back…
First came an excited Moon Moon, its large eyes bulging as it observed the Town’s remains, and Jack nonchalantly followed.
“Woo?!” (T-this is..?!)
The scene of destruction wasn’t enough to make the Demon Lord even raise a brow. He simply walked toward CPR dude, nodding as the latter offered him the loot.
< Mythical Material! Gargan’s Claws! ?!? >
< Legendary Water-Generating Pearl !💧 (Tainted) >
“Devil, he’s a devil! He has them all working for him, and yet….” Many whispered under their breath with resentment, not that Jack cared about how they felt.
But just as they were feeling peeved, the system came to the rescue, uplifting their mood.
[Congratulations! Saved Sprigfield!..Kinda?]
[Obtained Title: I survived the Sushi Invasion!]
[You’ve Obtained a Victorious Mermaid Loot Box!]
Glowing lights suddenly engulfed all the players that had actually participated in the defense… even CPR dude’s group?! Had they sneakily helped during the chaos?
The players couldn’t help themselves as they opened their boxes instantly. There was something unbelievably attractive to getting mysterious underwater-related items.
“Ah! I got a Sea Turtle?!”
“Pfft— That’s nothing! I got a Golden Fish!”
“Hehe, amateurs, all of you! I’ve obtained a dancing AND singing algae!”
There were useful rewards ranging from underwater breathing pills to weapons, but for some reason, the pet collectors were the loudest and most hyped.
Jack sighed in relief as he saw the populace rejoice.
Did he suddenly care about their well-being? Not especially. It was simply that his next plan would require a LOT of manpower, and he really didn’t want to do it alone.
He turned toward the excited players, attracting their attention…
“I see everyone is happy about doing a “good deed”. Isn’t it nice? Still, that was pretty draining, wasn’t it? How about we make the process more efficient?”
Efficient? What was he talking about? He was obviously referring to the loot boxes, but it wasn’t like those could be farmed, right?
But as many players’ thoughts reached that point, they suddenly realized that it was precisely what he meant. Wait, farm loot boxes?! Wouldn’t this only be possible if…
“We’ll erect a wall and make Sprigfield great again. The next time an army attacks, we’ll just laugh while their spirit breaks upon our glorious defenses. Now, who’s with me!”
A bunch of stunned players couldn’t believe their ears. The next time? Wasn’t he the one that had angered the mermaids in the first place? Was he bloody planning to do it again?!
But to the NPCs, the entire scene looked different. To the naive villagers, the whole scene seemed like Jack was trying to defend their home.
“Make sprigfield great again!” a certain tavern owner began chanting in the back, and before the players could even say “propaganda”, it was already getting repeated.
“Great again! Great again!”
“He’s a true Brave!”
The NPCs were all gazing at Jack as if he were a savior that had come for them. At this moment, they badly needed hope, and he was the one that was bringing it to them.
D.L. cult —> Reconstruction
The Demon King —> Bringer of hope
The many players that saw this couldn’t help but shiver, knowing that he obviously had ulterior motives. Still, confronted with the NPC’s enthusiasm, there was little they could do…
“Now, who wants to come with me to the Forest! Don’t worry. We’ll get enough wood to rebuild each of your homes and make them multiple stories high this time!”
Multiple story homes?! Was that really possible?! To the simple town folks, this was something that was only possible in actual cities. They were smitten by the idea!
[A Great Number of NPCs Share a Wish!]
[Quest! Help Them Rebuild Sprigfield…]
For some reason, the system almost felt like it was pouting. It didn’t want to give a mission that aligned perfectly with Jack’s goals, but it was just how it had been designed.
The latter was grinning from ear to ear as he was already organizing his troops. After all, there was so much to do and so much depending on this.
He could be seen tapping an invisible screen with such dexterity and speed that many couldn’t help but gulp, the men jealous and a few women turning beet red.
“Woo!” (What’s the plan now? How can I help!)
A curious little wolf asked, still in awe at how fast the atmosphere had turned from gloomy to full of hope. It sincerely wanted to be part of that beautiful process.
“Now? Construction is an art. It’s not something that laymen can easily do. You need a bunch of crafters, for sure. Also, it’s better to invest than to repair by far….” Jack remarked.
A couple of hooded bystanders approached as if his words had summoned them. They were gawking at the place with the eagerness of a young man drinking for the first time.
“This is the place?”
“It looks pretty small? So that’s where Teacher came from?”
“Bro, it’s destroyed. Of course, it looks small! Either way, it’s our job to make it epic. Teacher, we’ve arrived!”
There were 6 of them in total. They were the ones he had taught how to forge, and they couldn’t wait to test a new skill Jack had described to them.
Behind them was an elegant tea shop owner who was actually a demon. Even a being as old as him couldn’t stop his many hearts from beating.
He couldn’t wait to turn this new Town into a gargantuan information-gathering device, something his master called “NSA-style”, whatever that meant.
Yet, this was but the very tip of the iceberg. Who knew how many devious plans swirled in the one that the people here called the Demon King? Perhaps he’d never know…
“I’m glad you all came. Be ready to work until you drop like flies. I’m counting on you. We’ll be creating a legend here!” It wasn’t just lip service, either. Jack was dead serious.
Seeing that the reconstruction train was a go with or without them, many players actually shyly approached. Not only was there a quest to do so, but they’d be part of History, right?
Before long, the first forest exploitation party was created without a hassle.
Even the money-hungry WC peeps, even the grumpiest woodcutters, didn’t make a fuss. They were especially quiet that day as they remembered the Mermaids’ demise, even as the group departed.
Jack led them to steamroll through the Forest.
“Isn’t this progress a little too fast?!”
“Shrug. He knows what he’s doing.”
“Forest Genocide 101.”
At times it almost seemed like he had a grudge against the place itself, slashing and burning its fauna/flora.
How many times had they seen a poor rabbit get lit on fire by dark flames, only to run into a thicket and spread the fire even further? He’d even grin while it happened!
They quickly reached the perfect clearing to cut wood.
The trees were enormous, sturdy, and plenty enough to sate their wooden needs for a few generations. The players all grabbed their woodcutting axes and…
“No, those won’t do. We won’t settle for something so lacking.” Jack clicked his tongue disdainfully at the perfectly fine-looking trees.
They quickly reached another similar clearing that was even better than the last one. It reminded many of sandalwood, the fresh smell of mana filling their spirit.
“No, those aren’t good enough either.”
Yet Jack kept leading the way, even as the surroundings changed and the enemies got tougher. What was once rabbits, deers and flowers became…horrors!
By now, there were too many gigantic living trees, their roots wanting nothing but to choke the living, and towering bears the size of hairy dragons.
“Oh my GOD! It’s level 40!!!”
“Why are you freaking out? Trust in Jack!”
“Trust? Trust?! Look around. What do you see?!”
“Just T— ARRGGG!” The latter had wanted to reply “trees”, only for a root to impale his chest while another strangled his neck suddenly.
They had long entered the Tier 2 of the Forest, and it was claiming lives left and right. Was Jack out of his mind? Why would he bring them somewhere so dangerous?!
“We’re almost there. Almost…” He kept repeating it as if a mantra. There was obviously something that he knew that he wasn’t sharing.
The most irking was probably the damn D.L. members that didn’t find it weird in any way. Not only did they not despair, but they didn’t even complain when they fell into a trap.
As they got mauled and strangled by various creatures, they’d go:
“You can kill me, but Demonic Legion is forever!”
“Stupid beast, you should have played dead!”
“—Choking— Harder, Daddy!”
Even with pain setting at the lowest, how the hell could they enjoy dying so much?! They’d just happily scream as they perished, knowing their colleagues would avenge them.
Numbers —> Level
Still, some were getting extremely restless. They remembered something that had happened in the past. Kill too many enemies at once with zerg tactics, and you get a beast tide.
They wanted to turn back, but by then they were already in way too deep. Luckily, just when they were starting to panic, Jack finally stopped.
“We’re here. Let’s get to work!”
Before they stood a beautiful clearing, two ancestral trees forming an arch in the middle. The whole place looked otherworldly and seemed to exude mana as if alive.
That sight was enough to make them daydream. With such quality wood, the finished product would undoubtedly be amazing. They found themselves looking forward to it.
They eagerly began to chop, not realizing Jack had brought them to the Elven Village’s entrance. So what if he couldn’t force his way inside their village?
’Your move lettuce eaters….”