Chapter 43

Chapter 43: Despicable Villain.

After a flash before Ning Rong and the others’ eyes, the group of twelve players appeared scattered across every corner of the amusement park.

Most of the players looked confused, clearly still not used to the new pace of the game.

At this time, in Ning Rong’s livestream room, a large number of viewers were heatedly discussing her skills.

[How many skills does she have already? I alone know of three.]

[Three? You’re underestimating Big Sister Boss too much.]

[Is there no upper limit to skills?]

[No upper limit seems unlikely.]

[Those of you who often visit other livestream rooms, come talk—how are the skills of other players with hidden identities? Are they as fierce as this little newcomer?]

[Am I the only one curious where these skills come from? Once someone gets a hidden identity, are all the skills fixed, or what?]

[Anyone know? I’m really too curious!]

[Big Sister Boss’s skill just now was insane. She directly took Yuan Pei’s skill and used it. Didn’t you see Yuan Pei’s face turn green? I don’t know about the rest of you, but I felt great.]

While a crowd of viewers howled noisily, the colored-barrage big shot, who had not appeared for quite some time, spoke again.

[Colored Barrage: First of all, skills are not fixed.]

The moment the other viewers saw this familiar colored barrage, they all became excited.

[Feels like Big Shot knows a lot. Ears perked up waiting for more.]

[Big Shot, long time no see, missed you greatly. You finally came back!]

[Big Shot, quickly explain in detail what you mean by not fixed?]

[Colored Barrage: A player’s hidden identity is not assigned casually. It is determined through some kind of calculation method. I don’t fully understand the exact mechanism yet. But what I can confirm is that if several players possess the same hidden identity, then every one of them will have completely different skills.]

Seeing this explanation, the viewers immediately sent more barrages.

[I knew it. If hidden identities were the same and skills were fixed, it would lose a lot of fun.]

[That makes this livestream much more interesting.]

[Big Shot, then how do players get their skills?]

[Colored Barrage: Based on what I’ve observed so far, skills are closely related to the player’s own personality and talent. Besides that, timing and environment also matter. In different games and under different circumstances, the skills that can be unlocked will definitely be different.]

[Got it. Multiple playstyles.]

[Sounds really interesting.]

[Love hearing this. Big Shot, say more.]

[Colored Barrage: Skills definitely have an upper limit. I’m not sure of the exact number, but my blind guess is that one player can have at most ten skills. Ordinary players’ skills can level up, and naturally, hidden-identity players’ skills can level up too. But the upgrades are not the same concept.

For the former, it only shortens cooldown time. For the latter, it should upgrade functionality. This is only speculation for now and still needs players to verify it.]

The viewers all sent looks of envy and admiration.

[Feels like Big Shot really knows so much.]

[Now I’m kind of curious what Big Shot does in real life.]

[Big Shot’s analytical ability is absolutely incredible!]

After answering the questions the viewers were most curious about, this colored-barrage big shot disappeared once again.

But even if the big shot vanished, it could not stop the viewers’ desire to chat at this moment.

[What do you think Yuan Pei’s hidden identity is?]

[Kind of curious, but I can’t guess it.]

[Maybe Despicable Villain?]

[I’m dying laughing. Despicable Villain? How did the person above come up with that?]

[This guy’s skills are either sealing other people’s skills or sealing other people’s items. Isn’t that despicable enough?]

[When you analyze it like that... it actually makes a lot of sense.]

Although the viewers knew very well that Yuan Pei’s hidden identity could not possibly be Despicable Villain, they were still enjoying themselves, discussing all kinds of possibilities.

—

When Ning Rong opened her eyes again, she found herself inside a temporarily built break room.

The room was very crudely furnished—just a table, a thermos flask, a cup, and a single bed.

A yellowed blanket lay messily spread across the bed, and the pillow core looked old and worn.

It was obvious that the resting conditions here were very poor, even bad to a certain degree.

At this moment, she was still in a deafened state.

It had to be said, the side effect of Wealth Without Mercy was rather intense.

This was the first time she had experienced such a silent world.

So silent there was not the slightest sound.

But she only felt uncomfortable for one minute.

After one minute, she quickly adjusted her mentality.

At that time, the system began transmitting the plot into her mind—

[Several years ago, Salad Amusement Park had an accident, so construction was suspended. Several years later, construction was able to continue. Now the amusement park is nearing completion and will officially open to the public in the near future.

You are a temporary laborer working here, helping transport some construction waste. You have only just arrived not long ago—specifically, less than one day. You came here to earn a bit of meager wages.

The worker who previously held your position had a bit of an incident, so you, the newcomer, have taken his place.

You thought you were only here to move things like cement, but you never expected that one day, as a mere laborer, you would also need to help test the amusement park rides.

The foreman told you to get ready. At six in the evening, testing of the amusement facilities will begin.

You do not understand why testing has to start at night.

You are a little afraid, but for a wage of one hundred a day, you decide to take the job!

It is almost six o’clock now...

The foreman is already slowly walking toward you...]

After listening to the plot transmission, Ning Rong was somewhat surprised.

Recently, through various channels, she had learned that the game had undergone its third major version update.

Many players on the forum were saying so, Yan An had told her the same thing, and viewers had mentioned it in the barrage before...

Every source was saying that the game had updated.

She had long been mentally prepared for it.

But she had not expected the changes after the version update to be this drastic.

This time, the game format was completely different from anything she had encountered before.

No wonder at the start of the game, the system had specifically reminded them that previous game experience would no longer apply.

Because it truly was completely different now.

Which meant there was no longer a twenty-four-hour safe period?

Just as Ning Rong thought this, heavy footsteps came from outside the temporary break room.

She could not hear them, but she could feel the slight tremor through the ground, like the movement caused by a giant beast passing by.

At this time, the only one who would come here was the foreman from the plot.

Sure enough, the very next second after she thought that, the foreman NPC—who weighed at least two hundred jin, with a body like an iron tower—yanked open the already shaky temporary door and appeared before her.

Unlike the NPCs she had seen before, this NPC had a vicious face, a powerful physique, and radiated danger from head to toe.

He looked like someone not to be provoked.

What do workers fear most?

They fear encountering a heartless boss.

Likewise, laborers fear encountering an unreasonable foreman the most, because laborers are controlled by the foreman.

And once she acknowledged the identity of laborer, then Ning Rong would naturally be one level beneath the foreman.

That was something she was unwilling to see.

In an instance dungeon, players were already the weaker side to begin with.

If their status identity was also one level lower, then the player’s actions would definitely be restricted at every turn.

In no more than an instant, Ning Rong already had an idea in mind.

And since she had an idea, as a person of action, she naturally planned to test it immediately.

As for getting it wrong?

That did not matter either.

She still had a Substitute Doll on her, which could help her block one certain-death crisis.

She suddenly realized that after the game update, everything was currently unknown.

Most of the experience accumulated by previous veterans was likely no longer applicable.

This time, there was no predecessor’s experience left for her to draw from.

Under these circumstances, she had to summarize experience herself.

And some pits, she had to personally step into and test.

—

The foreman stretched out his hand and pointed at Ning Rong with the thick index finger of his right hand.

It was an extremely oppressive gesture, carrying obvious disrespect.

Placed in the current situation, it could still be considered understandable.

But...

Ning Rong simply did not want the NPC to get his way.

The foreman moved his lips and was just about to speak when Ning Rong beat him to it and slowly opened her mouth first.

Because she had currently lost her hearing, she could only rely on previous experience when speaking.

“What kind of attitude is that? Who gave you the courage to speak to me like this?”

The foreman froze for a moment.

It was truly because Ning Rong’s tone was far too righteous and confident that he was immediately bluffed.

Ning Rong said coldly,

“Have the amusement rides been tested yet? If not, then hurry up and take me there. What are you dawdling for?”

Foreman: ???

Viewers: ???