The Fourth Disaster: People become gods through high martial arts and gaming

Chapter 247 Win-Win? One Person Wins Twice?
The valley is densely forested.

As the two-headed lizardman leading the group stepped out of the transport vehicle, Luo Wushang and the others who were waiting by the roadside followed.

"The museum owner actually came in person. It seems this caravan really can trigger the plot." Zhang Qingwei looked at the ten transport vehicles parked there with great regret. "This operation was a complete loss. We didn't earn a single penny and wasted a lot of time. I should have changed the route."

They had previously made a deal with Yiye Fuyun, in which they obtained a transport route map, but in return, they would share half of the spoils with Yiye Fuyun. However, the route they chose hadn't even been used many times when a two-headed lizardman who could speak human language suddenly appeared, demanding to see the leader to discuss a deal.

This made it impossible for the women to take action, even if they wanted to.

"That's not bad either. Although we haven't gained much, we're the first team to advance the main storyline. Maybe we can get some useful information." Luo Wushang looked at the two-headed lizardman walking towards Lin Qi, but didn't seem to care. "These days, these caravans transporting supplies are getting more and more cunning. Whenever they spot us, they leave a large number of people behind to cover our retreat, and the caravan speeds up, so we get less and less."

"I estimate that the transport route map obtained by Yiye Fuyun will become obsolete soon. After all, no game company can keep such a good thing for us to develop indefinitely. Following the main storyline is the best way to go."

"That's true. I wonder what new content the main storyline will bring this time." Zhang Qingwei thought of a caravan of more than 30 people before. Even though all six of them died once, they only managed to steal half a cart of goods. After deducting the Type II energy potions they used, they were indeed earning less and less compared to the previous times.

So far, they have only managed to accumulate 500,000 contribution points to become core disciples. They are still far from being able to raise the reputation of Crimson Moon Town to the level of Revered.

“Since the main storyline involves trading with caravans from beyond the realm, I estimate that the martial arts school should be able to acquire quite a few new items this time,” Ragnarok adjusted his non-existent glasses and analyzed. “Perhaps the martial arts school will have Type III potions for sale, as well as Tier 2 armor and Tier 2 weapons dropped from the Dead Mountain. I feel that while Tier 2 armor and Tier 2 weapons can still fetch high prices, we should quickly sell a batch. When the martial arts school sells them later, the price will probably be significantly reduced.”

“That’s certainly possible.” Luo Wushang nodded. “Then when we get back this time, we’ll quickly get rid of all the extra Tier 2 armor and weapons we have.”

The Tier 2 armor and weapons produced in the Dead Mountain are now in high demand and short supply. Many new players who are wealthy want to buy a set so they can have a perfect start to the game, skip the boring beginner period, and experience the feeling of fighting monsters in the wild alone.

The second-tier battle armor can increase strength by six tons, which is equivalent to the level of a high-level martial artist with the ultimate strength. This kind of strength is enough to sweep through the wilderness of the City of Light.

It's fair to say that whether you start with a Tier 2 Warframe or not makes all the difference between two completely different games.

Of course, to fully utilize the effects of the Tier 2 armor, players need to become warriors. After all, the Tier 2 armor is quite heavy. Although it can increase strength and speed, and even greatly improve reaction ability, it requires one's own strength to move while wearing the armor. It is a type of equipment that grows with age, reaching its maximum level when one becomes a warrior.

While Luo Wushang and the others were chatting in the back, the two-headed lizard man walking at the front secretly instructed the dozen or so high-level Bone Forging Realm guards accompanying him to keep a close eye on Luo Wushang and the others. If there was any disturbance, three or four of them would immediately block one person so that he could escape as soon as possible.

However, at this moment, the Bone Forging Realm guards in the Tianhe region felt that their boss was being far too cautious.

They are just six high-level martial artists. Although the gray-robed man has a big reputation in the Dead Mountain Range, it would be very troublesome if they were to face him head-on. But they have at least a hundred Bone Forging Realm experts on their side. No matter how powerful the six high-level martial artists are, can they really turn the world upside down in front of these Bone Forging Realm experts?

But the two-headed lizard man didn't seem to care.

Because of the entire caravan, only he knew the true situation of the man in gray; the others only knew that the man in gray had robbed many caravans in the Dead Mountain Range.

"The fact that they can change their combat power during battle is truly astounding. I never imagined that humans were such a race. If I had known, I should have trained more human geniuses." The two-headed lizardman shuddered as he thought of the videos of the gray-clad men he had watched before coming here.

A few martial artists in gray dared to rob a convoy openly, while a caravan escorted by dozens of Bone Forging Realm experts was a laughing stock.

However, the result was that nearly half of the dozens of experts at the Bone Forging Realm were killed, while several gray-clad warriors fought to the last man before dying, displaying a completely reckless fighting style.

However, what is most astonishing is that these gray-clad men can transform. After transforming, almost every gray-clad martial artist is at least at the level of a high-level martial artist in the Limit Bone Forging Realm. The powerful ones even master extraordinary martial arts techniques, comparable to a deputy city lord.

A master at the level of a deputy city lord!

There were only a few in a city, but these experts in gray robes attacked the convoy wave after wave as if it were free, completely annihilating the convoy guarded by dozens of Bone Forging Realm experts. They were simply a bunch of madmen.

If the gray-clad men had come at the scene with more than a dozen experts at the level of deputy city lords, the caravan would have surrendered long ago. But the gray-clad men did not do so. It was as if they wanted to watch the caravan resist and fight, gradually depleting the caravan's strength, until the remaining caravan members were in despair and no longer cared about the deaths of their own people.

Having traveled all over the country for so many years, he can say that in his entire life, he has never seen such a crazy and cruel force.

This is why he chose to abandon the fight the moment he encountered the gray-clad men and instead planned to make a deal. He didn't want to be worn down little by little by the gray-clad men like the other caravans, becoming the source of amusement for these lunatics.

Can't he just vote directly?
Led by his guards, the two-headed lizard man soon arrived at a stream. There, a young human man wearing dark blue alloy armor stood quietly. His qi and spirit were completely imperceptible; he could only be seen with the naked eye.

"Just what kind of being is this?" The two-headed lizard man was completely shocked the moment he saw Lin Qi.

His strength, no matter how you look at it, is at the level of a deputy city lord, just one step away from the Blood Condensation Realm.

But when facing Lin Qi, he felt an inexplicable sense of crisis, yet he couldn't sense any vital energy or blood in Lin Qi, as if the person didn't exist.

It should be noted that even a Blood Condensation Realm expert cannot completely conceal their own blood and qi. At most, they can gather it within their body and let it dissipate unnaturally. However, doing so is tiring, and normal martial artists would not do it.

Normally, under the collision and impact of Qi and blood, one can perceive the level of the other party.

Just like the six gray-clad warriors behind him, based on experience, it can be inferred from the clash of their qi and blood that the six warriors are roughly at the high level of qi and blood. One of them even has a higher amount of qi and blood than a typical Bone Forging Realm warrior, but his qi and blood strength is insufficient, indicating that he is not yet at the Bone Forging Realm.

But he didn't feel any feedback from the impact of the qi and blood on Lin Qi, as if the impacted qi and blood had sunk into the sea like a stone...

However, the two-headed lizard man was unaware that Lin Qi's spirit had broken through its shackles and formed a spiritual domain. The energy floating within this domain could be controlled to a certain extent, deflecting all the blood and qi surging towards him and preventing them from touching him in the slightest.

Of course, this deflection is limited. If the two-headed lizard man unleashes his full power, he won't be able to deflect it using the free-floating energy within his domain. "You're the leader?" Lin Qi looked at the leading two-headed lizard man and asked softly, "So, what do you want to talk to me about?"

"Your Excellency, please allow me to introduce myself. I am Dyson, the vice president of the Lionheart Merchant Guild," the two-headed lizard man said respectfully. "Our Lionheart Merchant Guild loves making friends, so we would like to befriend you as well. To show our sincerity, our Lionheart Merchant Guild is willing to offer five hundred energy crystals. In the future, if you wish to purchase any items in the Tianhe region, we can offer you a 10% discount."

"You're willing to spend five hundred energy crystals to be friends with us?" Lin Qi looked at the two-headed lizard man, shook his head and said calmly, "Please take back your energy crystals. Our Obsidian Martial Arts Academy is willing to make friends, but we never take advantage of others."

“You misunderstand, sir. These five hundred energy crystals are merely a personal gift from me.” Dyson, seeing Lin Qi’s refusal, assumed Lin Qi was dissatisfied with the toll. He then took out a palm-sized device, gritted his teeth, and said, “Our Lionheart Merchant Guild simply wants to engage in fair trade with you. Our Lionheart Merchant Guild’s medium-sized portable life detectors can detect an area with a radius of five kilometers. They are sold externally for two hundred energy crystals each, but I can now offer you twenty of them at a 50% discount.”

The medium-sized portable life detector is only the size of a palm and is essential for wilderness exploration. It costs one hundred energy crystals to produce, but each one sold to a city in the Fog Mountain region is worth four hundred energy crystals, and the supply still cannot meet the demand.

But now he has no choice but to grit his teeth and sell it to Lin Qi at cost, since Lin Qi has already said that Obsidian Martial Arts School will not get a bargain, which means that a 'fair' transaction must be conducted.

A full 6,500 energy crystals—this price is almost the same as the toll paid to the Smiling Skull.

"This medium-sized portable life detector is quite good." Lin Qi's eyes lit up as he looked at the palm-sized medium-sized portable life detector. This thing was simply a hunting artifact in the wild, much better than the one he got from Wanxing City. But he quickly shook his head. "Mr. Dyson, I'm sorry, although this instrument is good, our Obsidian Martial Arts Academy does not have that many energy crystals."

Energy crystals are considered the mainstream currency in all regions, since martial artists all need them, even those at the Bone Forging Realm. However, he had only recently become the deputy city lord, and the living area he had acquired in the city center was not yet readily convertible to cash. Furthermore, the small energy mines in Crimson Moon Mountain could not provide many energy crystals.

During this period, although the players had managed to acquire a considerable number of energy crystals, very few were willing to give them to the martial arts school. He only had a little over six hundred energy crystals on hand, which was far from enough to accommodate Dyson's twenty medium-sized portable life detectors.

"This..." Dyson looked at Lin Qi, who still disagreed, and couldn't help but want to curse him in his heart.

If you resell any of the twenty medium-sized portable life detectors, you'll make a pure profit of six thousand energy crystals.

Adding the five hundred energy crystals he gave, that's six thousand five hundred energy crystals. If that's not enough, his appetite is simply too big!

"How about this?" Lin Qi looked at Dyson, whose expression wasn't very good, and thought for a moment before saying, "Since the Lionheart Merchant Guild is willing to be friends with our Obsidian Martial Arts Academy, I certainly can't refuse this kindness. Although our Obsidian Martial Arts Academy doesn't have much money, as a martial arts academy, we can help the Lionheart Merchant Guild train experts, specifically those at the Bone Forging Realm. For 100 energy crystals a month, we can help train 20 Bone Forging Realm experts for the Lionheart Merchant Guild in exchange for those 20 medium-sized portable life detectors. How about that? This way, both sides can achieve a win-win situation."

"A win-win situation?" Dyson looked at Lin Qi, who was smiling, and felt that Lin Qi was simply a devil.

Can one person win twice?

This is basically asking him to give away twenty medium-sized portable life detectors for free, and then hand over twenty hostages, waiting to come back and harvest them again, unless he doesn't want these twenty Bone Forging Realm experts anymore.

“Of course, if Vice President Dyson is unwilling, then forget it.” Lin Qi looked at the hesitant Dyson and felt that Dyson was definitely worried about the training of Bone Forging Realm experts by their Obsidian Martial Arts Academy. He could understand this, after all, the Obsidian Martial Arts Academy was only famous in the City of Light. Outside of the City of Light, it was nothing.

“No! You misunderstand, sir. I just feel that this deal is too fair, and I am deeply moved.” Dyson shook his head with difficulty, then looked at a long-eared youth behind him and said, “Wuka, as an outstanding employee of our Lionheart Merchant Guild, I have decided that you and your companions will go to the Obsidian Martial Arts Academy to receive training there. I will come to pick you up in a month.”

"Shall we go over there?" The young man named Wuka was dumbfounded.

The meaning of their conversation was clear to anyone with common sense: they were essentially asking them to come over and be taken hostage.

"Well, don't worry, this gentleman from the Obsidian Martial Arts Academy won't do anything to you. You're just going for a month of training." Dyson nodded, a hint of apology in his eyes, but he didn't have a better choice.

Humans are very rare in the Tianhe region, and the same is true in the Wushan region.

The gray-clad people are all human, while the long-eared people look similar to humans, except that their ears are pointed. They are all naturally beautiful, with the men being handsome and the women being beautiful. They even have a lifespan twice that of humans. In the Tianhe region, they are considered one of the races that are relatively close to humans.

In Dyson's view, these gray-clad people shouldn't be too harsh on the long-eared tribe.

"Yes!" Wuka could only agree after hearing this.

Although they were not suicide soldiers, their lives belonged to the Lionheart Merchant Guild. They had been raised by the Lionheart Merchant Guild since childhood, and since the vice president had made the decision, they naturally couldn't say anything.

Soon after, Lin Qi reached a deal with Dyson. Twenty Long-Eared Clan experts at the Bone Forging Realm, including Wuka, stayed behind, while Dyson led the others to the Mist Mountain region. Next time, Dyson would also bring a batch of equipment for making Type III energy potions to the Obsidian Martial Arts Academy.

"That damned devil, I'll make them pay me back sooner or later." Dyson sat in the car, watching Lin Qi and the others see them off, and made up his mind that the price he offered next time would definitely not be cheap.

After Dyson left, Lin Qi led twenty experts, including Wu Ka, to return to the City of Light overnight, instantly adding twenty more high-level Bone Forging Realm warriors to the Obsidian Martial Arts Academy.

"Master, what's the situation with these people?" Qin Mu was a little confused as he looked at the twenty high-level Bone Forging Realm martial artists who had been assigned to him.

A martial artist at the high level of the Bone Forging Realm is a big figure in any race, and for a weaker race, he could even be the clan leader. Now, a full twenty martial artists at the high level of the Bone Forging Realm have suddenly arrived at the martial arts hall and are asking him to manage them. To say that he is not panicked would be a joke.

"We've reached a pleasant cooperation agreement with the Lionheart Chamber of Commerce. Starting today, they'll be receiving a month-long training program from the martial arts academy. You'd better keep an eye on them and allocate some spots in the beginner meditation room for them, so they won't think our Obsidian Martial Arts Academy is stingy," Lin Qi said calmly. "By the way, what's the matter that you suddenly called me here for?"

"It's a message from the City Lord, inviting all the deputy city lords and the heads of several powerful clans to come and discuss an important matter, which I heard is related to Star Tower City," Qin Mu said.

"About Star Tower City?" Lin Qi nodded. "Okay, I'll head over now."

(End of this chapter)