T0 Gaming Guild Saves the World.

Chapter 350, Page 349: The Dead Are More Useful Than the Living

The first round of simulation has ended. The real time is 4:23.

Orange Tea touched her head, somewhat dazed: "It feels so strange, like multiple layers of a dream, and yet only so much time has passed."

Everyone's private messages kept popping up.

The simulation begins, isolating the player from the outside world; the player cannot receive information from the outside.

Jiang Heyi glanced at it; the familiar person was still on the third floor of the card room.

As expected, a strategy guide is a strategy guide, but actual combat is actual combat.

French Fries checked the leaderboard, and the virtual-real boundary is still ranked first.

Whether it's the Three Kingdoms or them, basically all the powerful guilds have reached the third level and suffered repeatedly, with no clear winner.

The jailer only mentioned the game type for the fourth floor, and everyone started opening bottles of champagne.

Lafrecia: "The 4th floor is actually a simulation management game, haha, there's no level suppression anymore."

Why are you so skilled at this: "Anything is fine, I really don't want to play the word game anymore. This monster is too disgusting. I don't even want to think about how many people it could kill if it appeared on the floor that requires a certain number of attempts."

Kangfuxin Liquid Progeny: "I don't think it's an easy level, otherwise the potato's data on the leaderboard would have changed."

After learning more details, the group fell silent.

It's a simulation management game, but not entirely.

"It sounds like a major plot point in the main world, where you never know which choice will affect the final outcome."

"But if Potato and the others pass the test, then we can copy their homework, right?"

"Wake up, I don't think the authorities will allow this. There will definitely be differences between the simulations."

After a short rest, we'll prepare to re-enter the fourth level at the boundary between the real and virtual worlds.

“Watch out for your guild stronghold,” Scarlet Music Box suddenly messaged. “My and Canned Food’s foreign fans are warning you that some people are planning to take advantage of your raid to gather enough people to completely destroy the stronghold.”

Jiang Heyi's relaxed nerves tensed up in a second.

"who?"

“They’re from all sorts of countries, but judging from the numbers, there are quite a few from a certain country that smells like kimchi,” said Crimson Music Box. “I guess they’re trying to distract you and slow down your progress.”

The real and virtual worlds are at odds, not quite understanding why South Korea accounts for a large proportion of this matter.

Unable to figure it out, he decided to stop worrying about it and returned to the guild headquarters to provide Ksha with a warning.

During the conversation, Kesha looked around as if searching for something.

"what happened?"

Kesha hugged its restless tail, feeling a little disappointed.

"No, I was wondering why Potato didn't come back."

French Fries rubbed his temples, and his heart, which hadn't stirred with strange emotions for a long time, seemed to be scratched by two hands.

"If it weren't for the smooth progress of Mint's storyline..." she thought smugly to herself.

Everyone assembled, and the second round of simulation began.

After observing the environment, everyone found that the furnishings and decorations remained unchanged, and the information provided to the players was still the same as in the first playthrough, with no hidden pitfalls.

The jailer looked around and, unable to suppress a laugh, asked, "Who will be the tyrant?"

Zhong Zemo, who has a strong sense of morality, decided to take it slow.

Jiang Heyi wore a meaningful smile.

After finishing his first playthrough, he came up with a very interesting way to play, which was worth a try.

"Everyone, what the Tetra Prime just said has inspired me."

All eyes immediately fell on Jiang Heyi.

"The emphasis on the fact that only one lord can exist at a time prompts us to think a little wider: what would happen if the current lord died?"

His words instantly broke the mold of everyone's long-held gaming style, returning them to the ranks of savage and evil players.

“If the lord dies suddenly, the territory should be passed on to the lord’s sons.” French Fries murmured as he pondered. “If there are no sons, then a substitute lord needs to be chosen and the empire will decide.”

Instantly, everyone's eyes lit up.

Jiang Heyi laughed: "You all woke up at the crack of dawn."

Orange Tea was still a little confused. She touched her cheek and asked, "What does this have to do with us?"

"In our first playthrough, our biggest predicament was that we were lords with negative reputations due to external threats."

"No matter what we do, the people of the territory will think it's a move to win people's hearts with war imminent, and they won't buy it at all, which will prevent all plans from being carried out and only earn the loyalty of Caen and others."

Orange Tea finally understood: "I get it! When a person dies, the debt is settled. The lord died at the beginning of the game, but the acting lord is still the lord. If he implements the reforms, people will welcome him wholeheartedly!"

The four primitives clapped: "That's right, dead people are more useful than living people. This perfectly breaks away from the negative image set at the beginning of the game."

The jailer shrugged: "But what should we do? Pick someone to commit suicide and use up our challenge attempts?"

Even Orange Tea, whose understanding of the game was not as good as his, gave him a speechless look.

"Who told you to fake your death instead of actually dying!"

"How... how can I fake my death? Everyone in this castle will recognize who the lord is at the start of the game, they will definitely check."

Jiang Heyi explained his plan to everyone.

"Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful!" The jailer clapped his hands. "Now it's up to everyone's acting skills, and whether the NPCs get into character."

The jailer, finding it quite amusing, volunteered to be the lord of death.

A necromancer volunteered to play as a corpse at the start of the game, which was quite hilarious.

The world returned to color, and the jailer's identity as lord was confirmed. Without hesitation, he walked to the desk, wrote a document, and pressed his fingerprint on it.

Once he was ready, he walked to the center of the study and slowly lay down without saying a word.

Even with his eyes closed, he couldn't resist being a little silly.

"Ugh... I'm dead!"

"Then why are your eyes open?" the woman in the blankets sighed, hands on her hips.

"I died with my eyes wide open in disbelief. Was my acting good?"

Orange Tea squatted down helplessly and brushed his face with her hand: "Alright, alright, just hurry up and die, and go in peace."

The jailer wasn't stubborn; he obediently closed his eyes and died.

Jiang Heyi picked up a teacup and smashed it next to the jailer.

The butler, Navas, who rushed over upon hearing the news, looked at the group of people surrounding the jailer with confusion. A second later, surprise and fear crept onto his face.

It felt like insects were wriggling under his skin. Navas's mouth twitched, and he couldn't speak for a long time. He could only stare blankly as Jiang Heyi pulled a sharp blade from the corpse.

"No, no... I don't know anything..."

Navas was pulled up and leaned against the desk.

Without further ado, a letter that the jailer had already written came into view.

In the letter, he described how he suddenly contracted a serious illness and his body rapidly weakened.

Since he had no children, he appointed Jiang Heyi as acting lord during his illness.

“Mr. Navas, you have worked hard for this territory for many years and served generations of lords. Perhaps the old lords have been kind to you, but…” Jiang Heyi pointed to the “corpse” on the ground, “Are you sure you want to repay his kindness?”

Navas was speechless, his eyes momentarily unfocused.

"You should be aware of this lord's capriciousness and incompetence."

"It's a good thing for us all, isn't it?"

Navas already knew what Jiang Heyi wanted to do, and his voice was trembling.

"This is a provocation against the Imperial Law! The Imperial Court will send people to investigate. You can't hide it from us!"

“That’s what I have to face. What you need to do is remain silent and cooperate until the courtroom arrives,” Jiang Heyi said. “At the moment of the incident, you could easily have said that you were coerced.”

“In fact, you have no choice.” Jiang Heyi used both carrot and stick. “If the secret is leaked, we will kill you before we escape. We are knights recruited by him, and you should know that we have this ability.”

Forced into a corner with nowhere to retreat, Navas lowered his head in dejection. When he raised his head again, he had already realized his mistake.

"The lord's soul has been carried away by a crow!"

"The wicked banshee has appeared!"

Two mournful cries rang out, and Navas's eyes filled with tears.

To be able to cry on cue, so naturally, that's what a true acting talent is!

News of the lord's sudden death spread like wildfire throughout the entire territory, and the number of people buying food at the bakery suddenly doubled.

Each leader of the Silent Ones planned to indulge in a hearty meal and drink, within the limited resources available, to soothe their battered and bruised bodies.

Spontaneous prayers were taking place in every household.

It was not a tribute to a deity in faith, but a sincere respect for the great banshee.

Meanwhile, some people asked the great banshee with a hint of resentment why she hadn't taken the pig's soul sooner.

Is it because it's too dirty?
After wandering around the territory for a while, I arrived at the basement where the jailer kept the body.

Here, everyone gathered around the coffin, watching him as he pretended to be dead.

He picked a foxtail grass from under the covers and tickled the jailer's nose: "You know what? The whole territory is celebrating your death! It's a grand celebration, like royalty! Do you like it?"

The jailer lifted the coffin and stood up, saying with disdain, "I was just acting, just acting, I'm not this scumbag."

The plan went very smoothly.

As early as the first playthrough, they had observed Navas's fear of the lord from subtle details and basically guessed that the lord was using him to vent his anger.

Navas's loyalty had long been worn away. In his old age, all he wanted was a place to live, so there was no reason for him to refuse the promise to take the blame himself if something went wrong at the boundary between the virtual and real worlds.

Orange Tea took the foxtail grass and continued to wave it in the jailer's face: "Sigh, your death is a greater contribution than your life."

Navas found a corpse, and the group put it into a coffin and sealed it.

The jailer, fully equipped, swaggered into the castle in a completely new guise.

The handwritten document was perfectly in effect, and all the maids along the way smiled and bowed to Jiang Heyi without exception.

The fourth level, by breaking the rules, indeed yielded more problem-solving approaches.

Navas, who had been summoned, had already adapted to his new role and respectfully inquired what his orders were.

"First, help me find a man named Caen in the patrol guard."

"Second, post notices."

"I'm telling you... at this sorrowful time of the lord's passing, good news is needed to dispel the bad luck left by the banshee of death."

"All miscellaneous taxes are abolished throughout the territory, and this year's grain tax is waived."

Navas stared in astonishment, his mouth agape.

He cautiously reminded him, "Those taxes... will be yours, yours..."

“What is not mine should belong to you,” Jiang Heyi emphasized. “From now on, you need to adapt to the new lord’s style.”

(End of this chapter)