I created the myth of the Great Old Ones.

He noticed that the compass was slightly tilted, which was clearly a sign of the presence of a large-scale iron ore deposit. Some of the iron ore had become magnetic, attracting the compass's magnet.

"Let's go take a look."

Old Eggplant had some players keep watch near the pit, while he led a few players down the pit wall toward the dark blue-green rocks.

Upon arriving at the rocks, Old Eggplant first confirmed that they were not coal. The ore was hard and extended into the soil. He casually dug with a shovel and found that he couldn't see the roots at all.

After breaking off a few pieces and marking the coordinates on a hand-drawn map, Old Eggplant planned to test them when he got back. If it really was iron ore, then their weapons and equipment would be secured.

However, just as Old Eggplant was about to turn back, he heard a deep roar.

Looking back, Old Eggplant noticed that the pool of water at the bottom of the pit was rippling.

From within it, some kind of creature seemed to emerge.

Old Eggplant instinctively drew his sword.

He saw a huge shadow rising from the water, its body covered in what appeared to be minerals, displaying a metallic, psychedelic color. It had six legs, no eyes on its head, and its enormous size was as tall as a three-story building.

At the same time, Old Eggplant felt a great earthquake, and that patch of "ore" also trembled and was pulled out of the soil.

This is actually part of the monster's body!

"Holy crap, did we encounter a world boss?"

Old Eggplant saw that the giant beast in the water blocked out the sunlight.

Chapter 726: No way!

"Holy crap, how did I die?!"

Old Eggplant hadn't even realized what was happening when he crawled out of the mud.

He had even imagined a poignant epic of humanity's struggle against nature. At that moment, Kratos, the Faded One, and the white winds of the New World flashed through Old Eggplant's mind. He even struck a pose as if preparing to dodge a sudden attack.

But the giant rock monster simply stomped down, and Old Eggplant and the players around him vanished without a trace.

Watching the players gradually climb out of the mud, Old Eggplant was filled with mixed emotions.

He thought he was already very skilled, able to circle around trees with the monsters in the forest for more than ten minutes without getting hurt. He had specifically learned some basic free fighting in real life, and his use of weapons was among the best of the players.

Yet, even someone like him, when faced with those extraordinary, enormous, and majestic monsters, was still like an ant, unable to even put up a fight, and the monsters might not even be aware of his existence.

Seeing a lot of people bubbling up from the mud pit, Twisted Fate, who was learning about building from the other players, looked over.

"Didn't you go out to explore for resources? What did you find?"

Drizzt asked.

Old Eggplant briefly recounted what he had seen and heard. Trist thought for a moment and told Old Eggplant and the others to rest first, and then go back to the Baron's mansion to find Sia and the others.

"This is not a lord, just a larger iron lizard."

After hearing Trist's account, Sia pondered and said...

"In my time, iron lizards were almost extinct. They were creatures that had been slightly polluted, with their bodies mostly made of steel. For a long time, they were the source of iron ore for the Gray Tower. However, due to the hunting by mages and the repeated waves of demonic tides, the last iron lizard was sighted a hundred years ago."

"So, this is the iron ore mine of the Night Kingdom?"

Lu Ban followed up on Xia's words.

"Yes, there are not only iron lizards, but also creatures made of various minerals. In the records of the Gray Tower, they are called crystal creatures, which are formed by the fusion of polluted minerals and surrounding organisms."

Hia nodded.

"That's amazing."

Trist stroked his chin.

"So, the mineral resources in the Night Kingdom all crawl up on their own?"

Stone imagined the scene and felt a little disgusted.

"Yes."

Shea looked at Trist.

"The Magic Network needs my and Jost's support. You and the exploration team should take care of this Iron Lizard. It should be able to provide some of the steel we need."

"no problem."

Drizzt had no objection.

His [Simulated Sunfire] was doubly damaging to such a huge creature, and he was also quite interested in seeing the monsters of this world.

"Wait a moment."

Lu Ban suddenly spoke, drawing everyone's attention to him.

“I think we should give new players a sense of involvement and give them a heads-up.”

"Vaccination?"

Trist didn't understand what Lu Ban meant; there were no vaccines in the ruined capital.

"What I mean is, the area around the town is too safe now. These players haven't encountered any danger since they arrived. They should die a few times, otherwise they won't know how to deal with the real demonic tide when it comes."

Lu Ban said matter-of-factly.

"...Are you the devil?"

Stone looked at Lu Ban, unsure how to respond.

"Of course not. We're just letting them spend a few days experiencing the Black Forest and understanding the enemies they'll be facing. It'll be very helpful for their mental growth."

Lu Ban said earnestly.

"In fact, I wanted to help them, which is why I let these players into the Black Forest."

"You really are a devil."

Stone said with certainty.

But Lu Ban didn't care; he directly summoned the players.

In the town square, which had been slightly repaired and was no longer muddy but paved with stones, Lu Ban spoke.

"Gentlemen, our survey team recently sent back a report that they were attacked by a ferocious monster and suffered heavy losses. This monster has abundant resources, and if we want to continue to develop, we must work together to fight this monster."

Upon hearing Lu Ban's words, those who hadn't gone out with the survey team, as well as the second batch of test players, looked at each other in bewilderment.

"I didn't expect that I would have to fight monsters to get resources, but I haven't leveled up at all. I've been busy grinding for resources these past few days."

"I'm just an ordinary mechanical manufacturing worker, I don't want to fight monsters!"

"The survey team are all veteran players from the first test, and their skills are very proficient. They still got wiped out. Aren't we newbies just feeding them kills if we go up there?"

"But I really want to go outside and see the world, otherwise this game will really turn into an overtime simulator and a brick-moving simulator."

"This is definitely a world event, the rewards will be incredibly generous, just imagine Ahn'Qiraj opening its gates!"

"Anyway, I won't die. Going to follow the big boss won't hurt me."

“I heard from the survey team that the monster is huge. They estimate that if we, a hundred people, went there, we would be trampled like ants.”

Despite everyone's concerns, upon closer reflection, they realized that this game is essentially an open-world adventure. If they stayed in the town or the safe zone, how could they possibly embark on an adventure?

There's a vast world outside, yet you stay indoors and never go out. Isn't that a waste of such a great game?

Moreover, most of the players in the second batch of tests were genuine game enthusiasts with a strong desire to explore.

Most importantly, for someone like Zhou Changqing, who works in communications at work, the game is still about communications, offering no gaming experience whatsoever. Instead, it feels like he's working overtime within the game, making him even more eager to go out and see the world.

Now, Zhou Changqing would be happy even if he had to fight a slime.

So when Lu Ban said that, the players were in an uproar. They got ready, collected their weapons, and eagerly looked forward to the Great Expedition, like hobbits who had just received their unsharpened swords.

Seeing this, Stone's lips twitched.

"These people are actually willing to go and die. Uh, even though they won't die, don't they feel the pain?"

He asked Lu Ban out of curiosity.

According to Lu Ban, these people came from the same world as Lu Ban, which made Stone wonder if the people in that world were all a little bit brainless.

"Of course it will hurt. What are you thinking? Being trampled to death by a monster is at least as painful as being kicked in the head."

Lu Ban asked in surprise.

"..."

Stone was speechless.

"Moreover, they are not going to their deaths; for them, death is also a part of enjoyment."

Lu Ban added another sentence.

"Part of the enjoyment?"

Stone really didn't understand this time.

He had seen some big shots' unknown fetishes before. It's true that some people get excited when they are treated brutally and ruthlessly by others, but those are a minority. Now, do all these hundreds of people have this kind of taste?

Chapter 727 The Players' Great Expedition

For this group of players' first expedition, Lu Ban not only wanted them to experience the true cruelty of the Night Kingdom and temper their spirit and will, but also needed them to play a role in spreading the word.

Because the corresponding internal interface is not open, [Morning Star] cannot be streamed, and streaming software cannot capture what players see and hear.

The reason for this is not a trade secret, but because the operation of [Morning Star] was originally a product of Lu Ban's whim. Without the electronic circuit logic and signal system of normal humans, it was naturally impossible to capture.

So, Lu Ban, the paper doll on Earth, quickly created a live streaming app to broadcast the players' grand expedition as part of his promotional efforts.

If you're asking whether Lu Ban lacks players, then it's definitely not lacking. Right now, there are tens of millions, if not millions, of players worldwide who want to enter the world of Night Kingdom, vying to be Lu Ban's slaves and build up Dusk Town.

However, Lu Ban needs some high-quality human players.

If the first batch of closed beta testers were "players," people who prioritized gaming over real life, then the second batch of players were elites from various industries who enjoy playing games.

For the third batch of players, Lu Ban wanted to recruit people who didn't usually play games but were outstanding in their respective fields.

Such demand naturally requires some form of promotion.

Live streaming is the best form of advertising.