The rewards for the purification task at the Cloud Field Domain Node had all players throbbing with excitement.
The reward mentioned a separate independent farming space, akin to embedding a mini farming game within the original game itself, but it was only accessible by players who achieved a ranking on the contribution leaderboard.
Through inquiries to Guidance, players learned that all they needed to do in the Spirit Field mini-game was to scatter the seeds and wait for the Spirit Plants to mature rapidly before harvesting them, then planting new seeds.
This was tantamount to having acquired a small sacrificial power production pool.
The yield might not be very high, but the key point was that this sacrificial power gain was an additional profit, not obtained through hunting or mining.
It could be understood as making money while lying down.
Regrettably, the strength of the Corruption Core that occupied the Cloud Field was extremely high; it could command a large number of corrupt plants of Hunting Levels 30-45 to battle, and current players simply didn’t have the power to take it down.
Yet still, some players had worked out a method to brush up their contribution.
Although they couldn’t take over the field, they could still count towards their Contribution Value as long as they dealt damage, prompting many players to start thinking outside the box.
While the main forces were busy leveling up, some less powerful players sought alternative routes, embarking early on the competition for the contribution ranking, adopting a strategy of small gains accumulating over time.
This led to the contribution leaderboard for the purification of Cloud Field becoming a battleground for lower-level players in the early stages.
o’clock in the evening.
After a busy day, Wu Quan, weary both physically and mentally, returned home.
Upon opening the door, a lavish dinner was already laid out on the dining table.
The robot housekeeper greeted him enthusiastically, asking if he had any other needs.
Ignoring the robot housekeeper, Wu Quan threw his work bag onto the sofa and, after washing his hands, began to devour his meal.
After finishing dinner, he pulled out his phone to check his messaging app, and the first thing that caught his eye were the marriage nagging texts from his mother.
Mom: You’re 30 and still not looking for a partner, I’m anxious to hold a grandbaby! (angry.jpg)
Mom: Why aren’t you responding? How do you feel about the girl Aunt Wang introduced to you recently, any thoughts on taking things further?
Mom: (mother’s heartbroken.jpg) Tell me, do you like the same sex, is that why you’ve never sought a partner?
After scrolling through a series of probing texts from his mother, Wu Quan chose to ignore them.
After instructing the housekeeper robot to clear up the dishes, he stepped towards the gaming capsule.
Ever since he linked to the "Dark Land" and obtained the gaming privileges, he would enter the game after work each day; it was one of his few pleasures.
His gaming time was from 8 PM until 9 AM the next day, with his sleep also spent inside the gaming capsule.
However, his approach to gaming was different from most players.
Hunting, gathering, exploring... these gameplay elements felt truly tiresome in his view, and he was not the least bit interested.
In his youth, he too was a passionate gaming enthusiast, but with age, his gaming mindset gradually became more Zen; he disliked competition and preferred leisurely and relaxing gameplay.
Now, the only joy he found in gaming was fishing.
Even before experiencing Dark Land, he was a dedicated member of the Fishing Faction Players.
During holidays, he would pick up his gear and set out to fish.
This process seemed very stress-relieving for him.
He generally chose scenic locations by the water for his fishing location, such as lakes, rivers, reservoirs, or the seaside.
Each fishing session enabled him to immerse himself in the natural environment, away from urban clamor, to enjoy tranquility and beauty, basking in the sunlight, breathing fresh air, listening to the lapping of the waves, feeling the cool breeze on his face. The close contact with nature brought him great joy, helping him forget the worries of work.
The only regret was that he hardly ever caught any fish.
Yunwu City, where he lived, was adjacent to the ocean. During the era of mechanical warfare, it was bombarded with several Mutated Bombs. Although the pollution had been cleared up, many fish species experienced genetic mutations due to the effects of the Mutated Bombs, making fishing significantly more challenging.
Especially in recent years, it was as if the fish had evolved intelligence: they would not bite on pungent baits, nor fragrant baits, nor grains, nor artificial lures... Nothing worked, making the difficulty of catching fish skyrocket.
Sometimes, he even thought about throwing his smartphone with the food delivery app "Stuffed Yet?" into the water, letting the schools of fish place an order for their favorite food, then obediently hook themselves.
As the joy of fishing waned, he thought of satisfying his hobby through virtual gaming.
He first set his sights on the recently released "Dark Land," which claimed to have a perfect sense of immersion.
Feeling that a game boasting such high levels of realism must permit some non-mainstream gameplay, such as fishing, he was interested.
Yet the biggest issue with this game was the extreme difficulty in procuring gaming privileges. Even if one had the money, it wouldn’t guarantee access; one could only attempt to snatch it up during official website releases, with exceedingly low chances of success.
He thought it likely that he wouldn’t get a chance to play the game within three years.
Unexpectedly, however, a hacked version download link appeared in a renowned game guild group he had joined years ago.
He was fortunate enough to catch a ride, downloading the game.
When he first entered the game, he was amazed by its realism and even more excited about virtual fishing.
During his days playing "Dark Land," he searched through mountains and rivers to find a tranquil fishing spot.
Finally, a week ago, he discovered a "Fishing Treasure Land."
The spot was located west of Imperial Tomb Village, south of Artifact Spirit Valley—a small lake where greenery thrived, seldom visited by Evil Life or Monsters. More importantly, the lake was teeming with fish species.