094. Why Do We Have to Build the Beginner Village After Leaving the Starter Planet?
"Cleave the mountain!"
Caramel Snail leaped high from the hillside, slashing his long blade fiercely at the slender neck of a gray-feathered ground bird. The ferocious force of the strike, combined with the conversion of gravitational potential energy, created immense kinetic power—enough to cut through a car roof back on Azure Star.
Clang!
The impact rang with a sharp metallic sound. Caramel Snail immediately felt a tingling numbness in his hands and a sharp pain in his bones.
The gray-feathered bird took the blow to its neck without flinching, then spread its four wings wide, creating a whirlwind that sent Caramel Snail flying.
"What the—!" Caramel Snail landed hard on his backside, stunned, raising his bent blade. "This is a military-grade combat knife confiscated from a Tianhuan Warrior, and it can't even kill a 'Just Because'?!"
Dah-dah-dah-dah!
Cumin Powder, dual-wielding weapons resembling submachine guns, seized the opportunity as Caramel Snail disengaged. She unleashed a burst at the target, with 9mm potassium-incendiary armor-piercing rounds sparking off the gray-feathered bird, creating a spectacular display. However, the damage numbers were pitiful single digits from burn effects.
"Wow, even guns are ineffective," Cumin Powder remarked. "The ecological difficulty of White Candle Star is over the top. Are we supposed to hunt with 155mm howitzers?"
"Even if we had one, that'd be a huge waste," Gary Don commented as he stepped in to replace Caramel Snail. He raised a polymer anti-riot shield in one hand and wielded a high-voltage stun blade in the other, drawing the creature's aggression.
Unlike Caramel Snail's high-speed, high-damage combat style, Gary Don was a renowned tank in the professional scene, focused on high [Strength] and [Constitution], specializing in shields and crowd control.
Goo-goo-goo!
The towering gray-feathered bird flapped its wings and leapt into the air, launching a flying kick. Before Gary Don could react, the blow sent him and his shield sprawling.
Gary Don had already activated his taunt skill, but the system immediately displayed a message:
[The level gap between you and the target is too large. Taunt failed.]
Fortunately, Gary Don, a battle-hardened pro, remained calm. As he hit the ground, he grasped his weapon firmly.
[Gravity Reversal]
The gravitational manipulation he rented from Li Aozi worked wonders. Distracted by Cumin Powder's harassment, the gray-feathered bird suddenly dropped as if tripping, crashing headfirst into a tree.
"Now's our chance!"
Sky Dominion guild leader Yu Tianxiao seized the moment, commanding his turrets to focus fire. Nightblade Sword charged in under cover fire, skillfully dodging the bird's pecks with erratic three-step dashes. Sliding low and pivoting, he slashed at the bird's slender legs.
Crunch!
His blade struck the joint solidly, toppling the bird as it let out a pained cry, raising a cloud of dust. Gary Don, just back on his feet, was knocked down again by the impact.
Nightblade Sword moved swiftly, channeling energy through his body to resist the swirling winds.
The grounded gray-feathered bird shrieked and flapped its wings furiously, releasing a barrage of razor-sharp feathers.
Nightblade Sword deftly maneuvered in mid-air, avoiding the storm of feathers and plunging his sword into the blind spot at the back of the bird's neck.
Caramel Snail wasn't far behind, switching to a different weapon. With his Soul Engraving Sword Saint ability active, his blade radiated an eerie purple aura. He assumed an iai stance and closed in.
The two [Warriors] struck in unison. Sword and blade hummed with energy, the sharp scent of power cutting through the air.
In the next instant, their attacks landed. Invisible gravitational pulls and the spectral aura converged, tearing away feathers and flesh from the bird's head. Blood gushed as its brainstem took a direct hit, leaving it reeling.
"Clear out!"
Whoosh!
Cumin Powder fired a rocket launcher aimed at the bird's wounded chest. The two warriors retreated gracefully, rolling away as the bird howled in agony.
The explosion engulfed the bird in flames.
[You have slain lv.20 [Gray-Feathered Land Pigeon]—Total damage contribution exceeds 60%. Bonus for out-level kill and teamwork applied…]
[You have gained 25,427 experience points.]
"Wow, the rewards are great!" Cumin Powder exclaimed. "One chicken gives us 25k XP. At this rate, we'll hit Alpha-tier by next week."
"Easy for you to say," Yu Tianxiao grumbled, packing up his turrets. "Ammo isn't a renewable resource."
Nightblade Sword sheathed his dulled blade, complimenting Caramel Snail, "Your strikes were impressive—every hit lethal."
"Oh, no, no, no," Caramel Snail stammered, revealing his social anxiety as he waved his hands. "That's thanks to the Omega Energy I rented from Li Aozi."
"That Omega Energy is unique—it adds spell damage and boosts weapon proficiency. What's it called again?"
"Soul Engraving Sword Saint," Caramel Snail replied, adding, "You need 150 favorability with Li Aozi to unlock it for rental."
"That explains it. My favorability is too low—I can only rent [Eye of Truth] and [Gravity]."
"Those are available to everyone!" Gary Don teased, slicing material from the corpse. "Old Night, you need to start grinding NPC favorability."
"I usually skip it—most games only give extra dialogue for it. But Li Aozi's rewards are worth it," Nightblade Sword admitted, manipulating his sword with gravitational energy.
"Without the Omega Energy he provides, we couldn't take on these new creatures. This bird alone could probably wipe a squad of Tianhuan Warriors."
"Be confident—it could handle a platoon."
The group joked about the difficulty of the new map. Even as top-tier pros, the White Candle Star's opening map pushed them to their limits.
Unlike Azure Star, where technology leveled the playing field, White Candle Star stripped them of industrial advantages, making firearms nearly useless.
Bullets became precious commodities, some melted down for materials.
Lacking spellcasters, they relied on substitutes like [Biochemists] and [Mechanics].
As darkness fell, the group hurried back with their catch.
Traveling with pros, Caramel Snail had grown more familiar with them. Despite their skills, they were still just people.
The pros took a liking to Caramel Snail, inviting him to try out for training camps.
Cumin Powder, the tomboyish and outgoing one, shared insider stories about the gaming scene.
"In Yansummer, food companies sponsor most esports teams, so all team names are food brands. Domestic tournaments are called 'Chef Showdowns.'"
"No way. What does your team, [XXG], stand for?"
"Xiangxiang Chicken. Oh, and my ID, Cumin Powder, comes from endorsing cumin-flavored chicken."
"So, when a team plays poorly, do they get called 'downright tasty' or 'ready to plant rice in my stomach'?"
"Not at all. The audience is polite and cultured," Cumin Powder retorted.
"They say 'National Feast.'"
Just as Caramel Snail stifled his laughter, Yu Tianxiao pointed ahead.
"Hey, look over there…"
Among the mountains stood a crude village with scattered building materials, looking rough and primitive.
"People live out here?" Caramel Snail exclaimed before something clicked.
The layout seemed familiar—the trees and the ruined sanctuary gave him a sense of déjà vu.
"This place looks familiar."
"We haven't unlocked the map here yet."
"But that hill, those ruins, that tent…"
Before they could discuss further, the system chimed in:
——————————
['Li Aozi' has established a new territory here. You qualify for the next phase of the long-term quest "New Journey".]
[/////Quest Updated/////]
[Long-Term Quest—"Build Your Home"]
[You have joined a new faction: White Candle Star • Faithkeep Village]
[Strive to build your home!]
——————————
The group stared at each other.
Everyone exchanged bewildered glances.
"Didn't we just leave the starter planet?" Caramel Snail asked in confusion. "And this name… it reeks of bad taste. Who came up with this? No sense of style at all."
"Maybe we misunderstood something earlier."
Yu Tianxiao pondered for a moment and offered a theory:
"In Star Abyss, the real beginner village might be… the entire first layer of the Abyss?"