Chapter 178 - 135: Niuniu: Bro, Do You Desire Power?

While the other players were going wild with exploration and fun, Niuniu hadn’t been slacking off either.

After posting the cheese strat guide for the SM-themed boss couple on the forums last time, Niuniu was being pestered for another update.

After some thought, Niuniu decided to do two things.

The first, naturally, was about the monster on the peninsula map known as the "Resentment Ghost Giant Monster."

"...Brother Niu, maybe we should just forget it. I only just started the game, and all the guides say I should practice on the Beach Fishmen to get my fundamentals down first. This high-risk instance..."

A Newbie Player, riding a Spirit Fire Raft in front of the Gray Mist, said hesitantly.

Niuniu dismissed his concerns and offered some encouragement.

"Hey, don’t be scared. I already told you it’ll work, so would I lie? I’ve already planned out the route for you through the first part of the instance. All you have to do is follow it."

"Just think about it. If you can get this Molten Slag Level Summoned Monster this early in the game, you’ll be set! As long as you use it well, you won’t even have to lift a finger to farm Wax Oil. Why would you need to suffer through the tedious step-by-step grind?"

Niuniu had also looked into the early-game routes on the peninsula.

The routes through the early parts of the peninsula were indeed full of monsters, both swimming in the sea and flying in the sky. While veteran players could deal with them easily, for Newbie Players, these monsters were all formidable opponents.

That’s why Niuniu had specifically planned out a low-risk route. As long as a new player could successfully obtain the [Giant Monster’s Index Finger of Resentment], they would be set. With this thing’s help, many newbies would surely be able to get through the sluggish early-game period.

After hearing what Niuniu said, the Newbie Player was tempted.

Niuniu struck while the iron was hot, handing him a Magic Potion. "If you’re still not feeling confident, use this Magic Potion. It boosts Agility, which should be enough for you to dodge everything."

’Anyway, I stole the Magic Potion from Mushroom, so it’s no loss to me.’

Seeing this, the Newbie Player was touched. Although he knew Niuniu was using him as a guinea pig, he gritted his teeth and went for it!

"Alright, Brother Niu. Wait for my good news."

With that, he took a deep breath, steered his Spirit Fire Raft, and entered the Gray Mist.

Seeing this, Niuniu nodded in satisfaction. He then started waiting, idly chatting with other players in the chat channel.

But not long after, a Wandering Soul emerged with a long face. "I couldn’t even outrun them, Brother Niu."

Hearing this, Niuniu scratched his face in embarrassment and coughed. "Ah, failure is the mother of success. Don’t be discouraged, keep trying. Dying just costs a few drops of Wax Oil, right? I’ll cover it for you. Go on, go on."

At this, the player had no choice but to try again.

...

「A while later.」

"Brother Niu! Brother Niu!" The voice of the guinea pig player, who had died more than ten times, came from behind Niuniu. It seemed he had teleported back directly. He was holding a severed index finger, his expression ecstatic. "Holy shit, I really did it, Brother Niu!"

Hearing this, a smile involuntarily spread across Niuniu’s face. "See? I told you it would work, didn’t I?"

"Come on, I’ll take you to Exile Island to test out the strength of this Summoned Monster."

With that, Niuniu dragged him over to Exile Island and watched him enter the instance.

As before, Niuniu waited while idly chatting in the group chat.

[You have 2 unread private messages]

Time to Eat Mushrooms!: "Niuniu, did you fucking steal my Magic Potions again?"

Time to Eat Mushrooms!: "I asked you to watch my shop, and this is how you do it? Stealing the goods you’re supposed to be guarding, huh?"

I do Bull’s Push-ups: "Ah, it’s just a few Magic Potions. Don’t be so stingy."

Time to Eat Mushrooms!: "?"

Time to Eat Mushrooms!: "A few? How can you even say that? You’ve nearly stolen everything I have! Am I just your personal potion slave? You son of a... ****"

Niuniu picked his ear and nonchalantly closed the chat window.

’That kid Mushroom is like a hoarder. He makes so many Magic Potions and just lets them sit there. What a waste...’

’To prevent the Magic Potions from expiring and spoiling, I had no choice but to tearfully take them for my own use.’

While he was fooling around, the figure of the guinea pig player appeared again.

"Whoa! Brother Niu, Brother Niu!"

"This thing is a beast! A single Resentful Soul Ball can take out a third of a Law Knight’s health, and it’s insane for clearing mobs. It’s so badass!"

"Just a few more levels and I’ll be able to perform Fire Ignition!"

The guinea pig player said elatedly, clutching the Law Knight’s Greatsword.

Hearing this, Niuniu’s brow furrowed slightly. He pondered for a moment, then finally revealed his true intentions, a malicious smile spreading across his face...

"What’s so great about a Law Knight’s Fire Seed?"

"Bro, let me ask you..." Niuniu said with a smile, patting his shoulder. He slowly clenched his fist in front of the player and asked in a seductive voice, "Do you desire Power?"

Hearing Niuniu’s sinister tone, the guinea pig player suddenly felt an unprompted chill run down his spine. He swallowed nervously. "Brother Niu, what do you mean by that?"

Seeing that his words had successfully piqued the other’s curiosity, Niuniu gave a mysterious smile. "Bro, think about it. If you just get a Fire Seed from a Law Knight or Brother Lang, you’ll still be a newbie or a mid-tier player at best. That Resentment Giant Monster is a one-time use item. Once it dies, it’s gone for good. And I don’t need to tell you how much it costs to reset the instance..."

"Since we’re already taking a shortcut, we should be thinking about how to maximize the advantage this Resentment Giant Monster gives us..."

Listening to Niuniu’s eloquent pitch, the guinea pig player felt that something was off.

"Um... Brother Niu, just get to the point."

Hearing him, Niuniu paused. After a moment’s thought, he said, "...Alright, then I’ll be direct."