Chapter 187 - 139: Appearance or Power?

"Oh my god, even Faraway Lord is weighing in."

"Nooo, Faraway Lord, you can’t fall to the dark side!"

"I was wondering why the explosion skill of that ugly monster from the Bottom of the Well was sometimes strong and sometimes weak. So it was all about the synergy between its Talent and Skill..."

"What the fuck? It one-shotted the S&M couple? For real?"

"No way, dude. Is that even allowed?"

"Has Spirit Candle lost its mind? What kind of ridiculous design is this? Fucking Sima planners, why did they make this Ba Ba Fire so strong? What face do we Mages have left?"

"So we have to choose between power and looks, is that it? You’ve really outdone yourselves, planners!"

As expected, the players exploded into a massive argument.

At the same Tier, one-shotting the S&M couple with a single burst was something no other build could possibly do. But the Explosive Bull build had somehow pulled it off.

It died in the process, but... when have players ever been afraid of dying?

Trading one death to take out a boss wasn’t a weakness at all—it was a huge advantage!

Thinking of this, some players defected on the spot.

My Son Failed, But I’m On Shore: "...I take back what I said before."

Brother Miao Won’t Fail the Exam: "? If you dare use Fire Ignition with that thing, don’t even think about running instances with me again."

Battle Bliss: "Hmph, heretics! The only way a real man fights is fist to flesh and blade to bone!"

Jie Men San Ye: "What Ba Ba Fire? That’s clearly Daddy Fire! I’m fucking in!"

My True Self Suppresses All Enemies: "A true powerhouse cannot be bound by rumors. Power is all that matters!"

Wudi: "Heh, if you want to eat shit, just say so!"

Old Dice: "My good fellas, not at the same time, but at the Bottom of the same Well, I, Lao Ba, will once again challenge myself to eat some poop, AWOOO!"

Failed Man: "AHHHHH!!! Brothers, I can’t take it anymore! I don’t want to be a Prison Guard anymore! I don’t want to be locked up! If it’s Ba Ba Fire, then it’s Ba Ba Fire! I’m casting aside my humanity, AHHHHHH!"

"..."

Some players, who had been "imprisoned" by the grind for too long, chose to fall to the dark side on the spot, completely losing their minds.

However, the majority of players still chose to wait and see, or simply refused.

My hamster’s name is Guagua: "This Fire Seed... is just too disgusting. I can’t accept it."

Iced Lemon Tea: "I give up. I just said the build was strong, and now a bunch of people are chasing me around calling me Sister Ba... (crying face)"

Icarus: "It’s really a bit hard to stomach. I think I’ll just wait and see for now..."

Dead Water Returning Yin: "No matter how strong this build is, I’ll never accept it! The most important thing in a game is face! If I use a Ba Ba Fire, where would I put my face?"

My Little Sister Long Kui: "An unsophisticated, evil art! I don’t need this build. I can still annihilate monsters and become the King of Combustion!"

Sitting and Not Forgetting the Dao: "Jie jie jie, merely a petty trick! Brothers, why not join my Madman Stream? It’s not only powerful and doesn’t feel like a prison sentence, but it also looks dashing and stylish!"

Captain of the Motherland: "Children, a real man would not choose such a crooked path. Facing challenges head-on is what makes a true hero!"

Bees don’t like flying: "Is there any anthropomorphic porn of Fecal Corpse Adhesive?"

"..."

The players were roughly divided into three factions: the Fallen, the Watchers, and the Opponents.

For now, the Opponents were still in the majority.

After all, this wasn’t some old keyboard-and-mouse game; it was a full-fledged virtual reality game.

After using Fire Ignition on a Ba Ba Fire Seed like Fecal Corpse Adhesive, the stench was completely real. Both your sense of touch and smell would be assaulted.

This was undoubtedly just trading one form of torture for another.

That’s why many players were still vehemently opposed, resolutely refusing to join the Fallen.

"Don’t you play games to relax and not feel like you’re in prison? So what if it’s a little ugly and smelly? What’s the big deal? It’s not like there’s a shortage of disgusting things in this game."

"That’s pure bullshit. Who plays Spirit Candle to relax? If it were a keyboard-and-mouse game, whatever. But to play with something like that in a game this realistic? All I can say is, you’re kind of a pervert!"

"I’d rather cry in a handsome cloak than laugh while wearing a shell of shit!"

"Tsk tsk, look at you, acting all high and mighty."

"..."

The arguments between some players were getting heated, their words growing sharp, with a tendency to blow things out of proportion.

Of course, the truly obsessed were just a minority. Most players were just memeing and joking around.

After all, a guide is a guide, and an unconventional build is an unconventional build. It wasn’t up to anyone else to tell you how to play the game.

And along with this post, a funny little incident also occurred.

...

Near the Demon-Harboring Cottage on Candle Island.

Because the area was open and close to where Mushroom Lord sold Magic Potions, this was also the beginning of its "marketization."

A crowd of players who were keen on trading had gathered here to set up stalls.

The stalls they set up were also very simple.

A person squatting with their goods laid out on the ground—that was all it took to make a simple market.

Luo Ge naturally didn’t prohibit trading and gifting between players. He even went out of his way to release a simple little trading system to make it more convenient for them.

As the number of players grew, the scale of this place naturally expanded.

Naturally, the sounds of players haggling and arguing could often be heard here, adding a lively, bustling atmosphere to Candle Island.

"Defender Captain’s Magic Pearl! Defender Captain’s Magic Pearl! Only 30 Wax Oil! You can’t lose, you can’t be cheated! Get it while it’s hot!"

"Bone Fork Throwing, Crescent Moon Sword Qi, Disabling Strike, Whirling Blade, Swift Blade... selling Battlerior Battle Ashes cheap!"

"Reinforced Wax Stone! Reinforced Wax Stone! Just a little more Wax Oil, and the more you buy, the bigger the discount!"

"Fresh catch! Fresh catch!"

"Fire Seeds! Fire Seeds!"

"..."

Most of the people who set up stalls here were social terrorists. As for the socially anxious players... they were, of course, the suppliers for these social terrorists.

After browsing the forums for a bit, Failed Man appeared next to the Spirit Candle, then headed straight for the Candle Island market.

Soon, he arrived at a stall specializing in Fire Seeds and found the owner.

"Boss, how much for a Fecal Corpse Adhesive Fire Seed!"

Hearing his question, the player selling Fire Seeds chuckled and shook his head.

"You’re too late. Sold out long ago," the owner said leisurely. "And don’t bother going to the guy who sells skills, either. He’s sold out of his stock, too."

"Brother, if you want to play the Explosive Bull build, you’re better off farming the instance yourself."

The owner shrugged.

Failed Man’s face fell when he heard this.

He had just barely managed to mentally prepare himself, only to find that the Fire Seeds were sold out the moment he logged on.

"Says who? Xiaoma has some for sale. It’s a full set, too. Just a bit pricier."

Just then, a handsome passerby suddenly pointed him in the right direction.

"Hmph, that’s just speculation and profiteering. What’s the difference between that and being a scalper?" the owner said with contempt.

"The hell you’re talking about? He’s not even selling them for that much, just making a little extra for his hard work." The handsome guy rolled his eyes. "You’re just salty you didn’t make the profit. If he hadn’t bought them and they ended up in your hands, who knows what ridiculous price you would’ve sold them for."

"Didn’t he get a warning from the game for it?" the owner snorted.

"Then you’ve got no room to talk," the handsome player said dismissively.

"What the—are you fucking looking for trouble?" Hitting a sore spot, the owner flew into a rage and drew his Magic Staff.

"Shady merchant, what are you gonna do about it?" The handsome player immediately drew his own two-meter-long greatsword.

"Come on! One-on-one!"

"Who’s afraid of you? Let’s go, one-on-one!"

"You think I give a shit? Let’s go over there!"

"Fine by me! Whoever chickens out has no balls!"

"..."

Seeing the two players suddenly about to come to blows, Failed Man quickly slipped away and went to Xiaoma’s stall.

The front of the stall was also extremely lively, with business booming, like a stall selling luosifen noodles.

"Whoa, damn, that smell..."

"The stronger the smell, the better it is!"

"Forget it, forget it, I still can’t handle it. BLEGH..."

"Tch, coward! How can you obtain inhuman power without suffering inhuman torment?"

"Hahahaha, I’ve already turned all my sensory settings to the minimum! My mind is made up!"

"Heh heh, I’m different. I turned all my sensory settings to the maximum..."

"???"

"This brat really knows how to live!"