Chapter 194 - 143: Spirit Candle Promotion

However, no matter how furious Brother Mangzi was, he wouldn’t get a chance to wash away this shame anytime soon. After all, the Pottery Man invasion wasn’t like a dungeon boss that could be reset; there were no second chances.

He could only retreat in a rage to hone his combat skills, waiting for the Pottery Men’s next arrival to have his chance at vengeance...

Moreover, besides teasing Brother Mangzi and his group for their crushing defeat, the players also focused some of their attention on Xiaoma.

As the pioneer of the Explosive Bull build, Xiaoma’s performance in this battle was also quite concerning. Though he hadn’t been devoured by the Deep Sea Worm, he was captured by a Pottery Man before he could even detonate the Foul-smelling Feces Qi he’d laid out in advance.

While Xiaoma’s lack of fundamental skill was certainly a factor, the inherent shortcomings of the Explosive Bull build itself were also laid bare.

"Couldn’t even land a hit and just gave his body away for free. We Explosive Bull players are just that pathetic, I guess. (sticks out tongue)"

"’Fundamental skills are beside the point. The shortcomings of the Explosive Bull build are just too glaring. Setting up in advance works fine against brainless dungeon bosses, but against skilled fighters like the Pottery Men, it’s an absolute slaughter...’"

"’So the Explosive Bull build’s weakness is actually NPCs?’"

"’Looks that way. Any other player wouldn’t have been so helpless. I told you this thing couldn’t be Wudi.’"

"’This build is probably only good for running dungeons, just to get through the early game.’"

"’Facts. Big brain take.’"

"’Tsk, these NPCs aren’t picky, huh? They’ll even take Explosive Bull players. That’s insane...’"

"’That disgusting build finally got put in its place!’"

"..."

After all this time, a weakness had finally been found in the top-ranked Explosive Bull build, much to the delight of the players who’d grown to despise it.

Back when the Explosive Bull build was all the rage, some players had used it to cheese their way through content and had become insufferably arrogant.

But now, the appearance of hostile NPCs like the Pottery Men—who had brains and skill—instantly knocked those players back down to reality.

This forced some of the Explosive Bull players to finally quiet down.

What was somewhat baffling, however, was that even though Luo Ge had done nothing, public perception of *Spirit Candle* had started to improve. People were saying all sorts of strange things, like, "Devs, I misjudged you," "You’ve redeemed yourself," and "Brilliant foresight from the devs, what a setup!"

Luo Ge chuckled in spite of himself.

He hadn’t arranged any of it.

’The players didn’t know they were in a real world, where everything functioned according to its own internal logic. The Explosive Bull build had its strengths, so of course, it also had its weaknesses.’

’Still, he was rather fond of this Explosive Bull build.’

’Not because of the build itself or how it looked, of course, but because of the profits it brought him.’

[Spirit Candle]

[Tier: Molten Slag (100,000 Wax Oil required to Promote to next Tier)]

[Remaining Wax Oil: 130,764]

[Spirit Candle Buildings: Spirit Fire Port (Tier Two), Sin Furnace (Tier Two), Demon-Harboring Cottage (Tier One)]

[Anchored Islands: Candle Island (Small Solitary Island), Exile Island (Medium Solitary Island), Jinghai Islands (Small Archipelago), Seaside Town (Large Solitary Island)...]

[Candle Spirits Summoned: 1,677]

He hadn’t been idle lately.

The Explosive Bull players might not have been popular, but the amount of Wax Oil they generated for him was substantial. Luo Ge had used the opportunity to anchor the remaining islands one by one, though he decided to leave the Casa Peninsula for later, as it required a great deal more Wax Oil.

Anchoring these islands naturally brought him handsome rewards, but they were mostly special Weapons and equipment, or Special Items with unique Effects.

While their Effects were quite good, they were of no use to Luo Ge himself.

Placing them in the Candlekeeper’s shop, however, made some of the players drool with envy.

The only things Luo Ge considered valuable were the upgradable [Spirit Candle Port (Tier Three)] and an item he received after anchoring Seaside Town.

[Curse Master’s Insights]

[Type: Book]

[Explanation: A book containing the insights of a Curse Master, recording a great deal of information related to the profession.]

Although this *Curse Master’s Insights* wasn’t a Special Item and had no powerful Effects, the knowledge it contained was invaluable. It was the same type of item as the *Demon Summoner’s Notes*.

However, Noxia was still asleep, and Luo Ge would have a hard time understanding the book’s contents on his own. Burton Mage could probably read it, but...

Luo Ge set it aside for the time being, deciding to wait for Noxia to recover.

Speaking of Noxia.

After she had been slumbering for some time, Luo Ge could keenly sense through the Spirit Candle’s feedback that her condition was gradually improving. She would likely wake up soon.

Moreover, her Soul had grown stronger.

With that, Luo Ge had no more cause for concern.

Next, he needed to Promote the Spirit Candle’s Tier and then open up a new dungeon for the players.

...

[Wax Oil required to Promote Tier: 100,000. Consume 100,000 Wax Oil to Promote the Spirit Candle’s Tier?]

[Promoting Spirit Candle Tier...]

[Spirit Candle Tier Promotion complete.]

[New Spirit Candle Buildings unlocked: Demon-Harboring Cottage (Tier Two), Candle Spirit Tree (Initial Stage)]

[New Candle Spirit Abilities unlocked: Candle Bone Whistle, Lethal Strike]

[Candle Spirit maximum Temperature has been increased!]

[Spirit Candle]

[Tier: Scorching Charcoal (Promotion requires: 500,000 Wax Oil, 1 Broken Core)]

[Remaining Wax Oil: 30,764]

[Spirit Candle Buildings: Spirit Fire Port (Tier Two, upgradable), Sin Furnace (Tier Two), Demon-Harboring Cottage (Tier One, upgradable), Candle Spirit Tree (buildable, requires 5,000 Wax Oil)]

[Anchored Islands: Candle Island, Exile Island, Jinghai Islands...]

[Candle Spirits Summoned: 1,677]

"..."

’A Broken Core...’

After silently processing the feedback from the Spirit Candle, Luo Ge opened his eyes.

The Spirit Candle had now been Promoted for the third time, reaching the Scorching Charcoal Tier.

There seemed to be a watershed between the Scorching Charcoal Tier and the next, the Flame Tier.

The materials required to Promote the Spirit Candle again were no longer as simple as just Wax Oil. A Special Item had been added to the requirements: one [Broken Core].

As for the Broken Core.

The feedback from the Spirit Candle was concise and clear.

Within the shattered space, there also existed certain ’core’ pockets of space. They were perhaps different from the dungeon spaces he had been seeking out.

And within these spaces lay the ’Broken Cores’ required to Promote the Spirit Candle...

In short, this would be no easy task.

’Leave it to the players.’

Luo Ge collected his thoughts.

He had already kicked all the players offline for the update and had specifically saved enough Wax Oil to construct and upgrade the new buildings.

’Upgrade the buildings, and then it’s time to let the players back in...’

...

[Spirit Candle: Dark Crusade Version 0.8 Update Announcement]

[Announcement: Esteemed Candle Spirit Warriors...]

[Update Contents:]

[1. New player slots will continue to be released...]

[2. A new main story quest for all players has been added. Completing the main story quest will advance the game’s plot.]

[3. The Level cap for the Candle Spirit Body has been raised to 40. Players may go to the Spirit Candle to promote to the "Scorching Charcoal" Tier.]

[4. New Spirit Candle Buildings added: Candle Spirit Tree (Initial Stage), Demon-Harboring Cottage (Tier Two), Spirit Fire Port (Tier Three)]

[5. New Candle Spirit Abilities added: Candle Bone Whistle, Lethal Strike.]

[6. New anchored sea regions have been added. Players may explore them on their own.]

[7. Further adjustments made to the sensory system...]

[8. Fixed some bugs...]

...

Once the update announcement dropped, the players reacted in their three usual ways: wailing, cheering, and debating.

"’What the hell is this main quest? Since when does a game like *Spirit Candle* have a main storyline?’"

"’Don’t tell me we’re supposed to go raid the Firewood Thieves’ den?’"

"’Yes! I’m so down for that! Can’t wait!’"

"’Can’t wait? A single Firewood Thief can take on five of us. You think you can win? Go on then, you try.’"

Naturally, the players were most curious about that first point, wondering what this main quest was all about.

"’I don’t give a damn about some main quest. All I wanna know is what this Candle Spirit Tree does.’"

"’Doesn’t ’Candle Spirit’ refer to us? So this tree... does that mean it’s a tree that grows using us as fertilizer?’"

"’Brilliant deduction. A statement truly overflowing with Wisdom. Your IQ must be over a fucking 160. You’re a goddamn genius, an absolute treasure!’"

"’Hell yeah! The Demon-Harboring Cottage got an upgrade!’"

"’We’re screwed. Mushroom, that scheming merchant, just got another buff.’"

"’So what’s the Tier Three Spirit Fire Port got? Tier One was rafts, Tier Two was small boats. Tier Three better give me a whole-ass destroyer, right?’"

"’You should think bigger. It’s actually an aircraft carrier.’"

"’Lol, I think it’s a Star Destroyer.’"

"..."

Compared to some stupid main quest, the players were far more excited about the updates to the Spirit Candle Buildings.

The Spirit Candle Buildings had become an indispensable part of the players’ daily lives. They were essential for everything from exploration to combat.

Finally, there was the discussion about the new Abilities.

"’Candle Bone Whistle? What’s that used for?’"

"’Looks like it’s for summoning a mount. The only question is what kind of mount it summons.’"

"’What kind of Ability is this Lethal Strike? Is it an execute?’"

"’Probably. Abilities that characters in other combat games have from the start are unlocked gradually in *Spirit Candle*, and they’re usually nerfed, too. No idea if this Lethal Strike will be any good.’"

"..."

Players who didn’t have jobs or were just lazing around kicked off a heated discussion on the forums.

「At the same time.」

A certain man’s attention was suddenly drawn to the game. After watching the introduction for *Spirit Candle*, he clicked on it with great interest.

He then entered the forums. After carefully poring over various guides and player posts, a smile touched his lips.

’This game... looks pretty interesting.’

After a moment’s thought, the man navigated to the pre-registration portal on the official *Spirit Candle* website, quickly filled in his information, and clicked confirm.

’Perhaps it can bring me a little fun...’

The man stretched, then exited the game interface.