Chapter 213: Setting Off

Chapter 213 -212: Setting Off

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“Plague Hunter?”

Gu Su was taken aback, instinctively repeating the unfamiliar title.

He’d heard of a Hunter before. It was a basic class, one that used a Bow and Arrow and could use Stealth in the jungle.

It was considered a basic Dexterity-type class and wasn’t rare in the Game World, but this was the first time he had ever heard of a Plague Hunter.

Perhaps the confusion on his face was too obvious, as Jin Chang began to explain without waiting for him to ask.

“A Plague Hunter is an advanced class for a Death Knight or Hunter who has reached Level 10.”

He spoke in a level tone, as if discussing something utterly ordinary.

After speaking, he pointed a thumb over his shoulder at the player behind him carrying a coffin and holding a strange Treasure Pagoda. “That’s a Corpse-controlling Daoist, an advanced class for an Undead Mage or a Beast Tamer who has reached Level 10.”

Gu Su followed his gesture.

The man appeared to be around thirty, dressed in a dusty gray robe. Slung across his back was a coffin. It wasn’t large—just narrow enough and long enough to fit a single adult, its surface covered in dense runes.

He was holding a Treasure Pagoda, about the size of his palm. It was multi-layered, and tiny bronze bells hung from the eaves of each tier, yet they made no sound as he walked.

The coffin was one thing, but the sight of the Treasure Pagoda sent a chill down one’s spine.

“Besides the two of us, the others are all normal classes below Level 10.”

Jin Chang pointed to the others. “Those three are Death Knights, and those three are Undead Mages. These two are my friends, a Holy Knight and a Priest. We’re here to cooperate with you on the New World invasion quest.”

After Jin Chang’s introductions, Gu Su had a rough idea of the situation.

Ten people. Two with advanced classes above Level 10, and eight combat classes below Level 10. A standard squad composition: balanced offense and defense, with damage dealers, a Healer, and two High Tier classes to anchor the team.

“Welcome, welcome. Follow me.” Gu Su smiled and nodded, turning to the side and gesturing for them to enter. He led the group toward the Graveyard Demon.

Jin Chang walked at the very front, with the Corpse-controlling Daoist half a step behind him. Their steps were synchronized, one following the other, like old partners who had traveled together for many years.

The remaining eight people split into two groups, following behind in two single-file lines of four.

No one whispered to each other, and no one looked around. They simply followed the person in front, their steps neat and evenly spaced.

Gu Su took it all in, nodding to himself.

‘This is a combat squad used to long-term coordination, not a ragtag group of stragglers thrown together at the last minute.’

That kind of synergy couldn’t be developed in a day or two; it had to be forged through countless battles.

As he led the way, he continued to observe them, gradually noticing a few things.

The ten of them had distinct ways of walking, and each carried subtle tells of their class. Jin Chang, at the lead, would occasionally emit a wisp of faint green mist. The mist was very light and would dissipate almost instantly, but up close, you could smell a mixed scent of herbs and rot.

It was obvious his Golden Finger was related to poison, and he had clearly enhanced its toxic effects later on.

There was clearly something strange about the Corpse-controlling Daoist’s coffin and the Treasure Pagoda in his hands. The coffin’s lid was sealed tight, but it would occasionally give a slight shudder, as if something were moving inside.

Another Undead Mage wore a small crown on his head, pieced together from white bone. An Undead Crystal Stone was embedded in it, and as he walked, a faint, cold aura clung to him. His every move exuded the eerie, chilling presence of an Undead class.

Beyond them, the other players also displayed various phenomena. Some were surrounded by a faint glow, while others wore peculiar accessories. Every detail suggested that these players’ Golden Fingers were bizarre and varied, each with its own focus.

It was obvious they were all deliberately showing off their Golden Fingers.

Watching this, a bold thought suddenly flashed through Gu Su’s mind.

‘Could it be that the advancement paths after Level 10 require not only reaching the right level and mastering the right class Skills, but also matching your own Golden Finger’s Attributes?’

‘Otherwise, why would every player here be showcasing and emphasizing their Golden Finger?’

While these thoughts turned in his mind, Gu Su didn’t break his stride.

He led them to the entrance of the Doomsday Tavern, pushed open the creaking sheet-metal door, and stepped aside to let them in.

A twenty-five-square-meter space, ten chairs, one bar counter. Once the group squeezed inside, the entire tavern was packed to the gills.

After Jin Chang and his team came in, the first thing they did wasn’t to sit down, but to pull something out and place it on the bar.

It was a smooth, palm-sized stone that glowed with a faint, bluish-white light. The patterns on the stone looked as if they had been burned, leaving circular marks.

A Furnace Stone.

Gu Su recognized it. After the Doomsday Tavern was built, the system had sent him related information. Players could bind a Furnace Stone to any tavern, inn, or apartment in the Game World.

Once bound, no matter where they were, they could activate the power within the Furnace Stone to instantly teleport back to their bound location.

This was a player’s privilege, and also the most basic life-saving tool in the Game World.

He had already bound his own Furnace Stone long ago. It sat in the far corner of the bar, looking like a lamp. Its counterpart was in Gu Su’s pocket; a single press would teleport him back. This was a small privilege for a tavern owner.

After setting down their Furnace Stones, Jin Chang and the others began to stow their luggage.

None of them had much luggage—a backpack, a waist pouch, and for some, an extra weapon bag.

They placed their belongings by their chairs, then took out pens from their pockets and wrote their names on the chair backs.

This was to bind temporary access rights.

Only by doing this could they use Gu Su’s Doomsday Tavern as a temporary login and logout point, allowing them to freely enter and exit the Game World.

Otherwise, they would have to run all the way from Ring Moon every time they logged on, which would be a huge waste of time.

The names were written quickly. Some used charcoal sticks, some used pigments of unknown origin, and one even carved their name into the back of the chair. Jin Chang wrote “Golden Fortune Squad—Jin Chang,” the Corpse-controlling Daoist wrote “Golden Fortune Squad—Xi Yue,” and the others followed suit, writing down their names and their squad’s name.

Gu Su stood at the entrance, watching them get settled without interrupting.

In just a short while, everything was taken care of.

The Furnace Stones lay quietly on the bar, emitting a soft glow. The names on the chair backs were written neatly, from the first chair to the last, with none missing.

Jin Chang turned his head to look at Gu Su, his smile fading slightly.

“Mr. Gu, we are ready.

We can set out now!”