Chapter 267 - 266: Locking on to Devour a Building

Chapter 267: Chapter 266: Locking on to Devour a Building

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Stepping out of the town council hall, Gu Su didn’t immediately head for the warehouse by the town gate. Instead, he slowed his pace, his gaze sweeping leisurely over the streets and alleys of Winter Town.

He knew he still owned two buildings in Winter Town.

The purpose of one, the cotton gin, had already been decided, but he had no clue what to do with the other.

This was a perfect opportunity to take a stroll through the town, see what he currently lacked the most, and then decide on the use for the second building.

Winter Town had already shed its initial, hastily-built appearance. Every building now had its own unique sign hanging by the door.

Most of these signs didn’t have words, but featured simple and vivid illustrations instead.

A cotton boll pattern represented the cotton gin, a wine glass represented the tavern, an envelope represented the post office, an iron hammer represented the smithy, and so on.

Even without any text, Gu Su could tell the function of each building with a single glance at its sign.

Gu Su walked slowly along the main street paved with smooth flagstones, his steps light and casual.

Whenever he came across a shop or building that interested him, he would push the door open and go inside to carefully examine its layout and facilities.

Sometimes he would reach out to touch the items on display, feeling the cold chill of metal or the warm texture of wood. Other times, he would pause by a window, observing the Deceivers at work in the back rooms through the glass.

A faint, mixed scent of scorching and vegetation lingered throughout the town. It was the residual smell of quenched metal intertwined with the after-scent of burnt straw. It wasn’t unpleasant; rather, it exuded a raw, newborn coarseness.

After all, he was a "hero" who had helped the Deceivers conquer Winter Town, a collaborator they recognized and respected.

As a result, neither the Deceivers patrolling the streets nor those busy in the shops stopped him from wandering freely. On the contrary, every one of them looked friendly.

When Gu Su occasionally asked questions about the purpose of the buildings, they would answer him with patience and detail, their voices full of gratitude and respect.

One elderly Deceiver even took Gu Su by the hand and rambled on about how this very smithy was rebuilt from the ruins, a smile hidden in the deep-set wrinkles that crisscrossed his face.

Through these conversations, Gu Su gradually gained a clear understanding of the specific functions of the various buildings in Winter Town, as well as the entire development process from planning to completion.

This was practical knowledge of the Game World that he had never encountered in his real-world school textbooks. It was both novel and useful, and it gave him a deeper understanding of the rules of this Game World.

While listening to the Deceivers’ explanations and observing the architectural details, Gu Su was also silently formulating the future development path for his Graveyard Demon.

He consistently considered the choice for the other building from two core perspectives: the function the Graveyard Demon most urgently needed, and a practical facility that would be useful for long-term development. He strove to maximize the effectiveness of every choice.

From the combat performance of the "line-fillers" before, to everything that had happened in the game so far, and the recently concluded siege battle, his recent experiences had given Gu Su a clear understanding of his Graveyard Demon.

He could now accurately identify what functions the Graveyard Demon was lacking and what areas needed to be supplemented and improved right away.

Although the Game World was ever-changing and he couldn’t fully predict the many variables of the future, he still clearly understood the simple principle of addressing one’s immediate needs.

And so, while strolling through the town to learn its details and pondering his choice of building, Gu Su had unknowingly wandered through most of the town and arrived at the warehouse near the town gate.

This was the very place where the rewards for his siege quest were stored.

The warehouse walls were pieced together from dark gray metal plates. The surface still bore the black scorch marks left by fire, making it resemble a burnt straw building. This was consistent with the style of the other buildings in town, exuding a cold, hard, and solid aura.

Just then, he happened to run into Jin Chang, who had just returned from outside the town.

He had taken advantage of a moment of free time to go over to the Graveyard Demon’s area to unbind his Furnace Stone and was now on his way back.

Jin Chang spotted Gu Su right away and immediately quickened his pace to walk over, a hearty smile on his face as he greeted him. "Brother Gu, are you here to collect your rewards for the siege quest?

What a coincidence, I ran into you just as I got back."

"That’s right. I figured I’d get the rewards first, so I can take care of other things.

Brother Jin, I was just looking for you to talk about this..." Gu Su replied with a smile, but before he could finish, Jin Chang cut him off.

"Oh, you mean the matter with the buildings? I already know all about it."

Jin Chang waved his hand and said bluntly, "Later, whichever building you decide on, just go ahead and handle it with your own methods. No need to come ask me specifically.

But I have to give you a heads-up: you’d better be quick about it. Winter Town is still in a reorganization phase and the rules haven’t been finalized yet, so claiming a building now will be exceptionally easy."

He paused, then added with a hint of helplessness in his voice, "Once everything in Winter Town settles down and gets on the right track, trying to claim a building will be a real pain.

The various application and approval processes will drive you crazy and waste a lot of time."

Hearing this, Gu Su couldn’t help but laugh, a hint of surprise in his voice. "I can’t believe you have to go through an approval process to get a building in this Game World. Isn’t that a bit too formal?"

"That’s where you’re mistaken."

Jin Chang explained with a smile, "This approval process isn’t for the Grass Thorn Deceivers to see; it’s for the people running the game.

Right now, Winter Town is ostensibly territory occupied by the Grass Thorn Deceivers, but in reality, it’s a starting point for us players—an officially recognized starting town.

Official, private, and semi-official organizations will all be coming in."

"Many of the buildings in town will later be dedicated to providing services for players, so naturally, they will be invested in and managed by various in-game factions.

Once the first batch of players arrives here by train and the town’s player map is finalized, all procedures will have to go through the official approval process.

At that point, forget about claiming a building—even just trying to change a building’s function will require going through a lengthy process. So, you really need to hurry up and take care of it."

Gu Su finally understood. He now saw how it all worked and nodded quickly. "I see. In that case, I’ll arrange for my people to handle it right away. Can’t afford to waste any time."

As he spoke, he raised his head and gave a small wave to the sky.

Almost at the exact moment he raised his hand, a crisp caw echoed, and Crow’s Caw landed on his shoulder.

"Go have them bring out the shopping carts. Targets are the cotton gin and the post office. Be quick about it, no delays!"