After opening the gift pack, Zhou Ping saw two items:
【Item: Infantry Armor Blueprint (Green)】
【Description: Increases damage and defense by 20%】
【Defense: 50】
【Attack: 50】
【Item: Infantry Machete Blueprint (Bronze) (Upgradeable)】
【Description: Increases damage by 20%】
【Attack: 50】
These were blueprints, not actual items.
Zhou Zhengping muttered inwardly, Is Xiao Bai messing with us? But he quickly suppressed the thought.
Although Xiao Bai loved money, he wasn’t stingy about these things.
It seemed this was a big gift pack from the system.
Thinking of Xiao Bai always calling the system stingy, Zhou Zhengping suddenly found the answer.
Calming himself, Zhou Zhengping asked the others, “What did you get?”
“Team Leader Zhou, I chose cavalry. I got cavalry armor blueprints and a mount training guide,” Feng Lezhi said.
With Feng Lezhi speaking up, others followed:
“I got shield infantry armor and shield blueprints.”
“I got spear infantry armor and spear blueprints.”
“I got archer armor and bow blueprints.”
“I got staff officer armor and training guide.”
“…”
Each person received items corresponding to their chosen profession.
Clearly, the gift pack was good, but they had to provide the materials themselves.
Why? Why the extra step?
While they pondered, the system sent a new notification:
【Dear soldier, you have received the corresponding equipment blueprints. Please gather the required materials yourself. After collection, an unexpected surprise awaits you~】
At this, everyone’s eyes lit up.
So it was a prerequisite quest! A surprise? What kind of surprise?
Hearing this, Zhou Zhengping felt relieved.
Looking at the notification, he knew it had to be the apocalypse game system.
What was its purpose?
Vaguely, Zhou Zhengping had a guess.
He noted it mentally and said to everyone, “For now, keep using the guard team’s clothes and weapons! Let’s rotate the second team back.”
“Okay.” Everyone nodded.
After a moment, they returned to the city gate.
Seeing them return, Li Xingteng’s team eagerly scrutinized them.
But except for their guard team titles changing to soldiers, nothing else seemed different, which surprised Li Xingteng and others.
“Any changes after the job change? Like feeling stronger? Level or attribute changes?”
“The first official position in the territory should be different, right?”
“Are you hiding something?”
They chattered.
Li Xingteng asked Zhou Zhengping, “What’s going on?”
Zhou Zhengping explained briefly.
Li Xingteng was surprised at first but soon understood.
“What are you thinking?” Zhou Zhengping asked, always considering Li Xingteng smart.
“I think this apocalypse game wants to tell us that although everything looks like a game, don’t treat what happens here as a game. No skills or powers appear out of nowhere. To be a real soldier, you must learn real soldier skills,” Li Xingteng said. “Overall, it should benefit us.”
Zhou Zhengping nodded, “I think so too. Maybe it’s not just soldiers, but also our upgrades.”
After so much happened since morning, many realized this was a real world.
So upgrades and professions would require real effort.
They felt level 10 was just the beginning.
They exchanged a glance, understanding each other.
Others overheard and vaguely grasped the meaning, quickly speaking up.
“Just gathering materials? We can do that!”
“Yeah! We can improve strength while gathering.”
“We became soldiers to get stronger!”
“After knowing level 10 unlocks professions, the residents went crazy. Almost all able-bodied residents went out.”
“As the territory’s first line of defense, we can’t fall behind.”
“…”
One by one, they spoke with high morale.
Seeing this, Zhou Zhengping and Li Xingteng smiled.
Everyone was so motivated!
They acted immediately. After Li Xingteng’s team finished job changes and returned, four stayed to guard the gate, and the rest went out to collect and fight monsters.
Knowing their team was strong, many low-level residents, rejected by other teams, quietly followed them.
Zhou Zhengping and Li Xingteng didn’t refuse the followers.
As more joined, the territory, which had lost many people, felt even emptier.
**
While Zhou Zhengping and others went out to improve strength, Zhou Bai unexpectedly saw notes appearing on the small green dots on his territory map:
【Hope Village · Soldier】
Seeing this, Zhou Bai was quite happy to at least know their situation.
Knowing Zhou Zhengping was away, Zhou Bai didn’t ask him about the soldier team’s gift pack but went straight to the tailor shop to find Ding Qiurou.
Ding Qiurou was chatting with Diana, learning about this world.
Knowing Ding Qiurou was the lord’s mother, Diana answered all questions.
Ding Qiurou’s face grew more despairing as she listened.
When Zhou Bai arrived, she saw this scene and wondered what was wrong with her mother.
Seeing Zhou Bai, Diana instinctively saluted.
Seeing no one else around, Zhou Bai relaxed and quickly said, “Diana, no need to salute me anymore. Treat me like a normal resident. Act however you normally would, even in private.”
“…Okay.” Diana saw Zhou Bai’s sincerity and agreed, truly remembering it this time.
This lord was really different from others.
Zhou Bai looked around the tailor shop and immediately noticed something different.
The previous six items were neatly hung, with plenty of space left for more goods.
Besides, a bulletin board appeared, listing materials the tailor shop wanted to buy:
【Wind and Rain Orchid, Rainwood Resin, Bamboo Strips…】
【Eucalyptus Resin, Mint Leaves…】
【Honeysuckle, Cedar Resin…】
【Camphor Resin, Windstop Herb…】
【…】
These materials were unfamiliar to Zhou Bai, not among those he knew or had collected.
“Are these materials urgently needed? If so, I can get them,” Zhou Bai asked.
“Can you get them?” Diana was surprised. She had checked the lord’s mansion bulletin board, and these materials weren’t listed. She thought the territory probably didn’t have them yet since it was only three days old, so she planned to post the list for residents to collect if they found any.
“I can, but the price will be twice the normal purchase price,” Zhou Bai replied. The system sold materials, but at double cost. He decided to mainly buy from within the territory to save money and stimulate the local economy.
“Then send me 100 units of each first! I’ll make some gear, then continue buying later,” Diana said directly. She didn’t know where Zhou Bai got the materials but was glad to have them.
“Are these materials for making special-effect clothing and equipment?” Zhou Bai asked, noticing the prominent names.
“Yes, these are urgently needed by the territory,” Diana nodded. “Your territory’s stuff is too crude.”
“Urgently needed?” Zhou Bai felt this was an important clue.
At that moment, Ding Qiurou approached Zhou Bai and whispered, “The weather here is probably very different from ours.”
“How so?” Zhou Bai thought the past few days had been normal.
Ding Qiurou smiled helplessly, “The climate here is chaotic. Although most days are normal, it can suddenly change. Today might be spring-like, tomorrow a torrential rain. Today strong winds, tomorrow heavy snow. The weather is unpredictable, irregular, and varies in duration…”
Zhou Bai understood without her saying more.
The past few days were the system’s trial period. If the weather had followed this world’s normal patterns, no territory would have survived.
Now the trial period was over. The Hall of Heroes had summoned NPCs and prepared everything. They had to start living by this world’s rhythm.
No one knew what the weather would be tomorrow. Without proper gear, they might be trapped in their territory.
Truly… a frustrating world!
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