Global Game: Developing a Knight Clan-Chapter 57: Four-Day Game, Reaping Rewards

8:00 AM. The alarm blared.

Lince rolled over and shot out of bed, then dashed into the bathroom.

He brushed his teeth, washed his face, took a dump, and immediately ran downstairs.

Arriving at the breakfast shop, he quickly bought two steamed buns, a snowflake cake, and a cup of soy milk.

Then, at the small grocer next door, he bought half a pound of fresh pork, some green peppers, and a little bok choy, planning to cook them for lunch to improve his diet a bit.

Without any hesitation, he strode back to his apartment complex, entered the building, and took the elevator up. The entire process was completed in just under half an hour.

Sitting back down at his desk, Lince munched on a steamed bun while quickly turning on his computer.

’Good, it’s only 8:33.’

Lince’s eyebrow twitched as he quickly clicked on the True Game logo.

A black background quickly filled his entire computer screen, and at the same time, the familiar opening text appeared.

[Congratulations to all first-round closed beta Players for successfully meeting the conditions for a hidden quest (Normal): After three Inference Days, the total number of Players is no less than 3,500 (Current online Players: 5,864)]

[All Players will receive one random Low Tier Artifact as a reward.]

[Artifact Distributed: Extreme Freeze Treasure Ring · Low Tier]

(Extreme Freeze Treasure Ring: Instant cast. A Low Tier magic artifact of excellent quality. When charged with sufficient Magic Power, it can fire three Extreme Freeze Rays per use. The power is determined by the quality and concentration of the Magic Power used for charging. Maximum power is limited to within Tier Three. Has been placed in your inventory.)

’A hidden quest?’

’And it was based on the total number of online players?’

’The rating was only Normal?’

’Then how many players would we have needed for an Excellent rating?’

Lince was a bit stunned as he read the game’s initial message.

But he figured the next-highest rating for the hidden quest probably required over five thousand players, especially since there were still more than 5,800 online now.

’A Low Tier Artifact?’

’Well, it’s better than nothing. For players who are, on average, low-tiered, an extra artifact provides a significant boost to their self-preservation capabilities.’

’There are always Emperors of Luck, just like myself.’

’A magic artifact of excellent quality. Not bad, not bad at all!’

Lince was in a great mood.

It was a good start, after all.

Then, he clicked the screen again.

New text appeared. This time, it was the rating for his third Inference Day.

[Congratulations Player. Your character and faction have successfully completed the third Inference (400 days). Rating: Excellent (Level A). You have received a random Middle Tier artifact reward suited to your playstyle.]

[Artifact Distributed: Alchemy Puppet · Middle Tier Physique]

(Alchemy Puppet · Middle Tier Physique: A decent alchemy artifact. This Alchemy Puppet possesses a Physique with the Extraordinary Power of a Tier Four being. While it has no Bloodline or Magical Power, it can change its appearance at will and possesses basic intelligence. It also has high resistance to various forms of Magic and is proficient in Martial Techniques. Faction-locked to the Swamp Territory. The Player has the highest authority. Has been placed in your inventory.)

"???"

’Only an Excellent rating?’

Lince was a little disappointed.

But on second thought, this last Inference Day had indeed been smooth sailing for him.

Although dangers lurked on the surface, the Swamp Territory hadn’t suffered any real impact, nor had any wars broken out.

As for his character, the Rock Steel Giant Dragon...

It had seemingly subjugated many Demon Beasts and even acquired a vast Demon Beast territory.

But in the end, these gains were all temporary.

If a Middle Tier Demon Beast were to descend from the Demon Beast Mountain Range, and the Rock Steel Giant Dragon didn’t intervene, many of the Demon Beasts he had subjugated would probably switch sides in an instant.

Without the restraint of a Blood Covenant, relying on their meager intelligence and loyalty, these Demon Beasts were nothing more than fence-sitters.

Lince could only console himself with this thought.

’What can I do? The game only gave me an ’Excellent’ rating.’

’It’s just Excellent? Level A?’

’It’s alright. At least this Alchemy Puppet is Middle Tier. Even though it’s Tier Four in strength, it’ll be a huge help to the Swamp Territory right now.’

Lince did his best to calm himself and clicked the screen again.

The next moment, the text continued.

[Congratulations Player. Your character has completed a noteworthy conquest of the Wilderness Demon Beasts and made the declaration of the Master of the Demon Dragon, earning two rewards.]

[For conquering hundreds of Low Tier Magical Beasts and ten thousand Tierless Demon Beasts, you have received one exclusive character role reward (optional).]

(One Middle Tier artifact, a quality upgrade for a designated Magic Crystal Ore (Middle Tier), or rare Magic Plant seeds (Middle Tier))

[For experiencing a series of minor battles during the conquest, you have received a +25% bonus to your current Growth Level. This can be claimed after entering the game.]

???

Seeing this sudden turn of events, Lince’s disappointment vanished in an instant!

The game system had actually separated the Rock Steel Giant Dragon’s Demon Beast conquest into its own reward?

’Not only were there optional rewards, but there was even a Growth Level bonus?’

At this, Lince was instantly energized.

He looked at the options.

’An artifact? Who would turn down a Middle Tier artifact?’

’But in the end, Lince wasn’t that desperate for artifacts. After all, it was only Middle Tier, so he’d hold off on that choice for now.’

As for the Magic Crystal Ore quality upgrade...

To be honest, Lince wasn’t particularly inclined to pick this one either.

But considering that the Wilderness Territory almost exclusively had Low Tier Magic Crystal Ore, he had to consider it carefully.

After all, even if his own advancement didn’t depend on traditional Magic Crystals and Magic Power, Magic Crystal Ore was a strategic resource.

If the Rock Steel Giant Dragon entered a high-intensity battle and needed to quickly replenish its Magic Power, it would have to consume Magic Crystals.

Not to mention, Lince also had to consider the development of the Swamp Territory.

So, Lince turned his attention to the rare Magic Plant option.

’Magic Plant seeds?’

’Rare Magic Plants are good materials for some Magic Potions. Even if Demon Beasts ate the raw Magic Plants, it would be enough to increase their power.’

’But cultivating Magic Plants takes time, often a very long time.’

’So, honestly, Lince wasn’t really considering this one.’

’If it weren’t seeds, he might have been tempted.’

Therefore, Lince thought it over again and again.

In the end, he chose to upgrade the quality of the Magic Crystal Ore.

[Player has confirmed the reward: designated Magic Crystal Ore quality upgrade. You may designate the Magic Crystal Ore to be upgraded after entering the game.]

After making his choice, Lince’s mood brightened considerably.

To be honest, more than the Magic Crystal Ore reward, Lince was looking forward to the 25% Growth Level bonus.

The Growth Level bonus wasn’t huge this time, perhaps because his character had entered the Middle Tier, which lowered the combat difficulty. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

But it was just enough for the Rock Steel Giant Dragon to step into Tier Five!

’Advancing a whole tier in a single game session!’

’Could other Players even dream of that?’

’This is practically like using cheats!’

But in the end, it was all due to Lince’s playstyle and his excellent start.

Without the first Demon Beast battle in the Swamp Territory, the Rock Steel Giant Dragon would never have been promoted to Middle Tier so quickly.

And if it hadn’t reached Middle Tier, it would have been impossible to subjugate so many Demon Beasts in just four hundred days with only Tier Three strength.

It was like a snowball effect.

Once that snowball starts rolling, a chain reaction is inevitable.

One step ahead means you stay ahead!

’Tier Five! Here comes Tier Five!’