The Smuggler's Woodland is connected to the Filthy Swamp, and the Lady has explained to Murphy that this place is currently an "alternative path" from Transnesia to the Dark Mountains and from there to the Genoa Peninsula via the Brass Dwarves-guarded Pass.

Of course, the name Smuggler's Woodland doesn't sound serious, and serious people definitely won't go here.

For example, the official route for the Scarlet Archon Miss Miriam to study in the Genoa Peninsula was to cross Lake Shulpers to reach the Cato area, and from there to the station connected to the Genoa Peninsula, you could take a train all the way through the Genoa Peninsula to the port of Chardo.

The biggest advantage of this road is safety.

The biggest disadvantage is that there are taxes to be paid, and there are halfling tax collectors under the Council of Steam Lords along the way, which means that many contraband cannot be taken out of the country, so the Smuggler Woodland Road came into being.

For the hundred years before the Ten Years' War, it had been the hottest smuggling route for Translansia and the rest of the continent, and during the time when the Blood Vulture Clan ruled Transnesia, the annual taxes collected from these smugglers alone were enough for the vampires to live in luxury.

Because the Smuggler's Woodland was once an important property of the Vulture Clan, the vampires set up a tax post here.

It's a pity that the damned ten-year war destroyed everything.

The former tax post has also been abandoned, and after years of unrepaired buildings, it is crawling with moss and vines, many of the walls have collapsed, and the sculpture of Salokdal in the courtyard is only half weathered.

But two months after the end of the Decade War, it had a new owner.

The Bloodclaw Clan didn't occupy it, and the Jackals preferred to stay in the woodlands rather than the restrictive human structures, but Hogg regrouped it as the Clan's outpost camp.

When the players rush over to "collect debts", a group of "innocent" gnolls and brute patrolmen in the camp are blocked by them.

If it weren't for the Blood Rat Gang's Dorothy to stop them, these gnolls would probably have been killed on the spot by the angry little players.

Now these beaten and swollen gnolls are imprisoned in the abandoned courtyard, and more than 200 young players are gathered here, waiting for the chieftain of the Bloodclaw Clan to come and "ransom people".

The veteran players are very seated, and they will discuss things with the mud truck guys.

However, the more than 100 new players who have just entered the game are not so "decent", they are like ants in transit, they are searching all over the abandoned courtyard, and even the broken boxes have to be kicked open to see if there are treasures hidden inside.

And the fumbled ones had run into the woods, shouting that they were clumsily rounding up a hapless deer.

They were so excited that it looked like they were doing something big, but people who were used to living in the city wanted to catch a deer that had escaped the hunt of the gnolls, and it could only be said that the probability was infinitely close to zero.

The ten-year war did not affect the smugglers' woodlands, but the lack of hunting for a whole decade kept the creatures of this narrow woodland full of "treasures".

However, these active guys are very obedient and don't go far, mainly because the level 1 character level makes them afraid of whether they will encounter danger after running out of the "safe zone", and the members of the Blood Rat Gang occupy an area alone.

The difference between them and the players can be seen from their vigilant stance of tight guards, as if they were clearly distinguished.

Dorothy the Razor, who wraps herself like a rice dumpling and protects herself from direct sunlight, sits by the ruins of a collapsed house, playing with the claw blades in her hands with the dexterity of a vampire, but her gaze lingers on the "new faces" she has never seen before.

She noticed that while the group of warriors was as impulsive and curious as ever, several of them were indeed "professional".

For example, this is a group of people who are patrolling the high places of the ruins with crossbows, and then there are three guys who are clearly "military" and wandering outside the crowd but have been looking for the high ground.

"So, they're also mountain warriors recruited by Lord Murphy from your 'Seris' tribe?"

Dorothy was curious to Frostfang's claws, the apprentice who was hiding in the shadows to quench the fierce-looking bone dagger, and nodded in the face of the mentor's inquiry, and said in a low and concise voice:

"Well, it's compatriots."

"How many of you are there?"

Dorothy blinked and asked:

"I've been in contact with mountain people in my life before, so how big should I be to be able to hand over nearly 300 young and middle-aged mountain tribes in one go? And with all due respect, you don't look like mountain people at all"

"We're not."

Glancing at the "background information" that had been updated on the character's interface, Yaya whispered:

"We just live in the mountains and forests, and our settlement pattern is not the same as that of ordinary mountain people. Hmm, there's news! ”

He pointed to the sky, and Dorothy turned her head to see the majestic Astral Manticore glion flapping its wings and gliding down the forest. The monstrous giant landed with a dexterity that did not match its size, flicked the mane around its neck, gathered its wings, and took a fresh leg of lamb from its own summoner, and gnawed on the spot.

He jumped off the saddle and walked quickly to the mud truck brother and reported to them:

"I saw a lot of jackals coming from that glade, pushing a lot of carts with debris on them, and it seemed that the 'pangolin' didn't break his promise. They are indeed not thieves or robbers. ”

"Do they have to count our goods first!"

Xiao Zhou, the second group of traveling scholars who changed their race to vampires, carried a vampire-style magic staff, hid in the shadows and wrapped his body in a cloak, and said in an eerie tone:

"According to the estimated value of Yiquan and Brother Sao, if it is less, it proves that these gnolls have eaten the kickback! Need to be punished severely! ”

"Let all the brothers wandering in the woods come back first, so as not to be taken hostage."

The old man said to Tepal, who was standing with a sword next to him, and the latter nodded and climbed to the top of the house that had not yet collapsed, and took out the brass horn he had hung on his waist and put it in his mouth and whined.

This is a signal agreed in advance, so that the little players wandering in the forest should come back quickly.

The trumpet sounded, and the players around the abandoned courtyard immediately returned, while the Scout Trio rushed back, whispering the news.

"I just went digging a tree."

The short and stocky "prodigal son of the border city" shook the mud off his hands and said:

"Digging down a meter and uprooting the little tree is all I can say is very real, down to the level of detail such as the soil wrapped in the roots."

"I climbed up the tree and looked at the terrain."

Mr. Ziwei, who was tall and thin, played with a few rusty dwarven round shield coins in his hand, and he narrowed his eyes and said:

"At least in the places I see, it's very natural, and there are no signs of incongruity in the artificiality, just like when we look at the mountains in the real world, and I'm a professional at that.

I can assure you that there are no traces of man-made repairs in it, and if you are willing to listen, I can even give you an analysis of the feng shui of this forest. ”

"Ugh"

The most burly "mustard idiot" glanced at the rabbit in his hand, he shrugged his shoulders, and said:

"I shot a rabbit and roasted it for a while, and then I could know how far this thing's 'simulated' could be. Anyway, if it weren't for the 'log out' option, I would have felt like I'd crossed over. Do you know how hard it was for me to beat this rabbit?

This thing is even more agile and bigger than a rabbit in real life. ”

These words silenced the three guys with "origins".

They soon returned to the abandoned camp to join up with the other three "companions", and the difference was evident from the three silent and professional brothers in front of them compared to the three scouts who were no different from ordinary players.

The eldest and most experienced prodigal son of the border city frowned and reminded the three guys in front of him:

"I know you're the elite of the brother department seconded to assist with the work, but please be 'professional', I mean, relax, okay? It's not on your side, don't let anyone else see your differences. ”

This opinion made the three people in front of them look at each other.

The names of the three of them are also very interesting, they are called "paid fishing", "paid fishing" and "paid fishing", and at first glance, they have made an appointment with the "style" before entering the game.

Facing the reminder of the prodigal brother, Touching the fish glanced at the noisy little players gathered next to him, and he said helplessly:

"We knew about the assignment before we were seconded, but the question is, it's very different from what we imagined. This is not what we imagine of the 'secret service' industry. ”

"Shhh

Mr. Ziwei immediately stepped forward to make a silent action, and he scolded:

"Don't say that here!"

"Looks like we have to have a meeting tonight."

The mustard idiot shook the rabbit in his hand, and he said:

"As for your future course of action, but at least don't strain your body for now, you have to understand that this thing is theoretically a 'game'. So please show a relaxed attitude of playing games, and don't you usually play games? ”

"Play, or you won't be chosen."

Paid Eater looked down at the hunting crossbow in his hand, and he said with a painful face:

"But who can play a game like this? It's not that we're nervous, it's that this is so real, and you know you have to be wary of entering a new environment. Anyway, if we die here, we won't be brain dead or anything, right? ”

"No, that's already been confirmed."

The prodigal son of the border city waved his hand and said:

"So don't worry about playing boldly, and don't have too strong a purpose. We're only in the stage of collecting information, so theoretically, you can open a map in the game and collect information about NPCs.

I've heard that there's already a guild of veterans in the game called the 'Crimson Hammer Scythe', and Master Maxim's Cadman People's Army is also recruiting new recruits. ”

"Okay, let's try then."

The three brothers nodded, and then quickly climbed above the ruins of the abandoned camp, each finding a commanding height and lurking.

They were looking for a place where they could see the whole situation from above, enough to ensure that any disturbance below could be intervened in the first place.

Soon, amid the iconic roar of the coyotes, the coyotes, the domesticated mounts of the Jackals, a group of a dozen brutes appeared outside the camp.

These genuine "monsters" made the little players suddenly riot, and the gnoll's furry body and extremely beastly appearance and fierce characteristics were very much in line with the image of the "wild monster" in the players' hearts.

Not to mention the mixed forums, everyone knows that the veteran players have just fought the Gnolls in Translancia!

These are the enemies!

"Don't mess around! Don't attack! ”

The all-danger half-hung shouted at the players not to take the initiative to attack, and the NPCs of the Blood Rat Gang finally made a move.

With the flapping of the wings, Lady Dorothy and a vampire minions of a man and a woman behind her fell into the crowd, and since Dorothy, who was wearing a full set of family guard leather armor and a midnight scarlet cloak, looked like an important NPC, the young players were calm and waiting for her to send out the mission.

"Master Murphy, Archon Miriam, and Lady Adele have all appointed me to preside over this 'negotiation.'"

Dorothy said in a hoarse tone:

"But I need some helpers. Especially veterans who were personally involved in the attack on Camp Kenpot, as recipients of the spoils, you will also be involved in the negotiations and working for the benefit of the Crimson Keep and your community.

I need five people. ”

"Wait, Miss Dorothy."

The mud truck immediately frowned and asked:

"What to say about the distribution of the loot? If you call this 'negotiation', does that mean that both Master Murphy and Archon Miriam are ready to accept the long-term existence of these gnolls? ”

"You're quick, warrior, indeed."

Dorothy nodded and said:

"Prior to your arrival, the Scouts of the Blood Rat Gang had been in contact with the Bloodpaw Clan, and their chieftain, Hogg, was a different kind of gnoll who wanted to be part of the answers the land needed.

And not part of the problem.

The Gnoll Chief wants to pay tribute to the Crimson Keep for their long stay in the Smuggler's Woods, and Master Murphy has left the decision to me and you, as you helped them escape death in the camp in Kenpot, and you have the power to decide their future.

His exact words were, 'He trusts in the wisdom and decisions of the warriors, and the decisions you make are the decisions of Master Murphy and the answers of Transnesia.'" ”

"Ding"

After Dorothy finished speaking, the quest prompt lit up on the player interface of the young players at the same time:

【Side Story Quest · Tribute is an advanced form of vassalization' triggered!

Mission Description: Hogg, the Gnoll Chief of the Bloodclaw Clan, wishes to be a part of the Order of Translancia and the Crimson Keep, and is willing to sacrifice all of the Bloodclaw's gains from the Battle of the Elderlands.

However, there is no precedent for the Gnolls to be domesticated by a civilization on the continent, so Lord Murphy has left the choice of whether or not to accept them to you.

As he said, Master Murphy absolutely believed in the incredible intelligence of his warriors.

Please make a choice on behalf of the owner of this land.

Requirements: Participate in negotiations with the Bloodclaw Clan and secure enough benefits for the Crimson Keep!

Or launch a crisp ambush on the upcoming Gnoll Chief Hogg to declare that the forces of civilization are incompatible with the Gnoll faction!

Reward: New Force 'Bloodclaw Clan' prestige activation or special event 'Smuggler's Woodland' trigger.

Prompt!

This quest is a story choice quest, and the decisions you make will directly affect some subsequent changes in the main story of Translancia, so please choose carefully.

Prompt!

The final decision on the mandate will be decided by a vote of all mandate recipients, which currently number 214 and will take place before the start of negotiations. 】

"Damn, is this what is called 'degrees of freedom'? It's just a very ordinary plot choice, why do I feel so responsible? ”

The last member of the four-member group of the Department of Physical Education, "Shrimp Catcher", scratched his head and complained:

"Why can't this game be saved? I'd like to pick both of them and see the results. ”

"The eldest lady was saved by us before, and the Scarlet Fort was also the one we chose to stay."

Next to Niu Niu reminded:

"Although there are not many 'plot choices' in this game, they are all very important, and they do directly determine the subsequent progression, as for why it feels like a great responsibility."

Niu Niu hugged his arms and complained with a subtle mood:

"Because it's so real. Our decision will not only affect a CG, but it is a very real death and loss of life, and the NPCs in this game only have one life, and if they die, they will be finished.

Just like real life, there is no such thing as a reopening of archives.

So, get serious. ”

(End of chapter)