Chapter Thirty-Three: Daily Tasks

Stepping into the Golden Pine Valley stronghold, Liu Zong surveyed his surroundings. The stronghold itself was not large; aside from an open area in the center of the valley less than five hundred meters across, the rest was dotted with tents of various sizes. Some were nothing more than huge steel oil drums or cement pipes laid on their sides, serving as makeshift dwellings.

In front of each tent were one or two spears or other weapons planted upright, and from the abundance of iron implements, it was clear the inhabitants were not lacking in metal goods.

Looking upward, Liu Zong saw a defensive net woven from golden pine branches and leaves, resembling a giant lid covering the entire valley, with only two passages—one at the front and one at the back—permitting entry and exit.

Outside the net, fierce winds occasionally howled past, and sand would seep through the mesh, dusting everything below. Though it was far better than the blinding sandstorms outside, it still left people covered in grime.

Thus, most of those living in the stronghold wrapped themselves tightly in coarse cloth, exposing no skin even when speaking or eating.

They were led to the center of the stronghold, where Zhu Yan withdrew from her bag a fist-sized piece of metal. Though it appeared unrefined, its mere presence caught the attention of those standing in the open area.

An elderly man, slow in his movements, stepped forward and took the metal, examining it for a moment before asking, "What relation is Zhu Zhi to you?"

"Ancestor," Zhu Yan replied simply. "Our ancestor made an agreement with you all—so long as someone from the Zhu family could meet the requirements for Flame Fusion, you would take me to retrieve that item."

"We did promise this," the man said, "but your family must have told you—the item was lost. Lost along with our sanctuary."

"I refuse to believe you have no plans to restore the sanctuary," Zhu Yan said sternly. "When you escaped, surely many things were left behind. Let me be frank—the world is on the brink of collapse. This is the last chance to reach your sanctuary."

The old man fell silent, bowed his head, and thought for a long while before finally responding with resignation, "You are too late. Even the path to the sanctuary has been severed. We can no longer reach it."

But Zhu Yan was confident. "You think we haven't considered that? The people I've brought are all skilled. If you are willing, there is a chance."

He studied Zhu Yan for a long time before finally saying, "Come with me."

He turned and headed toward the far end of the valley; Zhu Yan followed without hesitation. Xu Linlin tried to follow as well, but was stopped by several others.

Everything Zhu Yan did was observed by Liu Zong, who quietly said to Liu Chun, "Senior Liu, this task is no simple matter."

"I knew that long ago," Liu Chun replied casually. "Why else do you think Yan would offer us such generous rewards? Let's just do our work, ask no questions. Take the money, solve the trouble. Once our reputation spreads, more tasks will come."

Liu Zong nodded and fell silent, but noticed that the others who had come with them had split into groups, discussing the situation.

This time, including Liu Zong himself, ten players had arrived. Xu Linlin brought a junior with her, both possessing dual affinity for metal mechanics and magic power. Zhu Yan brought two juniors, both dual-affinitive with fire magic and strength. Adding Liu Zong and Liu Chun, there were three more: one with wind affinity, one with poison, and one with earth—each possessing dual affinity for magic and strength.

These three, like Liu Chun, were acquainted with Zhu Yan or Xu Linlin but not particularly close.

In the dual cultivation circles at Yang City Third Secondary School, players with dual affinity for magic and strength were relatively common. Zhu Yan's selection this time took into account both personal relationships and the needs of the mission.

Not long after, Zhu Yan and the old man returned from the rear of the stronghold. She approached Xu Linlin, whispered a few words, then clapped her hands and addressed the players, "Everyone, come over. We'll rest here for today and officially begin the mission tomorrow. For the next ten days, we'll carry out daily tasks here. Each person will have their own assignments; I’ll send out the task plans individually."

"I hope you’ll all do your best to help and complete the daily tasks on time."

As she spoke, Zhu Yan called her juniors aside and spoke quietly to them.

Liu Zong noticed Zhu Yan handing something, along with a sheet of paper, to one of them.

Soon, Liu Chun was called over for a private discussion. From his expression, it was clear Zhu Yan had given him a considerable number of tasks, but none beyond his abilities.

Naturally, Liu Zong was called next. When Zhu Yan spoke privately with him, her first words left him speechless.

"Bringing you was unavoidable. I need two players with shadow affinity, but among the dual cultivators, only you and Chun fit the bill. I have no choice but to trust your abilities. I hope you can prove yourself—at least, don't let Chun down."

After speaking, she handed him a sheet of paper and said seriously, "Here are twenty daily tasks you must complete each day. When you finish, you’re free to act as you wish. If you have time, you can take on some tasks at the stronghold—raising your friendliness here will open the door to some good items for sale."

She then gestured to another player, leaving Liu Zong to himself.

He withdrew to a corner and examined his task list. He quickly saw that most were simple but tedious: killing a certain number of small animals, gathering specified materials, patrolling a set route, and so on.

A smaller portion involved the use of shadow affinity—processing materials, channeling shadow energy in certain areas.

The only surprising task was this: every day, during the brief hour when the sandstorm outside paused, he had to go to a high ground near Golden Pine Valley and use necromancer summoning continuously at a designated spot, until the sandstorm rose again.

The moment he saw this task, Liu Zong understood at once—this was the real reason he had been brought onto this map.