He closed the panel.
Xiao Jing looked up at the sun. He estimated it was around noon, and his stamina was getting seriously low.
The vast grasslands stretched endlessly in every direction. He found a spot to rest, pulled out the pouch he'd looted from the bandit, and began to wolf it down with water from a waterskin also taken from the bandit.
Dry, hard, and sour—it definitely didn't taste good.
But in a place like this, he was lucky to have any food at all. The forums were filled with players in far worse situations than him.
As he ate, Xiao Jing opened the built-in player forum and started scrolling through the posts.
This world might feel real, but plenty of its aspects still had the feel of an online game.
The attribute panel and the player forum were prime examples.
More than five hours had passed since the people of Earth were transported to this new world. That was more than enough time for players to vent their panic on the forums.
As a result, there were far fewer posts crying for help on the forums than the last time Xiao Jing had checked.
Even 'sharing posts' and 'PSA posts' had begun to appear.
What Xiao Jing clicked on now was a highly popular PSA and guide: "A Guide to Surviving and Thriving in the New World."
Points for Survival and Development: 1. Remember you're in ancient times. Make sure your words and actions fit the setting.
2. Attribute Points are crucial. Allocate them wisely.
3. This is the Late Han Dynasty, but don't blindly follow the history you know.
4. The map is enormous—dozens of times larger than the actual map of the Eastern Han. Cities in every commandery and county have 'teleportation arrays' that allow for travel between them for a fee.
5. This is a game, and yet it isn't. Think carefully before you act.
...
—A salute to all players, from Celestial Dao Inc.
All in all, there were over a hundred such rules.
Xiao Jing found it all very informative, but his pupils contracted when he saw the name "Celestial Dao Inc." at the end.
'Could this company be the mastermind that transported all of humanity here?'
Xiao Jing thought so, and most other players felt the same.
He scrolled down past the guide, and just as he expected, the comments were filled with curses.
After a glance or two, Xiao Jing lost interest and backed out of the thread.
He browsed the forums a while longer, amazed by the sheer variety of weirdos and show-offs.
There were provocative show-off posts from "Lucky Bastards" who had rolled 'yellow-quality traits,' attracting floods of envy and hate.
There were SOS posts from guys who'd tried to hit on a noble family's daughter in the street, only to be arrested as a hooligan and scheduled for execution.
There were posts begging for food, for weapons, for a carry... all kinds of "gimme" posts.
Of course, not all the posts were useless.
For instance, one lucky player had found the historical general Xu Chu. After several failed attempts, he had generously shared Xu Chu's coordinates.
Even though Xu Chu was a world away, Xiao Jing quietly memorized the coordinates.
After all, Xu Chu was a top-tier general, guaranteed. According to the info from that mysterious voice, even as a youth, he should have at least Tier Six strength (Combat Power over 60). 'It's worth remembering,' he thought, 'just in case I can use it one day.'
Estimating that he had rested enough, Xiao Jing glanced at the forum, intending to close it and get back on the road.
But then, a particular post caught his eye.
SOS—
"Help! Can any high-level players save me!"
"I found an ancient Secret Realm in the grasslands, but I was targeted by nearby bandits. They're hunting me, I... I'm so scared!"
"Please, can any high-level player come save me! I'm hiding in the Secret Realm and I'm too scared to go outside. They're about to find me, and I really don't want to die!"
"Sob... please! If someone saves me, I'll give them this treasure I found in the Secret Realm as a reward!"
"Here's the image of the treasure and its stats from my Appraisal skill!"
[Item]: Nine Dragon Array Plate (Ancient)
[Quality]: Purple
[Effects]: 1. Nine Dragon War Array (Active): Requires at least 99 Tier Three elite soldiers to activate. Focuses the martial might of all soldiers in the array onto a single point, granting a massive boost to offense and defense (the more soldiers, the greater the boost).
2. Nine Dragon's Will: Condenses the Martial Intent of elite soldiers within the array into the form of a 'Dragon.' (Prerequisite: Soldiers in the array must have the 'Martial Intent' attribute unlocked).
3. Hidden Dragon Array: A containment array that can be established using special terrain (e.g., mountains, forests) to trap enemies.
[Requirements]: Proficiency in Hundred Schools Arts: 'Strategy' and 'Arrays.'
[Description]: In the right hands, this is a Divine Artifact. In the wrong hands, it's less valuable than a worthless rock.
...
The moment the item's stats were posted,
the forum thread immediately exploded with comments.
In an instant, a flood of new messages appeared.
XiaoLiBuEr: "HOLY SHIT, a Purple-quality item?!!!"
HeroesUnderHeaven: "Are my eyes deceiving me? Or is the gap between players just this huge? My gray-quality short sword suddenly feels like garbage!"
ForeverInAfrica: "Damn you lucky bastards, go to hell!!!"
NoLoveInTroubledTimes: "Hey everyone, don't be like that. Didn't you see the OP is in a life-or-death situation? Can't we think of a way to help?"
YangzhouTianxia: "Hah. It's hopeless. Just wait to die. This world map is enormous. Unless a high-level player happens to be right there, anyone who's even a little weak will just be throwing their life away by going."
NoLoveInTroubledTimes: "@YangzhouTianxia How can you be so cold-blooded?"
YangzhouTianxia: "Me, cold-blooded? You must still think you're living in our peaceful old world. You have no idea how dangerous this place is. Didn't you see the OP said they're surrounded by bandits?! I'm Level 3, with third-rate potential and a trait that boosts my attack. My Combat Power is a little over 5, which should make me a top player, right? But even I couldn't beat a single thief I ran into. And you want me to fight a whole gang of fierce bandits on horseback?"
YangzhouTianxia: "Heh. I'd advise any players near the OP who are getting greedy ideas to take a good, hard look at their own strength before they go. Don't throw your life away for nothing."
"..."
Xiao Jing ignored the useless messages, his eyes glued to the ancient patterns on the Nine Dragon Array Plate.
An idea sparked in his mind.
The reason was simple: the ancient patterns on the item in the picture were incredibly similar to the ones on the Village-Building Order he had taken from the bandit.
'Both from bandits, and the patterns are so similar... is this a coincidence?'
Xiao Jing didn't believe in coincidences. He quickly posted a reply amidst the flood of "Hope you're okay!", "Sending prayers!", "Sorry, can't help!", and "Can I have the treasure!?" messages.
FadingSunset: "Where are you? I'll check if you're near me. If you are, I'll try to figure something out."
The poster had been despairing, seeing nothing but empty words of comfort. But when they saw Xiao Jing's reply, their eyes lit up with a glimmer of hope, and they replied instantly.
"I don't know where I am! I spawned right into this Secret Realm, and before I knew what was happening, I was being chased by those bandits. But I can send you my coordinates."
A string of coordinates immediately followed the message.
At that moment, far away in Huiji County of Yang Province, a heroic-looking young man was watching the forum. He saw that someone was actually reckless enough to risk their life for treasure, under the guise of a 'rescue.'
He shook his head and muttered, "Men die for wealth, birds die for food. He didn't listen to my warning. If he dies, he'll have deserved it!"
With that, he closed the forum, his gaze returning to the handful of petty thieves nearby...
Of course, Xiao Jing had no idea what was happening all the way in Yang Province.
He, meanwhile, was looking at the coordinates in the reply.
He mentally compared them to his own location and thought, 'Just as I expected!'
The poster's location was very close to his own.
The distance between them was no more than a few dozen li—practically next door. 'No wonder that random bandit had a Village-Building Order,' he thought. 'It must have come from that ancient Secret Realm.'
"Just hold on. I'll level up as fast as I can. As soon as I'm strong enough, I'll come save you!"
After sending the reassuring message, Xiao Jing closed the forum and began to strategize.
He might have been partly motivated by kindness, but not by much. The bigger reason was that he now had his sights set on the Secret Realm.
'That ancient Secret Realm produced a Gold-rarity Village-Building Order, and now a Purple-rarity Nine Dragon Array Plate. A drop rate like that... damn. It has to be something special!'
And so, an idea cemented in his mind: he would build his village right next to that ancient Secret Realm. Proximity, after all, grants the first prize.
And if he was going to claim the Secret Realm, he would definitely have to clear out those bandits.
'If the player is still alive when I get there, I'll lend a hand and save them. A fair trade for the information. But if they're already dead, well, there's nothing I can do about that.'
With that thought, Xiao Jing stopped hesitating. He stood up, got his bearings, and began heading toward the coordinates the player had sent.
'First, find the Secret Realm. Then, build the village.'