Dark Sand: My Players Are All Actors

Hai Ping, who had found a new direction, was once again full of motivation.

This highly free-form and extremely realistic game was indeed unfriendly to novice players; after all, there was no quest guidance whatsoever, and you had to guess and verify even after consulting information.

It was indeed taxing on the brain compared to those games where the quest objectives were clearly written out and could be located at the push of a button.

Yet, once you accepted this setup and got into the game, it became surprisingly interesting!

Hai Ping re-entered the first stage of the trial, choosing the "Living on the Edge" talent.

This time, he was no longer just thinking about surviving; he charged right to the front and engaged in head-on clashes with the Beidi savages!

Naturally, the consequence was that he died faster—previously, he died once every half-hour, but now he could die every two to three minutes.

But did it matter?

Hai Ping was well aware that surviving long in the first stage was meaningless; if he didn't gain a substantial advantage in the early phase, he would definitely fail in the second stage. So, it might be better to go all out during the first stage.

Additionally, facing the enemy's blades directly also allowed the "Living on the Edge" talent to be fully utilized, making him increasingly familiar with the feeling of battling between life and death.

His combat skills were also rapidly improving.

In this way, Hai Ping died time and again, and restarted time and again.

...

At this moment, Meng Yuan and Shen Shang were also paying attention to the players' performances.

Shen Shang, holding a large chicken leg, gnawed on it while expressing some concern, "Nearly two days have passed, and there are five days left until the historical slice invasion. So far, not a single person has been able to clear the trial instance.

"Can they really succeed in the next five days?"

Meng Yuan was not particularly panicky. "You don't understand these creatures known as players.

"Although they seem in a bad state now, this is just the initial phase of their endeavor.

"Once one player makes a breakthrough, the progress of all other players will skyrocket. Players are a marvellous group that evolves collectively.

"At least I've already spotted two or three promising candidates.

"And by the way, why are you always eating?"

Meng Yuan glanced at the large chicken leg in Shen Shang's hand, and almost shed tears unwillingly.

Shen Shang said, "It's because the power of the Restorers is too draining; even my strength is greatly diminished!

"Initially, I should have had the physique of an adult, but now, due to the lack of strength, not only has my body become smaller, but I also get hungry easily."

Meng Yuan asked, "So when will you be full?"

Shen Shang sighed softly, "The food you see is just conjured by me to comfort myself; it doesn't actually have any effect. Devouring the power contained in historical slices is what will help me return to—and possibly exceed—my original state.

"So I am worried. As time progresses, the historical slices that intersect with reality will draw closer to the Ancient Times, and the power of the demons will also increase. If we cannot successfully handle the first historical slice and enhance our power, the battles henceforth will only become tougher and even utterly hopeless."

Meng Yuan nodded, "I understand. But don't worry too much, I have faith in these players."

Shen Shang continued to watch the scene of players clearing the instance.

"Who are the two or three players you mentioned just now that you have high hopes for?"

Meng Yuan pointed to the scene he was closely watching.

"First of all, of course, is Hai Ping. He has performed well in the trials of the assassin and the guard in the Trial Illusion, and I think he could clear the trial if he persisted with the assassin's trial. However, it seems he is more interested in the profession of the guard.

"His combat talent is among the top of all players, and once he can perfectly clear the first stage and enter the second stage as a Deputy General, clearing the guard's trial will just be a matter of time.

"I think it should be about another day.

"Next is a player named Chu Ge. Although his combat strength is quite weak—downright terrible—his knowledge of history is rich, and his puzzle-solving ability is strong.

"On the first day 'Dark Sand' went online, he posted online and basically determined the goal and gameplay of the game, pointing out the historical stages corresponding to various trials, which saved players a lot of detours.

"Now, he is trying to conquer the scholar's trial, and it looks like he is making good progress, having survived until the fourth round.

"Then there is this player named Yun Ying, who seems to have some martial arts background in real life, and adapted quickly in the Ranger's instance. Currently, his combat ability is completely up to standard, what he lacks is the strategy and acting skills needed to clear the instance.

"Of course, besides these three people, there are other players who are performing well. For example, this player named Du Gang, who doesn't have any particularly outstanding advantages, but has good overall qualities and balanced abilities in all areas.

"Moreover, I always feel his real-life identity is probably not simple."

Shenshang said, "Do you want to know his real-life profession? I can find out."

Meng Yuan shook his head immediately, "Not necessary for now. The players are still in the exploratory stage, and players who stand out now might not necessarily be the strongest, so let's observe more."

Shenshang couldn't help but comment, "I didn't expect that you, who get dizzy and don't know anything when you enter an instance, could provide such detailed critiques of these people."

Meng Yuan chuckled, "Just kidding, I'm a top cloud player. Even though I'm not good at playing games, I'm quite adept at strategizing."

Shenshang then asked, "So how soon do you think these players will be able to clear the trials?"

Meng Yuan didn't hesitate, "At most another day! And once one player clears it, many more will quickly follow."

...

The third day, 10 PM.

Zhao Haiping entered the world of 'Dark Sand' once again.

He took a deep breath to calm his emotions.

"It looks like the preparations are almost in place.

"The combat ability has basically reached its limit, and all the relevant preparations have been made, especially the argument for facing the General, which I've consulted with Chu Ge about, and there shouldn't be any problem.

"As for the second stage, it will likely depend purely on brute strength.

"If I'm in good form, today I might be able to break through three stages in one go!"

Although Zhao Haiping was still stuck in the first stage, after such a long period of preparation, he was full of confidence.

Before exiting the game yesterday, he had managed to clear the first stage without retreating or showing hesitation.

His innate skill, 'Tasting Blood on the Blade's Edge', allowed him to perform better in close combat and when facing multiple enemies, and the constant fighting and training over the past two days had greatly improved his cold-weapon combat skills.

Zhao Haiping was absolutely certain that if he could kill enough Beidi barbarians in the first stage, his identity would change upon entering the second stage.

For the second and third stages, he had also made thorough preparations.

During the day, he had added Chu Ge's contact and discussed the instance in detail with him.

Chu Ge was the player who had posted online, defining the historical periods of these trial instances. He's currently attempting to clear the scholar's trial instance.

As Zhao Haiping was the furthest along in the warrior's instance, Chu Ge was naturally willing to discuss with him.

After analyzing the content of the warrior instance, Chu Ge tailored an argument for Zhao Haiping.

This argument maximized the characteristics of that era and was Chu Ge's best bet for persuading the General.

Thus, even if Zhao Haiping could not become the Deputy General in the first stage and ended up with a relatively low position, such as a personal guard, using this argument would greatly increase his chances of convincing the General.

As for what the third stage would look like, Zhao Haiping had not seen it yet, so Chu Ge could not provide a specific countermeasure, but based on historical records, he adjusted for some emergent scenarios in advance.

After preparing all these during the day, Zhao Haiping confidently entered the warrior trial of "Achieving Success in One Battle".

Back to where everything started.

Zhao Haiping chose the 'Tasting Blood on the Blade's Edge' talent skill proficiently, then looked down at the Beidi barbarians beneath the city, his left hand holding a bow and his right hand reaching for his quiver.

The siege battle, once again underway!