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Chapter 35 – Spring Rain 1
The rain cooled the hearts of the players.
Everyone ate breakfast, and looking at the fine rain coming down outside the village, they did not know what they were eating. They prayed inside for the rain to stop soon. They had to go out.
But the reality went against expectations, and then the rain came pouring down.
“Such a heavy rain, could we still go out?” One person stammered.
The surroundings were silent, and no one answered.
After a while, one of the others gritted his teeth. “Go!”
He had many family members, and if he did not work for a day, the entire family had nothing to eat. Regardless of how dangerous the outside was, he had to think of a way to get food.
Even more importantly, he did not have the overnight fee yet!
“Those willing to go out will go, the ones who want to stay can stay. We will depart in ten minutes,” the leader said.
The teammates all frowned, each of them conflicted.
Yun Ling dazed out staring at the rain. She accidentally saw Lu Chuan and asked, “Will you go out today with the heavy rain?”
“I have enough supplies, and I am not in a hurry,” Lu Chuan said. “The invincibility mode has been canceled, and the territory can be attacked at any time. I am waiting for the monsters to come.”
Yun Ling:”……”
Sneak attacks from monsters were clearly a dangerous thing, but in his mouth, it was the monsters coming to him to give up their heads?
“What about you? Are you going out?” Lu Chuan asked.
“I have not decided yet,” Yun Ling answered.
She had a faint feeling that going out in the rain was not a good thing. But she also wanted to know what the effects were.
Her thoughts moving, Yun Ling finally decided, “When the rain stops, I will go out to wander.”
**
The rain was still coming down.
To make a living, some of the players had to go out in the rain.
Yun Ling made a cup of coffee, and looked thoughtfully at the rain.
Nearby, life skills players were working as usual. The ones that wove shoes wove shoes, the ones making wood spears were making wood spears, and the ones making bamboo shields were making bamboo shields. Some were even using rattan to weave shoes. She did not know where they had learned the craft.
Some people were peeking at the production of bamboo shields. But the process was slightly complicated, and they did not learn it after watching for a while.
Some were inspired, and bought material from players, attempting to make bamboo spears.
After a while, and trying for a long time, he managed to do it!
[Congratulations, you have made self-made equipment.]
[You have unlocked the life skill “Elementary Bamboo Art.”]
[Name: Bamboo Spear]
Quality: Normal
Durability: 15/15
Equip Effect: +1 Strength.
I have talent in making things?
The player who made the bamboo spear was in a shocked and dizzy state.
Then, another thought rose — even if he did not hunt in the future, he had a way to support himself.
Maybe he could hunt in the day, forage during rest, and then work at night. Soon, he may be able to buy a house and marry a wife, becoming a winner in life.
Thinking of this, he could not help but show a dumb smile.
Just after 8:50, a hunting team of three were rushing back to Rising Cloud Village, shouting as they ran, “Help!!”
There were wild black boars chasing them.
Lu Chuan did not refuse and lent a helping hand.
There was a volley of arrows. The archer NPCs, to eliminate the dangers to the territory, attacked first.
After two minutes, five wild black boars were dead.
Lu Chuan and Archer A went out to pick up the drops before quickly returning.
“Long distance players can hunt while staying in the territory!!” The archer players seemed to wake up from a dream.
Pity that the prey had been taken away.
“What is it?” Yun Ling saw the hunting team was in a sorry state, and could not help but ask.
The three had been running hard, and finally managed to get back to the territory. They could not catch their breath. “The outside is not a place for people to stay!”
“The rain is very heavy, it affects sight, and also hearing. When the monsters had walked next to us, we did not sense it.”
“After being in the rain awhile, the system notified, the player has a negative status, and -1 agility. After a while, -2 agility, -1 stamina.”
“Even worse, when wearing equipment in the rain, it wears down more quickly, and the durability drops fast! After half an hour, we got nothing, and our equipment was greatly worn down. Such a loss!”
The three spoke, complaining to each other.
Hearing this, the territory was deathly silent, the residents stunned.
Hunting was dangerous to start with. When one’s sight and hearing was hampered, they would be more easily attacked.
The rain would give a negative state. This meant that one’s condition would decline.
The damage to the equipment was even worse. They had been frugal to save money and buy equipment. After a few trips in the rain, their equipment would be gone, this was too…
But they had to go out!
If there was rain for half a month, what would they eat? Where would they stay?
The more the residents thought, the more worried they were.
Yun Ling suddenly thought of something and opened her backpack to check.
[Name: Hat (Rain Gear)]
Quality: Normal
Required Materials: 20 x Bamboo Leaves, 5 x Silk Thread.
Equip Effect: +1 Stamina.
Note: Can be learned only if you have the Elementary Bamboo Art.
[Name: Straw Raincoat (Rain Gear)]
Quality: Normal
Required Materials: 50 x Rush Grass, 5 x Silk Thread.
Equip Effect: +2 Stamina.
Note: Can be learned only if you have the Elementary Grass Art.
Yun Ling:”……”
So while these equipment did not obviously increase the attributes, they had the special effect of sheltering from the rain?
Then the question was, there were no bamboo workshops or grass huts in the territory. Who should she give the blueprints to for them to learn?
She had hired this NPC because of the B-rank group attack fire spell. But now, could she try to see if the NPCs could create equipment like the players without having the exclusive buildings?
Thinking this, Yun Ling gave the blueprints for the “bamboo hat” to Mage B.
Mage B took it, and immediately used it.
Yun Ling was curious. “Do you know how to make bamboo hats?”
Mage B nodded. “I can make them if I have the tools and materials.”
Thinking, Yun Ling led Mage B to find Yang Yong. “Do you have bamboo leaves?”
Yang Yong stilled. “Yes, why?”
“I want to buy from you,” Yun Ling said. “I also want to borrow your tools.”
Seeing Yang Yong stunned, she added, “I can also rent.”
“No need to give me money,” Yang Yong refocused and said unconcernedly, “You can use the tools as you please. As to the bamboo leaves…”
He was stuck because he did not know how to set the price.
After a long time, he said, “The bamboo leaves are not worth much money. Just take what you need.”
“Okay,” Yun Ling said, “when I make the product, I will give it to you.”
On rainy days, rain gear was much more useful than money.
“Okay.” Yang Yong did not know what the other wanted to do and agreed. Then he took out the tools and bamboo leaves.
Yun Ling handed over the silk threads.
Mage B went forwards, took the bamboo leaves, the threads, the tools, and started to work.
Yang Yong looked for a while, and then realized. “Bamboo hats?”
“Yes,” Yun Ling admitted.
Yang Yong stroked his chin. “On a rainy day, it is more convenient to go out with a bamboo hat…”
He had the skill, but just now, he had been worried, and did not think of it.
“You know how to make it?” Yun Ling was curious.
“I have not made them for a long time, I do not know if I still know.” Yang Yong picked up the tools as he spoke, and started to weave as well.
During this time, he needed thread, but was unable to find any when he searched. Yun Ling silently handed over five silk threads. “You are welcome.”
One side provided silk threads, the other bamboo leaves and tools. This was a win for both sides.
Yang Yong was not polite, and used them.
After two hours, the bamboo hat took form.
[Congratulations, you have made self-made equipment “Bamboo Hat.”]
[You have received 10 experience points.]
[Name: Hat (Rain Gear)]
Quality: Normal
Durability: 20/20
Equip Effect: +1 Stamina.
Yang Yong was overjoyed looking at the new equipment. He inspected it over and over, constantly touching it.
At the same time, Mage B was very unskilled, and the bamboo hat was half complete.
Seeing the bamboo hat, a player came over to ask. “Hello, are you selling this hat?”
Yang Yong instinctively looked at Yun Ling.
Yun Ling mouthed the words, “You wove it, you decide.”
“Yes!” Yang Yong did not hesitate.
After bargaining, the price was set at 60 copper coins.
After selling, Yang Yong wanted to give 10 of the coins to Yun Ling.
“No need.” Yun Ling shook her head and refused. “We used your bamboo leaves and tools.”
“Then treat it as silk threads for bamboo leaves,” Yang Yong said, “When you finish the bamboo hat, do not give it to me.”
While he had provided the bamboo leaves and the tools, and the other only contributed silk thread, so it appeared the other had benefited, the calculation could not be made like this. Bamboo leaves were everywhere and one just had to collect to get them. Silk threads only came from monster drops.
Without the silk threads that Yun Ling gave, even if he had the skill at making bamboo hats, he could not do this business.
“Okay,” Yun Ling agreed.
**
The rain continued to come down, and the sky did not clear.
Players continued to run back like they were fleeing for their lives, crying about how dangerous it was outside the village.
Even the powerful teams that dismissed the rain had to come back.
Because if they stayed too long in the rain, the equipment that the members wore would be greatly damaged. When they inventoried after the fact, the damage was so great that all the members were robbed of their breath.
The luckiest ones were a brother and sister pair. They went out in the rain, took off their equipment before leaving, and just wore normal clothes.
Both when they left and returned, they did not encounter one monster at all. So while other people were trapped in the territory, they were safe and their equipment unharmed. They even managed to dig up some sweet potatoes.
While they were soaked by the rain and had negative states, they sat next to the bonfire, drying their clothes and eating roasted sweet potatoes. Their negative states quickly faded.
“Are you selling the sweet potatoes?” Someone smelled the sweet potatoes, and could not help but ask.
The older sister shook her head. “No.”
They did not know when the rain would stop. She and her younger brother did not have much food saved up. They were relying on the newly dug sweet potatoes to survive. They would not sell for anything.
“Okay.” That person left angrily, filled with worry inside — when will the rain stop?
Yun Ling had nothing to do, and went back to her house to make some cotton backpacks.
She planned that when she went out again, she would have the NPCs all wear cotton backpacks. This would avoid the situation that their backpacks would be full not long after they left, and they had to return.
The rain lasted for a day, and did not stop even as the day grew dark.
Families that did not have enough food just ate two meals a day. But even so, the remaining food would not last many days.
Even worse off were the players who did not have the money to pay the overnight fee.
At this time, they hated themselves. Why, when they had money in the past, did they use the money to buy equipment? Why did they not first buy official resident status?
Temporary residents had to pay 5 copper coins per day to stay overnight.
Official residents only had to pay a one-time fee of 100 copper coins. After that, they only needed to work for their food, and no longer had to pay the overnight fee.
Usually, the difference could not be seen. Temporary residents and official residents seemed to be the same. But when it came to a time to use money, and players did not have money, they realized that there was a difference between the temporary residents and official residents.
At 6 o’clock, if you could not pay 5 copper coins, regardless of who you were, the system would throw you out of the territory.
For a time, the temporary residents that did not have enough savings were in danger.
They sold equipment, and they sold skill cards as needed. If this was not enough, some with food would take some hoarded food out to sell. No matter what, they had to get money!
“Mage skill selling for a low price. If interested, come to see.”
“Blue equipment blueprint. You only need Elementary Woodworking. Do not miss this!”
“Ten packs of extra large instant noodle, just 5 copper coins! First come, first served. If you want, you have to be fast!”
“B-rank group healing skill for a priest. Only 200 copper coins.”
The players set up stalls and hawked their wares.
Yun Ling looked as she walked, and would buy the suitable skills, blueprints, and recipes when she saw them, and throw them to the NPCs to learn.
**
Setting Sun Village
At the top of the tent in the corner, there was a gap. The rain came through the gap into the tent, and made the blankets wet.
There were two people in the tent, one called Shi Jian Shan and the other Old Liang. Both people had ugly expressions, and they were silent.
After an unknown amount of time, Old Liang said furiously, “I’ve had enough. I am willing to go explore outside and get bitten to death by monsters rather than stay in the team!”
In the past, he had not rebeled because he had no skills or equipment, and he did not want to take a risk with his life.
If he stayed, he would be squeezed by the team, but at least, he would have two steamed buns each day, and could stay In the territory to sleep.
And now? Because they did not resist, the team was even worse!
The steamed buns were now a size smaller, and they had to do more and more work each day.
Tonight, there was a heavy rain, and the leader gave them a tent with a gap in it to live. This meant he did not think of them as people!
The more Old Liang thought, the angrier he was. He wanted to leave in the night.
A hint of madness flashed in Shi Jian Shan’s eyes. “Do not just complain. Will you dare to leave?”
“How will I not dare!” Old Liang gritted out. “If I stay here, us two cannot live!”
He understood. The other people in the team used them like animals. If they could work, they would be fed a bit, if they could not work, they would be mercilessly abandoned, and the team would raise new ones.
To be blunt, if they went out to risk it, at least they would have a sliver of hope. If they stayed, that was waiting for death.
“Then let’s go now.” Shi Jian Shan said quickly. “Everyone else is sleeping. Let’s go, without them knowing.”
“Leave for where? What if we encounter danger on the way? How will we live in the future?” Old Liang asked a series of questions.
While they had the determination to die, but if he could live, he did not want to die for nothing.
“To Rising Cloud Village! The most prosperous territory of S City. They have the most unlocked buildings!” Shi Jian Shang said calmly. “I asked around. Rising Cloud Village is not far from Setting Sun Village. We can reach it by walking for an hour.”
“If we encounter monsters along the way, we will run. If we encounter resources, we will collect them.”
“I heard that in Rising Cloud Village, even life skills players can make a living for themselves. If we are hardworking, we will not worry for food.”
Old Liang hesitated, and in the end, he decided, “Go! I will not stay in this place!”
After reaching an agreement, the two used the night to secretly leave the village.
Leaving Setting Sun Village, Shi Jian Shan was not in a hurry to travel, but ran to the side of a willow tree and dug madly.
After five minutes, he dug out a square wood box. Inside was a white dagger, a stiff steamed bun, half a bottle of water, and a green military shoulder bag.
Old Liang gaped. “So you prepared before?”
“Of course!” Shi Jian Shan pulled Old Liang and ran in the direction of Rising Cloud Village after doing this.
**
The night was late.
Other than the patrols who were faithfully at their positions, everyone else was asleep.
Old Li, part of the patrol, was in a raincoat, and complained in dissatisfaction, “Why has the rain not ended? When will it stop?”
“Who knows?” His teammate waved a hand and motioned for Old Li to follow.
This was a camp they created themselves, and it did not possess functional buildings like the system camps. The duty of the patrol was to patrol around the camp and make sure that no monsters charged in during the night.
Today, it was raining, and monsters should not attack. But they still had to check again.
The tents were in a crowd, and there was a fence set up on the outskirts. These had been made by the camp leader Qian Zhi Hui and the residents.
Old Li yawned. He just wanted to say nothing was wrong so they should be lazy and not so serious. Then, he saw his teammate’s eyes widen, and show a thread of terror. “Listen, what’s that sound?”
Old Li was stunned. Other than rain, he heard nothing.
He just wanted to say to not joke in the night, but then he saw a group of rhinos charging at the camp.
Old Li’s expression froze. In the next moment, he shouted, “Enemy attack —”
**
S City, Peach Blossom Camp.
The rain came down in a torrent, and the thunder was deafening. The residents were sleeping well in the tents.
Suddenly, the system notified, [Thunderbirds are attacking Peach Blossom Camp.]
[The System Guards are all dead.]
[Players, please leave as soon as possible.]
Exclamations and screams rose as the situation fell into disorder…
**
Maybe because of personal reasons or because this was an emergency, some of the players had to move through the night to other territories.
For some people, this night was very difficult.
Day 13.
In the morning, Yun Ling woke up and received the system notification, [Peach Blossom Camp has been breached.]
[Longevity Camp has been breached.]
[Pink Quill Camp has been breached.]
Almost instantly, Yun Ling realized. “Maybe due to the lack of people, or the wrong choice of buildings had been made, the camp did not develop at all, and was destroyed.”
During the beta, similar things had occurred.
The system clearly could develop in a balanced manner with the Woodworking Workshop, the Tailor Shop, the Restaurant, the Blacksmith Shop. But the system would unlock the Woodworking Workshop, the Bamboo Workshop, the Grass Hall, and other buildings of similar function.
A village of sufficient level could unlock a “defensive shield,” but the system unlocked the defensive building “Fence.”
There were even those that did not unlock even one defensive structure. They persisted in developing functional buildings, and relied on the system guards for defending the territory.
The system called this the “territory feature.” The players call it a “demon configuration.”
Usually, in less than a month, the worst territory would be breached. While the surviving territories would have different buildings, most had a “defensive shield,” a “mission hall,” “restaurant” and other basic configurations.
“It seems that history will repeat itself.” Yun Ling closed the notification, and started her new day.
**
Walking out of the wood house, the sky was dark. Fine rain fell through the sky, but this did not affect them going out.
“Selling hats! Useful hats! Can block the wind and rain!” Yang Yong was selling in the morning.
Hearing that the bamboo hats could block the rain, several people came around. “How much? How good is it at blocking the rain?”
“This is a craft handed down from my ancestors! In ancient times, people wore bamboo hats as they traveled through the rain,” Yang Yong explained seriously.
The players were moved upon hearing this. They started to bargain and try the hats out. The stall was very lively.
Yun Ling called over Mage B. “How many bamboo hats have you woven?”
Mage B blushed. “I am slow. I only wove three.”
Yun Ling thought for a moment. If she picked two NPCs to go with her, there were enough.
She opened the window, and inspected the NPCs who came to visit.
There were three people in total.
A level 3 archer, a level 2 assassin, and one life professional.
Life Skills: Intermediate Sewing, Elementary Grass Art.
Craftable Items: Bandage, Quiver, Belt, Bracers, Assassin Face Mask, Linen Backpack, Straw Sandals, Straw Hat, Cushion.
Employment Price: 700 copper coins.
Yun Ling saw the last NPC and her eyes lit up.
Elementary Grass Art meant that they could learn to make straw rain coats.
After spring passed, they did not have to make straw rain coats, and they could make bandages, quivers, belts, bracers, and assassin masks.
Thinking of this, Yun Ling confirmed the hire and gave the name “Tailor B.”
“Lord.” When Tailor B appeared, Yun Ling shoved over a “straw raincoat” blueprint.
“Learn this,” Yun Ling ordered.
“Yes.” Tailor B warmly said.
“There are rushes and silk thread in the warehouse. Stay in the Tailor Shop, and make straw rain coats,” Yun Ling said.
“Okay.” Tailor B would not refuse any of Yun Ling’s orders.
Now that people could make straw rain coats and bamboo hats, Yun Ling was satisfied.
In her view, the spring season had just started, and would not finish quickly. The more rain gear she had, the better. It was better to be prepared.
After eating breakfast, she saw that it was still rainy outside. Yun Ling called Guard B and Assassin A, and planned to take them out to gather bamboo leaves and rushes.
The three of them packed up, each wearing six white pieces of equipment, and prepared to leave.
Yun Ling had a backpack on her back. She thought, if someone dared to ambush her, she would take the purple equipment out of her backpack, and give the other a “surprise!”
**
Players worried that heavy rain would continue to come, so they took the chance when the rain was light to go out.
Zhang Hong Bo could see clearly most people did not have rain gear, and they would get rained on when they went out. He could not help but sigh. “If someone had hoarded rain gear beforehand, they would be rich now.”
Rain gear?
Old Zhang stilled. “I know how to make straw rain coats. They are like a rain poncho when you wear it.”
Zhang Hong Bo, “???”
He looked in surprise at his grandfather. “You found a blueprint?”
Old Zhang was puzzled. “What blueprint?”
Zhang Hong Bo explained. “With Elementary Grass Art, you have to first learn from a blueprint before you can make the equipment.”
“Ha! Craftsmen do not need blueprints!” Old Zhang did not care. “Did you see that I needed blueprints when I was making the straw sandals?”
Zhang Hong Bo was speechless.
Old Zhang said, “If the straw rain coats are good to sell, and the straw sandals are not good, then I will change to straw rain coats. Go out, and get me some rushes and silk thread. If there is no silk thread, then find some tough grass.”
“Okay.” Zhang Hong Bo put on the bamboo hat, and slowly left Rising Cloud Village.
On the road, he was dumbfounded. There was only one thought in his mind: Grandfather was so great he knew to weave everything?