In the trade area, there are a large number of dwarven-style chambers of commerce and shops crowded along the roadside.
Equipment accessories, alchemy potions, bulk ore raw materials, etc. are all available.
In addition to NPC shops, there are many players setting up stalls and trading on the wide and straight road.
As he walked up the corridor, the magnificent multi-layered ring city slowly unfolded before his eyes.
The Iron Crown is built inside a volcanic crater mountain, and in the center of the ring is an extremely hot lava lake.
From a distance, the multi-layered ring city looks like a sophisticated power machine, embodying the beauty of structure and order. Tens of thousands of players and NPCs live together in it, flowing like the blood of the city.
This kind of scene shocked Li Ran every time.
This time there was a little more surprise.
A dozen players were lying on the railings of the corridor, looking longingly at the top of the lava lake, their eyes full of anticipation.
"Can it be done this time?"
"No way, it can't run away!"
Li Ran held on to the railing and looked down, and saw an extremely shocking scene.
dragon!
Black dragon!
"Look, the dragon is flying!"
Li Ran watched intently as a giant black dragon suddenly broke free from its chains on the lower ring city, rose into the air, and soared above the lava lake.
The dragon flew higher and higher, flying straight to the sky above the fortress.
On all sides of the ringed city, the dwarf defenders poured out firepower on the fugitives.
Javelins and ballistae fell like a storm.
The dragon dodged, circled, and maneuvered continuously, avoiding most of the attacks while twisting and turning. Its beautiful movements attracted cheers from the onlookers!
"good!"
Li Ran asked curiously: "Why is there a black dragon in the city?"
One player replied: "This black dragon is a prisoner!"
Prisoner? No wonder he had to escape.
Another player continued to analyze: "The black dragon is a level 7 creature that is immune to magic. The dwarves' rune magicians and fire magic can't do anything to it, but the javelin and crossbow are not vegetarian either."
Sure enough, before he finished speaking, the giant dragon in mid-air was shot by three ballistae one after another. It was gradually losing its strength and flying slower and slower.
The heavy injuries caused it to suddenly lose its balance and fall towards the city on one side.
"Run!"
The players on the corridor dispersed.
Li Ran was stunned for a moment, and saw the black dragon in front of him getting bigger and bigger...
boom!
The surrounding shops were smashed to pieces by the falling black dragon. In a cloud of smoke and dust, Li Ran passed by the dragon without any damage to his hair.
Li Ran turned around in confusion and saw a yellow eye.
The dragon has only one eye, and his left eye is a huge scar.
Li Ran saw the black dragon's scarred body and found that almost all the crossbow arrows and javelins were nailed to the left side.
"Human."
The black dragon spoke with a deep and weak voice: "As long as you break my chain next time, I will give you all the treasures in the Dragon's Treasure House!"
Li Ran's heart was beating wildly. Was this a hidden mission?
The number of onlookers gradually increased, and a dwarf sneered: "How many more people are you going to fool? I tried more than a dozen times but failed. Every player who released you was arrested as a rebel. There is no one left in Crown City."
I believe you!"
"Is this a scam mission?"
Li Ran looked at the black dragon and then the dwarf in surprise.
In addition to regular tasks, players sometimes receive hidden tasks with rich rewards.
However, the NPCs in Broken Star are almost the same as real people, and it is not uncommon for players to be defrauded by bad checks.
The dwarf smiled and said: "Yes, although it has deceived many people, it is a tourist attraction in Crown City! It attracts many people who want to have fun."
As soon as he finished speaking, a large number of dwarf shield guards arrived at the scene and drove Li Ran and everyone watching out of the corridor.
...
Li Ran found the Shanwang Auction House at the northernmost end of the trading area.
The hot market during the service opening period has caused many products to be sold at sky-high prices. Even the richest players or guilds have to be careful with their budgets here.
Behind the counter, a dwarf trader wearing a monocle greeted: "Hello sir, do you want to consign the items or check the auction information?"
Li Ran placed the magic iron crystal on the counter: "I want to publish the consignment information! The starting price is 30 gold coins, and the one-time price is 300 gold coins."
"Okay sir, the quality of this crystal is very high, and the price is relatively reasonable. I will arrange it for you."
The dwarf trader put the magic iron crystal into a small box and put it away.
bite!
System prompts: The item you listed [Magic Iron Crystal] has been auctioned at a fixed price. After deducting the 1% handling fee, you will get 297 gold coins!
After getting his first pot of gold, Li Ran immediately started shopping.
"Let's be pragmatic and forget about combat professions."
Li Ran found a section related to life and career and started browsing.
Soon, his eyes were attracted by two props.
[Karloff’s Mine Strengthening Technique]
[Rare/Life Career Skill Book]
[Effect: The upper limit of energy value increases with the mining skill level]
[Description: A set of mining work methods summarized by Karloff of the Wolf Principality when he was managing slave mines. Long-term use can strengthen the body and greatly increase the output of the mines. 】
[One price: 80 gold coins]
...
【Nature's porter】
[Epic/Ore Pickaxe/Special]
[Enchanting: Earthbending Magic (Passive Effect)]
[Requirements for use: Grandmaster level mining technique]
[One price: 150 gold coins]
bite!
System prompt: You spent 230 gold coins to purchase [Karloff’s Mine Strengthening Technique] and [Nature’s Porter]!
Li Ran bought two props in one go!
I bought another space ring.
At the same time, he also purchased a large number of mining magic energy bombs to fill the space ring.
If you have to do something, do it to the best of your ability.
This is Li Ran's creed.
Even if it is an energy talent that no one is optimistic about, what kind of effect can it produce if it is used to the limit?
Li Ran couldn't help but have some expectations.
...
Satisfactorily, after working hard day and night, Li Ran successfully advanced to the master level of mining!
Taking advantage of the mid-level mining skills at the beginning and the super energy recovery advantage, the mainstream players are far behind.
Li Ran’s mining income has almost doubled.
In the early days of the server opening, the value of gold coins was extremely high.
According to the current mining efficiency, minus the maintenance fee of the immersion chamber and the loss of nutrient solution, Li Ran can still save 300 yuan by selling gold coins every day.
That day, when Li Ran was selling ore in Gray Stone Town, he heard rumors among players.
An interesting NPC came to Xishan.
In the valley, there was a hooded woman standing by the roadside, patiently talking to every passing player.
She is the incarnation of the Sphinx.
Also known as The Riddler.
This NPC who travels around the pioneer area is very popular, and players only have one chance to answer her riddles.
Those who answer correctly will receive a gift from the Sphinx, while those who answer incorrectly will be cursed by the Sphinx.
This is a rare opportunity, and players from Greystone Town, Crown City and even the distant Sacred Forest City are rushing to participate.
After passing through the twists and turns of the mountain road, Li Ran came to the Sphinx.
"Hello! Lady Sphinx!"
Sphinx nodded slightly towards Li Ran.
The Sphinx has a perfect figure, and the half of her face exposed under her hood is absolutely stunning!
Li Ran couldn't help but swallow his saliva.
"The last person was a loser again, can you give me some fun?"
Li Ran suppressed his excitement and replied:
"I'll do my best, ma'am!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Li Ran was pulled into a magical space.
"I will give you a puzzle, and you have one chance to answer, and the time is only one minute. If you answer correctly, you can get my secret reward~"
"I see!"
"Then, please answer me..."
"What's going to get damaged just by making a sound?"
After a long minute, Li Ran still didn't think of a correct answer.
Li Ran's face turned red with anxiety, but he still couldn't think of the answer and couldn't utter a single word.
Amid the sphinx's chuckle, a treasure box appeared out of thin air in Li Ran's hand.
Li Ran: "?"
The sphinx laughed wildly, and Li Ran's eyeballs moved up and down.
"Ha...what an interesting man."
"That's right, silence will be broken as soon as you make a sound!"
"Interesting, how to reveal the mystery by refusing to answer questions? Your humor impresses me. Take it, this is a gift from fate!"
【The Joy of the Sphinx】
【Treasure Chest/Epic】
Li Ran was shocked.
When Li Ran realized what happened, he immediately bent down and said sincerely:
"Thank you for your generosity, ma'am."
After finishing speaking, Li Ran escaped from the illusion.
The Sphinx nodded towards him, and Li Ran saw a smile on her lips.
A player next to him got impatient and spat and cursed:
"Trash NPC, I still need to level up, please let me answer the questions!"
...
Li Ran walked towards the outside of the valley.
He got into the woods beside the road and carefully placed the treasure box on the ground.
Li Ran prayed secretly, held his breath and concentrated, and then opened the lock.
He suddenly opened the treasure chest!
Snap!
Inside the box, there was a silver cylindrical metal device lying quietly.
【Shocking】
[Exquisite/Triple Magic Fireworks Launcher/Treasure Making Engineering Product]
[Effect: Launch a gorgeous magic firework in the designated direction. 】
[Number of uses remaining: 3]
[Description: The works of master treasure maker Havez are famous for their bizarreness, and this one is particularly shocking.]
Fireworks launcher?
Did you read the instructions or is it a one-time use?
Although he was a little surprised, Li Ran relaxed his frown and returned to the mountain road.
Why are players running away in panic?
"There are orcs!"
"It's the Monster Hunter Guild!"
A man yelled and was suddenly hit in the forehead by an axe. He fell limply and his equipment and gold coins exploded all over the floor.
"How come we can meet here!?"
Li Ran complained endlessly, picked up the gold coins on the ground, and hurriedly joined the fleeing team.
Big-eared monsters and jackals kept pouring out of the woods. The originally narrow mountain paths were filled with orcs. Players were being killed constantly, and screams resounded throughout the valley.
Whenever someone dies in front of Li Ran, Li Ran will help him pack away his belongings.
After a while, Li Ran received hundreds of gold coins.
Li Ran followed a player to a pass, and the sound of a sharp blade cutting through the air suddenly sounded!
The player in front groaned and fell to the ground, being stabbed by flying knives.
Li Ran took a closer look and saw four jackals waiting in the middle of the road!
Li Ran looked familiar to them, and the jackal looked even more familiar to Li Ran.
"Damn it, you're a thief again, let's see how you run away this time!"
The jackal licked his lips and looked at Li Ran's eyes becoming more and more bloodthirsty. The four jackals took out their throwing knives one after another——
I want to die! I want to die! I want to die!
Thinking of the monotonous scene of mining without sleep for a month, Li Ran covered his forehead in pain.
The shouts of death behind me are getting closer and closer...
The jackal's throwing knife is in hand...
One side of the road is a hillside and the other side is a cliff...
There is no way to retreat! There is no way to hide!
Like a drowning man grabbing straws on the river surface, Li Ran instinctively raised the fireworks launcher he had just obtained.
He pulled the trigger!
Fireworks shot out in a whoosh——
The huge magic ball condensed under the Jackal's feet, trembling, and a violent explosion followed!
However, the magical energy did not cause any harm.
Jackal: "?"
Only one extremely gorgeous firework was released.
Damn it! Li Ran is ready to die...
However, the next second, in Li Ran's shocked eyes, the explosion of the fireworks had a huge impact!
The impact knocked all four gnolls away and fell straight into the cliff on one side!
"Wori——ah~~~"
A miserable echo came from the valley.
Li Ran opened his mouth wide, deeply shocked by the effect of the fireworks launcher.
As the description says, the products of master treasure maker Havez are famous for their bizarreness.
Others are trying to make fireworks more beautiful, but Havertz has enhanced the impact of fireworks!
Such an engineering product is probably not as destructive as a farmer's pitchfork, and high-energy magic balls do no harm.
But it takes its control capabilities to the extreme.
With the secret treasure of the Sphinx, Li Ran was able to return to Graystone Town safely.
...
That day, while Li Ran was digging, he looked at the magic bomb on the ground and suddenly had a bold idea.
Is the black dragon in Crown City true?
Maybe it really does have a dragon's hoard, but it never managed to escape? So it can't be cashed in?
But even if it were true, who could get a black dragon out of the fortress in a majestic manner?
Absolutely impossible.
But Li Ran asked himself, as an independent player, he did not have the money-making ability of a consortium, the resource support of a top guild, and he did not have the luck to draw powerful talents and find hidden mission rings.
Although you have worked hard enough, what can you do to stand out in such a shitty fate?
A "hidden mission" made public, a well-known "dragon of fraud".
Li Ran suddenly saw hope in this black dragon.
It is the hope that can be seen but cannot be grasped like weeds in the wind in the dark future.
But if there is an opportunity to change his destiny, even if there is only one in a thousand chances of success, Li Ran will give it a try.
From that day on, Li Ran stopped going to the mines, and there was a strange player in the Iron Crown Fortress who was immersed in investigating the city's structure, defense system, and military depot distribution all day long.