Chapter Eight: The Legendary Robbery

Chen Hao pressed on, seeking out solitary Opium Fiends for duels. In no time, he had defeated ten of them. As the tenth Opium Fiend fell, he received a system notification: "Player Chen Baxian, congratulations on reaching level 1. Your rank has been promoted to Corporal."

When Chen Hao first entered the game, his rank was Private. Upon reaching level 1, it changed to Corporal. As he continued to level up, his rank would rise accordingly: at level 4, he would become a Sergeant; at level 7, a Staff Sergeant; and upon reaching level 10, he would attain the rank of Second Lieutenant.

Once a player becomes a Second Lieutenant, they may command their own NPC subordinates. A Second Lieutenant is entitled to have ten subordinates, including a bodyguard.

The relationship between subordinates and players is akin to that of employer and employee; they serve the player for a salary, but cannot assist in leveling up. Bodyguards, however, not only protect the player but also share experience points, granting the player a share of the experience earned from killing monsters.

After level 10, a player can only advance in rank every ten levels: Lieutenant at 20, Captain at 30, Major at 40. Upon reaching the rank of Lieutenant, a player can have two bodyguards; as a Captain, three; as a Major, four; and as a Lieutenant Colonel, five. Until a player acquires a base of operations, a Second Lieutenant at level 10 can only recruit ten subordinates, a Lieutenant at level 20 twenty, a Captain at level 30 thirty, and so on.

If a player establishes a base, they may hire as many NPCs as they can afford to pay, though the number of bodyguards remains restricted. Even a full General at level 90 can have no more than nine personal bodyguards to assist with leveling, regardless of their status.

Player ranks are honorary and serve chiefly to permit the hiring of NPCs and qualify for positions in NPC armies. For instance, a player who is only a Lieutenant at level 20, no matter how favored by a top-tier NPC, can at most become a company commander. If a player diligently levels up and attains the rank of Major General, with the right opportunities they might even become a division commander in an NPC army.

While different NPC armies have varying requirements for ranks, the positions available at each rank do not differ greatly. Thus, though attribute points stop increasing after level 50, players still strive to level up for the sake of higher ranks. Only by establishing their own base and army can players escape rank restrictions and command their forces as they see fit.

There are many ways to gain experience in the game: participating in political events or leading troops in battle both yield experience points. Early on, however, players cannot participate in political events and, lacking rank and troops, most choose to fight monsters alone.

Chen Hao allocated his attribute points to individual combat solely to speed up his leveling, for the system awards three points of prestige to the first player to reach level 10. Prestige is vital for those who aspire to become leaders; aside from the one point gained per level before level 50, extra prestige can only be earned through major events in the game.

Becoming the first Second Lieutenant at level 10 is considered a major event, hence the system's reward of three prestige points. With his special melee skill "Bloody Frenzy" and his decision to allocate all free attribute points to fighting, Chen Hao's goal was to be the first Second Lieutenant. Prestige is exceptionally difficult to obtain in the game, as opportunities to participate in major events are rare; thus, three extra points is no small prize.

To enhance realism and prevent players from focusing solely on monster hunting, the game features a frustratingly low drop rate for currency. Chen Hao had slain ten Opium Fiends and gained a level, but had only collected two copper coins in total—barely enough for two-fifths of a steamed bun, or four points of satiety.

Despite his formidable fighting skill of 26, battling ten Opium Fiends took him over twenty minutes and consumed considerable stamina. He began with a satiety of 99, but by now it had dropped to 93—a loss of six points. This meant his energy expenditure exceeded his gains; if he continued like this, he would soon have to worry about his daily bread.

Given the critical importance of every minor attribute in War, Chen Hao believed few players dared to allocate all their free attribute points to combat as he had. With 26 points in fighting right from level 0, he was undoubtedly a top-tier solo fighter in the early game. Yet even he found that the coins he earned weren't enough to replenish his satiety. Other players were surely faring no better.

Though his losses outweighed his gains, Chen Hao wasn't ready to start earning money just yet—not at least until he completed the task of killing twenty Opium Fiends. Because of his abnormal combat attribute and his aversion to showing off, he sought out secluded corners for his hunts.

Some Opium Fiends lay sunbathing, while others roamed around, attacking players on sight. Due to Chen Hao's superior fighting skill, most of these fiends would flee when outmatched, forcing him to expend much of his stamina on chasing them down—a necessary but taxing endeavor.

Upon reaching the edge of a field, he spotted an unusual Opium Fiend. This one sat there, eyes closed, puffing clouds of smoke from an opium lamp and pipe. Chen Hao was delighted; such special monsters were exceedingly rare, and they were easy prey when caught in the act of smoking—often dropping valuable items like the pipe itself.

Creeping silently along the field's edge, Chen Hao approached the Opium Fiend, who was entirely absorbed in his reverie and unaware of the danger. Once beside him, Chen Hao raised his wooden club high and brought it down hard.

The Opium Fiend cried out in pain, but still lost in his opium dreams, made no attempt to flee. Chen Hao showed no mercy, raining blows upon the fiend until he crumpled to the ground.

A pleasant chime sounded. The Opium Fiend’s pipe slipped from his hand, and another item—a blackish lump of paste—also dropped to the ground.

Item Name: Simple Opium Pipe
Item Description: Used for smoking opium
Item Attributes: None

Item Name: Fortune and Longevity Paste
Item Description: Low-grade opium
Item Attributes: If ignited, this item may attract nearby Opium Fiends and cause them to become agitated.

In addition to these two special items, the Opium Fiend had dropped four copper coins—truly, those who could afford to smoke opium were far wealthier. In War, nothing is useless; a simple opium pipe and a lump of opium could be sold for some coins—enough to buy bread and restore lost satiety.

For now, Chen Hao had no intention of selling the pipe. The opium's ability to attract Opium Fiends sparked an idea. With his fighting stat at 26, he could handle several Opium Fiends at once. His slow leveling was mainly due to their tendency to flee. If he used the opium in the pipe to lure them in, wouldn't his leveling speed increase dramatically?

Just as Chen Hao was planning where to carry out his scheme, a voice called out behind him: "Brother, you’ve got some luck! Stumbled upon a special monster and scored an opium pipe. How about you let me appraise it for you?"

Chen Hao turned to see three players approaching. Their leader, with slanted eyes, looked anything but trustworthy. It was clear that his offer to "appraise" the pipe was a thinly veiled excuse: the three intended to rob him.

In the game, the chances of encountering special monsters were vanishingly small. Lucky players who did were often rewarded with rare items, like the opium-smoking fiend Chen Hao had just defeated.

The trio had been in the game for most of the day and, knowing this mechanic, had been hunting for special monsters. Whenever they found a weaker player benefitting from such a kill, they would swoop in to steal the loot.

They had just arrived at the field’s edge in time to see Chen Hao pick up the opium and pipe. Given the game's satiety system and abysmal drop rates, survival was hard enough. If they could snatch the opium and pipe, it would be enough to keep them sated for a day—naturally, they were tempted.

Chen Hao eyed the pipe for a long moment, feigning confusion. "Thanks for your offer, big brother, but I can see the attributes of this pipe for myself. It’s not an unidentified item, so there’s no need for appraisal."

A burly player behind the leader spoke gruffly: "Cut the act, kid. Hand over the opium and pipe like a good boy. We’re all fighters with over 10 points in combat. Give them up and we’ll help you level up."

"So that’s what you want—my pipe and opium!" Chen Hao exclaimed in mock realization. "You could have just said so instead of talking about appraisal."

The leader twirled his club and said, "You’re a smart kid. Hand over the goods, and we’ll help you level up."

If Chen Hao were killed by the three, he would have a 50% chance of dropping items held in his hands and a 30% chance for items in his satchel. The three eyed the pipe and opium greedily. Now that Chen Hao had stowed both items in his satchel, they bothered to negotiate, hoping to secure the loot with certainty.

Chen Hao sneered inwardly but put on an aggrieved face. "I earned these myself. Why should I hand them over to you? That’s just bullying!"

The leader glanced at his companions and laughed. "See how naive this kid is? Why do you think he should hand them over?"

The burly one flexed his biceps. "Kid, we’re all fighters with more than 10 points in combat. If you don’t hand them over, you’ll end up dead. Isn’t that simple enough?"

"And what if you can’t beat me?" Chen Hao persisted, still feigning ignorance. "What then?"

All three burst into laughter. They were already level 3, and the burly player boasted 18 points in combat—more than enough to bully other players. They had made a habit of hunting players who had found special monsters, and no one had ever withstood their attacks.

Chen Hao’s club came down hard on the leader’s head. The laughter stopped abruptly as the leader tried to block with his own club—but it snapped in two with a sharp crack. Though the leader was the head of the trio, he only had 12 points in combat. By now, Chen Hao, having reached level 1, had 27 points—breaking the flimsy club in a single blow was no surprise.