novelraw #219 - Section 219
#219 - Section 219
It's still a 10:1 time ratio, with training time even longer than the real world.
Many soldiers, after their physical attributes slow down in growth, have moved their training and combat online, honing their combat skills and awareness here.
Although it's still called "Dimensional Survival," this internal version is fundamentally different from the game ordinary people enter; it would be more aptly named a war simulator.
In one stimulating and realistic battle after another, Little Joey is growing rapidly.
Originally, she was a level 16 traditional academy-style mage, just touching the edge of the fourth tier.
But after using the Follower's Necklace, with the changes in talent and physical attributes, she possesses many specialties of an Orc shaman.
And as her level increases, she has comprehended the skills of war songs and war dances, and also possesses decent close combat abilities.
So, now she is level 20, much like a near-legendary bard, knowing a little bit of everything...
And everything she knows is quite powerful.
In the past, the more singular a professional's attributes, the stronger they would be, like the Night Empress, a purely output-oriented mage.
A bard who can engage in melee combat, has spellcasting abilities, and also needs skills in performance and singing, would seem like a jack-of-all-trades on the surface, but actually proficient in nothing.
In short, they were underwhelming.
Of course, legendary-level bards often have unique skills, making them terrifying existences.
But now, with "Dimensional Survival," even the normal version allows continuous combat that realistically feeds back into one's memory and soul, bringing improvements in skills and specialties.
Moreover, the internal version completely simulates a real combat environment and offers ten times the time, allowing a bard's rich skills to be honed over time.
In addition, Little Joey's own talent is not bad, and the Empire can now mass-produce auxiliary potions to enhance growth speed, such as meditation enhancement plugins, attribute affinity potions, and inspiration potions, elevating the level advancement of professionals throughout the Empire to a new height.
Although the Empire's initial intention in promoting industrialization was to arm everyone and involve ordinary people in the fight against the gods,
professionals ultimately became the first beneficiaries.
These auxiliary potions that improve cultivation efficiency and effect have little impact on ordinary people, but because professionals have money, those entrepreneurial mages love to produce these goods.
And the competition is very fierce.
Because the level, equipment, and combat power of professionals are improved, their ability to earn money naturally increases as well.
Whether it's exploring ruins, hunting large magical beasts, completing mage's employment, or participating in cross-dimensional wars, games that were previously only for the strong can now be participated in by ordinary professionals, naturally leading to a surge in income.
These newly rich professionals, understanding the benefits of arming themselves, are naturally more willing to spend money on such equipment and props.
Thus, an unprecedentedly prosperous industry has formed.
"Auxiliary potions" are the first manufacturing industry in the Empire to experience involution.
In the past, there were already many kinds of these potions and magical rituals, but the collection of materials and manufacturing were troublesome.
But now, as "New Arcana" publishes increasingly profound magical principles, modification and material substitution have become simpler, and the improvement in manufacturing precision allows materials to be processed in batches and produced on assembly lines, making mass production possible.
Currently, Life Oracles is the biggest winner in this field, occupying more than 70% of the market with the best effects and a wide variety.
Since professionals are not short of money, effect has become their pursuit, and they are increasingly insensitive to price.
Life Oracles, which possesses the most cutting-edge theories, naturally stands out, and a large number of people can accept even the high price.
The remaining 30% of the market is occupied by high-end service providers that can customize auxiliary potions according to the professional's physique.
This is something that Life Oracles' lack of personnel is too lazy to earn, which gives several master-level entrepreneurial brands a way to survive.
Those mages who were eliminated by the Empire have no choice but to go to Terra to develop overseas markets, using knockoffs to highlight the high-end nature of Life Oracles...
Everyone thinks it's frustrating!
In the Fearless Space.
"I have to go to work; I'll come back another day to beat you."
"...Shameless woman, go ahead."
Roger is currently in the Sea Country's palace, bored while waiting for the victory celebration to end.
He and Little Joey just spent ten hours in the game, each leading five thousand cavalry, in a chase-and-escape melee across an exceptionally vast grassland.
In cavalry battles, the two are now evenly matched, and he thought they would continue to compete in patience, but Little Joey used her personal strength to play assassin, forcing Roger to cast a Dream Shield in place, and then took the opportunity to charge his cavalry, which had lost its command, thereby establishing the victory.
Little Joey's avatar went gray, and Roger was about to harass Rommel to see if he was free to fight when he suddenly noticed that Little Joey's avatar lit up again.
"Lord Roger, I need to go find you there immediately; I have very urgent intelligence," she said with a serious expression.
Her uneasy twitching fox ears indicated that modifying the equipment list was actually just an excuse for her to meet him.
Chapter 196: Do You Think I Don't Look at Chat Logs?
Having been a deputy commander for so long, facing countless complex scenes, Little Joey's emotional control ability has become superb.
But when facing someone she cares about, her fluctuating thoughts will still reveal her mood in the details.
Roger saw that this girl was playing tricks, but he was actually a little bored here, so he cleared his throat: "In that case, in order not to delay the Empire's important affairs, come over."
He directly reported the coordinates of this palace to Little Joey.
At this moment, the Sea Country's palace, and even the entire capital, was filled with a joyful atmosphere.
Since the Naga Empire launched this battle, the Sea Country has been retreating steadily, all the way back to Black Shark Fortress, and there will be no danger to defend after that, which can be described as an unprecedented moment of crisis.
The mermaid Sea Emperor had packed his luggage, and if the situation changed, he would immediately retreat to the deep sea to form a government in exile.
As a result, Prince Shark stood up at this time, organized a partial army to directly force Cromwell to death, and drove the Naga expeditionary force back hundreds of miles.
Suddenly, the siege of Black Shark Fortress was lifted, and the Sea Country felt that it was working again.
Although this battle has not really ended, the atmosphere within the Sea Country is finally not so desperate.
Those pink bunnies that brought them great fear were also captured after their energy was exhausted, and the Sea Country's mages are dismantling and researching them.
Even if they cannot be copied, by controlling this batch of equipment, the Sea Country can also form its own Thunder Retribution Corps, which can be regarded as adding a trump card to the fortress garrison.
Magic crystal mines are not a problem; this thing is very abundant on the seabed, and the operation of the Thunder Reapers is simple enough, after all, they are just agricultural machinery.
And the most focused figure in this celebration is none other than Prince Shark.
Participating in the war for the first time, he brought a great victory to the Sea Country, and he is also the Sea Country's legitimate heir, and the Queen's lineage, which has been silent for too long, can finally raise its eyebrows and promote its own prince.
The most interesting thing is that the Fourth Prince Dole's side previously promoted titles such as "God of War," but retreated steadily in the face of Cromwell, but now Shark has won in one battle.
This comparison is very interesting.
Although it was only one battle, and it was not directly said that supporting the prince was the rhythm of victory, people with ulterior motives were often heard talking about this on the streets and alleys.
Especially taking advantage of the gap in the war, the Sea Emperor summoned Shark back to the capital for an award. He rode a majestic white seahorse into the city, followed by black people carrying a transparent coffin with Cromwell's frozen body.
The Naga Marshal's majestic appearance was just like when he was alive, greatly highlighting Shark's bravery, and won cheers from all the people along the way.
After that, Shark's approval rating increased by at least twenty percentage points.
And in the entire victory propaganda, the Azure Vine Empire was not mentioned at all. Originally, the Empire's support was only known to the upper class.
There is no need to let the Sea Country's people know that the real key to their victory in the seabed hegemony lies in the land people...
Shark returned to the capital, and Roger and Margaret staying on the front line was useless. Anyway, it looked like the Naga would not be able to fight for the time being, so they prepared to return to the capital to join in the fun.
The mermaid's etiquette was too lengthy and cumbersome. Originally, they thought there would be performance programs such as sea lions juggling balls and seals tumbling, or those sea monster beauties with great figures from the sea clan performing something that was not usually allowed to be seen.
As a result, they just worshiped the mermaid's wise and martial ancestors, and also invited people to play the ancestors and reward Shark.
Roger and Margaret were so sleepy.
Margaret decided to go outside the city to observe the Sea Country's people's livelihood, and Roger chose to stay in the palace and be a salted fish, playing games with Little Joey and waiting to return to the front line.
Roger didn't wait long before the space in front of him twisted, and Little Joey teleported directly in front of him.
"Lord!" The girl took the initiative to hug his neck, sat on his lap, and then kissed him on the face.
Roger had been in the Sea Country supervising the battle for no more than a week, but from the girl's perspective, it had been as long as a dozen springs and autumns.
"Haven't you gotten fat?" Roger scratched her face.
Little Joey pressed her whole body against him and said in a fit of pique: "So what if I'm fat? I'll crush you to death, crush you to death. Isn't it because you left me alone, and as a result, I have much less exercise every day."
"I suspect this exercise of yours is not proper."
"Whether it's proper or not depends on your intentions, Lord..."
The two kissed and hugged, and dawdled for a long time before they slightly relieved their longing for each other.
When Roger was about to bring this little fox to justice on the spot, she suddenly slipped out like a swimming fish.
"Lord, this subordinate has important news to report to you."
Little Joey had a smug look on her face, and although her own face was also very red, she deliberately looked at Roger with disgust, with an expression that she wouldn't let you eat her.
What bad intentions does the little fox have?
"It seems that the bard's melee skills are still useful. This dodge skill has improved a lot... The perfume also has a very good taste!" Roger marveled, sniffing his fingers, as if the fragrance of her body still lingered on them.
"Do you like Dream No. 9, the latest research and development of Life Oracles, Lord?"
Little Joey's hand slid across her collarbone, as if she was talking about perfume, but actually attracting someone's gaze to fall involuntarily on that proud snowy mountain.
She blinked her left eye slightly, looking charming and cute.
"Tell me the news!" Roger glared at her fiercely.
Unconsciously, her skin has become thicker than his, and she has begun to take the opportunity to tease him.
"When the military was handing over, it was discovered that the Chapter of Equilibrium had disposed of a batch of equipment under the guise of an experimental explosion, but we did not find any records related to the explosion. We suspect that the Secret Law Society has been infiltrated."
Little Joey stated her news, "The destructive power of that batch of weapons is above legendary spells. If it falls out, it will be a huge threat to the Empire's security. The Night Watch is urgently investigating, and I want to borrow your Eternal Night Token to order the Chapter of Equilibrium to cooperate with us."
Previously, Roger gave the Eternal Night Token to Little Joey to use, but later he needed to act in many places, so he took it with him.
Now Little Joey's investigation has been blocked outside the Chapter of Equilibrium, and she must use this token, which has the same authority as the Eternal Night Empress.
Running to the Sea Country in person for this matter is completely within the procedure.
It's just that she could have ordered someone else to do it completely, instead of using this opportunity for a secret tryst.
After Roger heard her say this, he immediately understood what batch of weapons she was talking about, and couldn't help laughing: "It's that batch of mushroom bombs. The Night Watch performed well, noticing it so quickly... But you don't have to worry; Frankenstein sold it to the Naga; you don't have to worry."
Little Joey showed all kinds of doubts and a very shocked expression, as well as a little entanglement.
We are in the Empire and have found out that the clouds and mountains are covered, but you are clearly in the seabed, but you know it as if you were on the scene?
The Minister of Industry personally engaged in illegal operations, and the Commander of the Night Watch knew it clearly. Is this a distortion of human nature or a decline in morality?
Behind this, it is obvious that it is collusion. The person in front of me is the umbrella of the illegal organization!
Little Joey thought of a completely impossible direction, but showed a serious expression and scolded: "So you are colluding to sell out the Empire's interests!"
Roger saw that she was acting and became interested. He approached Little Joey fiercely: "You shouldn't know these things."
"You...you don't come over!"
"It's too late. I'm very curious now. Will the righteous Night Watch beauty commander report me, or will she use her body to feed the tiger and persuade me to turn over a new leaf?"
"I choose three. If I can't beat you, I'll join you, and everyone will get rich together!" Little Joey snorted softly, threw herself into Roger's arms, raised her small face, and asked, "Lord, you knew it a long time ago, right?"
Roger nodded. Frankenstein was confused at that time and sold the prohibited weapons to Nicole, but he could also see the updated equipment list on the anti-Azure Vine Alliance's public screen.
At that time, Roger didn't speak, and later he didn't mention not letting Frankenstein sell them or anything.
So Frankenstein thought that Roger didn't know or didn't care, and prepared to play along and sell the things first, giving Lydia a surprise.
What if you have more biochemical fish swarms? Aren't they just some carbon-based life? I'll just nuke the ground directly. How many more can your fish swarms be?
Little Joey pondered this matter and was a little angry: "Then you didn't tell me. Lord, I've been in the Sea Country, and I've always been concerned about your safety."
"You should have more confidence in me."
"Confidence is confidence, but I'm still worried."
"Are you complaining about me?"
"Yes, complaining, very complaining. You must tell me the whole truth to coax me!"
Little Joey clung to Roger's arm, acting a bit spoiled, hoping he would satisfy her curiosity.
It seemed as if a weight had been lifted, and the atmosphere between them became much lighter.
Previously, Little Joey had discovered that there was a mole within the Chapter of Disharmony who had sold weapons of mass destruction to foreign countries. She was very worried that it would cause unsolvable problems for the Empire and would also threaten the safety of Roger and Margaret on the front lines.