Elf Kingdom: Game of the World Tree-Chapter 350 - 333: The Fourth Internal Test Arrives

Chosen City, in a luxurious, dreamy manor.

Little Xian Miao lay idly on a custom-made wooden recliner, leisurely swinging her legs while browsing the video net in the game’s web system, pondering which movie to watch today...

Since summer vacation started and no one was around to supervise her at home, she spent all her time in the game except for meals.

She was almost like a useless cat now.

After so many days, her level reached 40, becoming the second player to reach max level besides Boxed Lunch.

Of course, unlike Boxed Lunch, whose entire body seemed made of energy, Little Xian Miao quickly leveled up by spending contribution points, essentially hiring other players to farm shadow instances in the Underworld with her. She dealt the final blows, reaping all the experience.

Having money was just so indulgent.

There were also rumors that this famous "real estate tycoon" in "Elf Kingdom" had already earned back all her contribution points by selling houses in Chosen City...

Spending money was nothing special, but being able to earn while spending was remarkable.

After reaching the max level and replacing all her equipment with the best Black Iron Middle Rank golden legendary set from the exchange mall, Little Xian Miao became even more of a couch potato.

*Ah, the advancement of a tycoon was so easy and mundane.*

Now, the only things that could pique her interest were the main story quests and hidden plots whose release times were unknown, along with various entertainment activities regularly held by players in the game and interactions with Elf NPCs.

"Sigh... I wonder how long Mairrel will keep sleeping on the World Tree. Without it, things have gotten quite dull, and flying in the sky for fun is out of the question."

Casually selecting a movie, Little Xian Miao gazed in the direction of the World Tree, sighing softly.

Just at that moment, the communication sound in her chat bar suddenly beeped.

Resting one hand under her chin and stirring a cup of homemade milk tea with the other, Little Xian Miao listlessly opened the chat interface.

Upon seeing the message in the guild chat group, she instantly perked up, jumping off the recliner:

"What? Another test? This time there are fifty thousand slots?"

"Tsk tsk... It’s going to get lively now. Ever since the map expanded, Chosen City has felt less crowded except during bonfire parties. Hmm, I wonder what new storyline the version update will add this time..."

Eagerly, Little Xian Miao opened the official website interface, eagerly looking at the newly released version update and the announcement of the fourth non-wipe beta test, feeling very excited.

Suddenly remembering something, she slapped her thigh, stood up immediately, and muttered to herself:

"That’s right! I need to discuss the expansion of the city district with Sister Gugu! When new players arrive, the houses in Chosen City surely won’t be enough. Proper planning will lead to a considerable amount of contribution points!"

After saying this, she drank her milk tea in one go, calling out to the cuckoo bird as she excitedly dashed out of her manor:

"Sister Gugu! Big business is coming!"

...

Southwest of the Elf Forest, amidst a dense forest.

Several tall figures encircled a massive triceratops, attacking it while maneuvering around.

The triceratops was already stained with blood, and its speed was becoming increasingly sluggish.

Suddenly, one agile figure blinked on top of the triceratops.

It was Boxed Lunch.

The short blade in his hand gleamed as he performed the move "Chain Stab"...

Accompanied by a wail, the triceratops was pierced in the neck, blood gushing out, as it slowly collapsed...

"Awesome! Captain, your assassination speed is getting faster! This was a defense-type Silver Lower demon beast!"

Gazing at the fallen triceratops, Hu Lu, who was in charge of support, looked excited.

Boxed Lunch nodded slightly and said,

"It’s not dead yet. Finish it."

Hu Lu was slightly stunned, then grinned with joy:

"Thanks, boss!"

The final hit could take the most experience, and Boxed Lunch was already level 40, but Hu Lu was not yet max level.

Clearly, Boxed Lunch was letting Hu Lu have the experience.

Happily finishing off the triceratops, Hu Lu did not maximize the experience gain, leaving the creature’s body.

According to merchants in Fengye City, the leather of this type of triceratops was very suitable for making armor and could sell for a good price.

Additionally, players discovered that the meat of this demon beast was quite delicious, whether for personal consumption or selling to other players, both were good options.

Converting everything into experience points would be too wasteful.

After killing the triceratops, four team members swarmed in, starting to dissect the body with tools and stored it in a collectively exchanged storage ring.

Meanwhile, Boxed Lunch stood quietly to the side, checking the mini-map.

Their purpose for this outing was not only hunting demon beasts but also finding the ruins on the western edge of the Elf Forest.

The group quickly packed away the spoils, each member quite satisfied.

"Captain, where do we go next?"

The taunting T in the team, the Elf Warrior known as "Optimist," asked.

Boxed Lunch slightly frowned and shook his head: freewёbnoνel.com

"Stop exploring. We’re heading back."

"Stop exploring?"

The group was stunned.

Boxed Lunch nodded and said,

"Check the official website."

The players quickly opened the Elf Kingdom’s official website through the system network and saw the bold updated announcement.

"The fourth beta test is coming... and this time, the maintenance will last an entire day!"

Glancing at the official announcement, Hu Lu suddenly realized.

He understood why Boxed Lunch suggested stopping the exploration.

Based on previous game updates, players discovered that the time in "Elf Kingdom" wouldn’t pause during updates.

Even during maintenance, the game’s time continued to flow.

If it took ten minutes for updates, forty minutes passed in the game.

Supposedly, this was due to the game’s engine being different from other virtual online games...

Another theory suggested that the officials designed it this way to create a truly alternate world, allowing players to subconsciously ignore the fact that this was a game...

In any case, while a ten-minute maintenance was manageable, a whole day’s maintenance made staying in the wild very risky for Boxed Lunch and his team.

System maintenance for a whole day meant they couldn’t log in for four days in-game.

Usually, during remote explorations, they would take turns logging off for rest, ensuring at least one person could "stand guard," but this time, that wasn’t possible.

"Let’s head back for now. After all, the mini-map is recorded, and the storage ring is nearly full. Rest up, and after the update, we can return with our demon beasts for exploration."

Optimist sighed regretfully.

The other team members nodded in agreement.

...

Fengye Territory, in a small border town.

A dozen or so hooded figures stood in a hidden small house.

Facing a statue of a holy Goddess, they prayed devoutly.

Peeking through the gaps in their hoods, one could see their delicate, pale skin and occasionally their pointed ears.

They were all elves.

A black-haired, black-eyed male elf stood at the back of the crowd, also wearing a hood.

He watched as Selena Jifeng preached to the others at the front, while scribbling with pen and paper.

However, no elf would be able to understand what he wrote.

They comprised strange little square characters, neatly arranged, with a mystical beauty.

He was Li Mu, who followed Selena back to the Oak Hand organization.

Lately, Li Mu acted as Selena’s assistant, participating in the rescue work for elf slaves and engaging in the missionary work of the Nature Church, actively moving around the Fengye City area.

At this moment, he reviewed the notes he had taken during this time, deep in thought:

*"It turns out players can convert NPCs to become followers of the Goddess by preaching..."*

*"Only the Goddess’s followers have a chance to gain the ability to issue daily quests, although most are ordinary white task NPCs..."*

*"Players receive contribution points and experience rewards for successful conversion, with rewards increasing with the target’s piety..."*

*"Moreover, if the task NPC converted by preaching has a high affection for the player, there is a much higher chance of receiving better quests from the target..."*

*"The targets for conversion aren’t limited to elves; they can also include Half-Elves, and there have been successful conversions among humans..."*

*"However, the best conversion results still lie with elves, followed by Half-Elves. As for humans... although there have been successful conversions, they involved human NPCs who were already part of the Oak Hand organization or who had no faith or were only superficial believers of other deities..."*

*"In summary, preaching... could also be an alternative leveling method!"*

*"Of course, for now, the rewards from preaching are still smaller than from instances or hunting monsters, much less than main quests or hidden plots..."*

Li Mu breathed a sigh of relief.

Forfeiting a hidden plot, he finally gained some insight.

Not only did he discover new gameplay involving preaching within the game, but he also recorded a wealth of new map information.

He planned to compile some of these experiences with the Oak Hand and create a video for online upload to earn some extra cash.

As he set down the paper and pen, he noticed a message from Demacia popping up in the chat bar.

Curiously, Li Mu clicked it, and Demacia’s highly recognizable loud voice immediately echoed:

"Brother Mu! Brother Mu! Check the official website! The fourth beta test is coming! This time they’re adding a full fifty thousand new players! Shouldn’t we take this opportunity to expand our guild’s strength?"

A new beta test?

Li Mu was slightly surprised.

He quickly opened the official website and indeed saw the new announcement.

*"Fifty thousand new players joining at once... Looks like future battlefield quests will become even livelier!"*

Reading the announcement, Li Mu’s emotions were also quite stirred...

The new test and version—what new gameplay would they introduce?

*He was very much looking forward to it.*

Demacia’s voice message hadn’t ended.

Li Mu opened the next one, and Demacia’s smug voice continued:

"Also... I think we should bring Amway Trading Company into our guild... These NPCs’ money is way too easy to earn! Let’s all make money together!"

Li Mu: ...

*Isn’t it because your pyramid scheme needed more manpower?* he silently retorted.

Demacia’s thriving trade activities in Fengye City had become well known across the server.

Closing off the chat bar, Li Mu’s desire to return home became even more pressing:

*"I’ve been away from the Elf Forest for so long; it’s time to return."*

*"Little Xian Miao is already level 40, and I’m still only level 34. I’ve fallen too far behind."*

*"With this version update, it’s time to say goodbye to Oak Hand and return to Chosen City."*

Taking a deep breath, Li Mu lifted his head, gazing out the window.

The golden sun hung high in the sky, its warm rays bathing him comfortably.

Occasional birdsong added to the cheerful atmosphere.

*"Spring is here..."* he murmured.

——————

End of Volume Three