"Why not take advantage of the felix felicis potion's effect while it's still active and strike while the iron is hot by inserting the arrows?"
This thought had barely surfaced in Zhou Ning's mind before he rejected it. He wanted this item for self-preservation, not for suicide. What if he really died?
Looking at his travel currency, he could still do one more ten-pull. Zhou Ning didn't plan to save it, so he decisively clicked for another ten-pull.
[You have obtained a rare item: Einstein's Manuscript on Relativity.]
[You have obtained a rare item: Playboy Magazine, Inaugural Issue of 1953.]
[You have obtained a rare item: Vampire Zhou Ning's Nobel Prize Trophy.]
…Zhou Ning couldn't help but feel a bit speechless. This round of ten-pulls yielded three rare items, breaking historical records, but they were no different from junk; not a single useful one.
This felix felicis potion was indeed completely unreliable.
Five ten-pulls resulted in a total of 14 rifles and 17 pistols. Zhou Ning stacked the guns into his suitcase while checking his recent gains.
Earlier, a hidden quest was uncovered during the third ten-pull. After accepting it, a prompt appeared on the panel:
Hidden Quest: (Triggerable under special circumstances)
[Famous Gun Collector]: As a collector, you are especially fond of collecting famous guns. Achieve the feat of collecting 5 famous guns in both the simulated and real worlds. (2/5)
Quest Hint: A truly famous gun is not about its firepower or range, but its historical value. Go for it, collector!
Reward: Random Firearm X1
Collector Zhou Ning: …This quest is very simple, and the reward is also very ordinary. Zhou Ning didn't plan to specifically pursue it; it could be automatically completed by just continuing to draw.
He glanced at the other two hidden quests. The reading progress for [literary life] was at 2327, conservatively estimated to require two more simulated worlds. The simulation progress for [a better tomorrow] was currently 2/3, and with good luck, it could be completed in the next simulated world.
"It's a long and arduous journey!" Zhou Ning couldn't help but sigh.
After packing all the firearms into the box, Zhou Ning carried the box and hurried out the door, heading to the Xilin Grocery Store… The horse-drawn public carriage slowly traveled along the muddy, dirty road.
This stretch of road leading to the Xilin Grocery Store was already in the old district, and in recent days, the number of vagrants had been gradually increasing. Outside the carriage window, they could be seen everywhere, moving in groups through the streets.
"Perhaps this is the consequence of Charles VI's assassination," Zhou Ning thought with a heavy heart, muttering to himself.
Currently, Blystone had a set of poor laws originating from the Farick Kingdom: magistrates had the authority to manage poor relief on a parish basis, levy poor rates, and issue poor relief funds. Those who were old and unable to work received relief at home; impoverished children were fostered in designated homes and, upon reaching a certain age, were sent to apprenticeships; vagrants were imprisoned or sent to workhouses.
This was originally quite good, but as the economy gradually declined, increasing impoverishment led to a rise in Blystone's financial expenditure for poor relief. The poor laws gradually became a dead letter, and the current situation was a natural consequence.
This was also what made the game "Apocalypse" special.
Unlike other games, the "Apocalypse" AI never interfered with the course of history but coldly and precisely controlled the operation and evolution of the game world according to its programming and data.
Sometimes, it even made it hard to distinguish between the game and reality.
Zhou Ning withdrew his gaze from the window and immersed himself in the game forum.
He had been extremely busy these past two days and hadn't had time to lurk. The forum's popularity had grown to a level Zhou Ning found a bit incomprehensible; registered users had reached 30 million, and it was worth noting that the game had only just finished its closed beta.
Clicking into the discussion area, Zhou Ning indeed saw the recently released fourth episode of the series in the pinned posts. However, he didn't click on it immediately but rather curiously clicked on another hot pinned post.
The post's title was eye-catching: "Apocalypse NPC Strength Analysis Post."
It was posted over an hour ago by a closed beta player named Grantham.
He was randomly born in the religiously fervent Sifarik Kingdom and witnessed the Earth Temple Knights punishing heretics on the day of his birth.
In a video he posted, an armored knight could be seen engulfed in golden-yellow flames, raising a spear and thrusting it forward at a heretic. The spear tip even emitted a golden-yellow spear glow, which looked very cool.
"This armored knight is called Emlin, the Spear of Sanction. His profession is a Temple Knight, also one of the main professions. There are dozens of knights of similar strength in the Mother Earth Church, and above them are even stronger bishops, cardinal bishops, and the Pope. Although Wayne Strowell might indeed be the protagonist, he should be a growth-type protagonist and is definitely not strong at the moment. He doesn't even have an advantage compared to Emlin. I wonder if you've noticed, Wayne's opponents in several battles have been a bit weak, and his achievements are greatly inflated and unconvincing."
"The only two powerful opponents, Holwig and Elvis, were only defeated with Sherlock's assistance. Without mentioning anything else, if he were to truly fight a mage like Elvis head-on, I dare to bet that the protagonist would lose nine times out of ten."
Grantham then went on to extensively analyze many of Zhou Ning's shortcomings, concluding that there were many strong individuals in "Apocalypse," every profession was powerful, and one should choose a profession carefully, not blindly following popular figures.
Zhou Ning narrowed his eyes. Frankly, what he said was not wrong; at least it was much more professional than XB. He certainly wasn't strong right now.
But his biggest mistake was using Elvis as an example. Based on his understanding of the dog-brained AI during this time, the fourth episode of the series would most likely include his battle with Elvis.
Looking at the replies, some agreed, but more were flaming him. Zhou Ning's fans were mostly young women, very experienced in online battles. Grantham initially responded a few times, but then became enraged by the insults.
For a time, it was incredibly lively, like a large-scale online fight.
Zhou Ning's mouth twitched slightly. He didn't continue browsing the post but clicked on the pinned series and watched it.
As soon as he clicked it open, a flurry of bullet comments floated out like snowflakes.
"Fourth rewatch."
"High-energy throughout, no dull moments."
"@Grantham, what do you think of this video?"
"God knows how many times I've watched this video."
So, without even watching, Zhou Ning knew that he was most likely the protagonist of this video again.
Unlike the previous series, which often lasted over an hour, this episode was not long, only about 40 minutes.
The video first began with a dilapidated house with a garden. The scene then flashed indoors, where a group of black-robed figures were discussing a plan next to a deep red altar.
From their conversation, the audience learned that the Curse God Cult was collaborating with two other factions to advance a grand plan called "The Coming of the Divine Kingdom." The assassination of Charles VI was only a part of the plan.
To ensure the smooth progress of the plan, several individuals had to be eliminated, and Wayne Strowell, who had thwarted their plans several times before, became a target to be killed or recruited.
Zhou Ning: …What does this mean? Do they really think I'm easy to bully?
He paused the video and dragged the progress bar back to the beginning.
He saw a dilapidated house with a garden, a blue roof, typical of a Blystone middle-class style. Not far away was a river, which could either be the Seton River flowing southeast through the city or a canal in Daklan City.
It would definitely not be difficult to find by taking a carriage and checking along the river.