Chapter 68: Insidious Plans So the dinner ended up being a disaster; they had to throw away the burnt food and resort to ordering takeout so their mother wouldn’t discover Xiaxia’s culinary mishap and scold her for it.
Later that night, Xin was deeply engrossed in research and planning.
He delved into information about the Seven Wonders of Eternia, specifically focusing on the easiest one among them: The Castle of Doom.
Ironically, it was difficult to find any information about it. The guilds likely guarded any knowledge they had regarding it, understandably wanting to maintain an advantage.
From what he managed to gather, this dungeon required at least a thousand players with levels in the hundreds or above to attempt it. Yet, most guilds consisted of around five hundred players or fewer, even the top ones.
This complexity was due to the challenges of managing such a large group of players, with some members coming and going. Additionally, there was the issue of passing guild entrance tests, as nowadays, guilds prioritize quality over quantity.
Given these factors, guilds often opted for collaboration when tackling dungeons, teaming up with other guilds for the venture. They also resorted to hiring mercenaries and enlisting temporary players, usually top-tier players, to join their ranks for the purpose of dungeon clearing.
Dubbed "The Castle of Doom," this enigmatic structure functioned differently from the typical dungeon. It resembled more of a quest, offering a unique experience.
The main objective was to survive for seven days while defending the castle against an unending onslaught of undead.
Entrants were cut off from the real world, with no access to bank features, communication, or guild resources aside from their individual inventories. Trading items from the outside world was also prohibited.
A few limited shops existed within the castle, providing basic necessities. However, the castle itself had only minimal defenses.
Operating in a separate dimension, time flowed differently within [The Castle of Doom]. Although it spanned seven days within the structure, it translated to merely seven hours in the real world.
The castle was entirely isolated from the rest of Eternia and the world. There were no cameras to pry of what was going on inside and outside.
This isolation was intentionally designed to prevent other guilds from gaining insight into the challenges, strategies, and internal workings of the castle’s inhabitants and the guilds who attempted it.
Fairness prevailed within this competitive environment, and Xin recognized it as a testament to the true nature of the challenge.
In Xin’s view, the Developers seemed to revel in tormenting players through their management of information dissemination. By imposing limitations on the exchange of insights, guilds were forced to invest considerable time and effort to decipher the puzzle and emerge as victors.
Another crucial aspect was that upon successful completion of the dungeon, it would vanish permanently. This impending disappearance spurred guilds into the intense competition to conquer it before another could.
Complicating matters further was the issue of varying timelines for different players and the need to factor in basic human needs.
One had to strategically navigate around these hurdles. The seven-hour gameplay duration didn’t mean players wouldn’t experience hunger or suddenly require a restroom break.
Immersed in his research, Xin delved into every scrap of information available about [The Castle of Doom].
It appeared that the longest duration any guild managed to hold on was four days, a collaborative effort between the formidable Brotherhood Legion and Shadowblade guilds, both occupying the top two positions on the leaderboard.
As Xin delved into his studies, he unraveled the challenging factors that rendered this dungeon so formidable.
The dearth of resources available for defending the castle against the relentless horde and the formidable enemy generals proved to be a major hurdle.
Adding to the complexity, the horde and enemy generals were entirely random and also progressively more powerful with each passing day.
An intriguing tidbit Xin discovered was that the strength of the enemies was scaled according to the levels of the participating players.
However, the twist was that this scaling increased by five levels each day.
While on the surface, it might have appeared advantageous that enemies were matched to the players’ levels, this actually posed a substantial problem –– the dungeon couldn’t be cleared through sheer brute force alone, as the escalating challenge required a more strategic approach.
Although information remained scant, Xin speculated about the possibility of NPCs aiding in the castle’s defense. If he intended to undertake this monumental task, he knew he required a wealth of information.
Switching gears, Xin conducted research into Tristan and Tiffany. Their presence was conspicuous throughout the news, primarily due to their highly publicized announcement of a grand wedding set within the game.
As Xin delved further into the matter, he discovered that weddings in Guildbane were no simple affairs –– they were competitions of grandeur. The more extravagant and splendid the ceremony, the better.
Moreover, there existed a tradition wherein the groom would bestow rare and valuable items upon the bride as a gesture of devotion.
Yet, a striking difference existed from real-world weddings: instead of the guests gifting the newlyweds, it was the bride and groom who offered presents to their attending guests.
This approach made perfect sense, as players wouldn’t attend a wedding event if they didn’t receive something in return.
Xin acquired details that Tristan and Tiffany’s grand wedding was set to take place in Palm Springs, a luxurious resort nestled in Sunken Shore.
A beach wedding seemed nice. Xin thought.
However, he knew that organizing weddings outside of conventional locations like churches often came with a hefty price tag, especially when involving the transportation of an NPC priests.
As night turned into morning, Xin remained entrenched in his research, gathering as much information as he could.
Eventually, fatigue caught up with him, and he drifted into sleep without logging into the game.
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The DEVELOPERs Distress
======================
"By the way, jog my memory and remind me why we settled on having just seven wonders. Doesn’t that seem a bit limited?"
"Well, it’s meant to create a sense of rarity, challenge, and uniqueness. They’re not your average dungeons –– they’re the Seven Wonders!"
"And having more wonders make it seem less exclusive and special."
"That does make sense. But why not go for something like ten wonders?"
"Double digits tend to imply abundance."
"What kind of logic is that?"
"Okay, how about nine?"
"It’s too close to ten."
"Eight then?"
"I have a personal vendetta against the number eight."
"Now you’re just being ridiculous."
"So we settled on seven."
"That’s your reasoning for choosing seven?!"
". . . Could we possibly introduce another wonder in the future if one of the existing ones gets cleared? Just to keep players on their toes."
"Absolutely not. If we start adding wonders every time once the original seven is cleared, players will quickly lose the incentive to challenge them. The sense of urgency and competition will diminish as they’ll anticipate more additions."
"That’s a valid point."
"And those seven wonders are designed to be incredibly challenging. They’re the pinnacle of our dungeon creations!"
". . . Can Lord Schrodinger conquer them?"
. . .
. . .
". . . It’s a possibility."
"Wait, you’re not suggesting . . ."
"We should definitely consider banning him from dungeons!"
"Yes! Let Lumina know about this."
"We’re already aware of that!"
"Don’t worry, everyone. Lord Schrodinger’s usual reliance on his infinite CHA to dominate NPCs might not serve him well in these Seven Wonders.
"Clearing these dungeons requires strategic thinking, clever tactics, and a fair share of luck. Up until now, Lord Schrodinger hasn’t exactly showcased masterful gameplay."
"You’re right. His strategic thinking is lacking. He’s always leaned on the NPCs to solve his problems."
Tempers simmered down momentarily until one voice broke the silence.
"But what if his excessive CHA led him to discover an extremely overpowered item that could actually help him clear the dungeon with ease?"
". . ."
Chaos erupted once again.
𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢 ====
A/N
====
(Doesn’t consume coins)
Still no Wi-fi and our provider doesn’t want to fix it apparently. I’m force to go to a café. Been here all day and my back and butt hurts. 😭
We’re contacting a different guy to change our wi-fi. Hopefully, it would be fix by tomorrow 🙏