Dark Sand: My Players Are All Actors
Chapter 163 - 158 Where is my stirrup?

Chapter 163: Chapter 158 Where is my stirrup?

p.m.

Zhao Haiping entered the game world of "Dark Sand" eagerly.

After a period of hard struggles, the instance "Nobility was never my intention" had finally concluded.

Although players would continue to challenge the instance and the movie’s popularity would keep spreading, for these hardcore players, the task of expelling invaders was nearly finished.

The next primary objective was to prepare for the new instance "Heroes of the Grasslands" that would open in seven days.

On that stage, the pitiful strength of the Eastern Barbarian invaders didn’t stand a chance.

In the new version’s update, the upgrades related to the Return Order Citadel were already listed.

Many new craftsmen and weapons were unlocked; players could also continue to build and develop the Return Order Citadel.

However, for top-tier players like Zhao Haiping, their current goal was undoubtedly only one thing.

That was to clear the Cavalry-exclusive instance!

From infantry to cavalry, there would be a huge leap in combat power.

Moreover, everyone guessed that the next instance would be related to Emperor Taizu of Sheng, so there might be content involving battles against the Northern Barbarian cavalry.

In the gameplay of Return Order Expedition, players had already experienced the ferocity of the Northern Barbarian cavalry.

Although Zhao Haiping could also fight the Northern Barbarian cavalry with a saber, it was ultimately too error-prone; he had to rely on significantly superior combat skills to stand a chance at winning.

What if Zhao Haiping could also charge on horseback?

Perhaps it would be much easier.

Therefore, Zhao Haiping didn’t rush to explore the new changes in the Return Order Citadel and fief; instead, he focused all his energy on clearing the Cavalry instance.

Historically, horsemanship was standard for all military generals.

Or conversely, except for very few exceptional cases, those who were not skilled in horsemanship didn’t deserve to be generals.

So, which historical period would the Cavalry instance in "Illusion Realm" of "Dark Sand" be based on?

Zhao Haiping couldn’t help but feel a little excited.

...

In the Return Order Space, at a location corresponding to the original four Trial Illusions, a brand-new Trial Illusion appeared.

There were some differences in color and form to differentiate between the base identity and auxiliary identity Trial Illusions.

[Cavalry Trial: Pluck at Will]

Seeing this title, Zhao Haiping was momentarily stunned.

Pluck at will...

It seemed a bit mismatched compared to previous names.

Previous titles such as "Assassinate the King," "Establish Order for the People," "Achieve Merit Single-handedly," and "Enforce Justice on Heaven’s Behalf" seemed quite imposing and also gave a rough idea of the instance’s main content.

But "Pluck at Will"...

Literally, it just meant taking something from a bag, used metaphorically to describe a very simple task.

However, as is well known, this phrase has a fixed usage.

It’s generally used by remarkable individuals who have completed incredibly difficult tasks to boast.

It could spell big trouble if used carelessly by ordinary people.

Not worthy.

Zhao Haiping couldn’t help making some wild associations, but soon he shook his head, thinking that after all, it was just a trial instance; it shouldn’t be that twisted.

The role I need to take is just an ordinary cavalryman; surely they won’t expect me to meet the standards of ancient cold weapon warfare’s personal combat ceiling, right?

That would be insanely cruel.

Zhao Haiping stepped towards the entrance of the Illusion Realm and then disappeared.

...

After passing through the entrance, Zhao Haiping found himself on a battlefield of an outdoor skirmish.

The wild grass was withered and yellow; the autumn wind was biting.

Judging by the situation of the battlefield, it seemed to be a major battle.

However, at this moment, the Illusion Realm’s time-space was clearly in a frozen state and hadn’t yet started to operate.

In front of Zhao Haiping, three talent skill cards appeared.

[Xin·Keen Observation (Gold): Your observational and memory skills are enhanced.]

[Xin·Overbearing (Gold): You emit an aura of oppression making enemies more likely to fear you.]

[Xin·Mountain of Corpses and Sea of Blood (Gold): Battling amidst a mountain of corpses and sea of blood, you are more likely to unleash your potential in extreme situations, and when injured, you can somewhat ignore the pain and unleash great strength.]

There was also a line of small text below.

[In auxiliary identity Trial Illusions, permanent fixed talent slots and identity-specific talent skills are unavailable; talent skills related to horsemanship including "Skilled in Archery and Riding," "Expert Horsemanship," etc., will not appear.]

The three golden cards flashed simultaneously, nearly blinding Zhao Haiping’s eyes.

Too extravagant!

He had only enjoyed such treatment when participating in the ultimate trial.

Is this an ordinary trial instance, and they’re actually offering three pieces of gold?

Zhao Haiping was well aware of his own luck; he knew it wasn’t because he was lucky but because the game mechanics made it so.

In this instance, he guessed that all the talent skills that could be acquired were Xin level gold talents.

Was that good news... perhaps?

Zhao Haiping was quite skeptical.

If one thought simply, having all selectable talents as Xin level gold would definitely enhance the players’ strength, and clearing the level should be easier.

But from another perspective, the designer’s generosity in providing all gold talents could mean that the instance was extremely difficult—could it be impossible to clear without gold talents?

Then he read the smaller print instructions.

It was reasonable that permanent fixed talent slots and identity-specific talents were unusable.

The talents of soldiers and Ranger players in this instance should be quite useful; one could enhance their combat power in an encircled state, and another could allow smoother escape, which would otherwise be unfair across different professions.

Thus, not using identity-specific talent skills was logical.

As for removing all talents related to horsemanship from the skill library, that seemed fair too.

If there was a gold talent like "Skilled Equestrian," players would master top-tier horsemanship skills directly—what would be the point of the trial then?

Thus, excluding these horsemanship-related talents justified the trial’s existence.

Zhao Haiping scanned the three talent skills.

He had seen them before, but now he was looking at their upgraded versions.

After pondering for a moment, Zhao Haiping chose "Sea of Blood on the Mountain of Corpses."

Might as well be bold and see!

The other two talents were also useful, one could enhance observance, and another could boost presence, but both talents needed specific conditions to be effective.

The versatility of "Sea of Blood on the Mountain of Corpses" was the strongest; it would always be useful on the battlefield.

After selecting the talent, the Trial Illusion officially began.

With the autumn wind howling, Zhao Haiping found himself standing atop a slope.

Flags fluttered, two armies were clashing; he could clearly distinguish friend from foe by their banners and armor.

Farthest away, he could see a crossing where his side’s troops were hurriedly setting up camp and fortifying their position though it looked somewhat rushed and not very robust.

The enemy had three large armies.

Two of the enemy armies had departed, seemingly in pursuit of other parts of his forces, leaving only one large army fiercely attacking the crossing.

Although it was just one army, their numbers were still far greater than all of his troops combined.

However, since this army was engaged in battle, their formation was not very organized.

Zhao Haiping stood on the slope, estimating the distance between the two armies to be less than ten kilometers.

"Which battle is this? I have no idea...

"Looks like my history studies weren’t extensive enough.

"There aren’t clear win conditions given, but since it’s a battlefield, it’s probably about winning this battle."

Zhao Haiping hadn’t had time to think further when he heard the Deputy General beside him say, "General Qin, the enemy’s formation is disorganized, now is the perfect time to lead a charge! Please give the order!"

Zhao Haiping nodded, "Alright, follow me to attack!"

Although he was unclear about the specifics of the instance, since he had chosen the ’Sea of Blood on the Mountain of Corpses’ talent, being bold for a bit was definitely okay.

Zhao Haiping looked at his warhorse beside him.

The horse was exceptionally large and robust, tiger-like in stature with a body as red as fire; the part of its head above the nose slightly protruded outward, somewhat resembling the mythical appearance of a Qilin sprouting horns.

No need for further explanation, seeing its stature and features, it was clear this was no ordinary warhorse.

Zhao Haiping couldn’t help but comment.

"The game designers did quite well! A cavalry instance, looks like the external conditions were all maximized.

"The talent was gold talent, and the mount clearly was a famous steed.

"Wait, given this horse’s features, could it be the legendary ’Chi Ji’?"

’Chi Ji’ was a famous horse long before the Yan Dynasty, later becoming a synonym for excellent steeds due to its owner, the Divine General, Qin Kaiyun.

However...

Zhao Haiping didn’t have time to think further, as the soldiers around him were ready to charge, and it seemed inappropriate for him as the main general to continue dithering.

He prepared to mount the horse.

But as he approached the horse, he felt something was slightly off.

"Wait a minute...

"Where are my stirrups!"