Dark Sand: My Players Are All Actors
Chapter 216 - 188: The Special Conductor_2

Chapter 216: Chapter 188: The Special Conductor_2

Zhao Haiping and his companions were a bit bewildered.

"What’s going on?"

"This process is different from the previous Trial Illusion we cleared, isn’t it?"

"In the latest official update from ’Dark Sand’, it was mentioned that there is no longer an ultimate trial in the new instance. After clearing the Trial Illusion, you go directly to the ’Return Order Expedition.’ Could it be..."

"Are we about to start a national war?"

The four harbored this guess, but they couldn’t imagine how a national war would start, nor were they mentally prepared for it.

In the previous instance, when they cleared the ultimate trial, the castle of the Return Order appeared out of nowhere and merged naturally with the entire historical slice.

But this time, there was no sign of the Return Order’s castle.

It felt as though they were surrounded by powerful demons within this historical slice.

Although they knew it was just a game and they would most likely clear it eventually, they couldn’t help feeling uneasy.

...

They didn’t know that other players were already seeing system prompts.

[A player team has successfully cleared the trial!]

[The Return Order Expedition gameplay has been unlocked. Do you wish to accept the summons immediately, enter the historical slice, and fight alongside other Return Order members against the demons?]

Upon seeing this prompt, Li Hongyun stomped his foot in frustration.

His actions appeared even more comical given he was in a soul-spectating state.

"Damn it! They cleared it in less than three days! Could they be using cheats?

"Unfortunately, I was still one step behind..."

Li Hongyun had a reason to be upset.

After forming his team, he had volunteered to take on the least popular role of "beggar," but unexpectedly, this led to an incredibly easy clearance process.

He essentially did nothing except tend cattle for a landlord and then somehow joined the Rebel Army midway. The "beggar" role alone helped him clear the game.

Afterward, Li Hongyun was elated and overconfident, and he immediately checked on his teammates.

Unfortunately, his teammates were not having as smooth an experience.

Under the direction of Li Hongyun, the progress of the other members was actually hindered.

After all, what worked for a king might not suit others.

The methods of king-clearing generally don’t apply to everyone.

Therefore, in terms of team gameplay, he still lost to Chu Ge.

But, it was just a game anyway. There was no need for teammates to blame each other. Since the first clear had occurred, they might as well hurry and check the status of the Return Order Expedition.

Soon, the other players agreed one by one, their bodies transformed into streams of light and were transported to this unknown battlefield.

...

In the chaotic temporal torrents, Meng Yuan and Shen Shang watched as beams of light flashed past them, descending into the massive historical slice targeted.

After the number of beta test participants was increased last time, the number of players eligible to engage in the Return Order Expedition gameplay had also grown enormously, reaching nearly 60,000!

Now, he had thrust all these 60,000 people into that historical slice.

However, the castle of the Return Order just couldn’t fit in there.

Shen Shang’s face showed a hint of concern: "This strategy is somewhat risky.

"Although the usual decryption technique takes a long time, it’s relatively safer. The current method is quicker, but the risk of failure is also significantly higher."

Meng Yuan smiled faintly, "It’s just what we discussed earlier, I believe in the players.

"You know, among these 60,000, nearly ten thousand have already cleared the Cavalry Trial.

"So, I believe that the time to battle the major demon of this historical slice has arrived.

"If we delay further, we might need another week or two, or even longer. Speed is of the essence.

"After all... while the simulation trial allows splitting identities, to truly decrypt this historical slice, someone needs to play as Emperor Taizu of Sheng and solve all the puzzles at 100% pain sensitivity without fail...

"That’s too difficult.

"In that case, it might be better to bypass that rule and try a different approach."

Shen Shang nodded and said no more.

She had to admit, although Meng Yuan’s strategy was risky, the potential rewards were indeed very high.

This historical slice locked down the entire history of the Great Sheng Dynasty.

Breaching this historical slice meant that the Return Order could directly push forward the progress of the entire historical slice significantly, bypassing the phase of the continental sinking and moving directly to the older Qi Dynasty; it also meant that all major demons of this slice in the Great Sheng Dynasty’s history were eliminated, and handling the ordinary demons in other slices would be much easier.

In other words, the slice where Emperor Taizu of Sheng existed was like a military stronghold or a critical pass in a certain region.

Once conquered, whether advancing forward or cleaning up the surrounding remains would be much easier, with control held firmly in their own hands.

According to the original route, players should first be selected through the simulation trial, then let the players enter this historical slice to play and rectify, and finally proceed to the Return Order Expedition.

But this historical slice was different from others.

Because of the presence of Emperor Taizu of Sheng.

Emperor Taizu of Sheng was not like ordinary hero figures, but rather, could be seen as a pivotal character.

Some historically famous positive figures, like General Yuan Jing, naturally possess formidable righteousness, thus demons find them hard to manipulate.