Chapter 2399: Round and Bright
This was a jackpot—that was the thought in every player's mind who had entered.
The group of young heirs clearly looked down on these small items, so the others could take them freely without worrying about anyone snatching them away. With so many good things available and the players being of comparable strength, there was no need to fight; they could just split everything evenly.
The young heirs had other goals. They paid no attention to how fanatical the other players who followed them in were about the items in the castle, silently watching them loot everything in sight.
However, the situation wasn't as good as the players had imagined. The items in the castle weren't unlimited. Take the gems and Subclass Stones on the floor and ceiling, for example—ordinary tools couldn't cut them off at all. They seemed to be one with the castle, and not only could they not be removed, it was even difficult to leave a mark on them.
"Could the entire castle be an Instance Dungeon venue?" a player speculated.
Many players thought the same, including Xu Huo. Of course, it wasn't just Instance Dungeon venues that could be this sturdy; it could also be a Location Item or something else. But the result was the same—the benefits players could gain were greatly reduced.
"The vase can be picked up," another player discovered while feeling around other items. Vases, some hanging paintings, and a few small decorative ornaments weren't connected to the castle. Some of them were items, while most were just artworks. Still, some players found them worthwhile, so they took everything they could carry.
During this time, the young heirs occasionally glanced at them, their expressions inevitably carrying contempt and mockery. However, their long-established upbringing and manners prevented them from making any comments about this behavior.
Many people noticed this, but even more were used to it.
"Getting rich isn't something to be ashamed of, is it? Besides, this is the rule of the Fish Feast—ownerless items go to whoever finds them," the fat player urged Xu Huo and the others to grab things too. "Don't think these artworks aren't items. Maybe when you take them outside, they'll turn out to be masterpieces by some district's artisan, and someone would be willing to pay a high price for them!"
Xu Huo certainly wasn't idle. He strolled through the hall, skimming over everything. For now, the players hadn't ventured deeper into the castle, and he had come across two items, though they weren't very useful in practice. For example, a vase with some preservation properties, and a decorative round disk smoother than a mirror that could be used to tidy one's appearance. Such items were useless to players but very popular among ordinary people.
The Painting Woman picked up the disk to fix her hair, then tugged at Xu Huo's sleeve in surprise.
Xu Huo looked and saw that her reflection had been recorded on the disk, like a photograph, lingering for several seconds before disappearing.
"This disk even has a photo function. Not bad, not bad. It'll definitely be a hit outside," the fat player said as he walked over.
"Why not just use a Communicator or a camera?" a female player turned back and asked. "Those are clearer and easier to record."
"You wouldn't understand this. Ordinary people and players chase different things," the fat player pointed at the disk. "Even a disk with no real function is still crafted by an Artificer. The cost is there, and things like this are rare. Rarity makes them valuable. Plenty of people are willing to pay a high price just to show off that they have a player backing them."
Having traveled through various districts for a long time, players understood the plight of ordinary people better than anyone. Having witnessed the cruelty of the game toward them, many players could still empathize with the efforts ordinary people made to survive better.
The female player fell silent, but another player walking over from the other side said, "This kind of behavior is just plugging one's ears while stealing a bell—fooling oneself. When real danger comes, what use are these decorations?"
"Why are they useless?" The fat player picked up the disk and punched it upward. The disk didn't deform. He raised it and said, "Not to mention anything else, it could even stop a bullet."
The two weren't on the same wavelength. The other player had nothing more to say but didn't deny that these items could fetch high prices in the ordinary people's market.
"You're all capable players. If you look down on these little things, just give them all to me. I'll take anything!" the fat player said with a grin.
The two who had spoken earlier just smiled and walked away.
The fat player returned the disk to the Painting Woman and lowered his voice. "There's no harm in taking advantage of a good deal. A few tens of thousands of White Notes is enough to support an ordinary family for a year."
Xu Huo silently watched the Painting Woman accept the disk.
Compared to ordinary people, players seemed to be in a much better position. The enhanced strength brought by evolution allowed them a certain degree of freedom and power. But if this ability—and the freedom and power it brought—could be cut off at any time, then what happened in District 017 could happen anywhere at any time. This meant that no matter how hard a player tried, even if they became part of the top tier, they could never shake off this shadow.
The current order of the game had already been established. The game's constraints on players might not be that strong, and it wouldn't forcibly shut down a district's combat power. But being unable to do something and not doing it were two different things. If one day players and the game stood on opposite sides, this order could be destroyed at any moment.
"Do you want this disk?" The Painting Woman seemed to notice his bad mood and turned back to ask him.
"You keep it. It's fine as a mirror," Xu Huo said.
"Alright." The young heirs over there finished a cup of tea before standing up to address the crowd. "We're ready to head deeper into the castle."
The players had no objections. Someone tried to probe and ask what they were looking for inside. The man with the gem earrings smiled and said, "That's none of your business. You can take anything you want, and we won't interfere. When we take something, you have no right to interfere either."
A few players exchanged glances and then smiled in agreement.
The young heirs, of course, didn't really expect these players to protect them. Without saying more, they headed straight into the depths of the castle. The players, worried about being used as cannon fodder, were very cautious along the way. But in fact, from the first floor to the third, they encountered no danger at all. Instead, they picked up quite a few things along the way.
"What exactly are they looking for in here?" someone muttered privately. The group of young heirs didn't seem to be on a simple adventure. They were clearly searching for something specific. These people dismissed all the other items in the castle and came from wealthy backgrounds. Whatever they were coming in groups to find had to be extraordinary.
Some players were tempted.
The peaceful atmosphere was soon broken. It started when a player accidentally triggered a hidden door in a room. As they entered, whether intentionally or not, they brought one of the nearby young heirs along with them. Immediately after, the hidden door closed, and even using items couldn't force it open. Everyone quickly scattered to look for the mechanism.
"Stay calm." The old man surnamed Ma reminded the younger ones he was with, signaling them to be on guard. He then walked up to the hidden door and took out a palm-sized round device. As the blades retracted inside popped out, the device cut through the hidden door like a knife through tofu, creating an opening.