Chapter 35: Version 1.2 Update

Chapter 35: Version 1.2 Update

Dizhong Village, Primordial Altar.

Qi Sheng stood before the Containment Crystal Barrier wall, his gaze sweeping across the imprisoned Primordial Monsters.

Just that morning, the containment grid had gained a new resident.

Within the numbered cells 1-12, Gargoyle (Petrification), Hawk-Headed Demon (Vengeful Howl), Black-Scaled Serpent (Venom), Bonefire (Inkfire), Malevolent Fury, Shattered, Sweeping, Soul-Stealing, Nether Phantom, Tauntweaver, Duskmare (Shadowed), and Lumenshield were securely held.

Most of these Primordial Monsters were named after their innate abilities.

The twelfth cell contained Lumenshield, a cloud-like creature with a mere Hunting Rank of 3. A solo player had stumbled upon it while exploring the Crimson Plains. Lumenshield’s defining trait was its ability to generate extendable energy shields using Mental Energy, defending against all attack types.

After its containment, Lumenshield’s Life Soul sparked widespread testing. Forum users hailed it as an ideal choice for ranged Stellar Vein builds.

The combined form of Hawk-Headed Demon and Bonefire excelled at long-range attacks and sustained damage but lacked survival mechanisms. Neither the Hawk-Headed Demon nor Bonefire possessed defensive or melee capabilities, putting them at a significant disadvantage compared to Life Souls like Black-Scaled Serpent or Gargoyle at equal ranks.

Lumenshield’s introduction delighted players who had chosen the Hawk-Headed Demon as their starting form, as its shielding abilities promised to compensate for their defensive shortcomings.

Yet Qi Sheng’s primary concern remained Sacrificial Power gains.

Of the twelve contained Primordial Monsters, eleven were first-generation specimens, each generating 10 Sacrificial Power hourly (2640 daily). The twelfth, Tauntweaver, was a second-generation Primordial producing 50 hourly (1200 daily). Total daily output stabilized at 3840.

Factoring in player contributions—subtracting 10 Flesh Reconstruction points per death—each player averaged 3 Sacrificial Power daily through store commissions, sacrifice commissions, and hunting commissions. This yielded over 30,000 daily, funding thirty recruitment slots.

As players grew stronger, their increased Sacrificial Power output would accelerate recruitment, creating a positive feedback loop.

After compiling these figures, Qi Sheng initiated an update to the Challenger System.

Analyzing player feedback, he identified four key adjustments:

“Guide, commence update.”

The hovering Guide Water Orb responded by morphing into an arm and giving a solemn salute.

【∠(°ゝ°) Understood. Beginning update.】

A jet-black vortex materialized before the orb, swallowing it whole.

Minutes later, a system-wide announcement reverberated in players’ minds:

【Challenge Prompt: Version 1.2 update initiating. Changes include:】

1. Group Experience Sharing Mode

- Party members split Evolution Points and Sacrificial Power rewards based on damage contribution. Final blows no longer grant full rewards.

2. Enhanced Chat Channels

- Added sub-regional chat channels, displayed by location in chat interfaces.

- Implemented keyword filtering within chat channels.

3. Guild System

- Spend 100 Sacrificial Power at Dizhong Village’s new Guild Hall to create a guild. Future updates will introduce guild-exclusive content (guild chat unlocked upon creation).

4. Exploration Rewards

- Clearing fog from maps grants Sacrificial Power.

5. Leaderboards

- Accessible via Function Panel. Categories include:

- Monster Level Rankings

- Player Stellar Vein Ranks

- Player Body Forge Ranks

- Stellar Vein Composite Scores (based on Life Soul strengths)

- Armed Vehicles (Unlocked)

- Guild Levels (Unlocked)

(This update applies live without interrupting gameplay.)

The announcement ignited player forums.

Game Bricklayer: “Finally, group experience sharing! The old ‘last-hit-only’ system was terrible. Completing kills got you roasted in parties—we had to rotate last hits just to stay civil.”

Shelledheart: “Shared experience and damage tracking will eliminate those last-hit bandits. Our team was ready to camp spawn points to hunt thieves—glad the devs fixed this major issue.”

Beaver? (Ni Helima): “Team players rejoice! Guilds and shared experience were exactly what we needed. Finally time to unite!”

The update completed seconds after the prompt.

Leaderboards immediately drew attention. Among six categories (excluding locked ones), top rankings became hot topics:

- Monster Level: Li Zheng, the first player to enter the game, topped with his Black-Scaled Serpent at Level 19.

- Stellar Vein & Body Forge Ranks: Ironforged, pioneer of the Spiritforged Weapon build, achieved Level 5 in both, enabling five Life Soul implants and full attribute inheritance.

- Stellar Vein Composite Scores: Starving to Eat Soil’s Bonefire and Hawk-Headed Demon both reached Level 14, earning him the highest score.

Ironforged’s five Life Souls averaged Level 5 due to shared Evolution Points from humanoid combat, placing him below Starving to Eat Soil.

An hour later, players flooded Dizhong Village, spending 100 Sacrificial Power to form guilds: Foodie Criminal Syndicate, Kindergarten, Doomsday Tech… Guild channels provided persistent communication beyond regional chat restrictions, fostering teams and eliminating spam.

Player feedback overflowed with praise.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end