Chapter 20

The life in the game world isn't something that comes with a strong wind. Like cutting leeks, it needs time to grow between each batch...

Of course, the ban wasn't there from the beginning. It was only after some overly aggressive players wiped out several game world NPCs, leading to the extinction of the native inhabitants and completely ruining the worlds, that the ban was implemented.

It's not a complete ban either. There are fixed daily quotas. If you go under, it doesn't accumulate; if you exceed, your account gets suspended. A little over, and you're suspended for a few days; a lot over, and you're suspended for a few years; even more, and you're deleted outright.

As for how Dugu Fu managed to exceed the kill limit in "Mount & Blade," it's so simple it's not even worth mentioning.

"Bro, I was wrong! I was wrong!" "Mount & Blade" finally realized that the person in front of him wasn't from the Shadow Clan.

The Shadow Clan shouldn't know these high-level secrets that even he didn't know.

It couldn't be the Resistance either. If the NPCs were this powerful, what would the players do?

So it could only be... "Mount & Blade" recalled the initial words and changed his expression like turning a page. "Bro, bro, bro, it turns out we're on the same side. No fight, no acquaintance, no fight, no acquaintance!"

Dugu Fu ignored him completely. "Who said we're on the same side?"

The more Dugu Fu ignored him, the more "Mount & Blade" was convinced of Dugu Fu's identity.

He kept chatting, and somehow even imagined Dugu Fu as a special agent from the Secret Manual Bureau.

This bureau really existed, belonging to the Data Special Forces, responsible for collecting powerful skills from various worlds to enhance the military's experts.

Although civilians couldn't access it, they occasionally heard rumors about it.

Thinking this way, Dugu Fu's appearance here made perfect sense.

He must have come for the "Half-Step Collapse." If he had almost ruined Dugu Fu's plans, wouldn't Dugu Fu be anxious?

"Mount & Blade" didn't realize that the answer he thought he had come up with on his own was actually hinted at by Dugu Fu...

Thinking about the "Half-Step Collapse," "Mount & Blade" had already thrown it to the back of his mind.

A member of the Secret Manual Bureau, that's like the gatekeeper of the Shaolin Temple's scripture hall. If he could get on good terms with him, what secret manual couldn't he get? Why bother with the mediocre masters of the Republic era? The Immortal World, the Magic Realm, the DC Universe—what isn't a million times better than this?

"Mount & Blade" was fired up with enthusiasm. The more Dugu Fu ignored him, the more he tried to chat, apologizing and making amends.

While纠缠 (entangling), the two crossed the Xiao River and arrived on the opposite bank.

On the opposite bank, in the woods, were the three horses and various supplies that Dugu Fu had shipped over in advance.

Mounting the horses, Dugu Fu led the bound "Mount & Blade" on the road, tidying up the supplies as he went. "Damn, it's really inconvenient. No bags, everything has to be carried on you, even skills have to be practiced yourself!"

"Mount & Blade" knew how to read the situation. Otherwise, he wouldn't have become the implicit leader of the group, manipulating others at will.

"Bro, I have, I have! I can carry them for you." He wriggled on the horse.

Dugu Fu gave him a cold look.

"Mount & Blade" started sweating. "No, no, I'll buy these things. Bro, how much do you want?"

"I have three small gold bars and a few hundred silver dollars..."

Dugu Fu's expression softened slightly.

This is the first time, I finally see a glimmer of hope! "Mount & Blade" was moved to tears. "Oh, right, right, there are other good things too, Kung Fu Fruits, player's golden wound medicine..."

He rummaged through his bag. "Damn, I got a shiny gold four-slot bag a few days ago, but the skinny guy rolled it away. But I can try to get it back, all for you, no, to trade with you!"

Dugu Fu's eyes flickered, but his expression remained unchanged. "Do you really deeply understand your mistake?"

"I understand! I understand!" "Mount & Blade" nodded repeatedly, wriggling like a worm on the horse.

"Alright, I'll forgive you this time and won't get your account suspended. But you have to help me..."

"Bro, say it, say it, anything!"

"I don't want your money, nor your bag..." Dugu Fu tightened the reins, pulling "Mount & Blade" to his level.

Suddenly, he leaned over, wrapped his left arm around "Mount & Blade's" ribs, raised his right arm over his head, and with a swift chop, struck "Mount & Blade" on the head, leaving a purple mark and a scream. "Ah! Bro, what are you doing?" he asked with panda eyes.

"What? Practicing, of course." Dugu Fu calmly retracted his hand, having just used a move from the Xingyi Wuxing.

"Practicing, practicing?" "Mount & Blade" was stunned.

"Exactly." Dugu Fu nodded. "I don't worry about money; if I want it, I can get as much as I want. What I worry about is practicing. The NPC skill system is a real hassle!"

"If you want to help me, be my punching bag." He said seriously, "You know, practicing on a real person gives much more experience than practicing alone."

"Players are better than NPCs because they recover health very quickly. Set your character to meditate and automatically recover, and take half health potions automatically, then log out and do whatever you want."

"Mount & Blade" was taken aback, thought about it, and realized it made perfect sense. "Alright, alright, Bro, you practice, I'll go take a nap. I stayed up all night and can't hold on anymore. I'll log back in when I wake up to keep you company."

"Go ahead, go ahead."

Thus, Dugu Fu rode one horse, dragged three horses, and an extra human punching bag, and started moving through the forest.

What he said was true; there was no better punching bag than an AFK player!

Players can earn experience by completing tasks and infuse it into skill levels to improve their techniques, but NPCs can only practice on their own.

Practicing empty-handed or hitting a wooden dummy gives at least half the experience, and hitting a wooden dummy gives half the experience of hitting a live person.

An AFK player is like an experience sandbag. Having fooled "Mount & Blade," Dugu Fu couldn't wait to start practicing.

He not only practiced the Xingyi Wuxing—split, collapse, drill, cannon, and cross—but also practiced riding and aiming.

The horse's movement and the changing distance made it challenging to hit the target accurately, but if he could do it, his Xingyi Wuxing would be ready for combat.

However, the human punching bag wasn't his true goal.

What was his true goal?

Of course, it was to buy time until "Mount & Blade's" red mark disappeared, completely getting rid of this nuisance...

Using the human punching bag for practice was just a side benefit, a form of resource utilization.

Incidentally giving Gu Xingxing and the others time to escape... that was a splash benefit, not intentional, really!