Chapter 9

【Script completed, rewards are being settled.】

【Experience gained: 500, game coins: 0】

【Items/equipment obtained: None】

【Missions completed/accepted: 0/0】

【Special, hidden missions completed: 0, world view cracked: None】

【Shocking value spikes: 0 times, maximum shocking value: 0%, average shocking value: 0%】

【Your fear rating is 'Fearless,' no additional rewards for this mode.】

【Settlement completed, please proceed.】

Here, let me explain some of the settlement settings in the multiplayer mode of the Horror Park.

In the Horror Park, the number of monsters you personally kill does not affect the final experience points gained. All experience is settled after the script ends. Generally, as long as you do not significantly hinder the progress of the script or have a counterproductive effect, every survivor will receive the same amount of experience. The only exception is if a player performs so poorly that they are considered a "useless teammate," in which case the system will deduct some of their experience points during settlement.

This setting is to prevent "monster snatching" and "excessive output." Some players, to ensure they get the items and experience from a monster, will use exaggerated means to attack, such as using a rocket launcher to kill a dog, just to deal more damage faster than their teammates. This is not only a personal behavior but also a waste of team resources.

However, this setting seems to have created another issue: since the experience is the same, players who kill more monsters only waste survival points and stamina points, leading to a decrease in their motivation to fight. This is not the case, as players who fight frequently and skillfully will receive skill points as a reward, which will be explained later.

In the Horror Park, there is no concept of "loot drops." For example, when a mummy dies, it will not suddenly drop a knife, shield, or even a gun. If you want to get anything from it, it will be rotten bandages or shriveled muscles, and you will have to tear them off yourself. After tearing, the system will give you an item description, which can be as useless as a "rock."

To obtain equipment in this game, it is a very "interesting" process. Apart from solving puzzles to enter specific storage areas, most other non-mainline essential items, including equipment, must be found by the players. For example, a Spider-Man suit might be in a storefront window, which could be completely useless or a high-quality piece of equipment. Or, while wandering in a sewer, you might find a variety of weapons like dual swords, Emei daggers, nunchucks, and staffs...

In short, to obtain equipment in the script, you need intelligence, luck, and diligence. The first two cannot be forced, but the third is simply about spending more time searching. Of course, searching requires combat skills, and generally, the script will not give players a lot of free time to move around. Additionally, players need enough stamina to move around.

As for obtaining equipment outside of the script, there are currently no methods during the beta test phase, but when the public test begins and the exchange opens, players can buy items using game coins and skill points.

Game coins are self-explanatory and can be used to buy items from the in-game "store" or bid on items in the auction house, or for direct transactions with other players.

Skill points, however, are a rarer form of currency. Players cannot trade skill points with each other, and they are not circulated in the exchange. Skill points can only be used in one place—the "Scare Box." This is the name of the system's special store, and no one knows why it is named this way, perhaps because the system thinks players will be "scared" when they see the items inside.

In the Scare Box, skill points can buy two types of items: game coins, which can be exchanged at a 1:10 ratio, and items that cannot be taken out of the script, such as the "Blood Zombie Must Die" sword that Feng Jue received in the tutorial. This sword was clearly a plot item to help him defeat a blood zombie that he could not have defeated with his initial character strength. Therefore, the sword had no level or specialization restrictions and could not be taken out of the script.

Similar equipment, items, and skills do not disappear from the system's database after the script ends. Although players cannot take these items out, they are stored in a "recycling bin" called the Scare Box. These items are sold here and can only be purchased with skill points. Their attributes will also change, such as adjusted usage conditions, modified effects specific to certain scripts, and skill cards becoming permanent, though the learning conditions will be higher.

The Scare Box was not opened during the beta test because the "recycling bin" was still empty. With the public test starting, a large number of players will enter, so the system needs to accumulate a certain amount of inventory. Once the special store is officially opened, to control the total number of items and prevent browsing issues, items that remain unsold for seven days in real time will be permanently deleted by the system.

The beta test's level cap is 20, and as a queue-based script game, levels are not a significant advantage. Game coins can be purchased with real money in the future. Therefore, the biggest advantage for beta players when the public test starts is the accumulated skill points. The first batch of items in the Scare Box can only be purchased by players with skill points, giving them a priority selection right.

Speaking of this, the issue of active combat for skill points is easier to explain. Not everyone is good at solving puzzles, but everyone can participate in combat. The setting for skill points is that "any behavior that improves game efficiency will be rewarded with skill points." This can be seen in puzzle-solving, but it is even more common in combat, such as high-yield, low-loss kills, multi-kills, group kills, and special kills using environmental conditions...

For example, in Feng Jue's tutorial, if he had chosen to kick the door instead of finding the key, he would still have received skill points. The key is how he kicks it. Most people would face the door and kick it with their feet, as many characters in movies do. This is the most strenuous method, while side kicks or spinning kicks are much more efficient. If Feng Jue had used a more efficient method to kick the door, he would still have received skill points, though perhaps not as many as solving the puzzle, but around 10 points.

This is two different playstyles and growth paths. Players who enjoy reasoning can gain a large amount of skill points by solving puzzles and cracking the world view. Players who enjoy combat can also gain skill points by constantly improving their combat skills. In general, players who focus on combat tend to gain more skill points. Puzzle solvers, even if they have reasoned to the last step, will not receive any skill points if they do not crack the puzzle. Combat players, on the other hand, can accumulate skill points bit by bit.

However, no matter how you play, the most taboo behavior in this game is "stupid" actions. The various horror elements are designed to make people lose their cool and act impulsively, such as using a rocket launcher to kill a dog. In the Horror Park, the most reasonable combat method will yield the most benefits. Using a rocket launcher will only leave you with a pile of debris, but if you use a dog-beating stick, you can get a homemade fur and a pot of stew.

...

Feng Jue returned to the login space, looked at the settlement data, and when he opened the menu, he found that he had directly leveled up to level 4, with his stamina points increasing to 400/400, and his current experience was 0/400. It seems that the experience required for leveling up in this game is not exaggerated, at least for now, it increases by 100 points per level, consistent with the increase in stamina points. However, the official website does not provide specific data on the experience required for each level, and the guide writers have not mentioned this, so it cannot be ruled out that the experience required for higher levels will become increasingly exaggerated.

"Jue, I'm already at level 3! And I'm just 30 points away from level 4!" Wang Tan's voice came through the communication channel.

"I know." Feng Jue had already calculated Wang Tan's experience. The difference between them was merely the 30 skill points from the tutorial. "If we play another multiplayer training, we should both reach level 5. However, this mode is not very cost-effective. Once we reach level 5, we will naturally play the team survival mode, which is the core content of this game. But now we are severely lacking in equipment, not even basic equipment, and entering a team might drag others down..."

"Huh? Team? Drag others down? Who?" Wang Tan was puzzled.

"You really don't read the game instructions at all..." Feng Jue explained: "The number of players in the team survival mode is randomly between 2 to 6, and it is not directly entered when the script starts. Instead, it is entered through a queue. If we form a full team of six, it doesn't matter. But since we are a team of two, if we encounter a script that is not for two players, we will need to cooperate with others in 3, 4, 5, or 6-player scripts.

If our strength is too weak, we might die during the script, and even if others successfully complete it, we will only receive experience points based on our contributions before we die, and we won't get the settlement rewards after completion.

Moreover, in that mode, there is also the issue of loot distribution. Players who are not in a team will keep the equipment and skills they find. Unless it is something that cannot be taken out of the script and they cannot use, no one will easily share the equipment or skills they find.

People's mentality is such that even if they find something useless, which they can't sell in the exchange and can only earn a few dozen game coins from the system, they won't be willing to give it away for free. You have to give them something in return to make them feel they have gained something."

Wang Tan responded, "In short, if we don't improve our characters' strength now, it will be very difficult after level 5. If we don't have specialization levels, even if others want to give us their old equipment or useless skills as a favor, we can't use them."

Feng Jue said, "Understood. So, let's解散队伍，单人生存模式走起."

"说这么多就是准备甩了我单干啊喂！"

Feng Jue laughed and replied, "In the previous multiplayer training, we performed exceptionally well and received 500 experience points, which is more than expected. I think... this boss was not meant for us to kill, and the chances of completing the script with a kill are very low. Normally, escaping to complete the script would yield around 300 experience points.

Since we have leveled up faster than expected, it's best for us to each complete a single-player survival mode to reach level 5. After that, our strength should improve significantly, and we can unlock one or two specializations and obtain one or two pieces of equipment or skills."

"Alright, then let's do single-player for now. You can see my game status on your friend list, right?" Wang Tan asked.

"Sure, I can," Feng Jue replied. "Whoever completes first will wait for the other. If everything goes well, we should both complete and reach level 5 within an hour, and then we can try the legendary team survival mode..."