13
Chapter 13
[Pumopumo: Strategy Guide) Everyone, try and aim for a Hidden Piece.
I will explain briefly for anyone who does not know. Hidden Pieces refer to hidden elements in the game, meaning special equipment, skills, or classes that can be obtained by visiting specific locations or meeting certain conditions.
If this world has become the reality of the game, then things like Secret Dungeons or special rewards from the game might still exist, right?
I still remember a few, so for the sake of the guide, I will share the locations where Hidden Pieces appear.
Imperial Arena, Necromancer's Tomb, Skull Mountains, Gruaga Castle, Assassination Order Headquarters.
If you are nearby and confident in your combat power, give it a try.
I am writing this under orders from George. Direct your thanks to Sir George, not me.
He is the one working harder than anyone to clear this.
Let us all have a drink together once we can return to Earth!]
This is a post by Pumopumo, a User and member of George's Raid Party who lost their life fighting a Mid-tier Demon in the mine.
Those last words are unexpectedly touching.
Just in case, I should memorize those five locations.
The next post was written relatively recently.
[Rino Johnson: Never go to the Necromancer's Tomb.
Demons or Infected are not the problem.
Zombies? Undead? You know, those kinds of walking corpses. There are tons of them.
They keep getting back up unless you crush their heads; they are truly annoying.
Staying there for a while made me see things, and I felt my sanity slowly draining.
Even demons or Worshippers do not come here. It seems they avoid it too.
My life was too precious to risk for some mediocre Hidden Piece.
If you absolutely feel the need to go, take a blunt weapon.
It took over three days to get here, and it was a complete letdown. I need a break from exploring for a while.]
This one provides some useful information.
Zombies, hallucinations (probably ghosts), and draining sanity. It is exactly like the Necromancer's Tomb from the game.
I also know the reward for clearing that Secret Dungeon very well.
There is only one reason I have not forgotten the Necromancer's Tomb after all this time: I have a vivid memory associated with that dungeon.
It was ten years ago, back when I was a cute middle school student.
Back then, I had no interest in studying and spent most of my time hanging out with friends at amusement parks, eventually paying the price with a 50-point average on my final exams.
When I went home with my report card, my father brought out a flyswatter.
I was beaten like a fly. Even now, just thinking about it makes my limbs tremble.
Defeated by my father's merciless ban on going out, I had no choice but to shut myself in my room and turn on the computer.
The first thing I did was log into Survival as a Holy Knight. It was the only hope of my miserable childhood.
I spent the entire day playing the game to vent my anger, and I managed to clear the Necromancer's Tomb dungeon.
I sold the Hidden Piece I found on a trading site for a high price and used the money to order chicken and pizza.
The story of a man who found happiness after experiencing rage, sorrow, regret, and hatred...
No, thinking back, it was actually a totally trivial matter. Why do I even remember this?
Human memory is truly a mystery.
Anyway, the Hidden Piece from the Necromancer's Tomb is the Zombie Control skill.
It was poorly rated within the game. While it was a unique skill, it wasn't actually a good one.
It literally just allowed the user to turn a corpse into a zombie and control it for a short time, which wasn't very significant.
Its combat power was only slightly better than an average human; I tried using it as a tanker since they kept rising unless the head was crushed, but it was impossible because their durability was so low they would shatter from a single punch.
This useless skill was judged as trash and was used only for roleplay or fun. Until now, that is.
However, I believe I can use it in my own unique way.
Zombie Control is a skill that allows the remote control of corpses. The reason it was considered trash was that during combat, players were too busy moving their own bodies to manage a zombie as well.
Unless someone was exceptionally good at multitasking, it was a skill that was hard to use efficiently.
But what if I, who lacks a physical body, were to use it?
I could use this skill on nearby corpses to provide remote assistance!
Wow! What an amazing discovery!
Instead of just being stuck in a totem or clinging to a vassal to observe, I would be able to directly participate in battle and help.
Since it is not my own body, I would take zero damage. As long as the skull is protected, it can even rise again. It would be the perfect, worry-free meat shield.
Later, I can take a group of strong Barbarians and run a raid. Since there are no demons around, it is perfect.
I don't know what level the user Rino Johnson was, but I recall the dungeon wasn't so difficult that a high-level user couldn't clear it.
Let's try it once enough Barbarians have gathered.
***
Three days have passed since I sent the letter.
The Brown Rock Tribe sent a reply through Tuntun-i.
To summarize the content, they said they understood and told me to wait, as their tribe would come to visit Mallak in person.
They said they would arrive in two weeks... but I have nothing to do in the meantime.
Since I've exterminated the Infected living in the mountains, I can't earn any more points. I can't even go back to slacking off inside Paya's busy body like I did last time.
No matter how I look at it, I'm in a situation where I can't do anything productive until the Brown Rock Tribe arrives.
Ultimately, what I decided to do with the remaining time is change the perception of Barbarians.
From what I've seen so far, the community's opinion on Barbarians has been mostly dislike or indifference.
This is not good. Eventually, I'll need the Holy Knights and Barbarians to cooperate whether it's to hunt demons, save the world, or just for my own peace and quiet; fighting amongst ourselves is simply a waste.
As for the Barbarians, they wouldn't be overly hostile toward the Holy Knights if I gave the order, but the Holy Knights are different.
My fellow Earthlings, who were dragged into this damn world against their will, are unlikely to like Barbarians who pick fights and call them heretics.
It would be fine if they were moderate people like Corrupted Power Knight or Samurai Jackson, who left comments last time, but what would happen if a lunatic user like Not a Netkama or Melee-type Spy, who is totally unpredictable, encountered a Barbarian?
My precious Barbarians would be absolutely crushed. It would be nothing but utter ruin.
I need to instill a positive perception of Barbarians so that people think of them as our friends.
Why do advertising agencies and companies with comment farms exist? Because many people know that consistent positive mentions and improving public perception are crucial.
Thus, it would be a noble and productive act for the great Loa Mallak to devote himself to writing posts to improve the Barbarians' image.
Now, shall we begin?
Tap-tap-tap-tap!
[Ultra Sanz Crazy for Massacre Mode on a Moonlit Night: Barbarians are precious lives just like us]
[Ultra Sanz Crazy for Massacre Mode on a Moonlit Night: A Barbarian could be your neighbor]
[Ultra Sanz Crazy for Massacre Mode on a Moonlit Night: The Barbarian Who Repaid a Kindness]
Hmm. I put a lot of effort into writing long posts... but there are no comments?
I can't even check the view count, so I have no idea if anyone saw them.
Right, they were a bit too serious, so it's possible people just scrolled past them.
I think I need to use some storytelling techniques. After all, it's a story that draws people in and sparks their interest.
What kind of story would work...
How about a story where I save a young Barbarian girl and we become close?
A young girl, salvation, and a cool protagonist. This combination is a guaranteed hit.
I'll make the titles a bit lighter, too.
[Ultra Sanz Crazy for Massacre Mode on a Moonlit Night: Became friends with a Barbarian hehe]
After waiting for a few hours, I finally got a comment. As expected, the story...
[Ghoulle: LOL, you're trying so hard. Do you have a Barbarian fetish or something?]
This little piece of...!
What went wrong? Was the story not enough? I don't think so.
This is the most traditional form of storytelling. It might be cliché and predictable, but it has a classic emotional appeal and charm.
Is it a problem with the title? Or the subject matter?
Barbarians as a topic aren't exactly popular in this community. So, how should I write it to get these people to actually read it?
Not to brag, but I used to serialize a novel in the past.
[Goddess: Waddle waddle
Protagonist: What's with this loli-hag?
Goddess: I am a Goddess. I've come to give you a cheat ability.
Protagonist: LOL, score! I'll take infinite regression, an instant-death cheat, and immortality, please!
Goddess: Now, let's go save that other world!]
I got flamed over whether that even qualified as a novel, but what matters is that I was active as a man of letters.
Let me put my skills to use.
A subject people would love... a title that sparks curiosity... that would be...
Tap-tap-tap-tap!
[Ultra Sanz Crazy for Massacre Mode on a Moonlit Night: The Barbarian Girl I Saved is Obsessed With Me]
A comment appeared within a few minutes.
[Melee-type Spy: Is she cute?]
I might have actually done it.
I was clapping my hands in internal satisfaction when...
A private message window suddenly popped up next to the community screen and buzzed.
A private message? I've received several from the same person.
[Not a Netkama: Hey]
[Not a Netkama: You]
[Not a Netkama: Do you know the Barbarians well? Are you close with them?]
[Not a Netkama: Answer me, quickly]
[Not a Netkama: It's urgent]
[Not a Netkama: Seriously]
They seem incredibly desperate. I wonder what happened to make them send messages like this.
[Yep]
I sent that for now.
[Not a Netkama: Ah, damn it, this is so embarrassing]
[Not a Netkama: Don't tell anyone in the community]
[Not a Netkama: I'm being held captive by Barbarians right now]
What?