Origin Paradise!

Jiang He glared at the other party. Elbow strikes are extremely insulting, and if the transaction hadn't just ended, he would have already made a move.

"Do you want to?" Si Ning asked slyly.

“Be honest, do you have to do meaningless things?” Jiang He said.

"Ha, that's standard robot talk." Si Ning smiled coldly: "I don't seek out fun, fun comes to me. Seeing fun is fun, seeing fun is not fun, seeing fun is still fun. Mountains and rivers, I find joy in them. You, a robot, would never understand this kind of state of mind."

"If you go crazy again, I'll report you." Jiang He checked the player panel. The Origin Message Channel was working normally. He was going to contact Chu Fuqiang to report the potential danger. This guy might have an antisocial personality.

Si Ning became a little more obedient.

There were still over a hundred Anping Group employees on the square. Because of its location on the border, all the official members of the security department were armed. Han Daoba and his henchmen stood next to the chairman, demonstrating that violence was the guarantee of order.

The funeral was held at 4 p.m.

On a twelve-story building, Mr. He, who had come ashore as a local gang leader, observed the venue through binoculars.

[Name: Guardian Island]

[Player Level: Lv14]

[Peak Creatures of the Bronze Age]

"We've received news from the Southern Bureau. The Deputy Chief of Operations has issued an order: hold the line and do not allow large-scale infighting. The analysis room is studying the composition of the shield."

Madam He was only thirty-four or thirty-five years old, with skin that was well-maintained and smooth. Her husband had come to Anping Island with a different identity. According to the principle that it is better to guide than to block, his task was to control the border and prevent the underground black market from causing trouble. After the arrival of the new era, she killed a smuggler during an unexpected cleanup operation and thus became a player.

"These things have nothing to do with a woman like you. Just stay home for now. Your LV3 player level is practically nonexistent."

Mr. He put away his binoculars. His attitude toward the incident was relatively mild. As the deputy leader of the Southern District of the Bureau of Order, he knew a lot of unknown information.

Without considering the impact and cost, the Candle Dragon System can definitely destroy the barrier. At the very least, the ancient one, the Supervisor, in Bianjing can break it. However, the biggest problem at present is that the hardness of the barrier is fluctuating wildly. If one is not careful, the trapped people inside will perish under the fierce attack.

Chapter 272 Funeral Committee

Town Square.

The solemn funeral lasted for more than two hours, with as many as 3072 participants. The scene was exceptionally spectacular. The victims probably never imagined that they would be so revered after their deaths.

After the funeral, the chairman announced the establishment of a funeral committee to handle the aftermath, and claimed that residents could voluntarily provide assistance, with no mandatory requirements from the committee.

The committee has five members.

The highly respected former principal of Anping High School, who had worked for decades, funded the construction of the island's first church and often referred to himself as a priest. Most of the young and middle-aged people in the town were students of Anping High School.

The manager of the underground black market has over thirty gunmen behind him, and the black market warehouse is filled with weapons and contraband.

The owner of the town's only shopping mall used to buy large quantities of rice, flour, and oil at once because the mall was located on an island. Now, the mall has closed down to "mourn the deceased."

Old Master He, who has retired from the front lines, was once the leader of the Dahe Gang and enjoyed extremely high prestige among fishermen.

In addition, there is the chairman who is temporarily serving as the chief committee member.

The funeral ended in the evening.

The town had some power restored, and the chairman invited the residents to live in his large estate. Some agreed, while others refused, and the latter simply went back to their own homes.

"A small temple can have a big demonic influence."

On the way back, Si Ning muttered to herself, "What funeral committee? It's just a management committee. They used the funeral to find out who was there and where they lived. Next, they'll definitely kill people to establish their authority."

The five members of the committee each controlled a considerable amount of resources, and the signs of power and stratification had already emerged less than half a day after the upheaval.

Jiang He walked on the dirt road. The special mission reward mode of the Double Ninth Festival event was not worth exploring the reason for the formation of the barrier, or even seeking a solution. The interval between world missions was fifteen days. No matter how strong the barrier was, it would not prevent the start of the Origin Mission.

"Jiang He".

Someone shouted from afar.

Si Ning turned around and saw a young girl. Her appearance wasn't particularly outstanding, but she exuded youthful energy. It was late October and the autumn chill was approaching, yet the girl was still wearing denim shorts and brown slouch socks that didn't go past her calves—a trendy outfit for girls from big cities.

“You’re calling me, why are you turning around?” Jiang He said.

"It's strange that robots can have acquaintances. Is she a female robot?" Si Ning spread her hands. In her mind, World War I veterans should be killing day and night.

"Yuan Xin, my high school classmate."

"You actually went to high school!"

"I didn't spring out of a rock."

As the two were whispering to each other, the young girl jogged over. It was clear that she didn't exercise much; after just a few dozen meters of sprinting, beads of sweat appeared on her smooth forehead.

The girl handed over a round stone.

"Phew... Here, take this." Yuan Xin explained, afraid that the other party might misunderstand, "It should be a good thing. When the barrier descended, many of the stones that were hit at the edge underwent changes, but the number was definitely not enough for more than three thousand people. I intercepted some from my father, and there are more than a dozen people from our class on the island."

The round stone surface revealed seemingly natural patterns, and at first glance it looked like a beast. When Yuan Xin held it in his hand, a cool sensation went straight to his mind. This thing was definitely not ordinary, but it didn't seem to be of much use.

"Thank you." Jiang He took the round stone, and the Executive Assistant System immediately examined it. This thing was a supernatural item; below 10 points, it could only add half a point to his spirit value, which was negligible to him.

"Water and electricity are cut off. Those living on the island should be careful."

Yuan Xin gave a perfunctory instruction, then followed the group's security staff back to the town. Her father was the chairman of the board, and after the exam, she did not continue her studies but joined the group to participate in daily work.

"This must be what they call a 'nice guy'," Si Ning said.

Jiang He remained noncommittal. Having experienced the hardships of mission worlds, he was more inclined to believe that the other party had begun to intentionally cultivate a team after entering society. After all, after renting out the fishing boat, he was now an employee of Anping Group's voyage team. However, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and it might just be his prejudice.

Back in my own courtyard, night was approaching.

Before Si Ning could react, Jiang He tore down the Spring Festival couplets and banners at the entrance, revealing a sign underneath that read "Seaside Farmhouse 80 RMB/day," with crooked handwriting.

"These characters are so ugly!" Si Ning exclaimed in shock.

"It was written by a dog," Jiang He said.

Si Ning had no doubt that it would be impossible for a human to write such handwriting without some kind of back-to-basics refinement.

"You mean I have to pay to stay here?"

“Otherwise,” Jiang He said matter-of-factly, “Although there is plenty of food, I can’t just feed you for nothing.”

Just as the two were chatting, a faint scream rang out.

The sky had darkened at some point, and after most people left, the area around the seaside courtyard became even more eerie.

A cold, sticky feeling enveloped the courtyard.

Si Ning pointed to the window glass on the courtyard wall. Jiang He turned around and saw a middle-aged man dressed like a teacher, peering into the glass with bulging eyes.

"Teacher Lan, what are you doing?" Jiang He knocked on the glass. Even if you're dead, you can't just peep like this so openly.

Si Ning seemed to be deep in thought. Among the seven people who attended the funeral, the Lan family of four were the main force.

"Xiao He, let the teacher come in and sit down." Teacher Lan scratched her head, looking no different from an ordinary person.

[Note: You have been attacked by a normal-level bewitchment attack, but you have been immune to its effects.]

Jiang He and Si Ning exchanged a glance. Like ordinary-level bewitchment and hypnosis, these abilities cannot have an absolute effect on ordinary people. Strong willpower can exempt them from harm. However, these abilities have ultimately entered the realm of the extraordinary, and they still pose a basic threat.

Just as Teacher Lan appeared, the round stone that had been casually slapped into the wall emitted a hazy and faint fluorescence.

It's sizzling!

As if electrocuted, Teacher Lan pulled her face away from the windowpane, her expression turning irritable.

"Xiao He, why don't you listen to your teacher!"

Bang!

Jiang He smashed the glass with a punch, then grabbed the other person's neck, ignoring the person's weight of over 100 pounds, and dragged him into the yard.

Teacher Lan landed with a thud, her expression completely bewildered.

But the next moment, his face underwent a strange change. His skin suddenly turned as pale as a corpse, his cheeks tore open, and long tongues covered with barbs curled out.

Si Ning crouched down and slapped Lan across the face, unleashing a mental shock that left Teacher Lan stunned and disoriented.

"You're quite brave, aren't you? A mere bronze-level monster dares to rebel. Today I'll teach you how to respect the strong."

One after another, mouths exhaled, and mental shocks erupted repeatedly, making Teacher Lan's figure increasingly sparse.

Jiang He found a fruit knife, enhanced it with his internal energy, and began to dissect the prey. The prey had the weight of a normal person, but there was no flesh or blood tissue inside its body. It was more like a clump of solidified gas. Overall, it was quite strong, roughly at the level of 9-10, and had a very high immunity to physical damage.

Bang!

Unable to withstand the insults from the two men, Teacher Lan exploded and dissipated, the gas containing a terrifying stench.

Si Ning jumped a few steps away and said with a pained expression, "The Qi-gathering Dream Transformation should be Dream Slaves, a peculiar kind of companion belonging to the Dream Eater. Without a soul and real damage, they are extremely difficult to kill. They are almost like spiritual beings with the wisdom they had in life."

As the stench assaulted him, Jiang He retreated step by step. Even a faint smell was enough to make him change color. It was mainly composed of rotting and purulent corpses, supplemented by fermented feces in the abdominal cavity and intestines, mixed with a mysterious odor from the extreme secretion of sweat glands on the soles of the feet, all combining to create a terrifying "broth" with extremely penetrating power.

Chapter 273 The Silver Charter

The next day, dawn broke.

Heavy snow fell from the sky, but outside it was still autumnal. The enclosure had its own microclimate, the temperature dropped, and the walls around the courtyard were covered with frost. Moreover, the water level on the coast rose significantly overnight, submerging several small courtyards on the edge.

Bang bang bang!

A knock sounded, and Jiang He came out of the house, glanced at the storage room where Si Ning slept, and went to the door to open it.

Outside the door, Han Scarface stood with one hand in his pocket, his eyes bloodshot, while the two gunmen behind him also looked uneasy.

"Xiao He, did anything unusual happen to you last night?"

"No, there are just occasional wails at night," Jiang He replied. Apart from detonating a super stink bomb, there really wasn't anything else.

Han Daoba visibly breathed a sigh of relief and said, "The temperature has dropped sharply, but the water level continues to rise. The committee believes that the island's shore will be submerged. It's best for the islanders living around to go to the town. In extraordinary times, we need extraordinary measures. You can choose which empty houses to live in."

Jiang He went to the side, took down two pieces of cured meat, handed them to the other person, and asked, "What happened last night?"

Han Daoba hesitated for a moment, but finally took the cured meat. With the country beset by internal and external troubles, meat was a very precious commodity.

“Last night someone saw the victims come back to life. I’m telling you it’s true. Not only that, these victims also attacked many residents in the surrounding area. All the attacked residents disappeared this morning. There were probably seven or eight hundred of them.”

Han Scarface lowered his voice and said, "You're lucky. Hurry up and find the Guardian Stone. This thing can protect your residence at night, provided you don't open the doors or windows. If you don't know, go ask Miss. She's gentle, and you two are classmates. I reckon it won't be hard to get one."

After saying that, Scarface Han led his men away and continued to the next courtyard. The disappearance of seven or eight hundred people overnight had put considerable pressure on the funeral committee.

“Six victims killed seven or eight hundred people living in scattered locations in one night. I think the probability is very small.” Si Ning yawned as she came out of the storage room. “Teacher Lan is barely a Bronze Elite. I’m more inclined to believe that these stink bombs can infect others.”

Si Ning suddenly sighed, "How terrifying, an island full of super stink bombs."

"Let's check the water level tomorrow. If it's too high, we'll move to town." Jiang He then asked, "What are the procedures for Silver-level promotion?"

He currently only has Agility and Spirit that haven't reached 21 points yet, but he's very close to the Silver level.

Si Ning rubbed her hands together and chuckled, "How dare you take advantage of me for free?"

Jiang He nodded calmly. They were all brothers, talking about money would be too formal.

"Damn it, shameless." Si Ning muttered to herself before speaking, "Origin will issue a transformation task once all four basic attributes reach 21 points. If the task is successfully completed, the player will obtain a Silver Body and the energy will be sublimated into Silver Energy."

"Silver Body - Increases all stats by 30%, including various resistances, and grants 30% immunity to all types of damage from Bronze-level beings."

"Silver Energy - Current value remains unchanged, each point of energy is equal to 2 points of bronze energy."

"But the Silver Will, the most difficult of the three pieces, must be obtained by yourself. After meeting the three conditions of body, energy, and will, the Proof of the Strong will quest will be unlocked."

"Without the proof of strength, players cannot advance to Silver Elite by any means, meaning that all attributes cannot exceed 30 points, the upper limit is locked. Therefore, players who only complete the transformation task are also called pseudo-Silver, and their path to transcendence basically ends here."

Jiang He pondered. To become a true Silver-level expert, he needed to complete two tasks: the Transformation Task and the Proof of Strength.

Si Ning continued, "Transformation tasks usually adopt standardized assessments. The difficulty does not change based on the player's strength. At most, it may vary depending on the player's type. At the very least, research-oriented players will not encounter tasks that involve killing."

"But the proof of strength is different. The difficulty varies. After success, your attributes will be converted into real attributes and you will gain the corresponding attribute talents. The difficulty of converting one attribute versus converting all five attributes is worlds apart."

"I have three paths, and I haven't met any opponents yet. Most Silver players only choose the path they are best at."

Jiang He asked, "What's the use of the true attribute?"

Si Ning pondered for a while and said, "It's not very useful. Some derivative quests in Origin will have types of imprisonment attributes and item pouches. In some worlds, there are also situations where power is sealed. Once it is converted into a real attribute, even if there is a net of heaven and earth, your attribute value will not be affected. At most, you will just die in battle. Consider it a kind of safety net."

In detective puzzle-solving derivative missions, players often encounter various restrictions to prevent brute-force breakthroughs, but after conversion to real attributes, the values ​​will be exactly what they are.

In some worlds, there are forbidden zones that suppress power, requiring the suppression of one's cultivation level to enter. Players who have converted to true attributes are unaffected by this, but it doesn't mean that the master of the forbidden zone won't take action if they discover an anomaly.

"Finally," Si Ning reminded, "both the transformation quest and the proof of strength must be completed within the world quests."

Jiang He understood. In this way, casual players who don't participate in world quests wouldn't be qualified to reach the Silver rank.

boom!