Chapter 96: Niu Baiwan Is a Good Comrade

The Citivinia Lowlands are located in the southwestern part of the Falvey Continent, a hazardous region dominated by swamps and rainforests. I call it "dangerous" not merely because of the ferocious beasts that roam there, such as Iron-Maw Crocodiles and Mad-Poison Killer Bees, nor entirely because of the scattered, savage sub-intelligent native tribes like the Fork-Toothed Murlocs or Short-Tailed Lizardmen. Rather, it is because this region has now become the frontline of the war between the Continental Alliance and the End-Times Empire.

At this moment, the End-Times King’s most loyal and cruel lackey—the Lord of Evil Spirits who defies death, the Master of the Corrupted, and the Great Lich of Souls, Mekenskall—is commanding his army of the corrupted, standing in direct opposition to the Continental Alliance forces. These forces are led by General Vincent, Duke of the Delanmaya Kingdom and Commander of the Southwestern Theater of the Falvey Continental Alliance. Although the two sides have yet to engage in a large-scale frontal assault, the tension of the impending war hangs heavy beneath a veneer of false calm.

Countless adventurers—both from the Continental Alliance and the End-Times Empire—thirsting for wealth, honor, and power, have flooded into this region like a tide. They arrive hoping to display their martial prowess, carve out a legacy, or perhaps simply satisfy a violent urge to kill. The arrival of these powerful, cunning, and unconstrained non-professional soldiers has turned this sweltering, humid hellhole into an increasingly perilous zone. Every day, hundreds of small-scale frictions and armed conflicts erupt; the mutual stalking, provocations, insults, and even murders never cease for a moment.

A frontline riddled with such crisis is clearly not a place to bring a picnic basket for an outing. The Continental Alliance authorities have offered a very practical piece of advice to the hot-blooded heroes eager to slay the enemy: treasure your life, love your existence, and if you are a noob below level fifty, please do not come here to die.

Such an extremely dangerous region is, of course, no place for a level forty-eight Paladin like Niu Baiwan to be wandering alone. The only reason he appeared in this inappropriate place at this inappropriate time with such an inappropriate level is for one blatantly foolish reason:

This directionally challenged fellow was lost again!

I must say, it is hard to blame him. When you are a stupid ox whose cerebellum has atrophied to the point that you get lost in a dilapidated two-story, six-room inn while holding a map—forcing you to eventually leap out of a second-story window—how can anyone expect you to find your way out of a rainforest where dense woods stretch everywhere and the sun is never seen?

When I finally hacked my way through the thorns and arrived at the Citivinia Lowlands, my soul power had finally accumulated enough to break through the level forty-nine limit, reaching level fifty. That "Scarecrow’s Chainmail," capable of providing higher defense, finally came in handy; I felt it was incredibly timely.

Niu Baiwan was currently at a place called "Gravel Outpost." It is guarded by human soldiers and half-orc warriors, about twenty of each. To my surprise, the commander of the outpost was a half-orc named "Chief Hondos."

You must understand, I am a fair and upright person without a shred of racial discrimination or prejudice. I firmly believe that under the radiance of the Supreme God, all intelligent races in the world are equal. I even have a few half-orc friends I get along with, which is proof enough that I can interact with all intelligent beings with an equal and friendly attitude.

But you must admit, making friends is one thing, and obeying such a leader is another. Among all non-human intelligent races, I would not mind obeying the orders of an Elven Chanter because they are steady, noble, and wise; likewise, I would not mind obeying a Dwarf King, as they are mostly elderly, experienced, and as stubborn as rock. I could even reluctantly obey a high-ranking Deep Gnome or a Tauren General; at least gnomes are famous for their meticulous and cautious thinking, and Tauren never lack the courage to lead from the front.

But... how could you expect me to obey a half-orc? These filthy, ugly, stupid, and rude green-skinned ghosts? How can they lead humans into battle? Is this some kind of joke?

I dare swear upon the White Eagle and Blue-White Star-Spangled battle flag waving at the outpost that I truly have no intention of racial discrimination. I simply feel that half-orcs lack the ability to lead humans, nothing more. That is a very objective conclusion, isn't it? What? You ask how I reached such a conclusion?

Hey, they are green-skinned ghosts, aren't they? Is that not enough?

The outpost is not very large, and there are not many people inside. As I walked through the gate, I saw Niu Baiwan. He was kneeling beside Chief Hondos, shaking his pair of large bull horns, staring eagerly at the gate. Seeing me appear, he jumped up with excitement and waved at me vigorously.

"You finally came! I've been waiting for ages, you nearly worried me to death..." he shouted joyfully.

"What trouble did you run into that you need my help for again?" I went straight to the point without any pleasantries.

"Look at you..." Niu Baiwan said, feeling a bit embarrassed. "...In your eyes, am I really such a failure that I only look for you when I need help?"

I did not answer, just rolled my eyes at him.

"We... haven't seen each other in a long time... I just wanted to chat with you... is that not allowed..." Niu Baiwan insisted with thick-skinned stubbornness, though his voice was faltering and lacked conviction.

I pursed my lips, tilted my head, and scanned his tattered armor and equipment with the corner of my eye.

"Alright, alright..." Finally, under the pressure of my gaze, Niu Baiwan collapsed. With a mournful face and drooping head, he shook his head and said, "...There is a quest here, the last one I have at this outpost. I've tried it three times, but I really can't complete it alone, which is why I remembered to ask for help..."

"Oh, what quest is it?" I asked curiously. "Let's go accept it now; I'll help you complete it."

"Don't be in such a hurry..." Niu Baiwan pressed me to stay put and said cautiously, "...This is an escort quest. The difficulty is so high that even the two of us might find it hard to complete. I've asked a few others to come help, so let's wait here for a while..."

In this world, no one treasures their own life more than I do. Regarding Niu Baiwan’s cautious proposal, although I didn't think it was strictly necessary, I fully agreed with him.

"How is the situation around here? Have you clashed with the Empire's people?" With nothing to do, I sat on a stone step and asked Niu Baiwan casually, taking the opportunity to measure his head with my eyes.

Damn it, even though he was just sitting on the ground, his head was still a head taller than mine. Such a hulking physique really gives me a sense of frustration...

Niu Baiwan frowned, looking as if he still had lingering fears, and said, "It’s too dangerous out there. Yesterday, when I ran here from Silver Shield Castle, I was killed by that bunch from the Empire nearly ten times along the way. A few times, I even ran into mass brawls with over a dozen people. If I didn't have my invincibility protection, I probably would have died even more..."

Niu Baiwan’s account left me feeling a lingering fear, but I couldn't help but feel secretly lucky. Perhaps because it was already late, I hadn't encountered a single enemy on my way here—I hadn't even seen many of my own Alliance comrades. That made my journey very smooth, without a single obstacle.

"However..." Niu Baiwan changed his tone, looking smugly proud, "...Although I've been killed many times here, there are also plenty of opportunities to kill. Yesterday on the road, I met a Troll Beastmaster with a hunting falcon. He was only level thirty-five, and his name was incredibly arrogant—something like 'Just Taller Than You.' I rushed up without a word, swung my massive stone pillar, and beat him to a pulp. I killed him in just a few hits. Not only did I kill him, but I also camped his corpse. As soon as he revived, I rushed up and smashed him again. I killed that noob seven or eight times back and forth, and finally, I killed him until he logged off. The feeling was just so satisfying. Next time I run into that idiot noob, I'll beat him so hard even his mother won't recognize him, hahahaha..."

Before Niu Baiwan could finish recounting his glorious record of bullying the weak, the gnome bard known as "B-flat Minor Nocturne" appeared at the city gate. As soon as he entered, he looked around as if searching for someone. I guessed he was likely another helper Niu Baiwan had recruited.

"Hey, Xiao Qu, over here! Come quickly!" Niu Baiwan waved his arms and shouted. His mountain-like stature and his even taller tombstone-like name made him stand out easily in the crowd. The gnome bard had no trouble spotting us, then immediately scurried over with his two short legs.

The arrival of B-flat Minor Nocturne made Niu Baiwan very happy. He stooped down and enthusiastically patted the bard on the back of the head—I suspect he originally wanted to pat his shoulder, but the massive height difference made that difficult—and then excitedly wanted to show off:

"Xiao Qu, you finally made it. We were just talking about PK. You wouldn't believe it, yesterday afternoon I ran into a noob..."

"Let's talk about other things later..." Niu Baiwan’s words were cut off mid-sentence by the glib-tongued bard. "...Have you guys seen the news? CCTV had an exclusive interview with the 'Giant Ming.' Turns out he plays this game too."

"Giant Ming?" This unfamiliar name seemed legendary and thunderous to my friends who were 'space-travelers.' As soon as Niu Baiwan heard the name, his spirit was instantly lifted. "The one who went to the United States to play in the NBA? The number one draft pick? My idol!"

What is the NBA? Where is the United States? And what kind of famous person is this 'Giant Ming'? It sounded like something from another plane of existence. I restrained my curiosity and wisely kept my mouth shut, not asking a single question.

"Who else could it be?" The bard’s eyes sparkled, his face full of adoration. "I haven't missed a single one of his games. The pride of Chinese basketball, but unfortunately..." Nocturne’s expression dimmed. "...He is with the Empire..."

I thought he was some kind of admirable national hero; it turns out he is an enemy. I hesitated, wondering if I should remind my gnome friend to stand firm in his convictions and straighten out his political stance.

"With the Empire?" Niu Baiwan looked equally disappointed. "Which race? What class?"

"The interview said that since he is tall himself, he chose the Troll race, which is the tallest, fitting his own image. He has quite a few accounts, and he's played Rogues, Warriors, and so on. The most infuriating thing is that Giant Ming has a Ranger alt that just turned into a Beastmaster yesterday afternoon. He ran to the Citivinia Lowlands to catch a hunting falcon pet. As a result, a Tauren who was almost level fifty popped out and killed him. Killing him once would have been enough, but this trash actually did something as low-class as camping a corpse to slaughter a beginner. He killed him seven or eight times in a row, finally forcing Giant Ming to log off to train..."

Huh? A Troll Beastmaster? A Tauren? A hunting falcon? Camping a corpse? Killing him until he logged off... Why do these things sound so familiar?

I glanced quietly at Niu Baiwan and noticed he seemed to be breaking into a cold sweat.

Strange, why would he be so nervous?

"What's his character name? Could we run into him?" Niu Baiwan asked with a nervous expression.

"Are you stupid? He has to protect his privacy, how could he reveal that?" B-flat Minor Nocturne rolled his eyes at him with disdain.

"Yeah, that’s truly a pity..." Niu Baiwan said "a pity," but he looked as if he were relieved about something.

"However..." Nocturne’s eyes darted around, and he whispered mysteriously, "...A classmate of his from sports school revealed that when he plays online games, he likes to use names like 'Just Than You.' Things like 'Just Stronger Than You,' 'Just Handsomer Than You,' 'Just Taller Than You,' and so on. Who knows if it's true or not..."

"No way..." Niu Baiwan was startled by the gnome’s words and couldn't help but shout loudly. As soon as he shouted, he realized the potential danger and immediately adopted an expression of righteous indignation. "...I mean, those kinds of online names are everywhere; you can grab a handful of them easily. Who knows which one it is..."

Immediately after, the Tauren Paladin quickly changed the subject and said viciously: "...To dare to kill even Giant Ming’s alt, such a piece of trash, he really is the lowest scum!"

"Calling him trash is an insult to trash!" Even so, Nocturne felt that wasn't enough venting. "I just saw on the forums that this low-class guy has caused public outrage, and everyone is looking to settle the score with him. Players who know the news have agreed: whoever finds this guy will post his account information on the forum, making him a rat crossing the street. We’ll kill him every time we see him until he deletes his account!"

Is that really necessary? He just killed an enemy, didn't he? This was clearly a merit; why would it cause such big trouble? What kind of person is this "Giant Ming," anyway? How could he have such influence? Even people from the enemy country want to avenge him.

I really can't understand it...

At this moment, Niu Baiwan’s ox-face turned red, then white. His nose, eyebrows, and every other organ were knotted together in distress. He looked as if he were holding a mouthful of concentrated "refined coptis liquid"—unable to swallow it and unable to spit it out—yet he still had to chime in:

"To teach such a low-class person a lesson, that’s exactly what must be done! It’s a disgrace to us Tauren! If I catch him, I’ll camp his corpse a hundred times, or I’ll take his name!"

Seeing Niu Baiwan so agitated, Nocturne also said viciously: "This spineless guy, killing Giant Ming’s alt and even camping a beginner’s corpse. If I run into him, I'll turn him into a steer with one slash. How about that? A great idea, right? Ahahahahaha..."

Having said that, the gnome bard laughed heartily, as if proud of himself for coming up with such a brilliant method of punishment, and even gave Niu Baiwan’s calf a hearty slap. Unexpectedly, Niu Baiwan’s legs went soft, and he stumbled from the impact.

"...Great idea... truly a brilliant idea..." Niu Baiwan smiled bitterly with an awkward expression, forcing himself to agree. I noticed that when he spoke, he was subconsciously clenching the base of his thighs together.

"Oh, right..." At this point, Nocturne suddenly remembered something. "...What were you going to tell me just now?"

"Actually, Niu Baiwan ran into a noob yesterday, and the situation you described..." I had just started to say "is somewhat similar," when Niu Baiwan, looking as if he wanted to strangle me, grabbed my neck and pulled me behind him, quickly adding:

"...Has absolutely nothing to do with what you described!" Viewed from behind, Niu Baiwan’s neck was also covered in beads of sweat.

"I just saw a noob who had just passed level thirty and ran into this place. As a result, he pulled a whole bunch of monsters and died several times. It was truly miserable, so miserable. Later, I couldn't bear it, so I helped him clear the monsters and then escorted him away..." Speaking of this, our Tauren Paladin friend looked full of compassion.

"Hey, Niu Baiwan, why didn't you tell me about this just now?" Honestly, I thought you were going to tell him about your heroic deed of slaughtering an Empire lackey.

"Isn't that what I was about to say!" Strangely, why did Niu Baiwan look so hysterical?

B-flat Minor Nocturne was also deeply moved and immediately stood on his tiptoes to shake Niu Baiwan’s hand with admiration:

"Niu Baiwan is a good comrade..."