MMB Chapter 52: The Awakening of China, Massive Equipment Drops for All
Chapter 52: The Awakening of China, Massive Equipment Drops for All
Before the celebratory atmosphere of the banquet had even dissipated, the secret realm teleportation nodes in major cities across China were already buzzing with excitement.
The capital city, S-level node lobby.
This place used to be very deserted; you wouldn't see more than a few people every ten days or so. Only a few elite teams would pass by when they were on high-risk missions. Now, the scene is comparable to a morning market. Hundreds of teams have packed the hall to the brim, and the air is filled with the smell of sweat, the clanging of metal, and the buzzing of conversations that can't be suppressed.
"Hold onto the guide! Page three, the location map for the False God Twins, coordinates (-117, 254). Anyone who goes to the wrong location, go back to the logistics department and get punished!"
"Healers, pay attention to the mechanics. During the boss's sacrifice phase, save all cleanse skills for the marked teammates. Don't waste them!"
"We're a civilian team, with limited equipment. We're not aiming for an S-rank; just surviving and bringing the materials out alive is a victory! Everyone, stay on your toes!"
The uniformed military squads and the civilian guilds with their diverse equipment each occupied one side, clearly separated. The only thing they had in common was that everyone was holding the same document—"Perfect Walkthrough Guide for S-019 Secret Realm 'The Lie of Eden'".
Lu Yan's strategy guide, which he made public for free, was like a potent stimulant, injected directly into the veins of the awakened Chinese community.
A few hours ago, the second squad of the Dragon Guard was the first to emerge from Eden.
The battle reports were shockingly short.
"Report to command, the second squad has completed exploration S-019. Rating: S. Casualties: None. Drops: One epic weapon 'Raging War Halberd', four gold-grade pieces."
Once the news spread, the last group of people who were still observing could no longer sit still.
That's an S-rank epic weapon.
Not long after the second squad submitted their battle report, the white light of the teleportation array lit up again.
The woman at the front was 1.75 meters tall, with short, ear-length hair, wearing heavy silver-white scale armor, and carrying a knight's lance taller than herself on her shoulder. She was Ling Shuang, the captain of the Dragon Guard's third squad.
The team members behind her were all wounded, and the healer Su Qian's robe was stained with dried blood, clearly indicating that she had just gone through a fierce battle.
"Captain, the area around that rockfall trap in Sector B wasn't marked in the guide. It's my fault, I was a beat too slow in positioning." Liu Yiyi, who was in charge of mobility, lowered her head, looking frustrated. Because of that mistake, the team lost one member. Although they were later revived, they lost their S-rank rating.
"Go back and write a report, a 300-word self-criticism." Ling Shuang's voice was flat. She went straight to the tactical panel and uploaded the log. "But as long as we got the equipment, it's not a failure."
A settlement panel pops up on the light screen.
Overall Rating: A
[Settlement Reward: 1 Dark Gold Treasure Chest]
Mo Li, the sniper in the team, whistled, the previous tension vanishing instantly. An A-level rating—this was the best result the team had achieved since its inception.
Ling Shuang raised her hand and opened the treasure chest.
As the light faded, a pair of leg guards and an arm armor floated in mid-air.
[Barrier Guardian Leggings (Unique)]
[Barrier Guardian Armguards (Unique)]
Kit components.
Main Tank Jiang Xiaorou's eyes widened in disbelief. She had been stuck at the bottleneck of having a full set of gold-tier equipment for more than half a year, and she never dreamed that the breakthrough would come so suddenly.
"Captain..." Jiang Xiaorou's voice was a little dry.
"Change into it." Ling Shuang said decisively.
Jiang Xiaorou quickly changed her clothes. The moment the two pieces of dark gold equipment were put on, a thick layer of earthy yellow aura flowed around her. Her defense, block value, and maximum health visibly increased significantly.
Team Three has achieved a 100% mission completion rate over the past six months, all thanks to Jiang Xiaorou's "Wall of Sighs." Now, that wall is even thicker.
"Let's go, rest, and prepare for the second round." Ling Shuang shouldered her spear and turned to walk out of the hall. The team members followed behind, their steps much more steady than when they came in.
If the good news within the Dragon Guard was merely a reassurance to the higher-ups...
The situation on the Awakened's internal forum then devolved into a nationwide frenzy.
The post titled "Perfect Walkthrough Guide for S-019 Secret Realm 'The Lie of Eden'" has already garnered tens of thousands of replies, and the number is still increasing by hundreds per minute.
The actual explosion occurred in the equipment display area.
[Subject: Grade A! Got a Golden Head! Thanks to God Lu for the treat!]
Original Poster ID: Desert Lone Smoke Straight
Content: Brothers! We cleared it with a random team! We wiped twice on the God's Remnant, but we managed to pull through! A-rank rating, and I got a Golden Mage's Head from the chest! Explosive stats! [Image] [Image]
[Subject: Our guild's third team got a legendary weapon! High-resolution screenshots included!]
Original Poster ID: Vice President of Skyblade
Content: No more chit-chat, see the pictures! Thanks to Team One! Thanks to Lu Yan! The guild just finished a meeting, and from now on, 1% of all profits from the guild warehouse will be donated to Team One free of charge! [Image]
[Subject: Official Statistics] Summary of Data from the First Twelve Hours of the Eden Garden Secret Realm's Opening]
Original Poster ID: Huaxia Dragon Guard Headquarters
Content: As of now, a total of 78 teams in the China region have successfully cleared the S-019 dungeon. Among them, 2 teams achieved an S-rank rating, 19 teams achieved an A-rank rating, and 57 teams achieved a B-rank or lower. The dungeon yielded a total of 2 Epic-grade equipment pieces, 27 Dark Gold-grade equipment pieces, and 1844 Gold-grade equipment pieces…
This is not simply a matter of gaining advantages through strategy.
This is an explosive growth in equipment, a nationwide reshuffling of combat power.
Countless veteran Awakened Ones, stuck in a bottleneck, broke through their limitations overnight thanks to the materials and equipment produced in Eden. Many more newcomers earned their first fortune by observing and participating in low-intensity peripheral battles.
The entire ecosystem of the Chinese Awakened Ones community was revitalized by Lu Yan's strategy.
For the first time, high-end resources that were once tightly monopolized by the West were being generously opened to China.
At the same time.
Across the Pacific Ocean, the International Awakeners Forum.
There was a deathly silence here.
Richard's sarcastic post, which had gone viral and trended on social media, now hangs forlornly on the homepage like a forgotten tombstone.
There were no gloating comments, nor any sarcastic praise. All the Western awakened individuals seemed to have been collectively choked, unable to utter a single word.
They could only numbly refresh the list again and again.
[Global Equipment Rating Ranking]
This list has undergone a dramatic change in the past twelve hours.
Initially, only Su Yunqing's name was listed at the top of the rankings with a precipitous score.
But soon, more and more Chinese names sprang up like mushrooms after rain, squeezing into the top 1,000, top 500, top 100...
"bite."
In a combat command center at S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters in the White Eagle Empire, a new notification popped up on the screen in front of a blond, blue-eyed analyst.
[Global Equipment Ratings Ranking Updated]
NO.87: Jiang Xiaorou (Huaxia) - Equipment Rating: 11,500 - Set: Bulwark Guardian (2/6)
NO.89: Richard (China) - Equipment Rating: 11,350 - Set: None
NO.92: Wang Hao (Huaxia) - Equipment Rating: 11,100 - Set: None
The analysts' eyes were fixed on the ID "Jiang Xiaorou".
Two-piece set.
That glaring (2/6) stung his nerves.
This means that China not only has the world's first S-level epic set, but now even the components for the second and third dark gold sets are being produced stably.
Meanwhile, S.H.I.E.L.D., the strongest force in their White Eagle Empire, was still holding meetings until midnight yesterday to figure out how to reduce the first boss of "Abyss Furnace" to 5% health.
An indescribable panic, mixed with a profound sense of loss at being abandoned by the times, gripped his heart.
Captain Richard's assertion came to mind.
"Heh, clown."