readbooksol Chapter 231 The Crazy Player
Chapter 231 The Crazy Player
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The central squares of major cities are no longer places for leisure and communication, but have become noisy and dangerous black markets for information.
Players no longer simply set up stalls to sell equipment and materials; instead, they used various subtle yet enticing calls, and the air was filled with an atmosphere of greed and vigilance.
"Freshly discovered coordinates deep within the 'Shadow Forest'! Suspected spawn point for a level 45 elite [Phantom Leopard]. Swift and a physical attacker. Preliminary observation report included. Only 800 gold! First come, first served!"
"Exclusive! Topographical map of the 'Lava Rift,' marking three high-energy reaction points, highly likely to be elite elemental lairs! A must-have for any team, fixed price of 3,000 gold, no bargaining!"
"Breaking news! Giant creature footprints discovered in the 'Northern Ice Plains'! Based on trace analysis, it's highly likely a level 50 or higher lord-level creature! This item is only 1000 gold! Or you can exchange it for an equivalent amount of S-grade warrior equipment!"
The sounds of hawking, bargaining, and whispering mingled together, creating a chaotic cacophony.
Each person's eyes gleamed with a shrewdness, a fervor, or a cunning.
The value of information has been inflated to an unprecedented level, especially clues about rare elites and lord-level bosses, whose prices have skyrocketed to an astonishing degree.
A few days ago, a level 40 normal elite monster spawn point might only be worth a few dozen gold coins.
Now, an unverified, vague coordinate about a level 45 rare elite is being offered for hundreds of gold coins.
As for clues about level 50 lord-level BOSSes, those are beyond the reach of ordinary players. The asking price of thousands of gold coins often involves capital transactions between large guilds.
Amid this abnormal prosperity, a new "profession" emerged and quickly became the main player in the market—information brokers.
These individuals often work alone or form small, highly confidential information groups.
They may not be of high rank, and their combat strength may be mediocre, but they possess an extremely keen sense of smell, extensive information channels, and... a thick enough skin and a black enough heart.
One player, nicknamed "The Know-It-All," is one of the best among them.
Dressed in an inconspicuous gray leather armor, he weaved through the crowd like an eel, whispering his "exclusive secrets" to buyers who seemed to have "money to burn."
"Boss, you're definitely someone who's going to do big things! I just got some juicy gossip: a detailed analysis of the skill mechanics and weaknesses of the level 50 boss, Venom King, in the Silent Swamp! With this, your organization's success rate in clearing dungeons will increase by at least 30%! How about it? Interested?" The gossipmonger leaned closer to a player completely shrouded in a cloak and said mysteriously.
The cloaked player stiffened slightly and asked in a deep voice, "What's the price?"
"Hehe, easy peasy. Since this is your first time patronizing our business, I'll give you a friendly price: 2 gold coins! Plus, a prediction of the best attack time!" The gossip held up two fingers, making a "two" gesture.
"Where is the source of this information? How can its authenticity be guaranteed?" the cloaked player pressed, his tone tinged with suspicion.
"The source? Don't bother asking. In our line of work, reputation is everything!" The gossip patted his chest, a professional smile plastered on his face.
"Authenticity is absolutely guaranteed! Our 'Tingfeng Pavilion' has an impeccable reputation! Of course, if you don't trust us, you can pay a small deposit, and we'll take you to the location to confirm before you pay the balance."
He spoke of "reputation" and "guarantee," but a subtle cunning glint flashed deep in his eyes.
The so-called "Listening Wind Pavilion" is completely fictitious, and the so-called "weakness analysis" is mostly pieced together by him based on some fragmented information and his own conjecture.
Mixing truth with falsehood and exaggerating are the most common tricks used by these intelligence brokers.
However, driven by profit, there are always those willing to take a gamble.
The cloaked player hesitated for a moment, seemingly eager to obtain the guild creation token, but ultimately gritted his teeth and completed a huge transaction.
People like insiders are countless in the black market.
They are weaving a giant net of lies, half-truths, and occasional truths, waiting for eager "big fish" to take the bait.
A chaotic market inevitably breeds darkness.
"Traps" have become a more deadly poison than false information.
A small team of solo players known as "Dawn" spent a fortune to purchase precise coordinates and respawn time of a level 45 rare elite, the Crystal Colossus, from the black market.
They excitedly assembled an elite team of twenty people and, following intelligence guidance, ventured deep into the "Stone Mountain Range".
When they finally arrived at the coordinates after a long and arduous journey, and saw the colossal statue, resembling a small mountain and composed of dazzling crystals, standing quietly in the center of the canyon, everyone was overjoyed.
"The intelligence is true! Quick, according to plan, tanks in position, prepare to fire!" the captain shouted excitedly.
However, just as they entered the battle and reduced the colossus's health to 90%, a sudden change occurred!
Suddenly, countless figures appeared on the mountain walls on both sides of the canyon, far exceeding their numbers by more than double!
Arrows, magic, and control skills rained down like a torrential downpour, not targeting the Crystal Colossus, but their unsuspecting team!
"It's the 'Mad Wolf Gang'! Damn it! We've fallen for their trap!" The captain's eyes widened in fury as he instantly realized what had happened.
That "exclusive intelligence" worth five thousand gold coins was nothing but an elaborate trap!
The Mad Wolf Gang had discovered this BOSS long ago, but they were not strong enough to take it down easily, or they did not want to suffer too much loss.
So they sold the information to these "Dawn" solo players at high prices. After the solo players painstakingly reduced the BOSS's health and used up their skills and potions, they waited for the BOSS to weaken and then came out to clear the field and reap the rewards!
"Brothers, fight them!" the captain roared, but it was too late.
With overwhelming numerical superiority and a surprise attack, the "Dawn" squad couldn't even muster a decent resistance. Amidst angry curses and resentful screams, they were all sent back to the respawn point.
They not only lost experience and equipment durability, but also their 5,000 gold coins "intelligence fee" went completely down the drain.
Similar double-crossing incidents frequently occur in various high-level maps.
Trust has become a luxury, and cooperation is fraught with calculation.
Sometimes it's a scheme orchestrated by intelligence brokers in collusion with certain guilds;
Sometimes, intelligence-buying teams would ambush each other.
Some guild members even leaked information about bosses they possessed for personal gain...