Chapter 60:

To prevent the night from being long and filled with dreams, the small group leader decided to assign tasks today and start tomorrow.

Some group members felt it was too rushed, but others agreed. In the end, the minority yielded to the majority, and the official rebellion date was set for the next day.

“Tomorrow, the camp will be chaotic.”

“Remember, our goal is to take advantage of the chaos to eliminate the NPC guards and seize control of the camp.”

“Sacrifices are necessary to achieve our great ambitions.”

“As long as we succeed, it will all be worth it.”

After an impassioned speech by the small group leader, who painted a rosy picture for the partners, the meeting finally came to a close.

Yun Shan: “After such a long meeting, you’re finished.”

***

The small group leader’s real name was “Wen Yuan.”

After rallying the troops and boosting morale, he couldn’t rest and logged back into the game.

At a private residence in the Red Maple Camp, Wen Yuan confirmed with an NPC, “We’ll take action tomorrow. You’ll help me, right?”

“Of course,” replied the NPC in a black cloak, with the words “Qi Nian” floating above his head. “I’ve said that you’ve passed various tests and won my friendship. Whatever you want to do, I’ll help you.”

With the NPC’s promise, Wen Yuan felt reassured. “As long as you help me ascend to the position of lord, I guarantee that Red Maple Camp will be the best partner of the Blue Cedar Camp in the future.”

Yes, the position of lord.

From the beginning, Wen Yuan had aimed to replace the NPC and become the new lord of Red Maple Camp. Cooperation and promises of territorial gains were all lies. He simply wanted to use the players to help overthrow the NPC’s rule. After the events concluded, instead of sharing wealth and power, the group members would face betrayal.

Then, he would utilize the power of the Blue Cedar Camp to bring the entire Red Maple Camp under his control.

Thinking of his upcoming success, Wen Yuan smiled slowly.

***

The next day, with gentle spring winds and bright sunshine, there was no discernible difference from usual. Wen Yuan logged in at the appointed time and began his planned actions.

Recently arrested members of the thieves’ group included some of his people. They deliberately feigned weakness, allowing themselves to be captured by the patrol team and imprisoned. Their aim was to lead a successful jailbreak on a specific day, creating chaos with other inmates.

Simultaneously, he had arranged for individuals to set fires across the camp, diverting attention. In addition, Wen Yuan had prepared a large quantity of hallucinogens. The amount was sufficient to drive a normal person insane upon inhalation.

To prevent Yun Shan from interfering, he had specifically brought her to his side, promising her substantial benefits.

“Everything is perfect.”

Having issued his orders, Wen Yuan patiently waited, expecting good news.

***

In the prison, eight of the thieves used their talents to ambush the guards, catching them off guard. In the blink of an eye, all the prison guards were down. The thieves took the keys, unlocking the cells for the others and urging, “Quick, run!”

Before the words had fully left their mouths, several silver needles shot out, piercing vital points. The eight thieves fell to the ground, instantly vanquished.

Zhu Hong strolled over slowly, “Dare to run, and this is what you get.”

A cell door that had been unlocked filled the imprisoned prisoners with delight, ready to escape. Upon seeing Zhu Hong, they nervously closed the open door, relocking it, and expressed, “The prison is a great place. We’re so happy here that we don’t want to leave…”

***

In a corner of the camp, a two-star player was about to start a fire. Suddenly, a clear whistle rang out. Immediately, several three-star wolfhounds pounced, forcing him to the ground.

Two-star player: “???”

He looked bewildered, shouting loudly, “We are in the Red Maple Camp, and you are not allowed to attack others! You are violating camp safety laws!”

The next moment, members of the patrol team appeared, taking him away. “You need to explain why you were starting a fire in the camp.” they said.

Two-star player: “…”

***

On the bustling streets, people came and went.

Two groups got into a dispute and suddenly started fighting.

After a random scuffle, neither group was hurt, but many onlookers inadvertently inhaled some powder.

As the bystanders began losing their composure due to the effects of the powder, the brawlers were attempting to leave. However, one person from the crowd suddenly pounced, shouting, “What’s this? It stinks! I won’t let you scatter powder in the streets!”

This seemed to act as a signal, prompting more onlookers to join the scuffle, collectively attacking those who had scattered the powder.

The group, fervently acting to spread the hallucinogenic powder, found themselves beaten and bruised by the enraged crowd. “…”

This script wasn’t going as planned!

***

“The thieves’ group has successfully escaped from prison, and the patrol team is currently searching for the fugitives.”

“The fire is intense, and NPCs are busy extinguishing it.”

“The hallucinogenic powder does indeed affect people’s minds. After inhaling the powder, the residents have collectively gone mad.”

“Currently, five teams of NPC guards have been wiped out, and they are searching for the next target.”

One report after another arrived, lifting Wen Yuan’s spirits.

Anticipating that the time was right, he messaged Qi Nian, “Your people can act now.”

Before long, Qi Nian replied, “I’ve appreciated your help all along.”

Unperturbed, Wen Yuan responded, “There’s no need for formalities between us.”

Qi Nian replied, “I’ll make good use of the opportunity you’ve given me to take over the Red Maple Camp.”

Sensing something amiss, Wen Yuan replied, “The one taking over will be me. I’ll be the lord.”

Qi Nian said, “You are still so naive. With such a great opportunity at hand, how could I possibly hand it over to you? Rather than saying that the Red Maple Camp will be the best partner of Blue Cedar Camp, wouldn’t it be better if I took over everything?”

Wen Yuan: ?!!

He was both shocked and incredulous.

What did this mean?

Had he been played by an NPC?

He had thought he had won Qi Nian’s favor, believing him to be a reliable ally, only to realize that Qi Nian’s intentions were to use him and then dispose of him.

In an instant, Wen Yuan felt overwhelmed and nearly collapsed from the shock.

“Why?” he persisted, needing a clear answer.

“I can’t find a reason not to do this,” Qi Nian stated.

“The Red Maple Camp’s leader was secretly poisoned by my men, and now he’s in a confused state, making it the perfect time to strike.”

“With bandits running amok, travelers from the (other realm) causing chaos, and residents attacking each other in madness, the camp has turned into chaos. If at this moment, I bring my men to quell the unrest, appearing like a savior, the residents will naturally recommend me as the next lord.”

“If there’s no recommendation, that’s fine. Those addicted to the substance will stand by my side and support me to be the lord. Those who disagree will be considered as outcasts. They can be driven away or eliminated with a reason, ultimately, the Red Maple Camp will still be under my control.”

“To ensure everything goes smoothly, I even hired someone to assassinate Lu Ming’s personal doctor, but unfortunately, it failed.”

“What about me?” Wen Yuan demanded, “Since we’ve known each other, I’ve done so much for you. Is our relationship all a lie?”

Qi Nian replied, “Even if we were close friends, I wouldn’t give up the Red Maple Camp for you. I could spare your life. We’ve had a good acquaintance.”

Wen Yuan was furious. He knew the NPCs in the “Doomsday Camp” game were eccentric, having both good and bad traits. However, he believed that it was the mismatched relationships that led players to be deceived by NPCs. He thought that a good relationship and mutual understanding would ensure that he could increase favorability without fear of betrayal.

Before this, Qi Nian’s behavior had confirmed his speculations. They were close and worked well together, seemingly to get along.

He never expected that their past friendly interactions were simply due to a lack of conflicting interests. Once their real interests were at stake, Qi Nian had no hesitation in casting him aside.

He had completed many tests! Logically, their favorability should have reached its maximum!

Yet, Qi Nian still betrayed him without a second thought.

In the real world, such people are usually called “ungrateful wretches”…

Wen Yuan was overwhelmed with anger, wishing he could dismantle Qi Nian.

Qi Nian: “I have other matters to attend to. Goodbye.”

After that, no matter what he said, there was no response from the other party.

Filled with resentment, Wen Yuan angrily pounded the table.

Members of the group continued to send him messages.

“We’ve destroyed eight patrol teams, victory is within reach!”

“The camp is in chaos, and residents are in a state of panic.”

“There are NPCs and players causing chaos together. We are not fighting alone!”

At this moment, no amount of good news could console Wen Yuan. He stared at his black wristwatch, his expression changing rapidly, as if he was urgently contemplating a plan of action.

In the midst of his contemplation, a large group of people burst in.

In order to facilitate communication, the group members had exchanged their real names, contact information, and residential addresses.

The person who came to see him at this moment was ostensibly a cooperating partner.

Wen Yuan had harbored ill intentions, but before he could enact them, he was outsmarted by Qi Nian. With his emotions still relatively stable, he forced a smile and asked, “Why have you come? Didn’t we agree to work together to resist the tyranny of the NPCs?”

Someone looked down in guilt.

Another person attempted to explain in a calm tone, “After the meeting yesterday, Yun Shan privately approached me. She suggested that rather than rebelling to seek wealth and prosperity, it would be better to trade with her. She claimed to have everything we desired, so there was no need to take risks.”

Wen Yuan’s gaze darkened slightly. “You agreed?”

The person replied despondently, “Yun Shan said that if we couldn’t come to an agreement in private, she would let the NPCs negotiate with us.”

“Who is she to command the NPCs?” Wen Yuan laughed in exasperation. “It’s just talk. How could you take it seriously?”

“It’s true,” another person said softly. “As soon as I logged in this morning, I saw a large number of NPCs near my location, ready to attack at a moment’s notice.”

“Adaptability is the mark of a wise man; only by being flexible can one survive for long.”

Wen Yuan: “…”

“Speaking of which, you’re to blame for this,” someone rebuked him. “With so many potential partners, why did you bring Yun Shan into the group? It’s obvious she’s in goodterems with the NPCs!”

Wen Yuan: Was he supposed to have courted Yun Shan beforehand, waiting for her to interfere with his plans?

He had not anticipated that this woman, while pretending to be friendly, was actually plotting against her partners. She had been harboring thoughts of undermining and usurping his position.

“Where is Yun Shan?” Wen Yuan gritted his teeth.

The group members responded, “She’s not here.”

If they wanted to defect, they needed to show some results to prove their loyalty. Nothing could demonstrate their allegiance more than getting rid of Wen Yuan.

He hoped that Yun Shan would be lenient, considering their significant contributions. Otherwise, being targeted by NPCs would mean certain death…

Wen Yuan found the world to be truly absurd.

He had thought he would achieve great success today, but instead, he had been outwitted repeatedly.

The person who had outsmarted him had not even shown up, yet they had already managed to sideline him.

“What’s the latest news?” Wen Yuan inquired again.

“All the members colluded to deceive you, to stabilize the situation and completely eliminate security risks,” someone replied. “Haven’t you noticed? Your subordinates haven’t relayed any information. It’s because these people are either deceased or have had their wristwatches removed.”

Wen Yuan: Thought he had covered all bases, but the reality was filled with loopholes. To successfully rebel was proving to be extremely difficult.

Someone nearby urged, “Enough talk. It’s best to end this quickly.”

As soon as these words were spoken, numerous attacks overwhelmed him.

Wen Yuan couldn’t be bothered to evade them.

At that moment, he had only one thought in mind—Qi Nian’s intricate scheming might not ensure his ultimate success after all.

***

At the same time, the streets were in chaos.

“I wear scented sachets every day and take medicine daily, just to keep my condition under control. But as soon as I smelled the powder, my bad temper returned. Who else could I hit but you?” a passerby grabbed the sleeves of the brawling group, looking confrontational.

Not far away, flames shot up into the sky.

— It was the patrol team conducting a thorough search, using damp cloths to cover their mouths and noses as they incinerated the rolled cigarettes they found.

Fights broke out everywhere in the camp.

— It was the guards uncovering spies from the Blue Cedar Camp, conducting a major purge.

Low-powered residents had long since received instructions from the lord to stay in their cellars for the past week and avoid going out unless necessary.

Anyone daring to wander the streets was evidently confident in their own abilities.

Seeing the intense fighting, Lu Ming turned to Yun Shan and said, “You should leave quickly and come back in a week.”

Yun Shan disagreed, “If I leave, what will you do?”

Lu Ming replied, “If you stay, I’ll be distracted by worrying about you.”

“What about my battle pets in the estate?” Yun Shan asked again.

“I’ll take care of them for you,” Lu Ming replied.

Before Yun Shan could say anything else, he added, “If you insist on staying, we can talk about something else, like meeting in the future—”

Yun Shan: “… I’ll leave. Take care of yourself.”