Chapter 80: The First Followers

In addition to the familiar faces of Dandao Dantart and Qiu Muyu, several seasoned Sarkaz players, including the expert Yang Yan XF, arrived alongside Magic ZX. Their intentions were clear—they simply wanted a seat at Felix's table, even if it meant settling for just the scraps.

At this stage, Felix was still presenting himself as a merchant. Other than his portable shop, there wasn't much about him that stood out in the early game. This made it all the more rare—and impressive—that players were already choosing to follow him.

But that rarity also proved just how effective his approach was. Felix offered tangible benefits, maintained a charismatic presence, and knew how to build rapport. Naturally, players were drawn to him.

Among the group that had gathered, some were streamers, others were grassroots members of mid-sized gaming guilds. Including Magic ZX and the three who had first joined him, there were now ten in total. Of the group, the most powerful were Dandao Dantart and Yang Yan XF. A tier below them were Magic ZX and a few other experienced players. Qiu Muyu, meanwhile, was focused entirely on crafting and wasn't counted toward combat strength.

Breaking them down:

– Magic ZX and Yang Yan XF were both content creators who specialized in making videos.

– Dandao Dantart was aiming to join a professional guild.

– Qiu Muyu and Xiao Xuegao were focused on production classes.

– The remaining members included three players from strategy groups and two high-ranking players from different gaming guilds.

Felix vaguely remembered Xiao Xuegao—if memory served, she was an artist who also worked as a copyist in-game.

Of course, as time went on, it would be impossible for him to personally manage every player's status or activities. One potential solution was to appoint subordinates to lead and coordinate groups on his behalf. At present, the only reliable candidate for that role was Degenbrecher. Ulšulah, meanwhile, was still busy building the Sarkaz town and clearly had no time to spare. Though she was highly competent in both personnel and operations management, her current role was more mercenary than subordinate—after all, Felix had prepaid her wages for several years.

He hadn't yet had a proper conversation with Ulšulah about her long-term intentions. Felix respected her independence and had no plans to force her into anything.

An alternative leadership structure would be to let players lead players. The logic was simple: whoever was stronger would naturally take charge. Disputes could be settled with PvP. Victory brought authority; defeat brought acceptance.

Among the current group of ten, only three seemed fit for leadership: Magic ZX, Yang Yan XF, and Dandao Dantart. Felix took note of this and tucked the thought away for the future, continuing to greet the stream of players arriving at his shop.

The professional players from Yanyu Pavilion showed up a little late. They had been in the middle of a mission when they saw a forum post revealing that the Pioneer had arrived in town. Without hesitation, they backtracked, hurrying to make their purchases before Felix's inventory sold out.

Four Casters from the Yanyu Pavilion each bought a caster staff. As they held the weapons in their hands, they could feel the sensation of magical originium arts energy pulsing around them—and for a moment, they felt truly powerful.

Yan Fei opened the shop interface and promptly bought herself a military uniform. It had to be said—her figure was excellent. Once she put it on, the outfit accentuated her sharp and confident presence, giving her the air of a seasoned officer.

Her gaze drifted and soon landed on Magic ZX and his group, who were chatting nearby. Without hesitation, she walked over and greeted them.

"Hello."

Naturally, Magic ZX and the others recognized Yan Fei. After all, her appearance was identical to her real-life self. Many players had seen her in Swordsman, and within the community, she had long been well-known. Not only was she strong and skilled in combat, but she also had a straightforward personality—traits that made her especially popular among male players.

Male players often disliked the so-called "princess-type" gamers who did little more than demand help and lie back. Yan Fei, on the other hand, had subverted expectations—often leading full four-player teams by herself. The early skepticism about her being a capable female player had long since vanished.

"Hey, hey!"

The group of veteran players greeted her with a mix of surprise and light-heartedness. They hadn't expected her to approach them.

"You're... Lupo, Perro, Kuranta, and Sarkaz?" Yan Fei glanced at the mix of races in the group and blinked curiously. "How come you're here too? Did you also trigger a hidden mission?"

Magic ZX was briefly stunned. He had been about to answer her first question when her second one caught him off guard.

"Wait... 'you too'?" he echoed. "Yan Fei, did you also trigger a hidden storyline?"

Yan Fei hesitated, then shrugged lightly. "Hard to say. I just felt like the Pioneer spoke to me a little more than usual and then handed me a quest..."

"Generally speaking, even the smallest quest can be the start of a whole quest chain," Magic ZX responded. "That's how it started for us too—individual quests from the Pioneer. After completing them, he sometimes gives another at any time. It's hard to predict... But one thing's for sure—most players haven't received personal quests from him yet."

Yan Fei nodded thoughtfully. Her gaze swept across the small group with growing interest. "So, you're planning to travel with the Pioneer?"

One thing stood out about these ten people: they were all solo players. While some were affiliated with guilds, none were full-time professionals. Streaming occasionally helped them fulfill guild objectives, but it wasn't their main identity. A few of them were even relatively famous, and livestreaming gave them extra exposure and income.

Yang Yan XF nodded with a polite smile. "If the Pioneer's willing to have us, of course we'd like to follow. Being able to buy from him anytime, anywhere—that alone is a huge benefit. Magic ZX and I are both UP hosts. He makes guide content, and I focus on lore analysis and write articles for Terra Daily. Traveling with the Pioneer lets us access information other players don't get."

Magic ZX hummed in agreement. "Without the Pioneer, we wouldn't have even gotten inside Kazimierz's mobile city, let alone this far."

"I want to study crafting skill books," said the two production-focused girls almost in unison.

"I want to get stronger," Dandao Dantart stated plainly, eyes burning with determination.

The rest each had their own reasons, but it all boiled down to one shared truth: following the Pioneer meant they could eat well, drink soup, level up easily, and live a smooth, rewarding life.

"Yan Fei, what about you?" someone asked. "Now that you've triggered a hidden mission, have you thought about following the Pioneer?"

"…Not yet," Yan Fei replied honestly. Everyone here was from the China server, so she didn't mind sharing some general information, though she wouldn't reveal any sensitive details about her team's strategy or training plans. Still, she explained her reasoning clearly. "Our Caster is currently attending classes in Leithanien and can't leave for now… And I'm the captain of Yanyu Pavilion. It wouldn't be right for me to abandon the main force to follow the Pioneer alone."

The others let out a collective sigh of understanding.

Yan Fei simply smiled, gave a small wave, and turned to leave—leaving the ten remaining players behind.

Before long, Felix finished selling the last of his items and walked over to the players, wearing his signature warm smile.

"Adventurers, long time no see. Last time we met was in Kazdel. What brings you all the way to Leithanien?"

The players immediately began talking at once. Thanks to the clear explanations from Magic ZX and Yang Yan XF, Felix quickly got a grasp of the current situation in Kazdel.

Theresa and Theresis were still locked in battle… This war had been raging since the server launched, and by now, most players had come to expect it would last until the end of version 1.0—much like how the Wrath of the Lich King saga had the Lich King endlessly angry and the Legion endlessly invading. This seemed like a large-scale war event designed to span the entirety of version 1.0.

Ulšulah's main town had already been completed, and the residential areas were still expanding day by day—largely because the town now housed nearly all the players in Kazdel. Only a handful of extreme PVP enthusiasts continued to battle to the death daily on the front lines. The rest either chose to rest within the town or left Kazdel altogether.

Naturally, some players had contracted Oripathy. It appeared that, due to the unique physiology of the Sarkaz people, several players entered the singularity zones of Kazdel without protective gear. Though they didn't uncover any ancient weapons, they did walk away with the Oripathy debuff—something that initially caused some concern.

However, players soon realized that they didn't actually need Caster wands to activate abilities associated with Oripathy. Once that became clear, most of them shrugged off the side effects and eagerly began experimenting with new combat styles.

The town's population had now firmly reached six figures. On the surface, it appeared to be nothing more than a large town, but behind the scenes, it had become Kazdel's third major force.

According to Yang Yan XF, many NPC mercenaries from nearby villages had moved into the city as well. Most chose not to align with either of the two great houses. In addition to them, a number of mercenaries from the Scar Market had also settled in.

Their arrival brought a surge of quests and instructional tasks for the players.

As for the Dynasty Team and the Warrior Team, they were still locked in competition across various fields—exploring new resources daily, and occasionally accepting assassination contracts from mercenaries in exchange for generous rewards and valuable experience points.

They had no intention of leaving anytime soon.

"Mr. Pioneer, where are you headed next? May we accompany you?"

The question, phrased with a touch of elegance, came from Magic ZX. As one of the first three players to follow the Pioneer, he believed—perhaps with some justification—that the Pioneer had developed a certain fondness for him.

Felix smiled. "Next, I plan to remain in Leithanien for about a month. After that, I'll head to Columbia."

"But my vehicle can't fit so many adventurers," he added with a chuckle. "You'll need to acquire your own transport. Out here, a reliable vehicle is one of the most worthwhile investments you can make."

The players nodded in agreement, thinking back to their grueling journey to Leithanien. They had crossed scorched wastelands and wandered through desolate no-man's lands for ten days—possibly longer—before finally encountering signs of civilization. Hitchhiking had proven impossible; most rides could only carry one or two people, and their group numbered ten.

Worse still, they had witnessed firsthand the discrimination faced by the Sarkaz. Some merchant drivers who had seemed kind at first quickly changed their demeanor upon seeing Yang Yan XF and a few other Sarkaz players. Their faces twisted with disdain, they cursed and drove off without a second thought.

Eventually, the group had to trudge on foot to a remote village, where they paid for a ride that finally brought them to Leithanien.

In hindsight, investing in a vehicle made perfect sense—especially if they planned to keep traveling with the Pioneer. After all, they couldn't rely on riding with him every time.

"If you get a vehicle," Felix said with a smile, "you're welcome to travel with me for a while."

He left the offer open-ended. After all, players had their own plans and preferences. If they ever got tired or encountered something urgent, they could leave at any time. It also gave him a good excuse to part ways early if needed.

The players were thrilled. Some even had to suppress the urge to rush forward and give the Pioneer a big hug. Thankfully, they held back—any overly eager behavior might've caused the Pioneer's favorability to drop instead.

Felix arranged to meet with the ten players again that evening and then left, giving them time to prepare freely.

Vehicles weren't exactly cheap—but they weren't prohibitively expensive either. A decent pickup truck, capable of hauling cargo, could be bought for several hundred thousand LMD. However, vehicles suitable for all-terrain and all-weather conditions required more careful consideration. Given their recent spending spree, it wasn't realistic for each player to purchase their own ride.

Fortunately, the only dealership in Leithanien's Novice Town specialized in off-road vehicles, providing a solid option. After pooling their resources, the group decided on a joint purchase: Magic ZX, Dandao Dantart, Qiu Muyu, and Xiao Xuegao chipped in to buy one vehicle; Yang Yan XF and three members of the strategy team bought a second; while two elite players from a major guild pooled funds for a third.

Owning their own vehicles for the first time meant freedom—the ability to roam across this vast land at will, to go wherever the wind took them. Just the thought of it was exhilarating. Even more thrilling was the fact that each vehicle came with its own set of modifications. The players were already daydreaming about outfitting their off-road trucks with protective armor, imagining how cool they'd look tearing across the terrain.

By evening, Felix returned from his walk and spotted the three off-road vehicles parked neatly along the roadside. The players were crowded around them, eagerly touching every surface, climbing in and out with childlike excitement. Felix couldn't help but laugh at the sight. He cleared his throat with a light cough, catching their attention.

"Adventurers," he said with a grin, "are you planning to wait here for a month, or would you rather come with me to a nearby Mobile City and stay there instead?"

The players' eyes lit up instantly. A Mobile City? That was leagues better than staying in the novice town! They had all seen the video Magic ZX shared featuring the Kawalerielki, and the sheer scale and grandeur of the mobile city had left them stunned. To witness it firsthand in version 1.0? That would be a dream come true.

All ten players voted in agreement without hesitation.

Felix nodded, pleased. "Once we enter the city, remember—you're all my subordinates. That way, your identities won't be questioned."

"Understood!"

The convoy rolled out of town, tires crunching against the earth. Dandao Dantart, the designated driver of Magic ZX's vehicle, had real-life experience behind the wheel. Stretching comfortably, he rolled down the window, followed closely behind Felix's pickup, and called out with a grin, "Wuhu! This is the life—traveling once again with the Pioneer!"

From the neighboring SUV came another voice: "Let's go! Let's conquer this land of hardship!"

And from the third vehicle: "Full speed! Initiate!"