"To the north?"
Ethan Drake continued to amuse himself with the bold fire elementals below, while his gaze was fixed on the northern direction, lost in thought.
After Lucas Hayes's matter was settled, twelve more individuals arrived one after another.
Just as Lucas Hayes remembered, these were the Twelve Demon Pillars.
Ethan Drake's other followers from a parallel timeline.
Ethan Drake checked their memories one by one.
However, it was unfortunate that, although these individuals had distinct personalities and characteristics, they were not special transmigrators like Lucas Hayes and did not know much more.
Ethan Drake treated them equally and granted each of them power.
However, unlike the uniform "Disaster Cultist" class he had given Lucas Hayes, he granted powers tailored to each individual, each unique.
He even added a touch of his own dark amusement.
Compared to Lucas Hayes's Twelve Demon Pillars from the past, these twelve individuals were likely to be even stronger!
Although this world was ruled by the proud and mighty End Times Dragon, Ethan Drake did not underestimate the power of players.
On the contrary, he valued this power, which, to him, was mere ants.
He understood players all too well from his previous life!
Players...
In this world, with its special rules,
Immortal, capable of continuous resurrection, and growing stronger by killing monsters and acquiring equipment.
They possessed unimaginable futures.
Players, regarded as the Fourth Calamity, had the power to create miracles!
They could change this continent!
Ethan Drake was now starting to lay his plans.
He wanted to control this power.
That was why he granted Lucas Hayes such a trait.
Who said that the final boss had to passively wait to be defeated?
These pawns were just the first step!
He would do much more; he would control everything!
The myriad races of this world, the players from another world, the gods of the dome...
...
"Adventurer, could you help me deal with the slimes causing trouble in the farmlands to the north?"
"I can offer you generous rewards!"
To the north of the continent, this was a village on the outskirts of the empire.
Normally, a small village would have few people!
However, at this moment, it was bustling with activity.
Everywhere you looked, there were people wearing coarse cloth, with various appearances and races.
Orcs, elves, sea folk, dwarves... races that should not normally be found here were very common.
Players!
This place also had another name: Newbie Village!
Located on the outskirts of the empire, these villages were where players first arrived.
Players would familiarize themselves with basic operations and combat here.
After reaching a certain level, they could follow the guidance to travel to the empire or other parts of the continent to explore more of the vast and mysterious land.
Monsters, opportunities, secrets...
Everything would unfold.
The more exciting content of the game would be revealed.
Today, on the first day of the server launch,
Players were naturally gathered here.
It was all so novel to them.
An immersive experience,
Everything was so real—they could touch actual objects, see colors, and interact with people.
It was as if they truly existed here.
This game was truly a groundbreaking masterpiece!
It was amazing!
And now, under the astonished gazes of the surrounding players,
An elderly man carrying a hoe spoke kindly to a seemingly ordinary human player.
"Is this the task you accepted? How did he manage that?"
"Why do no NPCs react when I talk to them?"
"Big boss, please take me with you!"
...
On the first day of the server, the game was still in the exploration phase.
Some impatient players had already left the village to fight monsters,
While others were interacting with NPCs in the village, hoping to receive tasks or other things.
"Got it! Leave it to me!"
In front of everyone's gaze, the man nodded gently to the elderly man.
This person was, of course, Lucas Hayes.
This was a very realistic game world, with NPCs appearing almost like real people, each with their own unique emotions and moods.
Each newbie village had different built-in scenery, NPCs, and surrounding low-level monsters, but they all followed a similar pattern.
NPCs needed to have their favorability increased to receive quests from them.
These quests were just ordinary side quests, which could be completed while fighting monsters. Completing them would grant more money and experience, helping players level up faster in the early stages.
They did not affect the main storyline; as long as the player's level was high enough, even players who hadn't completed any quests could obtain the proof to leave the village from the village chief.
These were small tricks from games of the past, so Lucas Hayes had an easier time at the start compared to those who knew nothing.