Saving the World in an Apocalypse-Style Text Game

Just by reading the descriptions of the castle and the mine, one can infer that they are likely to be dangerous.

According to past gaming experiences, the blacksmith shop on the left side of the road could be a place to enhance weapons and equipment. Possibly, they might also sell some game props and equipment.

Lin Xun pondered a bit and decided to first check out the blacksmith shop.

[You walk along the left side of the road and enter the temporarily set up blacksmith shop.]

[The rhythmic clang of forging echoes in the shop. An old blacksmith, evidently corrupted by the power of the Profane Blood Sun, is lost in his own world, mechanically forging, guided by his residual memories.]

[You approach the blacksmith to strike up a conversation, but he ignores you and continues to swing his hammer.]

There was no follow-up to the text, so Lin Xun clicked to talk to the blacksmith again.

[You approach the blacksmith to strike up a conversation, but he ignores you and continues to swing his hammer.]

Lin Xun furrowed his brows, thought carefully, and remembered that he still had an initial Forging Stone in his inventory. This might be useful now.

He clicked on the Forging Stone, and sure enough, an option appeared.

[Give the initial Forging Stone to the blacksmith, who might strike up a conversation with you upon seeing this familiar item.]

Without hesitation, Lin Xun clicked to give the item.

[The corrupted blacksmith took the Forging Stone, looked at you with crimson eyes...and then lowered his head to continue his work.]

Unwilling to give up, Lin Xun clicked to converse again.

[You approach the blacksmith to strike up a conversation, but he ignores you and continues to swing his hammer.]

???

Lin Xun was puzzled. Wasn't the idea that after giving him a gift he would chat?

"Maybe I didn't give enough, so he didn't reach a certain level of affection."

Logically, this situation might be due to the low quality of Lin Xun's Forging Stone, or its amount being too small to trigger the next step with the blacksmith.

Now, more Forging Stones are needed.

Lin Xun rubbed his chin, recalling that to the right of the road was an abandoned mine.

"Could there be Forging Stones in that mine?"

He left the blacksmith shop, deciding to check the mine for Forging Stones.

[You head to the right side of the road and arrive in front of a gloomy mine.]

[There are many rusted shovels, pickaxes, and a damaged wooden mine cart scattered at the entrance. Among the pile of junk, you find a relatively intact Cross Iron Pickaxe.]

[You obtained Cross Iron Pickaxe (tool).]

[Cross Iron Pickaxe (tool): The dried, mottled bloodstains blend with the red rust on the pickaxe head. Its owner seems to have suffered unlucky fate. Carry this tool to mine ore.]

[Would you like to enter the mine?]

Having obtained a mining tool, he figured that mining options would likely appear once he entered the mine.

Lin Xun clicked to enter.

[You step into the mine along the rusted tracks, and the crimson sunshine gradually dims. The pit is dark and the rock walls sporadically have fungi growing on them, emitting a faint blue light.]

[You notice a corner of an exposed rock wall glinting. On closer inspection, it seems to be a rare type of ore.]

[Would you like to mine this ore?]

[Mining...]

The game text stopped here.

Lin Xun thought his phone had frozen, so he quickly restarted it.

After rebooting and re-entering the game, the screen still says [Mining...]

Only after about ten minutes did the text change.

[Mining successful. You obtained one initial Forging Stone.]

As expected! This mine must be the place where Forging Stones can be obtained.

Lin Xun decided to mine this cave thoroughly.

[There are no more mineable ores in this tunnel. Do you want to continue further?]

[With the faint light emitted by the unknown fungi, you keep going. Soon, you're faced with three diverging paths in the middle of the tunnel.]

[Which way do you choose to go?]

The text didn't offer a detailed description of the forks in the tunnel.

Lin Xun had no choice but to randomly pick one.

[You take the left fork...]

Upon entering the fork, the game document revealed another mining notice, and Lin Xun continued to dig; ten minutes later, he acquired another low-level Forging Stone...

This mine had a complex structure with many branching paths. As he walked through, he saw several such forks.

However, the presence of Forging Stones was quite frequent, although the tedious process of mining made Lin Xun feel somewhat bored.

He simply opened his laptop to write while waiting for the ore to be collected, and concurrently recorded the branch choices within the mine on his computer.

The characteristic of the Fourth Disaster made him prepare to fully excavate the whole mine, leaving no stone unturned.

After finishing a fork, Lin Xun would return to the fork junction and choose a nearby path for further exploration.

...

Outside the window, it was already dark.

Just as he finished typing two two-thousand-word chapters, most of the forks in the mine had been thoroughly explored, and he had harvested a pile of Forging Stones in his inventory.

"Only the last fork is left."

[You choose the fork to the right...]

[Suddenly, ahead of you, you enter a secret chamber hidden deep in the mine.]

Lin Xun raised an eyebrow at this, instantly intrigued.

'Secret Chamber'. The term suggested either a treasure or a "fresh red target".

[The torch in the secret chamber has long since been extinguished, but it's not pitch black. In the center of the room stands a massive treasure chest, emitting a soft white glow.]

[Do you want to go forward and open the chest?]

How could anyone resist opening it? Anyone who could withhold their curiosity must not be befriended; such individuals could be terrifyingly ruthless.

Clearly, Lin Xun was someone worth knowing, so he promptly clicked "Yes".

[You stride forward and open the chest...]

[Suddenly, the white glow changes color, and a scarlet light erupts. From both sides of the chest, long thin arms stretch out, with long legs extending from the bottom. The opening and closing of the lid has begun to resemble a large mouth full of fangs.]

[The three-meter-tall chest monster bites off the head of the unsuspecting you, the greedy one.]

[You are dead!]

???

"What the hell, killed by a surprise attack like this?"

"Fight me fairly! What's so great about ambushes!"

Lin Xun had predicted that entering the secret chamber would either result in treasure or monsters. But he never anticipated both appearing simultaneously in the form of a monstrous treasure chest.

[You, as the Wandering Soul, are reborn in the run-down church...]

Before, Lin Xun had spent 1 Soul Energy to reconstruct the Law Knight's Shell. He no longer had enough Soul Energy to reconstruct again.

Luckily, his Blood Sun Worshiper Shell hadn't died, so he could continue playing.

[The weak Wandering Soul takes over the shell of the 'Fallen Blood Sun Worshiper']

Before long, he was at the entrance of the mine again.

His prior record of the cavern routes on his laptop is now proving useful; otherwise, he would have to spend time finding the secret chamber again.

[Your eyes light up as you enter the secret chamber hidden deep in the mine...]

[In the center of the chamber, stands the large chest, emitting a soft white glow.]

"Heh, you can't play innocent now... have you never heard that the same trick can't be used on a Holy Fighter twice?"

Lin Xun went to select 'Stab in the Back' from the Blood Sun Worshiper's skill bar, but he suddenly noticed that the Double-handed Great Sword of the Law Knight was still in his inventory.

He tried moving the Double-handed Great Sword to the equipment bar of the Blood Sun Worshiper.

[You have equipped the Double-handed Knight Great Sword (Normal+)]

[You have grown stronger!]

This is possible?

It seems the game's job classes, equipment, and even skills aren't too rigid. The Blood Sun Worshiper, primarily an assassin class, can also equip the knight's weapon.

[You sneak behind the chest, draw out your 'Double-handed Knight Great Sword', and launch a 'Stab in the Back' against the chest.]

[A mournful howl echoes through the room...]

[You have defeated the Chest Monster, and your experience has slightly increased.]

[You have received a Mid-level Forging Stone*1]

[You have received the Enchanted Moonlight Sandpaper*2 (prop)]

[You look at the 'Chest Monster's' Shell lying in front of you...]