Magic Farm 162
by CristaeChapter 162 Some Strange Filters
The nineteen remaining Greenlute, trapped and suspended in midair by the vines, were instantly struck dumb with fear.
Already outclassed in terms of strength, with their leader dead, they lost all will to fight, dangling helplessly in the air.
Qi Yu thought: Why do they seem even easier to kill than mutant creatures?
He walked over to the spot where the Greenlute leader’s body had turned into white light and vanished, finding it perfectly clean.
On the ground, there was only a small pouch filled with silver coins.
This wasn’t a survival game loot drop—it seemed more like the Greenlute leader’s own belongings.
The Greenlute suspended above saw his movement, and spotted the coin pouch as well.
A chorus of dwarf voices erupted:
“The leader hid a money pouch!”
“The leader lied! He said he didn’t have a single silver coin left!”
“Liar! Serves him right!”
“…”
Qi Yu: .
It appeared there was little camaraderie among this race; not one of them mourned their leader.
The vines binding them gave a shake.
Qi Yu said, “I’ll ask, you’ll answer.”
The Greenlute scrambled to respond, “Esteemed Mage, please ask anything, we’ll tell you everything!”
“Yes, yes, please forgive us! Your territory is so prosperous, it needs us to tend it even more.”
“We’re willing to sign a master-servant contract of our own accord.”
Qi Yu: “Silence.”
At last, there was quiet.
Qi Yu asked, “Where did you come from, and how did you find this place?”
One Greenlute replied, “We used to live in the Star Forest. When it snowed, our homes were gone, there was no food, so we started wandering. As we walked, we discovered your territory.”
A fireball spell struck, and the Greenlute who spoke followed his leader, vanishing in a flash of white light.
Qi Yu said coldly, “Lies.”
His gaze swept over them one by one.
“You say your homes are gone, your food is gone, so you’re wandering. But there are only twenty warriors here—are there no ordinary people, no elders or children in your tribe?”
“You call it wandering, but you carry only weapons and rations, no other survival supplies.”
He had seen refugees before; any scrap of property they could take, they would never abandon.
The survival game’s assessment was correct—this race truly had low intelligence. Even their attempts at deception were riddled with holes.
From the very start, Qi Yu had never believed them.
At his words, the Greenlute fell silent, stunned.
“So there were so many flaws?”
“The leader said he was the smartest in the tribe—looks like he was an idiot too!”
Qi Yu listened to them bickering among themselves, even cursing the dead leader in passing.
“Enough! Silence!”
He said coldly, “If you don’t want to turn into white light right now, you’d better start telling the truth.”
Realizing they’d been seen through from the beginning, the group became honest.
“We really do live in the Star Forest.”
“But we didn’t just wander here by accident—we heard some news. There are many new residents in the Star Forest. Their territories are safe, prosperous, and there’s no hunger.”
Clearly, these “new residents” were the players.
Qi Yu remembered that when Duo Ju appeared for the first time, she’d also described herself as a “new resident who’d moved into the Star Forest.”
He asked where they’d heard this news, but the Greenlute all looked blank.
Given their intelligence, it was unlikely they could all fake such a consistent reaction, so perhaps they really didn’t know.
Thinking in the worst possible terms: it was likely that all the “natives” of the Star Forest had heard rumors of “new residents.”
Qi Yu continued, “Tell me, what is the Star Forest like in your memories?”
He didn’t have much hope as he asked.
And indeed, as expected, the Greenlute all wore the same look of confusion.
Considering that after death they left no bodies, only white light—
Qi Yu thought, perhaps these “natives” of the Star Forest weren’t real living beings at all. Maybe, like the two farmers in his territory, they were “half-human, half-NPC” entities.
“Do you have any other tribesmen?”
“No,” said the lead Greenlute. “Our home was uninhabitable, and dragging those burdens would only slow us down, so we left them all behind.”
He spoke in a casual tone, the others equally unconcerned, as if they saw nothing wrong with what they’d done.
Qi Yu thought, the survival game’s assessment wasn’t complete—it should have added “cold-blooded” as well.
“Next question,” Qi Yu asked, “What is the Star Forest like after dark?”
During the day, even when he was in his territory, he could use his spiritual sense to keep track of the Greenlute’s movements.
But once night fell, it was impossible. He’d experienced the terror of the survival game’s night more than once.
Yet these Greenlute could move freely in the darkness.
He was genuinely curious—what was in the dark?
“What’s it like after dark?” The Greenlute looked puzzled, clearly not understanding the question.
He answered blankly, “After dark, it just gets darker, you can’t see anything. Other than that, it’s no different from daytime.”
Qi Yu considered, then set the speaking Greenlute down and placed a thread of spiritual sense on him.
“Go outside the territory and take a look.”
The Greenlute, thinking he was being released, was delighted.
He even grumbled a little, “Mage, your territory is so warm, much more comfortable than the icy world outside.”
Qi Yu watched as he walked to the gate. In the next instant, the Greenlute’s body vanished completely into the darkness.
The thread of spiritual sense he’d left also disappeared.
Qi Yu called out, “Where are you now?”
A voice came from the darkness, clearly not far away: “Just five steps outside, Mage.”
So, it seemed, the rules—“darkness is dangerous,” “do not approach”—applied only to players.
Qi Yu said, “Come back.”
Soon, the Greenlute’s figure reappeared within the territory.
Flames sprang up out of thin air, and all the invaders suspended in the air, as well as the one who’d just come in, turned into white light.
The demon vine had been watching the whole time, and now shook itself anxiously.
Qi Yu patted the listless vine and fed it some magic power. “Good, we don’t eat such filthy things.”
Even if they were only NPCs, these beings with intelligence and speech were still different.
That was why, back on the Winter Tundra, he’d been so shocked when he heard the ice demon speak.
After dealing with the Greenlute, Qi Yu opened his personal panel.
He posted about the Greenlute’s midnight attack in the 01 Survival Squad group.
[Need Some Money to Save the Day: Whoa! There really are villainous native NPCs?]
[Need Some Money to Save the Day: I know if you’re posting, Boss, it means it’s already handled, but I still have to ask—are you okay? Not hurt, right?]
[I Love Survival Games: I’m fine. I never trusted them.]
[Brother Civil Engineer: Game Boss is amazing! Lucky it was your territory they found—if it had been mine, I’d never have stood a chance.]
[I Love Survival Games: After killing them, their bodies turn into white light and vanish, and there’s no loot at all.]
This made the group fall silent for a moment.
It was Need Some Money to Save the Day who spoke first:
[Need Some Money to Save the Day: As expected of Boss! So decisive!]
[Tranquility Brings Far Reaches: Good thing—I was worried you might hesitate.]
Qi Yu: ?
[I Love Survival Games: What makes you all think that about me?]
He’d wanted to say this for a while. His friends in the group, and the players in the region channel, had all been acting strangely toward him lately.
[Can’t Open My Eyes: Hahaha, maybe it’s because of your looks and age.]
[Can’t Open My Eyes: You’re probably the youngest in our group, so we all subconsciously treat you like a kid.]
Most of the players in the region channel probably felt the same.
[Brother Civil Engineer: Yeah, and not to mention the teacher—me, I’m already a working adult. Looking at you is like looking at a child.]
[Can’t Open My Eyes: Researcher wage slave +1.]
[Need Some Money to Save the Day: Then I’m probably the youngest after Boss? Makes me a little mad—finally got into grad school, and then landed in the survival game.]
Qi Yu: .
[I Love Survival Games: I’m nineteen.]
[Need Some Money to Save the Day: Whoa, you really are young!]
[Brother Civil Engineer: That’s about what I thought. Your good friend Second Divinity is probably about your age too, right? Makes you think—this survival game is really cruel, throwing you two in here just as you become adults, to struggle for your lives.]
Qi Yu wanted to say, where I’m from, nineteen isn’t young at all.
He’d carried a knife for as long as he could remember; he couldn’t even recall when he’d killed his first mutant creature.
But in the end, he only said:
[I Love Survival Games: The survival game isn’t cruel—I’m happy here.]
The others: “……”
Qi Yu also posted about the natives attacking players in the region channel, which, as expected, caused a huge stir.
[Grind King: So, these natives aren’t necessarily good guys. They’re intelligent, can cultivate, and killing them drops nothing.]
[Grind King: That’s worse than mutant creatures—at least those drop loot.]
In the midst of the uproar, I Am the Master of My Fate suddenly piped up:
[I Am the Master of My Fate: So, you killed all those natives? @I Love Survival Games]
[I Am the Master of My Fate: So you’re no better than a killer yourself—why pretend to be some kind of saint?]
[I Love Survival Games: ?]
[Grumpy Old Bro: Seriously, how are you not dead yet? So hard to kill—guess it’s true, bad weeds never die.]
[Grind King: I really wish there was a block function. Seeing your posts is just bad luck.]
[Reach for the Moon: @I Am the Master of My Fate, Boss took your top rank and you hold a grudge, but now you’ve lost second place too—are you going to hate me as well?]
The players in the channel were actually speaking up for him.
Though it wasn’t the first time, Qi Yu was still surprised to see it.
[I Love Survival Games: I’ve never hesitated to kill.]
The channel, which had been scrolling rapidly, suddenly fell silent.
[I Love Survival Games: If player territories weren’t isolated, do you really think you’d still be alive? @I Am the Master of My Fate]
He didn’t usually like to talk tough—he preferred action.
But he said it anyway, sensing that the players in District 01, like those in the small group, had some kind of misunderstanding about him.
However, after he posted, it didn’t seem to have the intended effect.
[Roach Tastes Weird: Poor thing, that idiot’s even forced our Game Boss to start talking tough.]
[Author’s Note]
Late-night snack [Food][Food][Food]
Debt repayment progress: 300,000/650,000 [heart]