"Black Fog City? Are you planning to go there?" Piāo Líng was startled upon hearing this.
Black Fog City, also known as the City of Darkness or the City of Fallen Souls, is rumored to be a prison for blacklisted players. Only those with a PK value over 100, the true killing maniacs, can enter!
Players with a PK value of 20 become blacklisted, and under normal circumstances, they are treated the same as red-named players, meaning they can be arrested and imprisoned in the city jail for a few days. However, once a player's PK value reaches 100, they are sent to Black Fog City if caught by the city guards.
Black Fog City remains a mystery. After all, reaching a PK value of 100 is not something the average player can achieve or even consider doing. During the era of forums, information was abundant, but details about Black Fog City were scarce, maintaining an air of mystique.
Some players went to great lengths to uncover the secrets of Black Fog City, hiring others to push their PK values to 100, only to discover that they couldn't cleanse their PK value there. They were essentially trapped, unable to return to normal cities, leading to the deletion of their characters due to the unbearable situation.
Two widely known pieces of information about Black Fog City exist. One is the "Assassin Badge." It is said that after completing an extremely difficult task in Black Fog City, players can obtain the Assassin Badge. With this badge, blacklisted players can use the airships from Black Fog City to return to normal cities and safely purchase supplies from city shops without being attacked by guards. The existence of the Assassin Badge is confirmed, but the method of obtaining it is known only to those who have received it. Players who have visited Black Fog City and returned report that the task is deeply hidden and guarded by specific factions, making it impossible to complete without their approval.
Another well-known feature is the bounty system. In Black Fog City, there is an NPC who accepts bounty postings. Players can set bounties on targets, and blacklisted players with Assassin Badges can accept these missions. With enough money, many blacklisted players are willing to risk their lives for the bounty. For those addicted to PK, the thrill of killing and earning money is irresistible.
Piāo Líng recalled an incident where two rival guilds clashed repeatedly. One guild began to falter and, in desperation, used all its funds to post a bounty on the other guild's members in Black Fog City. Many blacklisted players with Assassin Badges took the job and began assassinating the opposing guild members. Despite the strength and numbers of the targeted guild, the blacklisted players, skilled in PK and assassination, wreaked havoc. Eventually, many members of the targeted guild could not bear the constant fear and left the guild.
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Seeing the impending collapse of his guild, the leader of the targeted guild used all remaining funds to post a bounty on the rival guild before disbanding. In the end, blacklisted players accepted both bounties, leading to mutual destruction and allowing smaller guilds to seize the opportunity to take over.
This event was highly publicized in the Chinese gaming community, with thousands of players involved. The intense rivalry spilled onto the forums, creating a spectacle that was hard to ignore.
Before this incident, most players had only heard of Black Fog City. The strength of the blacklisted players with Assassin Badges was astounding, and mysterious events occurred during the conflict. Despite the high death toll, no equipment dropped from the blacklisted players, suggesting they wore bind-on-equip gear. This revelation sparked speculation about the source and nature of their equipment.
Although the origins of their gear remained unknown, like the Assassin Badge, the tragic outcome of the event served as a cautionary tale for many guilds, discouraging extreme actions that could lead to mutual destruction.
For ordinary guilds, the threat of blacklisted players was real, but for larger, well-known guilds, blacklisted players often ignored bounties due to the risk of death, which could result in losing a level. Losing money and levels was not a favorable trade-off for smart players.
Piāo Líng remembered an incident where someone posted a bounty on the elites of the prestigious King's Guild in Black Fog City, but no one accepted the bounty. The individual lost millions of gold coins, turning the event into a humorous anecdote, with the King's Guild boasting about the failed attempt.
Over the months since these incidents, no similar events occurred, fading into the background of players' memories. Piāo Líng had forgotten about Black Fog City until Xiao Hua mentioned it.
"Yes, I plan to go there and post a bounty!" Xiao Hua affirmed. He stumbled upon information about Black Fog City while browsing forums, intrigued by the legendary tales. Realizing the potential, he decided to use Black Fog City's blacklisted players to retaliate against the Bingfeng Guild.
Developing his own guild to rival the Bingfeng Guild was impractical in the short term, as guild strength lies in cohesion, which takes time to build. Money was not an issue for Xiao Hua; he could always earn more by stealing from bosses if needed.
"Wouldn't that cost a lot? Is it worth it?" Piāo Líng expressed concern, noting the importance of in-game currency, especially with the current inability to log out.
"Worth it! Money is just a means to an end, especially virtual currency. Spending it now is better than letting it sit!" Xiao Hua stated firmly.
He wanted to enjoy the game freely, and facing opposition, he was ready to fight back, even if it meant mutual destruction. This wasn't his first time standing up against bullies. When he was in university, he stood up to a wealthy bully and never regretted his actions, despite the consequences.
Moreover, having served in the military, he possessed a sense of courage and resilience, ready to face any challenge head-on.