Lords of the Heavens

Chapter 6: Plot-Driven Kill (Bonus Chapter for the Alliance Leader, Old Fifth from Wuliang Mountain Dormitory)

Night fell, and the campfire roared.

After drinking two bowls of wild vegetable soup, Li Wei wrapped himself in his only sheepskin blanket and sat by the fire. He wasn't very tired today; his body felt soothed and he was gradually adapting to the rhythm of the place.

But just as he was getting sleepy, a message suddenly woke him up.

[The apprentice craftsman *** has initiated a plot-driven death, hoping his mother, Fila, will die within 24 hours. Do you agree? Friendly reminder: The other party has used a special item. Whether you refuse, agree, or abstain, you will need to pay 20 experience points, and your choice will have a profound impact on subsequent quest storylines.]

"What the hell?"

Li Wei suddenly perked up and looked at Penny in horror, but she was also wrapped in a sheepskin blanket and looked drowsy, not even glancing at him.

Fila sat to one side, tossing a piece of firewood into the fire.

Good heavens, just a moment ago they were acting like a loving mother and daughter.

While Li Wei was still in a daze, another message appeared.

[The trainee chef *** has initiated a plot-driven death, hoping her daughter Penny will be bitten by a poisonous snake within 24 hours. Do you agree? Friendly reminder: Whether you refuse, agree, or abstain, you won't pay experience points, but your choice will profoundly affect subsequent storylines.]

-

What the hell!

Li Wei was stunned for a moment, then suddenly realized that initiating a plot-driven kill was not a higher-level system or a god-like authority, but something that any player could do.

However, the cost of initiating a plot-driven death should be very high, probably requiring a lot of experience points.

But is it really necessary?

Is it really necessary? Why don't we all happily farm together and build camps together? Isn't that better?

It has to be a plot-driven kill!

I get it, I get it. His cheap father was probably killed by those two bitches in a plot twist.

But is it meaningful?
Wait a minute, is this a three-player game?

The plot led to the death of my cheap father, which is why I, a new player, was able to join the game.

New players will then have new identities.

It's like my identity is George, the son of the family.

Is this new player my adopted son? Ahem!

But how do I choose?

It seems he only has three choices: align himself with Penny, align himself with Fila, or reject them all.

Moral considerations are irrelevant, because this is not actual killing, but elimination. After elimination, related memories will be erased, and there will be no chance of awakening again; one can only live as an ordinary person.

So what about from the perspective of the mission's storyline?

First of all, Penny is young and energetic, and will be a good helper in the future.

Fila was sickly, and even without a plot twist, she probably wouldn't live much longer.

Logically, we should have voted for Penny, but she's too assertive.

If new players appear next, what kind of identity will they have?

It definitely can't be his son, because the mission's plot doesn't make sense; he doesn't even have a wife.

So, the new player will either be male and become Penny's husband, or female and become George's wife.

However, given Penny's assertive nature, Li Wei couldn't guarantee that she wouldn't pull a plot-driven kill on him after a while.

The key question is what are the conditions for triggering a plot-driven death? Is there a certain interval between events, or is it necessary to pay experience points?
Secondly, if they align themselves with Fila, what will the new player's identity be?
It certainly couldn't be Fila's old flame; perhaps it was Fila's lost son, or George's wife.

Li Wei thought quickly.

In the end, I gritted my teeth and made the decision.

He first rejected Fila's suggestion of a plot-driven death, and refused to allow Penny to be bitten to death by a poisonous snake.

Then, he chose to refuse Penny's suggestion of a plot-driven death and refused to let Fila die of illness.

Although he was immediately deducted 20 building experience points. Yes, that was his choice; he wanted to maintain the status quo.

The moment he made his choice, Fila and Penny seemed to receive a message, but they remained drowsy as if it had nothing to do with them.

Without a doubt, he offended both of them.

So, will Fila and Penny pull off a plot twist to kill him off next?

Li Wei didn't know.

He didn't gamble, because he wasn't qualified to gamble.

Besides, as a newcomer, he shouldn't be worth those two bitches going to great lengths to get rid of him.

While pondering, Li Wei quickly drifted off to sleep.

Penny seemed to be fast asleep, while only Fila remained sitting by the fire, occasionally adding a piece of firewood, like a truly kind old mother.

Nothing happened all night.

Penny did not die from the snake bite.

Fila did not die of illness.

Life must go on.

A loving mother and a filial daughter; siblings who love each other.

Fila was still responsible for cooking a pot of wheat porridge, which naturally required experience points.

Speaking of which, after experiencing the plot-driven death last night and paying for food, Li Wei currently only has 5 logging experience points and 6 construction experience points left.

All his efforts over the past three days have been taken away by those two bitches.

It's basically like working for nothing.

However, there was nothing Li Wei could do. He figured it out: in reality, players couldn't attack each other or discuss things unrelated to the plot. They had to play the roles in the plot, being loving and affectionate, like fathers and sons, mothers and daughters. But they could use the "plot kill" weapon to eliminate a player.

This requires more intrigue and the exchange of benefits.

“George, today we’re going to continue reinforcing the house, but we have two options: one is to replace the walls with logs, and the other is to move more stones, pile them up to form stone walls, and mix them with mud. The former will be faster, and the latter will be slower. Which one do you think is more suitable?”

After eating the wheat porridge, Penny asked, which was quite rare. She actually asked Li Wei for his opinion. Was this bitch planning to play some trick again, or was she setting up a plot to kill him off?

“My mother’s health isn’t very good, and I’m worried that it will rain heavily again in the next few days, so the sooner the house is built, the better. Let’s cut down the trees.”

Li Wei glanced at Fila and gave his choice directly.

Admittedly, he knew that piling up stone walls and filling the gaps with mud would make the house more sturdy, but it was undoubtedly a technical job. Penny was an apprentice craftsman, so she would definitely be the one to build the walls, and thus she would gain a lot of construction experience.

Aiding the enemy is not a good choice.

Another reason is that Fila's health is really deteriorating. Sleeping in a damp shack every day is definitely not good. If there is another rainstorm and another severe cold, she will definitely die.

Therefore, Li Wei's actions were tantamount to currying favor with Fila.

This also indirectly prevents those two bitches from teaming up to kill him off in a plot twist.

However, to Li Wei's utter surprise, Fila, who had never expressed any opinion on building the house, suddenly spoke up.

"It's unlikely to rain in the next few days. Building a house is not easy, so we should choose a more reliable option. Let's use stone walls; they're more sturdy."

"Also, we're running low on food. Penny, you're in charge of building the house. George, you're in charge of gathering firewood. If you can hunt a few rabbits or pheasants, that would be even better."

“I agree. We need to stockpile as much firewood as possible, otherwise we won’t have a chance to collect it when the rainy season comes.”

Penny and Fila started singing in unison.

Li Wei hesitated for a few seconds, then nodded in agreement, but he made a request.

“I think we need to build a wall and plant something inside it, so I will continue to cut down trees when I have time.”

Upon hearing this, he clearly noticed that both Penny and Fila were slightly taken aback, their gazes subtle and intriguing.

“Okay, but George, you’re not feeling well, don’t overwork yourself,” Fila finally said to him with affection.

(End of this chapter)