In the past, Barbecue Sauce would never have had any interaction with a player. It had seen too many of its kind and companions captured and tortured by players, it hated them.
But now, without realizing it, it had already started to trust the player in front of it. This was something it never imagined before.
Thinking of this, Barbecue Sauce seemed to sense something. 'He seems to never have looked at things from the player's perspective…'
Thinking back to everything since they met, this player named Xu Yuan had always maintained a neutral attitude.
Barbecue Sauce couldn't help but recall the things Xu Yuan had said before, ("You and the players are equal…")
("Killing you gives them benefits…")
If he was standing on the player's side, he definitely wouldn't have said that. He was like a bystander, as if he didn't stand with any faction. But clearly, he looked just like a player.
After thinking this, Barbeque Sauce looked at Xu Yuan again and asked, "Cluck cluck cluck? (You… who exactly are you?...)"
Before entering the Trial Grounds, Barbeque Sauce and Blue Demon had also learned some information about it. Naturally, they had also heard about the three HIMs.
Barbeque Sauce, though he hadn't seen HIM before, had heard some things about HIM. That HIM who combined strength, strategy, and vision into one. The HIM who had many powerful followers, even making those unruly players submit.
Even though Barbeque Sauce had only spent less than half an hour with Xu Yuan, at this moment, he seemed to see some shadow of that legendary HIM on this player named Xu Yuan.
Just a few short sentences completely overturned Barbeque Sauce's perception, enough to show that his vision was far above that of Barbeque Sauce and the other players.
As Barbeque Sauce was deep in thought, Xu Yuan's words interrupted his thoughts.
"Who I am is not important. I can be anyone. So can you."
"You can be the players' food, or you can be a lifelong warrior of revenge. You can also be a pioneer who brings peace and tranquility to the next generation."
"Who you are is not important. What matters is, who do you want to become..."
After hearing Xu Yuan's words, Barbeque Sauce was deep in thought for a long time.
Xu Yuan's words were truly an inspiration for Barbeque Sauce. Barbeque Sauce also calmed down and carefully thought about the meaning in Xu Yuan's words.
"Cluck cluck cluck cluck… (The old me, was the food of players...)"
"Cluck cluck cluck cluck cluck… (The current me, is a lifelong warrior of revenge...)"
"Cluck cluck cluck… (But neither of these identities brought me joy or hope…)"
Although Barbeque Sauce had been following Blue Demon and Pufferfish JIO after being rescued,
and was working hard to rescue more companions, they had also realized that this kind of effort seemed to have no end.
Everything they did only treated the symptoms, not the root cause.
Because of that, Blue Demon and Barbeque Sauce chose different paths from Jio.
So in a sense, Barbeque Sauce and Blue Demon had already broken through their restraints and become pioneers.
This also proved that they were the type who knew how to adapt.
After thinking this, Barbeque Sauce seemed to figure something out.
"Cluck cluck!! Cluck cluck cluck!! (I understand!! I want to become a pioneer!!)"
Barbeque Sauce knew clearly that walking down a never-ending road was pointless. Only by learning to adapt, to seek paths that no one had walked before, could new hope be found.
Even though he knew this path would be difficult, he was still willing to be that pioneer.
Thinking this, Barbeque Sauce looked at Xu Yuan and said, "Cluck cluck cluck… Cluck cluck cluck… (I'm willing to become a pioneer… but the method you mentioned just now about 'giving'... I can't accept it…)"
"Cluck cluck cluck… (Those players are our enemies, yet we're supposed to maintain peace by pleasing and giving things to them? Isn't this just another form of begging and unfairness?)"
Barbeque Sauce's meaning was simple, he was willing to make sacrifices, and even talk with the players. But he couldn't accept Xu Yuan's initial method of giving things away.
After hearing Barbeque Sauce's words, Xu Yuan shrugged and said, "I was just giving an example just now. Just like you said, peace maintained through 'giving' is fragile. The premise of making a deal is that both sides can benefit."
After saying that, Xu Yuan looked at Barbeque Sauce and said, "Is there something you really want but usually can't get by yourself?"
Hearing Xu Yuan's question, Barbeque Sauce thought for a moment and couldn't seem to think of anything he wanted.
After a short silence, he looked at Xu Yuan and asked, "Cluck cluck cluck…? (Um… does food count?…)"
Seeing Xu Yuan nod, Barbeque Sauce gulped and then said, "Cluck cluck cluck… Cluck cluck cluck… (I like eating silverfish and glowing berries… but they're really hard to find…)"
Silverfish were always hidden in stone, not easy for Barbeque Sauce to get. And glowing berries weren't common either.
Barbeque Sauce and Blue Demon had no fixed place to stay, so they couldn't deliberately grow them.
Seeing Barbeque Sauce practically drooling from hunger, Xu Yuan smiled and said, "Then… what if a player is willing to trade those things for your poison eggs?"
Hearing Xu Yuan's words, Barbeque Sauce was stunned. "Cluck cluck cluck… (If the other side has no hostility…)"
"Cluck cluck cluck… (I have a lot of poison eggs anyway…)"
"Cluck cluck… (But silverfish and glowing berries…)"
Saying that, Barbeque Sauce swallowed hard again.
Hearing Barbeque Sauce's words, Xu Yuan nodded and said, "Then that satisfies the condition of mutual benefit, and with that, the trade can continue."
Actually, Xu Yuan's proposal was essentially turning Barbeque Sauce into an NPC.
An NPC who gives out quests, quests like things he wants to eat, things he needs, random small chores, or even dangerous missions that require great effort. Players could take his quests, and upon completion, the NPC would give them rewards.
Players have played so many games and are used to doing all kinds of fetch quests. As long as the reward is fair, players would definitely be happy to help.
That way, both players and quest-givers benefit. Once players accept the concept of conscious monsters and animals becoming NPCs, the conflict is basically resolved.
Hearing Xu Yuan's words, Barbeque Sauce fell into thought. He truly didn't dislike this kind of model. After all, players could bring him benefits, and poison eggs weren't precious to Barbeque Sauce.
If he could trade those for delicious silverfish and glowing berries, Barbeque Sauce definitely thought it was worth it.
If the player trading with him had a friendly attitude, Barbeque Sauce was willing to do the deal.
But the problem was, not everyone was kind to animals.
Thinking that, Barbeque Sauce looked at Xu Yuan and voiced his concern.
Hearing Barbeque Sauce's concern, Xu Yuan smiled and said, "Exactly. That's the hard part of being a pioneer. It's like writing a new rule within the existing world system."
"Some will accept the new rule, others will oppose it. This is the challenge that pioneers need to overcome."
Xu Yuan naturally knew his plan would be hard to carry out.
First, he had to change the players' mindset, getting them to treat conscious creatures as NPCs was already a big challenge. And even then, there would still be rebels among the players.
Likewise, not all monsters would accept the idea. Even if most people accepted it, unexpected situations would still arise.
What if the player suddenly changed their mind during the trade? What if the monster changed their mind?
These things all needed to be worked out slowly.
Just like Xu Yuan said, he was writing a new rule. The details of this new rule had to be refined and polished repeatedly, until it could restrain most people and be accepted by most, only then could it be effective.
Before Xu Yuan stood a mountain of difficult problems.
But just as he said, as a pioneer, he had to solve them. Still, looking at the current situation, Xu Yuan had already made a good start.
At least Barbeque Sauce agreed with the plan Xu Yuan proposed.
Hearing Xu Yuan's words, Barbeque Sauce thought for a long time. 'New rules…'
Barbeque Sauce had never thought new rules could exist in this world. He had never imagined a scenario where players and himself made trades.
He didn't know what kind of feeling he would have if that moment really came.
But what Barbeque Sauce could be sure of was, he hoped to see new rules being made. He hoped there would be a day when he could let go of hatred, enjoy life, and enjoy good food.
Even if he couldn't live to see that day himself, he hoped his descendants, or their descendants, could live the life he dreamed of.
He didn't want his future generations to be born with hatred and resentment, living in fear at the very bottom.
Thinking that, Barbeque Sauce looked at Xu Yuan with firm eyes and said, "Cluck cluck cluck!! (I'm willing to be a pioneer!!)"
"Cluck cluck cluck!! (No matter how hard or dangerous the road ahead is, I'm willing!!)"
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