Woke Up to Find the Game I Made Came True-Chapter 42

At this moment, Ye Bai's vision was filled with a unique map interface.

This was the large map specific to the Trade Route Expansion mode, somewhat similar to an aerial view of land claims, but not entirely the same. While the starting point, Meluo City, was illuminated with a rough outline, the rest of the map was shrouded in a thick fog of war, rendering everything else invisible.

Within the fog, only a directional arrow pointed straight toward Baiye Village.

Ye Bai's caravan appeared as a small "light dot" on the map. As the team advanced, it dispelled the surrounding fog, turning the path they traveled into a lit trade route.

In the future, this newly opened trade route would become known to both the Merchant Guild of Meluo City and the villagers of Baiye Village, serving as a pathway between the two territories. Once a [Trading Post] was established, merchants from both regions would use this route for commerce.

Of course, opening a trade route wasn't as simple as just walking through it once. Along the way, they would encounter various obstacles—terrain challenges, wild monster hordes—that they would either have to avoid or eliminate to ensure the safety of the entire route.

If monsters blocked the route, the path would be severed.

For now, Ye Bai was sticking to a straight path, aiming to create the shortest possible route.

The first day of travel went smoothly, and by nightfall, the team, under the experienced leadership of Dennis, the transport team leader, set up a temporary camp.

The transport team consisted of six seasoned logistics personnel who were skilled in handling all aspects of caravan operations. Besides taking care of the crucial draft horses, they were also responsible for setting up campfires and preparing meals for the team.

The caravan had four wagons: two carrying Ye Bai's goods, one filled with fodder for the horses, and the last stocked with dry rations, water, and basic medical supplies—everything they needed for the journey.

Naturally, the rations provided by the transport team weren't particularly lavish, but on the road, there wasn't much room for pickiness.

As the smoke from the campfire rose, everyone enjoyed a simple meal of dried meat stew and bread. The transport team members and mercenaries chatted and laughed with their companions, enjoying the most relaxed moment of the day.

Ye Bai gazed into the dark forest, his eyes flickering with thought. Then, from his backpack, he pulled out five small barrels of [Fine Ale].

*Pop!*

As Ye Bai opened the barrels, the rich aroma of alcohol filled the camp, instantly drawing everyone's attention.

*Gulp...* The sound of swallowing echoed loudly. For the mercenaries, whose lives were inseparable from alcohol, the reaction was immediate and enthusiastic, regardless of gender.

Ye Bai smiled and said, "It's been a hard first day. This is something special I prepared for everyone. We'll be relying on your efforts in the coming days."

"Long live our employer!"

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Cheers erupted from the crowd, pushing the night's atmosphere to its peak. Everyone grabbed a bowl and poured themselves a drink. After the first sip, their eyes lit up, and another wave of excited cheers followed.

"Great ale!"

"This is from Toliver's Tavern in the inner city—absolutely fantastic!"

"How lucky we are to have such a generous employer!"

[Blaze's favorability toward you has increased by 15.]

[Roland's favorability toward you has increased by 15.]

[Mercenary...]

Amidst ​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‍a flurry of system notifications, Ye Bai smiled with satisfaction.

As a lord, you can't just think like a solo adventurer, focused solely on combat. You also need to understand the art of diplomacy.

The favorability prompts from his earlier actions had sparked an idea in Ye Bai. The draft horse transport team was a prized asset of the Meluo City Merchant Guild, so poaching them wasn't an option. However, the mercenaries—all above level 20 and already specialized—were incredibly valuable to a lord like him.

These mercenaries occupied an awkward position in Meluo City's social hierarchy. As professionals, they were too skilled to settle for small earnings in the outer city but lacked the connections to secure meaningful work in the inner city. Their love for alcohol, yet their inability to afford the finer drinks from the inner city, spoke volumes about their situation.

For these wandering mercenaries, if Ye Bai could raise their favorability enough during the journey, there was a chance they might decide to stay once they reached his territory.

At worst, he'd lose a few silver coins on ale. But if he could recruit even one of them, it would be a huge win!

Soon, the night deepened. After assigning two people to keep watch, the rest of the group gradually drifted off to sleep.

Ye Bai and Dilina slept in a temporary tent set up at the center of the camp, near the supply wagons.

However, at this hour, Ye Bai wasn't sleeping or logging off. Instead, he waited quietly.

Although it was only the first night and they were still close to Meluo City, this was the perfect time for an ambush—especially since Ye Bai had handed out alcohol earlier, creating an ideal opportunity.

Clearly, Ye Bai wasn't the only one who thought so.

In the dense forest, a group of over a dozen players who had been tailing the caravan grew restless.

They had initially followed because they spotted Ye Bai in the group, but the presence of clearly skilled NPCs had made them hesitant to act. Now, with such a perfect opportunity before them, they couldn't resist.

The longer they waited, the worse their situation became. Following the caravan on foot required constant jogging to keep up with the draft horses, steadily draining their stamina. If they didn't act soon, they risked losing the caravan or running out of supplies, which would leave them in a dire state.

Now, with the camp reeking of alcohol, it seemed like the perfect time to strike.

Players who roamed the outer city knew the effects of alcohol in the game: it granted a "Drunken" buff that slightly increased critical hit chance but drastically reduced accuracy. It was the perfect time to attack.

After a quick discussion, they decided to make their move.

Initially, they had followed to settle a grudge, but as they trailed the caravan, they began to suspect it might be part of a quest. Destroying it would be satisfying, but seizing the supplies would be even better.

So, in the dead of night—

*Whoosh!*

An arrow shot toward the two mercenaries on watch.

*'0'*

Thanks to the green-quality leather armor Ye Bai had provided, the attack didn't even break through their defense.

"Ambush!"

The watchman's sharp cry roused the sleeping mercenaries, who sprang to their feet, weapons in hand, and turned to face the group of players attempting to sneak up on them.

What was going on? How had they reacted so quickly?!

The players had no way of knowing that Dilina, who appeared delicate and frail, was actually a second-tier powerhouse. She had detected them earlier, and Ye Bai had warned the mercenaries before resting. As a result, they were prepared and hadn't fully fallen asleep, allowing them to react swiftly.

Thus, the ambush turned into a direct confrontation, catching the players off guard.

Moreover, as soon as the attack began, all the assailants received a system notification:

[You have attacked a member of a caravan escort. You have initiated a "Plunder" action against the caravan, and the caravan is entitled to defend itself.]

[Your favorability with the "Merchant Guild" has decreased by 10. Your favorability with the "Meluo City Merchant Guild" has decreased by 50.]