Chapter Forty-Six: A Racetrack Without Horses

When in doubt, ask the system.

A translucent screen appeared before Xie Jing, who quickly glanced toward the task panel.

[Task One: The Great Shift has occurred, shattering the once peaceful and tranquil Arad Continent into ruins and devastation. Homeless children wander among the wreckage. Go forth, young man, and rebuild the Arad Continent! (In progress)]

[Task Two: Such a massive undertaking demands an immense amount of resources. Heroes from other worlds have descended upon Arad, each carrying boundless gold coins. Go forth, young man, and gather one hundred billion! (0/100,000,000,000)]

[Lucky Task: This world is now connected to the host's original world. You may livestream on any platform through the system. For every one hundred followers gained, you will receive a mysterious gift pack! (Followers: 0)]

Xie Jing: "..."

"Are you kidding me, system? You want me to rebuild Arad? Earn a hundred billion gold coins?" Xie Jing was on the verge of collapse; both tasks seemed utterly impossible!

And that livestream task—what was that supposed to mean? Was he a player now, or an NPC? Wouldn't livestreaming get him in trouble here?

Despite his complaints, Xie Jing noticed a few things that felt different from the Tiga world.

First, the livestream task suggested that the Arad Continent he'd entered was likely the game Dungeon & Warriors, and players would arrive. This was also hinted at in the first task.

Second, Xie Jing discovered several white words floating above his own head.

[LV.80 Edward Shett]

The name was laughable, but he couldn't be bothered now. What caught his attention was the level indicator, and the green energy bar that appeared beneath his system interface.

Did this mean he could level up in this world too?

His curiosity piqued, Xie Jing began to take in his surroundings.

As an old hand at Dungeon & Warriors, he remembered the destruction of Arad vividly—after all, it marked the opening of version 85, the beginning of those work-like gaming days.

From that day onward, a giant turtle named Anton was hunted daily, and countless players waited for its heart to be enchanted.

What comforted Xie Jing was that this was a world he knew well. Yet, the place where he now stood was completely unfamiliar.

All around him stretched a vast green meadow. The breeze carried the fresh scent of grass, bringing a soothing peace.

Clip-clop, clip-clop...

From the distance came the sound of hooves. Xie Jing turned to see a bizarre figure riding toward him: a yellow bucket for a helmet, a green bodysuit, and a purple cape fluttering behind.

But Xie Jing remained calm, for above the stranger's head floated the words "Earthen Jar."

This was one of DNF's most infamous merchant scammers, notorious for tricking countless players out of their gold with his junk-filled jars.

Earthen Jar rode up, dismounted, and approached Xie Jing.

"Master, the racecourse has been completed. May I ask where the horses you found are?"

"Me?" Xie Jing pointed to himself, bewildered. "I'm supposed to be out here looking for horses?"

"Yes, master!" Earthen Jar nodded, his voice oily and sly. "You spent all your fortune building the racecourse, with nothing left to buy horses. You said you could find wild horses here on the grassland. Three days have passed now. Where are the horses, master?"

"You mean I built a racecourse but don't even have horses for the races?" Xie Jing was dumbfounded by the sheer absurdity of the situation.

"That's right, master. So, where are the horses? If the racecourse doesn't open soon, you'll starve at home in three days."

"Horses?" Xie Jing looked around. The grasslands stretched as far as the eye could see—no sign of horses, not even a pile of manure.

He felt rather despondent.

Wait a second...

"The one you're riding..."

Earthen Jar tugged on his reins, face serious. "Master, this is my horse. I’m not giving it to you."

"Besides, you need at least two horses to hold a race. If you haven't found any wild horses, I'll have to declare you bankrupt!"

"Tightwad!" Xie Jing grumbled, swinging the reins in annoyance and falling into thought. The idea of a racecourse in DNF felt out of place, yet strangely familiar.

Then it hit him—there had once been an event in DNF that swept up countless gold coins!

The Knight’s Horse Racing Extravaganza!

In other words, betting on horse races!

"Don't tell me... I was the one who started that event!" Xie Jing looked himself up and down, then eyed Earthen Jar.

Well, whether he was the originator or not, he was about to steal the idea for himself!

"Let’s go home!"

Suddenly filled with confidence, Xie Jing walked over, grabbed the horse, and tried to mount. He was promptly yanked down by a big hand.

He turned to see Earthen Jar’s distinctive bucket helmet.

"Master, I don't like sharing my saddle."

"Then you walk! I'll ride!"

"Master, do you know how to ride a horse? I've never seen you do it."

Xie Jing froze. Come to think of it, he really couldn't ride.

"Then you lead the way and hold the reins."

"Master, this is my horse!"

"Ten gold coins!"

"Master, have a seat! My horse is very tame!"

"..."

Who knew how his predecessor managed to wander for three days out here. As Xie Jing sat astride the horse, he patted his pockets. Aside from twenty gold coins, he had nothing to eat.

What was the point of carrying money out onto the prairie? Did he expect to find a vending machine?

After riding for about three hours, a grand and luxurious building loomed ahead.

Pure white stone bricks, intricately carved reliefs—the place was enormous, easily the size of two football fields. Rows of seats surrounded a vast central lawn marked with racing tracks, with all sizes of buildings lining the grass on either side.

According to Earthen Jar, those were lounges, infirmaries, dining areas, and other support facilities for the racecourse.

"How much did all this cost me?" Xie Jing asked, his finger trembling as he pointed to the sprawling complex.

Earthen Jar replied calmly, "You spent the fifty billion gold coins your father saved, plus your personal thirty billion, for a total of eighty billion to build the racecourse. I must say, it's a truly magnificent structure."

"Eighty billion?" Xie Jing suddenly felt a sharp pain in his chest.

"You're telling me I spent eighty billion on this, and now I don’t even have enough left to buy horses for the races?"

"I'm afraid that's the case, master!" Earthen Jar nodded, tying his horse to the rack.

Well... ha ha ha...

What a genius you are.

Xie Jing couldn't help but give his predecessor a sarcastic middle finger.

A gesture of utter contempt.

"Um... Is there anything else to ride here besides horses?"

Earthen Jar fell silent, gazing at Xie Jing with his hollow, black eyes, as if seeing a marvel.

"We have cattle, sheep, and other livestock, as well as giraffes and rhinos... All of these were left over from your previous construction of the zoo!"

"..."

After a long moment, Xie Jing gritted his teeth and slammed his fist against the wall.

"Enough! We open for business tomorrow!"