Chapter 2: Tremors in the Small Thousand World (11)
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What kind of guys are these hanging around the teleportation array?
Living dead? Or zombies?
Since when did the Asking Dao Continent start having a virus leak problem?
As Lin Nan watched the shaky figures around her multiply, her questions grew deeper.
Night was settling in.
The once-thriving Sky Sword City, bustling with nightlife, had turned into a graveyard of silence.
Only the flickering embers from the unburnt ruins hinted at life, casting eerie shadows of those mysterious figures creeping closer to the teleport station.
The stench of decay wafting from these people became more pungent, like they had just emerged from a month-long sewer vacation.
“Hehehe…”
Cackling laughter echoed all around.
“Who would have thought I’d bump into such a lovely and beautiful lady after dark? With that outfit, you must be one of those veteran players, huh?”
A pale-faced, handsome young man strolled past the crowd, standing right in front of these living dead, grinning at Lin Nan.
Lin Nan replied, “How did you know I’m a veteran player?”
“Simple! In the current Sky Sword City, anyone who sees us and doesn’t run away is either a brain-dead NPC or an old player like you—someone who thinks they can just squash us like bugs because they’ve been here six months longer.”
The young man licked his pale lips, which looked like they might fall off at any moment.
“You’re right; I just arrived in Sky Sword City today. I was planning to head to the Small Thousand World, but who knew the teleportation array would be shut down? Do you have any idea why?”
Lin Nan didn’t expect much from him; she just held on to a slim thread of hope.
The young man smiled, “Oh, we know a thing or two, but what are you willing to trade for that information?”
“Spirit Coins, perhaps?”
Before the young man could respond, the crowd erupted in laughter at her answer, some even whistling.
The young man shrugged, “Sorry, but the current currency in Sky Sword City isn’t Spirit Coins anymore.”
“Oh?” Lin Nan frowned slightly.
With an exaggerated tone, he said, “My lady, you might not realize the value you represent. A top-notch beauty like you could easily exchange for a dozen bags of rice!”
Everyone assumed Lin Nan would be shocked, but her expression remained completely unchanged, growing even colder and more composed.
The young man, taken aback, shrugged, “What? Does what I said sound that uninspiring?”
Lin Nan replied coolly, “Using women as currency isn’t a great idea. That model has too many uncertainties—who’s to say the woman in your hands today won’t turn into a lifeless corpse tomorrow? I wouldn’t think a currency with self-awareness is what you’re after, right?
Of course, as you mentioned, the short-term phenomenon of bartering people for goods might exist, but to sustain the current standoff between the factions in Sky Sword City, you must have other means of trade.”
The crowd fell silent, entirely floored.
The young man quickly dropped his earlier condescension, the smile on his face brightening further, “This clever and beautiful lady, I admit I underestimated you.
Allow me to introduce myself.
I’m Song Chuan, pleased to meet you.”
“Lin Nan.”
“That’s a lovely name.”
“I want to know everything you know about the teleportation array,” Lin Nan stated.
Song Chuan grinned widely, revealing gums that looked as if they belonged to some rotten meat, causing Lin Nan to squint her eyes slightly.
“Of course! But some things are back at our base. If the beauty would just come with us, you could know everything!”
“Lead the way.”
Lin Nan nodded decisively.
Song Chuan promptly bent forward in a mock gentlemanly fashion and cheerfully walked ahead of Lin Nan.
The crowd purposefully or accidentally surrounded them, slowly making their way toward the increasingly dark streets.
Lin Nan had already noticed that among this group of stinking folks, there wasn’t a single woman present.
Statistically, there are definitely fewer female players in the game “The Way of Inquiry” than male ones, but they’re really passionate about immersive virtual reality games.
Instead of grinding levels or fighting monsters, they prefer exploring scenic views, decorating houses, and building their own estates.
Thanks to the game’s aggressive promotional tactics, many female players have indeed dived in.
Out of nearly a hundred million players, there have to be at least twenty million female players.
Now, specifically within Sky Sword City, even if luck was terrible, surely one or two women among ten isn’t unreasonable?
Yet among this crowd of forty or fifty, not a single female silhouette was to be found. Could it be that they were hidden away to protect them from getting hurt, as they weren’t fit for battle?
One could only hope.
The path ahead grew narrower, and without realizing it, Song Chuan led her into a narrow alley.
Garbage littered the ground, and sewage flowed freely, the stench overwhelming. How these guys managed to endure it was a mystery.
Maybe it was the survival instinct kicking in.
“We’re here.”
Song Chuan pointed at an iron door at the end of the alley.
“That’s where we usually hide.”
Lin Nan nodded.
She glanced back at the following players, feeling something was off about their state.
“What’s wrong with them? They look like they’re drunk.”
Song Chuan laughed, “They ate too much and will look like this tonight. Don’t mind them.”
“Ate too much… isn’t Sky Sword City short on food?”
As he opened the iron door, Song Chuan explained, “A batch of groceries just came in yesterday, and these guys had starved for days, so they pigged out.”
“Ah, I see.”
“Come in.”
Song Chuan shut the iron door behind them, making a grand gesture for her to enter.
Inside seemed spacious, with fire pits scattered around. The dull yellow light felt exceptionally rare in the pitch-black Sky Sword City.
Lin Nan had just taken a step in when Song Chuan suddenly slammed the door shut behind her, bursting into gleeful “quack-quack” laughter.
The many male players trailing behind erupted in cheer, their cacophonous voices ringing so loud it made the iron door vibrate.
With a cold expression, Lin Nan slowly descended the stairs.
She had been prepared for this, following Song Chuan back only to uncover the secret behind these deathly vibes.
As for information about the teleportation array, she had lost all hope at this point. After all, these guys had only come to the Asking Dao Continent recently, and had barely been in Sky Sword City for a week or two—how on earth would they know anything about the teleportation array?
As she approached the fire pit, something on the nearby wooden bed caught her eye—something disgustingly horrifying, the most disturbing sight since her arrival in the Asking Dao Continent.
