Chapter 7

The second time waking in this strange world, when Qin Lang opened his eyes and saw the unfamiliar ceiling, he still froze for several seconds before realizing he had transmigrated.

A soft, shallow breathing came from his shoulder.

Qin Lang tilted his head to look.

Yesterday, Xia Xifeng had partied all night. When going to sleep, Qin Lang had deliberately asked for an extra blanket and wrapped Xia Xifeng into a cocoon.

This time, Qin Lang slept until he woke naturally, not kicked awake by Xia Xifeng. But upon waking up, how had Xia Xifeng burrowed into his blanket?

Qin Lang pushed Xia Xifeng’s head away. When he sat up and looked, he was speechless.

This time, Xia Xifeng hadn’t kicked him—he’d kicked the blanket onto the floor.

“Mmm…” Xia Xifeng rolled over and continued sleeping.

Qin Lang pinched Xia Xifeng’s nose shut.

“Mmm… Wah!” Xia Xifeng jolted awake. “Qin Lang, what are you going crazy for?!”

Qin Lang pointed at the blanket Xia Xifeng had kicked off the bed.

Xia Xifeng sat up and looked. A faint blush flew across his face.

He cleared his throat and said: “At least I didn’t kick you awake this time. I’ve improved.”

He could still boast about that? Qin Lang was quite impressed by Xia Xifeng’s shamelessness.

Under the excellent mental state guideline of “As long as I’m not embarrassed, no one can embarrass me,” Xia Xifeng won another small victory today.

Anyway, Qin Lang couldn’t possibly kick him out of the room. Xia Xifeng was fearless.

The other world was so dangerous. Qin Lang was always ready to hoist Xia Xifeng over his shoulder and run. The two didn’t dare sleep in separate rooms.

After resting well, Qin Lang and Xia Xifeng decided to first check out Green Sand City.

Although in the game, Legendary (max level) players were everywhere, according to the official setting lore, ordinary residents who were “Professionals” were already considered elite and didn’t make up a high percentage of the population.

Green Sand City still existed in the Doomsday Era. Qin Lang had already changed class, and Xia Xifeng could also pretend to be a God’s Favored one. Unafraid of extortion from street thugs and unscrupulous nobles, the two decided to acquire property in the city.

Game Gold could be exchanged for an equivalent amount of real gold. But because real currency couldn’t be exchanged for Game Gold, directly converting Game Gold to real gold was very disadvantageous.

NPC stores in the game could buy gathered materials and junk equipment. Xia Xifeng thought there should be similar purchasing points in the real Green Sand City.

Learning that Xia Xifeng and Qin Lang intended to buy property in Green Sand City and live there for a while, Leo was overjoyed.

Claiming to know all the merchant caravans in Green Sand City like the back of his hand, he insisted on being their guide.

When they set out, Leo dragged Perila out the door.

It turned out the person who knew all the goods and prices of every store, merchant caravan, and trading company in Green Sand City like the back of his hand was Perila.

Perila loved conducting experiments but disliked traveling. He often concocted potions to trade in the city for money or urgently needed materials.

As for Leo, he only knew how to haggle.

“What he knows counts as what I know. We’re basically the same person anyway!” Leo clapped Perila on the shoulder.

Perila sneered and hung Leo upside down with vines.

“Feng, Lang, what kind of house are you looking for?” Although forced into coming, Perila was also very willing to act as their guide.

If he had known in advance, he would have offered to help willingly. He was only angry because Leo hadn’t told him anything and just dragged him straight out of the house.

Xia Xifeng said: “I want to buy a manor where we can farm. But we probably don’t have enough money right now. Let’s first buy a small building with a shopfront and start some small businesses to save up.”

“You might not even need to spend money. Special talents wanting to settle in Green Sand City—the City Lord will bestow generous rewards. You’re a God’s Favored one, and Lang’s combat talent is also very strong. Perhaps you could first visit the City Lord’s Mansion.” Perila chatted as they walked with Xia Xifeng and Qin Lang.

Leo broke free from the vines and quickly caught up: “I’ll take you to the City Lord’s Mansion! Hehe, secretly, the City Lord is my teacher!”

Xia Xifeng: “…How’s that possible?”

Perila rolled his eyes.

Even Qin Lang didn’t believe this.

The City Lord of Green Sand City, Amuruo, was an elegant Half-elf warrior who wielded a longsword. How could he possibly be the teacher of Leo, who used giant axes?

And Amuruo lived all the way to the final chapter of Fantasy Realms‘ storyline. He was an extremely important NPC. Players had practically mapped out all his relationships.

“You guys actually don’t believe me?” Leo thumped his chest. “I’ll take you to meet the teacher!”

Perila sneered: “You better not call the City Lord ‘teacher,’ or else we might have been able to enter the City Lord’s Mansion, and the City Lord would kick us all out.”

Xia Xifeng was surprised: “The City Lord really taught Leo?” As a lore enthusiast, I actually didn’t know this!

Perila said: “This is a taboo in the City Lord’s Mansion. Absolutely don’t mention this in front of the City Lord.”

Leo said sheepishly: “Isn’t it just switching weapons? The teacher is really stingy.”

Perila mocked Leo, while Leo argued vehemently, unbridledly slandering Amuruo and insisting he was the most excellent student, only the teacher was too petty.

Xia Xifeng: 【Could Green Sand City’s City Lord really be that familiar with Leo?】

Qin Lang: 【Probably.】

Green Sand City’s City Lord had already stepped into the Legendary rank when he founded Green Sand City. There were even rumors he’d long possessed the strength of a Demigod, even capable of ascending to godhood, but was simply too lazy to seek his Divine Flame.

Leo daring to slander Legendary-ranked Green Sand City’s City Lord Amuruo on Green Sand City’s turf seemed to confirm a very close familiarity with Amuruo.

Xia Xifeng excitedly rubbed his hands together in his heart.

Leo, this Halfling NPC who had never appeared in the game, was not only a member of the most renowned Sunflower family among Halflings but also suspiciously connected to the important NPC, Green Sand City’s City Lord Amuruo, and the Halfling Mad God Inson.

Important lore never before seen!

The mysterious truth behind the setting books!

Xia Xifeng, the hardcore game lore and setting enthusiast, was so excited he wanted to howl on the forums.

Unfortunately, there were no game forums here. He could only force Qin Lang to read his howling via text.

Today, Qin Lang was still fruitlessly searching through the system settings for a mute function.

…

The carriage stopped at the city gate.

Amuruo greatly valued cleanliness. When building the city, he and his companions had planned comprehensive sewage facilities and garbage disposal systems.

Although a city inevitably had noble districts, wealthy districts, and commoner districts, and the infrastructure, sanitation, and safety conditions couldn’t be equal everywhere, Amuruo still strove to keep the entire city roughly clean.

For instance, unless granted special permission, vehicles drawn by livestock from outside were prohibited from entering the inner city and could only be parked at designated points.

Amuruo had established many public magitech tram lines within the city, along with dedicated freight and nobility channels to accommodate different needs and different statuses.

There were also roads for private, non-animal-drawn magitech vehicles, making personal transportation very convenient.

In the eyes of game players, these background settings were just “teleportation points and teleportation animations,” “the cash shop’s overpriced special vehicles,” and “driving sports cars in a medieval-fantasy-painted magical world—didn’t they mess up the aesthetic?”.

With the game turned reality, Xia Xifeng and Qin Lang were both very grateful for Amuruo’s “cleanliness obsession” and Green Sand City’s ultra-high magitech standards.

A person from a modern civilized society simply could not adapt to the horrifying medieval aesthetic of roads filled with feces and urine.

Xia Xifeng and Qin Lang had no identification.

“Refugees” could wander the outer city. But to use the inner city’s facilities and seek an audience with the City Lord, they first had to pay to register at the city gate and obtain a Temporary Resident Permit before entering the inner city.

However, Leo really hadn’t been lying. With just one word from him, they could take the registration office’s cart directly to the City Lord’s Mansion without any procedures.

“What great luck! I was just about to go see Uncle and can give you a ride.” A young half-elf with a short-trimmed mustache above his lip said, “Leo, aren’t you going to introduce your newly made friends?”

Leo first introduced Xia Xifeng and Qin Lang to the half-elf youth, then introduced the half-elf’s identity to Xia Xifeng and Qin Lang.

Half-elves, although possessing mixed blood from other races, might look and have abilities close to the Elf race, but their personalities and worldviews were vastly different from pure-blooded Elves, and they disliked being treated as Elves.

Elves placed great importance on neat and tidy appearances, caring deeply about their skin and ears.

Half-elves did the exact opposite. So male half-elves often liked to grow beards, female half-elves often liked to wear exaggerated ear studs and earrings, and their clothing styles were also unrestrained, each walking a rugged, rebellious path.

This half-elf named Damon, reportedly having just reached adulthood, had very typical Half-elf male appearance and mannerisms.

Damon was very warm towards Xia Xifeng and Qin Lang.

A friend’s friend was also his friend, not to mention Xia Xifeng and Qin Lang held Leo’s Sunflower Pendant.

For some reason, he felt an especially strong kinship with Xia Xifeng, as if facing not a stranger, but an old friend who understood him deeply.

Every topic Xia Xifeng brought up was exactly what interested him—practically a kindred spirit.

Damon immediately tossed aside Leo, who was clearly a Halfling yet shockingly ignorant about art, and happily chatted with Xia Xifeng.

To Xia Xifeng, Damon was indeed no stranger.

Damon was an important storyline NPC in the game. He sacrificed himself to protect the players during the First Defense of Green Sand City.

After the scripted death, players could continue fighting alongside Damon in the game’s periodically opened “Past Phantoms” event, deepening their bond with him.

When the bond was high enough, Damon, a good brother, was even willing to shave his beard for the player.

But by the time Damon’s affection was available to players, he was already dead.

Dead.

Not even ashes remained.

Pfft (sound of spraying blood)!

Tears nearly streamed from Xia Xifeng’s eyes.

Good brother, a good brother willing to shave his beard for me, alive!

Alive ah!!!!!