Chapter 8

The magitech vehicle continued forward, entering the inner city.

Xia Xifeng quickly lost interest in his “living good brother,” pressing against the window, unwilling to tear his eyes away.

Damon also stopped talking, his expression filled with pride.

This was the true Green Sand City.

Established by the strongest Half-elf hero, Amuruo, it was the holy land all half-elves yearned for, an inclusive city welcoming all friendly races to settle.

Even Qin Lang couldn’t help but be drawn to the scenery passing by outside the window.

Whether lore enthusiast players or combat enthusiast players, they were all captivated by “game scenery.”

Games’ graphics grew more and more exquisite, and system requirements became more and more competitive. When players spent tens of thousands, even over a hundred thousand, on top-tier computers, it was to run the highest settings and enjoy a visual feast that felt like transmigrating.

Fantasy Realms remained popular for so long. Its graphics not only stood supreme at launch but also received graphical enhancement patches every single year, even “renovating” old maps—truly extravagant.

Players could deeply feel the game developers’ profound love for this game.

When game developers were willing to push game graphics to the extreme, players inevitably became scenery enthusiasts, just to varying degrees.

When Xia Xifeng controlled his little character walking through the streets and alleys of the city, talking to every NPC, when Qin Lang controlled his little character shuttling through gloomy secret realms searching for the next prey, their gazes were always drawn to the gorgeous scenery on the screen.

Players would jump onto every rooftop, adjust the time to morning, noon, or dusk, change clothes and strike poses according to the different lighting;

Players would also climb every mountain peak, light bonfires, and sit from evening till dawn, or from dusk until deep night, to savor a fantasy world’s sunrise and sunset.

Perhaps while rushing to complete quests or clear dungeons, players would complain about paths being too long and winding, wishing teleportation was everywhere, but when first entering the game, even the most impatient player would stroll leisurely, admiring the dreamlike otherworldly scenery on the screen.

And now, Xia Xifeng and Qin Lang had truly transmigrated into the other world from the screen.

The gate entering the inner city had a very beautiful dome.

Xia Xifeng tried to stand on one leg like a golden rooster on the dome’s pointed corner, falling countless times before snapping a perfect photo.

Past the dome was a circular fountain plaza.

The plaza was a holy land for bards and street performers to showcase their art. After finishing a satisfying, intense battle, Qin Lang always loved to idle here, listening to music while resting his wrists.

Leaving the fountain plaza, the magitech vehicle traveled through a broad commercial street.

Residents wearing various professional attire and flowing gowns, long formal dresses walked along both sides of the street, the cacophony of advertising shouts and pedestrian noise filling the air.

This street was the perfect showground for wealthy players to flaunt all sorts of anachronistic “mounts.”

Xia Xifeng was a top-tier life-skills player, Qin Lang a top-tier combat player. They could buy all kinds of outfits and mounts just by trading for in-game currency.

Qin Lang had once been forced by Xia Xifeng to participate in a “luxury vehicle exhibition,” with the reward being Xia Xifeng covering his potions and food costs for a month.

Extending and branching from the commercial street, roads led to residential areas and various professional institutions.

Churches of various denominations were also on this ring road.

Missionaries would always hand out gifts at the church doors to entice players and NPCs to enter and worship. One of the fixed gifts was all kinds of eggs.

Clusters of churches and “giving eggs” to preach—the game developers were truly mischievous, insisting on subtly telling everyone through these details that although this was a Western fantasy game, the team behind it was from Hua.

Xia Xifeng asked Damon: “I heard the missionaries in Green Sand City often give out eggs? Is that true?”

Damon answered: “Not just eggs. Of course they have to give things away, or who’d bother listening to sermons? Even God’s Favored ones don’t really like going… uh, you seem to be a God’s Favored one yourself?”

Precisely because gods truly existed in this world, everyone knew that gods wouldn’t “freely” grant your wishes. Thus, believers’ piety wasn’t necessarily confined to churches, and worshippers didn’t need to spread faith through proselytizing.

Xia Xifeng smiled: “I really don’t like going.”

He and Qin Lang exchanged a glance; Qin Lang’s eyes also held a hidden smile.

A small Easter egg planted by the game developers was a confirmed “fact” in the real Green Sand City. Which transmigrated player wouldn’t smile knowingly?

Leo critiqued which church’s communal meal was the most delicious, one by one.

Perila introduced Xia Xifeng and Qin Lang to some very useful special items only sold at churches.

Damon promised that when he had free time, he would take Xia Xifeng and Qin Lang to tour the “Church Specialty Tourist Street,” eat all the best foods, and buy all the specialty goods.

Xia Xifeng’s finger lightly tapped the back of Qin Lang’s hand.

The talkative Xia Xifeng said nothing this time, didn’t spam Qin Lang’s eyes with text in the system.

Qin Lang, however, responded in the system to the silent Xia Xifeng: 【Green Sand City wasn’t destroyed even in the game’s final chapter. Even with only us two players, it won’t be destroyed.】

Green Sand City was the players’ “starter village” and also the battlefield that inevitably suffered in every major war.

If the city fell, the developers would genuinely abandon this city. Players would then have to use the “Past Phantoms” feature to enter the “former city” to see the originally prosperous city and use its full functions until the city was rebuilt.

Large and small cities in the game had all fallen, even cities guarded by Elves and Dragons were no exception.

Except Green Sand City.

Because Green Sand City was the players’ starting city. Players knew every NPC in this city, having felt this city’s warmth and generosity when they were dirt poor.

Players would rather create multiple accounts to go die in waves, using human-wave tactics to hold Green Sand City.

In the First Defense of Green Sand City, players generally hadn’t reached max level yet.

The game developers had long announced Green Sand City’s destruction, showing off the “Rebuilding” and “Past Phantoms” features to players.

But the players gave the developers a little taste of the Fourth Calamity.

Ordinary players built human walls, taking shifts defending the city through the night;

Elite players calculated draft paper after draft paper, calculating the data needed for success down to three or four decimal places.

The game developers didn’t resort to fudging numbers with bots, forcing the game to proceed according to their predetermined plot;

The game players trusted the game’s operations and design team, immersing themselves wholeheartedly in every major story event.

The two-way commitment between the developers and players—that was Green Sand City.

Leaving the bustling commercial street, Damon invited Xia Xifeng and Qin Lang to walk through the final Riverside Park.

In the middle of this river encircling the city was the City Lord’s castle, a city within a city.

The rest of Green Sand City looked much as Xia Xifeng and Qin Lang remembered it, except this park was very unfamiliar to them.

Because when players arrived at Green Sand City, most of this park had already been converted into bunkers, becoming the final defensive line for residents holding the city.

Xia Xifeng’s eyes couldn’t take it all in.

“Qin Lang, let’s aim to settle in the inner city as soon as possible and come stroll in this park every day!”

“You can’t even wake up early.”

“I didn’t say morning walks.”

Leo thumped his chest and promised: “With Perila and me helping you, a year at most, and you guys can settle in the inner city!”

Perila said: “Damon and I will help you. Don’t count on Leo; he’ll just get kicked out of the inner city.”

Damon secretly laughed watching Leo and Perila bicker, whispering to Xia Xifeng: “Perila usually doesn’t talk much, but whenever Leo comes back, he turns into a chatterbox.”

Xia Xifeng glared at Qin Lang with the frustration of iron not turning into steel. How come when he annoyed Qin Lang, Qin Lang remained a silent protagonist? Couldn’t he learn from Perila?

Qin Lang averted his gaze in the other direction. The scenery was beautiful. He ignored the unreasonable Xia Xifeng.

Xia Xifeng fumed and hopped in anger by himself.

Damon laughed even harder.

Making new friends doubled the fun.

Damon’s bright smile abruptly vanished upon seeing the castle gates.

A tall man with moonlight-like platinum-blonde hair leaned against the trunk of a large tree by the gate. As Damon brought his old and new friends onto the flat bridge built of white megalithic stone, the tall man straightened up, his golden eyes shifting towards Damon’s direction.

He seemed to have been waiting for quite some time.

But how could he be waiting for quite some time at the castle gates?! Who was qualified to make him wait!

Damon was dumbstruck.

Perila was also shocked speechless.

Only Leo laughed heartily and charged forward: “Teacher! Were you waiting for me!”

The tall man unbuckled the sword sheath at his waist.

Xia Xifeng was certain he hadn’t blinked. The scene before him seemed to skip a frame, and the tall man already had his sword sheath back at his waist. Leo had been sent flying back to the other end of the bridge.

Amuruo said calmly: “I told you, I have no such disciple. Dare to claim to be my disciple, and you get thrown out.”

Perila lifted the hem of his robe and ran back to check whether Leo was dead or not.

Though, most likely not. Otherwise, Leo would have died countless times already under Amuruo’s hands.

Damon stammered: “Uncle… no, City Lord, you came to the gate… just to beat up Leo?”

Amuruo walked over: “Am I that bored?”

Damon thought to himself: You really are.

Amuruo’s gaze fell upon Xia Xifeng and Qin Lang.

Qin Lang pulled Xia Xifeng slightly, positioning himself half a step ahead of Xia Xifeng, as both bowed to Amuruo: “Greetings, City Lord of Green Sand City.”

Amuruo placed one hand over his chest: “Prophet, and the Prophet’s Guardian Knight, greetings.”

Huh? Prophet? Who?!

Xia Xifeng was stunned.

A thought flashed through Qin Lang’s mind. He understood they had “triggered a storyline.” As a chronic story-skipper, he very tactfully took a large step back, positioning Xia Xifeng protectively in front.

Xia Xifeng: “????”

Qin Lang, you son of a X, don’t hide!!