Chapter 291: Everyone on the Street is Watching You |
As the sun set, the vintage car also descended from the Skybridge.
The Double-tiered City was now within reach on the horizon, but it was different from Azura.
If Azura’s double-tier resembled a large umbrella standing on the earth, this Double-tiered City looked like it was still under construction, with several smaller umbrellas scattered about. The entire city appeared to be loosely assembled.
Yet, more than its architecture, another detail caught the attention of outsiders.
When the sports car stopped at the edge of the city, Ashe couldn’t help but comment, “Is it quite foggy here?”
Even at dusk, the city was enveloped in white mist, making the warm yellow lights even more ambiguous. However, this mist didn’t feel creepy but rather added a blurry filter that gave the city a dreamy beauty.
Harvey sniffed and placed an unlit Catnip Cigarette in his mouth.
“The mist is a local specialty of Fanmula. I wasn’t used to it either, but we’re only here for a few days, so let’s bear with it.” Annan signaled everyone to get out of the car and then sent the antique vehicle to its rightful place—the nearby dump.
In the city, continuing to use the vintage car was unthinkable. In a city highway dominated by Hovercars, a vintage car was like dissonance in classical music, jarring enough to attract Red Caps to knock on your window and accuse you of maliciously disrupting city traffic.
“No, this time it’s an automatic scooter.”
Like in Azura, there were rental transport sheds in the outskirts, but unlike Azura’s healthy cycling, Fanmula seemed to prefer stylish outdoor Entertainment. Thus, everyone stood on scooters and leisurely entered the misty city.
“By the way, Ashe, put on your cloak,” Annan suddenly remembered. “Without my order, you are not to take off the cloak unless you’re bathing, and you must wear it even when Meditating into the Virtual Realm.”
“Do I need to wear it in the safe house too?” Ashe asked, puzzled. “I understand the need for a cloak to conceal my identity, especially since I’m the only one wanted by the Empire’s Red Caps… but once we’re settled, shouldn’t I be able to take it off?”
“No, have you forgotten your Demonic Trench Coat?” Miss Annan shook her head. “I’ve thought it over, and the two from Broken Home Firm retreated too quickly last night. It’s unlikely that they were scared off by you, so it must have been because of your Demonic Trench Coat.”
“Miss Annan, promise me, don’t turn into a Riddler like Igor,” Ashe pleaded.
Igor responded softly, “If you don’t understand, just say my riddles are confusing… Maybe Gospel is right, letting you immerse yourselves in blissful ignorance isn’t such a bad thing.”
Miss Annan shook her head again: “What I mean is, your Demonic Trench Coat might intimidate those who see you for the first time. The effect depends on the difference in Realm levels within the Mind Faction, meaning even Sorcerers with Two Wings or Tri-Wings might be at a disadvantage.”
“Therefore, your Demonic Trench Coat could be a crucial ace up your sleeve, and you mustn’t let anyone easily see your true face under the cloak until the critical moment.”
“How come you make it sound like I’m some femme fatale who resorts to stripping when in trouble…” Ashe muttered as he put on the fully covering cloak, looking more like a fugitive than ever.
Lise gleefully rode the scooter, although she had never used one before. Clearly, scooters were more appealing to children than bicycles, and she quickly mastered how to use it, joyfully leading the way as if on a picnic.
As she passed two pedestrians, both suddenly turned to look at her.
One was a dark-skinned Human and the other a green-skinned Lizard Person. They seemed not to know each other, but they simultaneously turned their gazes toward the white-haired little girl.
Lise immediately retreated to stand next to Ashe, but as their group passed, the two locals still performed a salute of attention.
In the eyes of the locals, there was no emotion of disgust, happiness, or curiosity, but rather a look resembling that of seeing an unfamiliar classmate suddenly join the class.
As they delved deeper into the city, this type of attention became more frequent. Pedestrians on the streets stopped to look, customers at outdoor cafés put down their teacups, and passengers in Hovercars stuck their heads out.
From all directions, above and below, unavoidable and unignorable.
The six of them seemed to possess a mesmerizing charm that drew the eyes of everyone wherever they went.
Not only Lise, but also Harvey and Igor felt uncomfortably haunted. Walking down the street under the quiet stares of everyone could spawn many cruel fantasies in one’s mind. The gazes felt as heavy as lead, making it hard to breathe, as if even the air had thinned.
“Harvey, I’m sorry.”
“Hmm?”
“You were right,” Igor whispered. “Corpses are indeed better than the living, at least they don’t stare at me like this.”
Harvey hesitated, “Actually, corpses can stare at you too.”
“What a pity, one less advantage for the dead, I’m giving up on the Necromancy Faction.”
However, unlike the strangers, Annan and Banjeet remained emotionally stable throughout, seemingly indifferent to other people’s gazes. They arrived at the free city rail subway station, and Annan even signaled everyone to get on, voluntarily entering the narrow space of the train car to endure the scrutiny of all the other passengers.
Lise timidly hid her head in Ashe’s arms, and Ashe wished he could bury his face in Annan’s arms—he was scared too!
He dared not look inside the car, instead, casting his gaze toward the warm sky outside the window. However, the fog inside the city did not dissipate but became even thicker and sweet, sticky. The competing sun and moon for the dominion of the sky appeared ambiguous through the light fog filter, like they were fighting at the bedside.
However, Fanmula’s aerial logistics system seemed weaker than Azura’s. If Azura’s Drone swarm was like a school cafeteria bustling with students right after noon classes, then Fanmula’s Drones were like the Restroom during class breaks: sparse and few, leaving one to wonder whether it was due to a downgrade in Fanmula’s consumer level or if people here simply didn’t favor online shopping.
The Railcar halted at the station, and as new passengers entered the car, Ashe and the others immediately sensed something amiss—the locals, who had been subtly observing them, suddenly shifted their attention to two new passengers.
Even without knowledge of local customs, they quickly understood what this meant: These two newcomers were not locals either!
Sure enough, the two new passengers looked towards Annan’s group and walked straight over to them. One was a robust Orc and the other a slender Goblin. Their appearance revealed no weapons, but most Sorcerers using Firearms tend to keep them hidden under coats, and from the way their waistcoats draped, it was clear they were up-to-date with the latest Version trends.
They stood next to Annan’s seat: “Purple Moth, the Baroness sends her regards. I am from the Moonlit Harmony Home Firm—”
“You must have been active in Fanmula these past days,” Annan said, his expression unchanging. “Do you like this city?”
“Fanmula is the City of No Return of the Six Emblems, we are not part of the Six Emblems, so how could we possibly like this place?” the Goblin chuckled. “We were on a mission near Ariendo and were about to head back when we received the Baroness’ orders to wait for you in Fanmula. We didn’t have high hopes and planned to return soon, but luck was on our side—we discovered from the Gospel that the number of outsiders in Fanmula had increased by five, exactly matching your group.”
Using the Gospel to track the number of outsiders to determine their whereabouts?
Ashe and his companions quickly gathered two pieces of information: first, the number of outsiders in Fanmula was extremely low; second, the Broken Home Firm indeed couldn’t directly obtain information about them, only able to indirectly track their movements.
But…
Weren’t there 6 of them? Why had the number of outsiders only increased by 5?
“Are you sure luck is on your side?” Annan touched his Amethyst Earring, smirking coldly. “This is Fanmula, not Azura. You dare make a move?”
Annan spoke without lowering his voice. Upon hearing this, the surrounding locals’ gazes became sharper and heavier, yet they remained quietly seated, indifferently observing the unfolding conflict among the foreigners.
“Why not try and see?” the Goblin said with a slight smile, summoning his Gospel. Then, suddenly, the Railcar braked sharply, and the strong inertia almost threw the passengers forward. Prepared for this, Ashe and his companions quickly steadied themselves, ready to fight the mixed breeds from the Broken Home Firm—
“Don’t move.”
Annan’s words kept the men’s killing intent visible but unacted upon, strangely enough. The Orc and Goblins didn’t take this opportunity to attack; instead, they stood nonchalantly to the side as if taunting them to ‘come on, hit me’.
The Railcar began to move backward, speeding towards the city’s exit.
Other passengers straightened their clothes and sat back down, showing no complaint about the sudden disruption. They looked at Annan and his group with a gaze reserved for the dead, as if they were beneath speaking to.
Suddenly, Igor asked, “Is it illegal to strike first?”
“In public, whoever strikes first and causes harm will be marked as a criminal by the Gospel, which even prompts the Red Caps to apprehend them,” Banjeet explained. “Moreover, from the moment a crime begins, everyone else automatically gains the unlimited right to self-defense against the criminal. So, who acts first is crucial—of course, this only applies in public areas. In private areas, although the Gospel is aware, it doesn’t intervene; it’s up to the Red Caps to investigate on their own.”
Therefore, even though Annan’s house was dismantled last night, the Gospel would not report the Broken Home Firm for it. The Gospel only prohibits Player vs. Player (PVP) actions in public areas; PVP disputes within private areas are considered internal player disputes and are outside the Gospel’s jurisdiction.
The plan of the two was simple—control the Railcar to leave Fanmula and head back to Azura, with the rule that whoever strikes first is the loser.
Although Ashe was already wanted, Annan and the others were still innocent. Logically and morally, the Red Caps could only target Ashe and not do anything to them as law-abiding citizens.
For instance, if they were sitting in a Railcar, to ensure the safety of Annan and the others, the Red Caps could only stop them and force Ashe to come out; they absolutely could not attack them with a flame blast. Even with advanced medical capabilities, sacrificing the interests of lawful citizens is a line the Red Caps cannot cross.
But if they were to give the Red Caps a reason to act, their hands would not be so tied; they might even kill them first and then use medical treatment to revive and slowly judge them.
The plan essentially tested whether Annan had the resolve to stake everything on one throw of the dice. If Annan couldn’t give up her status as a lawful citizen, she would have no choice but to accept the ‘Azura One-Day Tour’ prize from Broken Home Firm.
Of course, there was another option: letting Ashe, who was already a wanted criminal, handle the two of them.
Setting aside whether Ashe could defeat them, his mere appearance in public would immediately trigger the imperial warrant, and Red Caps from across the city would converge to claim the bounty that had literally fallen from the sky.
Moreover, Ashe probably couldn’t defeat the two Two Wings sorcerers unless he once again activated the special effect of his Demonic Trench Coat—but what if that failed?
The safest method would be for Annan and the others to overpower the two firm agents with a thunderous force and then make a quick escape, but…
Igor looked at Annan and saw no hint of any plan on her beautiful face; she seemed quite content with the situation.
The Con Artist made a gesture to the Necromancer, and Harvey raised his eyebrows.
Since Annan was unwilling to make the first move, they would simply force her to do so.
From the beginning to the end, Igor and Harvey’s attitude towards their boss remained unchanged—they didn’t want a boss.
Being a fugitive was almost more familiar to them than their own identities. If they could use this opportunity to draw the young lady into their camp, they saw no reason to refuse.
At that moment, the Railcar crossed a street that clearly marked the boundary between the city areas. To the north was the core of Fanmula’s double-tiered city, and to the south lay the newly developing districts.
Just then, Ashe and the others felt as if something was being drawn out of their bodies, leaving them feeling empty inside. Even their thoughts slowed, and they could hardly muster the energy to do anything.
The other passengers showed even clearer signs of this, their heads drooping like wilting flowers, lacking even the strength to watch the outsiders.
Suddenly, the Railcar screeched to a halt, not because it was forced to, but due to the hesitation of the controller.
Within just a few breaths, the Orc and Goblins turned pale and listless, their arms and legs trembling uncontrollably. The Orc was slightly better off, merely gasping for air, while the Goblins knelt on the ground, drooling uncontrollably, their heartbeats loud enough to echo throughout the car.