Chapter 244 Chapter243-My Lord, the City Lord, Please Don't Be Too Surprised
At the entrance to Storm City, the security remained as tight as ever.
The City Guards rigorously scrutinized every individual coming in or going out.
As for the players and local NPCs who had set Storm City as their home point, they too were on tenterhooks, as though the air itself had thickened with palpable tension.
A profound worry flickered in their eyes. John looked up, staring into the sky.
He wasn't sure if it was just his imagination, but it seemed like the storm clouds that perpetually hung over Storm City had dispersed somewhat.
He could now vaguely make out the sky.
"Do you guys feel like Storm City seems different from before?" Adam's voice tinged with confusion broke into his thoughts.
Only then did John realize that his intuition wasn't deceiving him—Storm City was indeed undergoing a subtle transformation.
Blue Sea, whose mage class gave him a heightened sensitivity to magical elements, closed his eyes for a brief moment to sense the environment.
When he opened them, his face was a picture of shock.
"The basic elements of wind and thunder in Storm City are slowly dissipating. If this continues, in just a few days, this place will become indistinguishable from any other town!"
It all became clear why everyone in Storm City wore expressions of deep concern.
The local NPCs living here were primarily wind and thunder attribute classes, who had chosen this city for its rich elemental concentration, aiding them in their training.
The slow disappearance of these elements was a devastating blow for them.
For players who had set this place as their home town, although they didn't require the laborious meditation and training, the change in Storm City was not without its impact.
This transformation was far-reaching, causing a chain reaction on multiple levels.
The surrounding monsters might decrease in level due to the depletion of wind and thunder elements, yielding less experience for players.
NPCs in the city could also issue fewer quests because of these shifts.
All of these factors would inevitably slow the players' rate of growth.
Blue Sea suddenly murmured, as if struck by a thought, "Could these strange changes be related to the item missing from the City Lord's Mansion?"
Adam seemed to have the same inkling. Both of them turned their gazes toward John.
For the Son of the Storm, which had disappeared from the City Lord's Mansion, was now quietly nestled in John's backpack.
With a subtle smile, John spoke, "Let's go, let's enter the city."
No sooner had they reached the city gates than they were stopped by soldiers of the City Guard.
"Halt, where are you three coming from? Show your identification!"
Before Blue Sea could reply, a City Guard captain who recognized them walked up. "Ah, it's you three. Have you completed your quest?"
It seemed the captain had a recollection of them. Blue Sea returned the greeting with a warm smile, "We have. Just a simple, minor quest, really."
The City Guard captain eyed Blue Sea, his tone turning icy, "Something feels off. A 'small quest' taking this long? I have reason to suspect your involvement in Storm City's theft. You'll have to come with me for questioning."
The captain's voice gained a shade of sternness, and soldiers immediately began to close in.
John furrowed his brow, puzzled by the captain's sudden change of demeanor.
Blue Sea and Adam, however, seemed nonplussed, as if accustomed to such scenes.
They exchanged a glance. Then, without missing a beat, Blue Sea advanced a few steps toward the captain.
With a casual air, he slipped something into the captain's hand.
John stole a glance.
If he wasn't mistaken, it looked like a bulging pouch of coins...
"You see, we're just humble adventurers, low in level. We couldn't possibly be involved in any theft," Blue Sea said, his smile as refreshing as a spring breeze.
The City Guard captain weighed the contents of the pouch in his hand, and his icy demeanor thawed considerably. "Hmm, you make a fair point... Very well, proceed."
After entering Storm City, Blue Sea chuckled, "Galewind, have you never experienced something like this before?"
John nodded subtly. He hadn't expected to encounter such blatant bribery in a game world.
Adam mused, "That's why I say this game is incredibly realistic. In other games, these sorts of details are often overlooked."
"In the world of Godslayer, you're generally expected to pay a city entrance fee when encountering City Guard checkpoints."
"It's as if the game developers considered the quirks of human nature as well," John chuckled.
Only he knew that this had nothing to do with the game developers. Where there are people, there are desires, plain and simple.
"So where to next?" Blue Sea inquired with a light laugh.
"Let's head to the City Lord's Mansion," John said. "We'll wrap up the mercenary quest first. Then, I have a trade to make with the city lord involving the Son of the Storm."
The trio proceeded down the broad main path, aiming for the heart of Storm City where the City Lord's Mansion was located.
Upon reaching the grand entrance of the City Lord's Mansion, they were immediately halted by two guards. "Stop right there! This is a restricted area. No entry!"
John met the eyes of the guards and calmly stated, "Please inform the city lord that I have urgent matters to discuss with him."
Normally, such a brief utterance would never gain the guards' approval, especially not at a sensitive time when the Mansion had recently been robbed.
Yet, something about John's tone and presence gave the guards pause. After a moment of hesitation, they chose to relay his message.
Shortly thereafter, John and his companions were ushered into the City Lord's Mansion, where they were informed that the city lord awaited them in the council chamber.
Upon entering the council chamber, the trio immediately set their eyes on a middle-aged man seated in the place of honor, adorned in resplendent garments.
[Lord of Storm City Valerie: Level 240]
The tag above the middle-aged man revealed his true identity.
"Lord Valerie, greetings. We've come to complete a quest," John began.
Valerie, leaning on his desk and looking visibly drained, sighed. Clearly, the theft at the City Lord's Mansion and the loss of the Son of the Storm had taken a toll on him.
"Complete a quest? What quest?" he asked with a touch of apathy.
"Investigating the Thousand Streams Cave," John replied, neither hurriedly nor slowly. "It was a quest issued by your City Lord's Mansion to the Mercenaries' Guild, which we accepted and have now completed."
"Ah, the Thousand Streams Cave quest..." Valerie began, his eyes suddenly widening, the scattered focus abruptly concentrating.
He fixed his gaze on John and asked in a serious tone, "You're saying you've uncovered the truth behind the mysterious power in the Thousand Streams Cave?"
Maintaining eye contact, John answered with a serene smile.
At this point, Blue Sea chimed in, "Indeed, Lord Valerie. We have successfully completed this mercenary quest and have come specifically to claim our reward."
Valerie's fingers lightly tapped on the desk, his eyes scanning the trio before him, "The Thousand Streams Cave... Ever since that potent yet enigmatic force settled there, the area has become inaccessible to us."
"Many unsuspecting mages have been swallowed by that zone. I've sent numerous elite squads to investigate, but none have returned."
"What capability do you three young people possess to claim that you've uncovered the truth about the Thousand Streams Cave?" Valerie questioned, his gaze hardening.
John raised an eyebrow, nonchalantly responding, "Whether the quest is complete is clearly stated in the contract. I presume you, Lord Valerie, wouldn't doubt the terms of a binding covenant, would you? As for how we accomplished the quest, there's no need to delve into the details."
Valerie's eyes narrowed, his demeanor growing increasingly frosty.
Clearly, John's casual tone had displeased him.
With a flick of his wrist, a quest scroll materialized in his hand.
Seeing the "Quest Completed" status, Valerie's astonishment was palpable.
The truth that had eluded his countless elite classes was now unearthed by the three young adventurers before him.
"Believe us now?" John's tone remained as unruffled as a still pond.
Valerie nodded, his smile wistful. "So, what exactly happened in the Thousand Streams Cave?"
At Valerie's question, both Blue Sea and Adam stepped back simultaneously, deferring the answer to John.
Neither could address the question; their understanding of the abyssal Devil, a terrifying entity, remained patchy at best.
Taking a seat, John spoke unhurriedly, "Lord Valerie, what I'm about to say may be startling. Prepare yourself and try not to be overly agitated."
Valerie took a sip of water and chuckled bitterly, "Young man, speak freely. I'm already entangled in myriad problems. The theft at the City Lord's Mansion is no secret, so what else could possibly vex me more?"
"The anomaly in the Thousand Streams Cave has persisted for more than a day or two. I've felt that mysterious force—the vastness and malevolence it harbors make my skin crawl even now. So, whatever grim reality you divulge, I doubt it would shock me further."
John nodded approvingly, "That's good to hear. Actually, we didn't find much else in the Thousand Streams Cave—just an abyssal Devil."
Valerie, upon hearing this, spewed the sip of water he had just taken, spraying it across the room.
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