"Flower of Glass"
"The Night Country, the tower, the mage—perhaps we can glimpse some of the Night Country's secrets?"
Lu Ban was somewhat tempted.
I wonder which era of the Night Country this is, and whether I'll be able to meet Xiya.
Without companions, Lu Ban felt he might not be able to deal with the old mage who possessed various spells, not to mention the monster on the trophy; perhaps the old mage had created some kind of monster to raise.
He decided to look at the third one first.
The third trophy looks like a soda can, except that there are many bullet holes in the can. Two new leaves are growing from the opening of the can, as if the can is being used as a flower pot.
[Glass Flower]
The air in the Ruined City city's slums is toxic.
In this city of hope, people die every day. Industrial fumes permeate the slums, and plagues spread silently among the people. No one can guarantee tomorrow's sun will shine.
The wealthy live respectable lives, but they are not without their flaws. A doctor dies a gruesome death, a gang member is found dead in his own home, and a singer's body is left exposed in the street. Beneath the grand banquet, dark shadows slither.
You arrive in the Ruined City to investigate the doctor's death, but be warned, some darkness is best avoided.
"He was a good person, I know that. He's always been a good person. How could he have suffered like this?"
"The Ruined City, what a nice place."
Lu Ban now feels that the Ruined City is actually a very welcoming and pleasant place.
The main advantage is that there are acquaintances around, and the missions are usually in the city, where there is food and a bed to sleep in, and the danger level is not high.
Moreover, Lu Ban's [Last Words] essence requires another material, [The Crane's Song Ascension Chronicle] from the Ruined City.
Lu Ban could go to the Ruined City and ask Trist to help him find it; it might come to him effortlessly.
After a moment's thought, he directly redeemed ten [Madman's Knowledge] from the shop, preparing to search for information on the Ruined City Capital mission.
In Lu Ban's hand, a human skull appeared, glowing with some green flames.
Just by holding it in his hand, Lu Ban heard layers upon layers of illusory murmurs echoing in his ears.
He focused his attention on gathering information about the mission.
"Dr. House was a conscientious and responsible doctor. People in the neighborhood had a very good impression of him, and even the gangsters respected him greatly. I never expected him to be murdered."
"That kid was lazy and good-for-nothing, not even good enough to be a gangster. Good riddance! Good riddance! I just wonder when he'll pay me back the thirty dollars he owes me."
"I told you, I didn't do anything that day. I went to sleep after that bitch left. Who the hell stays up in the middle of the night to follow a bitch?"
"Hey buddy, wake up. This is a slum. Dozens of people die every day. Don't make a fuss. Maybe the water you just drank came from a corpse."
"The Crane's Song School wiped out decades ago for violating a taboo, but its disciples did not disappear. Instead, they integrated into society, and there might even be members of their kind in the underworld. On the path of pursuing immortality, there will always be someone who needs them."
"Never walk alone on the streets of the Ruined City slums at night. If you see a woman, you'd better be careful and quickly think of a way to die that won't attract attention if her body is discovered."
These words penetrated Lu Ban's mind, spreading across his cerebral cortex. The signals of his neural synapses were distorted and altered, and the knowledge became solidified, permanently residing in Lu Ban's consciousness.
Lu Ban bled a little from his nose. After the trip to the Harmony Island, this level of mental pollution seemed to have less of an effect on him. Grass quickly filled Lu Ban's nose.
Lu Ban couldn't breathe.
He opened his mouth wide and took two breaths.
"The Crane's Song School. It seems that in this mission, we might encounter people related to Daoist He Ming, and perhaps we can obtain the [Crane's Song Ascension Chronicle]."
Lu Ban muttered to himself.
Daoist He Ming is clearly an important figure in the Ruined City. Perhaps investigating his affairs will reveal the source of the pollution in the Ruined City. For Lu Ban, he is a person who needs to be closely monitored.
Lu Ban looked at the three trophies again and found that, as he acquired new knowledge, the text on the third trophy changed, with more small characters appearing.
[Cooperative Task]
The quest begins when more than one Chosen of the Gods Chosen of the Gods know has joined your party, or when you have accepted an invitation from Chosen of the Gods.
If no one accepts the invitation, you will be randomly matched with a companion.
Number of companions: 0/1
"It's still a collaborative mission, so at least I can find Xiya to be my bodyguard."
Lu Ban clapped his hands, feeling confident that this round was won.
As for Trist, being a resident of the Ruined City, he should also be able to get involved, after all, he's a detective, and having connections in both the legitimate and criminal worlds shouldn't be a problem.
Lu Ban promptly extended an invitation.
He noticed something was off as soon as he sent it out.
In previous collaborative tasks, the details were provided before the task was selected.
Now, however, after acquiring the [Madman's Knowledge], he has gained a certain understanding of this mission in the Ruined City.
"So, the more I understand this task, the more difficult it might become?"
That's normal. In a foreign land, knowledge is synonymous with pollution, which proves the danger of this mission. It may seem like an ordinary investigation of a murder case, but once you get to the truth, you'll understand the darkness at the heart of the Ruined City.
As Lu Ban was thinking, he noticed that the key he had placed on the table had suddenly moved.
It's like there's an unseen cat playing with keys on the table with its paws.
Lu Ban looked over there, and the key moved again, getting close to the edge of the table, almost falling off.
He reached out and pushed the key back.
A moment later, the key was pushed to the edge of the table again.
Lu Ban looked over, and then the key was pushed to the ground with a clattering sound.
He picked up the keys and put them on the table.
"Amber, don't touch the things on the table."
Lu Ban spoke to the air.
A while later, Lu Ban received a message from a fellow traveler who had joined the group.
I don't know if it's Xiya or Trist.
At that moment, the water glass on Lu Ban's table was pushed again.
"Don't overthink it, he's just a partner on a mission."
Lu Ban offered an explanation.
He saw the water glass being moved back to its original position.
As evening fell, just as Lu Ban was wondering if Trist had died in the Ruined City because of some womanizing, the system's indifferent and cold words appeared.
Number of companions: 2/1
The conditions for starting the mission have been met.
After selecting a task, the difficulty level will be immediately confirmed, and the task will begin.
Lu Ban walked to the cabinet and picked up the trophy, which looked like a soda can.
*
Bonus chapter for first monthly pass in November: 1/3