Flying in the Air, Player's Envy

Everyone laughed it off, pretending to be nonchalant.

"The loot this time is alright, I got a silver item," said Dragon Diagram Frenzy.

"Yes, and their experience is quite good," Qin Xiaowuhui added with a smile.

"Okay, let's continue next week."

As they spoke, they quickly logged off.

They were going to test their new talents.

The result was, of course, a pleasant surprise.

Those terrifying monsters seemed to have become much weaker in the face of their new talents.

Moreover, they themselves are getting stronger.

They were naturally unaware that all of this was achieved using Earth's inherent power and technological systems.

Meanwhile, Zhang Mingzhen continued his search for feathers and his pursuit of the flying monster leader.

He had previously explored another area and collected 83 flight feathers, and hope was within reach.

Having experienced the battlefield and the Training Tower today, he decided to explore more distant areas of the map.

The locations of all flying monsters in the vicinity have been explored; the only way to continue the search is to venture deeper into the more treacherous territories of higher-level monsters.

Along the way, he encountered hordes of strange snake beasts. Although they were not high-level, they were densely distributed. He could wipe out hundreds of them with a single round of skills.

While leveling up here is acceptable, his main purpose is still to collect flying items.

Given the increasingly dangerous reality, air maneuverability has become extremely important.

Having a flying pet is one thing, but being able to fly yourself is equally important—what if you fall from the sky?

Just then, a sharp eagle cry suddenly rang out from the sky, and a giant eagle swooped down with its claws outstretched.

Its purpose is clearly not the players.

As Zhang Mingzhen dodged to the side, the giant eagle seized a large snake and soared into the sky.

He gazed in the direction the giant eagle had flown, determined to give chase.

He could have shot it down on the spot, but a new idea popped into his mind: if he followed this eagle, he might be able to find its nest, where there might be Boss-Level Demon.

So they spared its life and secretly followed it.

Finally, he followed them all the way to the foot of a majestic mountain peak.

The word "majestic" is no exaggeration; the caves that are densely packed on the mountain walls alone are several meters high and wide.

At the summit, many giant eagles can be seen circling back and forth.

Some were searching for prey, some were resting at the entrance of their burrows, and some chicks were chirping loudly, begging for food...

At the entrances to those caves, there were piles of bones, some of them animals, others of people.

It seems that this Fierce Eagle Mountain is the gathering place of the entire giant eagle clan.

The leader of the giant eagles has not yet been found, but these giant eagles have an average level of forty, so they may be able to drop "feathers".

Thinking of this, Zhang Mingzhen launched an attack directly at the giant eagle on the mountaintop.

The moment he appeared halfway up the mountain, it was like cold water splashed into hot oil; the entire Eagle Mountain instantly boiled over, and countless giant eagles swooped down from the sky.

To his surprise, before the leader even appeared, after he killed dozens of the attacking giant eagles, these eagles contributed a generous amount of experience points and a feather.

This was truly an unexpected gain.

He seized the opportunity and launched a devastating attack on the flock of eagles.

Unlike ordinary wild monsters, what puzzled him was that these giant eagles did not respawn; they seemed to be real living beings, decreasing one by one as they died.

This is different from the usual monster areas.

After those monsters were killed, they quickly respawned in the same spot.

Otherwise, it wouldn't be possible to support so many people leveling up.

Just like a regular online game.

Here, the giant eagle dies on the spot and does not immediately respawn.

He didn't think about this strange thing for long.

Soon after, all the adult giant eagles in the mountains perished, and a strange sense of guilt vaguely surfaced in Zhang Mingzhen's heart.

He realized that these were not monsters, but real living beings.

Suddenly, he felt very hypocritical.

Why should I feel guilty when I'm just trying to get good gear?

In this world, survival is the greatest truth.

The current situation is dangerous in reality, and increasingly mysterious and unpredictable in the game.

He has no right to pity anyone.

He then looked around and found several chicks hiding deeper in the cave.

Zhang Mingzhen put it into his bag, intending to take it back to town and hand it over to the auction house.

This trip was definitely worthwhile.

I originally thought I would need to lure out the flying boss to obtain the "feather" fragment, but I didn't expect to get this reward.

Just as Zhang Mingzhen was rallying his spirits and preparing to leave Eagle Mountain, a faint cry for help drifted on the Suifeng.

"Help... help me... save me..."

Could it be a hidden opportunity?

On a whim, he followed the sound and found a middle-aged NPC dressed in a long robe who called himself "Zhang Mingcheng" in a secluded cave.

The man lay in the cave, his face emaciated, clearly on the verge of collapse due to prolonged hunger and thirst.

"Are you from Shuangyue Town?"

"No... I come from Fragrant Cloud City."

"I was abducted by a giant eagle a month ago... Sir, do you have any food or water? Please give me some to eat and drink..." the other person said weakly.

When a person doesn't eat for a long time, what they crave most is water, not food.

As a player, Zhang Mingzhen naturally doesn't need to carry rations with him, which would take up his space.

After all, the current game doesn't have a hunger system yet.

Suddenly, he had a flash of inspiration and cast the healing spell "Spring Wind" on Zhang Mingcheng.

A health bar appeared above the opponent's head, and in the blink of an eye, his health was fully restored, and he sat up abruptly.

"You are actually a venerable spirit master!"

"I have been disrespectful... Thank you so much for saving my life."

Zhang Mingcheng hurriedly bowed, "My name is Zhang Mingcheng, and I serve as a director at the Fragrant Cloud City Auction House."

"Could you please escort me back to Fragrant Cloud City? The journey is long and arduous, and I cannot possibly escape alone..."

Seeing that the spiritual master did not respond immediately, as if he was pondering, he quickly added, "The auction house has connections in various places, and I, Zhang, am quite wealthy. I will certainly repay you handsomely when we return to the city."

"If you have any other needs, I will do my best to fulfill them."

After saying that, he raised his head, looked at Zhang Mingzhen, and his eyes were full of sincerity.

Zhang Mingzhen wasn't unwilling to agree—"Fragrant Cloud City," as a new map he had just heard about, was clearly a more prosperous NPC town than "Shuangyue Town," which meant opening up a new territory.

He hesitated because a system notification suddenly appeared:

"Escort mission triggered: Escort Zhang Mingcheng, a resident of Fragrant Cloud City, back to Fragrant Cloud City."

"Task reward: Random."

Random rewards? What does that mean...?

Is it like the quest system in Skyrim or Baldur's Gate, where the final reward isn't a shock?

He still remembers when he first started playing Baldur's Gate, he did a quest to escort an NPC home, but ended up returning to a dragon's lair.

After the NPC materialized, it was an enormous red dragon that occupied half the screen.

The result, naturally, was that food was delivered to their door...

"I'm currently collecting 'feathers' to synthesize Flying Wings. Do you have any connections?" Zhang Mingzhen asked tentatively.

Zhang Mingcheng was delighted to hear this; if there was a need, then it was easy to discuss.

"The Flying Wings, that is indeed a legendary treasure, but 'Feathers'... our auction house still has some in stock."

How much do you need?

He couldn't help but feel uneasy, fearing that the other party would make excessive demands.

In fact, he kept most of his valuables in his personal storage space.

However, he dared not speak openly, fearing that the spiritual master, seeing the wealth, would be tempted to kill and rob him.

I need twenty.

Zhang Mingcheng looked troubled. "Sir, you are unaware that this item is Rare Tier rare. Our company has collected no more than fifteen pieces over the years, so we simply cannot make up a total of twenty..."

"Fifteen then," Zhang Mingzhen, already quite satisfied.

The system then prompts again:

[Escort mission accepted. Reward upon completion: Fifteen feathers carried by Zhang Mingcheng.]

The reward was actually with him.

This man is cunning; I almost fell for his trick.

As expected, it's a businessman's setup.

If it were a villainous protagonist, they would kill it and get the quest items.

"When shall we set off?" Zhang Mingcheng was eager to return home.

"No rush. Give me the feather first."

"I swear in the name of a Spirit Master that I will protect you and bring you back to the city. But I need the Feathers now."

Zhang Mingcheng chuckled awkwardly twice, saying, "What I just said was only for the sake of caution. I understand."

He dared not disobey, so he took out a brocade pouch from his bosom and poured out fifteen Liu Guang -like objects.

"I naturally trust the reputation of a spiritual master." Zhang Mingzhen took the feather, knowing that it also contained a storage device.

At this point, all ninety-nine feathers had finally been collected.

He immediately chose to synthesize it.

As the light shimmered, a pair of light and radiant wings took shape in his hands.

System prompt: [Equip Flying Wings?]

He silently confirmed it.

At the same moment, a global announcement resounded throughout the world:

[Congratulations to player "Chongxing" for being the first to collect all ninety-nine feathers and successfully synthesize the Flying Wings, becoming the first adventurer in the God's Domain to possess a flying device!]

[Rewards: Experience points..., 100 Gold Coin, 1000 Achievement Points!]

The channel instantly erupted in excitement once again:

"Great news! Congratulations on your ascent to the heavens!"

"This is completely different from riding a flying beast... I wonder when I'll be able to have a pair of wings?"

"Damn it, the Cheater are at it again? Why aren't the developers coming out and nerfing them?"

"Is there any justice in this world? Without spending any money or having any skill, just by relying on a talent you got from a gacha pull, you can keep showing off and getting strong?"

"Even for whales (players who spend a lot of money on the game), if they don't spend any money in a single version, they immediately fall behind."

"Yeah, he's been leading the whole way, is there any justice in this world?"

A group of players were there, hurling insults and profanities.

"Wake up, upstairs. I've heard the chances of getting a feather are slim. If you can collect them all, it's practically the game designer's favorite child."

"Yes, those of us raised by stepmothers should not embark on this long and arduous journey—this is advice from someone who has been there."

"It'll be much easier to recognize Chongxing Cheater from now on; just look for the one with wings on its back!"

[Flying Wings: A special device that can be stored inside the body; when deployed, it allows for flight and increases agility by 50% while in the air.]

All the hard work we had put in was finally worthwhile, and the results were truly gratifying.

Those wings were entirely golden, each feather clearly defined, shimmering with dazzling light, making them truly eye-catching.

It seems that it's better to keep it away on ordinary days.

Of course, for those big spenders, they'd love to be as famous and show off as possible.

Zhang Mingzhen immediately spread his wings and leaped upwards—with fifty percent speed, he swiftly soared across the sky.

Zhang Mingcheng on the ground stared in disbelief.

To actually witness someone collect Flying Wings in one's lifetime is extremely rare, even in the entire Wild Continent.

This spiritual master must have an extraordinary background; at least my journey home now has hope.

Zhang Mingzhen swooped down, grabbed him by the back of his collar, and sent him flying into the air.

"That makes things easier. Do you remember the way we came? I'll fly you there directly."

Zhang Mingcheng was still shaken—ever since being abducted by the giant eagle, he had developed a fear of heights.

"I vaguely remember coming from the south... but I fainted for a while along the way, so I don't know if the direction changed."

"Then let's fly south first."

"If you see any familiar sights or landmarks, tell me immediately."

He had previously retrieved the wildflower Flower Spirit.

If the mission goes smoothly, I may Yao Li Shuangyue Town for a long time.

Once you find a new city, you may encounter entirely new gameplay and maps.

Using their Flying Wings, the two flew swiftly at low altitudes, not daring to fly too high lest they miss the clues on the ground.

After flying for about three hours, Zhang Mingzhen did not feel tired.

At this moment, the system prompted them that they were approaching the vicinity of Fragrant Cloud City.

To avoid attracting attention, the two chose to land and proceed on foot.

Along the way, in order to learn more about Fragrant Cloud City, Zhang Mingzhen kept asking around for relevant information.

He learned that the main power in Fragrant Cloud City was the City Lord's Mansion, in addition to several NPC guilds that jointly controlled various affairs in the city.

For example, the Fragrant Cloud Auction House, to which Zhang Mingcheng belongs, is backed by the "Shadow Society," a major guild NPC in Fragrant Cloud City.

Every so often Fragrant Cloud City hosts a large-scale auction house, which also previously accepted commissions from other factions to sell their items.

These items are products of the NPC's internal economy.

Some valuable goods can even be exchanged through barter, ensuring that both the buyer and seller are satisfied with the exchange.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Mingzhen remembered the vulture king's egg in his bag, which could be handed over to the auction house for disposal.

"You guys do auction services too? I have a Warcraft egg here, could you help me sell it? Barter would be best."

"Bartering is usually only applicable to extremely valuable items. May I ask what kind of Warcraft egg you are offering?" Zhang Mingcheng tactfully reminded him.

Zhang Mingzhen then took out the Vulture King's Egg and handed it to him.

"The eggs laid by the Bloodthirsty Vulture King can be tamed."

Upon seeing the egg's attributes, Zhang Mingcheng's face lit up with delight. "I thought it was just an ordinary Warcraft egg, but it turns out to be the offspring of a king-level Warcraft —this is priceless! Excellent, we'll take this commission."

They don't accept ordinary Warcraft eggs, but eggs of king-level Warcraft have a high chance of inheriting bloodlines and growing into king-level Warcraft, making them rare items in the auction house.

"Besides the auction house, what else is special about Fragrant Cloud City? I mean, compared to ordinary small towns."

Hearing this, he said with a proud expression, "Our Fragrant Cloud City is also very famous among the surrounding cities."

"Not only are the goods plentiful, but the auction house, escort agency, and adventurers' guild are also far larger than those in other towns."

Other cities? Do you often travel to other places?

"What's so difficult about that? Cities are interconnected, with frequent trade and close ties."

Merchants often come here to purchase goods, and they can travel back and forth using the intercity Teleportation Array.