The Worsening Reality and a New Game City

Zhang Mingzhen heard that there were actually Teleportation Array that could be used regularly between these large cities.

It seems that Mingyue Village and Shuangyue Town, where we were previously located, were indeed backward, and the Teleportation Array were old and ineffective.

Small places just don't maintain their facilities well.

Players who travel by trade will be even more delighted if they come to Fragrant Cloud City.

The profits from doing business here would likely be much higher, which is good news for them.

Of course, this Teleportation Array must be very expensive; otherwise, it's hard to imagine how prosperous this business would be.

The two talked as they walked, and finally arrived at the gate of Fragrant Cloud City.

A magnificent and imposing city appeared before my eyes.

The city wall was dozens of feet high, almost as tall as a small mountain.

However, Zhang Mingzhen's mind wandered to another matter: Who were these high city walls meant to defend against?

"System: Congratulations on successfully completing the escort mission!"

At the same time, a global announcement was made:

"Congratulations to the player for Chongxing the new city 'Fragrant Cloud City'! The Fragrant Cloud City exclusive Teleportation Array has been activated."

"Once all players reach level 30, they can use the Teleportation Array outside Shuangyue Town to teleport to Fragrant Cloud City!"

(Players in other regions can also activate the Teleportation Array upon reaching level 30 to travel to Fragrant Cloud City, which is a shared map.)

Another new map has been unlocked! And it's a shared map.

"Yeah, we always criticize Chongxing for being Cheater, but now we're really grateful Chongxing the great Chongxing for paving the way and opening up new maps for us!"

"Fragrant Cloud City sounds much more upscale than Mingyue Town, right? The facilities should be more complete, right? Will there be any new activities?"

"Hurry up and level up to run a trade route in Fragrant Cloud City! Wherever our caravan goes, gold is everywhere!"

"The main force will be level 30 soon, pros, wait for us! Fragrant Cloud City is waiting!"

"I wonder if the fashion stores over there have a wider selection..." a female player asked.

"What an idiot! Look at the state of reality these days! You're still thinking about having fun?"

"The most important thing is to level up and awaken your character quickly."

"That's right, it's all for awakening!" Some people are still quite clear-headed.

After completing the task, Zhang Mingzhen declined the offer to stay by this fellow clansman.

He simply told the other party that they would naturally come to the auction house to find him when needed, and then finalized the auction date for the Warcraft egg before logging out of the game.

It was already dark when I stepped out of his villa's private game room.

Zhang Mingzhen once again spent a lot of money to order a high-end takeout meal.

The delivery fee has gone up again, now it's a whopping 150 yuan.

The delivery fees that used to be 3, 5, or 8 yuan per order are almost nowhere to be seen anymore.

Because young people are the main force of food delivery workers, now everyone's into the God's Domain Game.

Wouldn't it be great to earn 500 or 1000 a day?

And you don't have to worry about car accidents, it's not hot or tiring.

In addition, it can awaken.

As a result, such manual labor jobs are becoming increasingly rare.

For the first time since the beginning of time, manual labor in Dragon Han became truly valuable.

Other jobs have also seen prices rise accordingly, including the food and beverage industry, which has become much more expensive.

Zhang Mingzhen sighed. It seemed he needed to consider stockpiling food and becoming self-reliant.

He then began to examine the abilities he had acquired in the real world.

He was then pleasantly surprised to find that all his skills could be used.

Although the equipment did not manifest, its additional attributes remained.

Moreover, with a slight thought, the newly acquired wings of light suddenly unfolded, their golden radiance instantly filling the room.

Looking out the window, the whole room seemed to be bathed in a hazy golden light.

Zhang Mingzhen quickly put it away.

He frowned: it was acceptable during the day, but such ostentation at night was far too conspicuous.

It's unclear whether these wings can be reconfigured; even nighttime test flights are currently difficult.

After folding his wings, he went to watch the live news on his phone.

The news is reporting on the increasing number of animal attacks on people.

Officials even called on pet owners to strengthen their precautions, which instead drew criticism from many pet lovers.

Zhang Mingzhen can only say that if you don't do stupid things, you won't die.

Even though danger is right in front of them, they still want to pity their dogs and cats.

A beast is a beast.

Peaceful times can foster relationships, but now we're in a time of war.

He then focused his mental energy into his ears, and his range of perception suddenly expanded.

At this very moment.

Many previously unnoticed sounds are now floating through the city, as if unfamiliar life pulses are silently spreading.

Clearly, these are not human beings.

This gave him a sense of unease, but also a glimmer of hope.

"If this is truly the influence of the <God's Domain>, then this change is probably unstoppable."

"This game is indeed mysterious and unpredictable; the possibility of resurrecting our parents has increased considerably."

As a time traveler, he felt no sense of belonging in maintaining social stability.

But if order collapses, one's own life will inevitably suffer.

His only goal was to resurrect his parents.

Perhaps he should have more faith in the upper echelons of Dragon Han.

However, the world is a makeshift operation, and he can't rely on others.

A person can only rely on themselves!

Zhang Mingzhen clenched his fist, then began to organize his belongings and make preparations for saving.

Unfortunately, he didn't have a personal storage space and couldn't store unlimited amounts of supplies.

Food, water, medicine, fuel, armor, simple weapons...

He started ordering all of this online.

And this won't attract anyone's attention, because everyone is doing it.

The only problem is that weapons are hard to buy.

Moreover, it's a detached villa, naturally far from others, so he doesn't have to worry about anyone harming him by destroying a building.

At this moment, the senior management of Dragon Han were indeed far less composed than they appeared.

Recently, strange occurrences have been frequent in various places, many of which are related to wild animals. Even behind thousands of missing persons cases, the shadow of monsters looms.

The atmosphere in the meeting room of the Special Response Bureau was tense.

"So many people have been searching for so long, and they still haven't found him, whether alive or dead?"

"Not a single clue? What's the progress of the case?" The bureau chief was furious, his face stern.

"Report: Currently, there is a lack of eyewitness evidence; evidence can only be extracted from residual tissue, and the exact target has not yet been identified..."

"Continue the strict investigation; all cities must raise their alert levels."

"Furthermore, dispatch elite personnel to Xuancheng to thoroughly investigate the truth behind the residents' disappearances."

"No matter what, the situation cannot be allowed to fall into chaos!"

The meeting soon ended, and everyone went about their own business.

At this moment, someone whispered:

"Whether it's chaotic or not isn't up to us to decide; it's up to that alien."

"So, have they actually made contact with the other party? Is this current situation something they caused?"

"Heh, obviously, the higher-ups don't dare say that."

"Yes, something that could be resolved with just a word from the other party is now being made us work ourselves to death."

A group of people grumbled, then got to work.

Completely unaware of this, Zhang Mingzhen placed an order for a large amount of supplies and then hurriedly returned to the game.

After all, these supplies will only be useful if we become stronger.

Otherwise, it's just being hoarded by others.

As usual Zhang Mingzhen cleared the entire Training Tower and then went to queue for the War Zone.

After the game mode has been open for several days, players have already figured out various tricks and methods to win, relying on special strategies to seize the opportunity to win.

For example, they would find someone to join the squad at the same time, bribe the opponent on the battlefield, insult the opponent, use provocation, use honey traps... they used all sorts of methods, and came up with all sorts of tricks.

But all skills are futile in the face of absolute strength.

The moment the word "Chongxing" appears on the battlefield list, the outcome is already decided.

"What luck today! I'm matched with a pro player! I can finally win without lifting a finger!"

"Starting off with a brick wall, is yesterday's nightmare of losing three games in a row going to repeat itself?"

"Hahaha, my luck has turned around! Nobody can stop me from clinging to your coattails!"

"Priest team, get back here! What are you all doing focusing on the top player? Does he need your healing? We desperately need healers here to capture the flag!"

"Following the pros is so easy, getting assists is a breeze, who wants to risk their life on the front lines?"

"Is nobody going to care if we live or die? If they don't send someone to heal us soon, I'm not going to make it!"

"Sacrifice the individual for the greater good; the great god will lead us to victory! Just focus on accumulating contribution points!"

"For those who make no contribution or achieve no merit, defeat is worse than victory!"

After easily completing the battlefield mission, Zhang Mingzhen consumed Experience Fruit, leveling up to level 39.

Nowadays, his daily experience mainly comes from Flower Spirit and Experience Fruit; he hasn't gone to the wild to grind monsters for a long time.

"This kind of slackness won't do."

He silently reminded himself as he strode toward Fragrant Cloud City.

He's going to check if the new map offers high experience gains.

Unlike Shuangyue Town, this city charges a city fee—one Silver Coins each time.

That's way too expensive!

Does the exploitation of big cities begin at the city gates?

However, once they entered Fragrant Cloud City, the value of that Silver Coins became immediately apparent.

A detailed map of the city was hung on the inner wall of the city gate.

He paused for a moment, scanning the signs—restaurants, auction houses, various merchant guilds, Adventurers' Guild, Spiritcaster Guild, weapon and clothing shops...

It has everything you need, and its scale and functions far surpass those of Shuangyue Town, making it an absolute reliable support for travelers passing through.

He first headed towards the place that piqued his curiosity the most: the "Spiritcaster Guild".

Since the local inhabitants refer to the Priest or professionals among the players as "spiritual sorcerers," this guild must be extraordinary.

Judging from the map markings, it is not the kind of private organization that players create themselves and hide in another dimension.

Instead, it is a multi-story building located in the city, with a semi-public, government-run nature.

Stepping into the main hall, it was surprisingly spacious, resembling a tavern, where people could freely sit on the first floor.

At the front desk stood a receptionist named "Fire Meteor," answering questions from spiritual practitioners and assigning various commissions.

"Sir, do you need assistance?" "Fire Meteor" looked at Zhang Mingzhen. "This place provides guidance on spiritual arts training, equipment collection, and quest posting."

"How can I verify the identity of a spiritualist?" he asked.

"Simple."

"There is a special array inside that can measure the strength of spiritual power, and the level is determined accordingly. The level is related to the treatment and the scope of missions that can be taken," Fire Meteor explained.

After this introduction, Zhang Mingzhen understood that anyone who could perform magic was generally considered a practitioner of spiritual arts.

As for how the levels will be further subdivided, that remains to be seen.

"Then please arrange a test for me."

"Okay, please go up to the second floor."

The second floor is quite different from the first floor; it's quiet and peaceful, like a library.

Dozens of bookshelves stood silently among them, and a pattern resembling a Teleportation Array was engraved on the ground.

Behind the stage sat an elderly man named "True Word," who was bowing his head and holding a pen, seemingly recording something.

"Sir, I'm here to conduct a spiritualist level assessment." Zhang Mingzhen stepped forward.

"Pay five silver coins and step into the formation." The old man didn't even raise his head.

Five silver coins would be enough to make ordinary players gasp, but for Zhang Mingzhen, who carried nearly two hundred Gold Coin and ranked first on the wealth list, it was nothing.

He promptly handed over the money and stepped into the center of the formation.

The magic circle gradually rippled with a layer of magnetic light, like an invisible hand brushing over the body.

The old man with the True Word finally raised his eyes, staring intently at the changes in the formation, occasionally taking notes with his pen.

About five minutes later, he signaled Zhang Mingzhen to go into battle.

The old man looked him up and down, his eyes revealing approval. "At such a young age, you have already reached the third-tier spiritual artist level, just one step away from the fourth tier."

"His talent is astonishing."

He took out a badge and handed it to him, saying, "This is the emblem of a spirit sorcerer."

"With this, you can go to the first floor and receive a third-tier spirit mage's robe."

"Remember, if you ever advance to the fourth rank, you must come here immediately to change your insignia and robes."

Zhang Mingzhen immediately understood.

Based on the old man's words, it is speculated that levels 30 to 39 correspond to the third tier, while levels 40 to 49 correspond to the fourth tier.

Thus, everyone who arrives in Fragrant Cloud City and begins practicing magic starts at the third rank.

Because only level 30 or higher can teleport here.

It remains to be seen whether the old man's unperturbed demeanor will change by then.

After Zhang Mingzhen returned to the first floor with the insignia, he received his robes and signed a simple contract.

The content is roughly as follows. "Anyone who is assessed by the guild and awarded an insignia is automatically considered an external member of the guild. They do not have any obligations on a daily basis, but are nominally affiliated with the Spiritcaster Guild."

After becoming a member of the Spiritcaster Guild, you can accept various commissions posted in the lobby in exchange for experience and various rewards.

Zhang Mingzhen glanced at the list of missions, which included a wide variety of tasks such as "clearing out Warcraft in the suburbs and bringing back the credentials," "exploring unfamiliar areas," and "challenging designated characters."

Compared to the rigid, monster-hunting approach of the past, these quests are starting to feel like a real medieval world's quest hall.

Similar to the medieval reincarnation scenes in various anime.

Moreover, the method of choosing according to one's own needs certainly adds a lot of fresh interest.

After leaving the Spiritcaster Guild, he Adventurers' Guild.

As expected, its function is similar to that of the Spiritcaster Guild, but it focuses more on those who practice martial arts.

The tasks announced are mostly about defeating Warcraft, with fewer tasks involving exploring mysteries and solving puzzles.

But for travelers, the choice ultimately hinges on the balance between difficulty and reward.

Both institutions have tiered commissions, from low to high, with higher risks yielding greater profits, and the choice depends entirely on one's own capabilities.

The weapon shops and clothing stores we visited later had higher-grade and more complete weapons, as well as more elaborate clothing styles.

The general layout is similar to that of Shuangyue Town, only the appearance is much better.

It's worth mentioning that the robes issued by the Spiritcaster Guild have a hidden effect: when hunting in the wild, wearing these robes can slightly reduce the chances of Warcraft detecting you.

In Fragrant Cloud City, the standard uniforms provided by the Adventurers' Guild and the Spiritualist Organization are clearly more practical.

Unlike the small town, Fragrant Cloud City has an auction house located in the most bustling street in the east of the city.

The eastern district is home to various businesses and clubs, the southern district is dominated by the Spiritcaster Guild and the Adventurers' Alliance, the western district is mostly residential and daily markets, and the northern district is home to the solemn city lord's mansion and government buildings.