"Yes, Chief Engineer, why aren't you turning on the lights?"
The first voice repeated the reprimand, followed by a crisp knocking sound, and then an old voice:
"First Mate, I'm Blood Corpse. I have night vision."
"So you just saw someone up ahead?"
"I saw it."
"Failure to report such information is punishable!"
"Aaaaaaaaahhhhhh!"
Many people cannot imagine what it feels like to hear the heart-wrenching screams of an elderly person, but at this moment they finally have this unprecedented experience.
The voice was hoarse and heavy, carrying an unbearable pain, and at the same time, it was slightly distorted by the electric current passing through it, as if just hearing it could instantly fully charge a phone.
After a brief hesitation, Marba ignored the obviously Graycast Corridor -style mobile fortress and continued his charge toward the castle.
Behind them, the players had already bypassed the Greenhouse and regrouped from the left and right sides to continue their chase.
But the players knew this chase wouldn't last long, because the Shattered Castle was now almost within reach.
On the Antasia, the [ Shit Appraisal Master ], [ Lion Hidden in the Eyes ], and [ Traditional Eccentric Wheel ], who had just returned from a business trip of several months, watched the surging crowd in front of them with great interest.
Chief Engineer Bennett, along with Gray and Nora, looked completely stunned.
After a long silence, Nora, wearing a heavy coat, asked:
"Is this the vibrant paradise you described?"
Gray paused for a few moments before asking in return:
"Just tell me if it's full of vitality or not."
"It's plentiful, but if I'm not mistaken, your helmsman just seemed to have killed someone..."
Gray couldn't explain the problem, so he looked at the [ Shit Appraisal Master ] beside him:
"The accident just now..."
"It's okay~"
[ The Shit Appraisal Master ] casually waved his hand:
"This is our Second Holy See's Night Run for Soul Returner; being hit by the Antasia won't kill you."
After casually uttering the event name, [ Shit Appraisal Master ] began searching for players he recognized in the crowd.
This wasn't because he completely disregarded the lives of ordinary NPCs in the Second Holy See; it was simply that he didn't consider it a big deal.
There are only three common groups of people in Valhalla: the Soul Returner, the Dragonborn, and the local commoners.
Needless to say, those Soul Returner are unlikely to be killed by the collision, and even if they are, it wouldn't be a true death.
While such an impact would send the Dragonborn flying, it would hardly cause them any real harm.
As for the local civilians...
[ The Shit Appraisal Master ] clearly saw that the man had leaped onto the path that the Antasia was bound to take, something that the local civilians of the Tree Worship Church, who were physically deformed, simply did not possess.
Therefore, he was not worried at all about the serious consequences of his [ Lion Hidden in the Eyes ] driving.
Soul Returner dressed in various "skins" walked past the Antasia. Three players quietly looked down and watched, occasionally greeting a few familiar players, but mostly new players who had joined in the past few months, all completely unfamiliar faces.
[ Traditional Eccentric Wheel ] patted [ Shit Appraisal Master ] on the shoulder:
"Does this mean we missed an entire major update event?"
[ The Shit Appraisal Master ] thought for a moment and said:
"I don't think so. I remember this event is called ' The Great Adventurer,' and ' Fir City Operation ' is just its first phase. Besides, our Great Labyrinth City Trip is practically a custom quest, so it should be even rarer."
"That's true. My screen recordings are almost full. I need to contact those players who like making videos in the next couple of days to discuss selling them."
"Don't worry, buddy, I'll help you make the connection. Of course, there'll be a little something extra for my help..."
"I understand, I understand."
Just then, [ the Lion Hidden in the Eyes ], who was not far away, suddenly shouted:
"What did you just say? Say it again!"
A player in the crowd shouted:
"The first group to run past you are enemies, not players!"
"Ah?!"
[ With Lion Hidden in the Eyes ] Gray turned to look at the players and NPCs, and said with a look of astonishment:
"Then, then hurry and chase after them! This is a trade route I risked my life to secure..."
With a sudden burst of electric shocks, Bennett restarted the Blood Corpse Engine, pushing the Antasia to its maximum power and bypassing a large number of players to join the race from the side.
In the distance, below the ancient castle.
Marba immediately spotted the remaining foundation of the Shattered Castle on the ground. His Psionic Energy flickered a few times as he quickly grasped the rules that had changed after the incident.
A Psionic Energy explosion caused by the death of a human majoring in Psionic Energy Compatibility has permanently altered some of the rules of this area.
It sounds terrible, but it doesn't apply to him.
Even without using any Psionic Energy, he could leap directly into the castle using only his physical strength.
Not far above, Ed stood at the wide-open gate of the ancient castle, looking down at everything below with his single, clear eye.
"I'll do it?"
Seraphina asked a question from behind him. Numerous fiery cracks had appeared on his dragon horns, as if they were about to explode and shatter everything around them.
Feeling the cold wind in front of him and the scorching heat behind him, Ed reached out and gently pressed down twice:
"Don't rush, let me handle this phase first. We'll hand him over to you once he reveals his true form. After all, my Soul Returner haven't seen anything like this in a while."
Seraphina, as always, could only understand the gist of what Ed said, but that didn't stop her from understanding Ed's thoughts and asking the question that concerned her most:
"No problem, when do you want to transfer the money?"
"To be more precise, that's called the final payment."
When will I pay the final payment?
Why do you think this money is called the final payment? Of course, it should be paid after the matter is completed.
"Okay, it's a deal. No backing out this time."
"I have never defaulted on a debt."
"That time with the Hive Will..."
"Didn't the Hive Will pay for me that time?"
"When?"
"You forgot? That drop of royal jelly..."
"I remember that was a gift when we met, right?"
"No, you're mistaken. The drop you gave me was a greeting gift, and the drop you gave me was for your travel expenses."
"... Okay, let's see who can pay for you this time."
"No, no, I really will pay this time. But I'm curious, are you really confident you can defeat a High Tier demon that has existed for who knows how many years? You seem to be only..."
One hundred and fifty-one years old.
"Yes, a dragon of 151 years old, his age is probably more than double yours by several zeros..."