Chapter 141: Player Village

[The little Lampshadow Fox sees the Witch of Crows and the Great Crow perched on your head. It shrinks down and, trembling, hides inside your clothes. It seems rather frightened of the witch before it.]

Chen Qi rubbed his head. Who would have thought the little Lampshadow Fox could be such a coward?

He controlled his game character, mounted the Great Crow, and flew to the Calamity Messenger Tower, where he slept soundly and recovered his condition.

Then, when daylight rose the following morning, he set out for Treasure Hunter Kano’s secret base.

…

The next day.

After resting, Chen Qi felt considerably refreshed. He opened New Day.

His game character’s condition had fully recovered.

Chen Qi took out Treasure Hunter Kano’s map and set off for Kano’s secret base.

Kano’s secret base was located on a plain beside the Tracefinder headquarters. On the map, it was marked with several small houses.

Fortunately, thanks to the Lampshadow Fox, it was not very far away.

[You rise from bed and eat breakfast…]

[The well-informed Calamity Messengers have already heard about the Textile Train and eagerly question you about it.

You bid farewell to the Calamity Messengers who have been asking you for information and leave the Calamity Messenger Tower…]

[Advancing…]

[In the distance, you see the Tracefinder headquarters. It is a retro-style high-rise building with an air reminiscent of the Steam Age…]

[You continue forward.]

[Ahead, you see a green plain backed by a great mountain.

Upon the plain stands a village. Green trees surround it, brimming with life.]

[Some people are taking out brooms and clearing the snow from in front of their houses.]

[You are somewhat shocked. Apart from the medicinal gardens of the Tower of Medicine, this is the first place you have seen that is so full of life.]

Greenery. A village…

New Capital’s Eighth District belonged to the outer districts. The sunlight there was weak, making it unsuitable for agriculture.

Most of the time, the sky over New Capital’s Eighth District was gloomy, and much of the region was shrouded in gray.

Chen Qi tapped the map. He had never expected Kano’s secret base to be located inside a village.

[You examine the village carefully. It was built only recently, and you can see several craftsmen constructing new houses.]

[You dismount from the Lampshadow Fox. After storing it in the Traveler’s Box, you head toward Kano’s secret base.]

[You cross a gravel road…]

Suddenly, several lines of text appeared.

[You look toward the house builder working in the distance and faintly sense the aura of one of your kind.]

The aura of one of his kind.

Ever since the Devourer Incident, his game character had been able to identify others of his kind to some extent through their aura.

Chen Qi thought for a moment. This was very likely another player.

Chen Qi inspected the house builder’s panel. He was level seven—not particularly high—and specialized in Strength and Agility.

After thinking briefly, Chen Qi wondered whether the other party could tell that he was a player.

At that moment, another line of text appeared.

[You look to your left. A farmer planting a great tree faintly radiates the aura of one of your kind.]

The text identifying “the aura of one of your kind” continued appearing.

[You look toward a Tracefinder carrying a knife. He faintly radiates the aura of one of your kind.]

[…]

There were far too many of his kind here.

Was this a player village?

Chen Qi was stunned.

Before the open beta, players were exceedingly rare. Establishing a player base in New Capital had been extremely difficult.

Chen Qi opened the forum. Sure enough, there was a “Player Organization” plan on the front page.

With the launch of the open beta, the number of players increased every day.

During the earlier testing period, there had been only a limited number of players in the entire world. On top of that, players were difficult to identify, and New Capital’s dangerous underground regions made establishing a player base there utterly impractical.

But now, as the number of players grew, some players, led by high-level players, were preparing to find land in the game, build their own base, and establish an organization of their own.

There was even a recruitment post on the front page titled “Build a Player Base Together.”

It concerned the construction of a headquarters in New Capital’s Sixth District.

This was very likely a player headquarters.

Chen Qi thought about it. Although he could identify the others as players through their auras, he could not determine which faction they belonged to.

Fortunately, everyone he had encountered was low-level. Most were only level seven or eight and posed no threat to him.

This really could be a player village.

At that thought, Chen Qi broke into a cold sweat.

Could Kano’s secret base have been looted?

Everyone knew that, to players, ordinary people’s houses contained treasure chests.

Although breaking into empty houses was uncommon in New Capital, killing indiscriminately and trespassing into homes would easily attract the attention of the law-enforcement agencies in the Eighth District.

But Kano had been away from home for an entire year. There was no telling what might have happened to his base—or whether other players had already turned it into a “treasure-chest house.”

He had to hurry.

Chen Qi quickened his pace and headed for Kano’s secret base.

[You arrive at a corner. With a single slash, you sweep away the soil on the ground, revealing a door leading to an underground room.]

At that moment, another line of text appeared.

[You look behind you. An old man in plain clothes is watching you. He is the village chief.]

No aura of one of his kind appeared. Was he not a player…?

Chen Qi tapped the words “village chief.” The man was level eleven, and his profession was Beast Hunter.

[The village chief speaks sternly. Seeing the Herbalist’s Badge on your clothes, he tells you to leave that place.]

[The village chief continues, saying that this is the secret base of a powerful treasure hunter. You had better not touch anything, or you will bear the consequences.]

Chen Qi considered the matter. Perhaps he should simply tell the man that he had come at Kano’s request.

[You tell the village chief that you are a friend of Kano the treasure hunter and have come at his request to retrieve something.

You take out a key and tell him the treasure hunter’s name as proof of your identity.]

[So you are that treasure hunter’s friend?

Upon hearing your words, the village chief’s expression changes at once, and he looks delighted.

He tells you that they recently passed the Black River Prison’s inspection and obtained permission to build a village here. Unexpectedly, all sorts of people have joined their village!

He tells you that the place he chose is exceptionally good, capable of growing green trees.

However, because of Treasure Hunter Kano’s identity, they have never dared to build anything nearby. After all, Kano’s friend, the Purifier, warned them not to wander around here.]

[The village chief asks you to speak with Treasure Hunter Kano when you have the chance. He says they will dismantle the base before long and are willing to provide compensation.]

[Do you agree?]

Chen Qi thought it over and agreed.

[The village chief leaves the area after hearing your answer.]

[Once he is gone, you look beneath the soil again. You take out the key and slowly enter the underground room.]

[You summon the Lampshadow Fox. The little lantern hanging from its neck illuminates the darkness.]

[The room is not very large. Various disorderly objects are piled together. You can see several dead rats and some shattered wine jars.]

[You look through the stacks of old books. After searching for a while, you fail to find the Book of Keys.]

It was not here…

Chen Qi grew anxious. He immediately used the Morning Star to search for the Book of Keys.

[The Morning Star flies from your hand and enters the stones above the ceiling.]

He had hidden the book inside the stones above the ceiling?

Who would normally think of that?

Chen Qi was startled. Kano really knew how to hide things. If someone else had come looking, they would probably have searched here for a very long time.

[Using the Black Rain Boots, you carefully make your way onto the ceiling. With the Shadowpiercer Dagger, you break through the stone and retrieve an old book.]

A brilliant line of text, bright as starlight, appeared!

[You have obtained the Book of Keys.]

Chen Qi drew a deep breath and inspected the Book of Keys panel.

Thanks to reader Aihei for the 1,000 coin tip, and to Divide the World and Prosper for the 1,500 coin tip! Many thanks! ヾ(ヮ)”

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(End of Chapter)