Chapter 145 Long Time No See

A day later, at 3:00 AM.

The empty street was illuminated by flickering, dim lights as a cold wind swept through.

Chen Qi consumed a Constitution Fruit. Thanks to the fruit, his Constitution stat had now reached 20 points.

Leaning against a wall, he fiddled with the Deep Sea Compass he had obtained from his last mission and looked back at the campus behind him.

A once-vustling university had now become a ghost zone, deathly quiet.

Calamities eroded the lands where humans lived, and when a calamity appeared, the best choice for ordinary people was to stay far away.

When the news of the Phantom Carriage was broadcasted, most people chose to leave the university immediately, and others followed suit as soon as they heard the warning.

Now, within a radius of a hundred miles around the university, there were virtually no people left, making it exceptionally desolate.

If not for the players who were about to arrive, not even the streetlights would be on for miles around.

If this Phantom Carriage could not be dealt with, the university would have to suspend classes for at least another month.

Chen Qi opened his phone to check if anyone on the forum had discovered any traces of the Black Fire Armor.

His eyebrows twitched!

The mission group chat was way too chaotic...

Mission Group Chat:

Irritable Monkey (Flame Blade, Level 10): "Listen up, this carriage belongs to Flame Blade. Whoever tries to steal it from us, don't blame us for getting serious!"

Deep Sea Blue (Ocean Vessel, Level 8): "Yours? Who says so? Let's settle it by strength. You brainless Blade-aspects, today we'll show you what the observational skills of a Lamp-aspect really look like. I heard that talented rookie Dragon Girl from your Flame Blade recently reached Level 14, dared to challenge the Witch of Candles, and got insta-killed by a single snap of that witch's fingers!"

Irritable Monkey (Flame Blade, Level 10): "You dare mock our Flame Blade's Dragon Girl? Are you looking for a fight?"

A Thought Becomes Demon (Chamber of Commerce, Level 13): "You two, calm down. Arguing online is bad for your liver. How about this? I'm willing to act as a notary and sell a Shell-aspect contract to witness the two of you duel!"

...

The entire mission group was arguing endlessly.

Unlike the previous Kin-Eater mission where Sea Bird held absolute sway, this mission lacked a unified leader, nor did they share a common goal for revenge.

Various guilds such as the Divine Engineering Society, Hundred Herbs Garden, White Dove Inn, Flame Blade, and Ocean Vessel had formed their own small cliques within the chat, showing no intention of cooperating.

After a moment of thought, Chen Qi typed a few lines.

Night Roamer: "If anyone encounters the black armor monster, please let me know. I am willing to offer 50 Moon Silver Coins as a generous reward."

A Thought Becomes Demon: "50 Moon Silver Coins! Night Roamer, you're quite generous! Is there some material you're trying to buy..."

Chen Qi stroked his chin as he looked at the chat logs.

According to intelligence, there was a possibility that the Annihilate Sun Society, a faction under the Holy Calamity Association, might join the scramble today.

Although the Annihilate Sun Society had an imposing name, it was actually not very strong. Its overall strength was inferior to the already disbanded Flock of Crows, and its reputation was quite small.

There was only one phantom horse, which would inevitably trigger a scramble among everyone.

Chen Qi was participating in this mission alone this time, and aside from Lin Yuxing, few members of the Day Roamer Association had come.

To maintain the title of "Order Keepers," the Day Roamer Association generally did not actively participate in such "loot-grabbing" missions.

Chen Qi shrugged; he might have to solo this mission.

Just then, looking down the end of the street, he saw a tall girl with long, straight black hair and a black staff walking toward him.

It was Lin Yuxing, whom he hadn't seen in a long time.

Chen Qi thought for a moment. Come to think of it, ever since Lin Yuxing was hospitalized, he hadn't caught a glimpse of her.

At this moment, Lin Yuxing was wearing a black feather-coat of a Calamity Messenger that boosted Inspiration, with a small raven backpack slung over her shoulders.

Her physical condition had improved significantly, though faint scars from being pecked by ravens were still visible on her face.

Lin Yuxing tossed a canned coffee to Chen Qi.

Catching the coffee, Chen Qi asked:
"Thanks. Are there any traces of monster activity nearby?"

Although Lin Yuxing's Inspiration was not as high as his, she was, after all, a Calamity Messenger apprentice who had received the true teachings of the Raven Witch; her perception of calamity auras surpassed his.

Taking out a book of calamities, Lin Yuxing replied:
"None. There's no trace of that carriage or any other monsters, and we don't even know if it will show up tonight!"

Chen Qi took a sip of the canned coffee:
"None, huh? By the way, long time no see."

Chen Qi checked Lin Yuxing's stat panel.

Level 8, focusing primarily on Inspiration and Agility. Her strength was still pitifully weak, inferior to an ordinary person, and her class remained a Calamity Messenger apprentice.

To become a formal Calamity Messenger, one had to reach at least level ten.

Lin Yuxing took a sip of her canned coffee and secretly sized up Chen Qi as well.

Ever since elementary school, Lin Yuxing had been fiercely competitive. She had a habit of finding a target slightly stronger than herself and using them as a goal to strive and surpass!

Growing up, relying on this competitive spirit, her grades had always been quite good.

By the time she reached university, this bad habit seemed a bit clumsy.

It wasn't until she became a player that this fighting spirit was reignited within her!

She planned to first become the top rookie in the White River District, and then the top rookie in the entire city!

However, thinking about it now, she supposed that simply changing cities would also count as accomplishing her goal.

Back at the hospital, she had heard the Fisherman boasting about how the Night Roamer had defeated the Prisoner!

Of course, since she had never seen the Prisoner herself, she wasn't entirely sure if the Prisoner was just a high-level, low-ability player.

Lin Yuxing opened the New Sun game and looked at Chen Qi's "?????" stat panel, her face filled with confusion.

He was level 12, which didn't exceed her by five levels, yet she couldn't inspect his panel.

What kind of item was this, and why could it block her from viewing his attributes?

Lin Yuxing took a sip of her coffee and looked somewhat wistfully up at the moon in the night sky.

The gap between them was no longer small; it had reached a level she couldn't possibly catch up to in a short time.

Thirty years east of the River, thirty years west... Leaning against the wall, Lin Yuxing asked out of curiosity:
"Night Roamer, long time no see. What's up with your stat panel..."

Chen Qi pondered. So many people had asked him this question already. He replied:
"Equipment effect."

"Oh."

Lin Yuxing remained puzzled. She knew that certain rare phantom equipment could indeed conceal stat panels.

Yet Chen Qi was a combination of Lamp and Blade aspects; she had no idea how he managed to acquire such weird equipment.

Maintaining a calm composure, Lin Yuxing asked curiously:
"Can I get this equipment too?"

While this equipment might not be very useful in general gameplay, its utility when facing other players was massive.

Having lived through the Raven Scarecrow incident, Lin Yuxing remained perpetually wary of unfamiliar players.

Chen Qi pursed his lips and thought for a moment:
"Probably not."

Looking up at the moon, Lin Yuxing murmured:
"Is that so..."

She shook her head. Currently, the best way for her to acquire divine artifacts was through the Raven Witch's bestowals.

Right now, their gaming paths were worlds apart, and there was a massive gap in their levels.

And unsurprisingly, the gap in their strength was even greater!

Wait!

Lin Yuxing's mouth hung open slightly for a moment. Although Chen Qi's attributes showed as "?????", a simple title, "Herb Gatherer," was still displayed on his panel.

Taking a sip of her coffee, Lin Yuxing asked:
"Chen Qi, you didn't go stir up trouble in Fog City, did you..."

After thinking for a second, Chen Qi nodded:
"I rushed in blindly for a bit."

Lin Yuxing fell silent in thought.

From the time they first learned about the New Sun game until now, about a month had passed, and their lives had undergone earth-shattering changes.

She could understand. In the Calamity Messenger Tower, she had heard many stories—tories of doomed troupes and treasure hunters. Even without a World-Wandering Player panel, these legendary figures developed at an astonishing speed.

Lin Yuxing had to admit that her mood at the moment was somewhat subtle.

Despite having the Raven Witch's guidance, she was ultimately a protected individual, so it was normal for her development speed to be slower.

As a Lamp-aspect player, she lacked the courage to explore.

Subconsciously gripping her coffee can tighter, Lin Yuxing looked up at the moon once more before letting out a long sigh:

"If you have any good items, we can trade.
By the way, I spend most of my time in the Messenger Library and can check information at any time. If you encounter any calamities in New Capital, feel free to ask."

Lin Yuxing added as an afterthought:
"Right, you'd better not be too reckless. In New Capital, it's best to prioritize safety.
After some time, if I pass the test, the Raven Witch will teach me some ultra-powerful spells. Maybe we can exchange knowledge and items then."

In the texts of the New Sun game, Lin Yuxing had read too many stories of Lamp-aspect practitioners falling in battle. Although players had three lives, caution was always paramount.

Chen Qi considered this. Lin Yuxing was a direct apprentice of the Raven Witch, which meant she had a high probability of acquiring some excellent books, making future trade definitely viable.

Chen Qi finished his coffee:
"If you ever want to hunt for treasures, I can sell you maps."

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, the two moved on to the main topic: the current dungeon mission.

As a Calamity Messenger under the strict supervision of the Raven Witch, Lin Yuxing had learned numerous methods for detecting auras.

Though her Inspiration was inferior to Chen Qi's, her sensitivity to monsters was by no means weaker than his.

Broaching the subject of the dungeon mission, Lin Yuxing raised her voice slightly and pulled out a volume titled *Collection of Phantom Calamities*:
"According to my intelligence, this Phantom Carriage is a Black Flood-level calamity, but on Earth, its power should only be at the Rainstorm level. Its weakness lies in the carriage body itself, and it is terrified of fire.
It appears at night and seeks out sorrowful people, luring them onto the carriage. Sorrowful people can act as bait for it."

Chen Qi asked with mild curiosity:
"Sorrowful people? Meaning people in a bad mood will attract that carriage?"

Lin Yuxing nodded:
"Indeed. Aside from that, phantom objects will also attract these monsters."

With that, Lin Yuxing produced a special phantom item and smiled faintly:
"This is a Phantom Lure, specifically designed to entice phantom calamities. This is an item that only Calamity Messengers can craft!"

Lin Yuxing had joined this mission for two primary reasons: to acquire some phantom materials and to farm mobs.

She was currently Level 8, and the mob levels in this dungeon happened to match her requirements.

Looking at Chen Qi, Lin Yuxing asked:
"The others are still some distance away from us right now. If I use this Phantom Lure, it might attract five or more monsters."

Chen Qi retrieved the Lampfire Bow from his Traveler's Box:
"I am a Blade-aspect, after all. Five monsters won't be a problem."

He thought to himself that since the Black Fire Armor was of a phantom nature, this method might just draw it out.

"Alright, I'm going to use it!"

Lin Yuxing took out the Phantom Lure and channeled her spiritual energy into it.

As the spiritual energy poured in, under spiritual vision, wisps of black-fog-like gas began to spread across the dim street.

A short while passed.

Executing her spell, Lin Yuxing said slowly:
"Be careful..."

With his high Inspiration, Chen Qi was also the first to notice the anomaly in the surrounding environment.

Amidst the fog, the asphalt street became dilapidated and broken, and the modern streetlights transformed into eerie, slender trees.

In the distance, a dilapidated carriage slowly emerged from the black fog.

The faint figure of the carriage driver was hunched over, riding a scrawny, starving horse. He looked entirely like a straw that broke the camel's back:
"You two, want a ride? Business isn't great right now, and the fare is very cheap."

Clutching her black staff, Lin Yuxing felt a jolt of shock. She had thought she was only luring common mobs!

Beneath the driver's humble tone, deep blue ghost fires flickered, and that wasn't all—the surrounding environment was transforming at a breakneck speed.

It seemed she had accidentally lured the boss!