Chapter 275 Neutral City, Yelan
After disconnecting the call with Tang Qiaolian, Lei Zhen was glad that he didn't need to personally send an invitation to Shan Lin since the matter had gotten quite large in the game itself.
He was sure that not a single person that played Magnolia had ever thought that this would ever become a huge problem.
Hence, the matter was able to stall for so long before anyone decided to come forward to take this matter seriously.
Scratching his head, Lei Zhen was really tired and wondered who could be so capable of committing such a matter.
'How can they possibly trap a player when the system itself would force the player to log out after a certain amount of time no matter their situation?' He wondered silently.
Unable to figure it out, Lei Zhen patiently waited for the train to arrive and this time, it took him quite a while to return home given that Samantha's condo was located pretty far.
Now that his information was registered in Samantha's condo, he was able to enter without any obstacles as he soon hopped into the MagnoPod.
Once he was in the Magnolia world, Lei Zhen quickly gathered everyone up to inform them of their next expedition.
"Master, what other places are we going to explore now?" Candice said excitedly, clearly extremely bloodthirsty from their previous hunt.
"Calm your excitement, Candice. Your bloodthirstiness is affecting the other crew mates." Lei Zhen said, trying to pipe down her excitement and let her realize the surroundings.
Alas, Candice could care less about her crew mates since she only needed to really care about one person or two people- Lei Zhen and Howard.
Lei Zhen was a given since he was the official master of her whereas Howard was the one that found her in the black market auction, saving her and bringing her to meet with Lei Zhen.
Not to mention, Howard was always cool and collected, rarely ever causing drama that would affect others.
"Anyway, we'll be heading off to the Neutral City, Yelan. And I'm only giving you 5 minutes to prepare. If you can't make it in time, then too bad, so sad, you're dropped." Lei Zhen warned, exiting the room to bid farewell to Jack Scarecrow.
The farewell was obviously a farce, but getting some more benefits was the main goal. Now that they are going to leave, the resources would naturally be paid by them who clearly gave them quite the fright when they first entered the port.
"Haha, it was a pleasure to have you here, Chancellor." Jack Scarecrow flashed a smile that didn't seem to force as he shook Lei Zhen's hand.
"The pleasure's mine, Commander Jack Scarecrow. If we ever come back here, then I'll look forward to your great hospitality." Lei Zhen smiled wickedly, causing Jack Scarecrow's body to tremble momentarily.
Just their stay alone had caused their military quite the expense cost since Lei Zhen would only choose to use the most luxurious and expensive things.
After bidding farewell, Lei Zhen was laughing at the number of resources he managed to obtain from their "generosity".
Time slowly passed by, and everyone was boarding the ship, Caprice.
The crewmates had all rested well enough during this time, enjoying great food and alcohol. Hence, their morale couldn't be any higher as Howard began to cruise the ship toward Yelan.
As the crewmates went full throttle to work, Lei Zhen was casually laying beside the dock, admiring the sea in a relaxing manner.
He was their boss, and what do bosses usually do?
Absolutely nothing!
All the previous troubles were dealt with by him solely, and now it was his turn to use this as an opportunity to relax his body and mind.
Taking a small sip of the smoothie, Lei Zhen opened up his chat and saw Tang Qiaolian was asking when he would arrive.
Instead of typing, Lei Zhen decided to video call her. A few seconds later, a projection screen appeared with Tang Qiaolian showing a grave expression.
Seeing that, Lei Zhen's relaxed expression changed.
"Were there more players disappearing?" He then asked.
Tang Qiaolian nodded her head.
"Some members of the Aries Guild are now reportedly missing and it's a player that held a Unique Class. Now the meeting is being advanced forward and everyone wants to get to the bottom of this." She said in a dreadful tone.
"It seems like this matter doesn't seem to be stopping anytime soon. Instead, it's just the beginning of a calamity." Lei Zhen muttered, wondering what the hell was going on.
"There's an even bigger problem, Lei Zhen. Tundra Company has made a response to those who filed an official complaint that it was not a bug and that the disappearing players are within the design of their system."
Instantly, Lei Zhen stood up in his seat and showed a shocked expression.
"Huh? How is it not a bug? Those players stuck in the MagnoPod are slowly having their health deteriorating even if it's being managed by the doctors currently."
"That's why every top guild and player has temporarily called for a truce to deal with this unexpected news. If Tundra Company said it's not a bug, then we might be experiencing some new updates that are still unknown to us."
Lei Zhen remained silent for a few moments before shaking his head.
If it was truly a new update, then Tundra Company would have announced it. There was no point in withholding the information and keeping it anonymous for the suspense considering how popular Magnolia was.
"If Tundra said it's not a bug, then it could also mean that someone now has the ability to somehow trap players within the Magnolia world, bypassing the restriction set by the system itself." Lei Zhen said, giving his own interpretation of the matter.
"It could be that…" Tang Qiaolian muttered softly, not banning his claim outright since she was equally clueless about the matter as well.
"When will you arrive at Yelan?" She then asked, clearly trying to indicate that they shall discuss this matter once he arrived.
"My ship got some great upgrades, so in about 2-3 hours." Lei Zhen gave an ETA time based on Caprice's new upgrades provided by the generous Jack Scarecrow.
"Alright, we'll chat later when you arrive. I still need to manage some of my members."
And with that said, Tang Qiaolian ended the call without waiting for his response, clearly showing that she was in a rush and had no time to be idling around.
'What kind of ability could bypass the system itself?' Lei Zhen thought to himself, feeling another migraine coming out.
To be honest, if he had to be truthful, this matter was not something he wanted to put his hand on. However, Samantha could become a target of this crime and it was his fault that she had decided to play Magnolia.
Thus, Lei Zhen needed to resolve these issues. Otherwise, he wouldn't be able to forgive himself if she met any danger due to him.
"What are you thinking, Master?"
While Lei Zhen was in deep thought, a familiar voice echoed through his ears, prompting him to turn around and realize it was Candice.
"Nothing, I was just enjoying the sea." Lei Zhen returned to his normal composure and said calmly.
Since Candice and everyone else on the ship beside him were an NPC, there was no need to tell them about it. After all, they wouldn't be able to comprehend his words when he said players are stuck in their MagnoPod.
"Do you want a massage in your temples? I saw you have a slight headache from afar." Candice suddenly suggested.
Meanwhile, Lei Zhen knew she must have been eavesdropping on him the entire time if she was able to tell he was having a headache.
Nevertheless, he wasn't mad since it merely showed that she was concerned about him.
"Sure, I want to have a good nap anyway before arriving at Yelan." Lei Zhen said, laying on his back and allowing Candice to massage his forehead temple.
Time slowly passed by, and as Lei Zhen dozed off for a few hours, they finally arrived at the Neutral City, Yelan.
As the term had implied, Yelan is a neutral city, open to all kinds of people once they paid the entry fee.
Of course, it was only possible to attain such a title because of their military prowess that far surpassed other cities. The government of Yelan was extremely solid, and no one would ever dare to cause a scene here.
Thus, even criminals would be entering Yelan without having to worry about being captured. So long as one pays their entry fee and is obliged to the laws of Yelan, they are safe from anything.
After paying the entry fee and docking their ship, Lei Zhen was greeted by a magnificent sight.
The Neutral City, Yelan was a bustling metropolis that was both awe-inspiring and intimidating.
Towering skyscrapers dotted the skyline, their gleaming glass facades reflecting the golden sunlight. The streets were lined with trees, and elegant lamp posts illuminated the wide boulevards at night, creating a warm and inviting atmosphere.
The city was built on a vast expanse of land, stretching as far as the eye could see. The architecture was a mix of modern and classical styles, with towering domes, grand archways, and intricate carvings adorning the buildings.
The streets were wide and well-paved, with ornate fountains and sculptures decorating the public spaces.
"Here I thought Cinderton was unique, but other places were also unique with their own distinct style." Lei Zhen muttered, clearly impressed by the architectural style designed in each area.
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