Chapter 214 Chapter213-The Mysterious Theft in Storm City (1st update, Cheer me with Power Stones!)
Back-to-back, the three heard two system notifications. Behind the glass screen, Saphir waved his right hand, and the quest scroll gradually vanished in the air.
"Congratulations on accepting the quest. I wish you all... good luck!" Saphir announced.
John, Blue Sea, and Adam exited the mercenary quest hall, heading straight towards Silverglow's teleportation point.
Storm City, like Silverglow and the previously visited Cloud Sea, all belonged to the Northern Myst Empire.
On the world map, Storm City's location was even further north.
It was a full thousand kilometers from Silverglow.
To traverse from Silverglow to Storm City without teleportation would require days and nights of travel.
Emerging from the teleportation point, John and Adam looked up, their gazes immediately captured by the overcast sky overhead.
Clouds churned and tumultuous lightning occasionally lit up the city, followed by deafening claps of thunder.
The wind howled relentlessly through the streets.
Every building within Storm City appeared to have been reinforced, presumably to withstand the intense gusts, ensuring they wouldn't be torn apart by the tempests.
John, hand thoughtfully stroking his chin, stood within the midst of the raging wind.
The foundational physical constants of the world of Godslayer seemed not too different from the real world.
At the very least, the speed of sound propagation seemed roughly the same.
Therefore, the interval between the sight of lightning and the subsequent thunderclap could be used to gauge the distance of the lightning from the ground.
Perhaps it was this similarity in physical constants that precipitated the crisis of both worlds merging.
"Is this Storm City? The environment is rather harsh..." Adam exclaimed, his voice distorted by the powerful gusts, as he covered his mouth and nose.
Blue Sea, looking a bit surprised, turned to him, "Haven't you been to Storm City before?"
Adam slowly shook his head. "As you know, the Genesis Guild's base is south of Silverglow. We rarely get quests related to Storm City. And on the off chance we do, it's almost never my responsibility to personally complete them."
At this, John chuckled lightly. "Truth be told, this is my first time here too. The difference between here and Silverglow is staggering."
"Absolutely!" Adam nodded in agreement, adding with a hint of wonder, "I can't imagine how the players here cope with such conditions."
Blue Sea laughed softly, remarking with a hint of amusement, "You've got it all wrong. Players who choose Storm City as their main town are typically those of wind and lightning classes. "
"This is their ideal environment. If you're observant, you'll sense the potent elemental energies of wind and lightning pervading the air."
Pondering Blue Sea's words, Adam moistened a finger with his tongue and held it up, trying to sense the ambient energies in the atmosphere.
Indeed, as Blue Sea had described, the other elemental energies in the air felt faint, but the elements of wind and lightning were so dense that they seemed almost tangible to the naked eye.
After only a brief moment of sensing, Adam noticed his hair standing on end, a manifestation of the overwhelming presence of wind and lightning energies.
Blue Sea continued, "In Storm City, the most dominant faith isn't the Holy Light Church, but the Storm Church, which is dedicated to the worship of the storm gods... much like the Silver Church in Silverglow."
"This place is truly a paradise for mages of wind and lightning attributes..."
Adam's eyes widened in surprise, "What? The largest church here is the Storm Church? I always thought the Holy Light Church was the most powerful force across both human empires..."
John nodded in agreement, his thoughts echoing those of Adam.
Blue Sea explained with a casual air, "Looking across the entire Godslayer Continent, or even just focusing on the Northern Myst and Easternwood empires, the Holy Light Church is indeed the largest. However, when you zero in on specific towns, the scenario can change..."
"Especially in representative towns like Silverglow and Storm City, due to their unique geographical significance, the local churches tend to have more devotees."
"Don't tell me you truly believed that your Holy Light Church is the only legitimate church in this game world?" Blue Sea teased.
Adam smirked, murmuring, "I never said that... but this environment is truly harsh. It hardly seems fit for any other churches to spread their beliefs..."
While chatting, they consulted the map for directions.
The trio trudged against the fierce winds towards the city gate.
Along the way, they encountered both players and native NPCs, all clad in heavy cloaks.
It appeared that even those with wind and lightning attributes weren't comfortable exposing their faces directly to the brutal gusts.
Occasionally, they would spot players dressed similarly to themselves—most likely those who had teleported from other towns.
Feeling the need to fit in, both Adam and Blue Sea reluctantly purchased cloaks from a nearby shop, shielding their faces.
The roaring wind made the cloaks flutter loudly, but it couldn't penetrate their thick fabric. They both sighed in relief.
Curious, Blue Sea inquired, "Galewind, don't you need one of these?"
John chuckled, pointing to his Asura mask, "This mask offers the same protection. There's no need for redundancy."
Only then did Blue Sea and Adam notice that John's mask faintly glowed, seemingly casting a thin yet unwavering protective barrier in front of him, warding off the winds entirely.
"When did you get that mask, Galewind?" Blue Sea shouted, struggling to be heard above the howling winds. "Last time I saw you, you weren't wearing it."
John laughed in response, "After the recent events that drew so much attention to me, I decided to wear a mask to obscure my identity a bit."
Both Blue Sea and Adam nodded, appearing to understand, probably facing similar dilemmas themselves.
Battling against the winds for another ten minutes or so, they finally reached the city gate.
Strangely enough, the entrance to Storm City was brimming with distinctly armored City Guards. Every individual entering or leaving faced their meticulous scrutiny.
One of the City Guard captains, a towering figure at level 180, perhaps noting the unfamiliar faces of John and his companions, approached them directly.
"State your races and identities. From which city do you hail?" The captain's voice was stern, booming authoritatively even above the wild gusts.
Taken aback, unsure of the situation at hand, the trio fell silent momentarily.
Perhaps interpreting their silence as guilt, the captain's grip tightened instinctively on his weapon, his gaze intense upon them.
Blue Sea quickly stepped forward, producing his mercenary badge and guild leader insignia. "We're from Silverglow, here on a quest. These are my credentials."
Upon verifying the authenticity of the badges, the captain's expression eased, and he released his firm grip on his weapon. "Ah, friends from Silverglow. Did you arrive here via the teleportation point?"
Blue Sea nodded, replying cordially, "Indeed, we received a mercenary quest related to Storm City and teleported here expressly for that."
The captain's demeanor softened further. "Very well, you may proceed into the city. However, be advised that the surroundings of Storm City have recently been rather unsettled. Exercise caution."
Adam, curious, stepped forward. "What happened? Why the sudden lockdown?"
The hefty captain's expression grew somber. "Yesterday, uninvited guests infiltrated the city lord's mansion, making off with his most treasured possession. We're conducting a citywide manhunt for these despicable thieves. Anyone without identification is subject to our questioning."
The three exchanged concerned glances.
Thieves? In this day and age, such an archaic class is truly a rarity...
After confirming the identities of John and his companions, the City Guard captain gestured behind him.
The tight formation of the City Guard opened a path, allowing the trio to leave Storm City.
Having traveled a significant distance from the city, Blue Sea suddenly turned to his companions, "What do you make of the thief situation the captain mentioned?"
Adam shrugged nonchalantly, "Who knows? Probably the work of local NPCs. Players like us wouldn't have the capability to pull off such a feat."
Blue Sea nodded in agreement, "I'm thinking the same. It's unlikely players are involved. But I am curious about what they stole from the city lord's mansion..."
Adam commented indifferently, "To be able to steal from the heavily guarded mansion, these thieves must be quite skilled. Since it's none of our business, it's best to steer clear of them."
John, lost in thought on the side, didn't join in on the conversation.
His perspective differed from the others.
If the city lord of Storm City is making such an extensive effort to find the thieves, the stolen item must be of immense value.
If he ever crossed paths with these thieves, John would be genuinely interested in seeing what treasure could cause such an uproar in Storm City.
If it piqued his interest, he wouldn't mind partaking in a little game of outwitting the outwitters...
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