Chapter 264

No matter how you put it, he's a veteran who's been hanging around the outer city for a month, and Ji Ming is already used to the fantastical Gotham-like streetscape here.

But the players entering a human city for the first time are not like that; each excitedly looks left and right, wishing they could give every stone they see a nine-hit combo.

However, even for an 'open-world game', adding some quest guidance on top of a free roam map is often a good design.

Therefore, when players officially enter Sunshine City, the first thing they see is not a beggar about to die of illness by the roadside, nor a theft happening in a corner, but rather a frenzy of quest notifications that refresh wildly and occupy almost the entire field of view.

【Hidden Quest: What is Sunshine City?】

【Quest Objective: Fully grasp the following information before the closed beta ends; each time a certain progress is made, rewards can be obtained】

【Factions: Business Alliance, Adventurers' Association, Mountain Folk Mercenary Alliance, Sheng Guang Jiao Tang……】

【Characters: Mr. Suo La, Chairman Boris, Alliance Leader Fein, Bishop Tenisi……】

Currently, aside from the old friend mercenaries whose understanding exceeds 50%, they've given each player a few pieces of jewelry; the rest of the information is only grasped at a single-digit level, which to the players looks like one gold mine after another.

Moreover, besides the hidden quest, the reward quests are also fully online, so the pickpocket beside them had just snatched the old lady's wallet when, before he could flee, several players kicked him to the ground and surrounded him, pitifully bursting out five points of exchange value.

Cang Lang stood near the city gate for a long time before withdrawing his gaze toward the depths of the town, took a deep breath, and then blurted out 'Damn!'

No wonder we've only gone through two-thirds of the closed beta duration and already defeated the final boss; it turns out there's still such a huge place for everyone to mess around in.

Isn't this a good thing? I've long wanted to see what a city in a fantasy world would actually look like.

By the way, how do you get into the Inner City? I heard there's an arena inside where if you win ten consecutive matches you can get a million bounty; I've been wanting to try that for a while.

Yeah, yeah, I also heard there's a Smoky Willow Alley there, with all kinds of big white things, and I've been itching to rush in.

Stop, stop, stop, do you have that feature? Phantom limb trash talk doesn't count!

Anyway, NPCs can't understand their game talk, so the group lowered their voices and chatted trash for a while.

Although the area near the city gate is a trouble spot, now that a big shot is holding down the fort, there's no need to worry too much.

Thus, the young captain of the Pinecone Squad patiently waited until they finished chatting before stepping forward.

"Everyone, do you still remember that my family runs an inn? If you don't mind, please come to my house to rest first."

Having a guide is definitely better than being a headless fly, so the group naturally agreed happily and followed them into the inner part of the town.

Although Ji Ming surely knows more than this group of adventurers, looking from the perspective of an ordinary commoner often yields some interesting and useful information.

Therefore, as the team's intelligence gatherer, Ji Ming also took the opportunity to approach the squad leader and start chatting about Sunshine City.

First they talked from the citizens' daily lives to the deterioration of public order in Sunshine City, then from the difficult operation of the family inn to the tax increase demanded by debt collectors.

Fei Ying listened silently on the side, but grew increasingly alarmed; if the earlier few mercenary captives' descriptions of the whole Yangyue World could still be barely explained, now any random NPC found in the wilderness can achieve such logical consistency, making the town's operation seem just like real life, forcing one to consider more fantastical answers.

And the boundless conversation inevitably brought up some major events in Sunshine City, such as the violent creature incident that almost destroyed the entire outer city and left it desolate to this day; furthermore, the sudden undead outbreak in the Inner City that destroyed the Adventurers' Association building in one fell swoop; and so on...

"Ji Ming?"

This pronunciation, clearly leaning toward an East Asian name, made the whole team prick up their ears, especially after the squad leader emphasized that he also had an "East Asian face".

Ji Ming was still pinching his big beard, saying "What a coincidence, what a coincidence, someone actually has the same pronunciation as my name," when Aurora grabbed him fiercely and ripped off his beard.

"Look closely, does that Ji Ming look exactly like him?!"

The teenager slightly widened his eyes, about to speak, but then shook his head.

"Not like."

Eleno, that little girl, although her actions are a bit immature, but there's one thing she said that's correct.

——As a noble, especially a celebrity who needs to show their face, managing one's personal IP is very necessary.

Therefore, in the impression of almost all Sunshine City residents, Ji Ming, the Divine Chosen, is always a tall figure wearing a white robe with gold trim, a silver-white golden halo above his head, a kind smile on his face, generous and open-handed in his actions; although not always the case, occasionally there remains the aftereffect of the Saint's Judgment—star-studded eyes in his gaze.

In short, compared to this lecherous, timid, shrinking big-bearded uncle who could even be easily subdued by a little girl, he definitely isn't the same person!

Moreover, even if they looked alike, what could that do? A person's appearance isn't determined solely by looks; it also includes speech, bearing, demeanor, aura, attire, conduct… The face is merely something easily altered by cosmetics, the most useless criterion.

The most direct example is…… Henry Cavill once personally wore a Superman T-shirt and walked around Times Square, clearly also conversing with others, yet no one recognized him as the man on the poster battling Batman.

Moreover……

"Hehehe, you guys look like adventurers, surely you're prone to injury, come try this! Amazing Welcoming Spring Liquid~"

It's probably because they've been staying here a long time; a dirty, practically beggar-like wandering doctor wandered over.

This is clearly a Europoid face, but he shaved his former full beard into a messy stubble; his wrinkled white robe had an opened suitcase hanging in front, inside which were many reddish-black things, with unknown insects floating, and it continuously gave off waves of sweet, cloying-smelling liquid.

"Oh, don't be surprised, don't be surprised! Actually I also come from the East; I am the junior disciple of Ji Ming, the Divine Chosen; my name is Ji Bo……"

"Get lost!"

The squad leader couldn't take it anymore; although he didn't kick with his leg, he still brought his companions and violently drove him away.

Actually, ever since Ji Ming, the Divine Chosen, became popular, the town has seen many shameless swindlers.

They all dress up resembling Ji Ming, the Divine Chosen, claiming to be his brothers, sisters, children, parents, fellow disciples, or even brazenly saying they are Ji Ming himself.

Moreover, the doctors already in the city, whether renowned or quacks, all changed their signs, trying hard to stick themselves onto the Divine Chosen.

——So what if you're from the East? Even if you look like the Divine Chosen, what does that matter?

Ji Ming, the Divine Chosen, is probably an incarnation of the heavenly medicine god, so he wouldn't appear here; he's just another clown trying to ride on the Divine Chosen's fame, so everyone just spits and walks away……

The others in the group already believed this upon hearing it, but Aurora, who knew more information, was still stubborn; unfortunately, what she saw afterward forced her to believe.

Because under the captain's lead, they deliberately took a detour on the road to visit the ruins of the Wai Shu Clinic.

As the "Land of Dragon Rise" where the Divine Chosen has lingered for years, countless people want to buy it to make it their new business.

The buyers include not only big merchants from the outer city trying to get into the inner city, but also some well-funded inner-city hospitals.

However, due to the intervention of the Holy Light Church, no one managed to do that, so the clinic's remains could only be protected, becoming almost a tourist attraction.

... This proves the squad leader lied, because judging from the scene, the outer city populace's fervor for Ji Ming is far more exaggerated than he described.

On both sides of the street, shops with signs reading "Upright Tree," "Slant Tree," "Fallen Tree," "Dead Tree," "Unreasonable Tree" are lined up in a row.

Behind the shops' medicine cabinets, doctors calling themselves Ji Ri, Ji Yue, Ji Peng, Ji Zhao, Ji Zhongba are everywhere.

Moreover, because Ji Ming never signs in the local language, the locals only know the pronunciation "Ji Ming" but don't know how to write it specifically.

Therefore, what they carve on their signs is all over the place, like taking the pronunciation of Japanese-style English, transliterating it, then feeding it into Google Translate twenty times; they have no idea what this thing actually means, nor any idea how they relate to each other.

He scanned the surrounding chaotic demon dance; the squad leader let out a long sigh.

"It's a pity that Ji Ming's Divine Selection's Wai Shu Clinic has already moved to the Inner City; someone like me… definitely can't get in."

"However, with your abilities, if you get a chance later, you should be able to meet the Divine Selection honored one!"

"Hmm... meet face to face?"

"This remark reminded the group members; this high-status Eastern doctor is surely an important figure, and many matters can be easily resolved upon meeting him."

"And this bunch of impostors wasn't much to look at, so they paused a moment, then followed the squad leader to an inn called 'Puhatu'."

"Upon hearing that these few before them were heroes from the north who had also saved their children, the short, sturdy man with an honest appearance and a red nose immediately wanted to offer them food and lodging."

"From the underground exit they passed through the winter forest to reach Sunshine City, then wandered about in the city for a while; the group indeed felt a need called 'hunger', so they asked the boss for some food, intending to sample the outsiders' cooking."

"While they were eagerly anticipating the taste of black pepper steak, other players were also scattered across the streets of the vast outer city, beginning their own Sunshine City grand adventure."

"First, we must definitely understand those several terms; next, we must complete various reward tasks."

"So is there a way to advance both major demands simultaneously, progressing to a possibly existing next stage?"

"After all, according to the suggestion of a few strategists, the game officials likely launched the Sunshine City section because players progressed too fast, having already ruined the final boss several days early."

"To avoid an unnecessarily long version vacuum causing chaos, they hastily implemented the surface part that was supposed to be opened only in public test."

"Therefore, theoretically, if players' map-pushing speed is fast enough, it can put the higher officials in a difficult position, making the despicable planners work overtime to fulfill their long-desired 'strike back'."

"And after the tense, heated discussion, players indeed found in practice and exploration the possibility of simultaneously pushing both the task and the dungeon."

"Hey kid, crouching here… you want to rob houses, right?"

"Hey, look at his little expression—he's still not convinced! Someone, bring the whip, dip it in salt water and keep beating!"

"You've given in, huh? Alright, little treasure, don't cry—tell me all the info you know about these things."

"Imitating movie gangster style, players began a sustainable black-on-black, specifically targeting those reward-task-related NPCs to extract information."

"This approach proved effective; although the Inner City elders don't care much about the lives and deaths of Outer City folks, the bit of petty cash in Outer City folks' wallets still needs to be squeezed, so many gangs have backers behind them and thus necessarily understand their backers."

"Moreover, in many cases they stop an ongoing harmful act, so the rescued victims will express gratitude in various ways and also share information fully."

"Thus, under the summarization of some statistics and informatics experts, players' understanding of Sunshine City deepened, gradually forming their own comprehension, and they sighed just like Ji Ming."

"Wow, what kind of birth legend is this? From top to bottom it's all internal strife and black-on-black, right?"

"Thus all players were given the 'Crime Nemesis' buff; you call yourself the Punisher, he calls himself Batman, everyone is a zealous superhero, and various hero groups keep appearing."

"Upon seeing illegal acts they must intervene; upon catching criminals they must severely punish; they always carry brass knuckles, leather whip, chili oil, and never let the wicked's sins go unpunished until the novel's second page."

"As a result of continually carrying out reward missions, they not only 'rewarded' themselves physically and mentally, but also incidentally 'rewarded' Sunshine City's public safety, which was about to drop into their pants."

"The game system served as a crime radar; players with full subjective initiative truly lived up to the saying 'any evil will ultimately be bound by law'—no matter where criminals hide, they can be dragged out and fiercely tortured; though it was only afternoon, the outer city's underworld was already panicked."

"Not only those petty extortionists stealing old people's money, this sudden group of Easterners doesn't care about any threat, nor about the pile of dog feces on the ground being moved by which deity or great power to give themselves a boost."

"Thus the brother-in-law of the Black Panther gang leader was whipped by a gun-wielding man rolling on the ground; the second uncle of the Thunder family was flung by a big-bellied, round-faced brute into half-paralysis."

"The various bosses whose old faces were slapped until they made popping sounds were furious, their brains smoking, and they dispatched all their thugs to beat any damned Easterner they saw."

"No matter who the opponent is, today this face must be regained, otherwise Sunshine City won't be survivable later!"