Chapter 468 - 439: Just Live in the Sewer
For Da Fei, having a yellow name was not a big deal - a little reputation deduction and he was as good as new. After all, "violating rules" and "committing a crime" are not the same concept.
When Da Fei came out, he ran into Da Bing, Da Wei, and a group of guild newcomers who just switched their class to Rangers or Druids. Everyone eagerly asked, "Brother Fei, did you suffer any losses?"
Da Fei proudly smiled and said, "Not at all, they thought they could mess with me? They’re too naive!"
Everyone indignantly exclaimed, "Exactly, they dared to stir trouble in front of Brother Fei, they don’t know the meaning of the word ’god’!"
Da Fei waved his hand and laughed, "Alright, everyone get back to your own business and work hard on leveling up."
"Got it, Brother Fei!"
After everyone scattered, Da Fei felt a weight in his heart. Although his brothers saw his power and thought he was godlike, others did not think the same. The reason they dared to provoke him over and over was because he wasn’t godlike enough! The fact that they almost got one over him also was due to his luck rather than strength. In short, although he had gained quite a bit, he still wasn’t strong enough!
At the very least, he didn’t have the kind of strength that people with Phoenix Feathers did. In any game, having the ability to single-handedly defeat several opponents makes others respect and fear you. Unfortunately, he was lacking that kind of impact. If he were a Mage Hero who could wipe out a group with a single spell, who would dare to block his way and gawk at him? Even if his Vice Hero had area-of-effect capabilities, he wouldn’t have been in this embarrassing situation today.
Speaking of Mage Heroes, Da Fei suddenly remembered that tomorrow was the day he had an appointment with the Dwarf Prince, which involved a Dark Elf imprisoned in a dungeon. There was no doubt, it was a hero recruitment quest. The Dark Elves were a well-known, powerfully magical hidden race, and this one was even female, perfectly matching his taste and needs! In any case, he had to give it his all tomorrow! Da Fei couldn’t believe there was anything he couldn’t handle.
Now, he decided to go to Radiant City to check on the Fishmen’s settlement. After a teleportation, he arrived at Radiant City.
At that moment, a melodious and lazy harp sound permeated through the construction site. Da Fei looked towards the sound and saw some extravagantly dressed but old buskers playing music by the site, one even had a monkey with him.
Da Fei couldn’t help but laugh in astonishment, were these the musicians hired by the Cultural Consultant? Could they even teach?
Just then, Cultural Consultant Arong appeared in a rush, "Lord City Lord, it’s terrible, our cultural score has been lowered!"
Da Fei was stunned, "How could this happen! Our cultural score is already zero, how can it go lower?"
Arong anxiously explained, "It has gone into the negatives! It’s because of the Fishmen you relocated here! They are uncivilized Alien Race creatures, their presence in our city lowers our cultural level, which will deter high-end talents from coming, as no Elf or Flower Demon would want to live in the same town as such vulgar beings!"
What? Fishmen have such a setting? Da Fei, feeling incredibly annoyed, opened the current status panel of the city:
— City Sanitation Score: 81 points. (Environment excellent, minor pollution issues.)
— City Safety Score: 33 points. (Warning: Enemies lurking around the outskirts of the territory, safety score is related to military strength comparison.)
— City Cultural Score: -36 points. (Warning: The settlement of Fishmen severely affects the cultural level of the city, deterring high-level talents from residing here.)
...
Ah pfft! Da Fei spat out mouthfuls of water! Holy moly, 36 Fishmen just directly dropped my cultural score by 36 points! Even 36 cultural workers might not be able to raise the city’s cultural score by 36 points! Is this the legendary case of one bad apple spoiling the whole barrel? So, if the Fishman Tribe grows and reproduces more, every little Fishman child would cost us 1 point? Then even if I build more schools and theaters and cultivate more artistic talents, it won’t be enough!
Damn! This is really not giving me peace of mind! What’s wrong with Fishmen? Are they meant to be uncultured creatures? So, you Elves are high-class races and can’t stand Fishmen, huh? Well, to be fair, if I were transported into the game’s Otherworld, I definitely wouldn’t live with Fishmen either!
Da Fei sighed helplessly, "These Fishmen hold great military significance for our city, what should I do about their settlement?"
The Cultural Consultant hastily said, "It’s simple, the city’s level and cultural score are calculated based on the city area enclosed by the walls. Just place them outside the walls, find some tree roots for them to use as nests."
Oh? It’s that simple? Stop fussing then!
And just at this moment, the military advisor hurried over anxiously: "Lord City Lord, this won’t do! Fishmen can’t be settled outside the city!"
Da Fei raised his eyebrows, what now?
The cultural consultant sighed, "Since Lord City Lord is here, let’s not argue anymore and just follow your lead."
The military advisor quickly spoke, "My Lord, do you remember the Leviathan’s Egg you placed outside in the pond? That egg is truly wild and untamed. It has absorbed a significant amount of dark energy from the contaminated pond water and its size has been increasing. Maybe soon it will hatch, and once hatched, given the vicious nature of the Leviathan, it will surely devastate the Fishman community!"
Da Fei was suddenly shocked, "Oh right, what about that egg?"
The cultural consultant shook his head, "My Lord, we are unable to tame that egg. Perhaps no one in the Elf Kingdom can. I suggest that it would be best to retrieve and freeze the egg before it hatches, keeping it in storage. The Fishmen should not stay in the city."
The military advisor immediately shook his head, "Even if you decide not to hatch that egg, the situation around the Pool of Radiance has been particularly ominous these past few days. Should a war break out, the Fishmen outside would still end up as casualties, and that would be such a pity!"
Ah, last time it was an argument between the military advisor and the economic advisor, this time it’s with the cultural consultant. Are military preparedness and development really incompatible? Such a headache!
Da Fei let out a long sigh, "Alright, it’s difficult to ensure both safety and culture, but shouldn’t there at least be a compromise?"
The military advisor awkwardly coughed and said, "Well, out of sight, out of mind. As long as no one sees the Fishmen, wouldn’t that solve the problem? Maybe... they could live in the sewers?"
Da Fei raised his eyebrows and quickly asked the cultural consultant, "Can they live in the sewers?"
The cultural consultant sighed, "I’m not a Fishman, how would I know? I definitely wouldn’t live in the sewers!"
So that’s how it is. Looks like I have to talk to Gulu Gulu myself!
Led by the two consultants, Da Fei found a group of Fishmen taking a bath at the dock by the city wall and Selvia, who was overseeing them.
Upon seeing Da Fei, Gulu Gulu muttered, "Master, there are no fish in this water, and we feel uncomfortable in it!"
Da Fei frowned, "Uncomfortable?"
The military advisor sighed, "The water in the Pool of Radiance is filled with too much light energy, which is deadly for the Demon Race and also difficult for ordinary Ocean Creatures to adapt to. However, Fishmen are widespread and are recognized for their strong adaptability, able to thrive in sea water, fresh water, and marshes alike. I believe they can also adapt to this environment here, probably even the sewers..."
What a load of crap! If the NPC says it works, then it works!
Da Fei immediately laughed loudly, "Why bother fishing when you are with the master? Don’t worry, there’s a daily supply of fresh fish and fine wine waiting for you. Come, your master will take you to your new home! More splendid than the palace of the Naga Lord. Maybe you’ll find it hard to adjust at first, but that’s normal. No Fishman has ever had such an honor. You’ll have to get used to your new life!"
As Da Fei led Gulu Gulu and the group of Fishmen into the sewers, Gulu Gulu’s eyes sparkled, "Is this the place more splendid than the palace of the Naga Lord?"
Da Fei laughed heartily, "Not just yet. This palace is still being constructed and extended. On the lowest level, a main water hall will be built, and that will be the real palace! How about that? From now on, you are the residents and protectors of this palace; no Fishman has ever been so privileged. Are you happy?"
Gulu Gulu excitedly said, "Master, you are kind!"
At that moment, all the Fishmen loudly gurgled!
—System Prompt: Your reputation among the Fog Scale Fishman Tribe has become "Trusted"!
Oh yeah! That’s it? Haha! Well, that’s great!
(Votes please!) (To be continued. If you enjoy this novel, you are welcome to vote for it at Qidian. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)