March 1st.
Half a month had passed since Annan left Nefertari’s place.
However, it was not like they had not met each other in the past half a month.
After all, Nieusel’s daily job was to patrol the city—or wander around. Although the law and order of the underground city were much more chaotic than the above-ground city, it was due to the massive floating population [1].
Moreover, Sporeggar Mill was a small place that favored the elderly’s retirement. There was no unique local product, with very few new faces every month. The inhabitants were all neighbors who knew each other well. Nothing really would go wrong.
Typically, Nieusel’s job was to help the old lady fix a high-tech wheelchair, help a child get a ball from a tree, and even open the door with his Digger’s higher authority key when someone forgot it and asked for his help. The biggest part of his workload might be the two-hour round-trip during the commute to and from get off work.
In Lin Yiyi’s words: On the surface, Nieusel was the top manager of the underground city, but he was just a policeman in actual fact.
However, it was a bit insulting to say that.
At least the number of households in the police jurisdiction was ten times more than that in Sporeggar Mill. The entire Sporeggar Mill, including the floating population, had only about 1,000 people.
“The foot traffic is not as high as the old residential area I rented.” Lin Yiyi commented so.
Suuankou deeply agreed, “That’s the foot traffic level that includes three dormitory buildings over my area.”
After all, the land here was free.
So everyone lived scattered, and the house was massive.
The price of goods in the underground city was low. Thus, there was no pressure in life. The residents would not starve to death if they looked for a job. Plus, there was a dedicated plantation layer, so no one would farm in the urban layer to make a living.
As a result, Sporeggar Mill had become like an abandoned, closed rural area with only elderly widows and widowers left for retirement and abandoned farmland. No one comes, no one goes, no life pressure or passion.
The cost of relocation to the underground city was minute. Those who were not satisfied with this kind of life had left.
Nieusel and Nefertari held no opinion about it.
Instead, they preferred this quiet and ordinary life.
Although no one had confessed their love so far, and theoretically, they had not initiated an official relationship, Annan and the players had grown tired of the lovey-dovey couple already.
Only Miss Werewolf, who was young enough and knew nothing about relationships, was slightly confused.
I don’t know what happened, but I’m eating melon and watching by the side.jpg
In this comfortable environment, daily patrols were not so much work but exercised to keep himself from getting lazy, like walking a dog.
Every time Nieusel passed by the villa where Annan and the players lived, he would pay a visit. He often would bring some snacks or fruits, come in for a few cups of tea, and chat with anyone casually.
As they gradually got to know each other, Suuankou and Jiu Er were no longer awkward with him.
Nieusel was also quite talkative.
Occasionally when he was in a good mood, he would take Annan and the group out for dinner—yes, five of them.
It was different from the last time when they went to Ashwood Forest for serious business. Then, the advancement was more or less private, and it was a business that needed to be kept secret. Thus, it became reasonable to lock Doreen at home to look after the residence.
However, it would be too cruel to go for a meal without her.
Doreen was a real werewolf, after all. Although she did have a pair of dog ears, she obviously could not be kept as a pet dog.
In the end, most of Nieusel’s days were pleasant.
He was in a good mood for eleven days during these two weeks.
After all, he had seen the sincerity of the “Secret Eye”.
Not only the Sporeggar Mill Nightmare was purified, but the teleportation waypoint was also erected not long after that.
Annan also tacitly crafted a piece of CG [2], indicating that the new expansion [Wheel of Fortune] had commenced. The CG included summoning the players who traveled afar to return and adventure the unexplored part of the game.
First, Annan led the players to charge toward the burning Swamp’s Black Tower.
“If you want my soul, then come and try it.” Annan’s whisper sounded.
What lay ahead of Annan was the overwhelming undead.
Behind Annan were the fearless players.
Annan stood in the middle of the screen. His silver-white hair fluttered wildly in the wind.
On the parchment-textured motion picture, the scene froze.
[You have successfully defeated the Spiritual Monk.]
“Bernardino… Are you trying to escape your fate?” Annan’s ethereal voice came.
The parchment-like screen switched to Annan’s ascension form.
He was like a deity, levitating in the air and descending his judgment on the Spiritual Monk Bernardino.
The screen resumed, and the infinite light flooded the screen.
After the flash, there came a world of complete darkness.
Father Stone, like a Buddha statue, spoke slowly in the darkness.
“As we all know, [Fate is the Wheel of Divine Transporter]. Traces will only be left after passing by.”
Father Stone’s calm and alluring voice came.
Then, a faint Mars-like shimmer pierced the darkness.
That was the glow of Dmitri’s cigar when it was just lit.
“Is seeing me here also part of the ‘future’ you saw?”
Dmitri confronted Ghirlandaio, who put on a faint smile and questioned him bluntly.
“Elder brother.” Annan murmured.
[The wheel of fortune has begun to turn.]
[The traitor, who once swore to protect Annan, betrayed his duty—Vladmir reappears.]
At the same time, Ivan Austere-Winter’s voice sounded slowly.
“Vladmir, the former ‘Thumb’ of Winter’s Hand, has betrayed Austere-Winter.”
An old man with a stern face, cold pupils, and a stiff expression like a puppet was illustrated quickly like a pencil drawing; the figure stood upright.
He wore a heavy brown trench coat with a high collar, a dark brown top hat made of beaver fur, a cane in his hand, heavy plush boots, and an ice ring on his right thumb.
Beside him was a shy young man with light brown hair, fair skin, and freckles. He had gaunt cheeks that made his face appear sunken. His back was slightly bent, probably because of fear, malnutrition, or shyness.
Ivan Austere-Winter’s voice-over sounded again.
“Vladmir has fled underground. But Thoreau Nick relied on Vladmir’s authority and the resources left by his teacher to organize a rebel army called the ‘Ice-shredders’.”
[Cold hands and a mad heart.]
[The traitors who have been incognito for a long time in the underground abyss opened their eyes because they are greedy for the saint’s power.]
At the end of the dimly lit corridor, the image of Thoreau Nick and Vladmir standing side by side suddenly moved.
Thoreau Nick’s young and enthusiastic voice sounded, “Only the teacher is willing to take me in. Only the teacher is willing to teach me the knowledge of killing…”
“Teacher is my benefactor! For the sake of my teacher, I don’t even care about my life!”
In the last scene, Nefertari sat opposite the camera.
She faced the viewer seriously and said, “Before July 1st, the Winter Insurgent Vladmir must be at Bone Farm.”
“We still have a lot of time.” Ghirlandaio’s voice sounded.
[To become stronger with everything I got.]
“Our time is running out.” Annan·Austere-Winter’s voice sounded.
[To stop their conspiracy.]
[No matter what—]