Chapter 55: Unexpected
"Alright," Zhou Ning nodded, though he still felt something was off.
That Ruins envoy seemed far too weak—not at all fitting of a council member of the Life Alchemy Society.
Besides, the Life Alchemy Society only had ten council members. Was there really any need for one of them to come all the way here just to serve as a sacrificial offering?
At that moment, several people in black robes rushed over and began cleaning up the bloodstains and dragging away the corpses. It was a special in-game profession: Corpse Collector. Zhou Ning hadn't expected it to be so faithfully reproduced in real life.
A few Sunwatchers began carefully retrieving the strange, book-shaped objects on the ground and the remains of the Blood Worm.
Thinking of Kien's fondness for adding aphid juice to his drinks—such a heavy taste—Zhou Ning couldn't help wondering if he'd use it to brew wine too.
Zhou Ning chuckled and shook his head, just about to leave when he noticed XB standing nearby, staring at him eagerly.
He had actually forgotten about him. After thinking it over, Zhou Ning edited the quest text, granted him the reward, and uploaded a few new skills while he was at it.
On the other side, XB received a prompt:
[You've completed D-rank mission: Cleanup Duty. You've earned 2000 XP and 15 Roshens.]
[Wayne Sturwell's favorability towards you has increased by 7 points. Current status: Acquainted.] (Note: personal favorability and faction favorability are calculated differently.)
[Wayne Sturwell's personal shop has unlocked additional items for you.]
[Because you successfully assisted the protagonist, Wayne Sturwell, in resolving the conspiracy of the Cursed Church and the Life Alchemy Society, you've earned a chance to learn a universal skill of the Wandering Gunslinger class. Limited to 15 minutes.]
[14:59]
[14:58]
…
"What the hell? You can get something this good?!"
After returning the revolver, XB was buzzing with excitement upon seeing the prompt. He immediately opened Zhou Ning's personal shop.
Switching over to the skill store, he saw several new skills had indeed been added.
Each one was more powerful than the last.
The ones that caught XB's eye the most were the newly available Observation Haki and Conqueror's Haki.
Especially Conqueror's Haki—the base effect alone was overwhelmingly strong. He was stunned.
Conqueror's Haki: A trait possessed only by kings. +1 to Mental Power. Releases a forceful aura that deals damage and intimidation to surrounding enemies. The effect depends on the mental power difference between you and your targets. Base duration: 0.16 seconds. If the gap is significant, it can cause a stun effect.
A trait only kings can possess!!!
Coach, I want to learn this one!!
Then he looked at the learning requirements: 266,000 XP, 50 Vecktas, and 40 favorability points. When would he ever meet those conditions?
XB checked his stats. He had a bit of XP left—after killing a few bugs and completing the quest, he had 9520 XP remaining. He dug through the skill list and finally found one he could afford.
C.A.R Shooting Technique: A versatile gun-fighting art that works at both close and long range. It includes shooting stances, grip techniques, reloading skills, and melee combat training. Boosts combat effectiveness.
It looked badass at a glance.
The price was 9500 XP and 15 Roshens.
Perfectly matched—almost as if it were calculated for him. It felt tailor-made. He had just spent all his money, and now the quest gave him exactly 15 Roshens—just enough to afford this skill.
Without thinking too much, XB bought the skill in high spirits. This was his capital for becoming a pro player in the future.
[You have learned the skill "C.A.R Shooting Technique." 9500 XP and 15 Roshens have been deducted.]
"Well then, farewell."
Having fully harvested the newbie XB, Zhou Ning finally felt at ease. He waved his hand and turned to leave without the slightest hesitation, leaving behind only a mysterious silhouette.
This stalk of chives had been fully harvested—for now. He'd come back when it had regrown.
Flat-broke XB, meanwhile, was quite satisfied, occasionally giggling as he looked over the two new skills he'd gained today.
…
At the same time, in a carriage racing toward Darkland Fortress—
Charles VI sat comfortably in his seat, showing none of the panic he had displayed earlier. Across from him was Crown Prince William, who had accompanied him on this diplomatic visit.
William was thirty-five this year—steady and highly capable. Unfortunately, he was just too soft-hearted. As the crown prince of the Charles Dynasty, authority was everything. Charles VI had decided to use this opportunity to teach his son a lesson.
"William, what did you think of how the Sunwatchers handled things just now?" Charles VI asked.
"…Kien West did a decent job. After all, these are extraordinary incidents—they don't have much experience handling such matters."
Charles VI nodded. "Exactly. I think so too. But I'll still be issuing an order to cut the Sunwatchers' budget by 10% once we return."
"Why?"
"Because, in the end, he didn't do a good enough job. He even needed outside help to stabilize the situation. In truth, it doesn't matter how well he did. What you need to remember is this: to be a good king, you must first establish authority. If your authority is lacking, your ministers will overstep their bounds, punishments won't be carried out strictly, and bans will be impossible to enforce."
"The West family is indeed trustworthy. But for ministers you trust, you must both rely on them and keep them in check. You never truly know what lies in a person's heart."
William nodded silently.
Up ahead was a clock tower about 55 meters tall, powered by alchemical formations. It chimed automatically every hour, synchronized with Bryston time. Beyond it lay Darkland Fortress, the royal residence and administrative hub.
Due to the recent incident, many Sunwatchers had been pulled away, leaving defenses rather thin. Even the soldiers along the road were sparse.
"I'll have more troops transferred here later," Charles VI thought.
The carriage stopped in front of Darkland Fortress. Crown Prince William and Charles VI stepped out one after the other.
But just then, from atop the nearby clock tower, a silent crossbow bolt shot through the air—piercing Charles VI's chest clean through and bursting out with a spray of blood and flesh.
The bolt immediately dissolved into light.
Bang!
Right before everyone's eyes, Charles VI collapsed with a thud. He hadn't even uttered a final word—he was dead on the spot.
The scene went silent.
After a moment, someone finally reacted and shouted, "His Majesty has been assassinated!!"
The stunned guards snapped back to reality. Faces pale, they drew their weapons—some running toward the clock tower, others aiming their guns at the top.
Atop the tower stood a man in a black alchemist's robe and a white mask. He glanced down, then put away his crossbow. In his hand, he swirled a small bottle—in it, the panicked figure of Charles VI could be seen pounding against the glass, screaming silently.
The man made a gesture of thanks toward the people below, then leapt from the tower, landing agilely on a nearby rooftop and vanishing into the distance.
Not long after, all of Darkland was thrown into turmoil. Police swarmed the streets, searching for suspicious individuals.
Zhou Ning, of course, learned of this—but through the game interface.
[The faction leader of the Bryston Kingdom, Charles VI, has died.]
[Social stability in the Bryston Kingdom has decreased. The economy has entered a recession.]
[Due to your indirect but significant impact on the game's progression, you have received 12 Traversal Coins.]
Zhou Ning: ?????
What the hell does that have to do with me?
Then again, the game progression had indeed gone completely off the rails. In his previous life, Charles VI had survived all the way into the third version of the game. Now he had died this early?
Zhou Ning couldn't help but be curious—just how had he died?
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