Walking to the backyard, Bai Yi had a thought and decided to change Darkside's name back.
The name "Alchemist" had left a deep impression on players, but whenever he stood before them as Darkside, they instinctively recoiled. It was better to revert to a name that evoked less hostility.
The panel didn't restrict him from changing his name; in fact, an NPC's name was determined by how others referred to them. For instance, if White Blight assigned a name to an NPC and they accepted it, eventually updating the information in the federal database, that would become the name recognized by the panel.
Conversely, the Darkside didn't require any information modification; it would simply respond to whatever name he chose to call it.
The Night Rose had a role in this as well. If players couldn't locate them, it was because they had crafted identities for themselves, which would synchronize with the panel. Even if players managed to kill a member of the Night Rose, the name that appeared would be the new one—not the original.
As snow began to fall more heavily, Bai Yi noticed that the snowmen Luo Ning had built had transformed into mere piles overnight.
He heard footsteps behind him and turned to see Demacia, Wei Brigade, and Xiahou Fuxing being escorted by a mechanically modified soldier.
Overnight, all the guards in the inner city had been replaced, including those at the City Lord's Mansion. The outer city districts had also begun recruiting additional law enforcement teams.
However, the inner city was directly under military control, eliminating a lot of red tape. The legion wouldn't care about the identity of offenders; they would simply deal with anyone deserving punishment.
Bai Yi glanced at the live broadcast room and felt a pang of disappointment that none of the three were streaming live.
The mechanical soldier bowed slightly in salute and left with precise, mechanical steps.
Bai Yi smiled and said, "For now, don't worry about the Night Rose. I need you to do me a favor."
The three immediately perked up, and the guards bowed slightly. "It is our honor."
"Last time, Xiahou Fuxing tested the effect of a dangerous object. Now, I need you to help me inquire about some things."
As soon as Bai Yi finished speaking, the guard panel lit up.
[Task: Inquiry into God's Window.]
Select Mission Type: Special Mission.
Mission Requirements: City Lord Bai Yi has recently been troubled, but God's Showcase has certain side effects for him. Wonders can help avoid these side effects. Please assist him in completing the inquiry about God's Showcase.
Mission Rewards: Experience +500, Gold +10.
Failure Penalty: None.
"No problem," Wei Lu responded with a smile. He had just volunteered, and the mission was assigned to him. The other two looked on enviously, wishing they could join in.
"Then follow me," Bai Yi said, waving his hand. A surge of terrifying mental power erupted, and a middle-aged man was pulled from the mouth of the snow-covered bone dragon.
The man's gaze remained calm. Though he was just an ordinary person, he dared to meet Bai Yi's eyes.
In fact, all extremely evil individuals were powerful geniuses. However, their corrupt hearts and souls made them uncontrollable, denying them the chance to thrive in the kingdom of order.
Even after thirty years of imprisonment, they still retained their genius. Given the opportunity, they could soar to great heights.
The evil man who had ventured to the mysterious town last time would have had a promising future had the town not been so perilous.
The three curious companions followed Bai Yi toward the Whispering Station. The God's Window had been placed in the Whispering Treasure House during the move.
Under the watchful eyes of stern-looking soldiers, the group of four entered.
Upon opening the treasury door, they were greeted by the spoils of two wars.
After the Quartermaster Department counted these, they would be converted into additional military merits for the legion commander, serving as a means to retain the strong.
Bai Yi located the God's Showcase and, instead of asking the evil man directly, turned to Wei Lu. "Go ask how to deal with the black dragon 20,000 kilometers away."
Bai Yi hesitated briefly but ultimately resolved to confront the black dragon. If the legendary beast were slain, its blood, scales, and soul would yield legendary materials.
Not to mention the dragon's treasure—even its corpse would be of great interest to Diane, the necromancer.
If they could kill it, that would result in a substantial windfall.
However, he didn't ask how to kill it; he inquired how to resolve the situation. The distinction was minor in wording but vast in implication.
If players weren't qualified to discuss killing, a solution would suffice.
Wei Lu's eyes brightened at the mention of the legendary black dragon. He had seen Xiahou Fuxing's video, so without hesitation, he reached out and extracted a gray tentacle from the God's Showcase.
The tentacle appeared lethargic, seemingly disinterested in the players. However, due to certain rules, it had no choice but to comply.
As Bai Yi's words transformed into Dawn Script, the tentacle hesitated and retracted.
Soon, a piece of paper fell from beneath the cabinet door, and another tentacle extended.
This was the solution and the mission.
Wei Lu's expression grew serious as he examined the tasks on the panel, glancing at Bai Yi.
[Mission: Dangerous Transaction.]
Attribute: Repayment Task.
Mission Description: Find a soul crystal core and deliver it to God's Showcase.
Mission Reward: None.
Mission Penalty: All attributes permanently reduced by 80%.
Summary: A greedy deal has begun, and it seems you will pay a heavy price this time.
At the same time, Bai Yi read the words on the tentacle. As it retracted, surprise flickered in his eyes.
After carefully sensing it, he felt no immediate changes but had a nagging suspicion that the current object of trade was himself, not merely the player.
Fortunately, the God's Showcase didn't specify the quality of the required soul crystal core.
Seeing Wei Lu's expression, Bai Yi retrieved a small soul crystal core from the demon dimension and handed it to him.
Regardless of anything else, the Wei Brigade had been a tremendous help. If they became alienated, it would be a significant loss.
Wei Lu accepted the soul crystal core, examined it with curiosity, breathed a sigh of relief, and after submitting it to the God's Showcase, both tasks on his panel were marked complete.
Bai Yi's mental power surged as he picked up a piece of paper from the ground, which bore two lines of uneven handwriting.
[Crisis: Spectacle.]
Kill: Capital, Summon, Abyss.
Bai Yi paused, deep in thought, and glanced at Demacia. Could the God's Showcase foresee the future? Or had it predicted that players could resolve this crisis?
As for the methods to kill the dragon, four options were presented. The first was the sword master of the capital, but the latter two were somewhat perplexing.
Was the Abyss a contract? Or was it a life? Whose call was it? Or who was being called?
It was a headache. Ideally, players should investigate first, but he wasn't sure if this information could be streamed live.
The players watched the paper in Bai Yi's hand with curiosity, but Bai Yi had no intention of letting them see it.
After stowing the paper in the demon dimension, he smiled and asked, "Thank you for your help. What do you want from me this time?"
He produced a small bag of gold coins and handed it to the guard. "This is a token of my gratitude."
Wei Lu accepted it under the envious gazes of the other two. "It's my duty," he said politely.
He turned to Demacia and gestured for him to speak.
Demacia stepped forward eagerly. "That's right, Lord City Lord. While I was out battling last night, I stumbled upon the abandoned base of Night Rose and uncovered some secrets.
Helping the Federation will help our wonders grow, so my intuition tells me I should bring this to you. You'll understand once you see it."
Demacia glanced at the guard with some trepidation, unsure how to explain the mission to the NPC. This hell-level mission had three prompts.
The first hint merely instructed him to bring a shield to find Bai Yi, without further details. He racked his brain to come up with this vague statement.
Wei Lu stretched out his hand, and the power of the Space-Time Assassin surged forth, manifesting a black shield about one meter long. It was made of a frosted material and exuded a noble aura.
Bai Yi raised an eyebrow. This so-called shield was actually the scales of a black dragon!
However, based on its material and size, it likely hadn't reached legendary status. After a moment's thought, Bai Yi nodded and said, "This is indeed a black dragon scale. There have been rumors that Night Rose is planning to find a legendary black dragon to attack Dongwu City. However, that dragon poses a significant danger, and you could very well die."
Xiahou Fuxing thumped his chest decisively. "The wonder is never afraid of death!"
"Alright, in that case, I'll take you there." Bai Yi had an idea and looked at Wei Lu. "Are you coming too?"
"Yes, we're a team," Wei Lu replied with a nod.
Bai Yi paused. "I'd like to ask you to stay behind and help me first. I'll take you there afterward. How does that sound?"
The guard agreed without hesitation. "Of course, your orders come first."
[Favorability with White Plague +1.]
Bai Yi, feeling satisfied, asked, "If I'm not mistaken, the Star Federation also has wonders, right?"
Wei Lu nodded. "Yes, not only the Star Federation but also the Sun Federation."
Bai Yi continued, "I have some knowledge I'd like to share with the alchemist over there. Can you help me with that?"
Wei Lu paused as a task appeared on the panel. It was only of difficult level, and the players were quite familiar with the judgment of passing messages.
However, hesitation flickered in Wei Lu's eyes. The Star Federation's server was managed by people in Europe, and he didn't seem to have many friends there.
Moreover, with only six million players, even if a friend entered the game, the chances of encountering the Alchemist were slim.
As he pondered, his eyes suddenly brightened. "No problem, but I'll need some time."
Bai Yi smiled. "I had faith in you. It'll take me about five hours to send them there. Is that enough time?"
The guard calculated and nodded. "That's sufficient. I'll go prepare, Mr. Bai Yi."
With that, he logged off decisively, needing to contact some of Mao Xiong's acquaintances.
Bai Yi sighed in relief and turned to Demacia and Xiahou Fuxing. "Then I'll take you both with me first."
He glanced at the extremely evil man and decided it was best to lock him up for now, releasing him later when he had specific inquiries.
As the order was conveyed, an L-shaped cyborg seized the silent evil man and carried him away.
Bai Yi and the two excited companions waited quietly in the snow for a moment. When the dragon's voice sounded, Bai Yi led them soaring into the sky, quickly moving eastward from the city.
Twenty thousand kilometers was a long distance. Even if the dragon flew at Mach 7, it would still take nearly two hours.
During this time, Bai Yi used his mental power to manipulate the demon dimension, translating a copy of the complex knowledge regarding the Colossus.
Other players could be unreliable at times, but Wei Lu was different. After entering the game, he no longer treated it as just a game.
To prevent the knowledge of the Colossus from being exposed, Bai Yi pondered for a while.
Ultimately, he decided to rearrange certain paragraphs, writing them in different scripts and replacing large portions of text with alchemical inscriptions.
This was quite troublesome, but players often lacked a sense of confidentiality. It would be fine if this high-level knowledge became known to those in the three major federations.
However, if an evil god or demigod obtained this forbidden knowledge, it would lead to real trouble.
None of the ancient alchemical sages would share the method of creating the Colossus, even when facing death.
This emphasized the probability that gods could create a Colossus.
Thus, caution was warranted.
As for whether the Alchemist Sage would be unable to decipher it, that was an unnecessary concern.
One should never underestimate the knowledge reserves of an Alchemist.
Bai Yi was fluent in many languages, including those of humans, elves, demons, and gods in this world. But the Alchemist Sage likely knew even more.
Sorting through the alchemical array text was complex, but Demacia and Xiahou Fuxing were busy chatting happily. As Bai Yi approached within 3,000 kilometers of the mountain breaking through the clouds, he decided to halt the bone dragon's flight.
Instead, he began to set up a teleportation array. A level 24 player should be able to withstand that distance.
After giving them two healing potions, Bai Yi indicated the location of the dragon and activated the teleportation array.
As the players vanished, Bai Yi turned to the live broadcast on the forum. With a distance of 20,000 kilometers, there was little risk of monster interference.
Demacia and Xiahou Fuxing began their live broadcasts, making it easier for Bai Yi to monitor the dragon and prepare accordingly.
If necessary, the evil man would have to analyze the paper that had just fallen from the God's Showcase.
Bai Yi rode on the giant dragon, swiftly heading toward Dongwu City against the wind and snow.
As abnormal areas passed beneath him, Bai Yi's expression grew serious. The occasional appearance of an ancient god's kingdom instilled a sense of threat.
The world was becoming increasingly dangerous, and he could sense the presence of high-level legends in the mutation zone.
This indicated a growing threat from the outside world to the Federation.
As morning shifted to noon, he returned to Dongwu Castle.
At the same time, Wei Lu came online once more. Bai Yi approached him and handed over the method for creating the Colossus that he had meticulously written over the past five hours, beginning to transmit the knowledge.
However, Bai Yi had temporarily added some extra information, including insights about intercontinental missiles, alchemical magic networks, and a special ripple effect. If the Alchemical Sage could connect the networks of the two locations, it would undoubtedly accelerate Dawn's technological advancement.
This would lead to a significant increase in the number of alchemists in Dawn.
(End of this chapter)