Chapter 1498: Here He Comes
In District 026, young C-level players were rare. Those who managed to reach C-level were generally older. On one hand, their overall skill level was poor, making player advancement very slow. On the other hand, to survive in the game, many chose to purchase Instance guides, which was why it took them years or even a decade to level up once.
Becoming an advanced player didn't mean their strength had truly improved. Thus, even among players of the same level, they might not measure up, let alone against a higher-level B-level player. That player would undoubtedly be a powerhouse cultivated with the full resources of Central City. In their eyes, C-level players from other cities were probably not worth mentioning, nor would they need to personally intervene.
However, it was confirmed that Central City had one B-level player.
"Rain City seems to have someone who saw that B-level player in Central City."
Xu Huo then asked about the approximate number of players in Central City and said, "I hope you can send a message to Central City by tomorrow morning, saying that the incident has been resolved."
That player, seeing that he truly intended to go to Central City, had a complex expression for a moment, then added, "The people from the Eagle Organization definitely won't agree."
Either Xu Huo killed them all, or there was no way to make all the players obey his orders. The news might have already reached Central City while he was still killing in the auditorium.
"Just pass it along," Xu Huo said indifferently, not particularly caring whether the people of Bai City would follow his instructions.
Having said that, he left Bai City and headed straight for Rain City.
As Bai City's neighbor, Rain City was thoroughly informed of the situation there. When Xu Huo started his massacre, Rain City had already gathered all its players. To avoid a repeat of Bai City's situation, they gathered everyone in an open square, grouping them in batches and keeping distance to prevent their traits from being wiped out in one fell swoop.
Later, when they learned that Xu Huo had killed only those involved in human trafficking, many secretly cheered. However, when they received news that Xu Huo was likely heading their way, the players' moods soured: who knew if he would find an excuse to kill in Rain City?
But there wasn't much they could do at the moment. From the feedback, Xu Huo was definitely not on the same level as them. Even if all their C-level players were combined, they might not be a match for him. Rather than fight to the death, it was better to preserve their strength.
So, before Xu Huo arrived, Rain City's players dispersed some of their promising young players to various parts of the city, preserving a spark. If the worst-case scenario occurred, these people could escape into the game.
Additionally, E-level players were told not to bother showing up—they would just be cannon fodder. It was better for them to stay and calm the populace, preventing chaos or attacks from other cities taking advantage of the situation.
After all the reductions, only about thirty players remained, the backbone of Rain City.
"I think that Outer Zone player isn't unreasonable," said the burly man who had met Xu Huo. "He was good to the kid, so he probably isn't some irredeemable villain."
Rain City's player organization had merged into the city government years ago. Their current leader was also their mayor—a seemingly very wise old lady. She calmly looked at everyone, "We've made the best arrangements. Now, we'll leave it to fate."
This wasn't Rain City's first time facing a life-or-death crisis. The thirty-plus people present all had the mental preparation to sacrifice for their home.
The tragic and tense atmosphere was still brewing when one player in the group seemed to sense something. He suddenly looked up toward a building near the square and saw a dark figure looking down at them from above. He quietly warned the others, "He's here!"
Everyone turned. As they braced themselves, they couldn't help but feel shocked. They had already arranged for people to patrol the city's outskirts, and defensive items covered every direction. Logically, no matter where he came from, he would attract attention. Yet this person had silently appeared right beside them—how could that not be astonishing?
Just as Rain City's side was about to break the silence, in the blink of an eye, he appeared right before them, so quietly that not even a breeze stirred.
Rain City's players nearly attacked, but fortunately, the old lady mayor stopped them in time and took the initiative to speak, "A distinguished guest from afar—would you like to sit in the City Hall?"
Xu Huo smiled slightly, "How should I address you, ma'am?"
At these words, Rain City's side collectively breathed a sigh of relief. The mayor's expression also relaxed, "My surname is Song."
"My surname is Xu. Mayor Song, I apologize for the late-night visit."
The tense atmosphere suddenly dissipated. Mayor Song brought only four people to escort Xu Huo to the City Hall.
Unlike the government buildings of other cities, Rain City's government office was located inside a shopping mall. A simple sign outside read "City Government Office." The interior was also very plain. Aside from a desk and a few chairs, the rest of the space was occupied by bookshelves, which were filled with government documents and had no personal items.
Mayor Song personally poured tea, "The place is a bit humble. Please don't mind, Mr. Xu."
"Not at all," Xu Huo smiled. "I took a look around on the way. Rain City's infrastructure has recovered quite well."
Compared to Bai City, Rain City's ordinary citizens seemed to have more conveniences. There were also many planting areas within the city, showing that considerable money and effort had been spent on them.
"This is about all we can do," Mayor Song said, holding her teacup and steering the conversation back.
When she learned that he had come for Central City, Mayor Song was somewhat surprised. After a pause, she said, "Forgive my bluntness, but I really can't find a motive for you to do these things."
"Isn't it only right to do what little one can?" Xu Huo replied, using her own words against her. "District 026 is rainy all year round, and the cost of purifying acid rain isn't high. So I'm a bit curious whether it's really short of water here."
Mayor Song was older. Unlike the other players who found it hard to believe, she accepted Xu Huo's reasoning immediately. However, she didn't know much about Central City's core secrets. She only said, "It's certain that Central City isn't short of water."
There wasn't much trade between cities, but every time water prices rose, Central City would notify them to come for discussions. Mayor Song had been to Central City three times. Compared to other cities struggling to grow a bit of grain and vegetables, Central City's roadsides were lush with greenery. In an acid rain environment, ordinary crops were hard to grow and required a constant supply of clean water. Moreover, Central City was one of the largest settlements in Gathering Point 01.
"Haven't you looked for underground water sources?" Xu Huo asked.
"The underground rock layers are too deep. If mining equipment sold in the game were to be used in District 026, the price would at least triple. Rain City can't afford that for now," Mayor Song told him truthfully.
Not just them—no city in Gathering Point 01 had the surplus resources that Central City had.
(Chapter End)