Chapter 2043: Buying a Mountain
Xu Huo did not intervene in the Black Epaulets' pursuit, nor did he go looking for trouble with the Enforcement Department. He simply took a moment to ask a few knowledgeable people, then found the younger brother of the escaped player. The man was still alive, but he had been beaten quite badly—his arms and legs were broken, and his internal organs were injured. However, this was not a major problem; a few doses of medicine would allow him to recover in a few days, though the bones would take longer to heal. So Xu Huo placed him in the experimental small building where Dr. Deng usually stayed and told him not to wander off.
The rescued man was named Sun Su. He had some quick wits. By relying on an outdated credential he bought at a second-hand market, he managed to sneak into a members-only venue. It was there that he discovered traces of the cult. After finding a way to leave clues for his older brother, he ventured deeper alone, hoping to uncover evidence of their crimes. Unfortunately, before he could take any photos, he was caught red-handed. The cult members interrogated him and learned that he had a brother who was a player. That was the only reason they didn't kill him immediately—they were waiting for his brother to walk into the trap.
The subsequent events unfolded exactly as the cult members had anticipated. Sun Su's older brother, Sun Yong, indeed came looking for him. Dealing with a D-rank player should have been a trivial matter, but unexpectedly, Sun Yong had advanced to a high-level player during his last outing and had acquired two life-saving escape items. This allowed him to break through the encirclement of the White Epaulets and flee all the way to Rose Castle.
"Unfortunately, all the evidence was destroyed by them!" Sun Su said, hatred burning in his eyes. "Not just my sister, but many innocent people were killed by them! District 011 will definitely cover for them! I'll never get my revenge!"
Xu Huo did not speak directly with Sun Su. He simply left the man there and walked away.
Darkness and light walk side by side. Among those who walk this path, some choose the light, and some choose the darkness. This can happen in any district. For two or three players to intervene in such matters is useless. It requires the district government and the organizations representing the district's players to make a public statement and take concrete action before this trend can truly be stopped.
District 011 was not originally a district with chaotic order. It had been stable for many years, with well-established laws and regulations. This meant that the vast majority of people in this district recognized and relied on the rules under the sun. Most players who were attracted here came for this very reason—no one wanted to live every second in fear that danger might arrive at any moment. And since District 011 was in a special period, if the district government was smart enough, it would definitely take this matter seriously.
The district government's response was indeed swift. Within less than a day, the results were announced.
All members involved in the cult were punished according to the severity of their crimes. Murderers were executed, and those who deserved imprisonment were imprisoned. This included the White Epaulets members led by Buran.
The matter was handled by the Black Epaulets.
According to rumors circulating on the Message Collection Terminal, the last time the Black and White Epaulets fought for power, the White Epaulets ended up at a disadvantage. After being sidelined, they tried to return to the political center by secretly contacting the cult. Because District 011 had a very lenient policy on religion, many nobles had joined at least three or more religious groups. To curry favor with higher-ranking nobles, the White Epaulets willingly acted as their servants. Unfortunately, before they could solidify their connections, they were caught with their tails between their legs again. Whether it was bad luck or simply not their destiny remained to be seen.
The final outcome of this incident received widespread praise from all sectors. District 011 also publicly announced compensation for the families of the victims.
As long as it wasn't a district-wide catastrophe, any matter—if the district government wanted to handle it—could be handled well.
Two days later, Sun Yong returned and took his brother away. He did not accept the compensation from District 011. Instead, he left this place of sorrow with his brother, dejected, to search for another place to settle down.
Some people leave, some people come. Perhaps District 011 was not the most suitable place to live, but it was still decent at the E27 wormhole point. For players who lacked the energy to find a better place to live, this was already quite good.
Xu Huo had also been very busy these past two days. Through the Message Collection Terminal, he screened some suitable remote mountainous areas, especially those overrun by mutant plants that were almost untouched by humans. He picked out a few good ones, visited each one, and finally selected a sealed-off mountain area that was a two-hour journey from the Base City.
Mountainous areas without mineral deposits or particularly rare species were not very valuable. Many were simply left there, available for purchase or lease.
However, leasing and purchasing came with different usage rights. Leasing required maximum preservation of vegetation and prohibited damage to the mountain's structure. Purchasing was much more convenient; the terms stated that everything in the mountain belonged to the buyer. If, hypothetically, mineral deposits were discovered beneath the mountain, they would also belong to the buyer.
Of course, given the current technological level of District 011, any mountain with mineral deposits would never fall into the hands of outsiders anyway.
In reality, the ideal choice would have been to return to District 014, where the Special Defense Department could provide him with a location. But since he was currently under surveillance by District 011 and would be unable to return for a long time, he had to buy a mountain here to use as a training ground.
Xu Huo purchased three mountains and leased seven adjacent peaks. This was a major transaction, and because of his noble status, the local government not only offered him a discounted price but also proactively offered to help set up warning signs and instruments around the perimeter to prevent unwitting tourists from entering the private area.
After completing the paperwork, he cleared a flat area within the mountains specifically to place the location item "Time Box."
Because the "Time Box" would gradually expand, Xu Huo deliberately made the space quite wide. But he didn't expect that when he took out the item, it would almost completely fill the area he had cleared—the range of the "Time Box" had increased significantly since the last time he saw it, and there were other changes as well.
The last time he entered the "Time Box," he couldn't use his ticket. At the time, he felt that the courtyard might be located in a crack in time and space, and spatial perception would also become distorted inside, making the courtyard, which didn't look very large from the outside, seem endless.
But perhaps because it had been removed from its specific location, it was now a square courtyard with clearly visible boundaries. Even when he walked inside, he didn't feel the same sense of confinement as before. Although there were many repeating courtyards, walking through them a couple of times made it easy to find the entrance and exit.
It seemed that the function of this location item was merely to provide a space imbued with time power, and to undergo corresponding changes when it sensed fluctuations in time power. This allowed the holder to determine whether they had made progress or if there were any special changes in their time evolution. It had no coercive power over the holder.
The time rays in the courtyard were the same as he had perceived last time—all interconnected. However, shortly after entering, he noticed that the density of the rays differed. For example, one courtyard might have nine or ten rays, while the next courtyard would have double that number. This was different from the evenly distributed time rays in natural space—it was as if time suddenly had distinctions of strength and weakness. (End of Chapter)