Chapter 606: Murmuring Sphere

Nie Xuan’s expression turned serious. “Any evidence?”

“No, just my gut feeling.” Xu Huo said calmly. “You can choose to believe it or not.”

Nie Xuan believed he wasn’t someone who spoke without reason. After a moment of thought, he said, “I’ll find a way to verify your suspicions.”

Xu Huo nodded with a smile. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to provide more direct proof, but he truly had no evidence at the moment. However, the Artificer entering the districts before the complete integration of partitions and the game was telling enough. At the very least, that ore resource was an extremely important asset. Even if Zone 014 hadn’t yet pinpointed the ore’s specific location or usage, the recent emergence of new energy zones clearly showed that Zone 014 was quietly changing. It wasn’t impossible for special mineral resources to appear later than evolution.

“Even if the Special Defense Department trades items for ore, we won’t expose the mine’s location.” Nie Xuan said. “We have that much crisis awareness…”

After a pause, he added, “When do you plan to head to the Capital City?”

“Depends on the situation.” Xu Huo said. “Originally, I planned to hitch a ride with Team Leader Song, but now I’ll have to find my own way.”

Nie Xuan’s expression turned teasing. “There are quite a few players watching near the hotel. You’re playing big this time. Be careful not to trip yourself up.”

Xu Huo seemed confident and pressed him to fulfill their deal.

Nie Xuan was straightforward. He didn’t deny the transaction just because Xu Huo had only spoken a few suggestive words. Generously, he took out three C-grade items. “Pick for yourself.”

[Center Stage Control: An item that makes the user the center of the stage. Within a ten-meter radius, everyone will direct 120% of their attention to them, making them the true focus of the stage. It also increases the effect of similar items by 5%.]

[Ming Ming Is Happy: Ming Ming is happy, so keep smiling. But Ming Ming doesn’t refer to any specific person; it refers to everyone who hears the happy password. As long as you shout the password “Ming Ming Is Happy,” anyone who hears it will involuntarily show a smile, lasting ten seconds. According to psychology experts, smiling brings good luck.]

[Thunder Cracker: As a type of firecracker product, the snap firecracker has always been popular among children in major game partitions. Its growing sales figures showed designers a bright career prospect. So, based on the original design, they modified it to create this reusable thunder cracker. When used, simply throw it with force, and it can produce power comparable to a hand grenade. Note: Throwing it on the ground and throwing it on a person produce similar effects. The difference is that the latter is more likely to get you beaten up.]

Two auxiliary items and one attack item. Xu Huo chose “Center Stage Control.”

“A 5% increase sounds impressive, but it only works with similar items.” Nie Xuan casually remarked. “It also can’t stack on characteristics.”

Xu Huo didn’t choose this item for its effect alone. The real reason was that as soon as he got it, a new item merge upgrade prompt appeared on his personal panel:

[Based on the player’s item information, your “Constraining Star Sphere,” “Center Stage Control,” “Aimless Party Popper Tube,” and “Light-Gathering Non-Essential Location” can be merged and upgraded into one B-grade item. Upgrade?]

These four were all C-grade items. Merging them would only yield one B-grade item, but Xu Huo’s current shortage was precisely good items.

He selected “Yes.”

The four items turned gray, and after a few seconds, the upgrade was complete.

[Congratulations, player Passerby, for obtaining the B-grade item: Murmuring Sphere.]

[Legend says that at the E19 Wormhole Point, there is a desolate city called the Abandoned City. No one has ever found its entrance, and no one has ever found its exit. Anyone entering it does so under extreme coincidence and accident.]

[Because its existence is filled with mystery, no one can accurately say where it is. But according to a player who claimed to have come out of the Abandoned City, it is a city filled with sounds. Every second, every inch of soil in the city, every flower and plant, even the air, continuously emits signals that only the chosen can receive. The chosen one will devote themselves completely to this infusion until they leave the Abandoned City and spread the greatness of this city outward.]

[Given that this player’s mental evaluation was A-grade high-risk, and he had been nearly twelve days without sleep when making this statement, this account was not adopted by the game. The items he carried were also collected by the Game Government.]

[Special Reminder: The Murmuring Sphere is a non-discriminatory attack item but is ineffective against players who have lost their hearing. The holder may consider going deaf after the fact.]

Xu Huo’s gaze paused briefly on the last sentence before he continued conversing with Nie Xuan as if nothing had happened.

There was probing in both their words, but it was subtle. As the meal neared its end, Nie Xuan mentioned Abel. He said that during the search of Taole Club, they found Abel trapped in an item, and that place stored quite a bit of the club’s supplies.

“He probably slipped in to grab benefits during the chaos. The Special Defense Department usually just expels people in such cases, but he claimed to be your close friend.”

Indeed, Abel had disappeared midway through the fight, but many players had been forced into dungeons at the time. His absence wasn’t surprising. Xu Huo didn’t expect the man to have that bit of cleverness.

“His return ticket should be near Ting City. Even if you send him out, he’ll have to come back.” Xu Huo said.

“Alright, I’ll fine him and release him.” Nie Xuan stood up to pay the bill. Then he added, “There are three cars outside the hotel. Meet at the back door in a bit.”

Xu Huo thanked him and returned to the hotel. He told Zhou Ning and Hu Wenhu to wait in Yang City for Yan Jiayu, while he and the Painting Woman would head back to Ting City first.

“According to the Special Defense Department’s investigation, she probably entered a random dungeon.”

“No problem,” Zhou Ning said cheerfully. “We’ll wait near the resort. A random dungeon won’t take more than a few days.”

In the evening, Xu Huo left the hotel, got into a Special Defense Department car, and returned to Ting City.

Although Nie Xuan had arranged two cars to take different routes to the Capital City, there were still people tailing them along the way. After entering Ting City’s territory, the number only increased. When they reached the commercial street, someone openly posted scrolling contact information on the big screen, inviting Xu Huo to join some player organization, even offering items and potions. Their tone was grandiose, as if they were preparing for something big.

“Bored out of their minds.” Sima Xiao Er rolled her eyes repeatedly. “If anyone wanted to join a player organization, none of them would compare to the Special Defense Department.”

Nie Xuan called the Information Department to have those “ads” removed and increased patrol vehicles near the branch office. But after listening to their report, he glanced at Xu Huo and said, “Leave as soon as you can. Better not come back for a while.”

The car pulled over at the curb. Xu Huo got out, then turned back and said, “The Special Defense Department still has that much deterrent power. Have some faith in yourselves.”

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