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墨書 Inktalez
January 1, 2015, New Year's Day!
The arrival of the Spring Festival did not bring much change to the daily rhythm of the studio. After a brief celebration, the new day of gaming life began.
Southern Wilderness City.
The sun shone brightly in the clear winter sky, its warmth felt almost scorching yet incredibly comforting. After a moment's pause, one could easily feel a wave of laziness wash over them, wishing they could just take a nap right there, indifferent to the chaos around them.
On the streets and in the alleys, players were bustling about with enthusiasm. With the comprehensive release of gaming helmets into the market, the influx of players into the game had reached staggering numbers. Among the System's Five Major Cities, Southern Wilderness City was particularly favored by players.
Speaking of Southern Wilderness City, one must mention System Tavern. This modern-style building stood at a height of one hundred twenty-seven stories. Although its footprint was not large, advanced virtual technology made its interior feel like an entirely different world.
System Tavern gathered various cuisines and drinks from both Eastern and Western cultures, making it a popular destination for countless players. Here, not only could one engage in exchanges of food and drink, but it also served as a hub for information gathering and circulation, where news from all corners was consolidated for players to access as needed.
Of course, this required plenty of silver coins.
※※※
"Boss, what are we doing here at this tavern?"
After returning to Southern Wilderness City, the eleven members of Mist of Time split into two groups. Not a Master was completely puzzled, merely following Yi Tianchen around for a while until they finally stepped into System Tavern. Confused yet seemingly enlightened, he said, "Boss, are you treating us to a meal?"
"Is that possible?"
Accompanying them, The Terminator of Regrets sighed dramatically, exuding an air of disappointment. Yi Tianchen smiled slightly, neither confirming nor denying but instead thoughtfully remarked, "On the surface, this System Tavern is a place for entertainment and socializing; however, it hides deeper secrets. Our purpose here is to meet someone!"
"Meet someone?" Not a Master was taken aback and scratched his head in confusion. He muttered to himself, "To meet someone in such a tavern must be quite significant." Furrowing his brow further, he asked, "Boss, who are we meeting?"
"All-Knowing!"
It was not Yi Tianchen who answered Not a Master, but rather The Terminator of Regrets. Yi Tianchen nodded without elaborating further. After calling out to the two others, he hurried toward the tavern's elevator while Not a Master trailed behind, still murmuring about how pretentious that “All-Knowing” ID sounded.
Regarding the All-Knowing, it is said that no one has ever seen his true face. However, he gained fame in the previous game, Conquest. He leads an organization called Phantom, composed entirely of highly skilled Assassin Players whose sole mission is to gather various types of information.
In simple terms, the All-Knowing specializes in selling all kinds of information. You can purchase the information you need from him or place an order for him to collect the information you require.
However, this organization has always been met with disdain from many players since no one wants to be fully known. As a result, all members of the Phantom organization, including the All-Knowing, generally do not reveal themselves easily in front of outsiders. Even when they do show themselves, they will cover their faces.
The Terminator of Regrets is a master of assassination and was once invited by the Phantom organization to meet with the All-Knowing. This time, Yi Tianchen decided to come here and use the Terminator of Regrets as an intermediary to have a conversation with the leader of the Phantom organization.
The elevator moved quickly; reaching the 127th floor took only a blink of an eye. After all, this was still in a virtual game where various virtual processing technologies were applied, making it completely different from elevators in reality.
Upon exiting the elevator, Yi Tianchen walked straight down a cold yet luxurious corridor, turning several corners along the way. After a series of twists and turns, he finally encountered the Phantom Guide appointed by the leader of the Phantom organization, essentially a welcoming attendant in real life.
However, this guide was a genuine man—a professional assassin. His equipment appeared quite ordinary at first glance, and his level didn’t seem very high. He wore black leather armor and had his face covered with a black cloth; his stature was not particularly tall and even seemed somewhat frail.
"You can only have one person enter!" The assassin's gaze was calm, and his tone was devoid of any emotion, sounding almost mechanical.
"Damn!" Not a Master muttered under his breath.
"Boss, we'll wait for you here," The Terminator of Regrets said calmly, clearly aware of Phantom's rules.
"Let’s do it this way!"
Yi Tianchen nodded and gestured for the assassin to proceed. The two left and turned down another corridor before stopping in front of a room.
"Please!" The assassin stood by the door and opened it for Yi Tianchen.
Yi Tianchen smiled slightly and nodded in thanks just as he heard a system prompt: The owner of this room, All-Knowing, has allowed you to enter!
In Zero Era, rooms are quite magical places—considered the safest spots for players. Despite how flimsy the door might appear, without the owner's permission, even if you brought heavy artillery, it would be utterly useless.
As Yi Tianchen stepped inside, he noticed that the room was meticulously decorated. It was evident that this room had been rented long-term by the All-Knowing. Although not very large in size, it exuded an air of grandeur with a wooden tea table placed right in the center.
"Having long heard the name of First Person, it is indeed my honor to meet you today!" A figure, also shrouded in black cloth, stood up from beside the tea table. His gaze was calm, like a lake in the deep mountains that had been silent for a thousand years, without a ripple. As he spoke, he slowly approached and continued, "Please, have a seat!"
"Too kind!"
Yi Tianchen smiled slightly, not saying much more as he walked directly to the tea table and sat down. After a moment of quiet observation, he assessed that All-Knowing was probably around twenty-four or twenty-five years old. He wasn't very tall and was slightly plump, with a slight bulge in his abdomen.
On the tea table, a pot of fragrant tea was steaming, likely freshly brewed by All-Knowing. Yi Tianchen was not particularly fond of such virtual indulgences; they consumed a considerable amount of gold coins and only satisfied a virtual sense of enjoyment—completely not worth it.
"Zhengshan Xiaozhong!" Yi Tianchen exclaimed.
"Hehe... It seems that First Person has quite an understanding of tea!" All-Knowing chuckled as he poured a cup of fragrant tea for Yi Tianchen, lightly saying, "The status of tea culture in traditional Chinese culture is irreplaceable. It's just a pity that traditional culture has been forgotten under the constant erosion of foreign influences."
"I can't say I have researched it; I just have an interest in Kung Fu Tea and have learned a bit about it!" Yi Tianchen replied. Suddenly shifting his tone, he directly addressed the purpose of his visit: "Since we both understand each other well, I'll get straight to the point."
"I'm all ears!" All-Knowing nodded, lifting his cup to drink directly through the cloth covering his face. This left Yi Tianchen quite astonished; he wondered where this method of drinking tea originated and whether the tea tasted bitter or astringent.
While secretly amazed, Yi Tianchen smiled faintly and said solemnly, "I need a list—a list of Fringe Characters."
Fringe Characters, undoubtedly a new term that emerged with the game, referred to those who had no affiliations but possessed great strength, acting as lone heroes navigating various factions.
"A list of Fringe Characters?"
All-Knowing paused slightly, clearly surprised by Yi Tianchen's request. Although these lone heroes had impressive abilities, most also harbored proud hearts; otherwise, they would have long been recruited by powerful factions.
"What? With your capabilities, I imagine this is merely child's play for you!" Yi Tianchen smiled slightly.
After a brief pause, All-Knowing replied with a smile, "Of course. To be honest, I have long been attentive to these Fringe Characters. A simple list can be provided at any time. However..." He paused slightly again; his tone shifted as he continued, "I wonder what price First Person is willing to offer?"
"One hundred gold coins!" Yi Tianchen stated earnestly.
"One hundred gold coins?"
Upon hearing this, All-Knowing was momentarily taken aback. Clearly dissatisfied with the price Yi Tianchen had offered, he was about to voice his thoughts when he saw Yi Tianchen leisurely pick up his tea, taking a small sip to savor it. His tone softened as he added, "One."
"One hundred gold coins... for one?"
All-Knowing was stunned again. The price Yi Tianchen had set left him utterly speechless. One hundred gold coins for a single person, and it was merely a list; from any perspective, it was already an exorbitant price.
"That's right, one hundred gold coins each!" Yi Tianchen stood up, suddenly shifting his tone. He continued, "But there is one condition: the list you provide me will not appear in anyone else's hands. If you can agree to this, our transaction will take effect immediately."
Clearly, Yi Tianchen intended to buy the list outright. All-Knowing hesitated for a moment but did not linger on it for long; after all, it was just a list. The most important point was that almost no one would come to him asking for such a list—Yi Tianchen was the first.
"The buyout price of one hundred gold coins is indeed not low. I appreciate your regard, and I agree to this condition," All-Knowing gestured for Yi Tianchen to take a seat and continued, "May I ask when you need this list? How many names do you require?"
"As for these individuals, I believe you know them better than I do. The sooner I receive the list, the better; however, it must consist of individuals you deem worthy of my payment," Yi Tianchen paused before adding, "Let's start with a list of ten people."
"I can provide you with ten names right now."
All-Knowing chuckled lightly as he spoke, and meanwhile, he sent Yi Tianchen a document containing the list via email.
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