Shortly after the group led by AngelWings entered the World Barrier, Nie Yan followed closely behind, having his DarkWing Dragon land at the entrance of the World Barrier.
Nie Yan dismounted the DarkWing Dragon, recalled it, glanced at the World Barrier map provided by Guo Huai, and then strode inside.
System: You have discovered the World Barrier. This place is filled with danger. Do not enter alone without a powerful team.
Nie Yan glanced at the system message but ignored it. As he walked forward, towering spires rose like an oppressive jungle, blotting out the sky.
Having watched many videos, he was already familiar with the terrain. Weaving through the area, he followed a white-stone street until, in the distance, a bustling district appeared. The buildings were entirely black, lined with stalls, littered with garbage, and people in black cloaks shouted everywhere, creating a chaotic scene.
Within a radius of several thousand yards lay the City of Crime—the criminal quarter of the World Barrier.
The alleys nearby were complex and chaotic, with only the central street being relatively wide while the rest were narrow.
“I have top-grade poisoned skulls with curse enhancement, only six hundred gold!”
“One hundred sixty-level Axe of Disintegration, magic-piercing attribute, just three hundred gold!”
Seeing Nie Yan walk by, the nearby NPC vendors rushed forward, aggressively pushing their wares and even grabbing at Nie Yan, causing him annoyance.
An NPC in a black cloak, its face completely hidden beneath the hood, tugged Nie Yan’s cloak and said, “Stranger, Dark Amulet, only six hundred gold.”
“Sorry, I don’t need it!” Nie Yan replied with clear annoyance. He deeply disliked these NPCs.
Nie Yan had hidden his profile, so the NPCs couldn’t see his title. If Nie Yan had joined a team, they would have treated him with more respect. Since he was alone, these opportunistic NPCs assumed he was an easy target.
Damn bastards! Nie Yan frowned, deeply irritated by their grabbing. He couldn’t shake them off, so it seemed he’d have to make an example. A cold glint flashed in his eyes as the Bloody Dagger slid into his hand from his sleeve.
This was the City of Crime, different from other areas. Here, killing wasn’t illegal—not even the murder of a few NPCs.
“Stop! Greedy and despicable Dierson, he’s my teammate. What are you doing?” A crisp voice suddenly shouted from the side.
Upon hearing the shout, Dierson, the NPC tugging Nie Yan’s cloak, fearfully withdrew his hand.
As Dierson pulled back, Nie Yan silently returned the Bloody Dagger to its sheath.
“Respected Miss Mingyue Wushuang, I’m sorry. I didn’t know he was your friend,” Dierson said apologetically. “Please forgive my rudeness.”
“Scram!” That clear voice snapped.
Dierson hurried away in panic.
Nie Yan turned toward the source of the voice and saw a beautiful elven female mage standing about five or six yards away. She had bright eyes, fair skin, and a tall, graceful figure. Dressed in a silver-white robe, swirling frost surrounded her, making her even more enchanting.
Since elves were generally beautiful, Nie Yan wasn’t particularly surprised upon seeing Mingyue Wushuang—just another elven mage.
Mingyue Wushuang? Nie Yan suddenly recalled the name. This elven mage was somewhat famous in the Empire of Sa’thern, consistently ranking among the top three mages.
“Thanks,” Nie Yan said.
“You’re welcome. It’s better not to come alone to the City of Crime. Be careful of trouble. Hurry and leave,” Mingyue Wushuang smiled warmly, exuding a unique charm.
“I have a task here and can’t leave yet,” Nie Yan explained, preparing to go. In truth, he didn’t need help, but Mingyue Wushuang had indeed helped him avoid a problem.
“I see. Doing a task alone here? Be careful of the NPCs. They’re different from others—they’ll use all sorts of despicable means to steal or even rob your gold and items,” Mingyue Wushuang warned. “If you don’t mind, you can follow our team. Then the NPCs won’t target you.”
Nie Yan hesitated. Looking at Mingyue Wushuang, he could see her sincerity. Meeting a stranger on the street and inviting him to join her team out of concern—Mingyue Wushuang was indeed too kind-hearted.
“We’ve been talking for so long, but I don’t even know your name,” Mingyue Wushuang looked at Nie Yan with bright eyes, curious.
“Mo Yan,” Nie Yan casually made up a name.
“As in the ‘Silent Yan’? ” Mingyue Wushuang asked. Although only two or three yards separated them, it was already the ideal distance for a rogue to strike. Yet Mingyue Wushuang showed no sign of caution toward Nie Yan—whether due to absolute confidence or a lack of brains, it was unclear.
Looking at the message window, Nie Yan saw that over sixty members of the Bull Tribe were nearby, hiding their identities under cloaks within the crowd. They had spotted a large group from Angel Empire. These two opposing forces, if they encountered each other, would inevitably lead to a fierce battle.
Nie Yan glanced into the distance and saw a group of Angel Empire players gathered at the entrance of a building, seemingly engaged in something while maintaining high alertness.
Mingyue Wushuang had noticed Nie Yan the moment he entered the City of Crime. Her first impression was that this cloaked figure was no ordinary player, so when Nie Yan was harassed by some NPCs, she stepped in to help him. She wanted to befriend him. In the Empire of Sa’thern, she had many connections, and befriending a strong player was always a wise investment. Although she thought this way, she was sincere and had no ulterior motives.
Mingyue Wushuang invited Nie Yan to join her team, but he declined.
Soon, Nie Yan met Mingyue Wushuang’s teammates—sixteen people in total, all well-equipped and of various classes, with an average level of 140. They were a strong team. It wasn’t easy to gather such a group without being part of a guild.
“Hey, you must be the friend Mingyue called Mo Yan? I’m Tarot,” a tall, muscular man nearly six feet tall greeted with a hearty laugh and an outstretched hand, his tone genuine.
“Hi, I’m Sonata.”
“Nice to meet you!”
The group greeted him warmly, chatting and teasing each other.
Nie Yan was taken aback. From these people, he felt an unprecedented sense of purity. They had no ulterior motives and, unlike most players, were not suspicious of strangers. He was surprised that such a group existed even in Faith.
Nie Yan remembered when he first entered the game, he was also naive and trusting, until he was deceived multiple times. Only then did he realize that the game world was full of deceit, and to survive, he had to become smarter.
Nie Yan fell silent. Perhaps this group truly treated Faith as just a game, while he saw it as a mission.
“Hello,” Nie Yan nodded. From these people, he felt a long-forgotten sense of familiarity.
“Brother, what task are you doing alone in the World Barrier? If you need help, maybe we can assist,” Tarot said. “I was also alone once, with no friends. Later I joined this team and gained many friends.”
“Aren’t you afraid I might deceive you?”
“We don’t think you’re that kind of person. Besides, it’s just a game. Even if we were deceived, it wouldn’t matter much. We’d rather make friends with like-minded people,” Taro smiled.
“I’ve decided to do this task alone. It’s nice meeting you all, but I have to go now,” Nie Yan said, turning to leave. He still decided not to stay with them to avoid dragging them into trouble.
Seeing Nie Yan leave, Mingyue Wushuang and the others looked puzzled.
“Maybe he just doesn’t need our help. Well then,” Tarot looked at Mingyue Wushuang. Since Nie Yan insisted on leaving, they wouldn’t force him.
“Mm,” Mingyue Wushuang nodded.
After saying goodbye to Mingyue Wushuang and the others, Nie Yan headed toward where the Angel Empire players had gathered.
“Report your positions!” Nie Yan said in the regional chat.
“Coordinates 238, 281, 28.”
“Coordinates 232, 282, 81.”
Nie Yan’s gaze swept over the crowd, locking onto several figures in gray cloaks—these were all members of the Bull Tribe! Cui Can Daoguang and others were inside the World Barrier dungeon. Those remaining here were secondary players assigned to gather intelligence, and their combat strength wasn’t high.
“How many Angel Empire players are there?” Nie Yan asked in the chat.
“Reporting to Leader Nie Yan, over a thousand in total. Some are entering the dungeon. There are over sixty here, all top elites from Angel Empire,” a rogue player replied.
Nie Yan looked toward where the Angel Empire players gathered. They were clustered around the exit of a building, chatting casually in small groups, seemingly relaxed. However, their sharp glances sweeping through the crowd showed they were not completely unguarded.
Nie Yan wondered what they were doing there when suddenly a player in blue leather armor and holding a longbow emerged from the building. The Angel Empire players immediately parted respectfully.
Seeing that person, Nie Yan’s pupils constricted sharply. It was him again. They had met once more!
This person was none other than the leader of Angel Empire—AngryWings!
Nie Yan’s lips curled into a faint sneer. What a small world.
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