I have an Apocalypse City

Chapter 567: City of Sin

Only when the Black Dragon disappeared did the Half-Dragon Leader dare to lift his head, looking up at the sky with eyes filled with terror and despair.

“He… he actually possesses a Giant Dragon as a war pet…” The Half-Dragon Leader’s feelings were in turmoil. As a slave of a Giant Dragon himself, it was shocking to witness an individual less powerful than he, viewing such creatures as mere war pets. If it weren’t for the Half-Dragon Leader’s unwavering will, he would’ve crumbled by now.

“Return, report to the master!” The Half-Dragon Leader directed towards a war bear.

As their mission had failed, all they could do was return and accept their punishment from the Shadow Giant Dragon, but the emergence of the Black Dragon was simply insurmountable for them.

“I hope the master will spare us…” the Half-Dragon Leader silently hoped.

At this moment, Song Jian was soaring through the sky on the back of the Black Dragon, a sensation entirely different from flying on his own.

There are numerous airborne monsters in the game. Usually, Song Jian would not dare to fly too high, yet now, the aura exuding from the Black Dragon sent hundreds of creatures into a panic and scrambling to escape.

Song Jian could even spot fleeing monsters from a distance. Many of them outclassed the Black Dragon when it came to levels, yet they were still seen scurrying.

The hierarchical suppression of species was deeply ingrained in their genes; the slightest hint of Dragon Might was enough to send these monsters into frantic retreat.

The Black Dragon travelled at an incredible speed, and in less than half an hour, Song Jian could see the city walls of the City of Sin.

He landed in a grove some distance away from the City of Sin and put the Black Dragon into his inventory. Flying into the city on the dragon’s back would draw too much attention. He feared the City Defense Army would treat him as an enemy before he could even reach the City of Sin.

After getting himself presentable, Song Jian treaded along a wide stone path towards the City of Sin. Not long after, he noticed that the City of Sin was far more flourishing than he had pictured. He passed three to four convoys within just a few hundred meters, each loaded up to the brim with goods heading towards the city.

The closer he got to the centre, the wider the road became and the more people there were. Along the way, he saw no monsters in the vicinity of the City of Sin—it appeared as though someone was routinely clearing the city of them.

Observing closely, Song Jian found many players in the City of Sin. They rode various mounts towards the city.

Warhorses, wolves, bears—he even saw a little girl flying less than a metre off the ground on a broom.

Seeing Song Jian staring at her broom, the little girl glowered at him and yelled, “What are you looking at? Never seen someone with a fear of heights riding a flying broom, huh!”

Apart from these, there were also motorcycles, military jeeps, and even regular cars. On the whole, Song Jian deduced that the City of Sin was at least ten times more bustling than the city of Hymns.

Seeing someone riding a motorcycle, Song Jian also took out his own, taking his time driving towards the city.

Accompanying Song Jian, apart from players, were NPCs, or commoners, who were driving spacious carts laden with vegetables, fruits, and other commodities.

These NPC commoners seemed to hold players in awe. Whenever they encountered players, they would make way and let them pass first, often doffing their hats to salute the players. It seemed to Song Jian that in their eyes, players were treated no differently from nobles.

“Players born in this city are indeed quite fortunate—at least their safety is guaranteed!” Song Jian observed an NPC on a cart, who saluted him, and greeted him with a nod and a smile.

In time, the scenic view in front of Song Jian opened up. To his surprise, a vast amount of crops were being cultivated around the City of Sin. The green waves, reminiscent of sea tides, gently rustled in the breeze, filling the air with an earthy aroma.

Given this desolate game’s setting, this idyllic scene in front of him felt dreamlike to Song Jian.

“How incredible,” Song Jian disembarked from his motorcycle to gaze in awe at the boundless green expanse.

“Hmph, country bumpkin!” A player on a tall horse glanced greedily at Song Jian’s motorcycle before sneering at him.

“Henry, don’t speak to other players like that,” a girl riding a red warhorse next to him scolded, before turning to Song Jian with an apologetic smile, “I’m sorry, he’s not usually like this. This is your first time in the City of Sin, isn’t it?”

The girl was dressed in a white robe, a string of pearls draped across her chest and a headpiece made of silk and sapphire adorning her forehead. Although not extraordinarily beautiful, her smile gave off a warm and comforting aura.

Her calm demeanour made Song Jian feel as if he was speaking to a caring elder sister.

Though she was only level twenty and appeared to lack the intimidating aura of an experienced fighter, it was surprising how easily she approached Song Jian without any guard.

If Song Jian were to attack her at this distance, he could have her severely injured or even killed instantly without her putting up any resistance.

“Hello, I am a player raised elsewhere, and indeed it is my first time here,” Song Jian greeted her with a gentle smile, looking utterly harmless as he introduced himself.

“My name is Caisy. I’m a priestess. Are you surprised seeing these crops?” Caisy asked, proactively engaging Song Jian in conversation.

Seeing Caisy chatting happily with Song Jian, the man who had sneered at him earlier looked a bit put out, though he said nothing and simply trailed behind Caisy on his horse.

“Yes, as you know, vast farmlands like this are quite rare in this game. Sometimes, it’s difficult to even find green plants,” Song Jian remarked with a hint of wonder.

“All this is thanks to the Science Academy of the City of Sin. You will understand once you enter the city. Many players long to be a member of the academy, but getting an admission is challenging. There are over five thousand players in the City of Sin, but only a handful, three or four, actually make it into the academy!” Caisy responded with a mysterious and eager glow in her eyes.

“Caisy, I believe you too can make it!” Henry, who had been silent, suddenly interjected.

“I hope so,” Caisy responded to Henry with a forced smile.

Song Jian felt as though Caisy was like a sheltered maiden who hadn’t seen much of the outside world and bore no suspicion or caution towards anyone, but could a player who had levelled up to twenty really be this innocent?

…