Chapter Seventy-Nine: Vacation (5)

It's been a few months since the last time I came to the first floor. Pen & Fun & Pavilion www.biquge.info that time was still the day when Zheng took himself to witness the hearts of the people.

Lixia felt mixed emotions as she stood just out of the transfer door, looking around the huge square and the horizontal street opposite.

This is the largest city in Ayn Grant, and the necessary functions for adventure are naturally more abundant than any other street. Prices are cheap, and there are many hotels and other businesses, so if you only think about efficiency, this is definitely the best place to use as a base.

However, as far as Lixia knew, none of the high-level players remained in the Origin Town.

The arrogance of the "army" is one of the reasons, but the most important thing is that as long as you stand in the central square and look up at the sky, no matter what, you will definitely remember what happened at that time. That brutal initial notice.

After finishing her emotion, Lixia looked at Yui's face who was held in Zheng Shuanglong's arms, and asked softly, "Yui, do you think you have seen the building?"

"Woo......" Yui looked at the stone buildings around the plaza with an annoyed expression, but it didn't take long for her to shake her head. "I don't know ......"

"After all, the starting town is too big to be." Zheng Shuanglong touched Yui's head and said, "Shaking around should remind her of something, anyway, let's go to the central market first."

"Yes." The two nodded to each other and walked over to the street where they could see the south.

Then again, Lixia felt a little strange and revisited the square as she walked. There are surprisingly few people.

The Shiftgate Plaza in the Startup Town is quite large enough to accommodate 10,000 players when it opened two years ago. In the center of the circular space with a stone floor, a large clock tower stands, and below it is a transfer door that glows with blue light. The concentric slender flowerbeds that surround the tower extend outward, lined with elegant white benches. It's not surprising that a sunny afternoon like this is a bit noisy because it's full of players taking a break for a while. But all the figures in sight moved towards the transfer door or the exit of the plaza, and there were almost no people stopping or sitting on the benches.

If it's a massive street on the upper floor, the Diversion Gate Square is always a mixed bag because of the myriad of players coming and going. Some people gossip from all over the world, some recruit team members, and some people set up simple stalls to sell, and it is almost impossible to move forward in a straight line because of the crowd of people gathered-

"Sigh, Zheng." Lixia turned around and asked Zheng Shuanglong, "How many players are there left here now?"

"Well, that's it...... There are about 6,000 players still alive, and about 30% of the players, including the [Army], remain in the starting town, so it's about 2,000, right?" Zheng Shuanglong, who was holding Yui, thought for a moment and said.

Hearing the number in Zheng Shuanglong's mouth, Lixia looked around the scene again, and asked Zheng Shuanglong in surprise, "Two thousand?!" Don't you think there are too few people?"

"Listen to you...... Will they all gather at the market?" Pouting in the direction of the market, Zheng Shuanglong said.

However, Zheng Shuanglong's guess was wrong, even when he walked from the square into the street and reached the market area with shops and vendors side by side, the street was still very deserted, and only the shouts of NPC merchants echoed through the entire street.

Despite this, Lixia spotted a man sitting under a tree in the middle of the street, so she walked over and asked, "Well, I'm sorry." ”

The man who looked up at the tree with a particularly serious expression replied in a troublesome tone without looking back, "What's the matter?"

Not caring about the man's unkindness at all, Lixia asked gently, "That...... Is there a place like a tracing window around here?"

Hearing this, the man finally turned his gaze to Lixia and stared at her face unceremoniously. After a while, he asked, "Are you from somewhere else?"

"Yes, yes...... We're looking for the child's guardian......" Lixia said, pointing to Yui, who was napping in a daze, who was holding Zheng Shuanglong who was standing behind her.

The man, who was dressed in simple and light clothes and had difficulty distinguishing the group he belonged to, was somewhat surprised when he glanced at Yui, but he immediately turned his gaze to the tree on his head and said, "...... Lost kids? It's really strange, there are a lot of imp players who live in the church by the river in the East Seventh District, go there and ask. ”

"Thank you, thank you." Because of the unexpected strong information, Lixia quickly bowed her head and thanked her, and also took the opportunity to ask other questions. "That...... What are you doing here? And why aren't there any people here?"

Although the man showed a displeased expression, he still replied in a tactful tone: "Actually, I would like to reply to you that it is a trade secret, but since you are a foreigner, it doesn't matter...... You should be able to see that too, right? That tall branch. ”

Lixia looked in the direction the man was pointing. The branches of the tall street trees are covered with bright autumn leaves, and if you look closely, you can see a few yellow fruits growing in the shadow of the leaves.

"Of course, because the street tree is an indestructible object, even if you climb it, you won't be able to pick a single leaf, let alone a fruit." The man staring at the fruit tree continued, "But that fruit drops several times a day...... Although it will rot and disappear after only a few minutes, if you pick it up at the chance, you can sell it to NPCs for a good price, and it tastes good. ”

"Huh-" Speaking of ingredients and props, Lixia Ke, who has fully learned cooking skills, asked with great interest, "How much can that be sold for?"

“…… Please keep this confidential. One can be sold for five kol. The man said smugly.

"............" looked at the man's smug expression, and Lixia was instantly speechless. In addition to being surprised that the price was too cheap, I also felt that it was completely incompatible with the labor of staying under the tree all day. "W-That...... Should I say that this is completely unprofitable...... If you go to the practice area and defeat a random worm, you can earn 30 kers. ”

As soon as Lixia finished speaking, it was the man's turn to widen his eyes this time. He barely said, "Is there something wrong with your head?" The said eyes looked at Lixia and said in shock, "Are you serious?" Go to the practice area and fight the monsters...... This is a dead man!"

Lixia couldn't reply. As the man said, the battle with the monster is indeed close to death. But as far as Lixia feels right now, it's the same as worrying about getting into a traffic accident when she walks on the streets in the real world, and it's useless to say that worrying about it.

Lixia was momentarily unable to tell if her feelings about SAO's death had become dull, or if the man was too neurotic and was at a loss. Neither side of the equation is the right answer. However, in the beginning town, what the man said must have been the common people's cognition.

For Lixia's shock, Zheng Shuanglong was also quite shocked. It seems that her homework is not enough, and Lixia's understanding of human nature is still far from enough. , gluttony, greed, laziness, anger, jealousy, and arrogance, the seven deadly sins of Lixia have not really understood. This is a dereliction of duty.

However, it is okay that this way, if Lixia really understands the mystery of the seven deadly sins and understands the darkness of human nature, she will have a headache.

After all, Lixia at that time was no longer Lixia now.

Zheng Shuanglong, who was holding the kyui, thought quickly.

Completely oblivious to Lixia's complicated feelings, the man continued, "Huh? What else did you ask? Why no one? Actually, it's not that no one is there, it's just that everyone is hiding in the hotel room. During the day, there is a possibility that you will run into the army's taxing troops. ”

"Levy and Tax...... What's going on here?" Listening to the man's words, Lixia was puzzled again.

Not only Lixia, but even Zheng Shuanglong was puzzled when there was such a thing as taxation in this game. I don't understand it at all!

"It's a rogue with a card. Be careful, those guys won't be polite to outsiders. Oh, there's a fruit that's about to fall...... That's all for now. With that, the man closed his mouth and began to stare into the air with serious eyes.

After Lixia nodded and thanked again, she quickly left with Zheng Shuanglong and Yui.

"Where is the East 7th District? The younger players seem to live in the church, so let's go over there first. After walking a little farther, Lixia asked Zheng Shuanglong.

"Yes, I didn't expect the army to start collecting taxes, it's really too depraved, tsk, it seems that they have been abolished." With that, Zheng Shuanglong handed Yui to Lixia, opened the map, and walked quickly in the direction of the East Seventh District.

After taking Yui, who was completely asleep, and holding it steadily, Lixia walked over to Zheng Shuanglong, who was staring at the map, and moved forward at his speed.

Yui's physique looks like she is about ten years old, and if she were held like this in the real world, it would only take a few minutes for her arms to become sore. But here, because of the correction of the tendon value, the weight on the hand is the same as that of a feather.

After walking along the wide road where there were still few people, I walked southeast for more than ten minutes, and finally arrived at an area that looked like a large garden. A forest of coloured broad-leaved trees swayed in the cold wind of early winter.

"Well—as far as the map goes, this is the East Seventh District...... Where is that church?" Looking at the logo on the map, Zheng Shuanglong muttered softly.

To be honest, Zheng Shuanglong and Lixia are quite unfamiliar with the town of Beginning. Even if you've been here dozens of times.

After all, at the beginning of the game, Zheng Shuanglong and Lixia and their party had already killed the town of Beginning.

"Ah, it should be over there, right?" Hearing Zheng Shuanglong's muttering, Lixia looked at the extremely tall spire on the opposite side of the wide forest on the right side of the road, and used her gaze to indicate the direction.

At the top of the tower, with its blue-gray roof, a metal ancient Egyptian cross made of a cross and a circle gleamed. That must be the symbol of the church. This is a facility that has at least one in each town, and the internal altar can be used to remove the monster's special attack "curse", as well as to pray for weapons against undead monsters. This is arguably the most mysterious place in SAO, where there is almost no magical element.

In addition, as long as you continue to pay Kol, you can borrow a small room in the church instead of a hotel.

"Wait, wait." Lixia suddenly stopped Zheng Shuanglong, who was about to walk to the church.

"Huh? What's wrong?" Hearing Lixia's cry, Zheng Shuanglong stopped, turned his head to look at Lixia, and asked puzzledly.

"Ah, nothing...... That one...... If we find Yui's guardian here, we will put ...... Yui stays here, right......?" Facing Zheng Shuanglong's incomprehensible gaze, Lixia said a little hesitantly.

"............," Zheng Shuanglong's purple pupils as he looked at Lixia seemed to soften with love. He leaned over and gently carried Lixia into his arms with his own hands, along with the sleeping Yui. He whispered, "I don't want to be separated from her either." However, this is by no means never to see each other again. Whether it's in the game or in reality, when Yui recovers her memory, she will definitely come back to us. So, don't be so reluctant, don't be so willful, Yui has a life that belongs to Yui and belongs to Yui's parents. ”

"Although we are called "Daddy" and "Mommy" by Yui, we are not Yui's Mom and Father."

"Hmm...... That's right. Nodding slightly, Lixia pressed her cheek to Yui in her arms, determined to take a step.

The church building is small in terms of the size of the street district. It is two stories high, and there is only one minaret as a symbol. Originally, there were multiple churches in the original town, and the one near the Diversion Gate Square was the size of a mansion.

Lixia walked over to the two large doors of the main entrance and pushed open one of them with her right hand. Because it is a public facility, it is naturally impossible to lock it. The interior is somewhat gloomy, with only the candle flame that adorns the altar on the front illuminates the slate floor. At first glance, there is no one at all.

Sticking only her upper body into the mouth, Lixia called out, "Is there anyone else?"

The sound dragged on with the echo effect fading, but no one showed up.

"Isn't everyone here......?" Lixia, who greeted again but still no one answered, tilted her head slightly, a little depressed. I made up my mind rarely, but there was no one, what kind of situation is this?

At the moment when Lixia tilted her head and wondered, Zheng Shuanglong lowered his voice and denied: "No, there are people." Three people are in the room on the right, and four people are on the left...... There are also a few people on the second floor. ”

"Can you know the number of people on the other side of the wall with your enemy search skills?" Listening to Zheng Shuanglong's words, Lixia was a little surprised. This level of enemy seeking skills is no joke.

"Just like Lixia's cooking skills are fully learned, my enemy-seeking skills are also fully learned, which is very convenient to use." Facing Lixia's surprised eyes, Zheng Shuanglong said a little proudly.

Among the seventeen skill slots, there are only enemy seeking skills, one-handed sword skills, and two-handed sword skills, which Zheng Shuanglong has fully learned. Being able to fully acquire the three skills in just two years is quite an easy thing to do, and Zheng Shuanglong is proud of it.

Of course, compared to Heathcliff, who has generally fully learned all skill slots, Zheng Shuanglong's pride is really not enough.

"Why are they hiding...... "Lixia stepped into the church with a light step. Although there was silence all around, I could feel the smell of someone lurking inside.

"Uh, sorry, we're here to find someone!" Lixia raised her voice slightly, calling out again.

Then, the door on the right-hand side opened slightly, and a faint female voice came from inside: "...... Aren't you the 'army'?" (To be continued.) )