Chapter 55: Accident
"Okay," Zhou Ning nodded, but he still felt that something was off.
That envoy, Luins, seemed far too weak—completely unworthy of his position as a member of the Life Alchemy Society's council.
Besides, there are only ten council members in the entire Society. Would they really need to send one of them here just to perform a sacrifice?
At that moment, several people in black robes hurried over, began wiping the blood from the ground, and dragged the body away. This was a special in-game profession: the Corpse Collector. He hadn't expected it to be a real job in this world.
A few Day Watchers also began to carefully recover the strange, book-shaped objects and the corpses of the blood worms scattered on the ground.
Zhou Ning was reminded of the strong aphid juice that Qien liked to add to his wine. I wonder if he'd try to make wine with these things.
He shook his head with a small smile and was about to leave when he caught a glimpse of XB standing nearby, staring at him eagerly.
Right, I almost forgot about him. After a moment's thought, Zhou Ning edited the quest text, selected the settlement reward for XB, and uploaded a few new skills to his personal store.
On the other side, XB received a series of prompts:
[You have completed the D-rank mission: Cleaning Up the Mess. You gained 2000 experience points and 15 Roshen.]
[Wayne Stewell's favorability towards you has increased by 7 points. Current favorability: Acquaintance.]
(Note: Personal favorability and faction favorability are calculated separately.)
[New items are now available to you in Wayne Stewell's personal store.]
[Because you successfully assisted the protagonist, Wayne Stewell, in disrupting the conspiracy of the Curse Cult and the Life Alchemy Society, you now have the opportunity to learn general skills from the Wandering Gunner class tree. This opportunity is limited to 15 minutes.]
…
"What the hell? There's a perk like this?!"
After returning the revolver, XB saw the prompts and became extremely excited. He quickly clicked on Zhou Ning's personal store.
He switched to the skill tab and saw that several new skills had indeed appeared on the shelves.
Each one looked more powerful than the last.
What excited XB the most were two newly available skills: Observation Haki and Conqueror's Haki.
The description for Conqueror's Haki, even at the primary level, was so powerful it left him stunned.
Conqueror's Haki: A trait possessed only by one with the disposition of a king. Grants a permanent +1 to your Spirit attribute. This aura can damage and stun nearby enemies, with the effect's potency determined by the Spirit difference between you and the target. The base stun duration is 0.16 seconds. If the Spirit difference is great enough, it can cause a direct knockout.
The disposition of a king!!!
Coach, this is the one I want to learn!
Then he looked at the requirements: 266,000 experience points, 50 Vekta, and 40 favorability points. How long is that going to take?
XB checked his panel. After killing the bugs and adding the mission reward, he had a total of 9,520 experience points. He scrolled through the skill list and finally found one he could learn.
C.A.R. Shooting: A firearms methodology combining close-quarters and long-range combat techniques. It integrates shooting stance, weapon grip, reloading techniques, and melee combat to greatly enhance overall combat effectiveness.
It looked awesome.
The price was 9,500 experience and 15 Roshen.
What a coincidence. It's like the price was calculated just for me. The cost wiped out his experience, and the 15 Roshen from the mission reward was just enough to cover the rest. It was practically tailor-made for him.
Without a second thought, XB excitedly bought the skill. This would be his ticket to becoming a top professional player.
[You have learned the skill [C.A.R. Shooting]. You have spent 9500 experience points and 15 Roshen.]
"Goodbye, then."
Having successfully sheared his sheep, Zhou Ning waved his hand, turned, and left without a hint of regret, leaving only a mysterious silhouette behind.
This leek has been harvested for now. I'll be back when it grows again.
The blissfully ignorant XB was completely satisfied. He looked at the two new skills he had acquired today and let out a happy laugh.
…
Meanwhile, in the carriage heading towards the Docklands Fortress.
King Charles VI sat comfortably in his seat, showing no signs of panic. Opposite him was his son, Crown Prince William, who was accompanying him on this state visit.
William was thirty-five, a man of steady character and immense talent. Unfortunately, he was too soft. As the heir to the Bryston dynasty, authority was paramount, and Charles VI decided to take this opportunity to teach his son a lesson.
"William, what did you think of the way Commander Wester handled the situation just now?" Charles VI asked.
"...He handled it very well. After all, it was an extraordinary event, and they lack experience in such matters."
Charles VI nodded. "Yes, I agree. However, when I return, I will order a ten percent reduction in funding for the Royal Guard."
"Why?"
"Because in truth, he did not do a very good job. He even had to rely on an outsider to stabilize the situation. But whether he did well or not is irrelevant. You must remember this: to be a good king, you must first establish your authority. If your authority is insufficient, your subjects will rebel. If punishments are not strict, your laws will not be followed."
"The Wester family is indeed trustworthy," the king continued, "but for the ministers you trust, you must both utilize them and be careful to suppress and guard against them. You can never truly know what is in a person's heart."
William nodded silently.
Not far ahead stood a clock tower, nearly fifty-five meters tall. Powered by an alchemical array, it automatically chimed the hour according to Bryston time. In the past, the clock tower had been part of the Docklands Fortress, where the royal family lived and worked.
Because so many Royal Guards had been drawn away to deal with the incident, the defense force along the route was thin. Even the guards on the road were sparse.
I must have someone send more guards over later, Charles VI thought.
The carriage stopped in front of the Docklands Fortress. Crown Prince William and King Charles VI disembarked.
At that exact moment, a crossbow bolt shot silently from the clock tower, piercing through Charles VI's chest and tearing out a spray of flesh and blood.
The bolt then turned into a beam of light and dissipated.
Thump.
In full view of the crowd, Charles VI fell to the ground. He didn't even have time to utter a final word. He lay motionless, showing no signs of life.
The scene was plunged into silence.
It took a long moment for someone to react, their scream tearing through the quiet. "His Majesty the King has been assassinated!"
The guards, as if waking from a nightmare, drew their guns in horror. Some ran towards the clock tower, while others aimed their rifles at its roof.
At that moment, on top of the clock tower, a man in a black alchemist's robe and a white mask glanced down. He sheathed a crossbow and shook a small bottle in his hand. Inside the bottle, a miniature version of Charles VI could be seen, his hands braced against the glass wall, screaming and shouting.
The man gave a theatrical bow to the crowd below, then leaped from the tower. He landed on a nearby roof as nimbly as a gymnast and sprinted off into the distance.
Moments later, the entire Docklands district was shaken. Countless police officers appeared on the streets, searching frantically for any suspicious individuals.
Zhou Ning, of course, learned of this as well, but he saw it on his game panel.
[Charles VI, leader of the Kingdom of Bryston faction, has died.]
[The social stability of the Kingdom of Bryston has declined. The economy has entered a depression.]
[Because you have indirectly had a significant impact on the game's progress, you have been rewarded with 12 Time Travel Coins.]
Zhou Ning stared at the notifications. ?????
What the hell does this have to do with me?
But then again, the entire game's plot was now a mess. In his previous life, Charles VI was still alive and well into the third version of the game. Now, he was dead already.
Zhou Ning couldn't help but be curious about how it had happened.
---
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