Simon put away the Charm and returned the way he came, entering Stag Station.
He summoned the Stag Beetle, who arrived quickly this time, looking anxious. "Let's leave this place quickly. It's filled with an unpleasant aura."
Simon sat on the seat, and the Stag Beetle immediately set off.
As they ascended, gradually leaving the area covered by The Radiance's will, both bugs breathed a sigh of relief.
They safely reached Dirtmouth, and the unsettling feeling of being watched completely vanished.
Simon left his seat, and the Stag Beetle, seemingly hearing the bell that summoned it, turned back into the tunnel without stopping and continued its journey.
Looking around, the station here was quite nice. Although there was only one platform, it seemed to have decent capacity. This was underground, with an exit above ground accessible by an elevator.
Taking the small elevator to the surface, Simon noticed a bulletin board next to the exit, displaying very old news. After a few glances, he left the station.
A cool breeze blew from the boundless wilderness, invigorating him. Simon looked up, allowing the world's sky to enter his sight for the first time.
But the result was a great disappointment.
Gloomy, dark.
No bright moon, no stars, only darkness.
A world without light looked terrifyingly cold. The gloomy sky was comparable to the deep sea, and those who couldn't see through this heavy curtain would eventually be swallowed by despair.
No wonder The Radiance was revered as divine, for it was light, it was the sun!
Simon dared not look at this lightless dark cosmos for too long; it was too terrifying. At this moment, he even missed the light pollution that once enveloped the city.
More helpless than personal loneliness is the loneliness of the world.
What exactly obscured the starlight? Or had the stars in the universe already died out?
Simon only hoped that clouds were blocking the light; as long as the stars still existed, there would still be hope of seeing the clear sky after the clouds parted.
At this moment, an Elder bug walked up to Simon. "A new face. Are you also a warrior? You look like you just came out of the ruins; you must be very tired." His tone was slow and mellow, sounding very kind.
Simon sized up the newcomer. This was an old friend from the game, Elderbug, an ordinary bug who had experienced extraordinary vicissitudes. He was hunched over, his long cloak trailing on the ground, swaying in the wind. He had a pair of severely worn horns on his head, deep wrinkles at the corners of his mouth, and dim eyes, indicating he didn't have much longer to live.
"Hello, I am a warrior from Crossroads, here to find Nailmaster Sly."
Elderbug was a little surprised. "Crossroads? I heard from Confarney that something very bad has happened there recently. You must have had a tough journey, haven't you?"
Simon conversed with him for a while, then inquired about Sly's shop. After learning its location, he bid farewell.
Dirtmouth truly used to be very prosperous, with a larger cluster of buildings than those near Nati's hut, and the houses were tall and spacious.
However, similarly, it had also completely declined.
Simon didn't need to specifically ask for Sly's address; there weren't many lit houses here, only two or three in total.
Sly's small shop had a sign outside that read "Sly's General Store," "Honest Business," etc. The door was open, and Simon entered.
Sly stood behind a small, rock-like counter. His large eyes were wide open, and a pair of antennae on his head wiggled slightly, making him look very energetic.
The room was brightly lit and filled with various items. Many bottles and jars were on shelves along the walls, and some exquisite and cute statue models were on the table. Several masks hung on the wall, along with an unusually large, old Nail—this Nail was purely decorative, not Sly's personal weapon.
In the game, when entering Godhome to challenge the Pantheon, many players would be beaten beyond recognition by Sly wielding a great Nail.
Interestingly, before being beaten, many players had always thought he was a greedy profiteer, and even after learning of Sly's title as Nailmaster, they still thought he was just a big fish in a small pond… It wasn't until they were beaten so badly their own mothers wouldn't recognize them, calling him 'big brother' and 'grandmaster,' that they regretted their foul mouths.
The "notorious" Sly saw Simon and hesitated for a moment, mainly because of the strange mask on his face. But he was quite perceptive and recognized Simon. "Oh! My friend, you've come. I've always wanted to see you again. You seem to be doing well. Your Nail is beautiful… How about it, take a look at my little shop, do you want to buy anything?"
Simon knew that Sly drew power from geo, and this strange belief had permeated every aspect of him. So, he decided to tease him. "Oh, Sly, my good friend, dear Nailmaster, aren't you going to offer your savior a discount?"
Sly shivered at the mention of a discount. "No! geo transactions must be fair and just; personal bug feelings can never be mixed in!" He was very righteous, trying to dispel Simon's "terrible" idea of bargaining.
"But you set all the prices yourself. How can that be fair and just? How about we discuss it and come up with a suitable price? That would make it very fair."
Sly shouted, "Impossible! Who discusses prices with customers?! This shop's policy is no bargaining!" He grumbled, "Goodness, if only all customers were as straightforward as that little white fellow. He never complains about things being expensive or anything like that."
Simon thought, the Little Knight has no mouth, so of course he can't speak. Shaking his head with a smile, he got down to business. "Master, I'm not here to buy things this time. Have you noticed that Crossroads is infected with the plague?"
"Yes, I never liked going there before, and now I don't want to get even a little closer."
"A crisis is coming. I implore you to help care for this egg. It's infected with the plague and is now dormant. It cannot endure too much jostling and hardship. After much thought, I believe you are the most trustworthy guardian."
"Where are the parents of this egg?"
"Their situation is not suitable for caring for the egg. I fear their inner guilt would compel them to break the eggshell."
"So you need me to safely keep this egg, is that right? No problem…"
"No, not just that. In fact, I need to hire you for a period of time. geo is not an issue; the Merchant Bugs of Crossroads are wealthy enough."
"Hiring me will cost a sum of geo, at least enough to satisfy me. First, tell me what you need me to do."
"I need you to escort this egg, as well as those Merchant Bugs, to Deepnest."
Sly immediately denied it upon hearing this. "No, absolutely not!"
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