Chapter 33 White Stone City Parkour
Whitestone City, Lower District.
The husky stood on the noisy streets of White Rock City, feeling like ants were crawling all over its body.
"You want me to walk obediently? No way."
The husky looked up at the staggered eaves above and the distant clock tower spire, and its "assassin DNA" instantly kicked in.
As a [Rogue] with full Agility points, the buildings in the city were not houses to him, but huge, interactive climbing points.
"With such a great physics engine, it would be a waste not to use it for parkour."
The husky looked around and saw that the patrolling guards had just gone far away. He took two steps, stepped on the wooden box by the roadside, and in two quick leaps, he jumped up to the second-floor awning of a tavern.
"Spacebar, grab, pull-up... Let's go!"
With a flip, the husky landed steadily on the roof tiles.
The field of vision suddenly opened up.
The once crowded, sweaty streets were now beneath his feet. The biting wind billowed his drab priest's robe, giving him the air of a hooded cloak befitting a fraternal master.
"That's the way to go!"
The husky took a deep breath and activated the recording function of the heart-protecting mirror.
"Brothers, welcome to the first 'White Stone City Rooftop Parkour Competition' in 'The Forsaken Lands'! I'm your commentator and contestant—Husky!"
He lowered his center of gravity and, like a nimble black cat, sprinted across the uneven rooftops.
"High-energy warning ahead! The distance between the two buildings is estimated to be four meters! If I miss this jump, I'll have to queue up at the respawn point!"
Despite warnings of danger, the husky didn't slow down at all. He suddenly exerted force at the edge of the eaves, his entire body drawing a perfect arc in the air.
The wind whistled in my ears.
"Wooohoo——!"
"Clatter".
Landing smoothly, crouching low to absorb the impact. The movement was fluid and effortless, a perfect score.
If a passerby looked up at that moment, they would only see a gray afterimage flashing overhead, and then scratch their head in confusion: "Was that a big rat that just flew by?"
The husky is having a blast.
He even treated this parkour as a kind of "map-opening" game.
At each high point, he would stop, squat on the head of the dripping beast statue, and scan the surrounding terrain with his breastplate.
"Is this the Upper Town? It's so luxurious."
He stood atop the spire of a tall tower, overlooking the city center.
There were pristine white marble streets, fountain gardens, and noble mansions protected by magic circles. On the other side of the city, however, lay a gloomy, crowded, and even somewhat dilapidated slum.
This stark wealth gap appears particularly glaring from God's perspective.
"This city is too big."
The husky muttered a complaint and was about to turn back when suddenly his gaze locked onto a corner on the edge of the slums below.
There was a huge cart piled high with withered grass and discarded cloth.
That location...that height...
An impulse from the depths of my soul welled up inside me.
"That's... a haystack?"
The husky swallowed hard.
"Although this game doesn't have the 'Leap of Faith' mechanic that allows you to avoid taking damage... with my current agility stat, I shouldn't die from a fall, right?"
The husky stood on the edge of the roof, arms outstretched, eyes closed, and the classic eagle's cry automatically played in its mind.
"A leap of faith!"
He leaped!
The feeling of weightlessness from freefall instantly enveloped his entire body. The wind screamed in his ears, and the haystacks on the ground rapidly magnified.
"Bang!!!"
There was no light, gentle splash as I had imagined; instead, there was a dull, loud thud.
"Cough cough cough! Ugh—!"
The husky was completely buried in the "straw pile".
He then realized he had acted rashly.
This is not a soft haystack at all! It's a garbage truck that transports slum household waste and rotten vegetable leaves! It's just covered with a layer of grass on the surface!
"I was careless... I didn't flash..."
The husky, clutching its nearly broken back, struggled to crawl out of the garbage heap, half a rotten vegetable leaf still on its head. "This physics engine is too realistic... Is this the price of faith?"
However, before he could even clean the rotten vegetable leaves off his body, the surrounding environment stunned him.
Because of his jump, he bypassed the partition wall in the lower city and accidentally fell into the slums, the dirtiest and most chaotic area of White Rock.
The surrounding area was no longer a neat stone-paved road, but a muddy sewage ditch.
The low shacks were crammed together like tumors, and a nauseating stench filled the air.
Several beggars, barely clothed, were huddled in a corner picking lice when they saw the husky suddenly fall from the sky (into the garbage truck). They stared at him with wide, murky eyes, as if he were an idiot.
"Uh... hi?"
The husky waved its paw awkwardly, "Would you believe me if I said I was a passing angel who landed face-first on the ground?"
The beggars ignored him, simply shrinking back silently. In their eyes, this person who had seemingly jumped into the garbage truck from the sky must be mentally unstable.
"How cold-hearted..."
The husky, crawling out of a garbage truck and smelling sour, stood somewhat disheveled in the muddy alley of the slum.
This place is a completely different world from the Upper Town. If White Stone City above is a beacon of civilization, then this place is the shadow beneath that beacon. Sewage flows everywhere, and the wooden houses on both sides look like building blocks that could collapse at any moment. Skinny children run barefoot in the black water, while numb-eyed old people huddle in corners waiting to die.
"This scene...did the art team go to a real slum for research? It's so depressing."
Although huskies are usually quite amusing, seeing this scene dampened their initial excitement.
Just then, a cacophony of curses and cries came from the alleyway entrance.
"No money? What are you going to do for treatment if you have no money? The sooner you die, the less food your family will have to eat!"
The husky frowned, activated [Stealth], and silently crept along the base of the wall.
A crowd had gathered at the entrance of the alley.
A burly, bald man with a face full of scars and black rat tattoos on his arms kicked over a roadside stall. The stall owner, an elderly woman with gray hair, was clutching a bag of herbs in her arms, crying her heart out.
"This is medicine to save my grandson's life! Please, Brother Rat! Give me two more days!"
"Grace period? If I give you a grace period, who will give me one?"
The gang leader, known as "Brother Rat," sneered and turned to look to the side.
There stood a patrol squad leader dressed in the standard armor of Whitestone City. Instead of stopping the violence, he crossed his arms and impatiently tapped the hilt of his sword with his iron glove.
"Hurry up. Don't let this old woman wail and ruin the city's appearance. His Holiness the bishop has been cracking down lately. If we don't pay this month's'security management fee,' we'll all be starving."
"Did you hear that? The captain has spoken!"
Brother Rat grabbed the old woman's hair and snatched the packet of herbs away menacingly. "These herbs are confiscated! I've caught a bit of a cold myself, I'll take them back and soak them in alcohol!"
"No! That's a lifesaver!" The old woman desperately lunged forward to bite his leg, but the squad leader kicked her in the chest, sending her rolling several meters away.
"You scoundrel, how dare you attack a sheriff?" The squad leader spat, his hand on the hilt of his sword, a hint of murderous intent flashing in his eyes.
dark place.
The husky's eyes instantly turned red.
"Damn it, I can't stand it."
He looked at the two NPCs whose breastplates were marked with yellow names (neutral), and his dagger was already in a charging state.
"Even if it's a yellow name, I'm going to force my way into the red today!"
The husky took a deep breath, its leg muscles tensed, and it was about to launch a backstab and rush out to give the squad leader a good thrashing.
Suddenly, a hand pressed down on his shoulder from behind.
"Don't move."
A familiar voice came from inside.
The husky turned around and saw "What canned food?" appearing behind him at some point.
By this time, Canned Food had changed into that flashy white deacon robe with silver trim, and wore a pair of silver-rimmed glasses without lenses. Although there were some mud spots on the hem of his robe, his charlatan-like expression with his chin raised at a 45-degree angle made him look more like a priest than a real priest.
"Canned Food Bro? What are you doing here? Why are you dressed so flashy in that outfit? Where did you get that?"
"I saw your dot on the map fall into the trash heap, so I came to check if you're dead. The clothes were given to me by the church, and I had someone make a frame for my glasses." Canned Food pushed up his glasses, his gaze sweeping over the scene at the alley entrance. "Killing these low-level monsters doesn't give much experience, and it'll just attract a city-wide manhunt. It's not worth it."
"So we'll just watch and not do anything about it?" the husky said anxiously.
"Who said we're not going to care anymore?"
Canned Food straightened his collar, a cold smile playing on his lips. "We're people of status now. Using a knife to deal with this kind of trash is too simplistic. Learn this, it's called 'dimensional reduction attack'."
...
The entrance to the alley.
The squad leader was about to draw his sword to teach that ungrateful old woman a lesson when he suddenly heard a series of unhurried footsteps behind him.
"Who is it? Can't you see the security team is on duty? Get lost!"
The squad leader cursed without turning his head.
"Oh? The security team is on duty?"
A gentle yet chilling voice rang out, "To me, it looks more like a robbery."
The squad leader flew into a rage and whirled around: "You fucking want to die... uh?"
His curse got stuck in his throat.
A young man dressed in a pristine white robe, with a silver cross badge on his chest, stood silently watching him in the muddy alley. His white robes stood out starkly against the gloomy backdrop of the slums.
That's... a Vatican robe?
And look at the silver trim, and that badge...
The squad leader's pupils instantly shrank to pinpoints. He'd spent over a decade in White Stone City; he knew all too well what that uniform represented. It signified the true privileged class—a deacon of the Holy See!
"Sir... sir?"
The squad leader broke out in a cold sweat instantly, and with a clatter, the sword in his hand fell to the ground.
The squad leader's knees buckled, and in front of all the onlookers, he knelt down in the mud with a thud, a move so perfect it was heartbreaking.
"I had no idea you were coming, Your Excellency! This humble servant... this humble servant deserves to die!"
The entire room fell silent.
The arrogant bully who was just moments ago was now lying on the ground trembling like a drowned dog.
The canned food didn't rush to speak.
He walked forward slowly, his boots making a squelching sound as they stepped into the mud.
He walked up to the stunned Rat Brother, reached out, and gently took the packet of herbs from his hand.
"Is this yours?" the canned food vendor asked with a smile.
"It's...no! It's not! It's for this old lady!" Brother Rat looked at the kneeling figure on the ground, his legs trembling. "I...I was just helping her get it! Really!"
The canned food nodded and handed the herbs to the old woman next to him, who was already dumbfounded.
Then, he turned around and looked down at the squad leader kneeling on the ground.
Which squad are you from?
"Reporting to...Reporting to my lord, I am Buck, the captain of the third patrol team in the west of the city." The squad leader didn't even dare to raise his head.
"Captain Barker, you're very skilled at your job."
Canned Food bent down and gently patted the squad leader's iron helmet with the silver butler's badge, making a crisp "clang, clang" sound.
Each blow felt like a blow to Buck's heart.
"His Excellency the Bishop has just established a'Special Investigation Department' to specifically rectify the city's discipline. I was just worried about not having any achievements, and you've delivered yourself right to my doorstep."
Canned Food sighed, its tone regretful, "Tell me, if I were to write down your actions as a report and submit it to the Inquisition... what would they say? Was it dereliction of duty? Or... being tempted by the devil?"
Upon hearing the words "Inquisition," Buck nearly wet himself. Those who went there, not even their ashes remained!
"My lord, spare me! My lord, spare me!"
Buck kowtowed frantically, mud splattering all over his face. "I was just confused for a moment! I'm willing to atone for my sins! I'm willing to donate! Please, Your Honor, have mercy!"
The husky next to them stared in disbelief.
He furiously typed in the team chat: "Holy crap! Canned food guy, you're got some serious authority! Where did you get that skin? The game's interactions are so realistic, the NPCs even know what to do with each other. This is awesome!"
Canned Food replied in the channel: "Learn from this, we all have butler uniforms, we're at the hotel now, right?"
Immediately, the canned food's smile vanished, and it stared coldly at Buck:
"Want to live? Sure."
"We need to repair the statues in the street recently, and we need quite a few people."
Canned Food pointed to Rat and his men beside him, "These guys look pretty strong, perfect for sacrificing themselves for the God of Light. Captain Buck, what do you think?"
Upon hearing that he wouldn't have to die, Buck immediately jumped up, drew his sword, and pointed it at Rat, who had just been calling him brother:
"Your Excellency is wise! These scumbags have been bullying men and women all day long and should have been eliminated long ago! I'll take them to the street corner right now!"
"Yes, yes, we are willing to dedicate ourselves to the God of Glory!" Brother Rat and the others kowtowed repeatedly.
But no one sympathized with him. The surrounding poor people watched this scene with unprecedented glee in their eyes.
"besides."
The canned food pointed to the old woman on the ground, "From now on, if I hear anyone collecting any 'management fees' in this neighborhood again..."
"I wouldn't dare! Absolutely not!" Buck pounded his chest so hard it shook the heavens. "From now on, if anyone dares to cause trouble here, I, Buck, will be the first to chop them up!"
The canned food nodded in satisfaction, waved his sleeve, and turned to leave.
"Let's go, Husky."
The husky darted out of the shadows, following behind the canned food, glancing back at the captain who was still kowtowing in the mud, and then at the poor people around them who were looking at them with awe and worship.
"Awesome."
The husky gave a thumbs up, "I used to only know how to kill red-named players in games. I never thought that playing with a 'white-name' player would be even more fun!"
"Killing someone is the worst option."
The canned goods were dressed in a neat white butler's robe, hands behind his back, concealing his accomplishments and fame.
"We are civilized people, clergy. If we can use our status to intimidate people, why resort to violence?"
"By the way…" Canned Food glanced at him, "Have you seen Wolf Brother? I didn't see him when I got back to the hotel."
"I'm not here?" The husky scratched its head. "He was still here when I came out, but he seemed to say he was going to check out the black market