Chapter 65 -65-Heading to Scholars’ City to Collect Drowning Resistance
"Awesome!"
Looking at a status panel with such explosively high numbers, John felt utterly exhilarated.
As he was now, even relying solely on basic damage, he could punch a player to death in one blow.
[This modification is complete. Host, please continue performing actions that alter the World Anchor to obtain more opportunities to modify attribute values!]
Hearing the notification sound once again ring out in his mind, a thoughtful look appeared on John’s face.
"Alter the World Anchor?"
This time, his cross-zone massacre had completely rewritten the future history of Zone 4.
Under a normal development trajectory, Zone 4 would have eventually established a brand-new order.
But now—
after being slaughtered once by John, the players of Storm City all owed him hundreds of thousands of gold coins in debt.
On top of that, their talents and equipment had been plundered.
The new order of Zone 4 had only just begun to sprout, and John had already ground it into dust.
"So I need to make even more moves that disrupt the normal course of events
before I can earn another chance to modify the four core attributes."
John’s eyes flickered.
"But in the short term, I probably won’t get another chance like that."
He shook his head and calmed his thoughts.
After taking stock of all the gains from this trip,
John realized that while he had reaped a tremendous harvest—his inventory overflowing with talents, skills, equipment, and gold—
he was still missing the final requirement of his Class Advancement Quest: Drowning Resistance.
"But that makes sense. I’ve been operating in inland cities this whole time.
I’ve basically never gone near any cities close to major waters.
So naturally, it’s normal that I don’t have Drowning Resistance."
As the name implied, the most suitable source of Drowning Resistance would naturally be a boss from a water region.
But ever since the server opened, John had never set foot in any water zone.
It was practically impossible to obtain Drowning Resistance on land.
At that moment,
John noticed a disturbance coming from the City Lord’s Mansion.
His gaze sharpened, and his figure flashed, instantly appearing inside the mansion.
"Mercy, brave hero!"
The moment John appeared,
he saw a robed man trembling as he dropped to his knees.
John’s gaze fell on him, and the relevant information immediately appeared.
[Storm City Lord] Lv.100
[Description]: The lord of Storm City. Knows many secrets. Timid and fearful by nature, cautious and careful in all things.
...
"So this is the lord of Storm City."
Seeing how cowardly the city lord looked, contempt flashed through John’s eyes.
For a special NPC like this, one with no combat ability whatsoever, John did not even feel like killing him.
"But according to the description, this guy seems to know quite a few secrets."
John’s heart stirred.
He immediately grabbed the Storm City Lord by the collar and asked in a deliberately vicious tone,
"I ask, you answer. If you dare waste my time with nonsense, I’ll kill you on the spot!"
The Lord of Storm City had only just narrowly survived by hiding inside the City Lord’s Mansion.
He was already a coward by nature, and on top of that, he had personally witnessed John’s divine light massacre the city.
His fear of John had already reached the absolute extreme.
He immediately nodded again and again.
"Ask whatever you wish, my lord! I absolutely will not utter a single falsehood!"
John gave a faint nod.
Then he got straight to the point.
"Then tell me this. Does the Empire have any main cities located near the sea?"
At that question,
a look of surprise appeared on the Lord of Storm City’s face.
He had imagined John might ask where treasure was hidden, or whether there were valuables inside the City Lord’s Mansion.
He had never expected a question like this.
Still, he quickly answered.
"Uh, brave hero, the Empire’s main cities are basically all located on land. There are no main cities adjacent to the sea.
However, as far as I know, there is one city of main city level that happens to have been built in the sea."
Hearing that answer,
John frowned slightly.
"A main-city-level city? Isn’t that just a main city? Are you messing with me?"
The Lord of Storm City shook his head frantically and said in a trembling voice,
"No, no, not at all.
What you may not know is that to the south of the Empire, there is a sea region called the Vast Sea.
In the very center of that sea lies a city called Scholars’ City, a city of main-city level.
The reason it is called main-city-level rather than simply a main city
is because that city does not belong to any empire!
Scholars’ City is a completely neutral power,
created specifically for scholars from the great empires to live and study."
After listening to the Storm City Lord’s explanation, John’s eyes lit up.
He had not expected such a city to exist.
This was practically a city tailor-made for him to collect Drowning Resistance!
Thud!
John directly threw the Lord of Storm City to the floor.
Then he laughed loudly.
"I see! Scholars’ City—I’m coming!"
Under the shocked gaze of the Lord of Storm City,
two enormous, ferocious dragon wings suddenly spread open behind John.
Boom!
With a slight beat of those dragon wings, John’s figure instantly transformed into a streak of light, smashing through the roof and shooting toward the distant horizon!
The Lord of Storm City stared until that streak of light completely vanished from sight, only then finally letting out a long breath.
Shock still lingered in his eyes.
"A terrifying figure like that... Scholars’ City is probably in for disaster..."
...
Half an hour later.
Scholars’ City.
Just as the Lord of Storm City had described,
this city was built on a small island in the middle of the sea.
Surrounded by ocean on all sides.
John circled high above in the sky, looking down as he observed the city.
In his field of vision, the vast majority of NPCs in Scholars’ City were dressed in scholarly attire.
At the very center of the city stood seven tall towers.
Each tower marked out its own separate district.
The boundaries between the districts were clear and distinct.
Each of the seven towers represented one of the seven schools.
For example, the three towers to the west represented Alchemy, Medicine, and Divine Arts.
The three towers to the east represented Magic, Machinery, and Witchcraft.
And the tower in the very center represented the School of War.
Scholars from the various zones did not interfere with one another, each living and studying within their own district.
It was a scene of thriving prosperity.
"This really does qualify as main-city level."
John’s heart stirred, and he immediately dove downward, preparing to enter the city.
However, just as he was about to go in,
his body seemed to slam into an invisible wall, freezing in midair and unable to advance even half a step.
John frowned slightly and reached out to touch it.
There was actually a layer of invisible air-wall shielding Scholars’ City.
John knocked on it with his hand, and it even gave off a crisp sound.
He could not help but marvel inwardly.
"As expected of Scholars’ City. This barrier is designed with extraordinary finesse.
It’s far more advanced than the one in Storm City.
Even I couldn’t detect a single flaw—I never noticed there was a barrier here at all."
Just as John was preparing to descend and enter through the city gate instead,
the sea beneath him suddenly split open, revealing a gigantic and ferocious figure.
Splash!
Seawater burst into the air, scattering into countless blooming sprays.
John frowned and looked down.
What he saw was an enormous Giant Python, opening its blood-filled maw wide as it lunged upward to bite at him.
That gaping mouth was like an abyss itself,
and in an instant it swallowed John whole.
It moved so fast that he did not even have time to react!