Chapter 103: Three Major Cities

The atmosphere in the office was somewhat oppressive.

The White family and the Green Ivy Group, as two of the most influential entities in the capital city, had news networks spread across the country. Since the emergence of the Other World Game, various foreign organizations, big and small, had sprung up in the nearby cities.

Apart from the Night Blades, there were numerous other factions.

"Irving, based on my recent investigations, the Night Blades are not a simple force. They have incited several uprisings in neighboring countries." James said, frowning as he continued.

Being the national center, the capital city quickly responded to the emergence of the Other World Game by organizing the Angel Guild, effectively controlling the invasion of these foreign forces. However, the recent secret realm expedition had inflicted heavy losses on the Angel Guild, and the official authority had been significantly challenged.

Although the squad that the Night Blades had sent into the secret realm had been eliminated, the threat had not disappeared, and the situation had become even more tense...

Surrounding the capital city, there were three major cities: Starling City, Sunny City, and Sea City. S~eaʀᴄh the nôvelFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

Starling City was the home of the Sophia family, renowned for its rich mineral and agricultural resources.

Particularly, its unique rare metal deposits held an irreplaceable position nationwide, and its high-quality fruits and vegetables were often exported abroad.

Sea City.

Located southeast of the capital, was a coastal city boasting unparalleled port advantages.

As the largest maritime gateway in the country, Sea City played a crucial role in foreign trade and maritime logistics, with abundant marine resources, including various seafood and aquatic products.

Sunny City.

It was a newly developed district where significant official investments had been made over the past decade. It had become a hub for numerous universities and research institutions. Additionally, Sunny City had rich forest and freshwater resources, with the highest forest coverage rate in the nation.

James first provided an overview of the three cities surrounding the capital.

"Irving, these three cities are of extreme importance to both the capital and the authorities. If they fall, the consequences would be unimaginable." James said with a grave expression. "From what I know, Starling City is a stronghold for the Night Blades, and many families there are already under their control. If this trend continues, a major uprising is inevitable in the near future."

Irving remained silent.

He recalled the events of his previous life. After the apocalypse descended, the authorities had attempted emergency rescue operations. However, the situation was far beyond their expectations, and the rescue efforts lasted less than a week.

Ordinary survivors, faced with the emergence of mutated beasts, were forced to hide in the underground sewers of the cities to survive.

Having long been accustomed to such a tumultuous environment, Irving felt no emotional turmoil upon hearing about the impending chaos in the three cities surrounding the capital.

After the apocalypse, not only would the country, but the entire world would plunge into chaos. His primary concern was whether he would be affected. As for others and other forces... they were of no concern to him.

As for the authorities?

Perhaps in the eyes of James and many ordinary people, they still hold some expectations for the official authorities. However, they will soon understand that the official authorities are no different from other forces, except that they are slightly stronger—nothing more.

In the apocalypse, just staying alive has already become a nearly unattainable luxury for the vast majority of people.

The only thing that interests Irving may be the resources of the three cities surrounding the capital. Mineral resources, ports, agriculture, marine resources, and freshwater—these will become invaluable resources that countless people will try to seize during the apocalypse.

As for the capital city, it is now merely nominally the national economic center, nothing more. Once the apocalypse hits, the economy will collapse rapidly, and its status will be far inferior to Starling City, Sunny City, and Sea City.

"Irving, we can't just sit here and wait for death. If those three cities fall, the unrest will spread to the capital city..." James said worriedly.

But before he could finish, Irving interrupted him.

"That's something the official authorities should handle. It's not our concern." Irving said in a deep voice. "We should focus on how to survive once the apocalypse arrives."

James was stunned, his heart was filled with mixed emotions for a moment, and he couldn't help but sigh.

Although he was very worried about the potential uprising, he had to admit that Irving was right. Given his current strength, not only could he not participate in these matters, but he might also find it difficult to protect himself.

"How are things going with the guild?" Irving shifted the topic.

James frowned and said, "Last night, during the Flowing Light and Dense Realm, almost all the brothers in the guild were killed, but a large part of them were killed by exotic beasts. However, we still lost about a dozen men."

Pausing for a moment, he continued, "But that's not the main issue. I have already designated the surviving brothers as core members of the guild, especially the seven brothers from last night. I believe we will have some new members joining in the next few days."

Irving nodded. "Remember, quality over quantity. It's better to have fewer but more skilled members."

In the Other World Game, being killed by exotic beasts allows for resurrection. Most of the members of the Green Ivy Group were killed by the Poisonous Fang Paralyzed Spider and the Red Flame Fierce Snake, so the losses were not too significant.

This was also a test for the players who joined the Green Ivy Group. Only through repeated life-and-death battles can one truly see a person's character.

The Green Ivy Group, as an affiliated force of Irving, will play a major role in the upcoming apocalypse. For a guild to be strong, the number of players is just a reference. Besides talent and strength, Irving values courage and decisiveness even more.

"What's the status of the castle repairs?" Irving continued to ask.

After conquering the castle of The Brotherhood of Night Blades last time, the interior of the castle was severely damaged. This was why he had not yet moved the shelter there.

"In the past few days, we have collected a lot of ore materials from the previous mine and have upgraded the walls of the castle. The strength of the walls is now much more solid than before, and they can even directly withstand beast tides." James continued. "The repairs are basically complete. Only some finishing touches remain."

James's face showed a hint of confusion, and he hesitated before asking, "Irving, why are we putting so much effort into restoring that castle? Could it be...?" He seemed to have a vague suspicion about the reason behind this move.

Irving gave a slight smile and responded, "In the next day or two, I will relocate our main shelter to the castle. As for the Green Ivy Group, you can set up your own shelter nearby."

Previously, Irving and the Green Ivy Group would meet at prearranged locations before carrying out any operations, which often proved to be quite inconvenient.

Especially with the impending apocalypse, sudden emergencies would become more frequent and demanding.

Given the abundance of ores from the recently acquired mine, it wouldn't be difficult for James to establish a new shelter.

"Alright, I have other matters to attend to now. I'll be going." With that, Irving rose and left the office directly after giving his instructions.

On a winding road through the sprawling countryside, a Mercedes Maybach was speeding down the path.

Inside the car, Irving was driving while making a phone call. After a prolonged wait, the call was finally answered.

"It's not time for our meeting yet. Why are you calling now?" The voice on the other end sounded processed and distorted.

Irving frowned slightly. "I have other engagements tonight. I can't wait until later. If you want to make the trade, it's now. I'll send you the address shortly. I'll wait for you for one hour.

If you're late, the deal is off."

There was a moment of silence on the other end before the call abruptly ended.

Listening to the dial tone, a glint of cold determination flickered in Irving's deep eyes. The call was from a player who had posted on the forum about selling "Tracking Crystals."

Since acquiring the [Evil Source Wand], Irving had been tagged as the "Public Enemy No. 1" by the Blue Planet's Will, as if a heavy shackle had been placed around him.

Every 24 hours, his body emitted a special magnetic field, which players possessing the Tracking Crystals could use to locate him roughly.

According to the Blue Planet's Will, killing the "Public Enemy No. 1" would grant a permanent attribute boost and a legendary piece of equipment as a reward.

This incentive was even more tempting than the treasures in the Flowing Light and Dense Realm!

As a result, numerous guilds and organizations in the game were solely focused on finding and eliminating this "Public Enemy No. 1" to claim the reward from the Blue Planet's Will.

This placed Irving in a perilous position, akin to a prey being hunted by these guilds at any moment.

Obtaining Tracking Crystals wasn't an easy task, and each crystal could only be used once before becoming ineffective. Additionally, they only provided a general sense of direction.

Initially, Irving hadn't been too concerned about it until he saw that a player on the forum had managed to acquire twenty Tracking Crystals at once. If this continued, his location would soon be exposed.

The purpose of today's trade wasn't just to buy those twenty Tracking Crystals but also to find out how the seller had acquired them, to eliminate this looming threat once and for all.

However, what Irving didn't realize was that from the moment he responded to the forum post, he had already walked into a meticulously crafted trap...