ctnovel Chapter 12 Cloud City
Chapter 12 Cloud City
You have triggered the planetary-level quest "The Tragedy of Carlo"!
[Mission Description: Due to an accident, you obtained a mysterious, dark fragment, revealing the tip of the iceberg of a conspiracy shrouding the entire planet. The conspirators lurking in the shadows will thus begin new operations, leading the planet's inhabitants towards an even more dangerous future. When the nest is overturned, no egg remains unbroken; to save yourself, you must save the world.]
[Mission Objective 1: Identify the mastermind behind this.]
[Mission Objective 2: Prevent the creation of "???", or defeat it.]
[Mission Objective 3: Protect the Carlo civilization and reduce its collapse level to below 20%.]
The task reward depends on the number of objectives achieved and the final evaluation.
"Finally, this quest has been triggered!"
Jiang Yong's gaze sharpened as he looked at the panel that suddenly appeared in front of him. He had been traveling for two days and two nights and was sitting under a tree practicing and gaining experience.
In *Star Age: Evolution*, every slightly complex mission is categorized by its direct impact. For example, the recently mentioned "The Tragedy of Carlo" is a "Planetary" mission, meaning it will affect the fate of the entire planet Carlo and can be considered the planet's main storyline mission. Besides this, there are smaller missions like "City" and "Continent" missions. Later in the game, terrifying "Starfield" and even "Cosmic" missions appear. However, players' influence is generally insufficient to control the outcome of these missions; at most, they can receive limited rewards based on their contribution points at the end.
The fact that this task has now emerged means that the capital city of tomorrow has noticed the impact it has caused and has already begun to plan and prepare for further actions.
"Based on my past experience, once Tiandu City discovers the risk of exposure, it will launch a war to muddy the waters, divert the attention of other forces, and make it easier for itself to capture people for sacrifice. However, this process will not be short and requires proper groundwork to avoid being detected..."
Jiang Yong looked at the panel and began to ponder.
He knew the identity of the mastermind, of course, but the mission required him to "find out" the mastermind, and he needed to obtain crucial evidence to make it count; the other two objectives were too far away for him at the moment.
To achieve objective two, you either need to defeat a lord-level boss elf or conquer the entire Heavenly Capital City, which is no less difficult than defeating a lord. To achieve objective three, you not only need to accomplish objective two and prevent the destruction of the Carlo civilization, but also try your best to control the intensity of the war that is about to break out in the Heavenly Capital City. This requires not only personal strength, but also sufficient influence within the Carlo civilization.
Therefore, the main goal in the near future is to focus on development. Otherwise, no matter how much information he knows, it's all just empty talk if he can't translate it into practical value.
Putting the panel away, Jiang Yong pondered and began planning his next steps.
"The most urgent task is to find a few professions to level up; the meteorite fragments can't be left idle either, we can use them to craft some items. Also, the Spirit Cocoon is currently the only spirit on Carlo Star that can use necromancy-type power, and using it casually outside would be tantamount to telling Tian Du City that I've stumbled upon their plan, so I need to find another spirit to provide cover..."
(New companion), (Excitement), (Happiness), (Yay!)
"It's good to prohibit it."
Jiang Yong patted the ghost cocoon of the Spirit Breath Cocoon, enjoying its soft and bouncy texture before standing up, patting his rear, and continuing towards Yunqi City.
……
Cloud City, one of the twelve city-states of the Carol Federation, is located on the southeastern border of the human territory. To the south lie rolling mountains, devoid of powerful beasts and difficult to develop on a large scale, while other city-states provide mutual support to the other three directions. Nestled against the mountains and beside the water, it has lived a peaceful and tranquil life, thus avoiding many disasters throughout history. Its people are simple, honest, and peaceful... This is how it should be from a purely geographical perspective.
The truth is, due to certain peculiar historical and geographical factors, this small city-state has become a crucial point of contention between the "big cities" and "small cities" of the Carol Confederation. While seemingly peaceful and stable internally, it is actually a complex web of factions and turbulent undercurrents. Compared to the capital city of Tiandu, this environment is like a pair of roaring tigers and two giblets—definitely not benevolent!
Jiang Yong headed to the southern satellite city of Yunqi City. To prevent beast attacks, every city on Carlo Star was surrounded by sturdy walls, with troops stationed there year-round, and only a few gates for entry and exit. Amidst the intrigue and power struggles, this system, while preventing beast invasions, also significantly restricted the movement of people. To legally enter or leave the city, one must present identification and undergo strict checks; only after confirmation that no contraband or prohibited spirits were being carried would passage be permitted.
—That's right, even the elves here have visas.
However, this kind of examination can only be performed on ordinary people and cannot detect formal contractors who can fuse spirits into their bodies.
Jiang Yong had no idea where the original owner of this body had been abducted into that cave, or even what he looked like now. He had neither legal status nor local currency. Generally, the only way to enter the city was to find a smuggler and trade his relatively valuable recovery potions.
However, Jiang Yong did not intend to waste time here. In peacetime, city defense was a minor issue for him.
A moment later, he used his terminal to scan a gap in the city wall where troops were changing shifts. He immediately summoned his Spirit Cocoon and launched his Spirit Silk, mimicking Spider-Man. He swung across the city wall in a few quick steps and landed in the city.
"Interstellar Technology, kid."
Jiang Yong chuckled, put away the terminal, and then stepped onto human soil.
After crossing the city wall, the hustle and bustle of civilization and the lively atmosphere of everyday life come rushing towards you.
Hard stone slabs replaced the muddy ground of the wilderness, and the soles of shoes made a clear sound when they hit the ground. The air was no longer filled with the earthy smell, but rather with the aroma of food, cooking fires, and people. As far as the eye could see, the roadside vendors calling out their wares, the endless stream of people, and the harmless spirits following their owners bustling about made Jiang Yong, who had been wandering in the wild for several days, feel incredibly warm and familiar, as if the yang energy had become more abundant.
This was the first time since he transmigrated that he had seen so many humans who were not enemies and were still alive.
"...Indeed, the real world is much more vivid than a game instance."
After pausing briefly to reflect, Jiang Yong joined the crowd and walked along the street with practiced ease, heading straight for the place he had in mind.
In his previous life, he had visited Yunqi City many times while running dungeons, and he knew its hidden resources and quest channels like the back of his hand. He had even planned his actions after entering the city while still on his way. After wandering around for a while, Jiang Yong found his target—a shop that specialized in modifying and repairing mechanical spirit modules.
Due to their natural affinity with industrial systems, mechanical-type Pokémon are common in civilizations of all levels. Besides their physical bodies that house the mechanical flame, most mechanical-type Pokémon can be equipped with additional modules to enhance themselves, gain new functions, or even evolve. However, choosing and equipping these modules is a highly complex skill, with a high barrier to entry, but those who succeed are highly sought after.
However, the shop was closed, with a "Temporarily Closed" sign hanging above it. In the short time that followed, Jiang Yong had already seen several people heading towards the shop, only to leave disappointed after seeing the sign.
"Good, we made it."
Jiang Yong was quite satisfied with this; what he wanted was for the business to be suspended, otherwise the mission couldn't be triggered.
He stepped forward and knocked on the door.