Traveling through the game world

"You're back!" Paris, who had just returned from the front lines, said upon seeing Lian Yang back in the City of Misfortune, "As soon as the Mad Adventurers' offensive weakened, I knew you must have completed your mission."

"Phew, what can't I handle..." Lian Yang said smugly, "But Akainu Bugatti and his team have all mutated. So you know what that means."

Lian Yang remained calm, extremely calm. Although the death of Akainu Bugatti had cast a shadow over the team, in this world teeming with monsters, accepting death was a compulsory course for everyone.

Paris shook her head and said casually, "Sigh, he was a very capable person. He helped us a lot in the past, but I didn't expect him to die in the end." She paused and then said, "I remember they all seemed to have mutated. Have you found any information about why he mutated?"

"No," Lian Yang said calmly. "When we found him, he had completely turned into a crazed werewolf. After purifying him, Arthur went to his house but didn't find any useful information."

Lian Yang certainly wouldn't tell Paris that Akainu Bugatti's collaborative experiment with the Empire ultimately failed and led to his demise. The situation between the City of Misfortune and the Delos Empire is already tense. It's best not to reveal this kind of information.

"Then you should go and get some rest!" Although Paris had stepped down from the front lines, she still had a lot to do, and hurriedly said, "I need to go see Albert. We should start the cleanup work now."

Does Paris believe that Lian Yang couldn't find the reason for Akainu Bugatti's mutation? She's both convinced and disbelieving, given that Lian Yang's official identity is currently that of a knight of the Delos Empire. She believes him because even if he did find it, it wouldn't be crucial information. She doesn't believe him either, since having absolutely no information is utter nonsense.

However, Lian Yang didn't say much, and Paris didn't ask any more questions. It was already a well-known fact on the continent that the Delos Empire was keen on all kinds of experiments and dared to conduct any kind of experiment.

Paris wouldn't believe an entire army stationed in the ruins of Huttonmar wasn't up to something. But she couldn't afford to turn against the Delos Empire right now. Despite doing nothing, the residents of the City of Doom truly needed the Delos Empire's troops for protection.

Delos Imperial Camp

Hyde looked at Lian Yang with an arrogant expression and asked, "Have you dealt with those monsters?"

Hyde wasn't worried about the threat posed by the mutated adventurers; he was more concerned about the exposure of the Delos Empire's Black Nightmare experiments in the ruins of Huttonmar, which would only worsen the already infamous Delos Empire's situation.

Nodding casually, Lian Yang said lazily, "It's done, but that Gale Shuman is really useless."

Experiments always have failures, but Gale Hurman left behind a loophole: Akainu Bugatti. If this information leaks, it's certain that the entire continent of Arad will be in an uproar.

"Who cares?" Hyde said dismissively. "He used to be someone important, known as Swift Hughman. Now? He's not even as good as his son who colluded with a gang of thieves."

Hyde was upright and, of course, held Windswept Hughman in utter contempt for his broken spine. Although he was inferior to Windswept Hughman in terms of rank and title, Hyde possessed an unyielding pride.

Mentioning Hughman's son, Lian Yang asked, "How's that Hughman guy lately? Do you have any news about him?"

Upon hearing this, Hyde looked displeased and said sternly, "Hey kid, I'm warning you, I'm your boss, not someone who gathers intelligence for you!" After thinking for a moment, he added, "But that little good-for-nothing seems to be loitering around the old district of Huttonmar, I wonder what he's plotting."

Hyde wouldn't have bothered with someone as insignificant as Lieding Shuman if it weren't for his good relationship with Lian Yang. In this world, strength truly matters. Lian Yang's strength is considered outstanding in the Huttonmar Ruins, right? Right now, Lian Yang is probably at the level of an average level 50 unawakened adventurer, but a level 50 unawakened adventurer in Barn's Iron Wolf Knights is really only a squad leader.

Therefore, Hyde completely disregarded Lieding-Schmann, despite his imperial noble background, which was utterly meaningless to Hyde. Hyde didn't even care about Lieding-Schmann's father, Gale-Schmann, let alone Lieding-Schmann himself.

Baron and Alice, who were standing next to him, were also old acquaintances. They forced back the twitching of their lips. After spending some time together, everyone had gotten used to Hyde's proud and arrogant attitude.

But every time they see Hyde's stubborn insistence on saving face, only to have to compromise with Lian Yang, they can't help but laugh.

Only Arthur, dressed in the uniform of a knight of the Delos Empire and bearing the unique rank of the Hope Independent Squad, stood beside Baron and Alice. Watching Lian Yang and their nominal superior banter with each other, he felt his worldview shattered. Where had Hyde's sullen and unyielding face from his memory gone?

"I can't be bothered with him. He must have discovered something new. I'll go check it out later. But Hyde, I'm planning to leave soon." According to the game's storyline, the only place in the old Huttonmar district that I haven't visited is the Desperate Chess Game, but I'm still considering whether to go there or not, and haven't made a final decision yet.

"Get out of here!" Hyde said calmly. "You're no longer of any use. What are you doing here?"

Hyde also knew that the Ruins of Huttonmar were a good place to train troops because the monsters were not very strong overall, and it was also a good place for low-level adventurers to level up.

However, aside from gaining some so-called experience points, Lian Yang's level in the Huttonmar Ruins did not actually help improve his combat power at all.

"Uh...!" Although everyone was familiar with him, Hyde's foul mouth always made Lian Yang want to slap him a couple of times. It was truly a wonder that Barn could appreciate his talent. You know, Hyde often teased Barn himself.

"No rush, no rush..." But Lian Yang was used to it after all, so he waved his hand and continued, "Although I plan to leave, it's not now. I have a feeling something's going to happen soon. I'm planning to go to Dark City to upgrade my equipment or something. Is there anything I can help you with?"

Hearing this, Hyde couldn't help but curl his lip and say, "Tch~ What can a nobody like you, who's not even level 35, do for me? I'm level 85 now, and your little bit of money isn't even enough to buy me a few pieces of purple gear."

Lian Yang is famous for his wealth in the Ruins of Hutton Myre, but the reason money is so easy to make is mainly because the high-end market can't be bought with money. The Delos Empire can produce level 85 blue and white gear themselves, but nobody will sell purple gear. Of course, a small target audience is also a fundamental reason.

"You're making a fuss over nothing!" Lian Yang said dismissively, casually tossing a sacred enhancement protection scroll to Hyde: "How's this?"

"I...!" Hyde casually accepted the sacred enhancement protection scroll that Lian Yang tossed to him, and the next second he shut up, exclaiming in surprise, "Are you Agamemnon's apprentice or his illegitimate child? Even if Agamemnon didn't have this!"

Equipment enhancement has always been the fastest way to improve strength in the Arad Continent, but there have always been very few pieces of equipment with a level of 10 or higher, especially in the high-end field.

Unlike games where you can farm any legendary artifact without limit, in the continent of Arad, almost every artifact is unique, and once it's damaged, finding a second one is incredibly difficult.

Equipment that is enhanced to +10 or higher will break, so although a +11 weapon is absolutely powerful, almost no one dares to enhance it.

Even Kelly had only ever seen a Protection Token from Lian Yang; she had never heard of it before. Hyde, of course, was even less likely to have heard of it.

"Shut up!" Lian Yang wanted to tear Hyde's stinking mouth apart. He said, "This stuff, whether I say it's a lot or a little, not counting what we use ourselves, can probably upgrade one of your weapons to level 15."

"That's it, my best weapon!" Hyde didn't stand on ceremony and solemnly took out a magnificent long spear that shimmered with a faint golden light from his backpack.

Taking the equipment and looking at its attributes, Lian Yang, who looked as if he could fit an egg in his hand, said uncomfortably, "With your stubborn and unruly temper, how could the Delos Empire still prepare such a powerful weapon for you?"

Hyde arrogantly declared, "Relying on the Empire? Don't dream about it! I risked my life to get this from the Abyss!"

"I've never heard of someone having a foul mouth improving their character!" Holding Hyde's weapon, standing at Hyde's door, Lian Yang muttered to himself in a voice loud enough for everyone to hear.

"Get out of here!" Hyde said impatiently, shooing people away.

Lian Yang wasn't doing this for no reason; it was just a test, because he really wanted to bring Hyde into his own sphere of influence.

But if you were to say directly, "Hyde, I invite you to join me..." Don't be ridiculous, what level is Lian Yang? So Lian Yang decisively unleashed the sacred Enhancement Protection Scroll, a powerful weapon. If you use it, it means you don't mind; if you don't, it means I still have a long way to go.

However, it's clear that Hyde has a good impression of Lian Yang and doesn't seem opposed to joining his camp. As for which faction should join Lian Yang, that remains to be discussed, as Lian Yang is not yet powerful enough.