NOVPUBChapter 284: Chapter 272: Prelude before the Entrance_2
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The next morning, Lis changed his outfit and walked on the streets of Ice Peak City.
Lis had sent a servant to Ice Castle Palace in the morning to inform Hans that he would not be coming to the office due to other commitments that day.
After all, Financial Assistant Philip had been taken care of the day before, so the tasks assigned to him were effectively completed. The political maneuvering around Philip was now a matter between King Lukar and Duke Ward, which didn’t concern Lis much.
Being the Royal Capital of the Dillon Kingdom, Ice Peak City, due to its unique geographical location, was not as bitterly cold in winter as other territories, and there was hardly any snow accumulation within the city.
...
If one would describe the architecture of Bright City as grand with a touch of finesse, then Ice Peak City was utterly rough and bold! Below the grey domes were sharply angled building facades, without fancy windows or reliefs, featuring more of the mountain range and wasteland patterns formed by large stone blocks, showcasing a special charm.
The weather was nice today, with the rare warm winter sun shining on the bluish-gray roads.
Lis held a large skewer of roasted beef in his hand, sprinkled with coarse salt and Ice Peak City’s unique ice herbs. Although not enhanced with expensive spices, the flavor was quite good.
Lis was enjoying his meal, casually strolling around various parts of Ice Peak City.
He was not using the appearance of Kenne Simon at the moment; instead, he wore a common Dilon mask.
These kinds of masks were plentiful at Old Tangs’s place. Though not very exquisite, they were adequate for everyday use.
Lis wandered around Ice Peak City for an entire day, not returning home contentedly until nightfall.
Today wasn’t just about giving himself a day off to enjoy the culinary delights of Dillon Kingdom. More importantly, it was to scout out locations, preparing the stage for the second round of “firework shows.”
After all, Lis had planned that when the second wave of “fireworks” would bloom, it would be the time for Moriarty of the Death Secret Cult to step into the spotlight, and naturally, the scene could not be disappointing.
For this “firework show,” Lis was planning to choose ten different locations in Ice Peak City to set off fireworks.
Of course, he couldn’t use the [Intermediate High-Energy Bomb] like last time. If the explosion was similar, it could still be explained away, but if it was identical, it would be like revealing his hand and slapping Duke Ward in the face.
Even though Duke Ward, the wily political old hand, might swallow his pride and cooperate with him, why bother?
It’s better for everyone to get along on the face of things. After all, once the cooperation is secured, Lis had many more surprises in store for Duke Ward—no need to worry about making things too easy for him now.
However, there are plenty of alternatives, such as the numerous neat items from the Legendary Arcanist’s Magic Workshop. Perhaps there are no extremely precious treasures, but certainly no shortage of quirky gadgets. These are all leftovers from the [Judgement Flame]’s experiments.
Yet, for those below the status of a legend, these were still highly valuable.
This time, Lis had already prepared what to use for each spot.
For the three main gates of Ice Peak City, Lis planned to use [Intermediate Magic Flame Bombs].
For the main artery of the city, the Snowy Road, the Noble District, and the City Guard Army stronghold, Lis had prepared Magic Scrolls enchanted with the Six-Circle Spell [Bursting Meteor].
The last three locations, in the heart of the civilian sector—Cedar Street, Bavi Road, and De Pang Road—Lis had prepared a Special One-Time Magic Array [Radiant Light].
The power of these three magical tools might not match the [Intermediate High-Energy Bomb], but similarly, the scenes after using these tools would be quite “spectacular,” literally speaking.
Of course, these nine locations were just appetizers prepared by Lis, small skirmishes at best.
The more important target was Ice Castle Palace.
The great crime mastermind Moriarty planned a direct attack on Ice Castle Palace!
Just thinking about it was thrilling; if luck wasn’t on his side, Lis might even face the Legendary Berserker.
But it was only with such exaggerated actions that he could leave the deepest impression on everyone in Ice Peak City, have a sufficient impact on the Dream World, and lay the groundwork for Lis’s plans to follow.
However, though it was a direct attack on the palace, Lis was confident in his self-preservation.
Though currently only a Silver Level Mage, his methods already surpassed that of an average Gold-Level Mage.
Now that the locations had been determined, the next step was to arrange for those dear players!
…
“Holy shit, it takes nine people to accept a shared quest!”
Holy Mother looked at the system panel before him and the cloaked figure opposite, somewhat surprised.
This was his first time encountering a task with such a special requirement, but it was no problem; he knew plenty of gaming buddies, and with such a substantial task reward, he could quickly gather the number of people needed.
Holy Mother was so proactive because Lis had just cleared the rewards for that previous [Destroy the Galsa Warehouse!] mission for them, marking the first time their dormitory’s group of four had so many Gold Coins.
[Antenna Short-circuit Baby], who missed out last time and did not get the mission, was so envious that his eyes nearly turned into the shape of Gold Coins.
He was wrong; who needs a girlfriend when there are games?
This mission’s rewards were even more substantial than the last warehouse bombing mission; he couldn’t miss out this time!
Soon, Holy Mother and his group gathered nine people and received this special mission from the cloaked figure, Lis.
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[Silver Level Special Quest: Prelude to the Entrance!]
[Quest Requirement: Before an important character makes an entrance, shouldn’t there be a grand performance? And you all are a part of this prelude!]
[Quest Reward: 300,000 Experience Points, 1,000 Gold Coins, a random Intermediate Elemental Gemstone]
[Hint One: A dedicated performer will not miss the showtime! Please complete the quest requirements on time, otherwise the quest will fail!]
[Hint Two: Performances must retain a bit of mystery, right? If the information leaks, the quest will fail!]
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With the departure of the robed figure, the nine players looked excitedly at the quest they had just received.
Although each person’s quest was different, they were all quite simple compared to the task of blowing up the Galsa Warehouse.
“Thank you, Holy Mother, Antenna Short-circuit Baby, I owe you a favor!”
A tall warrior player clapped their shoulders and said with a smile.
Perhaps worried about leaking the quest, the group didn’t exchange information about what each had received.
“No worries, then, see you tomorrow!”
The group exchanged smiles and carefully left the scene.
“Sigh, Holy Mother.”
Short Circuit nudged the Holy Mother’s shoulder and whispered:
“Who do you think will be the one making an entrance in this quest?”
“The robed guy who gave us the quest?”
“I still don’t even know his name!”
“Who am I supposed to ask? We’ll find out when the time comes!”
The Holy Mother rolled her eyes and yawned.
“Time for sleep. I have class tomorrow, and it’s going to be another sleepless night.”
“Oh, should we grab some late-night snacks? I’m hungry.”
“You go buy, and I’ll eat!”
“Say ‘daddy’!”
“Daddy!”
“…Typical you!”
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At Duke Ward Mansion,
“My dear Stran, I’ve never seen you in such a good mood before!”
The Marchioness Bella Milne was wearing a purple evening gown whose tailored design accentuated the Duchess’s fiery and seductive figure.
She lounged on the sofa in the study, drained the wine in her glass, then tossed it onto the floor.
Crash~
The gleaming shards of glass scattered in all directions, as if they hinted at someone’s irritation.
Stran Ward paid no mind to his close ally venting behind him, swirling his wine glass while standing at the window and gazing at the distant snow-white Royal Palace.
“What’s the use in rushing now?” he mused.
“Philip went in, undoubtedly the things he’s done couldn’t stay hidden. Do you think you’re the only one with losses, and not me?”
Upon hearing this, Bella let out a cold laugh:
“Heh, how could our Lord Lukar directly take down the Finance Assistant? It must be a problem on your end.”
“I’ve done what I needed to do; what good does complaining do?”
Facing Bella’s sarcasm, Duke Ward was not angry but spoke calmly.
“Be patient, Bella.”
“Just wait; I’m waiting for a moment!”
