Once upon a time there was a greedy snake

Du Yi inquired about the power that had become one with him.

As before, these pure soul energies lay there quietly, as if they were part of him.

But Du Yi could also sense that the power from the Tatunbuto people was still guiding him, as if it were leading him to do something.

"Where are we going? Give us an answer!"

Having not sensed anything, Du Yi simply used his long tail to curl up a tree branch.

"If you want it to go somewhere, just throw it there for me."

As he said this, Du Yi tossed the branch into the air.

The branch with leaves didn't fall flat; instead, it was spun twice by the wind in mid-air before finally hitting the ground.

And the direction the tree branch points to...

"You must have come from over there, right?"

Du Yi looked at the four alien adventurers.

The direction the tree branch pointed was the same direction they had come from.

In Du Yi's memory, that was the direction Tatunbto once led.

Chapter 320 The New City-State, Tahrir

Tatunbto, this name hasn't appeared for a long time.

Perhaps once upon a time, this land was called by that name, but that once miraculous city was ultimately reduced to ruins in a great war and then vanished into the annals of time.

Now, rising from the ruins of the past is a magnificent city called Tahrir, built in a new era.

Compared to the former Tatunbto, the new-era Tahrir is more magnificent and larger. On the towering walls built of bluestone, one can still faintly see old bloodstains that have dried up over time. Clearly, these wide and thick walls are not just for show, but have actually withstood attacks from foreign enemies. But there are things inside the city that are far greater than these thick walls.

That was the magic tower standing in the city. This towering building could be seen from afar, even outside the city. The crystals embedded on the top of the tower reflected a colorful halo under the sunlight. Some kind of inexplicable fluctuation was emanating from the top of the tower, covering the entire city of Tahris. Clearly, it was some kind of unknown defensive measure.

Beneath this layer of protection are rows of wooden houses. Unlike Tatunbto back then, it seems that building these two-story wooden houses is quite popular in Tahrir now. People live upstairs, and the downstairs is simply used as shops to sell weapons, armor, strange potions, or even magical items and handicrafts.

Of course, what attracted Du Yi's attention the most were the bakeries and butcher shops. The aroma of roasted wheat mixed with the fat of meat was so enticing that it was irresistible even from a distance.

"These are all good things made with heart."

At this point, Du Yi's judgment of things had reached another level. Compared to the ingredients or the taste, he could better feel the mindset of the chefs who cooked those ingredients.

Even with simple cooking methods, ingredients prepared with care can still bring out their flavor. However, if you simply follow the steps, even the best food will taste bland. Just like now, after directing two alien adventurers to buy bread, Du Yi only took one bite and could tell that the shop had rushed the dough preparation.

"You weren't focused on baking bread... I guess there's something else going on in your life?"

Du Yi has always been quite lenient towards such simple oversights.

However, being lenient with the bakery owner doesn't mean he'll be lenient with these four alien adventurers. Although he has shrunk to the size of a small snake, these four alien adventurers are still within his consciousness—as for why he's keeping such a close eye on them, it's because someone tried to escape earlier.

At first, the priest ran away once, but he was caught by Du Yi before he got very far. Then it was the mage's turn. This time, he was arrested by Du Yi as soon as he showed any signs of running away. Although the mage repeatedly claimed that he just wanted to go out shopping to buy some odds and ends, Du Yi, who had been torturing the Four Gods for a long time, could tell at a glance that the mage wanted to do something else.

If these four adventurers were all locals, Du Yi wouldn't be so strict with them. However, facing four alien visitors with their own agendas... Du Yi felt it was better to be cautious.

"So how did you four become adventurers? I haven't seen any aliens along the way."

"us……"

Wolf-headed swordsman Gekala wanted to say that they had been imprisoned for fighting, and that the young assassin, Ryus Enchantress, had paid a ransom for them before they were released. The ransom wasn't free, so the four of them naturally had to work to earn it. In addition, they also needed to integrate into local life, which is why they became adventurers.

But just as Gekkar was about to speak, he suddenly felt that something was not quite right.

Or perhaps it's not that something's wrong, but rather that everything is going too smoothly.

It was all going too smoothly. The four visitors from the Star Sea integrated into the local area almost without any obstacles. Although Ryus Enchantress certainly played a part in helping them with their disguises, it would have been impossible for them to do so smoothly with just the assassin's disguise skills.

"just like……"

Wolf-headed swordsman Gekala racked his brains, finding it difficult to describe the strange feeling. The words were on the tip of his tongue, but he just didn't know how to express them.

Until the mage in the group spoke up.

"It's as if these locals are taking the initiative to welcome us."

Sass-Huanze's eyes narrowed.

"I've wanted to say this for a while, but I just haven't had the chance to... Haven't you guys noticed?"

The wolf-headed swordsman, Gekala, still looked somewhat bewildered. Clearly, this warrior, who only knew how to swing his sword, hadn't realized what was going on.

This forced Sass Fantasia to speak up and explain.

“In typical city-states, identity is verified as soon as you enter: where you come from, where you are going, what you are supposed to do, and what your background is… Indeed, these steps are cumbersome, but it is for security reasons. After all, even the strongest fortress can be breached from within. If someone tampers with the city walls or the mage tower, the city will immediately lose its defensive capabilities.”

After hearing this, Gekala realized what Sass-Huanze was referring to.

That is, the identity of an adventurer.

The identity of an adventurer is far too convenient. Not only can one enter a giant city without any scruples, but one doesn't even need to provide any information upon entering.

Such rules are perfect for infiltration. Whether it's the towering mage towers or the thick city walls, with these adventurers of unknown identity coming and going at will, all these perfect defenses become mere decorations.

But clearly, compared to the city's defenses, adventurers are the main theme of this city. Not only can you see warriors coming and going everywhere on the streets, but there is also the Adventurers' Guild, which leads all adventurers, located in the city.

"This is the headquarters of the Adventurers' Guild, right in front of Starfall Plaza."

The assassin in the group had been here before, so he was relatively familiar with the road conditions. Before long, he led the group to the entrance of the Adventurers' Guild.

However, people felt more connected to the name of the square than to the association itself.

"Starfall Plaza... Fallen from the sea of ​​stars?"

Sass-Huanze keenly grasped the meaning behind it.

"Just as I thought, this adventurer identity was designed specifically for people like us."

Chapter 321 The urban routine is deep

Whether in the eyes of the wolf-headed swordsman Gekala, an alien from the outer space, or in the eyes of Du Yi, a local serpent, alien visitors who land in a local area usually have to hide their identities. This can even be considered a kind of unwritten rule.

As for why such unspoken rules exist, it's because they have advantages. After all, from the perspective of visitors from the Star Sea, when they land in an unfamiliar region, they don't know whether this region is friend or foe. If they come with a large army, it's fine; whether it's friend or foe, they can just fight.

However, if you come alone and don't know whether the locals are friend or foe, or whether they are strong or weak, choosing to pretend to be a local will obviously make you safer.

Therefore, most civilizations that have learned about the Star Sea will consciously guard against this, since these civilizations do not know what these Star Sea visitors are here for—and judging from common situations, most Star Sea visitors always want to do something.

Having traveled thousands of miles across the starry sky to get here, these visitors from the sea of ​​stars are not here to follow the rules. If they couldn't get a lot of benefits from their local area, why would they come here?

The local civilization and the outsiders are inherently distrustful of each other. Outsiders often want to stir up trouble in the local area, while the local civilization is more inclined to expose these hidden destabilizing factors as soon as possible.

But now...

Another possibility appeared before them.

If the Adventurers' Guild isn't that obvious, then the "Starfall Plaza" in front of it is the clearest indication of its existence.

This land welcomes all visitors from the stars and is even willing to grant them a status that allows them freedom of movement.

"So that's why you had us put this bounty on your head?"

Although the wolf-headed swordsman Gekala usually had his mind full of muscles, as a warrior he also had the necessary agility—so, after a moment's thought, he turned his gaze to the assassin in the group.

This assassin from the god of desire could have easily gotten them out using other methods, but he chose this path instead.

Gekala had never been here before and thought it was all a coincidence, but now...

"If there's an easy way, why use the complicated one?"

Ryus Enchantress, on the other hand, seemed completely unconcerned, and even slapped the bounty poster into Gekala's arms.

This relatively intimate gesture naturally triggered a reaction from the mages and priests, and their gazes toward the wolf-headed swordsman turned hostile, as if this were truly just a disorganized adventurer party.

However, Du Yi, who had transformed into a small snake, could clearly sense the emotions of these alien adventurers.

"That priest seems a bit anxious... does he have something on his mind? The mage, on the other hand, seems very calm, even a little too calm. What's he so happy about?"

Compared to the two whose emotional fluctuations were obvious, the remaining two were not so obvious. The wolf-headed swordsman still looked preoccupied, his face full of bitterness and hatred. As for the assassin in the group... Du Yi could hardly sense the assassin's emotions.

This inability to feel anything made Du Yi subconsciously think of the God of Desire who was sealed in the Underworld. He remembered that when he tortured the four gods, only the God of Desire did not react.

Therefore, sometimes, the absence of emotion is the greatest exposure.

Just like now, the female assassin's well-controlled emotions led Du Yi to conclude that she was probably a follower of the god of desire.

With this marker, the others become quite obvious. The wolf-headed swordsman clearly worships the god of courage, and while it's harder to pinpoint exactly who the priest and mage are, they are certainly connected to the four gods.

However, Du Yi didn't plan to do anything right now, since these alien adventurers clearly had some unclear connections with local forces.

Just like that pastor before, who contacted the Serpent Worshippers through the roots.

But now, this time...

"They are certainly very friendly to us here."

It was at this moment that the mage in the team, Sass-Huanze, suddenly spoke up.

“It was difficult to say this before, but it doesn’t matter now… I’ll be frank. From the very beginning, these locals were hired to bring them the magical knowledge from the Star Sea.”

Upon hearing this, the expressions of the other three alien adventurers changed drastically.

Others might not understand the intricacies of the situation, but these few knew perfectly well that this mage was a follower of the God of Mystery and should not be associating with these local natives under any circumstances.

But now...

"not good!"

Upon seeing that Desas Illusion's gaze was directed in their direction, the priest in the group immediately sensed the malice in his eyes.

However, before he could do anything, Sass Fantasia had already started shouting.

"Luckily, I've been keeping an eye on you! You actually colluded with the Serpent Worship Cult!"

"I……"

Before Priest Nal Corruption could even do anything, a pack of ferocious city guards surrounded him. These guards had clearly been lying in wait, waiting for the order to be given.

The priest was bound by handcuffs and shackles with runes, which locked his limbs. Completely unable to resist, the priest was escorted to the prison.

The brief commotion naturally attracted the attention of the surrounding people, but after learning that the city guards were arresting spies from the Serpent Worship Cult, the adventurers dispersed.

Only the wolf-headed swordsman remained, staring blankly at his teammates.

"You, how did you..."

Gekala couldn't understand why the mage in the group would betray them at this crucial moment—they clearly shared the same goal, they were all followers of the Four Gods, so how could this be...?

"Shh..."

Just as Gekkar was about to speak, the mage in the group made a shushing gesture.

“You do your thing, I’ll do mine, there’s no conflict between us… I might even help you.”

At this point, Sass-Huanze paused.

"Of course, you also need to do me a favor first."

Sass-Huanze's gaze fell upon the small snake not far away.

"The city guards have already been mobilized, and the mage tower in the city has begun to prepare. As long as you hold off this snake, we can take it down on the spot."

"Take me down?"

At this moment, not only was the wolf-headed swordsman Gekala stunned, but even Du Yi, who was not far away, was speechless.

Ask all the questions again when you fight in Chapter 322.

To set a trap and capture oneself.

Du Yi hadn't heard such words in a long time.

The last time was a long, long time ago, but he didn't hear it himself; he only heard it from the Ignivas people afterward—which is why he had little recollection of the man named David Day when he appeared.

The sudden trap even confused Du Yi, after all, he had only recently awakened and had no grudge against these local natives.

Even if we assume, for all the sake of it, that these local natives really hate him for no reason, where did they get the courage to think they could take him down?

Clearly, at least the alien adventurers in front of them didn't think so, especially the wolf-headed swordsman who had witnessed his attack firsthand, who was now sweating profusely. As for the female assassin in the group, she had long since disappeared.

Only the mage in the group, Sass-Huanze, remained, watching him intently as he retreated step by step behind the guards.