Chapter 47: Artistic Graffiti

Chapter 47: Chapter 47: Artistic Graffiti

’Strange. If there really is a player in Chaotic City, isn’t that guy Najir Buffon afraid of getting backstabbed?’

This was the point that Chen Qi found most puzzling.

Najir Buffon possessed the Perception of Fortune and Misfortune, so he definitely wouldn’t be courting death.

But his own strength was utter crap, and even if that Xiaowang Card was special, he hadn’t finished merging with it yet.

What made him so confident he wouldn’t be killed by the Mysterious Player in the city?

Chen Qi pondered for a moment before deciding not to enter Chaotic City just yet.

In his perception, the brightly lit city seemed to have come alive in the darkness, quietly waiting for its prey.

He refused to be the first one to serve himself up on a platter!

Besides, his mission target was only Najir Buffon. There was no rush!

So what if someone beat him to it? As long as he could find Najir’s body, the mission would still be considered complete.

After leaving Talin City, Chen Qi vaguely sensed he was being followed!

He instantly understood why he had received the mission—because he hadn’t signed a contract, he could be used as a "locator."

By leaking "his" whereabouts, they could help interested parties pinpoint Najir Buffon’s location.

That was why his mission was so simple and didn’t require him to retrieve the Xiaowang Card.

And just as Chen Qi suspected, while he was hesitating, four other players had already arrived near Chaotic City.

...

"The target has stopped moving?"

"Did Najir hide inside Chaotic City?"

"Heh, coward. We’ll know if we just go in and check!"

The four players each had their own plans. Two of them used the cover of night to walk into the brightly lit Tulun City.

The other two players were far more patient. As long as Chen Qi didn’t move, they wouldn’t either, content to enjoy the breeze and admire the moon.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

BOOM! RUMBLE!

Not long after the two players went in, the once-brilliant metropolis was suddenly plunged into darkness.

In the next instant, gunfire and cannons roared in unison, and the air filled with a clamor of voices!

The once quiet and peaceful city immediately turned into a battlefield.

Over a dozen armed helicopters even appeared in the skies above the city.

PING! PANG! What a chaotic spectacle!

"’Heh, just as I thought. Other players have caught up.’"

"’Is this Chaotic City’s way of welcoming people?’"

Inside his maglev sports car, Chen Qi sipped his drink and enjoyed the show.

He adjusted his eyes to low-light, long-range vision mode and could faintly see the two poor schmucks being chased and shot at by the helicopters.

But Chen Qi wasn’t gloating too much. He knew that this level of firepower alone would never be enough to take down those two players.

Any player showing up here now was aiming to seize the Xiaowang Card, so they were bound to have formidable combat abilities.

Sure enough, the battle unfolded just as Chen Qi had predicted.

One of the players suddenly shot into the sky, and the pursuing helicopters were instantly blown to pieces.

"’An ability to control wind?’"

Although he was far away, Chen Qi could faintly make out the cyclone of air surrounding the player!

Unfortunately, after taking out his immediate pursuers, the player completely melted into the night and vanished.

Similarly, the other player also managed to escape from Chaotic City.

This wasn’t because they lacked the ability to eliminate their "enemies," but because both players knew very well that their real enemies, from the very beginning, were the other players hiding on the sidelines, watching the show.

No one was a fool!

...

"’This city really has character!’"

Chen Qi commented silently, then closed his eyes to rest.

All that "arduous studying" over the past few days had been quite tiring. It was a good chance to relax and take a break!

Chen Qi slept soundly. He had to admit, the four other players nearby were quite "civilized"—they showed no intention of disturbing his sleep!

Clearly, until Najir Buffon showed his face, they could all still be friends.

When the sun rose, the Leiteri Squad, having traveled from afar, brought Chen Qi a delivery of Talin City’s local delicacies!

Given that the residents of Chaotic City might be "less than friendly," Chen Qi was afraid someone might steal the wheels off his beloved car, so he decided not to take it inside.

So he had summoned the Leiteri Squad specifically to watch his car!

Of course, that was just a side task.

The Hummingbird Squad’s real mission was "to prepare for any unforeseen circumstances." Though they might not be needed, what if Chen Qi required backup?

Judging by last night’s events, the trouble he was about to face involved more than just other players.

...

After breakfast, Chen Qi casually strolled into Chaotic City.

And not long after he entered, the four other players also went into the city.

By day, Chaotic City was unexpectedly bustling and prosperous!

Chen Qi had expected to be greeted by a hail of bullets, but to his surprise, the heavily tattooed gang members paid him no mind at all!

Chen Qi walked casually through the streets, admiring the scenery of Chaotic City!

It was a slightly dilapidated city, and you could occasionally see bullet holes in the pockmarked walls.

But the people living here didn’t seem to mind at all.

They went about their own business and lives, showing not the slightest trace of fear!

Although he could occasionally see a few gang members collecting protection fees, Chen Qi saw a sense of order and rigor in their actions.

"’It truly is a Heaven for gang members, gathering all the elites from across the country!’"

"’Compared to those dirtbags in Tarun City, the gangs here actually have some class!’"

Chen Qi, with his extensive experience living in the slums, offered his expert commentary!

No wonder these guys were so ferocious last night. Ordinary gang members wouldn’t dare to provoke a player!

...

"’Strange, that feeling from last night has vanished, or at least it’s very faint.’"

"’This place is a bit weird, but it doesn’t feel all that different from any other city.’"

After wandering around for a full half-hour, Chen Qi still hadn’t sensed any particular danger!

His "Intuition" wasn’t giving him any strong warnings!

Of course, Chaotic City was ultimately different from other cities.

Perhaps because it had gathered too many "talents," the graffiti art scene here was flourishing like never before!

On street corners, roadside barriers, and even billboards, there was "artistic graffiti" with bold colors and bizarre designs!

It was no exaggeration to say that 70% of the city’s surface area was covered in graffiti!

As Chen Qi casually walked down a street, he could see "violent artists" unleashing their creativity amidst a cacophony of music!

Avant-garde, post-modern, abstract, inscrutable—all sorts of strange and eccentric patterns were brought into the world by these violent individuals, venting their frenzied and irritable emotions.

The graffiti was so infectious that after staring for a while, Chen Qi felt his own emotions starting to stir.

"’Something seems off about this graffiti!’"

Perhaps it was because he had been staring for too long, or perhaps it was due to some talent Chen Qi possessed!

Before Chen Qi’s eyes, the abstract, distorted graffiti began to shimmer and shift, rearranging itself!

They were clearly the work of different violent artists, in completely different artistic styles.

This graffiti, which would look chaotic and random to an ordinary person, now linked together in perfect harmony, forming a string of text that was very familiar to Chen Qi!

"’Is this a Shape Changed form of Sleep Text?’"

"’But how could these gang members be proficient in an ancient script? And it seems like every one of them is!’"

Sleep Text was one of the 15 ancient scripts mentioned in the Comprehensive Guide to Ancient Civilization Basics.

Its learning difficulty was second only to three other ancient scripts, including Divination Text!

Legend had it that it was created by ancient humans in their dreams, which was why it was so full of absurdity and abstraction.

When ordinary magic apprentices studied it, they would often fall into a dream state.

Or rather, they learned the script within their dreams.

But how much they remembered upon waking was anyone’s guess!

Therefore, while learning this script wasn’t determined by talent, it was filled with uncertainty!

Thanks to his powerful bronze dice, Chen Qi had been able to skip this dream-learning process entirely!

For him, the process of learning Sleep Text was no different from learning any other script.

That was why, upon encountering a Shape Changed form of Sleep Text for the first time, Chen Qi hadn’t recognized it right away.