Chapter Ninety: The Envoys of Calamity

A new day dawned, and the sun had only just risen.

Chen Qi got up, rubbed his sleepy eyes, and found that yesterday, after first encountering New Sun Game, was the most restful sleep he had had in a long while.

He stretched, then immediately opened New Sun Game.

Inside the game, he and Lantern Shadow Fox were still asleep.

With this time, he could grab a meal and check the group chat while he was at it.

After washing up, Chen Qi glanced at the forum and the help chat group for New Sun Game.

At the moment, both the game’s help chat group and the Daylight Society forum were full of posts proclaiming that beast-tamers were about to rise, that corpse-burners were about to rise, all in a storm of astonishment.

The forums suddenly seemed much busier, as though something truly major had happened.

After eating breakfast, Chen Qi returned to the game’s text.

His primary goal now was to find a safe place and test the exact functions of the two new items.

You wake up. A snowflake lands on your face, cold...

Your face feels a little itchy.

“?”

What is going on?

“Hey, hey, are you still alive?”

A tiny voice calls out to you.

You suddenly open your eyes. Before you stands a woman dressed in black feathered robes, who brushes your face with a black feather.

Instinctively, you grip your longsword and look at her.

Seeing your blade in hand, she recoils in fright.

You study the person before you. She is a Calamity Messenger of the Black River.

You have heard of them from the Night Watchers, and have occasionally seen them in the sky.

The Calamity Messengers of District Eight in New Capital often carry a very long black staff, wear black feathered garments, and ride upon a great crow.

You turn your head and, in the distance, see many great crows; one is usually large enough to carry two people.

You realize that, in the wake of yesterday’s great disaster in Mist City, the Calamity Messenger Corps has arrived here.

Calamity Messengers...

This is no surprise. Aside from bold treasure hunters and deranged madmen, the profession most often seen in and out of the Shimmering Lands is surely that of the Calamity Messenger.

To prevent disasters from taking shape, Calamity Messengers patrol every day, and every seventh day they conduct a major patrol.

A sudden weather-type calamity like the Mist Storm, combined with the Prisoner Hunter, would inevitably draw their attention. If not for the night, they would likely have reached Mist City much earlier.

Chen Qi let out a breath of relief. The Lantern Blossom badge given to him by the Flower Witch, together with the Herb Gatherer badge, should be enough to prove his identity.

After confirming that the enemy before him meant no harm, you look again at the Calamity Messenger. The black-feathered garb she wears is noticeably inferior to the others'. She is a Calamity Messenger apprentice.

This person’s level is lower than yours, so you can view her status panel.

View.

Calamity Messenger Apprentice

Level: 6

Aspect: Shell-Lamp

Attributes:

Strength: 8
Agility: 15
Insight: 40
Spirit Power: 15/20

Level six, Shell and Lamp...

A memory suddenly flashed through Chen Qi’s mind.

He vaguely remembered that Lin Yuqing’s aspect seemed to be Shell and Lamp as well!

Could this person be Lin Yuqing? After all, she was also a Calamity Messenger apprentice.

But in New Sun Game, under normal circumstances, there is no way to tell who is who.

Aside from that odd familiar aura from before.

Of course, it might just be a coincidence, with some Calamity Messenger apprentice sharing the same aspect as her.

To satisfy his curiosity, he directly opened the forum’s chat panel and asked what she was doing.

Diligent and hardworking Calamity Messenger Apprentice: Doing a quest and grinding levels. Do not disturb. (Auto-reply)

Ever since she had been bitten by the crow grassman’s crow, Lin Yuqing had been very busy.

No reply. She really must be busy.

Chen Qi temporarily set aside his curiosity and continued reading.

“Looks like you’re fine. Do you need treatment, sir Herb Gatherer who arrived here?”

Seeing your thin Mist Wanderer’s Garb, the Calamity Messenger before you finally relaxes.

You shake your head, indicating that you are uninjured.

“Please come down with me.”

Seeing that you are unharmed, the Calamity Messenger apprentice gives a whistle, and a great crow flies over.

Would you like to follow the great crow down?

Yes.

You sit upon the great crow and descend together with the Calamity Messenger apprentice.

By now, the daylight has once again begun to blaze, reaching Mist City through the thick fog.

You look around. Here, dozens of seasoned Calamity Messengers hold long staves and continuously probe for traces of calamity. They are investigating the cause of Mist City’s disaster.

Ahead of you stands a person in splendid black feather robes, with half a crow mask covering the face.

You study them carefully. As expected, this is the most outstanding Calamity Messenger of Black River Prison: the Crow Witch.

The Crow Witch closes her eyes and holds a black staff, sensing the calamity before her.

You are curious what the Calamity Messengers have discovered.

Would you like to ask the Calamity Messenger apprentice beside you?

Yes.

You ask out of curiosity.

The Calamity Messenger apprentice looks at you, hesitates for a moment, and then says in a low voice that she will not tell you.

All right...

Chen Qi thought about it. As far as the situation in Mist City went, he already knew quite a lot.

The Crow Witch stops her sensing, shakes her head, then turns back to look at you and the lantern blossom badge on your clothing.

You look at the elegant Crow Witch. She is unusually solemn; this incident is both a disgrace to Black River Prison and a disgrace to their Calamity Messengers.

“Herb Gatherer, hello.

I am the captain of this unit, the Crow Witch. You should have heard of me from the Flower Witch.”

The Crow Witch tells you that this incident is highly unusual, and the entire matter of the sinner’s escape is shrouded in mystery.

In this event, you are one of the few survivors, and the only survivor whose body did not suffer excessive petrification.

The Crow Witch tells you that both this Mist Storm and the sinner’s escape are full of riddles.

All of the Calamity Messengers gather around you. Their information from this ruined-city investigation is limited, and they cannot help but draw near!

They are very curious about this mist calamity!

The Crow Witch hopes you can tell her what happened in Mist City.

Seeing your hesitation, the Crow Witch says:

“Rest assured, Herb Gatherer. We Calamity Messengers and treasure hunters are friends.”

As payment for the information, she is willing to give you one Daylight Coin.

Please make your choice.

One: Tell the truth about your experience.

Two: After a moment of hesitation, make up a story, leaving out the matter of the treasure, and tell it to them.

Three: Remain silent.

Option one would expose me, and option three is too foolish.

I choose two.

Chen Qi clicked option two. In truth, he himself also had some doubts about this incident.

His thoughts churning, Chen Qi looked on to the next text.

You embellish the story, omit the treasure, and tell them the tale you invented. You focus especially on the white-robed figure, and you are yourself curious about the bloodline of that kin-devourer.

Listening to your spirited fabrication, all of the Calamity Messengers display astonished expressions and begin to murmur among themselves.

You actually survived the mist and still remember things so clearly. This is truly a miracle!

The Crow Witch gestures for them to stop discussing and falls into thought. Perhaps she now understands why the Flower Witch gave you the lantern blossom badge.

The Crow Witch says that their Calamity Messengers will be responsible for investigating this case, and that they may still need your help.

After a moment of contemplation, the Crow Witch tells you their investigation is nearly finished.

She hopes you can help them by returning with them to the Calamity Messenger Tower to answer some detailed questions.

They are willing to provide you with a reward of two Daylight Coins, and they will ensure your safety.

The Crow Witch looks up at the sky, where snowflakes are falling without end.

You also raise your head. As the mist disperses, heavy snow begins to blanket the land.

Thanks for the 1,500-coin tip from the Stars Flying All Over the Sky! And the 100-coin tip from the person who was kissed by a pig when they were little! Also, many thanks! And thank you all for the subscription votes!

The End of the Chapter