Apocalypse: Everyone Levels Up, I Return to the Time Before the Server Opened-Chapter 67
Chapter 67: The Novice Village Actually Has Two Teleportation Arrays!
“They?”
The city guard followed Ning Qianjun’s gesture and looked over. Seeing the few bare-chested foreign human players, he smiled and said, “They’re just like you, outsiders. However, they didn’t pay the entry fee. Without identity cards, they were stripped of their equipment and driven out of Zhouxing City. They were then killed by monsters outside, revived at the city’s altar, and captured again. Now, they’ve been relegated to laborers, building the city walls.”
“This, this…”
Ning Qianjun and Ning Qingyue exchanged glances, both at a loss for words.
Even in reality, they had never seen something so brutal.
Before they could speak, the city guard continued, “Some outsiders disappeared without a trace, but their criminal records remain. When they reappear, they’ll be dragged back to continue their labor until they’ve earned 100,000 gold coins and obtained an identity card. Only then can they leave and live normally.”
The siblings quickly understood.
Those who disappeared must have logged off. But unless they stayed offline forever, once they came back online, they would be recaptured to continue hard labor.
The city guard’s tone hardened, “Since you two are outsiders, I’ve wasted so much breath explaining things. If you refuse to cooperate, the man will stay to do labor, and the woman will be taken into the city to serve as a slave!”
“Wait! We’ll pay!”
Seeing the soldiers growing restless, Ning Qianjun hurriedly paid the entry fee.
Each had to pay 100,000 gold coins,
In an instant, 200,000 gold coins vanished from their wallets.
Ning Qianjun’s heart ached terribly, while Ning Qingyue fumed in frustration but was helpless.
Who would’ve thought a game could bully players like this? It was outrageous!
On the other side, the guard’s face immediately brightened with a warm, friendly smile after receiving the money.
His tone completely flipped as he chuckled, “Since you could each come up with 100,000 coins, you must be extraordinary. Once you truly settle into Zhouxing City, you’ll find that this 100,000 gold was well spent.”
He then handed them their identity cards.
Upon inspection:
[Identity Card (Common)]
[Name: Ning Qianjun]
[Status: Civilian]
[Rights: None]
[Privileges: One free entry/exit to Zhouxing City per day.]
[Identity Card (Common)]
[Name: Ning Qingyue]
[Status: Civilian]
[Rights: None]
[Privileges: One free entry/exit to Zhouxing City per day.]
“Just this?”
The siblings were deeply disappointed.
Just then, as they were about to enter the city, two more level 10 players teleported over from another Novice Village. Both were female players.
Their situation was similar to Ning Qianjun and Ning Qingyue, but the two girls clearly couldn’t afford the 100,000 gold coins.
The city guard approached to collect the fee, but the girls scoffed and refused.
“You touch me and see what happens!”
“My boyfriend’s a top player, decked out in Purple Rare gear! He’s bringing his guild soon to smash down your stupid gates!”
“Stay away from us, you dumb NPCs!”
When the soldiers moved closer, the two girls even fought back, scratching and clawing at them.
In the next instant…
“Kill them!” the guard barked coldly.
Slash! Slash!
In the blink of an eye, the two girls were decapitated, their heads rolling across the ground, blood spurting everywhere.
Their bodies collapsed with a thud.
The city guard then ordered, “They can revive for now. Let them revive at the altar. Once they’re back, capture them again and send them into the city as slaves.”
“Yes, sir!”
The soldiers complied.
Witnessing this scene left Ning Qianjun and Ning Qingyue shaken.
If they had tried to resist just now, their fate would’ve been the same!
In front of these NPCs, even level 10 players were like ants, completely powerless to fight back.
Without daring to delay further, the siblings quickly entered the city.
They followed the guidance to find the appropriate guilds to join and undergo their job advancement:
Ning Qianjun, being a mage, needed to join the Mage Association.
Ning Qingyue, a priest, needed to join the Holy Church.
As they entered the city, they were instantly captivated by the bustling scenery.
It was as if they had traveled through time into a dazzlingly prosperous and romantic new world.
Zhouxing City’s streets stretched in all directions, filled with carriages, noble lords, commoners, wandering swordsmen, and even exotic foreigners.
The city buzzed with life.
By afternoon, under the setting sun and glowing clouds, Zhouxing City looked like it was wrapped in a fiery canopy.
The trees along the roads swayed, flowers bloomed in riotous colors, and birds sang as they flew, filling the city with vitality and energy.
“This… this is really a game?”
Ning Qingyue stared, wide-eyed and breathless, utterly shocked.
Meanwhile, Ning Qianjun felt a growing unease.
He suddenly recalled meeting an old man surnamed Xin in the game.
That man had mentioned a frightening thing: monsters from the game had started appearing in reality.
His family elders clearly knew about it, but they hadn’t publicized it widely.
It seemed they were hiding something.
Game? Reality?
Ning Qianjun took a deep breath and said to his sister, “Come on, let’s find where we can change classes.”
—
Meanwhile, back in the Novice Village…
Ye Qiu, unaware of what the Ning siblings were experiencing, had already anticipated all this.
In his previous life, many players had posted about similar experiences on various forums.
Including Ye Qiu himself, who had gone through it once!
The Heavenly Summer Empire under which Zhouxing City was located had nine major cities.
Zhouxing City was simply the first city most players would be teleported to and the most prosperous one.
However, players didn’t have to go to Zhouxing City exclusively.
Each city had different rules:
Some allowed free entry once players reached level 15.
Some cities had no defenses at night.
Some coexisted with monsters.
Some were slum zones where players could still live normally and take on quests.
As for Ye Qiu, he hadn’t rushed to use the teleportation array to leave the Novice Village because the Novice Village actually had two teleportation arrays!
One led to Zhouxing City.
The other…
