«Although I am stupid, I still want to help the Creator»
The man in front of him had appeared rather abruptly, yet he maintained a comfortable distance that did not feel intrusive. He stepped past He Fang and flipped over another photo frame. “Take a look at this one?”
He Fang followed the man’s gaze. In the photo he held, a man and a young boy stood side by side. The boy’s smile was bright and full of happiness. Judging by his features, he seemed to be the man’s younger self. Both of them were holding fish—one big, one small—and were grinning joyfully at the camera.
The man handed the photo to He Fang, his warm voice carrying a trace of nostalgia. “This was taken with the former director of the Land and Resources Bureau. I learned many wilderness survival skills from him.”
As He Fang examined the picture, another photo was handed to him. He took it.
This one was a solo portrait of a cheerful young woman. She had been tanned by the sun, but her smile radiated warmth. The background appeared to be a mountain peak, with an endless stretch of forest behind her. She was facing away from the sun, her gloved hands forming a playful peace sign.
“This was the director before him. She retired long ago—she’s an old lady now, but still in great health. When I visited her recently, she was taking care of her granddaughter.”
The man seemed naturally sociable. As he shared stories about past directors of the Land and Resources Bureau, he didn’t seem to expect a response from He Fang. However, he kept an eye on He Fang’s expression, changing the topic immediately if he sensed any disinterest.
He Fang found himself drawn in, particularly intrigued by the man’s adventure stories. Despite being talkative, the man’s energy wasn’t overbearing. Instead, it felt as though a new friend was enthusiastically sharing pieces of his life, ensuring the conversation never became dull.
“I’ve been talking for a while now—thirsty? Let me get you a glass of water.”
It was only then that He Fang realized he had unknowingly taken the man’s seat. The computer in front of him displayed numerous photos.
“No need, I’m not thirsty. But you must be after talking so much,” He Fang quickly stood up and said, “You’re Guo Miaofeng, the director of the Land and Resources Bureau, right? Nice to meet you, I’m—”
“You’re the City Lord. I know. We all know who you are.” Guo Miaofeng flashed a wide, toothy grin. “Yes, I’m the current director of the Land and Resources Bureau. My name is Guo Miaofeng. Nice to meet you, City Lord. I hope you won’t mind my tendency to talk too much.”
He Fang blinked. “Not at all. I actually find it interesting.” He truly didn’t mind. However, for an NPC’s first encounter dialogue, wasn’t this a bit too long? Players might be tempted to skip it—but then again, this game didn’t have a skip function.
“Ah, my bad, my bad.” Guo Miaofeng looked a little embarrassed. Despite his tanned skin, a faint blush was visible. “It’s just that I finally got to meet you, City Lord, so I couldn’t help but want to tell you as much as possible.”
“Tell me about what?” He Fang asked, puzzled.
“Tell you more about the past directors of the Land and Resources Bureau—the predecessors who dedicated themselves to this position.” Guo Miaofeng’s gaze was gentle. After speaking, he smiled and added, “City Lord, please wait here for a moment. I’ll go get you a cup of tea.”
This time, He Fang didn’t refuse. Instead, he watched as the man’s figure disappeared through the doorway.
The past directors of the Land and Resources Bureau.
Countless photos lay before He Fang as if in some unnoticed corner of this game, countless seemingly insignificant NPCs had been carrying on a legacy. Like tiny cogs in a vast machine, they quietly fulfilled their roles, contributing to the city without ever being acknowledged.
And now, he had suddenly appeared before Guo Miaofeng. The man was overjoyed, eager to have the achievements of his predecessors recognized.
As Guo Miaofeng chattered on about the former directors, it felt almost as if he were a child proudly boasting about his parents.
“The predecessors always hoped to earn the City Lord’s praise.” Guo Miaofeng placed a teacup in front of He Fang. “I’m sure they would also love to share all their interesting experiences with you. Later, when I tell them about this conversation, they’ll be so happy that I got to speak with the Creator about all these fascinating things.”
He Fang picked up the teacup. It was warm, but not too hot to drink. A floral aroma drifted up—flower tea. The fresh, clean fragrance lingered on the tongue, filling the space around him with its delicate scent.
“This is a flower tea made from wild blossoms the predecessors found in the mountains and dried themselves. I hope you’ll like it.” Guo Miaofeng leaned casually against his desk, smiling at He Fang.
He Fang gazed at the finely crafted teacup, his fingers unconsciously tracing its smooth surface. “I…”
“You work too hard every day.” Seeing He Fang hesitate, Guo Miaofeng smiled gently. “Whenever we return from our expeditions, we always bring back interesting stories to share with everyone. It helps lighten the mood for those who work tirelessly. City Lord, you’ve been working so hard—do my stories help you relax, even just a little?”
He Fang was momentarily stunned. He looked up in confusion, hesitating before asking, “Do I look that serious?”
“Yes.” Guo Miaofeng nodded earnestly. “You look like you’ve lost your soul. Have you been pushing yourself too hard with all the school-related matters? You look terrible.”
He Fang’s face flushed. Was his exhaustion so obvious that even an in-game intelligent NPC could notice it?
“There’s no need to rush things so much,” Guo Miaofeng said in a reassuring tone. “No matter what, your health should always come first. Remember to relax from time to time. A little rest might actually help clear your mind and bring you new ideas.”
He Fang found that the light floral tea truly had a calming effect on him. “Mm. Thank you.”
Perhaps because this was a government building, the entire place was devoid of any harsh noise. Sitting here, He Fang found himself surrounded by tranquility. The small office, though plain and functional, was decorated with touches of greenery—subtle details that naturally drew the eye and helped ease the mind.
“City Lord, did you come to see me about cartography?” Guo Miaofeng finally asked once he noticed that He Fang had fully relaxed.
“Mm.” He Fang set his now-empty teacup on the desk. “I wanted to ask—are you in charge of mapping the city?”
“Of course. It’s my job, after all,” Guo Miaofeng replied with a nod.
“How skilled are you?” He Fang wondered why a city that already had maps would need dedicated surveying.
At that, Guo Miaofeng lifted his gaze to a large city map hanging on the wall. “That’s my work. I personally mapped the entire city, and I’ve been maintaining the updates for the city’s mobile map app as well. Whenever there’s a change in the city, I modify it immediately.”
He Fang was stunned as he stared at the map, which was identical to his system map. “You measured this?”
“Of course. Well, not just me—it’s the result of generations of Land and Resources Bureau directors continuously surveying the city. I’ve recently been mapping this particular area.” Guo Miaofeng gestured toward a section of the map—the area He Fang had expanded later in the game. “The new map has grown recently. Because of ongoing construction, the city layout changes daily. I update the map every three days and upload it online so that residents don’t get lost too easily.”
He Fang looked at the map, still skeptical. “Wait… so the city’s maps have always been surveyed manually by you all?”
“Yes, by ‘us’.” Guo Miaofeng seemed pleased that He Fang had switched from saying ‘you’ to ‘you all’.
He Fang’s eyes widened in disbelief. He had always assumed that maps were automatically generated, just like the system map. But now he realized—this game didn’t have a system like that. Did that mean every map provided to NPCs was manually created by the Land and Resources Bureau?
“…That must have been tough.” Upon realizing the truth, He Fang couldn’t help but sigh in admiration. The level of detail was incredible—even including photos. It felt almost too real.
“City Lord, is there something wrong with the current city maps?” Guo Miaofeng asked respectfully, his tone warm and polite.
The reason He Fang had sought out Guo Miaofeng was to explore the feasibility of mapping the Nightmare Beast Forest. He briefly explained that the research institute was working on cultivating the Revival Nightmare Plant and outlined his initial concept for a railway.
“But the problem is, we still don’t know how large the Nightmare Beast Forest actually is or how long it will take to reach the outside world. Even if we use the Revival Nightmare Plant to build tracks, we don’t know where the railway should lead. What kind of terrain can support the tracks? I believe we need an accurate map for this.”
“So that’s what you’ve been thinking about all this time.” Guo Miaofeng nodded thoughtfully. “Different fields have different expertise, and researchers might not necessarily be skilled at cartography.”
For some reason, Guo Miaofeng sneaked several glances at He Fang, as if trying to confirm something. “But City Lord, are you really set on surveying the Nightmare Beast Forest?”
“Since we’ve confirmed that the forest poses no immediate danger to us, I believe it’s feasible to map it without disturbing the terrain or endangering lives.” Besides, He Fang had already unlocked the system map. If he could collaborate with the Land and Resources Bureau, they might be able to fully map out the entire Nightmare Beast Forest.
A detailed map would be an invaluable resource for the researchers.
“You’re serious about mapping the Nightmare Beast Forest?” Guo Miaofeng asked again, unable to hold back.
He Fang fell silent. He studied Guo Miaofeng, this man who inexplicably gave off a sense of familiarity. Was it just an illusion? He looked genuinely happy about this.
“Is… there some major obstacle preventing us from mapping it?” He Fang cautiously probed. “If the difficulties are too severe, we don’t have to go through with it.”
If necessary, he could return to the researchers and discuss developing specialized mapping tools. In reality, digital mapping was already fully implemented—perhaps he could introduce the technology into his city. If the researchers refined it further, it might even be more efficient than existing methods.
After all, He Fang had approached Guo Miaofeng with the mindset that “every field has its own experts”.
Guo Miaofeng chuckled, revealing a bright smile with a row of white teeth. Despite his handsome features, there was something slightly goofy about the way he laughed.
He Fang was baffled. What was so funny?
Guo Miaofeng suddenly stood up and walked over to He Fang. Just as He Fang was about to get up and give him space, Guo Miaofeng placed a firm hand on his shoulder, keeping him in place.
“What’s going on?” He Fang asked, curious.
Guo Miaofeng booted up a program on the computer. He Fang immediately recognized it—it was the same software he had used for city mapping, one of the most mainstream cartography programs available.
Wait… why was this in the game?
Hold on—why open this program?
As the software launched, He Fang was momentarily stunned. The screen displayed a map identical to the system map. But then, under Guo Miaofeng’s manipulation, a ring of gray areas suddenly appeared around the edges of the map.
Those maps weren’t of He Fang’s city.
They were maps of the surrounding areas—meaning, they were maps of the Nightmare Beast Forest!?
He Fang’s eyes widened in shock, almost unable to believe it. “You… when did you survey this?”
Unlike his own map, which only displayed a gray, unexplored region, Guo Miaofeng’s map marked the elevation changes. However, perhaps due to the nature of the Nightmare Beast Forest, it used a completely different notation system from the city’s maps.
“I started mapping it after Min Zhizhou’s last attack on the Nightmare Beasts when we confirmed that the Nightmare Beast Seeds couldn’t parasitize us,” Guo Miaofeng admitted somewhat sheepishly.
“Why would you go and survey such a dangerous place?! That’s the very thing that caused the apocalypse! Weren’t you afraid?!” He Fang was utterly incredulous.
Under He Fang’s intense gaze, Guo Miaofeng looked a little embarrassed. After all, he had secretly undertaken this project without anyone noticing.
“Because we can’t be certain whether the Nightmare Beast Forest will pose a threat to us in the future. I wanted to understand it in advance so we wouldn’t be caught off guard. Besides, with such a vast new area becoming accessible, I felt it was my responsibility to map it out. Eventually, these maps will be useful to you, City Lord.”
“But that’s incredibly dangerous!” The researchers still hadn’t confirmed whether the Nightmare Beast Forest was completely harmless.
“Please don’t worry! I’ve always been extremely cautious. I never had any contact with Mr. Min. As long as I avoid him, there’s no risk of being parasitized. And every time I go out and return, I carefully clean my clothes to ensure not a single Nightmare Beast Seed is brought back. Please believe me, City Lord—I take this very seriously and would never bring any danger into the city.”
As Guo Miaofeng explained, he spoke with a slight urgency. He Fang couldn’t help but feel that the man resembled an oversized, well-trained dog—independent yet wary of its owner, desperately proving its harmlessness.
That was when He Fang suddenly remembered to check Guo Miaofeng’s status panel.
Guo Miaofeng, 34 years old. Loyalty: Nearly 7,500.
That was an incredibly high loyalty score—there was nothing to be suspicious of.
But He Fang couldn’t help raising an eyebrow at Guo Miaofeng’s attributes. His stats were… extremely lopsided.
His stamina and endurance were overwhelmingly high, far surpassing all his other attributes. And yet, despite having such robust physical abilities, his combat power was absurdly low. He truly seemed like a classic case of “strong but harmless”.
What baffled He Fang even more was the fact that his intelligence stat was actually below the average baseline.
“…How did someone this dumb become the bureau chief?” He Fang blurted out before he could stop himself.
At this point, he was seriously beginning to suspect that the reason Guo Miaofeng felt so unthreatening and oddly endearing was simply because he was too dumb. And if that were the case… did that mean he was also dumb for feeling close to him?!
He Fang’s mind reeled.
“As expected of the City Lord—you saw through my stupidity at a glance,” Guo Miaofeng said, scratching his head. The sharp, competent aura he had tried to project earlier vanished instantly, revealing a completely relaxed and unconcerned demeanor. He even grinned as he continued, “The first director of the Bureau of Land and Resources created the mapping system, then a simplified surveying method was developed, and later, the research institute came up with electronic mapping. The process has actually become much easier over time.”
He Fang suddenly felt lost.
Had he made a mistake? Should he have gone directly to the research institute instead of the Bureau of Land and Resources?
“I may learn slowly, but I’ve mastered the techniques. Besides, map surveying is a long and tedious task. If possible, I’d rather let smarter people take on roles that better suit them, while I handle the more labor-intensive work so they can focus entirely on thinking.” Guo Miaofeng smiled a little sheepishly. “Honestly, even though I’m not the brightest, I believe I’ve worked hard over the years to fulfill my duty of maintaining the maps.”
He Fang froze.
He looked up at the tall, slightly goofy man before him, suddenly at a loss for words.
Lowering his gaze to the map displayed on the computer screen, he asked, “Aren’t you afraid that something might happen to you while surveying the Nightmare Beast Forest alone?”
“I upload my progress to the computer at regular intervals. If something were to go wrong, at least it could serve as a warning for others.” Guo Miaofeng scratched his head again, his face full of awkwardness. “Besides… well, this is the only job I have right now. You’ve already taken care of everything else, haven’t you, City Lord?”
A sudden realization struck He Fang.
In reality, much of the Bureau of Land and Resources’ responsibilities overlapped with his own when he was building the city. Was that why the bureau only had one person?
“This is the only thing I can do. So at the very least, I want to do it well enough to satisfy everyone.”
Guo Miaofeng stood before He Fang, his towering frame slightly hunched. He smiled awkwardly, his expression tinged with nervous anticipation as if bracing for a scolding from someone much younger than him.
He Fang blinked and looked down.
By normal standards, Guo Miaofeng wasn’t qualified to be an essential NPC. But his dedication to a single task, his desire to do it well—He Fang could understand that.
There were many things he himself couldn’t do well, but he still wanted to try.
Even if, in the end, he never received any praise.
No matter how hard he worked, the recognition he deserved always seemed to turn into criticism and dissatisfaction instead.
He Fang looked up, meeting Guo Miaofeng’s anxious gaze. Pressing his lips together, he said, “Entering the Nightmare Beast Forest without my approval is something that deserves criticism!”
As expected, the faint hope in Guo Miaofeng’s eyes immediately dimmed.
But He Fang continued, “However, you did well. Preparing ahead of time and diligently carrying out your work, even without supervision or rewards—that’s commendable. Even when no one was pushing you, you didn’t slack off. That’s something worth praising.”
He Fang acknowledged Guo Miaofeng’s efforts.
Though his unauthorized mapping of the Nightmare Beast Forest was technically a punishable offense, He Fang found himself wanting to affirm the middle-aged man’s dedication more than he wanted to reprimand him.
After all, this was a game. He didn’t want it to be like reality, where someone could work twice as hard as others and still never receive a single word of praise.
Guo Miaofeng, who had looked crestfallen just moments ago, immediately brightened at He Fang’s words. His enthusiasm returned as he said, “I’ve explored the Nightmare Beast Forest countless times. Not only did I successfully map it, but I also discovered many interesting things. City Lord, would you like to hear about them now?”
“Of course!” Even the smallest piece of information could be a breakthrough.
“I don’t know how to distinguish Revival Nightmare Plant, but after observing that soldier, Chong Xiao, when you entered the forest last time, I came to conclusions similar to yours. However, what I really wanted to say is… these things are actually very hard.”
Guo Miaofeng pulled up some video screenshots. “It seems Chong Xiao never mentioned this to you.”
He Fang recalled Chong Xiao’s near-mute communication style. Someone like him probably wouldn’t go out of his way to share information. But he clearly remembered how effortlessly Chong Xiao had shattered the Revival Nightmare Plant inside the forest.
“They’re that hard?” He Fang asked skeptically. “I dug up some of that black soil from the forest recently, and it felt pretty soft.”
“They’re really hard. Maybe you haven’t directly touched the Revival Nightmare Plant, but their toughness is about the same as river stones.”
He Fang’s eyes widened. The hardness of river stones? So Chong Xiao wasn’t just striking dead branches—he was shattering actual rocks?!
“Do you remember the first time we encountered a Nightmare Beast Seed? It scattered dust all over that police officer,” Guo Miaofeng’s words jogged He Fang’s memory of that moment. “Nightmare Beast Seeds seem to be some kind of dust, or something similar to lime. That might be why the research institute suggested using Revival Nightmare Plant for the tracks.”
He Fang hadn’t considered this possibility before. He had no idea, yet an NPC knew?
“Also, even though the Nightmare Beast Forest is shrouded in darkness, it still has weather.”
“Weather?” He Fang’s eyes grew rounder.
“The last time you entered the forest, it was probably an exceptionally clear day, so you didn’t notice. But the forest has wind, rain, and even thunderstorms,” Guo Miaofeng explained. “Mr. Min Zhizhou’s analysis of the mobile cities suggested that they need to keep moving to avoid Nightmare Beast Seed infestations. It’s highly likely that natural forces carry the seeds to places where the cities can’t reach.”
“This… sounds kind of useful, but also kind of useless…” He Fang’s expression was complicated. While understanding the nature of the Nightmare Beast Seeds was important, it didn’t change their current predicament.
“What I mean is,” Guo Miaofeng paused before continuing, “if Nightmare Beast Seeds can be carried by the wind, doesn’t that mean our city should already be full of them?”
He Fang froze.
His eyes slowly widened.
A wave of disbelief washed over him.
“W-What… do you mean by that?” He Fang asked, his voice trembling.
“I just mentioned something I found strange. I don’t really know what consequences this could have,” Guo Miaofeng admitted. His intelligence wasn’t high enough to let him fully grasp the implications of his own observations.
He Fang abruptly stood up. “Sorry, I need to leave for a moment. We’ll talk about the map later.”
“City Lord! City Lord, wait!” Guo Miaofeng instinctively ran after him.
He Fang’s mind was in turmoil.
Guo Miaofeng’s words triggered a realization.
All this time, He Fang had instinctively assumed that people inside the city wouldn’t be affected by the Nightmare Beast Seeds. He had never even considered the possibility that the seeds might already be present within the city.
But… what if the seeds had infiltrated his city long ago?
He Fang immediately called Zhu Yan. His voice, filled with urgency, burst out, “Zhu Yan! The Nightmare Beast Seeds might have already surrounded our entire city!”
“Yes. We conducted an air analysis earlier and detected small amounts of Nightmare Beast Seed particles in the air,” Zhu Yan replied calmly. “How did you find out?”
He Fang stopped in his tracks, utterly dumbfounded. “You… knew?”
“Yes. But since it didn’t seem important, I didn’t bother recording it,” Zhu Yan’s tone was as casual as if he were discussing the weather.
“What about Min Zhizhou?” Wouldn’t he be parasitized?
“So far, all the Nightmare Beast Seeds that have entered the city have had no parasitic capability,” Zhu Yan explained.
“Huh? Huh?!” He Fang’s eyes widened in shock.
“The most likely reason is that the Nightmare Beast Seeds lose their vitality upon entering the city.”
Zhu Yan’s words reminded He Fang—this was the land he had purchased. In the game, that meant real money. Could it be that the Nightmare Beast Forest disappeared because he bought the land? And once the Nightmare Beast Seeds entered the city, they completely lost their vitality, turning into nothing more than harmless dust?
“Secondly, I have another hypothesis,” Zhu Yan continued in his steady tone, which, oddly enough, calmed He Fang down despite his initial panic. “It hasn’t been fully verified yet, but you may want to hear it. I believe the Nightmare Beast Seeds exhibit a peculiar behavior—a form of baiting. When they can no longer expand, they create an innocuous Nightmare Beast Forest on the spot, preserving some resources within uninfected cities to lure people in. Meanwhile, the Revival Nightmare Plant is subtly hidden in different forms around them. This strategy… is extremely cunning.”
He Fang sat down on the government building’s steps. “Cunning…”
“We can’t say for sure that the Nightmare Beast Seeds have intelligence,” Zhu Yan continued. “But their behavior shows a certain level of directionality. They seem capable of making choices. They can only parasitize living organisms and rely on biological activity to move. Yet, they can distinguish between living and non-living things—just like how humans know what’s edible and what’s not.”
He Fang struggled to wrap his head around this. “What do you mean?”
“A mushroom—if you’re not sure whether it’s edible, you don’t eat it. Right now, the Nightmare Beast Seeds might not be able to determine whether Min Zhizhou is ‘edible’, so they aren’t infecting him.”
“Wait… that’s possible?” He Fang was dumbfounded.
“But,” Zhu Yan continued, “if we throw garbage that Min Zhizhou has touched into the Nightmare Beast Forest, it gets devoured instantly. This suggests that the Nightmare Beast Seeds have determined that ‘lifeforms thrown into the forest can be parasitized’.”
A chill ran down He Fang’s spine. It was one thing for NPCs to have intelligence, but was the Nightmare Beast Seed system this advanced, too?
“So, the current situation is this,” Zhu Yan explained. “Min Zhizhou is fine for now, but if he enters the Nightmare Beast Forest without protection, he could quickly transform into a Nightmare Beast.”
He Fang’s heart clenched. He genuinely liked Min Zhizhou as an NPC.
“So as long as he stays inside the city, he’ll be safe?” He Fang asked immediately.
“I believe so,” Zhu Yan answered seriously. “To ensure his safety, I’ve already taken some precautions—such as conducting a full-body scan and implementing additional protective measures.”
“Can you guarantee his safety?” He Fang couldn’t help but ask.
“Of course, City Lord. I will protect anything you deem worth protecting.” Zhu Yan’s voice remained as cold and detached as ever, but the words themselves carried an unexpected warmth. He Fang felt a bit embarrassed for some reason.
“If the city prevents parasitization, where do you conduct your Revival Nightmare Plant experiments?” He Fang asked.
“At the weapons development facility—it borders the Nightmare Beast Forest.”
As Zhu Yan finished speaking, He Fang blinked in confusion. Something felt… off.
“You’ve been entering the Nightmare Beast Forest just like that? Aren’t you afraid of something going wrong? I nearly didn’t make it out last time!” He Fang questioned.
Zhu Yan paused before replying, “Previously, we couldn’t pinpoint our location, so we had to use various methods to ensure our safety. Besides, we only operate near the forest’s edge—it’s relatively low risk.”
He Fang was speechless. Why did everyone insist on running into the Nightmare Beast Forest against orders? Did they not fear for their lives?!
“When you’re about to do something dangerous, could you at least inform me first?” He Fang sighed, feeling like the most disrespected city lord ever.
“Understood. If you deem it necessary, I will compile a daily report detailing all activities, down to the smallest detail,” Zhu Yan replied with his usual reliability.
After hanging up, He Fang felt a lingering unease. Lately, something about Zhu Yan seemed… off. But he couldn’t quite put his finger on what it was.
“City Lord.”
A tall man stood beside He Fang before casually sitting down next to him on the government building’s steps. “Later, I secretly had someone retrieve a soda bottle that Min Zhizhou drank from. Everyone says anything he touches gets parasitized, so I took it into the Nightmare Beast Forest. Strangely… it wasn’t infected.”
He Fang froze. “It wasn’t?”
“Yeah, and then I threw the soda bottle away. The moment I did, the Revival Nightmare Plant around it immediately planted themselves on it.” Guo Miaofeng scratched his head in confusion. “I feel like… maybe the Nightmare Beast Seeds are afraid of us?”
Zhu Yan’s theory surfaced in He Fang’s mind. Maybe Zhu Yan’s guess was correct.
“I don’t know if I’ve discovered enough, but I just hope that whatever I find can at least provide some valuable information for you, City Lord.” Guo Miaofeng turned his head slightly to look at He Fang. “We ordinary residents may not be as smart as the researchers, but we’ll do our best to think and observe, to support you however we can.”
He Fang blinked and remained silent for a moment.
Guo Miaofeng’s attitude wasn’t all that different from the NPCs in most games—supporting the protagonist, assisting them, offering quest rewards and valuable items. They might seem foolish at times, but they often provide significant opportunities for the protagonist.
Yet, perhaps because of the immersive experience of the sensory simulation pod, the hyper-realistic model before him felt indistinguishable from a real person. It truly felt like a conversation with a living, breathing individual.
“Speaking of which, I think there’s a place that might interest you, City Lord,” Guo Miaofeng suddenly said.
“Where?” He Fang asked.
“The mountains.” Guo Miaofeng extended his hand, pointing toward the lush green mountain range in the distance, which stretched seamlessly into the blue sky. “Have you ever been up there?”
“No.” He Fang shook his head.
To him, the mountain range was an incredibly important resource site. In the game, these mountains were vast, covering a large area. The main reason he hadn’t built his city within them was because they contained abundant mineral resources. The city currently relied on the mountains for essential materials.
Moreover, the mountains provided a continuous flow of water. The city’s water supply came from mountain streams, with water treatment plants and sewage facilities built to process it. The initial cost of constructing pipelines to connect the mountains to the city had been quite high.
With such rich resources and the ability to utilize them, the mountains also supported a thriving livestock industry. When He Fang had randomly acquired this particular mountain range, he had felt incredibly lucky.
After “Ruins Without Restart” went online and updated for multiplayer, He Fang had spent most of his time wandering the city. He had never once thought about going up the mountain. After all, in real life, he was physically weak—no way would a stamina-deprived weakling like him willingly go mountain climbing.
Guo Miaofeng turned to He Fang and asked, “Do you remember the stream that supplies the water plant?”
“I do.” There were many streams in the mountains, but He Fang had chosen the one closest to the city.
“Deeper into the mountains, there’s a much deeper and faster-flowing stream. You can even take a boat on it.”
At first, He Fang thought Guo Miaofeng was just looking for an excuse to go play. But then, something clicked. His head snapped toward Guo Miaofeng, his eyes widening in disbelief.
“The edges of the mountains are surrounded by the Nightmare Beast Forest,” Guo Miaofeng continued. “But the forest doesn’t parasitize streams. That stream still exists within the Nightmare Beast Forest.” His expression was calm as if he didn’t realize the significance of what he was saying. “Maybe if we follow the stream, we could see if it leads outside the Nightmare Beast Forest. If we can find an external boundary, we might be able to map the forest’s outer edges… and from there, determine the direction for laying train tracks.”
