Chapter Thirty-One: Entering the Newly Aged Map

The Storm Archipelago was an ancient map of Sun City, said to have existed since the city's earliest days of construction. Over the years, it had weathered countless storms, but now it was nearing its end. Though it had not yet been sent to the Bone Desert for burial, restrictions had already been placed on the number and level of players allowed to enter.

Once, it could accommodate nearly a million players simultaneously, with a maximum dungeon level of Lv4. Now, only 300 players could enter at a time, and the highest level permitted was Lv0. It seemed that, before long, the players of Sun City would see this map vanish forever.

Yet, just before the Storm Archipelago was to disappear, a group of players arrived at its entrance—a party of ten, led by two women, with the rest being men. This was Liu Zong and his companions, though Liu Zong and Liu Chun brought up the rear.

At the entrance, another woman from the party addressed the map’s gatekeeper directly, “We’re here for the Storm Archipelago. Here are our tickets.”

If Xu Linlin gave off the impression of sharp metal, this woman—standing barely one meter forty, her face like a doll’s—was a living flame. Despite her petite stature, her figure was anything but childish; her chest was more reminiscent of bouncing basketballs than a little girl’s. Her long red hair danced with every step, as if it were fire itself.

She was known as Sister Yan, the third of the Triad of Magic and Martial Sisters from Sun City No. 3 High School. Her full name was Zhu Yan, a student of level 42,952, with an innate affinity for fire in both magic and martial prowess.

She was also the key figure in this mission. As Liu Zong had learned during their journey, Zhu Yan’s family had been present since the founding of Sun City, and the Storm Archipelago had once been among their most active territories. Long ago, an ancestor of Zhu Yan’s had planted a seed somewhere on the archipelago, intending it as the family’s legacy. But for reasons unknown, the seed vanished without a trace.

Years had passed as the Zhu family searched in vain for a way to reclaim it. Now, with the Storm Archipelago on the verge of obsolescence, Zhu Yan was entrusted with the task of recovering the seed—her last chance. The current restrictions meant she could bring only ten Lv0 players with her.

Because of this, Zhu Yan was exacting in her selection of teammates. Not only did she require personal recommendations and character references, but she insisted all participants be skilled in both magic and martial arts.

As for what Zhu Yan was thinking, Liu Zong didn’t much care. At the moment, his curiosity was fixed on the entrance to the archipelago. He’d heard of the Storm Archipelago before, but it was always overcrowded, so he’d never had the chance to explore it himself.

He never would have guessed that the entrance was a colossal steel airship. Except for the four giant balloons tethered above by ropes, it looked much like an old Western sailing vessel—far from modern, even somewhat dilapidated.

Upon boarding, Zhu Yan and Xu Linlin, clearly familiar with the process, fetched what seemed to be parachute packs from the cabin and slung them over their shoulders. Liu Zong and Liu Chun didn’t understand what was happening until the others did the same, prompting them to rush into the cabin as well.

Once the parachute packs were on, Liu Zong dared not act rashly. He and Liu Chun blended into the group, watching and waiting to see how things were done.

By now, the airship had entered the clouds. Fierce winds and flashes of lightning battered the vessel, making it shudder violently. After more than an hour in flight, a voice boomed from the ship: “We’ve arrived! Prepare to land! Pray if you have faith, and if not, hold on tight to something sturdy!”

Before Liu Zong could react, the airship lurched violently and then plunged downward at terrifying speed, as if completely out of control. He and Liu Chun had no idea what was happening and were thrown toward the prow. Fortunately, they were quick enough to seize the nearby mast and avoid being flung off the ship.

Even so, it was an experience beyond Liu Zong’s wildest imagination. They plummeted from tens of thousands of meters, the ground rushing up to meet them—when, suddenly, the airship jerked to a halt, hovering head-down just three meters above the ground.

With a series of creaks, the vessel righted itself and gently settled to earth. Zhu Yan and Xu Linlin, clearly used to such landings, wasted no time jumping down from either side of the ship as soon as it steadied. Only after the others had leapt to the ground did Liu Zong and Liu Chun follow suit, gathering their belongings as they went.

Once on solid ground, they all breathed a sigh of relief and took in their surroundings. They found themselves in a desolate wasteland, everything around them shrouded in dull gray. The sun hung unmoving in the western sky, neither setting nor rising, casting a perpetual twilight over the land.

No bustling city greeted them at the landing site—only a small nest nearby, where more than a dozen flying beasts rested. These creatures had the heads of wild boars and the bodies of bats.

As the airship came to a halt, a figure emerged from the nest. He was noticeably thinner than a normal person, his skin an eerie bluish-gray, and his eyes entirely white, like those of a long-dead corpse. Yet Liu Zong sensed no trace of negative energy from him; rather, there was a vibrant life force pulsing in his chest.

The man hurried to the airship, speaking rapidly. It was clear he was well acquainted with the crew. After a brief exchange with the captain, the latter turned to Zhu Yan and said, “The outpost you were headed for was destroyed today. The remaining flight routes will cost extra, and the route to the Thousand Needles Base has been cut off. The northern sector is basically inaccessible. The southern sector is dangerous as well—you won’t get far on ordinary boar-winged beasts. If you want to go, you’ll need to take the battle mounts.”