NOVEL NEXT Chapter 75
Chapter 75: Conflict! The Influencer’s Dilemma!
The tower was enormous.
Up close, its sheer scale was breathtaking.
Not only did it soar into the clouds with over a hundred stories, but it also covered an immense area, roughly the size of five or six football fields.
Eight entrances were built into the structure, one on each side.
At each entrance, fully armed soldiers patrolled in squads.
Their expressions were cold and emotionless, exuding a faint, chilling aura.
“Whoa, that tower is huge!”
“Damn! The area it covers is even bigger than the tallest building in Shanghai!”
“I heard that it’s where the Lord of Zhouxing City resides!”
“Why is there such a large crowd up ahead?”
“Seems like there’s a dispute about the cost of entry!”
“Don’t even talk to me about fees! Just entering the city cost me 100,000 gold coins. Now I need to pay again to change class, and it’s even more expensive!”
“I regret teleporting to a big city early. I should’ve stayed in the Novice Village to save money.”
“Same here…”
“Someone’s been killed! Someone’s been killed!”
Despite the grumbling, the players still queued up in a relatively orderly fashion.
First, it was a habit formed back in the Novice Village.
Second, there wasn’t much choice. These soldiers would kill without hesitation.
In some cases, they were even more ruthless than the system itself!
Some NPC soldiers even camped near the revival altar to capture newly resurrected players — either driving them out of the city or forcing them into labor.
Needless to say, players were constantly being oppressed.
Yet they had to swallow their grievances and press on.
Most of these level 10 players were hardcore grinders, many relying on this game to earn a living.
They couldn’t afford to break the rules or provoke the NPCs.
The risk of being targeted was just too high.
At this moment, another player had clashed with an NPC only to be killed. His body was dragged away by soldiers.
The rest could only simmer in silent frustration.
Some, though, were amused by the drama.
“I’ve got money!” A player decked out in purple natural-element gear confidently handed over his fee to the tower gatekeeper.
He then turned to mock the others behind him, “Bunch of broke losers! Go kill monsters for gold or buy coins with real money! Causing a scene in front of NPCs, what a disgrace to players everywhere!”
The crowd looked stunned.
Despite having just paid the hefty entrance fee, this guy still had enough to cover the even more expensive class change fee?
But after hearing his insults, the crowd’s expressions darkened.
“What? Angry now? Broke scrubs always blame everything but themselves. You’ll stay poor your whole lives!” the nature-type player continued arrogantly, showing off his class-change emblem and preparing to enter the tower.
Then, a large hand grabbed him by the collar.
“Who said you could leave just like that?” a deep voice rang out.
A brawny warrior player stepped forward, his face stern, eyes locked onto the nature player.
Behind him stood a group of equally muscular allies, all cracking their knuckles and ready to throw down.
“You… what are you doing?!” the nature player stammered.
But he quickly steeled himself, growling, “The NPC soldiers are right there. If you start a fight, they’ll arrest you!”
Smack!
A sharp slap answered him.
“You—!” The nature player froze.
Someone actually hit him?!
The warrior’s tone was cold and calm, “Sorry, but I checked with the soldiers. As long as we don’t disturb the locals, player-on-player fights are none of their business.”
Smack! Smack!
Two more slaps followed.
“Those are for your filthy mouth,” the warrior added, “Don’t think that just because you’ve got some cash in real life, you can run your mouth wherever you go.”
The players in the queue, and those watching, instinctively stepped back, not wanting to get caught up in the scuffle.
“Wait a sec. Isn’t that guy the fitness influencer?”
“Yeah! Didn’t expect he’d hit level 10 already and bring his whole squad too!”
“He runs a gym, and all those guys behind him are his trainees. His video content is all about standing up for others and helping people out.”
“Someone’s recording this!”
“Tch tch… that nature player picked the wrong guy to mess with!”
“You sure about that?”
“He dared to insult people like that. You think he’s just some random?”
“I think I recognize him… yeah! That nature-type player is a notorious rich brat from Beijing. His dad’s a government official, his mom owns a company, and he spends his days partying and hanging out with other spoiled heirs.”
“Meh, as long as he’s not breaking the law, rich people can do whatever.”
“Pfft… ever hear about the crackdown on illegal street racing a few years ago? Know what triggered it? That guy and his buddies were racing at night and killed someone, then got someone else to take the fall!”
“Holy crap! That’s disgusting!”
“He killed a married couple. Their kid was the only one left alive.”
“Money really does let you do anything!”
“No kidding!”
The gossip among players continued.
Most of those who had reached level 10 and could afford the city entry fees were either hardcore players or people with money in real life.
Many had bought gold with real currency.
They often recognized one another, coming from the same circles, having moved in similar social spaces.
“You dared hit me!!!” The nature player’s face was twisted with rage, handprint still fresh on his cheek.
He glared murderously at the influencer warrior.
His voice was low and full of menace, “Kneel and apologize right now, or I’ll show you that in this world, strength alone doesn’t mean justice.”
The influencer froze.
He didn’t even know this guy.
He had stepped in purely out of principle.
In real life, he was a video creator, an influencer who produced clips on exposing injustice, helping others, and doing good deeds.
Every video garnered millions of views.
He owned a gym and had the build to prove it, earning him a decent fanbase.
Since entering the neural game world, he had continued in the same vein. He upheld justice with even more freedom.
In real life, violence wasn’t an option. You had to call the cops.
But here, you could fight and even kill.
Just a few (in-game) days ago, he had posted a video where he confronted a player who looted someone else’s drops.
When the guy wouldn’t back down, he fought him and accidentally killed him.
Someone else recorded the scene.
The clip exploded online, racking up millions of views and widespread praise.
Because the neural game world was still considered a “game,” it wasn’t yet subject to real-world laws.
One legal influencer, “Zhang San,” even posted a legal commentary about it: “Killing in-game currently isn’t considered a crime.”
So the influencer grew bolder, more direct.
But now, he hesitated.
Because he’d just overheard the crowd’s whispers.
This nature-type player wasn’t just some punk.
He had serious real-world backing.
The influencer, despite his popularity, was just a regular civilian.
A few words from someone that powerful could destroy everything — his career, his income, even threaten his family.
His mind raced through countless dark scenarios.
Just then, one of his trainees barked from behind, “Boss Iron! That guy’s threatening you now?! What a bastard. He needs another beating!”
And with that, the trainee stepped forward, ready to throw a punch…