NOVEL NEXT Chapter 137: Making Potions
Inside the City Lord's Mansion.
Ethan read Lucas's reply. After thinking for a moment, he typed a message.
[Windchaser]: [By the way, did you finish your class change? If you did, come straight to the City Lord's Mansion in Ice City and bring the materials.]
[Lucas]: [I finished the class change, but Ethan, normal players like me can't get into the City Lord's Mansion in Ice City.]
[Lucas]: [Forget the City Lord's Mansion—even the Spire in Safe Zone 9527 won't let me in.]
[Windchaser]: [Just come. I'll send someone to meet you outside.]
Lucas lowered his wristwatch and glanced at Sylvan beside him.
Sylvan asked, curious: "What's up? Is Ethan busy?"
Lucas shook his head. "I don't think so. He told me to meet him at the City Lord's Mansion in Ice City."
Sylvan's eyes went wide. "The City Lord's Mansion? You sure? If players even get close, NPCs drive them off. How would we get in?"
"Climb the wall and sneak in?"
In Dawnfall Online, there are many places players aren't allowed to enter. Almost everyone knows this.
There are tons of players, all kinds of people. Some stubborn idiots even try to force their way in and get one-shot by an NPC.
Sylvan and Lucas looked at each other. If anyone else told them to go to the City Lord's Mansion, they'd think that person was crazy.
But this was Ethan. They figured he might have picked up a quest from a guard or a servant inside the City Lord's Mansion.
That seemed like the only reason he'd ask them to go there.
Soon, Lucas and Sylvan left the station in Safe Zone 9527, took the [Ice Worm], and arrived in Ice City.
As soon as the [Ice Worm] came to a stop, Lucas rushed out first, ran to the flower bed by the station, and started dry-heaving nonstop.
Sylvan didn't look so good either. He hadn't expected that traveling from Safe Zone 9527 to Ice City would be that disgusting.
He forced down the nausea and was about to check on Lucas when an NPC walked over with a warning sign and said with a blank face:
"No vomiting in public. Fine: 1,000 Dawn Coins."
Lucas's eyes went wide. He glanced at the huge [Ice Worm]'s butt, then at the sign, and without hesitating pulled out 1,000 Dawn Coins.
Once Lucas was done throwing up, he slowly stood up and headed with Sylvan toward the City Lord's Mansion in Ice City.
At the gate of the City Lord's Mansion, lots of players were still gathered even though the guards kept shooing them away.
Many stared hard at the main doors, hoping an NPC would pop out with a hidden quest, while whispering:
"When will the City Lord come out? This time I'm grabbing the chance—I'll cling to his leg and beg for a quest!"
"Are you crazy? That's not how you get quests. We need to watch the NPCs, figure out what they want, and guess smart."
"You guys keep waiting. I'm leaving. No player can get into the City Lord's Mansion right now. Don't waste your time here."
What that player said clearly got a lot of people on his side. Many started to walk away.
Just then, Lucas and Sylvan walked over. They asked a player who was about to leave:
"Hey, is this the City Lord's Mansion?"
The player nodded and kindly reminded them, "You're here to pick up a quest too, right? Let's go. Players can't get in."
Lucas didn't care about the guy. While he messaged Ethan to say he was at the City Lord's Mansion gate, he answered:
"Thanks, but I'm not here for a quest. My big bro is inside the City Lord's Mansion. He'll send someone to bring us in soon."
He stayed polite to the helpful player.
But after hearing that, the player gave a mocking laugh and said, "Quit pretending. I've waited here all day. Other than one glimpse of the City Lord, I got nothing."
"You might as well brag bigger. Say the City Lord will personally take you in. I'd at least respect that level of bragging."
Lucas gave him a surprised look. Then he realized the guy was just venting after wasting a whole day.
Sylvan instinctively wanted to throw a punch, but Lucas stopped him.
This is the Ice City hub. Same as Safe Zone 9527, fights are not allowed here.
And if something happened and delayed delivering the materials to Ethan, that would be a huge loss over something small.
Lucas said to the player, "You're a frog in a well. If Ethan says we can get in, then we can."
"Talking to you is a waste of breath."
The player waved a hand, frowned, and said, "Ethan? Which Ethan?"
Right then, Lucas's watch buzzed. He opened it and saw a message from Ethan.
[Windchaser]: [Change of plan. The City Lord got impatient and came out to pick you up. Just say you're my friends.]
[Lucas]: [The City Lord? Coming to get us?]
At that moment, a tall figure appeared at the City Lord's Mansion gate.
Shawn looked anxious. This was about his daughter's safety, so he had to handle it himself.
When the players saw the City Lord of the Ice City hub, they rushed toward him. The guards had to draw their weapons and warn anyone who tried to get close.
Even the player who mocked Lucas and Sylvan earlier turned and ran without a second thought, squeezing into the crowd.
Under the hot stares of the players, Shawn called out, "Which two are [Lucas] and [Sylvan]?"
Many players around them widened their eyes and fell silent for a moment.
The City Lord of the Ice City hub actually called out player IDs?
Is this some kind of targeted hidden quest?
Right then, Lucas and Sylvan quickly shouted, "That's us! We're [Windchaser]'s friends!"
All eyes swung to them, including the rude player from before. He was staring wide-eyed, mouth open, totally shocked.
Shawn gave a light jump, cleared the packed crowd, and landed beside Lucas and Sylvan. He said excitedly:
"Good! As expected of [Windchaser]'s friends—you both look impressive. Sorry to trouble you. Please come in with me."
With the other players looking on in disbelief, Lucas and Sylvan followed Shawn and quickly walked into the City Lord's Mansion.
Right before they went in, Lucas suddenly looked back at the stunned player and said calmly:
"I told you, my big bro is [Windchaser]. If he says I can get in, then I can."
The player who mocked Lucas was filled with regret. If only he had tried to get Lucas and Sylvan to take him inside the City Lord's Mansion!
Too late now!
As the City Lord's Mansion doors closed again, the players outside exploded into chatter.
"Who is [Windchaser]? Is he the one who went in with the City Lord before? He's actually a player!"
"I know! [Windchaser] is a player from our Safe Zone 9527. He once had an NPC kill someone in public inside the safe zone!"
"Damn, for real? Got an NPC to kill someone? And now the City Lord came out to greet his friends?"
"Is this [Windchaser] cheating? Like he maxed favor with all the NPCs or something?"
"No, I'm posting this on the forum!"
Soon, the topic about the City Lord's Mansion in the Ice City hub shot to the top of the game forum's trending searches.
The buzz about an NPC killing someone in public inside a safe zone hadn't even died down, and now there was news that [Windchaser] got the City Lord to come out and greet his friends.
Now all the players in the Ice City hub were arguing about whether [Windchaser] was cheating or had found a bug in Dawnfall Online.
Meanwhile, inside the City Lord's Mansion, Lucas and Sylvan were taking deep breaths. They never expected the one who came out to meet them would be Shawn, the City Lord of the Ice City hub.
They both knew this was all thanks to Ethan.
Soon, they followed Shawn to a lounge. Ethan was sitting on the sofa, waiting for them.
Lucas quickly handed the [Stoneflower] to Ethan.
Ethan gave a small nod and said, "Thanks for the hard work. You two can rest here for a bit."
Lucas and Sylvan weren't tired—they were thrilled. But they also knew Ethan had other things to do and didn't have time to keep them company.
So they stayed in the lounge and watched Ethan and Shawn leave.
As they were looking around, a few servants came in carrying all kinds of fruit and food. They said:
"Honored guests, the lord is busy right now. Please wait here a little longer. These dishes were specially ordered by the lord. Only the City Lord's Mansion in the whole Ice City hub has them. Please enjoy."
Lucas and Sylvan exchanged a look. It seemed Ethan's status was even higher than they thought.
In another room filled with tools for making potions, Ethan laid out all the needed materials on the table and started making the potion from the [Saint Healer's Secret Formula].