Things quickly settled down after Jiu Er unleashed a bloodthirsty rampage and scored a quadruple kill right in the street.
The players were a little worried as they thought of running away as the chaos spread.
However, they soon discovered the Overseer didn’t come over to trouble them.
Most importantly, the murder did not stir up chaos on the street.
The players didn’t have the chaotic scene to mask their escape.
Jiu Er killed four people in the street, yet the passers-by showed no concern. They didn’t run away but instead cast surprised glances at the players before calmly walking away with their usual expressions and steady pace.
Lin Yiyi, who was anxiously muttering whether they should run away, was dumbfounded.
What the hell? What’s happening?
Why do these people look like NPCs designed with poor AI?
The wanted level should have increased with stars hovering on my screen. Even if I accidentally killed a chicken, all the villagers would come to attack me. The NPCs in Assassin’s Creed would scream in panic after an assassination. Shouldn’t they at least be scrambling around or running in a panic?
[TN: Reference on GTA, Skyrim, and Assasin Creed.]
However, the folks at Saltpeter Ranch quickly calmed down.
There was even a family of three talking and laughing happily passing by. The little girl’s eerie laughter terrified Lin Yiyi.
What was even more creepy was that the little girl was holding a crossbow.
Like a child running around the street holding a water gun, she wielded a crossbow without any care.
The arrows glinted coldly.
“Is this place called Yharnam [1]?” Suuankou couldn’t help but complain.
Lin Yiyi even had a terrified expression, “Even Gotham [2] lost out to this place.”
What puzzled the players even more was that less than three minutes after the event, an old man with two guns holstered at his waist, and a distinct scent of blood on him appeared. He casually dragged a dark red burlap sack and nonchalantly stuffed the eight bodies into it.
Jiu Er’s axe was still dripping blood, but the old man didn’t even bat an eye.
Even the cleaners only complained slightly when they watched this scene.
Jiu Er was quite bold. Perhaps she developed strange common sense during her days spent “working” in Noah’s royal capital.
Jiu Er ran over to stop the old man, talked with him for a while, and wiped the axe on the old man’s bag seriously.
Then, they nodded to each other and took their leave.
Suuankou was dumbfounded like his sister.
Only after asking the boss in the bar did the players understand what had happened. It turned out that the city had a unique law.
According to the laws of “Saltpeter Ranch”, it was not deemed guilty to “attack others to death after being attacked or provoked”. Similarly, if one’s interests were harmed through methods such as robbery, theft, or intentional assault, as long as the plaintiff could not provide evidence such as witnesses or stolen goods, the Overseer would simply ignore the matter.
If no one claimed the body, it would be carried away and buried by the “corpse collectors.”
They were all believers in the Bone Burying Grandma.
Corpses must be properly disposed of, or undead would be born.
In the Noah Kingdom and Austere-Winter Dukedom, people who engaged in this occupation were usually serious and pious.
However, in Saltpeter Ranch, where people die every day, they had an impatient work attitude in this occupation.
Even the Denizoya Kingdom couldn’t be so chaotic since it was known for its strict laws. The kingdom had the widest range of death penalties and was currently the only nation that strictly implemented the death penalty.
They followed the concept of “deterrence”.
However, the underground region of the Denizoya Kingdom carried over the chaos in the kingdom but lost the strictness of the law because of the government’s liberal approach. The Wise who tried to change the situation at Saltpeter Ranch either failed and fled or were killed.
It became an underground city without the Wise.
The two Diggers here, “the Bloodhand Brothers”, were the kings of this place.
In the end, the players concluded: It would be nice if Delicious Wind Goose were here.
No matter how chaotic this place was here, it was still not as chaotic as Natta County, with no restrictions and taboos.
Delicious Wind Goose, who could chat amiably with Ike Searing-Fang, was a muscular, bald man. Moreover, he was a Sword Saint. If he removed his shirt here, he would probably become a big shot before establishing the teleportation circle.
The barbaric social setting made Lin Yiyi feel insecure.
However, Jiu Er, who used to work as a “safety consultant” at Gray Swan Safety Insurance Company, quickly adapted to this rule.
Less than half an hour after Jiu Er went into the alley alone with an axe in her hand, she returned with useful information.
“Captain of the Stone” Celecia had arrived in the city recently and was resupplying.
Afterward, the players made their way to the reputedly most well-informed tavern called “Stone, Wood, and Glass” – a tavern run by a group of dwarves.
A centaur followed them underground to survive… Perhaps, it could also be interpreted as the dwarves kidnapping a centaur. No one dared to offend this group of dwarves in this place.
No one would fight here.
Even the Bloodhand Brothers would come here to eat occasionally.
Even more so with “Captain of the Stone” Celecia.
“She’s still an old client of mine.” The middle-aged dwarf said hoarsely, “Every two or three months, she will visit this place. This place has the best ‘Saltpeter Mead’. They needed it on the ship.”
“Saltpeter Mead?” Jiu Er asked curiously, “Does it taste like niter?”
“It’s magical wine that can replace niter!”
The dwarf laughed, saying, “The lead bullet soaked in this wine can be fired without gunpowder! The wine soaked in the lead bullet can also be used as fuel; the unsoaked wine can be mixed with fresh water to drink directly. If there is anything in the water, it will sink to the bottom, which is very useful.”
“We used to live in the mountains. You know, there may not be clean water in the mines. But we can use this wine to purify the groundwater or use it for mining… This is the magical wine that only old dwarves can make!”
“Are you very old?”
“You have to call me Grandpa.” The bartender smiled, “I’m 69 this year.”
Another bald, white-bearded dwarf with rosy skin sat at the bar, laughing loudly, “Don’t listen to him! He is 64 years old!”
“Nonsense, I’m 69!”
“How can you fucking be 69. You are three years younger than me! You have to call me big brother even!”
“You are old and confused. You are over seventy already!”
“It’s fine if I’m over seventy, but don’t you brag like that!”
“What did I do wrong?”
“You’re bragging!”
The two dwarves quarreled among themselves, and their voices became louder.
“What’s wrong with them?” Jiu Er curiously asked Lin Yiyi in a low voice.
Lin Yiyi was a little nervous and patted Jiu Er’s arm, signaling her not to talk here.
On the other hand, Citalopram, who was drinking quietly, explained to Jiu Er in a low voice, “The dwarves don’t show their age on their appearance. Their culture is to respect those who are older. The older the dwarves, the more respected they are…”
“Their lifespan is typically around eighty years. Until the last ten years of their life, they maintain a youthful body and can continue to procreate and work. However, in the last decade before death, they suddenly become aged and frail.”
“The ones who can live to be more than a hundred years old in good health are the ‘elders’… If the elders experience ‘aging before death’, their power will soon be taken by the new elders who are older and more robust. “
“That’s right, Half-dead Enchantress.” The bartender interjected, “But I still can’t tell you about Celecia’s information.”
Only then did the players realize that the two dwarves had ended their quarrel at some point.
Their quarrel started quickly and died quickly. However, if anyone thought the dwarves were honest and straightforward, he was fooled… Dwarves were known for their cunning.
They would consciously abduct individuals from other races to work for them and learn from them, assimilating their technologies and incorporating them for their use.
However, Jiu Er vaguely captured something.
If the dwarves couldn’t reveal it, why did they bring the topic back?
Jiu Er quickly understood.
She reached into her pocket, pulled out ten bills, and placed them on the table, gently pushing them forward to the bartender.
“Is this amount acceptable?” She asked in a low voice.
The bartender didn’t even bat an eye.
“We don’t want paper money here, Miss Big Axe.”
The bald dwarf laughed, “Do you think we can go to Silver Sire Church to exchange for it? If anyone here dares to run to the ground, he will be arrested and hanged.”
When he said this, he yelled, “Am I right, scumbags?!”
“You old bastard. Do you want to be shot?”
“Hahaha, don’t make fun of her! Be careful with that big axe!” The tavern just responded with a laugh.
Not many underground citizens were among them, and many were above-ground people. The true underground folks were easy to recognize because their eyes would glow in the dark.
Less than a quarter of those who drink here were people with glowing eyes.
Lin Yiyi reacted belatedly.
Why did it always feel so out of place…
Why was it so chaotic here to an abnormal extent…
Many Austerians were living underground in Austere-Winter to escape the blizzard.
Similarly, people sought refuge underground after fleeing the United Kingdom. They were considered “exiles” who evaded the legal consequences imposed by the United Kingdom.
It’s really the same situation as Natta County.
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