MMORPG: Crowd Control

Riding in the carriage for quite some time, Lei Zhen was getting bored.

It just didn't feel right for him to be in a carriage when a whole steampunk theme style was surrounding him.

To him, it kind of felt out of place.

"Can't we switch to a modernized car or something?" Lei Zhen asked as he noticed numerous vehicles zooming past them, almost as if they were a snail on a racing track.

The feeling of being out of place was more evident as they ventured further into the city.

Without even needing to be told, Lei Zhen could feel the eyes staring at their carriage, almost as if they were foreigners entering their city even though it was most likely true.

To get rid of this discomfort feeling, Lei Zhen decided to open his map, only to see the details slowly being released.

Apparently, the city was called Cinderton and was quite the populated city considering it had numerous pathways to other roads.

There are different types of transportation available here and specialized buildings cater to the needs of those requiring weaponry, blacksmiths, etc.

Time slowly passed by, and the carriage finally stopped in front of a large building that had two clear steam pumped out constantly into the air.

At first, Lei Zhen thought the white, cloudy steams would pollute the air and atmosphere, but to his surprise, it was quickly filtered through the usage of a magic barrier.

'I guess this is what they call when magic meets machinery or steampunk style?' Lei Zhen thought to himself.

The building that they stopped at was called Benestein and seemed to be the highest-rated hotel at Cinderton.

From afar, Lei Zhen saw Jack Scarecrow talking to a manager of Benestein, who was showing a revered and respected expression.

A few minutes later, Jack Scarecrow waved his hand and told Lei Zhen that everything was ready.

Lei Zhen nodded his head and calmly followed Jack Scarecrow.

Benestein's steampunk-themed hotel was a marvel of Victorian-era engineering and artistry.

From the outside, it looked like an enormous clockwork contraption, with its brick and steel facade adorned with spinning gears, whirring flywheels, and hissing steam vents.

And as Lei Zhen entered the lobby, they were greeted by a massive steam-powered clock that ticked and tocked with precision. The walls were lined with brass pipes and valves, and a massive crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling, casting a warm glow over the room.

"This is indeed a one-of-a-kind hotel." Lei Zhen praised the style and design of the hotel.

The reception desk was a masterpiece of mechanical ingenuity, with gears and levers spinning and clanking as the receptionist checked guests in.

To further add, the elevator, which looked like a giant birdcage, was powered by a complex system of pulleys and gears and clanked and whirred as it ascended and descended.

Seeing the meticulous details of design, Lei Zhen was even more astounded by Magnolia to create such a new environment to immerse the players further.

Although he could not see other player IDs directly at the top of their head as most RPGs would have, he could still discern who was a player and who was not based on their actions and gestures.

NPCs had this type of mandated movement that would always have them be polite until certain circumstances compared to players who straight up go into cursing mode in their normal conversation.

"Fuck, I just try to bid for an item in the auction market, but this damn rich fucker raised the bid by 100 times. How the hell was I supposed to get any good shit now?"

"It do be like that man. That's why I stopped bidding and just went straight to the buy now option. Those rich folks would become richer and more powerful while we stay poor."

"Ugh, I'm so tilted right now. Let's just go do some dungeons and hope for some quality items to drop."

"Yeah, I just got this new mechanical gun fixed and can't wait to test this bad boy out."

Hearing the side conversation of these people, Lei Zhen was suppressing his laughter. They were acting like gangsters in a game, but Lei Zhen bet in real life, they are like a tamed puppy, unable to utter any words.

Nevertheless, Lei Zhen didn't interrupt their conversation since they are free to speak however they want. He would merely listen and keep that in his mind.

Sometime later, they entered the elevator, and through the usage of some pulleys and gears, their level ascended to the top floor of Benestein.

At the top floor, Lei Zhen was given almost the entire layout of Cinderton through the windows, and his excitement could barely be contained.

"I've already told the employees of this hotel to have this top floor reserved for you. You can rest assured that this is a secured area with zero surveillance here." Jack Scarecrow suddenly said.

His wording might be difficult for some to comprehend, but Lei Zhen knew what he meant.

After dismissing his crewman to go toward the dining room to enjoy a feast, Jack Scarecrow also had other soldiers do the same, making only Lei Zhen, Howard, and Candice in the current scene.

With only them alone, Lei Zhen took off his mask and smiled briefly at Jack Scarecrow.

"Apologies for my privacy, but this is necessary to prevent some troubles. The name's Lei Zhen." Lei Zhen said and formally introduced himself.

Meanwhile, Jack Scarecrow laughed heartily once he heard Lei Zhen's name.

"Haha, so it was indeed the famous chancellor that resolved the internal and external conflict of Yors Castle. Your achievements were quite a wonder that we at Athea had long heard of." Jack Scarecrow said sincerely.

Lei Zhen was not surprised that he had heard about his achievements.

No matter how hard one tried to hide their identity, some leakage was bound to happen, the only thing was whether the time would be fast or slow.

"I'm no longer a chancellor anymore, Senior Jack. I have resigned from my position and only wish to explore the world." Lei Zhen explained, his thoughts remained unknown.