I have an Apocalypse City

“I look forward to that day.” Anna smiled and replied.

Over the past week, Song Jian hardly saw Anna. Although she appeared the same as before, Song Jian noticed a hint of exhaustion deep in her eyes.

“If you ever need my help, don’t hesitate to contact me. I’ll come to your side as soon as possible.” Song Jian looked at Anna and said softly.

Upon hearing Song Jian’s promise, Anna’s eyes sparkled, and she revealed a sweet smile, nodding.

Song Jian summoned the Black Dragon and climbed onto its back, heading towards Doomsday City.

He had gained much from this trip. Not only had he obtained an entire set of level-30 epic gear, but he also obtained the title of Viscount in the City of Sin. Most importantly, his relationship with the future mistress of the City of Sin, Anna Katerina, had risen to the level of adoration.

This was crucial for his future development, and even for Doomsday City’s future growth. With his position now, Song Jian was already actively participating in the game’s progress.

“She’s destined to become an Empress.” With the chilly wind in the sky, Song Jian couldn’t help but smile, feeling like he’d hitched a ride on a rising star.

After several days, Song Jian finally arrived at the edge of the Black Mist that enshrouded Doomsday City. Looking from above, the entire region was covered in the mist, impenetrable, as high as dozens of feet, surrounding the city completely. Even the skies above Doomsday City were covered by an invisible dome. Without close inspection, it was hard to detect this layer of light.

Furrowing his brows, Song Jian suspected the Black Mist wasn’t naturally occurring – it seemed heavily man-made. He even vaguely sensed that it was actually a massive Magic Rune Array.

But, with his current understanding of Magic Rune Arrays, he couldn’t see any further clues – it was just a hunch.

Song Jian mentally summoned a blood crow, instructing it to fly towards Doomsday City from above.

As the blood crow neared the dome, it suddenly vanished. In his mind, the connection with the crow was abruptly severed.

Song Jian had a solemn expression on his face. He had suspected that there would be certain defenses in the air preventing access to Doomsday City, but this sudden, silent disappearance sent chills down his spine.

After observing for a while, Song Jian slowly landed the Black Dragon on a hill outside the Black Mist.

Being unable to enter via the air and with dangerous monsters lurking within the Black Mist on the ground, Song Jian shifted his attention to the underground.

However, after careful probing, a look of disappointment appeared on Song Jian’s face.

It seemed like the places shrouded by the Black Mist had been dyed with an ink-like substance. He was sure that, no matter how deep he dug, he wouldn’t be able to create a tunnel under Doomsday City through the ground.

“It seemed easy when the Dark Night Circus entered Doomsday City, but surprisingly…” Song Jian spoke with a bitter smile on his face.

While Song Jian was at a loss, a Goblin suddenly appeared in the distance, riding a Thunder Lizard several times larger than himself.

The Thunder Lizard was burdened down with goods, filling almost every spot on its body.

Seeing Song Jian standing nearby, the Goblin’s eyes brightened, and he steered the Thunder Lizard towards Song Jian.

“Hey, my friend, it seems like you could use some help?” The Goblin jumped off the Thunder Lizard, patting Song Jian’s knee as he convincingly said, “I bet you could use my goods, they’re quite remarkable. Who knows, they might help you out. Of course, we can discuss the price. I can give you a 99.9% discount.”

“Do you have anything that could help me pass through this Black Mist?” Song Jian inquired, pointing to the rolling Black Mist.

“Pass through it? Why do you need anything special? Just walk straight through it.” The goblin was puzzled and looked at Song Jian as if he were a fool.

Song Jian was left speechless, and said, “But there are many dangerous creatures inside…”

“That’s an entirely different problem.” The Goblin chuckled, a scheming look in his eyes.

“So, how much do you want?” Song Jian asked, resignedly.

“I could tell you a method to pass through the Black Mist freely, without any charge at all.” The Goblin grinned widely at Song Jain.

Song Jian shook his head and said, “In this world, the most expensive things are those said to be free. Name your price. Is it ten thousand Doomsday Coins? Or a hundred thousand?”

“It’s genuinely free!” The Goblin chuckled, rubbing his hands and responding, “All I need is for you to provide me with a space in your Alliance’s settlement where I can set up a shop. Of course, I’ll pay the monthly rent.”

“Do you know who I am?” Song Jian asked, a surprised look on his face.

“Of course, how could I not recognize the master of the City of Hope Alliance? I’ve visited your Alliance’s territories countless times. If I want to make a living on your grounds, how could I not know who’s in charge?” The Goblin’s face broke into a flattering smile, “You just don’t recognize me, that’s all.”

“Alright, as long as you can tell me, how to safely enter and exit the Black Mist, I’ll give you a shop. The area should not exceed one hundred square meters.” Song Jian generously offered.

In the past few months, although he had been briefed on the progress of the Alliance, he didn’t have a specific understanding of it. He didn’t know that in the City of Hope Alliance, a shop was like a golden goose. Even if people were waving cash to rent, it was impossible to secure a spot, let alone buy one.

“What, you’re giving me a shop of one hundred square meters?” The Goblin’s eyes widened disbelievingly, “You are the great master of the City of Hope Alliance, you can’t deceive a small Goblin like me!”

“It’s just a shop, no big deal. Why would I need to deceive you?” Song Jian chuckled at the absurdity. As his territory expanded, what seemed to be a precious shop to others wasn’t worth much to him.

But even so, when he returned to the territory of the Alliance and understood the value of retail space within his territory, he was filled with regret. The current price of the shops was at least ten times higher than what he had envisioned.

“My dear lord, you are indeed very generous.” The Goblin was so excited that he was trembling slightly, on the verge of fainting, as he praised Song Jian with clasped hands.

“Enough, just tell me now, how do I safely pass through the Black Mist?” Song Jian replied, shaking his head with a smile.

“The method to safely pass through this Black Mist is actually worth nothing. I will tell you now, my lord!” The Goblin chortled, “Actually, it’s like this…”

…