Chapter 43 -43-The Mayor Is Dead?

Chapter 43: Chapter43-The Mayor Is Dead?

Deep within John’s memories, another family photograph gradually surfaced.

It showed his parents and younger sister from his original world.

His family had been poor.

Yet his parents had never once allowed him or his sister to go hungry.

Later, both of them passed away from illness at a young age.

That left only John and his little sister, depending on each other to survive.

To earn money, John joined a professional gaming team immediately after graduating from high school.

Training.

Tournaments.

Livestreaming.

Power-leveling accounts.

As long as it paid, he was willing to do anything.

He had always believed that, after working hard for a few more years, he would be able to buy his sister a home and let her finish university without worrying about money.

Unfortunately, his body gave out first.

Years of staying up late and undergoing high-intensity training ultimately caused him to die suddenly in front of his computer.

John leaned back against the seat and closed his eyes.

"I wonder how that little troublemaker is doing..."

"All alone over there."

The car remained silent for a long time.

Eventually, he opened his eyes again and carefully packed away the albums and letters.

The past could no longer be changed.

At the very least, he was still alive now.

And he had been given another chance to take control of his own fate.

John started the car.

The engine produced a harsh grinding noise.

The entire vehicle trembled faintly along with it.

He lowered his gaze toward the string of malfunction warnings lighting up across the dashboard.

"It’s time to get a new car."

...

That evening, a streamlined black supercar passed through the residential community’s protective gate.

The deep rumble of its engine echoed throughout the underground garage.

John had spent a small portion of his game earnings and purchased a vehicle that was already in stock.

Bulletproof bodywork.

An independent air-circulation system.

A radiation-isolation layer.

A top speed exceeding four hundred kilometers per hour.

At the very least, he would no longer need to worry about the car falling apart before he could escape from danger.

The supercar slowly pulled into its parking space.

Carrying a box filled with photo albums and letters, John returned to the villa.

The moment the door opened, the aroma of food reached him.

The entire house had been completely organized.

The floors were spotless.

Every piece of luggage had been placed where it belonged.

Even the decorative objects that had been sitting crookedly in the living room had been carefully adjusted.

Dinner had already been arranged on the dining table.

Someone was sitting beside it.

Red twin tails.

A loose-fitting coat.

She was holding a fork and staring intently at the roasted meat on her plate.

Zoey raised her head.

"Why are you back so late?"

"Where did you go messing around?"

John stood in the doorway and remained silent for two seconds.

"This is my house, isn’t it?"

Zoey’s expression remained perfectly natural.

"I know."

"That’s why I’m asking why you came back so late."

Alfred approached from the other side of the dining room.

"Sir."

"Miss Zoey introduced herself as your friend."

"Since we were unable to contact you, I asked the community management to verify her identity. After confirming that she posed no security risk, I invited her inside to wait."

John nodded.

He handed the box in his arms to Alfred, then walked over to the dining table.

"You suddenly came over to freeload?"

"Where’s your own butler?"

Zoey curled her lips.

"I don’t like having outsiders permanently living in my house."

The moment the words left her mouth, she suddenly remembered that Alfred was still standing nearby.

"I didn’t mean you specifically."

Alfred smiled faintly.

"I understand, Miss Zoey."

"For someone unaccustomed to private household service, living with a butler can indeed require a period of adjustment."

His tone remained elegant.

There was not the slightest trace of offense on his face.

"Now that you have returned, sir, I will leave the two of you to enjoy your meal."

"Please call for me should you require anything."

With that, he bowed slightly and quietly left the dining room.

Zoey watched his retreating figure.

Then she looked at John.

"Where did you find this butler?"

John pulled out a chair and sat down.

"The property sales office recommended him."

"Why?"

Zoey lowered her voice.

"I keep feeling like he’s about to drive a Batmobile out of the basement."

John’s hand froze in midair while reaching for his fork.

So Batman actually existed in this world?

Zoey picked up her fork and stabbed another piece of meat.

"I didn’t hire a butler."

"Our houses are right next to each other anyway. One butler is more than enough."

She cut off a piece of roasted meat and placed it on her own plate.

"You won’t mind if I come over for a few more meals, right?"

John stared at her practiced movements.

"You’ve already planned out the future?"

"It’s not like you’re short on money now."

John’s face darkened.

After dinner, Zoey wiped her mouth in satisfaction.

"Don’t forget about the Class Change Scroll."

She waved at John, then left the villa while humming a tune.

Some time later, John returned to his bedroom and lay down inside the gaming pod once again.

[Welcome back to Apocalypse!]

His vision went dark for a moment.

The next second, the streets of Giantwood Town reappeared before him.

It was now early morning on the following day.

The residents were clearing away the traces left behind by yesterday’s battle, while repairs had already begun on many of the buildings along the streets.

John had only walked a short distance when he spotted Zoey and Nonoa inside a nearby tavern.

The two girls were sitting across from each other at a table.

Hand-drawn maps, quest records, and monster information were piled across its surface.

Zoey held her head in both hands.

Nonoa, meanwhile, held a sheet of paper with an exceptionally serious expression.

"Shadow."

"Archer."

"Shadow Archer."

She analyzed the information earnestly.

"Could it be someone who likes hiding in the shadows and shooting arrows?"

Zoey slowly raised her head.

"You spent half an hour analyzing it, and that’s your conclusion?"

"At least it isn’t wrong."

The two of them looked as though they had just endured an exhausting and highly academic debate.

The moment Zoey saw John approaching, she immediately stood up.

"You’re finally online."

"We reorganized all the information."

"Charon’s description, the Command Stone, the Shadow Realm, and every monster tide Giantwood Town has faced over the past ten years. We went through all of it."

"And?"

"Nothing."

Nonoa nodded beside her.

"The Shadow Archer is hiding very well."

John pulled out a chair and sat down.

"I might have an idea."

Both pairs of eyes instantly lit up.

"What idea?"

"Come with me to see the mayor first."

John looked in the direction of the mayor’s office.

"The breakthrough should be there."

...

The three of them arrived at the administrative building.

Morris was not inside the office.

Glen stood alone by the window, while several bloodstained maps lay spread across the desk.

Hearing their footsteps, he slowly turned around.

"You’re here."

John glanced around the room.

"Where is the mayor?"

Grief appeared in Glen’s eyes.

"Mayor Morris departed for Sunset City last night."

"His convoy was attacked while traveling through the northern mountain road."

"The mayor and every member of his escort were killed."

Nonoa’s expression changed slightly.

"They all died?"

Glen nodded heavily.

"The patrol discovered the bodies early this morning."

"The carriage had been completely destroyed. The documents, belongings, and the silver box they were carrying had all disappeared."

Zoey grabbed her twin tails.

"We’re finished."

"The Command Stone is gone too."

Nonoa immediately became anxious as well.

"Our only clue has been completely cut off."

John remained silent for a moment.

"That truly is unfortunate."

Glen studied his expression.

However, John soon raised his head.

"Fortunately, I still have an emblem."

"Since the mayor can no longer reach Sunset City, we’ll have to explain the situation to City Lord Raymond ourselves."

Glen asked,

"Are you planning to leave now?"

"The sooner, the better."

John’s tone remained calm.

"We’ll take the Old North Ridge Trail."

"It’s the shorter route. We should be able to reach Sunset City before the end of the day."

Glen nodded.

"Very few people have used that old trail recently."

"Be careful on your journey."

After bidding farewell to Glen, the three of them left the administrative building.