Rotten God Kingdom

For the first time, the city of travelers came to a halt during the day, without trading, without encountering scenery, and without facing monsters.

"I have an announcement to make!" The guide stood on the steps at the entrance of the sanctuary, his face bruised and his speech slurred, but he was still excited.

He looked at the hikers trailing behind the city: "From today onwards, you can leave."

leave?

A hint of doubt flashed through their minds.

For them, it's either follow the city, die, or mutate into a monster; there's no fourth way.

The guide is now telling them to leave.

"I've personally tested it; leaving the city won't turn you into a monster. This Brother Wang Jin has a preliminary grasp of the album and has modified the city's laws." The director's voice was loud, but not loud enough for thousands of people to hear him clearly.

Travelers spread his words.

Excitement spread through the crowd.

Especially those who have no house or car, they watch helplessly as they fall into the abyss of death, their hearts already filled with despair.

Now, hope has suddenly appeared before us.

After the initial excitement wore off, they were filled with confusion.

Even if they could leave, where could they go?

They've been chased by this city for so long that they've forgotten they can go elsewhere.

The guide had clearly taken this into account, saying, "Next, Traveler's City will prioritize visiting nearby cities. If you find a suitable place, you can stay there."

The guide didn't know how many people were willing to stay, but presumably, those who did stay were true travelers.

There might only be a few hundred people left, making them a smaller target and much safer than they are now.

"You can decide for yourselves. Those who want to leave can leave now. The city will depart in two hours."

The crowd dispersed.

Some people started packing their luggage, while others stood there in a daze.

"Brother Jiang Wang, are you going to stay?" Director Xiang's eyes were burning with desire.

If Jiang Wang is willing to stay, he can finally be relieved of his burden.

Constantly worrying about the survival of seven or eight thousand people is incredibly stressful.

Jiang Wang touched his nose, thinking to himself, why are all these city officials so eager to shift responsibility onto others?

The bureau chief is like that, and so is the director.

"I'll leave once I reach my destination, the City of Music, you know."

"Alright," Director Xiang sighed, then turned his gaze to Wang Jin and asked, "What about you?"

Wang Jin smiled and slung his backpack over his shoulder: "I'm leaving now. This place is still not suitable for me."

"So soon?" Jiang Wang couldn't help but ask.

"Anyway, I don't have much luggage." Wang Jin got his luggage back from Aru. His big black pot and camera were still there.

Perhaps because Aru always ran away quickly when facing danger and never considered Wang Jin, her nominal husband, she felt a little guilty towards him. She not only readily gave him all of his belongings but also gave him extra food.

"Travelers need freedom, they can go wherever they want. The world is vast, and you can go anywhere on foot." Wang Jin was quite carefree, and he was also the first person to leave the city.

Some travelers saw Wang Jin leaving and their hearts began to waver, so they also packed their bags and prepared to leave.

"Brother Jiang," Wang Jin suddenly turned around and said, "We haven't known each other for very long, but I can tell you're a good person."

"You too." Jiang Wang waved goodbye.

"goodbye."

"goodbye."

In this era, goodbye means never seeing each other again.

There will be no chance to see each other again, and it will be impossible to receive news of the other person's death. Only a vague shadow of this person remains in my memory, proving that he once came into this world.

The photo album next to the director suddenly flipped open with a clatter, and the reaction was particularly intense.

In that instant, it finally recognized Wang Jin and his free will as a traveler.

Director Xiang couldn't help but chase after him, shouting at Wang Jin, "Brother, come back!"

Wang Jin had his back to this side, seemingly sensing something, but he didn't turn around, he just waved his hand.

The guide was very pleased, pleased that such a pure traveler could still be seen in this era. Although he was briefly lost when he entered the city, he eventually found himself again.

The director was very angry. He was angry because even though Wang Jin had left, he still wanted to continue being the director.

He turned his head in disappointment and asked Wang Ye, "What about you?"

Wang Ye scratched his head with his one arm and said helplessly, "I won't survive long in the wilderness like this. Besides, I don't have any aversion to the Traveler's City. I'll go wherever everyone else goes, which is fine."

Whether you're looking at scenery alone or with someone else, it's still the same.

There's not much difference.

The director almost burst into tears.

Finally, someone was willing to stay and keep him company.

"Why don't you let me try your booklet? If Wang Jin, that gigolo, can do it, I don't think I'm any worse."

Director Xiang looked suspicious, but still handed over the photo album.

The moment Wang Ye touched the photo album, it reluctantly opened.

The magnitude isn't large, but it's better than a guide.

When the director took over the photo album, responsibility overwhelmed his freedom, so he was never able to fully embrace it.

Wang Ye chose to stay when most people chose to leave, not out of helplessness, but because he genuinely felt that staying in the Traveler's City was quite good.

Sticking to one's own choices is also a manifestation of free will.

However, his freedom could not compare with Wang Jin's freedom, so the album's reaction was not as intense.

Director Xiang stared blankly at the scene.

In that instant, his worldview seemed to be reshaped.

This feeling is like discovering that the goddess you've been carefully nurturing is actually another man's lapdog.

Jiang Wang seemed to be deep in thought.

He suddenly realized that the reason the photo album initially accepted him might be because he never intended to stay there. Even if he left his mark on the album, he was still thinking about how to leave.

Is this also a manifestation of free will?

Photo albums attract every traveler scattered around the world, favored before entering a city, but discarded like trash once travelers choose to stay.

This photo album is really...

Cheapskate.

Two hours later, the city of travelers set off again.

It is visibly true that the city's population has decreased significantly.

All the hikers chose to leave.

Their departure was perfectly reasonable.

Most of the drivers and motorcyclists have also left. They gained superpowers here, and it is safer for them to act alone than in groups.

Most of the people who booked the houses are waiting for Traveler's City to find them a suitable city to live in.

Only a small number of people choose to stay for various reasons.

Perhaps it's because they can't find anywhere to go, or perhaps they genuinely love traveling.

Who knows?

The guide tossed the photo album aside, and the city headed toward the City of Music.

He no longer had so many burdens, nor did he want to be a puppet of an object anymore.

……

Ten days passed in the blink of an eye.

Travelers in the city made a lot of stops along the way. Because they didn't move quickly from house to house, and because they had to avoid some dangerous places and take long detours, they spent a lot of time on the road, even though their destination wasn't far.

"This is near the City of Music. The city is relatively exclusive. If you want to go into the city, I suggest you try your luck at the job market."

Director Xiang was quite reluctant to see Jiang Wang and the others leave.

These days, he and Jiang Wang have been having a very pleasant chat.

Jiang Wang's expression shifted slightly.

What the director said makes sense.

Every city has a need for population.

Only a sufficient population can support a brilliant civilization.

The job market is the way that cities recruit people from the wilderness.

They would set up settlements in safe locations and screen eligible people to send them to the city.

The most famous job market is Sick City, because Sick City is not picky at all and will hire anyone.

Other cities will make demands to varying degrees, some of which can even be described as harsh.

"I understand, thanks for reminding me." Jiang Wang patted the director on the shoulder and said, "Take care!"

The guide nodded emphatically.

Jiang Wang suddenly chuckled and said, "Why don't you consider changing the name of this house? 'Sanctuary' sounds like a church of some sect. How about calling it a travel agency? It would suit you better."

Director Xiang paused for a moment, then said, "That makes sense."

Anyway, the current city of travelers doesn't need to erect a spiritual pillar for those who are tired. It's good to change the name of the sanctuary to a travel agency.

Jiang Wang turned to leave when Wang Ye rushed over from the other side: "Wait, wait, I have something to give you."

Jiang Wang suddenly remembered something. He took out a key and handed it to Wang Ye. It was the key to his Suzuki GR500: "Thank you for saving my sister by the lake. Consider this motorcycle as compensation. I know that the value of a motorcycle is far less than that of an arm. You can ask for anything. As long as I have it, I can give it to you. I will agree to anything I can do."

Wang Ye's motorcycle was destroyed in the previous battle, and he has been living in the sanctuary ever since.

Jiang Xin stepped forward and bowed deeply: "Thank you."

"Hey, what are you saying?" Wang Ye was a little embarrassed. "When facing the same enemy, even if we're comrades, isn't it only right to lend a hand? If you lose an arm, you lose it. You can still ride a bike with one hand."

Wang Ye's eyes darted around, a hint of cunning in his voice: "As for the compensation I want..."

Jiang Wang's expression turned solemn; he dared not forget a single word of his benefactor's request.

"Just accept this."

He handed me a photo.

Jiang Wang was stunned for a moment, then took it and looked at it.

It was a photo of Jiang Wang and Jiang Xin taken that night.

Jiang Wang looked somewhat restrained, and Jiang Xin leaned against him.

Behind them were silhouettes of mobile homes and a flickering campfire, the firelight reflecting on their faces and making Jiang Xin's eyebrows and eyes appear very curved.