Chapter 38: The Oasis City Trap

"We have arrived at Oasis Station. Passengers who need to get off please take your belongings with you and watch your step when getting off. I wish you a pleasant journey."

As soon as Zhu Yu stepped out of the platform, he caught a glimpse of Yunze.

He was still dressed so eye-catchingly, even in this hot weather, he was wearing a bright yellow windbreaker and white trousers.

When the players who were wearing short-sleeved shirts and shorts passed by him, they all looked at him with puzzled eyes, asking "Is this guy mentally ill?"

"Why are you alone?"

Zhu Yu raised her eyebrows, recalling that the last time she went to Beast City, Bai Yin brought a large group of people to greet her. The contrast was too stark.

Yunze smiled and shrugged: "What kind of relationship do we have now? Are we still doing those nonsense between friends? Besides, I guess you don't want to make a big fuss this time, right?"

Zhu Yu thought about it for a moment and felt that what he said made sense.

This time the situation was urgent, and she really didn't have the time to deal with all this, so she nodded and said, "You're right."

Yunze casually flicked his hair, turned around and made a "please" gesture:

"Come on, I'll take you to see our Oasis City."

The two walked along a bluestone path, and gradually, a huge old locust tree appeared in front of them.

The trunk of this locust tree is incredibly thick, reaching straight into the sky, and its branches and leaves spread out in all directions like a giant umbrella, covering a large area and casting a cool green shade.

Zhu Yu raised his head and found that there was a faint green light flowing on the surface of the tree trunk, as if it contained some mysterious vitality.

Yunze introduced: "Most of the members of the Oasis Union live inside the locust tree. It has been developed into different areas, including residential areas, warehouses, cultivation rooms, etc. It can be regarded as a self-sufficient small ecological city."

Zhu Yu followed Yunze into the locust tree, and a cool breeze blew towards him.

She looked around and found that the space was cleverly divided into separate rooms and corridors.

There are also some luminous mosses dotted on both sides of the corridor, emitting a soft light that is both illuminating and not dazzling.

Walking on the road, she could occasionally see some small flying creatures flying between tree holes.

This place seems like a unique miniature forest. The players of the Oasis Guild have fully utilized the space inside the trees while retaining the natural atmosphere.

Zhu Yu couldn't help but take a few more glances, secretly admiring the Oasis Union's clever use of natural resources.

As they walked, Zhu Yu started talking about business: "How often do you hold your meetings?"

Yunze: "Usually once every two weeks. But I saw the message you sent me. Although the last market was just a few days ago, the ripening period of the dew fruit is in the next two days. I can use this as an excuse to hold another market."

Zhu Yu nodded and thanked him: "That's great, thank you for your help."

"Why are you thanking me? By the way, do you want me to take you to see the Deer Orchard?" Yunze suggested.

Although Zhu Yu had his own orchard, he was quite curious about the orchard in Oasis City, so he agreed immediately.

When Yunze told her that Luguoyuan was on the 66th floor of Huaishu, Zhu Yu subconsciously looked around, but did not see the shadow of the elevator, and could not help wondering:

"If we want to go to the 66th floor...how do we get there?"

Yunze laughed and said, "Of course we should go up. Our Oasis City is not as advanced as your underground city."

Zhu Yu glared at him and said, "...Don't tell me you really want to climb up the tree."

Yunze waved his hand: "I'm just kidding. Come with me, and I'll show you what's special about Oasis City."

He took Zhu Yu to a platform. In the center of the platform was a huge leaf, dotted with flowers around it.

Yunze motioned Zhu Yu to stand up: "Stand firm, don't be afraid."

The vines next to the leaves trembled slightly and automatically wrapped around the arms of the two men.

Zhu Yu felt himself being steadily lifted up and rising slowly.

The vines around seemed to have life, interweaving with each other to form a vertical "green channel" that spiraled up along the tree trunk.

The surrounding branches and leaves gently brushed past, and the sunlight filtered through the gaps between the leaves, casting mottled spots of light. The process was smooth and magical.

When he reached the orchard on the 66th floor, Zhu Yu's eyes suddenly opened up.

The orchard is full of green, and the trees are full of ripe fruits. Each fruit emits a faint halo, like a crystal clear gem.

Yunze picked two dew fruits from the branch and handed the larger one to Zhu Yu:

"Try it. You don't need to wash it. Just eat it directly. It tastes really good."

Zhu Yu took the fruit and felt its cool and smooth skin. He couldn't help but ask:

"This is not good. If the president knew about this, would he blame you for picking them randomly?"

"It's nothing, just two fruits."

Yunze waved his hand nonchalantly, took a bite of the fruit in his hand, and said vaguely, "When I was practicing my skills before, I almost destroyed an entire wheat field. The old man just deducted some union points and asked me to compensate for the seeds and labor costs. Now, he won't even bat an eyelid when I pick two fruits."

“…”

Zhu Yu's mouth twitched slightly when he heard this. For the Oasis Union to reach its current size, the old president and Yunze had contributed a total of 100% of the effort, of which the old president accounted for at least 150%. As for Yunze... that was definitely -50%.

She lowered her head and gently took a bite of the fruit in her hand. The flesh was sweet and juicy, and Zhu Yu felt as if her mental strength was gently nourished, and her mind became clearer.

"How is it?" Yunze raised his eyebrows and asked when he saw her silence.

Zhu Yu: "Not bad, it tastes good."

The two continued to stroll around the orchard for a while, during which time Yunze suggested visiting the orchards on other floors.

Zhu Yu readily agreed and followed him to the next orchard.

After visiting several different orchards in succession, Zhu Yu gradually discovered that the fruit trees planted by the Oasis Union were completely different from those in his own orchard.

Some of the fruits here have strange shapes, like crystal balls clinging to branches, crystal clear; some of the fruits have a faint fluorescence on the skin, exuding a unique fragrance, as if dancing in the dim light.

She couldn't help but point to a glowing fruit and ask:

"What's so special about this fruit?"

"Oh, that's the light fruit," Yunze explained casually, "After eating it, it can increase the brightness of your vision for a short period of time. It's suitable for use in dark environments. But the taste is not very good, like an unripe green apple, so sour that it makes your teeth fall out."

Seeing that Zhu Yu seemed interested, Yunze thought she wanted to try some, so he picked two more and handed them to her.

Zhu Yu quickly held his forehead and waved his hands:

"No, no, no, I just asked casually, I didn't want to try it."

Yunze raised his eyebrows and smiled, "Take it. Anyway, since you are visiting Oasis City this time, the old man will definitely ask me to pack a big bag of fruits and other specialties for you to take back before you leave. These two can be considered as a taste in advance for you."

Hearing this, Zhu Yu sighed, took the fruit helplessly, and put it carefully into the storage space.

After walking around, Yunze took her to visit the breeding room next to the orchard.

The temperature and humidity here are obviously higher. Zhu Yu noticed that the leaves of the plants in the cultivation tanks had a strange luster, and they had obviously undergone special cultivation.

"Many of these plants are raw materials for advanced medicines," Yunze introduced. "For example, this one can be used to make a physical recovery potion, and that one is an important component of a poison resistance agent. However, their growth cycle is very long. The old man once said that raising these things is like raising people. You have to be patient and you can't rush it."

Zhu Yu nodded upon hearing this, and very much agreed with the second half of his sentence.

Then she walked over to a small plant that looked withered and yellow and asked, "What is this again?"

"This is called flame grass. Its leaves can be used to make fire skill potions, but you have to wait until it is completely withered before you can pick it." Yunze's tone became more serious. "But this grass is very fragile. If you don't pay attention to temperature control, it will all be scrapped."

The two of them visited all the parks and breeding rooms, and took time for dinner. By the time Yunze brought Zhu Yu back to the union’s residential area, it was almost dusk.

After returning to the room, Zhu Yu sat at the table, opened the task panel, and checked the newly appeared side quests.

The three side quests this time are not difficult, and most of them can be completed passively, so she is not too worried.

After confirming the task, she handled matters remotely for a while and arranged the follow-up details of several cooperative projects.

After finishing all this, Zhu Yu stretched, turned off the panel, tidied up the room simply, and went to bed to rest.

The soft straw sheets had a faint grass scent. Zhu Yu closed her eyes, feeling the quietness and comfort around her. With the gentle sound of the breeze, she soon fell asleep.

*

On the day of the Oasis City market.

The floor where the market is held is decorated colorfully, and there is almost no end to the stalls filled with all kinds of goods.

Fresh fruits, special herbs, and handmade accessories fill every corner, and the shouts of vendors are heard one after another, making the place very lively.

However, at the moment, Zhu Yu was not in the mood to enjoy the excitement.

She stood in a corner of the market, her eyes moving vigilantly among the crowd.

The light ball of System 996 was suspended behind her, flickering softly, scanning the crowd for her:

"Zhu Yu, I haven't found any target within my detection range yet."

Zhu Yu nodded and continued walking forward.

After taking a few steps, she suddenly caught a glimpse of a short-haired woman flashing through the crowd.

Her eyes suddenly tightened - that face was exactly the same as the photo of President Xu Jing provided by the vice president!

At the same time, system 996 also issued an urgent reminder:

"Target locked! Confirmed to be Xu Jing!"

Zhu Yu chased after him without hesitation.

After the other party noticed her pursuit, he quickened his pace, trying to get rid of her with the cover of the crowd.

Zhu Yu turned left and right, staying not far behind her, and quickly shortened the distance.

The moment she reached out and touched Xu Jing, the scene in front of her suddenly distorted.

The bustling market disappeared, replaced by a dark forest. The sky was dyed with an eerie purple-red color. Low roars of animals could be heard faintly all around, and a feeling of oppression was overwhelming.

"It's an illusion!"

Zhu Yu reacted immediately and his heart sank.

Xu Jing was the bait, and the other party's target this time was her.

She quickly called system 996:

"996, I'm in a fantasy world, can you hear me?"

996's voice is vague but firm:

"Yes! But the signal is being interfered with. I'll do my best to help you locate the exit."

Just when Zhu Yu breathed a sigh of relief, intermittent conversations suddenly sounded in the illusion, and a cold female voice came through the mist:

"As the lord of the dungeon, she is indeed quite capable. Even your hypnosis and Xu Jing's mental attacks could not do anything to her. ... Fortunately, she fell into my illusion."

Zhu Yu raised his eyes slightly.

Judging from the conversation, in addition to President Xu Jing, there were two other people on the other side, a man and a woman, who seemed to be the masterminds of this incident.

More importantly, they obviously didn't know that Zhu Yu could hear their conversations outside.

However, after hearing the conversation just now, Zhu Yu felt a little confused.

She looked down at herself. She didn't have any items on her that could resist mental power, so why could she resist mental attacks?

As if he had noticed something, Zhu Yu's eyes fell on the faint ball of light beside him. He had some vague guesses in his mind, but now was not the time to study it.

"996, continue to explore the direction."

In the illusion, monsters gradually took shape, and black shadows turned into a group of monsters that pounced towards her.

Zhu Yu quickly took out his bow and arrow and calmly shot an arrow at the monster that appeared in the illusion. The arrow hit the target accurately and the monster disappeared with a scream.

She moved closer to the sound while dealing with more and more monsters.

With the guidance of System 996, she finally found a place where abnormal energy gathered.

Taking advantage of the brief gap when the monsters in front of him disappeared and regrouped, Zhu Yu keenly seized this flaw and shot an arrow through the energy point, causing the illusion to shatter.

The scene in front of her returned to reality, and she faced three people - the short-haired President Xu Jing stood aside with a dazed look in her eyes, and the two people next to her, one was a stern-looking man, and the other was a gloomy-faced woman, their eyes revealed surprise and hostility.

When the other party saw Zhu Yu break through the illusion, they immediately launched a counterattack.

Zhu Yu calmly faced the battle and fought one against three.

In the melee, a dazzling fire suddenly broke out.

As soon as the little fire dragon appeared, it spewed out blazing dragon flames.

The high temperature of the flames and the escaping dragon power caught the opponent off guard.

Zhu Yu seized the opportunity and leaped towards Xu Jing.

At the moment she grabbed Xu Jing, the woman standing next to her grabbed Zhu Yu's shoulders at the same time.

However, the next second, a look of surprise appeared in the woman's eyes.

A flash of light passed by, and Zhu Yu successfully activated the teleportation card. The three of them instantly disappeared from the spot and returned to the dungeon.