Chapter 354: Citizens of Crookes! Your Mayor Has Returned! (1/2)

Even as the frontliners powered through the Elven Synchronized Intellect Nation (SIN), the newbie Players led by Simba had not even entered the dungeon.

After all, they were busy putting out fires everywhere.

The refugees of Crookes whom they evacuated had been rather compliant at first, but after the Tortoise Colossus had stopped moving for so long, they began to have other ideas.

Moreover, crowds who had just been ruled by terror and had yet to regain peace of mind were the easiest to incite into panic.

If not for the Players’ superhuman abilities that allowed them to temporarily suppress the spread of panic through strength, the refugees would probably be rioting now. “Aaaaaargh! Those bastards!”

After having evacuated Crookes, fight the Tortoise Colossus and suppress the spread of panic amongst the crowds in quick succession, Zazu had become quite upset in his fatigue. “Can’t they just behave for a bit? Leave this place and go to another city if they’re so afraid that the tortoise would move again! What use is there flocking around and making noises!?”.

“They are too weak. That’s why they are afraid to run away, and they are flocking because of their fear.” On the other hand, Nala appeared much more rational, although she was quite tired as well since clerics like her had to heal the other players (Most Players’ healing skills are ineffective towards non-believers of the God of Games).

“And we can’t give up since we decided to save them from the start, right? Or wouldn’t our hard work before all go to waste?” Simba flashed a pained smile.

“We could just burn those troublemakers into ashes!” Zazu exclaimed, emboldened in his frustration and raising his magic staff for an iron-blooded repression.

“That’s the last resort.”

Simba didn’t say anything saintly like ‘murder is wrong’, since a person who grew up in the slums like him knew better than anyone that a stable environment would favor the survival of the many, in contrast to personal freedom or even right to life most of the time. “And before we have to go that far, know that massacring citizens would seriously hurt the reputation of the Church of Games… Uncle Mustafa would skin you when he hears about it later.”

At Simba’s words, Zazu had to lower his magic staff unhappily and sit down on a boulder nearby. That was when a little girl holding a bear doll stumbled towards them.

“Hello!” She said gingerly as she went to Nala. “Thank you, you saved my mother.”

“I only helped bandage her.” Nala recognized the girl and smiled tenderly. “You should hurry back to your mother.”

As an orphan like her brother Zazu and living through hardships, Nala naturally sympathized children like the young girl and hoped that they would cherish their parents.

“This is George. It has always been with me. I hope it could bring you good luck.” The young girl then handed Nana the little bear doll she had been holding preciously.

Simba felt pleased at the sight, feeling that it was worth it and not a waste of effort to save so many people.

“It’s alright, it would want to be with you more.” Nala declined gently instead of taking the doll, however, and stroked the little girl’s head instead.

The girl’s hands shook just then.

“I’ll be very sad if you don’t take it… is George too dirty? I’m sorry, I don’t have anything else…” She murmured, swallowing: Nala accepted the doll helplessly since the young girl had put it that way.

“Thank you. I’ll treasure it.” She said seriously.

The girl smiled in return, before turning and slipping into the nearby crowd.