Rumble, rumble—
At high noon, Kaelin pulled up near the base of the mountain with the group in tow.
"Alright, this should be far enough," she said, parking the vehicle beside the road.
"Wow, you actually didn't go crashing through everything this time?" Mo Yan said, raising an eyebrow in surprise.
"Hmph! What do you take me for?" Kaelin huffed, arms crossed. "You ever heard of downhill momentum? Even I know that's not something to mess with!"
"Alright, alright, save it you two." Zi Xuan stepped out of the vehicle, turning to look at Qiao San. "As agreed, Mr. Qiao, we've brought you down the mountain. This is where we part ways."
"No problem," Qiao San replied with a sigh. "The city's not far. Just a short walk. Only shame is, my horse got spooked halfway down and ran off. Looks like I'll have to hit the markets and spend more coin again."
Zi Xuan handed over the luggage Qiao San had left in her care, while Kaelin walked around to retrieve the off-road vehicle, storing it neatly back into her ring. Qiao San stared in awe.
"Incredible… the more I see that thing, the more I want one. One day, when I've saved enough, I will get a vehicle just like that!"
But reality came for his dreams like a splash of cold water.
"Err… even if you had the money," Kaelin said awkwardly, "you wouldn't be able to buy one around here."
"Yeah," Zi Xuan added. "This place isn't nearly as technologically developed as where we're from."
"…What?" Qiao San looked crushed. "So I'll be stuck with a horse and cart forever?"
Ah, yes—dreams are beautiful, but reality is cold and cruel.
Just then, Tianlang approached him. "No need to feel discouraged, Mr. Qiao. You travel a lot, right? There's an underground city not far from Luminous Glimmer called the Abyss, under the jurisdiction of Shadow Tyrant. They say its tech is quite advanced. If you get the chance, you should check it out. You might find a vehicle that suits your taste."
"Really? Alright! I'll definitely go!" Qiao San beamed with renewed enthusiasm. "Oh—and here. Please accept this."
He pulled a small pouch of gold coins from his bag and handed it to Tianlang.
"Huh? What's this?" Kaelin asked.
"Taanba—standard trade currency in the Dark Domain," Qiao San explained. "It was originally meant for Mr. Williamsk and his people, but after the demon crisis, they made excuses to stay behind on the mountain and went their own way."
"What a shame… But aren't you worried he'll be upset you gave his pay to us?" Kaelin asked.
Qiao San waved it off. "It's fine, it's fine. I'll swing by again once I've made some money off this delivery. Whether they remember the commission by then, well… we'll see."
"…You're really something," Kaelin muttered, speechless.
After parting ways with Qiao San, the group followed Tianlang to the city he'd mentioned before.
Its perimeter was fortified with iron walls, barbed wire, and electrified fencing. The place felt more like a high-security prison than a city. As they approached the main gates, they were suddenly halted by the guards.
"Stop right there! This is Sin City. Outsiders are not permitted to enter without authorization!"
The abrupt shout startled everyone. Tianlang stepped forward and replied calmly, "Good day, officer. We're mercenaries from Xuanyue Town, passing through on business. We ask for your cooperation."
The guard narrowed his eyes, then nodded. "Alright. Regulations are clear—anyone from outside must pass identity verification before entry. Please present your IDs. Once confirmed, you'll be allowed through."
"No problem," Tianlang nodded, producing five identity cards.
Mo Yan and the others were stunned.
Kaelin leaned in and whispered, "When did he even make these?"
Mo Yan shook his head. "No idea. But does it really matter?"
The guards inspected the documents, cross-checking them carefully. After a moment, one nodded. "Mercenaries, huh? Alright. Everything looks in order."
The documents were returned.
"See that purple crystal ball?" the guard continued. "Each of you must place a hand on it. Once it verifies your identity, you may proceed."
A crystal scanner? Was it like an airport security scanner?
Curious, Mo Yan stepped forward and touched the crystal. After three seconds, it glowed green.
"Confirmed. Proceed," the guard said.
One by one, Zhao Heng, Zi Xuan, and Tianlang followed suit. All passed without issue.
Then came Kaelin's turn.
Suddenly, the crystal flashed red.
"Huh?! What's going on?!" Kaelin jumped back in surprise. The others turned, equally confused.
"An anomaly?" one guard frowned. "Apologies, miss. We'll need to conduct a more thorough inspection. Please cooperate."
Kaelin, still unsure what was happening, nodded.
She wore only a leather outfit, a ring on her hand, and a blade at her hip—nothing else. The guards scanned her with another crystal tool… until they stopped at her ring.
"…A ring?"
"Just a ring—why would that trigger an alert?" the guards exchanged puzzled glances.
"Miss," the officer asked, "is that ring some kind of storage device?"
Kaelin nodded. "Yeah, it's a built-in inventory item from the game world. I mostly use it to store my guns."
"Guns?" the guards suddenly understood. "Ah—so that explains it. No wonder the scanner flagged it. Firearms are prohibited in most regions, and judging from the signal, there's quite a few stored in there."
Mo Yan let out a helpless sigh. He had seen her open fire under the starry sky—her arsenal was far from modest.
"So what now?" Kaelin asked anxiously.
Tianlang stepped forward. "Officer, Miss Kaelin is a mercenary like us. Different mercenaries use different weapons—shouldn't that be acceptable?"
"Yes, technically," the guard admitted. "There are mercenaries who use firearms. But unlike cold weapons—swords, spears, axes—guns are dangerous even when holstered. One wrong move and they could discharge. Accidents have happened, which is why every nation mandates this rule: Mercenaries carrying firearms must hold a certified local firearms permit.
"Without it? You don't just get denied entry. You could be arrested."
Tianlang's expression darkened.
"…Damn. I forgot about that."
The second guard joined in, more sternly. "And with that much firepower in her ring? I'm afraid this is serious. We have no choice—we must place her under arrest."
"Wait—what?!" Kaelin froze, horrified. The guards approached, weapons in hand.
For a moment, she considered summoning her motorcycle and fleeing.
But if she ran—wouldn't that leave Tianlang and the others to face the consequences?
Seriously?! Driving at 200 km/h was fine, but this is what lands me in jail?!
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