The remaining few minutes flew by as Zion followed after a few crew mates who were heading for the lower deck.
Just as he was about to turn the final corner, the entire ship shook.
[The ship has made contact with the ground,] Uriel reported in a mechanical voice.
Zion simply smiled before he continued through the open doors leading to the lower deck.
As he stepped out into the hangar space, the noise of clattering metal and a loud hissing entered his ears.
'The outside,' Zion thought, his smile growing larger as light poured into the ship.
Slowly, the ship's ramp lowered, revealing the outside world little by little.
As the ramp finally hit the ground with a loud clang, he finally got to see what exactly was waiting for him.
The ramp opened onto a wide landing platform scattered with metal crates and loading equipment. A large warehouse stood off to the side, its reinforced doors already half-open.
And beyond this warehouse stood rows of high-tech skyscrapers that marked the edge of the nearby city, with their bright neon lights clearly visible even from here.
"Ah," Zion muttered. "It's really been some time since I last saw those."
'I really did it!' he thought, clenching his fist. 'I managed to escape that damn death planet and even made it here safely.'
Crew members rushed past him before he could take another step, their voices overlapping as they moved equipment toward the far side of the platform.
"Get those clamps secured!"
"Move the salvage crates to the west rail!"
Zion watched them for a moment. Their movements were fast but coordinated, everyone knowing exactly where they needed to be like some kind of well-oiled machine.
Ravel's voice rose above the noise a second later.
"Someone go get the crane! Get that ancient ship moved to the pickup zone within thirty minutes or else you can all forget your paychecks!"
He stood above all of them on a balcony, issuing orders while constantly checking a hologram floating beside him. His gaze flickered to Zion briefly, just long enough to acknowledge him.
Zion gave a slight nod back before stepping aside to avoid a pair of crew members hauling a large crate between them.
"Zane!" a familiar voice suddenly called.
Jace hurried toward him, the sharp clicking of his limbs announcing his approach.
"There you are," he said, stopping just in front of Zion. "Captain said I should bring you to the front. He'd have done it himself if there wasn't an important client coming over."
Zion smiled and nodded once. "Alright, I appreciate it. Let's go before I end up getting in the crew's way."
The noise of shouting crew members and rumbling machinery faded slightly as they moved toward the edge of the landing zone.
A minute later, they stopped in front of a wide, reinforced gate standing open to the outside.
"That's the front gate," Jace said, coming to a halt. "Once you're through, just follow the main road toward the lights. The city shows up quicker than you'd think."
Jace glanced toward the busy warehouse once more before speaking again.
"Before you go…" He reached into a pouch at his waist and pulled out a folded piece of paper. "Captain told me to give you this."
Zion accepted the paper with a raised eyebrow. One glance after unfolding it was enough to understand what it was.
A small, genuine smile appeared on his face as he slipped the paper into his pocket. "Tell him I appreciate it."
Jace nodded, his mandibles shaking through the air. "I will. And… good luck out there, Zane. Daresk isn't kind to newcomers."
Zion gave a small nod. "I'll keep that in mind."
A shout from across the platform drew Jace's attention.
"That's my cue," he said, already stepping back. "Until next time."
Zion watched him hurry off before turning toward the open gate. His eyes locked onto the bright city in the distance.
'Alright then,' he thought. 'Uriel, could you guide me to a hotel close to the mercenary guild?'
[Affirmative,] the AI echoed through his mind. [Starting route now…]
Within seconds, a map popped up in one of his eyes, showing the fastest route through the city.
Zion followed the projected route, stepping out onto the dusty road beyond the gate, the city air hitting him immediately.
As he started walking, the area opened into a long stretch of warehouses and factories. Most were active, though a few older buildings had clearly been taken over by homeless people.
Between the larger buildings stood a few cramped houses, and in the narrow alleys nearby, tents gathered people around makeshift heaters.
Zion glanced around without slowing his pace. 'The outskirts… makes sense it'd look like this.'
After turning left into a narrower street, the road gradually grew worse, and the only people around were the ones who watched him a little too closely as he passed.
'Figures,' Zion thought. 'The shortest route always cuts through places like this.'
It didn't take long before two men stepped out ahead of him from an alley, and another jumped out behind. Their formation was practiced, confident in the fact that most people couldn't slip away from it.
"Nice timing," the man in front said, eyeing Zion's clothes. "Didn't expect someone dressed like you to wander in here alone."
Zion let out a sigh as he kept walking, unwilling to waste his time.
"Hold up," the man added, stepping into his path. "Hand over anything valuable, and—"
He couldn't even finish his sentence.
Zion's right hand shot forward with a thin layer of scale armor on it, striking the man clean and fast. The thug collapsed immediately, choking on his breath as he hit the ground.
The others froze in place, their eyes widening.
Zion, however, didn't even bother looking back. He stepped over the body and continued forward as if nothing had happened.
Behind him, the others stayed exactly where they were.
[Life signs terminated,] Uriel noted.
"Mm." Zion adjusted his coat slightly. "Welcome back to civilization, I guess."
Ahead of him, the neon glow of the main streets grew brighter with each step.