High walls cordoned off the most chaotic sectors of Blackrock Town.

  Inside those walls lay a different world.

  There was no stench of rotting trash, no death rattles from the slums.

  The air held only a solidified, silent pressure; every shadow harbored a beast coiled and ready to strike.

  Kane carried his rucksack, his repaired Basilisk Stone Armor glinting a deathly dark green in the gloom.

  He walked step by step toward the heavy alloy gates that remained tightly shut.

  Standing before the gates were two men built like small mountains.

  Their bodies had undergone heavy augmentation. Beneath their exposed skin, metallic endoskeletons interlaced with knotted muscle. With every breath, their chests emitted the heavy, rhythmic thrum of hydraulic pistons.

  One of the cyborgs, whose left arm had been replaced by a massive hydraulic pincer, extended a giant metallic hand to block Kane’s path.

  His gaze held the fierce numbness of someone accustomed to looking at corpses.

  Beneath his faceplate, Kane’s expression remained unchanged.

  From the pocket closest to his chest, he pulled out the cold metal token engraved with the wolf’s head.

  C-734.

  He flashed the token before the eyes of the pincer-armed brute, then immediately tucked it away.

  The moment the token appeared, the ferocity and scrutiny on the two guards' faces evaporated instantly.

  In its place came a bone-deep, reflexive respect.

  They didn't even bother to verify its authenticity. They merely shared a glance before stepping to either side, taking the initiative to heave open the several-hundred-kilogram metal doors for Kane.

  Rumble—

  The doors opened.

  A thick wave of pungent air—a mixture of strong spirits, blood, sweat, and machine oil—hit him with enough force to knock a man backward.

  The cacophony and noise of the tavern rushed in like a burst dam, instantly filling his ears.

  However, the roar lasted only a second.

  The moment the gazes of everyone in the tavern shifted from the dark-green figure—who radiated a "keep-away" aura—to the two guards standing at the door with heads respectfully bowed...

  The entire hall fell into a dead silence.

  Two mercenaries in the middle of an arm-wrestling match froze, the muscles in their arms bulging and motionless.

  A lone wanderer cleaning a sniper scope stopped his finger mid-stroke, leaving a greasy smear across the lens.

  Behind the bar, a cyborg bartender's hand froze while shaking a glass; the final clink of ice hitting the rim sounded exceptionally piercing in the silence.

  Countless gazes, a mix of suspicion, speculation, and wariness, pinned themselves onto Kane.

  They didn't recognize this man in the damaged stone armor.

  But they recognized the two "Gatekeepers" who usually looked down on everyone.

  For those two monsters to open the door with such reverence, this was absolutely no ordinary scavenger.

  Kane was indifferent to the pressure of those stares. He simply scanned the chaotic hall.

  This was a true hunter's den.

  At a gambling table in the corner, people used rows of gleaming brass bullets as chips, betting on the life and death of their next mission.

  One man slammed the hideous head of a mutant onto a table, boasting of his exploits with spit flying.

  Most, however, sat in the darkness drinking in silence, their eyes the color of hungry wolves on the wasteland.

  At that moment, a well-dressed waiter hurried out from behind the bar. He approached Kane and bowed deeply, his voice kept extremely low due to nerves.

  "Guest, this way please. The Boss is expecting you."

  Under the deathly silent gaze of the entire room, the waiter led Kane across the chaotic hall, up the creaking wooden stairs, and toward a relatively quiet private booth on the second floor.

  Inside the booth, a middle-aged man with a receding hairline and refined clothing was obsessively wiping a solid gold pistol with a piece of velvet silk, over and over again.

  Almost no human flesh was visible on his body. Expensive, high-precision prosthetics had replaced everything; even his pulsing temples flickered with a faint blue data light.

  This was the master of The Hunter’s Tavern, Felix.

  Hearing footsteps, Felix looked up.

  His crimson electronic eyes scanned Kane from top to bottom, finally lingering on the spot over his chest where the token had just been tucked away.

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  "C-734... Old Tock’s badge."

  Felix’s voice was calm, like he was reciting a string of code, but the atmospheric pressure inside the booth plummeted, making it hard to breathe.

  "He’s dead. How did you get that badge?"

  Kane met those inhuman electronic eyes without expression.

  With the most concise language possible, he recounted the entire process: discovering Old Tock’s remains, being hunted by Kunlun Corp, and the subsequent attempt by raiders to silence him.

  Naturally, he scrubbed every detail of his counter-kills and the acquisition of his abilities, claiming only that he had narrowly escaped and picked up the token along the way.

  Once the story concluded, he added one final sentence.

  "I killed them all."

  His tone was as flat as if he were saying, "I've already eaten."

  Felix’s electronic eyes flickered several times, seemingly analyzing every byte of that sentence at high speed.

  A moment later, a smile suddenly bloomed across his face, which was composed of metal and biosynthetic skin.

  "Hahaha, interesting brat. That idiot Old Tock actually did one thing right before he died."

  He stopped prying for details, as if Kane’s answer was sufficient.

  He set down the gold pistol, pulled a data chip from a drawer, and placed it gently on the table, sliding it toward Kane.

  "Before he died, Old Tock used this badge as collateral with me. He owed me 5,000 Kunlun Credits. Since you’re his friend, it’s only right that you settle this debt."

  Kane glanced down at the chip, then looked back up at Felix. A trace of mockery quirked the corner of his mouth beneath the faceplate.

  "I’m not his father. Why the hell should I pay his debts?"

  The temperature in the booth instantly dropped to freezing.

  The waiter who had led the way turned pale with fright, nearly collapsing to the floor.

  The smile on Felix’s face froze.

  His crimson electronic eyes stared fixedly at Kane, a lethal killing intent churning within them.

  A few seconds later, he suddenly burst into laughter again—louder and more unrestrained than before.

  "Good kid! You've got guts! It's been a long time since anyone dared to speak to me like that!"

  The killing intent and oppressive pressure vanished, replaced by an appreciation one might have for a novel toy.

  "I just wonder if your strength is as big as your mouth."

  Felix swept away the debt chip and replaced it with a larger data pad, tossing it onto the table.

  The screen lit up, scrolling through dense lines of mission data.

  "Kid, do you have the stones to be a bounty hunter here?"

  Kane’s gaze fell upon the data pad.

  The missions were diverse, and the rewards were far more substantial than the scraps found on the Blackrock Town bulletin board.

  This was exactly what he needed.

  "I’m in," he said, concise as ever.

  "Good." Felix pointed at the pad. "Pick one. Only by passing an entry mission can you officially become a member of The Hunter's Tavern—and only then will that badge truly belong to you."

  Kane’s fingertip slid across the screen as rows of mission info flickered past his eyes.

  His gaze swept quickly until, suddenly, his finger stopped.

  The screen displayed an "Item Recovery" mission with a mediocre payout.

  [ MISSION: RECOVERY ]

  Objective: Infiltrate the Rustyards on the edge of the Old District. Install a data repeater onto the auxiliary antenna at the summit of Windspire Tower.

  Reward: 2,500 Kunlun Credits.

  Warning: The standard access routes to the tower summit are destroyed; normal passage is impossible.

  Kane’s eyes lingered on those last words—normal passage is impossible—for three full seconds.

  Beneath his faceplate, no one noticed the heat flickering in his pupils.

  This mission was practically tailor-made for his [ Aerial Step ]!

  He didn't look at any other options. He decisively tapped the "Accept" button.

  Watching his choice, a playful look appeared on Felix’s metallic face, as if he were anticipating a good show.

  Then, Felix pushed a tablet terminal toward him.

  "This is an unregistered terminal with a blank account already set up. From now on, your bounties will be wired directly into it. Stop carrying cash on your person; that’s what hicks do."

  Kane took the terminal. After a moment's thought, he pulled out all the Kunlun Credits from his bag and had Felix transfer them into the account.

  With the business concluded, Kane didn't leave immediately.

  His gaze fell upon Felix’s golden pistol.

  He looked up at the man.

  "Do you have any decent weapons here? Don't bother bringing out the standard junk."

  "Hahaha!"

  Felix laughed as if he’d just heard a world-class joke. "I have everything here. I’m just worried you can’t afford it!"

  He pushed another data pad over, displaying a dazzling array of weaponry flickering with tempting data glows.

  "Pistols, rifles, laser guns, or high-tech particle cannons? My stock can let you dismantle a Kunlun Corp armored car like scrap metal!"

  Felix acted like a collector showing off his gallery, swiping across the screen.

  "Look at this 'Balrog'—three-shot charged thermal rounds. Twelve thousand."

  "Or this 'Ripper' kinetic rifle. Military-grade stability and penetration. Twenty thousand."

  "What? Can't afford it?" Seeing Kane remain silent, the sneer on Felix's lips deepened.

  Kane ignored the mockery and spoke directly: "Anything cheaper? Or... something with a bit more character?"

  "Character?" Felix sneered. He swiped several times across the corner of the data pad, pulling up a peculiarly shaped handgun.

  "A 'character' piece on the cheap? I’ve got one of those."

  He emphasized the word "cheap" before pulling a case from beneath the counter with a hint of playfulness.

  Inside the case lay a pistol.

  It was crafted entirely from a matte black polymer, its lines sleek and minimalist, covered in green energy circuits that looked like pulsating veins. There was no magazine, and the muzzle wasn't the standard circular shape, but rather a flattened structure capable of opening and closing.

  "The Cyclone," Felix introduced. "The cheapest item among my high-end stock."

  He picked up the pistol, his tone mocking.

  "The reason it’s only 4,800 Kunlun Credits is because its ability is a bit... stupid."

  "It doesn't load physical ammunition. Instead, it compresses air for firing. The added effect is this: the higher the wind speed surrounding the fired projectile, the higher its compression efficiency. Consequently, the rate of fire and power increase accordingly."

  "When the user's movement speed exceeds a certain threshold, it can even trigger a small-scale 'air burst' effect..."

  Felix curled his lip and tossed the gun back into the case.

  "The power ceiling is high—comparable to a small laser cannon—and you never run out of ammo. But the flaw is just as obvious. What idiot gets into a gunfight inside a tornado? And who can run faster than a bullet? It's a white elephant. So, kid, you want it?"

  The moment he heard the words "movement speed" and "wind speed," Kane’s fingers, hanging at his side, curled imperceptibly.

  He looked up at Felix, his gaze lingering on The Cyclone for a moment. His voice remained devoid of emotion.

  "Price is 4,800?"

  A surge of desire welled up from deep within, but he kept his face a mask of indifference.

  He checked the 3,900 balance on his terminal, then looked back at the 4,800 price tag.

  "Not enough money," Kane said, his voice calm and clear.

  Then, he looked Felix in the eye and tapped his fingertip against the "4,800" on the data pad.

  "The mission is 2,500. When I’m back, I’m taking it."

  His tone wasn't one of negotiation; it was more like a notification of an inevitable outcome.

  The smile on Felix’s face faltered. He looked at Kane with renewed interest, his crimson electronic eyes flickering.

  "Kid, the rules of my shop say I never hold items. What if you die out there?"

  "Then consider it your bad luck for missing out on a profit."

  Without another word, Kane turned to leave.

  Felix watched his retreating back and chuckled low.

  He didn't put The Cyclone away. Instead, he snapped the metal case shut and placed it in the most prominent spot on the counter.

  "Interesting... I'll be waiting."

  Kane offered no further reply. He stepped out of the booth, leaving Felix to his musing.

  He walked swiftly out of The Hunter's Tavern, his silhouette vanishing in the direction of The Rustyards.

  He would make Felix realize he wasn't joking.

  That gun—it was going to be his.

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