Chapter 38 - 30 Corpse Collector
Old Gun Tavern was a Hunter’s Tavern.
The packed three-story building was filled with treasure-seeking hunters seeking merriment.
Heavy metal music sounded like an artillery barrage, piercing the ears. Scantily-clad girls danced provocatively on stage, a thick current of hormones filling the air. Excited men and women were everywhere, the dim light acting as a catalyst for debauchery, revealing faces naked with desire.
Leonard Churchill pushed his way through the crowd and walked over to the bar.
He took a look at the price list and shouted at the bartender: “A pint of beer.”
One pint of beer, eighty.
The minimum charge on the menu.
He took a seat on a tall stool, took a sip of the foamy beer. It tasted slightly bitter, but at least it had a strong alcohol flavor.
While drinking his beer, Leonard watched everything about the bar. Ecking out the noisy music, he captured the conversations among the customers at each table. He divided them into intel and idle chat.
The hunters now talked about more than just spelunking adventures.
There were more women and bawdy jokes.
And then some other things.
Leonard was particularly interested in the new information about Sinless City.
His ears were filled with that kind of information.
“A lot of new faces in Sinless City recently…”
“Can’t help it. The Federal Parliament has issued a development order. Every day, thousands of people come down from various big cities. The elevators are almost smoking…”
“Ah, no wonder it’s become so vibrant in just a month.”
“The situation’s not looking good. The big shots in the Federal Parliament are eyeing the relics of the Old Continent. They’re trying to forcibly bring it under their jurisdiction. If those greedy nobles manage to take control of Gold-digging Port, we’ll have to pay 70% tax on everything we bring in. It’ll be tough for us hunters.”
“Fuck taxes! I’m exiled, and they’re still taxing me? If a noble dares to meddle, I’ll cut off his hands!”
“The Miller Family really think they’re the lord of Sinless City just because they hold the office of Governor? Huh, they’re thinking about setting up a Security Office in the Lower City? What wishful thinking!”
“Yeah, why do they have to extend their hands down here? Weren’t those law enforcement officers who came to the Lower City a few days ago dumped in a stinky drain? I tell you, this governor will be overthrown sooner or later.” “Haha, exactly, fuck the nobility!”
The topic of discussion among the hunters focused mostly on the current situation in Sinless City.
The conflict between the nobles and common folks could already be heard in their words.
Listening in, Leonard found it intriguing.
Sinless City was crueler and yet more exciting than he imagined.
After listening for a while, he began to piece together the fragmented information in his mind, confirming the suspicion he previously had.
This was truly a cavity world.
No sky, no sun, no moon.
Humans were like ants, living in cavities.
However, beneath the thick layers of rock were exceptionally rich resources and ancient relics.
Mining, treasure hunting, and exploring unknown caves.
This was a world of nationwide treasure hunters!
Sinless City got its name because it was originally an exile location for the kingdom. The Abyssal Rift was once known as “the end of the world”.
Like a garbage dump, the Federation would exile horrid convicts to the end of the world, leaving them to survive on their own.
Therefore, for many years, the city was packed with all sorts of criminals – mercenaries, war criminals, gangsters, robbers, murderers, thieves, and schemers.
There was no innocent person under the law here; it was a city of sin. Leonard finally understood why the hunters he encountered were so vicious; they were all exiled criminals.
But everything changed a few years ago. An adventurer accidentally discovered a steel cable in the wall of the cravice. It was the same Spell Chain currently suspending the Gold-digging Dock.
They realized that the Abyssal rift wasn’t the end of the world.
They followed the steel cable and ventured to the other side of the world.
They discovered another continent.
Only later did they come to realize that it was the Old Continent from ancient legends, before the Great Catastrophe!
A section of history, sealed away for thousands of years, was thus unveiled.
The Old Continent was shrouded in dark mist, teeming with monsters and fraught with danger at every turn. But at the same time, it had countless ancient cities, treasures, and mineral deposits!
“Demon Cross” was just one of the relics.
With this earth-shattering discovery, Sinless City began to grow explosively, going out of control.
Eventually, many treasures were excavated, and the nobles were green with envy.
One day, word got around.
In an instant, Sinless City, once forgotten by the world, became a red-hot treasure hunting spot.
Half a year ago, the Federal Parliament issued a development command. They established the Governor’s Mansion in Sinless City, wishing to claim this treasure-filled location for the Federation.
Sinless City saw a massive influx of outsiders.
Thousands of criminals and refugees were exiled here for cultivation. Additionally, there were nobles, official military units, smugglers, opportunistic merchants, and a flood of treasure hunters.
New faces appeared virtually every day.
“So that’s how it is.”
Having filled in the gaps of Sinless City’s history in his mind, Leonard understood why the Governor’s Mansion, the Miller Family, was not well-liked.
The Miller Family indeed held significant power, being a part of the Federal Parliament..