Chapter 3: Re-travel.

This is a small independent bedroom with a solid door fixed by iron bars on both sides.

The spider webs in the corners, the dust on the ground, the abandoned kerosene lamps, etc., all indicate that no one has lived here for a long time.

At a certain moment, the void in the middle of the room rippled like the surface of water, and a figure stepped over the ripples and quietly appeared.

It was Karl!

Karl held a broadsword and looked around carefully before slowly walking to the door and lifting the iron bars.

"Ka..."

The rusty iron door rubbed against the ground, making a slight sound, which also paused his movements.

"I really don't want to come here!"

Walking out of the room and looking up at the sky, Carl, who had lost his absolute rationality, felt depressed unconsciously.

The gray fog obscured the sky, making it difficult to tell whether it was day or night.

Only a broken crimson star could be vaguely seen hanging in the sky, which had never changed from beginning to end.

Every time he comes here, it is like this.

The "moon" in this world does not move with the passage of time, and even robs the authority of the scorching sun.

The broken crimson moon and the fixed starry sky all indicate that he is no longer in the original world. It is not only the sky that is cold and gloomy, but also the breath that penetrates into his body all the time.

This is Black City, a place rich in black stone.

From the spire towers, stone buildings, and intricate carvings that can be seen everywhere, Black City should have been prosperous.

And the living standards of ordinary people are even higher than those in Sino City.

However, as someone discovered the underground black stone veins, this place gradually became a mining city.

The wealthy people fled early.

Those who stayed behind became miners, not only needing to work, but also have to endure the invasion of the underground Yin Qi, living a precarious life.

Tightening his clothes, Karl stepped forward with the broadsword in his hand. He took two steps and his eyes shrank.

A corpse of an animal that was not sure whether it was a wolf or a dog was lying in the middle of the road, and some carrion flies were buzzing around the corpse.

Although it was just a corpse, he seemed very alert and made a big circle to avoid the corpse before continuing to move forward.

From time to time, hideous cracks of varying sizes can be seen on the road, like scars on the earth.

It is said that the terrain changes caused by over-exploitation, making the originally flat ground rugged and uneven.

The cracks spew smoke, sometimes hot, sometimes cold. Ordinary people will get seriously ill if they are slightly exposed to it, so they can only try to avoid it.

There are also abandoned pits, pitch black and leading directly to the ground.

The dark alleys and deserted houses seem to hide many strange creatures, spying on the living people outside.

Karl's body tensed, moving forward quickly and quietly. After crossing two blocks, he could see the target in the distance.

"Huh..."

He breathed a sigh of relief. At the signal of the two men in black, he put away his broadsword and walked into a bustling long street with heads rising.

Laka Market.

A market in the upper part of the Black City.

"Rat meat, fresh, unrotten rat meat, half a black stone for one portion!"

"The best Kalia sword, sharp and light, the best choice for killing those half-dead creatures..."

"Clean water! Filtered clean water, without any impurities, only one black stone can buy you ten liters..."

The vendors kept shouting, with a hint of helplessness in their enthusiasm.

The living environment of the residents of Black City is extremely harsh. Mining the veins has caused serious pollution of the underground water veins, and food is also in serious shortage. Except for the high-ranking mine supervisors, few people can eat fresh food.

Even rotten meat can be put on the table.

"Cologne!"

Karl came to a stall familiarly, squatted down and asked:

"Last time you said there was a way to get started with breathing techniques?"

Obviously, they are two different worlds, but they have many similarities, such as language and breathing techniques, and even words have something in common.

Maybe. Did these two worlds have contact a long time ago?

"It's you." Cologne is a thin old man, one of his eyes was pecked out by a dark crow, and thus he wears an eye patch all the time.

Recognizing Karl, he grinned, revealing his rotten teeth. His disgusting breath made Karl lean back subconsciously.

"Breathing techniques are the key for ordinary people to become knights. Any family with a legacy will not sell them casually?"

"Yes, I'm aware of that."

Karl's expression remained unchanged and he put the milk bucket on the ground:   

"Fresh milk!"

"Gulp..." Cologne's throat rolled, he licked the corner of his mouth subconsciously, squinted and smiled at him:

"My friend, you always get good things. I can't remember the last time I drank fresh milk."

"But..."

He shook his head and sighed:

"The man with the breathing method in his hand doesn't want these."

"Oh!"

Karl frowned, then asked:

"What does he want?"

"Hush..." Cologne leaned forward and whispered:

"A way to leave Black City."

"Karl, you can get fresh milk, you should not be an ordinary person, can you help people leave Black City?"

"Heh..." Carl rolled his eyes:

"What do you think?"

"I can get food for other reasons. If I am really noble, would I come to you to find the breathing method?"

Cologne was silent.

That's right!

A true superior person will never lack a breathing method.

After a pause, he said,

Mrs. Die's caravan will leave in half a month. If you want to join her caravan, you need two thousand black stones."

"This is the only way I know to leave Black City."

"Two thousand black stones?" Karl's face darkened. He didn't have any black stones. He shook his head bluntly,

"I can't take it out."

"Then there's no way." Cologne spread his hands,

"I also want to make this deal, but that person just wants to leave Black City and is not interested in food. There's really no way."

"Humph!"

Karl snorted and picked up the milk bucket to leave.

"Don't!"

Cologne reached out and grabbed him, whispering,

"I'll show you something good instead."

As he said that, he took out a metal sleeve from his back and fiddled with it for a while, making a cracking sound.

"Do you recognize it?"

"Sleeve arrow?"

Karl asked uncertainly.

"Yes!"

Cologne nodded heavily:

"My friend is indeed not an ordinary person. Only some nobles know this thing. I got it with great difficulty."

"This set of hidden arrows was made by a master craftsman. The size can be adjusted to fit the arm. There are three arrows hidden in it. Even a knight's squire will find it difficult to avoid it within seven steps. If it is coated with poison, even a true knight may be shot and killed."

"In addition to the three arrows that come with the hidden arrows, I will also give you six extra arrows. When they are used up, they can be replaced."

Karl's eyes lit up.

He didn't dare to think about shooting a knight, but being able to deal with a knight's squire was enough for him.

"Of course."

Cologne grinned:

"If you want it, a bucket of milk is not enough."

Karl didn't say much nonsense. He took five pounds of meat from his body and pointed to a clock on the stall.

"Give me this."

"No problem."

Seeing that the deal was reached, Cologne was excited:

"My friend has good taste. I found this clock from a noble estate. The outer layer is plated with gold."

"What a pity!"

He sighed and continued: "If it were a few decades ago, this kind of thing would be worth a lot of money. Now it is not as good as water."

Karl smiled.

He just liked the gold on the surface of the clock. Even if there is no gold, it can be regarded as a work of art.

The complex craftsmanship, gears, and engravings of the clock have a unique beauty. It should be able to sell for a good price in another world.

...

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