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

At some point.

The void in the middle of the room rippled like the surface of water, and a figure quietly appeared across the ripples.

It was Carl! Carl held a broadsword in his hand and looked around carefully before he slowly walked to the door and lifted the iron railing.

“Gah…”

The rusty iron door rubbed against the ground, making a slight sound, which also made him pause.

'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 sanity, felt his mood sink unconsciously.

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

One could only vaguely see a broken crimson star hanging in the sky, which had never changed from beginning to end.

It's like this every time I come.

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

The shattered crimson moon and the unchanging starry sky all indicate that he is no longer in the original world.

It's not just the sky that's cold and gloomy, but also the breath that seeps into the body all the time.

This is Black City.

A place rich in black stone.

Judging from the pointed towers, stone buildings and intricate carvings that can be seen everywhere, Black City must have been prosperous in the past.

Moreover, the living standards of ordinary people are even higher than that of Signo City.

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

The wealthy fled early.

Those who stayed behind became miners, who not only had to work but also had to endure the invasion of negative energy from underground, leading a precarious life.

Carl tightened his clothes and stepped forward with the broadsword in hand. After taking two steps, his eyes narrowed.

The body of an animal, either a wolf or a dog, was lying in the middle of the road, with some carrion-eating flies buzzing around it.

Although it was clearly just a corpse, he appeared to be very alert. He made a big circle to avoid the corpse before continuing forward.

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

It is said that excessive mining has caused the terrain to change, making the originally flat ground rugged.

The cracks spew out smoke, which is sometimes hot and sometimes cold. Ordinary people will get seriously ill if they get even a little bit of it, so they can only avoid it as much as possible.

There are also abandoned pits that are pitch black and lead directly to the ground.

The deserted alleys and deserted houses seemed to be hiding many strange creatures, spying on the living people outside.

Carl tensed his body and moved forward quickly and quietly. After crossing two blocks, he could see the target in the distance.

"call……"

Heaving a sigh of relief, he put away his broadsword at the signal of the two men in black and walked into a busy street full of people.

Raqqa Bazaar.

A market in the underground city area of ​​Black City.

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

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

"Clean water! Filtered clean water, without any impurities. Ten liters can be bought for just one black stone..."

The vendors kept shouting, their enthusiasm tinged with helplessness.

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

Even rotten meat can be put on the table.

"Cologne!"

Karl walked to a stall familiarly, squatted down and asked, "Last time you said there was a way to learn breathing techniques?"

They are clearly two different worlds, but they have many similarities, such as language and breathing methods, and even the characters have something in common.

perhaps.

Did these two worlds come into contact a long time ago? "It's you." Cologne was skinny, one of his eyes was pecked out by a crow, and he wore an eye patch all day.

Recognizing the person, he grinned, revealing a mouth full of rotten teeth. His disgusting tone made Carl lean back subconsciously.

"The breathing method is the key for ordinary people to become knights. Any family with a legacy will not sell it casually?"

"yes."

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

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

"That's not what the man with the breathing technique wants."

"oh!"

Carl frowned:

"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 the Black City?"

"Heh..." Carl rolled his eyes.

"Where do you think?"

"I can get food for other reasons. If I were truly noble, would I come to you to learn the breathing technique?"

Cologne was silent.

Too!

A truly superior person will never lack breathing techniques.

After a pause, he said, "Madam Die's caravan will depart in half a month. If you want to join her caravan, you will need two thousand black stones."

"This is the only way I know of 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 afford it."

"Then there's nothing we can do." Cologne spread his hands, "I also want to make this deal, but that person only wants to leave Black City and has no interest in food. There's really nothing we can do."

"snort!"

Carl snorted, picked up the milk bucket and was about to leave.

"Don't!"

Cologne reached out and held him, whispering, "I'll show you something good."

As he spoke, he stealthily took out a metal sleeve from behind his back and fiddled with it for a while, causing it to make a cracking sound.

"Do you know him?"

"Hidden Arrow?"

Carl spoke with some uncertainty.

"right!"

Cologne nodded seriously:

"My friend is indeed not an ordinary person. Only some nobles know about this thing, and it was not easy for me to get it."

"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 inside. Even a knight's squire would find it difficult to dodge within seven steps. If it is coated with poison, even a knight could be shot and killed."

"In addition to the three arrows that come with the Hidden Arrow, I'll give you six extra arrows to replace when they run out."

Carl's eyes lit up.

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

"certainly."

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

Without further ado, Carl took five pounds of bacon from his body and pointed to a clock on the stall.

"Give me this."

"no problem."

Seeing that the deal was done, Cologne was very excited: "My friend, you have good taste. I found this clock from a noble manor. The outer layer is plated with a layer of gold."

"pity!"

He sighed, "If it were a few decades ago, this kind of thing would be worth a lot of money, but now it's not as good as clean water."

Carl smiled.

He was attracted by the gold on the clock's surface. Even without the gold, it could still be considered a work of art.

The clock's intricate craftsmanship, gears, and engravings have a unique aesthetic and should be able to fetch a good price in another world.

(End of this chapter)