Chapter 354.1: Darkness Within The Great Walls

The voice was close. Even amidst the cacophony of music surrounding him, Ample Time could still discern that the words were directed at him.

His expression instinctively grew serious. Swiftly turning his head, he caught sight of the girl sitting by the bar.

𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮

Under the dim light, what came into view first was a head full of rebellious short green hair.

Even in Boulder Town, such a striking hair color was exceedingly rare.

She wasn't tall, rather slender, and beneath her tousled bangs were mismatched eyes. Her left eye was notably distorted, most likely a bionic or some sort of prosthetic eye. Her refined nose bridge and chin appeared as if they had been surgically altered, or perhaps were technological marvels themselves.

Ample Time's gaze lowered, landing on her left shoulder where he could see large pieces of metal components, akin to Gale's arm.

However, Gale's metallic arm, after all, bore the mark of the Pioneer, appearing far more sophisticated than what adorned her.

The girl paid no mind to Ample Time's direct stare and continued casually. "If you're interested in the three people at Table 12, I can help you find out more about them."

That was where the people he had been following were seated.

"What's your name?"

"Dori... Your pronunciation is odd. Are you from a province outside the city walls?" The girl looked at Ample Time, a hint of interest in her raised eyebrows.

Dori? What a peculiar name.

"Ample Time," he paused, then continued, "Where I'm from isn’t important... Regarding your proposal... How do you plan to gather information?"

"I know that dancer. Her name is Nikozi, one of the leading dancers here," Dori pointed to the dancer sitting at the booth, speaking without reservation, "If you give me a small sum of money, I can inquire about anything, including her measurements."

"That won't be necessary." Ample Time reached into his pocket, rummaging around before extracting the smallest chip and flicking it over to her with his thumb.

Dori caught it in both hands, scrutinizing the number on it that was in the same shade as her hair under the light. Her right eye flashed a hint of surprise in the next moment. "... You are really generous, boss."

A 25 point chip. Earning that much would take about 2 weeks' work in a factory.

Dori's gaze inadvertently became flirtatious, her eyes glancing interestedly at the seemingly well-mannered and handsome man before her.

"What do you want to know?" She asked.

"The identities of those 3, what they did today, and..." an idea suddenly came into Ample Time's mind, and he continued, "And also, find out for me if they have any knowledge about the fire in the warehouse district from last night."

Dori's eyes held a tinge of surprise, especially at the last sentence, a slight wariness creeping in. "You shouldn't ask like that. With that kind of question... Even a fool could guess who sent you."

Beating around the bush with a lousy federation language was too difficult for Ample Time, so he stopped pretending and said with a smile, "Don't worry, I've only said this to you today... What, are you scared?"

Scared?

Dori raised an eyebrow, getting up from the circular stool at the bar.

Her slender body maneuvered swiftly through the crowd, arriving beside the Table 12. She propped her elbow on the sofa back, leaning close to the dancer's ear like engaging in playful banter with an old friend, seamlessly blending into the atmosphere.

Watching her chatting and laughing with the dancer, Ample Time's index finger tapped the glass nervously. Suddenly, he began to feel that trusting a stranger might have been a rash decision.

What if she sold him out?

Or perhaps... He shouldn't have paid the fee in full.

While lost in these thoughts, someone tapped his shoulder. Turning around, he saw Dori already seated beside him.

"You got it?"

Dori gestured with her finger, indicating Ample Time to lean closer, then softly whispered in his ear, "... The young man in the middle is named Alec, the head of the security team at Vega Trading Company. His elder sister, Sophie, is the mistress of Vega and works as an accountant at Vega's canning factory. Today, he had good luck and made a small fortune."

"What fortune?"

"He didn't say, but he kept boasting about his ability to cause significant discomfort to high-ranking officials and dignitaries just by talking, claiming they wouldn't have an appetite for the entire day." Dori's eyes glimmered, "My guess is his boss gave him some money to incite the workers to surround the City Hall... and he probably pocketed a bit from that fund."

So it was a strike?

But why strike against their own workplace?

Ample Time was curious; he felt he might have missed some crucial clues.

However, the mission didn't require him to investigate these irrelevant matters thoroughly. Just confirming the identities of those people would suffice.

"What about the fire last night?" Ample Time then proceeded to ask about the thing that concerned him the most.

"It's not easy to ask about such things, but he told my friend that something happened last night, and he couldn't come to accompany her...” Dori said, her expression containing a hint of mockery, but it wasn't clear what she was mocking at.

"Thank you for the valuable information you provided." Ample Time extended his index finger, lightly swiping his VM that was peeking out from his sleeve, saving the recording.

[Mission (Side Quest):

Gathering Information

(

Complete)

]

[Reward:

120 silver coins, 100 Contribution Points, 500 "Boulder Town" Regional Prestige...

]

[Trigger Mission (Side Quest):

Write a News Article

]

[Mission Requirement:

...

]

Seeing the popup on the screen, Ample Time raised an eyebrow in interest.

Writing articles? That was something he was familiar with.

"You're welcome. I hope you'll frequently patronize my business. Clients as generous as you are rare." The girl curved her lips, her eyes gleaming with mischief, "Whatever secrets you want, just bring me the person to me, and I have ways to get it out of them."

Hearing this, Ample Time chuckled and closed the screen on his VM.

The post-apocalyptic online game always had 3 major unsolved mysteries circulating among its players.

How deep was Shelter 404? How old was Yaya? And when would the public beta be?

Unfortunately, Light wasn't in the game. Otherwise, Ample Time really wanted to bring him here for a drink and to inquire about some insider information only few knew.

"I'm done with my questions, but I have some personal inquiries," Ample Time asked suddenly.

"Go ahead." With her target for the day met, the girl wasn't in a rush to find another target. She rested her chin on her hand, observing him with interest.

"Your eyes are quite unique," said Ample Time.

Dori was amused. "This pickup line is too lame... and it sounds insincere."

Regular people wouldn't find her bionic eye appealing.

However, it seemed she had misinterpreted Ample Time’’s intention.

When he said it was unique, he meant it quite literally.

"No, I'm genuinely curious. Where did you get your eyes and mechanical arm?" Ample Time asked with interest.

Having a bionic eye and a mechanical arm was just so cool!

Especially when his main weapon was a bow.

He was willing to bet that if there truly existed a facility capable of performing advanced bionic enhancements, he wouldn’t be the only person who was interested. Most likely, around 80 percent of other players would be intrigued as well.

Seeing Ample Time's keen interest, Dori paused, her expression gradually turning somewhat unsightly.

"I’ve already fulfilled your first order; this will count as the second one." She intended to dismiss the man with that statement. However, to her surprise, a chip with a denomination of 50 fell on the table spinning.

Dori widened her eyes, mouth slightly agape, speechless for a moment. "... Are you serious?"

"It seems I gave too much," Ample Time joked.

He suddenly found the NPC quite interesting.

"Too late!" Dori swiftly extended her hand, pocketing the chip.

Ample Time looked at her and continued, "Now that you've taken the money, don't you want to disclose some of your secrets to me?"

Dori remained silent for a moment, then suddenly beckoned the bartender, waving 2 fingers, and pointing at the top line of the drinks menu.

Soon enough, two glasses of blood-red cocktails were placed on the bar counter.

"... Two Dragon's Blood, enjoy."

The pungent alcoholic scent reminded Ample Time of the bar in the suburbs of Shanghai, that unlicensed joint in the back alleys mixing counterfeit liquors.

The taste of adulterated alcohol was all too familiar.

Queen of the Night was at least one of the top bars on this street, right? The living standards of the Wasteland people were truly worrying.

Or was this exactly what they wanted?

Ample Time intended to pay for the drinks.

However, the girl beat him to it, handing over the 50 point chip he gave her earlier to the bartender.

After pocketing the change of 40 chips, Dori picked up her glass and lightly clinked it against the one in front of Ample Time, sipping on the spicy Dragon's Blood.

"This isn't much of a secret... Have you heard of the Awakening?"

"Of course." Ample Time felt a bit strange. What did bionic prosthetics have to do with the Awakening?

Noticing his puzzled expression, Dori continued. "It's a serum produced by Boulder Town Arms Industry, named the same as this cocktail, Dragon's Blood. Once injected, there's a chance of Awakening..."

"Of course, not everyone qualifies for the Dragon's Blood injection, considering it's said to be quite expensive. Each year during the Tide, when the Militia gathers mercenaries, Boulder Town Arms Industry will conduct a simple medical examination on the recruits, which includes testing compatibility with Dragon's Blood."

"If they pass, they might get a free shot. Once they successfully awaken and happen to possess outstanding abilities, they might have the chance to become an employee under the Arms Industry and live a carefree life."

"Have you awakened?"

"No," Dori replied, setting down her glass, a trace of gloom in her eyes. "Even passing the physical examination doesn't guarantee awakening. The success rate of Dragon's Blood is 50%, and there’s a 40% chance that it doesn’t react at all..."