Chapter 5

Mia nodded, but then immediately shook her head.

At the Scrap Terminal, the most scarce thing is food. Those who do not think about production and survive only by scavenging are mostly on the brink of starvation.

Su Xiao took out a few compressed biscuits from his pocket; these were the emergency rations he always carried with him.

He had observed that there was a forest in the distance from the Scrap Terminal. With a gun in his hand, he wouldn't have to worry about food.

Mia took the compressed biscuit with some fear; she had never seen this kind of food before.

Under Su Xiao's guidance, Mia peeled the compressed biscuit and took a small bite.

"Delicious~."

The girl, who had been hungry all day, started to wolf down the biscuit.

"You're called Mia, right? Take me away from here, and these biscuits are all yours."

Mia, who had finished the compressed biscuit, stared straight at the few compressed biscuits in Su Xiao's hand and swallowed her saliva.

"Okay, but you can't hurt me."

Su Xiao did not answer her but instead rummaged through the dilapidated house, with Mia, who had recovered somewhat, following closely behind.

"Where are you going? You're not a resident of the Scrap Terminal, are you?"

Su Xiao suddenly stopped, a cold light appearing in his eyes. He threw a compressed biscuit on the ground and crushed it with his foot.

"Take me away from here, and don't ask any more questions."

If Mia showed any abnormal behavior, Su Xiao's hand, which was tightly gripping the gun, would point at her forehead.

Mia was startled by Su Xiao's actions and took a few steps back.

"Okay~. Okay."

Mia didn't dare to say anything more and quickly walked ahead.

"Take me to the entrance of the Kingdom of Coa."

Su Xiao vigilantly surveyed the surroundings, occasionally seeing scavengers with fierce eyes. These scavengers immediately retracted their greedy gazes when they noticed the gun in Su Xiao's hand.

Recalling the information he had obtained from the anime, Su Xiao began to think about his next move.

The Scrap Terminal is actually a large landfill. The Kingdom of Coa has been dumping a large amount of household waste outside the city, creating the current scene.

Those scavengers with fierce eyes were originally residents of the Kingdom of Coa. These people were either guilty of serious crimes or had offended the nobility, and were thus driven here.

The decay of the garbage produces a toxic green smoke that spreads throughout the Scrap Terminal, constantly eroding the lives of the scavengers.

The most obvious manifestation is that Su Xiao's health has already dropped from 100% to 98%.

In the Scrap Terminal, there are no doctors, no food, and crime and disease are rampant. It is a lawless area where everything is determined by strength.

With Mia's guidance, Su Xiao quickly left the Scrap Terminal and came to a high wall.

A wall made of black stones stood tall, and a small city gate appeared in Su Xiao's line of sight.

"I can only bring you here. The Kingdom of Coa has laws that prevent scavengers from entering the city. If they are discovered, they will be executed."

Although Mia was talking to Su Xiao, her eyes were fixed on the compressed biscuits in his hand.

Su Xiao threw the compressed biscuits to Mia and ignored her. Mia immediately ran away; she had only led Su Xiao because of the food, not for any other reason.

The city gate of the Kingdom of Coa was wide open, with a few guards standing on either side.

This was just a side gate, used for the convenience of dumping garbage.

Although the guards seemed lazy, their eyes occasionally flashed with a cold light. These guards must have often killed people, those who tried to enter the city.

Su Xiao hid to one side and did not rush to enter the city. He was waiting for the right moment.

Fighting the guards head-on was impossible. The residents of the pirate world have abnormally strong physiques. After being hit hard by Su Xiao, Mia had quickly recovered, which made Su Xiao cautious.

Su Xiao guessed that the attributes of the guards were at least ten points or higher, possibly even more.

One hour, two hours, until three hours later, it was already noon, and the temperature was rapidly rising. The opportunity Su Xiao had been waiting for finally appeared.

A cart full of household waste drove out of the city, emitting a pungent odor. The guards didn't even look at the cart, instead instinctively stepping back a few steps.

"Sir, do you need a routine inspection?"

The driver stopped the cart, somewhat fearful of the guards.

"Get going, it stinks."

The guards waved their hands in annoyance, with no intention of inspecting.

Seeing this, Su Xiao's eyebrows raised, and he quickly followed the cart.

The cart drove deep into the garbage mountain and found an open area to dump the waste. The driver, who had been timid, now had a dagger at his waist. The rule in the Scrap Terminal is survival of the fittest.

Lighting a cigarette to mask the odor, the driver picked up a shovel and began to clean the dirty cart.

As the driver worked up a sweat, Su Xiao, like a wild cat, silently approached from behind. Just as Su Xiao was about to knock out the driver, his foot stepped on a half-broken glass cup.

A crisp sound echoed, and the driver's body trembled.

Su Xiao was also startled. In the messy Scrap Terminal, the ground was covered with a thick layer of garbage, making it very soft and difficult to notice anything underfoot.

But with the situation at hand, Su Xiao had no choice but to charge forward.

The driver was no good person either. He turned around, pulled out the dagger from his waist, and lunged at Su Xiao.

The driver's fierce expression made Su Xiao realize that he was trying to kill him.

Su Xiao's gaze turned cold. In this mission world, it was either kill or be killed. Mercy to the enemy is cruelty to oneself.

Raising the flintlock pistol in his hand, Su Xiao aimed the barrel at the driver's head.

If an ordinary person were pointed at with a gun, they would immediately stop or retreat, but this driver was different. He lunged even faster.

Su Xiao pulled the trigger without expression. The hammer at the back of the gun struck the flint, sparks flew, and the gunpowder in the barrel was ignited. In the confined space, a large amount of gunpowder exploded, releasing powerful kinetic energy. With a flash of light and smoke, the bullet was fired.

"Bang."

Thick smoke rose, and a pungent smell of gunpowder spread. A lead bullet penetrated the driver's head, and his forward momentum abruptly stopped. He was pushed back two meters and died after a few convulsions.

[Notification: You have killed a black market merchant]

[Your talent 'Spirit Devourer' has activated, permanently increasing your magic by 5 points. Current magic: 65 points.]

[You have obtained a white chest]

[This is your first kill. Storage space has been unlocked (2 square meters). After returning to the Cycle Paradise, you can use Paradise Coins to upgrade the storage space.]

The notification from the Cycle Paradise made Su Xiao realize that this was not just a driver but a black market merchant, likely using the driver's identity to conduct some kind of transaction in the Scrap Terminal.

After the black market merchant died, a wooden chest floated above his body. The chest was white and only the size of a palm.

Su Xiao tried to pick up the floating wooden chest. Although it was only the size of a palm, it felt heavy in his hand.

[White Chest, Open/Do Not Open]

Su Xiao did not open the [White Chest] but instead put it and the [Old Flintlock Pistol] into the storage space.

With a thought, the [Old Flintlock Pistol] appeared in his hand. Su Xiao was very satisfied with the new storage space. This was a very practical feature. If used well, it would greatly help him complete his mission.

This place was not safe, so Su Xiao did not choose to open the [White Chest]. If the chest opened and emitted a dazzling light, he would be in danger. His primary goal now was to enter the capital of the Kingdom of Coa.

Su Xiao took off his shirt and put on the black market merchant's clothes.

After hesitating for a moment, Su Xiao lay down in the puddle on the ground. The stench rose, and his clothes and face were covered in large patches of sewage, making it impossible to recognize him.

Sitting in the front of the cart, Su Xiao awkwardly controlled the horse, heading towards the city.

He held a dagger in his hand, the same one the black market merchant had, but this dagger was different from what he had imagined.