"My deepest apologies. For the great heroes who have traveled so far to resolve the crisis on Punklorde to be frightened here… this is truly our oversight. Please, I ask that you not be angry."
"..."
Himeko frowned, staring at the Masked Fool before her. Her gaze seemed to want to pierce through his hollow mask and glimpse the thoughts in his eyes, but beyond a chaotic darkness, she could see nothing at all…
"Please rest assured, madam. I have long admired the great name of the Astral Express, and my reverence for you all comes from the bottom of my heart. Please, allow me to extend a host's hospitality."
The masked merchant removed his jet-black gloves, and his pale hand gestured toward the nearby survivor's inn, extending a seemingly sincere invitation to the Express crew.
The people of the Survivor Base watched this scene with astonishment.
The merchant they saw as a savior was actually bowing and scraping before these few people! Who on earth were they?
This was indeed not the place to talk. Seeing the base residents encircling them and whispering amongst themselves, Himeko decided to accept the masked merchant's request.
Seeing Himeko give a slight nod, the masked merchant displayed a look of great delight and quickly led the way.
As the major benefactor of the Survivor Base walked ahead, the residents hurriedly cleared a path, afraid of displeasing him and causing trouble for themselves.
The old mayor from before saw that there were still people lingering to watch the spectacle and quickly dispersed them, his gaze turning toward the masked merchant with a hint of anxiety.
"Sigh… I don't know if this is a blessing or a curse!"
The old mayor shook his head, his face etched with worry.
---o---
The survivor's inn, which appeared dilapidated on the outside, actually concealed a hidden wonder. While its exterior looked like it was pieced together from metal scrap—likely to blend in with the surrounding architecture—the inside was no different from a normal hotel.
In the spacious lobby, there was only a single receptionist at the front desk. Upon seeing the masked merchant, she bowed respectfully and addressed him as "My Lord."
It made sense, thinking about it. To be able to establish a hotel in such a difficult place as the Survivor Base, if it weren't someone like him, the establishment would have probably been smashed to pieces by the second day, wouldn't it?
"I have long heard of your great names. Even before the crisis on Punklorde erupted, I heard that a team of [Nameless] helped resolve the crisis on the Xianzhou and earned the friendship of the Xianzhou Alliance. To be able to selflessly save a planet that has nothing to do with you in this cold universe… I hold you all in the highest admiration."
Seated on the guest sofa, the masked merchant gently stroked his palms together, as if giving their experiences a round of applause.
"There's no need for pleasantries, Mr. [Masked Fool]. I wonder, for what reason have you been waiting for us here with such fanfare?"
Himeko crossed her arms. Her usually gentle eyes now appeared strikingly cold and elegant.
"Oh? Since Miss Himeko has recognized my identity, then I suppose I don't need to introduce myself."
Faced with Himeko's directness, the masked merchant showed not a hint of surprise. In fact… it seemed he had expected it all along.
"Seriously, is there anyone who wouldn't recognize you guys? The style of your masks is practically identical…" March 7th muttered under her breath from the side.
"Mm… True," Wende nodded in agreement. After all, besides a certain big blue fellow, the other Masked Fools looked very much alike.
"..."
Dan Heng sat silently to one side. He had once boarded the "thieves' ship" of the Masked Fools and was all too familiar with their kind—a group of chaos agents who walk the Path of Elation. However, the person before him…
Staring into the hollowness beneath the mask, Dan Heng couldn't help but feel a flicker of doubt.
Rather than just looking for fun, this "masked merchant" gave him the feeling of having an extremely strong sense of purpose. It was as if…
Their arrival was already within his predictions, and he himself had no intention of hiding it. Judging from his earlier words, he truly did seem to be waiting for them.
"Since you are all here, you must be looking for the path to the underground reservoir, correct? After all, it is the only route to the Legendary Tower now. The road through the Old District has been blown up. If you wish to save Punklorde, this is the only path you can take."
The Masked Fool's mask smiled. He leaned forward, lacing his fingers together on the coffee table, seeming to await their reaction…
Reality
"Ooh, ooh, ooh! Scrapyard! Scrapyard!"
Dogzi frantically chanted the name "Scrapyard" before following the main story quest into the "Scrapyard" map.
After listening to March's exclamations, she realized the main quest didn't force her to proceed with the story right away. So, she switched to Topaz, summoned Numby, and began her treasure-hunting journey!
Looking at the map interface, there were actually seven treasure chests here! The map didn't look that big, but the haul was quite substantial!
Just as Dogzi was basking in the joy of finding chests, an exclamation mark suddenly appeared above her head. Then, a dilapidated hovercar fell from the sky! The words "Ambushed" flashed over Topaz, the screen shattered, and Dogzi was forcibly pulled into combat.
"Huh? HUH?! What the heck happened?! How did I suddenly end up in a battle, and what kind of monster is this thing?! A new enemy?"
Dogzi stared at the battle screen in confusion. She was just walking along peacefully, and suddenly she gets smashed by a car?
"Alright, alright! I'll use you to get the first kill on this new map!"
BOOM!!
The monster, named "Scrapyard Hacker," attacked first. A hovercar dropped right on top of Topaz, not only damaging her but also hitting Wende and Himeko who were standing beside her.
"What? You're really just throwing cars around randomly! Do you have any manners? What the hell, are you one of those truck drivers who specialize in isekai'ing people?!"
Dogzi couldn't help but roast the monster's absurd skill. It was hard to imagine the designers' mental state. Why did they start letting themselves go completely the moment they got to Punklorde?
She decisively activated 5-star Wende's Ultimate, sending the "Scrapyard Hacker" back to its maker. Immediately, a bronze achievement icon popped up.
[Transmigrate to Another World! Truck Driver!]
"Alright, alright! So this time the truck driver isekaied himself! Wait, so you really are a truck driver?!"
Dogzi complained helplessly at the screen.