Although Qin Jiao Land is in the center of the desert, it is the most convenient route for smuggling to foreign countries, especially to Columbia.
There's no other way; compared to Sargon, Columbia's moon is simply too round!
As long as you give the Qin Jiao Land Master enough compensation, the most professional team will create a false identity for you, teach you how to pass through the border patrolled by the Columbian army, and even provide professional mercenaries for escort.
Compared to smuggling, this process is more like... tourism, with ample food and supplies along the way to ensure you can continue to live a superior life once you reach Columbia.
Of course, even the landlords and wealthy merchants of Sargon need to spend a portion of their life's savings to barely afford the sufficient wealth.
Ordinary Mortals still have to honestly find border smugglers, risking attacks by bandits in the wilderness, being devoured by fierce beasts, or being directly shot dead by the Columbian military, to go to this paradise in everyone's mouth.
However... in the past few days, all the black market members of Qin Jiao Land have learned that a man and a woman, empty-handed, obtained the opportunity to go to Columbia simply by showing their faces.
Three days after Goki and Skadi arrived in Qin Jiao, everything was ready.
Whoosh—
Underground, in the Qin Jiao black market, within the Qin Jiao Land Master's private training ground, a flame suddenly appeared out of thin air.
This flame was bright and intense; it burned the user's arm, using it as fuel, growing even more vigorous.
"Hiss—"
Sucking in a breath of cold air, Goki, relying on the Old Hunter's endurance, used his brain to block the burning pain, imagined his left hand as an old magic wand, and swung it forward fiercely.
In his mind, Goki tried hard to shape the flame, imagining it as a gushing Dragon's breath.
And similarly, the flame in Goki's hand also surged forward, turning into a scorching wave that engulfed... an area about ten centimeters in front of his fingertips.
In the past, he could urinate three zhang against the wind; now, he sighs as he wets his shoes with the wind.
A man cannot be too short.
"Ha... I should still use a weapon; throwing fireballs is not realistic."
Looking at this overly short and weak "Spell," Goki sighed, and the Hunter's Hand Axe in his right hand swung open, transforming into a two-meter-long great axe, with the flames on his arm extending along with it.
While staying in the Ifrit Operator's—now called Sha Zu—territory, Goki spent his time familiarizing himself with this new runic power, aside from accompanying Skadi on shopping trips.
"Your progress is already very fast, Mr. Goki. Learning Originium Arts is a long and Systemic process. It took me over a year after becoming an Infected to be able to throw an electric chain."
Across from Goki, the orange-haired man, slightly shorter than him, was holding the black mechanical scepter in his hand, watching Goki's practice with interest.
"You are not Infected, yet Originium Arts still flow within you, and you can even cast Originium Arts without a staff... If someone discovers your uniqueness, in Columbia, many people would probably want to dissect you to see—do you trust me that much?"
Seeing Ifrit approach, Goki also put away the flames in his hand and jabbed a blood collection vial into his leg.
"I only trust those Ms. Kaltsit helps—her judgment isn't always spot-on, but most of the time, she's correct."
Goki trusted Ifrit, of course, not just because of Kaltsit, but also because of his memory of Operator files.
This man's head was filled with hatred for the Ibart Chieftain; as a passerby, Goki, as long as he didn't hinder his revenge, would have no conflict with him at all.
Clenching his mended arm, Goki smiled at the Qin Jiao Land Master. Thanks to Kaltsit, the two of them found common ground and exchanged quite a bit during their wait to go to Columbia.
"Kaltsit also warned me, just like you, that my and Skadi's uniqueness would attract unnecessary covetousness—but instead of living cooped up underground, I want to seize the time to become stronger, strong enough that no one dares to provoke me."
There are too many monsters and demons in this world; Goki wasn't afraid of the great power of nations, but he had truly witnessed the disasters caused by gods.
Hearing what Goki's words implied, Sha Zu merely smiled.
"Heh, your sharp tongue is more like Kaltsit's—I'm also getting tired of this dark, subterranean world. Most of the names on my revenge list have been crossed off; in a few more years, I should be leaving."
Looking up at the boundless starry sky through the skylight leading to the surface, Ifrit took a deep breath.
"However, although you can defeat me, you still have a long way to go to reach 'no one dares to provoke'—at least you need to reach the level of Nona Skadi."
Within a few days, Sha Zu had gained a preliminary understanding of this unexpected visitor, a Hunter also famous in the Sargon territory.
Sha Zu knew that this man was a good-tempered guest and the strongest Hunter.
Goki's combat power was no less than that of the top mercenaries; even Sha Zu, a man who had climbed to the position of Qin Jiao Land Master by stepping on countless corpses and relying on his cunning and strength, was no match for him at all.
On the very first day Goki stayed, the two had a sparring match.
Facing the Spells released by Sha Zu, the man deftly and swiftly dodged the electric light, while magically embedding metal weapons into the ground, guiding the Spells away like flares, and charging directly from tens of meters away.
And when Sha Zu's Spell finally hit Goki, he actually endured the muscles stiffened by the electric current and directly rested the great axe on his neck.
As for the other Nona Skadi... Sha Zu hadn't even had time to cast a Spell when the incomparably sharp greatsword, accompanied by a blinding gale, stopped in front of him.
Could that even be considered a Mortal!
Even a Wyvern, at least their movements would be clear enough to see, but for this bounty Hunter named Skadi, Sha Zu had no time to react at all, and even if Spells hit her, they would just bounce off!
Sha Zu could fully believe that if these two attacked together, in just one day, Qin Jiao Land would truly be forgotten in the yellow sands.
Fortunately, although Sha Zu and these two were not friends, they were not enemies either.
However, even so, Sha Zu had an irreconcilable conflict with this man named Goki.
"Ha, then I'll need to work harder for longer—and Mr. Sha Zu, your strength isn't in combat power, but in technology, isn't it?"
Extending his index finger and tapping his head, Goki was referring to the ancient Sarkaz Spell construct that Ifrit possessed.
"Protect that thing. Perhaps in the future, we really will use it one day—not as a weapon, but as energy for a mobile city."
Goki couldn't imagine a Spell model that could turn half of the Sargon Rainforest into a desert; Heaven knows what black magic the ancient Sarkaz concocted.
"Is Kaltsit also thinking this? Would she think that?"
Sha Zu raised an eyebrow and looked at Goki. He was currently the sole possessor of that ancient Spell model.
In his youth, he always believed it was a treasure that could bring about an energy revolution, like a divine gift.
But after becoming a Caster and through continuous research, Ifrit understood that with just a few minor changes to the conditions, the Spell model that Teacher Thorne had placed high hopes on would transform into a world-destroying weapon of mass destruction.
Once this technology spread, Terra would once again be plunged into misery—so, Sha Zu intended to take this Spell to his grave.
"Isn't that right? Isn't Kaltsit always working to stop wars—I told you, she is a noble person, a pure person, a moral person, a person detached from low-level tastes, a person beneficial to the people."
Goki shrugged. In the past few days, he had selectively told Ifrit about the Kaltsit he knew—both from the game and in reality.
"You can use that phrase to describe anyone, but I don't trust that woman full of lies, purely made of falsehoods—even Old Ysian has seen her; her age is probably several times yours."
This was the absolute divergence between Ifrit and Goki.
Under this guy's description, Kaltsit became a good person who worried about the country and the people, and his words all revealed an intention to pursue Kaltsit.
No matter what, this was completely different from Sha Zu's sixteen years of assumptions—a bit nonsensical.
"Ha, young man, this is where you don't understand the beauty of a mature woman. Older means more stable—having an elder in the family is like having a treasure."
Several times? Several times isn't enough; dozens of times is exciting!
Goki chuckled and wagged his finger at Sha Zu. How could a young man whose head was filled with revenge understand the charm of his wife Kaltsit!
Many people misunderstood Kaltsit. How many considered her an omniscient knowledge base to be plundered? How many rulers saw her as a thorn in their side threatening their rule? And some even saw her as a wicked woman who manipulated everyone.
But Goki knew that Kaltsit was merely one of the few sober individuals on the mad land of Terra.
Amidst the continental strife, she came alone to the Iberian coast, solely to survey the threat of those great enemies in the ocean. After confirming that Goki and Skadi were both enemies of the Seaborn, she even provided them with much help.
Everything Kaltsit did was for the sake of the living beings on this land.
Ununderstood, unaccompanied, only one Sarkaz built a home for her to reside in.
And Goki... also wanted to become Kaltsit's friend, and more than a friend.
"So, Kaltsit is indeed a good woman. This parting will probably be a long time before we meet again—I'll remember to save you some wedding candies."
Goki's words made Sha Zu completely helpless—this man was simply dreaming.
"Alright, less unnecessary fantasy. If you can win Kaltsit's heart, I'll work for you for life—it's time to go, Mr. Goki. These are your new identities; you are now Columbian citizens, and you'll depart tonight."
Throwing an ID card to Goki, Sha Zu left the room.
He didn't want to talk much to this madman.
And Goki, similarly, looked up at the boundless starry sky revealed through the skylight above.
"Alright, I'm coming to find you, Ms. Kaltsit."
— — — — — —
Columbia - Saint Foucault City.
"Achoo!"
Sitting in a fast-food restaurant, comfortably sipping the coffee in front of her, the green-haired Feline female suddenly sneezed.
"Hmm?"
Kaltsit suddenly felt that something was amiss.
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