CHAPTER 411: BLOODMERE CITY

Hearing Daniel’s words, Andreas frowned, but before he could even react, several figures suddenly jumped out from beneath the sand.

Seeing them, Andreas’s face turned serious, but Daniel’s expression stayed completely the same, as if he didn’t care at all.

Still, he spread out his spiritual senses to check them.

"Who are you?" one of the figures who had jumped out from the sand asked.

They were wearing strange clothes, with their faces completely covered, only their eyes showing.

But what stood out wasn’t just that—their weapons seemed to be chains wrapped around them, as if they were part of their arsenal.

"We came from far away. We’re looking for the city of Bloodmere," Daniel answered indifferently, though he made sure to sound without hostility.

"Bloodmere? We’ve never heard of such a city. You’re mistaken," another figure replied coldly.

"We’re being hunted, and the only way to save ourselves is by getting to Bloodmere. We’re not looking for trouble," Andreas raised his hands in a gesture of peace.

The figures exchanged unreadable looks, clearly thinking it over. Seconds ticked by slowly until one of them finally spoke again.

"The entrance fee is ten thousand coins."

Daniel opened his inventory and paid the ten thousand coins without hesitation. The price was strange, and it made him suspicious, but he didn’t say anything.

At least for now, until they were inside the city, it was better not to cause trouble.

"Good," the one who took the money said with a smile, then waved his hand. Several tunnels opened up in the ground.

"Follow us." Without hesitation, the group jumped into the tunnels.

Daniel and Andreas exchanged a look. They weren’t sure if they should follow. Did these tunnels really lead to the city they were searching for? Unfortunately, there was no way to confirm it other than going in themselves.

With a sigh, they jumped down. Suddenly, they were dragged downward at a terrifying speed, like being sucked into a giant vacuum.

It took several minutes before they reached the end of the tunnel. When they finally exited, they looked around cautiously. One of the masked figures was still there, waiting for them.

"You wanted to reach Bloodmere, right? That’s your destination." The man pointed off into the distance.

Daniel and Andreas followed his finger—and their eyes widened in surprise. Actually, it was much more than just surprise.

What they saw was simply astonishing. A full city sprawled before them. But what made it even stranger was that despite just descending underground, there was still a sky above them. It was as if they hadn’t even moved at all.

How was that possible? Where were they exactly?

"Probably a private dimension, or some kind of portal that transported us elsewhere," Daniel muttered. Andreas nodded in agreement.

The man ignored their shock and waved his hand again. In front of them, three strange stones appeared, shaped like skateboards.

He stood on one and gestured for the two to do the same. Daniel and Andreas copied him and stepped onto the stones.

With another wave of his hand, the stones suddenly shot forward, carrying them toward the city.

"Before entering the city, I need to explain a few rules. First, killing is forbidden. If you kill someone, you’ll be punished by the lord of the city—unless you can pay the financial penalty, which is extremely high."

"Killing is forbidden? I didn’t expect that in a city like this," Andreas raised his brows in surprise.

"Even criminals have their own rules," the man said with a smirk before continuing.

"Second rule, if you want to start a business, you must first get the city lord’s permission. If you act on your own without it, you’ll be kicked out of the city."

"Third and last rule: if you have a conflict with someone that can’t be resolved, you can challenge them to a deathmatch. That’s the only legal way to kill someone."

"There aren’t any other rules. As long as you have the strength, you can do whatever you want. And I mean anything." The man emphasized his words.

Daniel sank into thought. He already had some ideas about how to assassinate their target, but after hearing this, a few new options came to mind. Maybe it wouldn’t hurt to consider them.

It didn’t take long before they reached the city. As soon as they arrived, the special stones vanished from under their feet.

The masked man walked toward the guards and exchanged a few words with them. The guards then looked at Daniel and Andreas and motioned for them to come closer.

"To enter the city, you’ll need a fake identity. For your safety, it’s highly recommended. We can sell you two fake IDs for ten thousand coins each."

"..."

Daniel didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. He hadn’t expected the city’s gate guards to be running a business like this.

"No thanks," Andreas shook his head.

"Suit yourself. But you still need to pay the entrance fee of ten thousand coins," the guards snickered.

"We already paid ten thousand coins," Andreas scowled.

"That was for reaching this place, not for entering the city," the guards shrugged.

"You—"

"Enough." Daniel stopped his friend and handed over the ten thousand coins.

He was angry at the behavior of those bastards too, but unfortunately, he didn’t want to—and more importantly, couldn’t—cause trouble here.

Even though what they were doing seemed wrong and illegal, it was clearly something the city lord had allowed, just like that man had explained to them earlier about the laws here.

If they made a move now, they would definitely have to answer for it later, and they had neither the time to waste nor the option of risking their identities being exposed—a danger that could become extremely serious.

"At least one of you is smart," the guards laughed as they pocketed the money, then stepped aside to let them through.

Daniel and Andreas ignored them and stepped forward.

The moment they entered the city, they were stunned by its sheer grandeur.