Despite her weariness, Sera jolted awake, shivering at the sight of the men she least wished to see. She hid behind Ning Shan, clearly knowing how little it would do. Her breath had yet to return, her blood pounded in her skull, yet fear froze her to her core.

  Ning Shan remained calm, eyeing the men before him. Of the five he had seen before, only two remained. However, their weaponry had been upgraded substantially. The clothes they wore before had been replaced with metal-alloy armour covering most of their bodies. In contrast, only a transparent barrier covered their faces, filtering the outside air while allowing their features to be seen.

  This was the first time Ning Shan had seen these people's characteristics, and he was relieved to find that they were as human as he was—at least externally. He could not know how different their biology was, which made them susceptible to the red dust while it was ineffective on him. Still, those were things best left to be pondered later.

  "What can I do for you?" Ning Shan asked, his gaze tranquil yet laced with just a hint of murderous intent. His voice was grave, and he weighted each word. He tried his best to mask his weakness, as he knew full well of the consequences.

  “You can die, that’s what!” the other man said, pointing his rifle at Ning Shan, his finger on the trigger. “Three of our friends died because of you!”

  Ning Shan's eyes narrowed as he subtly picked up a rock behind his back, ready to throw it at a moment's notice. He waited for his chance, and just as the man’s finger pulled on the trigger, the man next to him pushed the rifle aside.

  The beam from the barrel missed both of them by a large margin, yet Ning Shan could feel the residual heat lingering in the air. He felt his lips dry out, yet his gaze remained on the duo, the stone firmly in his hand. While he doubted it would affect their armour, using his weapon would be seen as too confrontational. Playing along was his best bet.

  “How does that have anything to do with me?” Ning Shan replied, his voice calm and even, not betraying any signs of deception. “I believe this is the first time we met. How could I have done anything to your comrades?”

  The man's anger flared up, only to be squashed by the man beside him. The leader's hand was wrapped tightly around the man's arm—so much so that he could feel the pressure despite the armour protecting him. He briefly sought to resist, yet Ning Shan noticed fear flash in the man's eye before he relented.

  “Don't try to deny it. We have ample evidence of your actions," the leader replied. He, too, possessed anger in his voice, yet it was much more subdued, which only brought Ning Shan an even greater sense of danger. "Answer our questions, and we might leave your corpse intact. You have no hope of resisting."

  Ning Shan resisted the urge to sneer. While he knew he was at a disadvantage, their arrogance would be their downfall. This was something he could exploit. However, as he was about to rise to his feet, seeking to strike first, the leader's arm moved as if it had a mind of its own; Ning Shan could see the bewilderment in the man's eyes.

  His palm was opened, pointed at the ground before him. Ning Shan saw something open, and then something resembling an eye was revealed in the middle of that palm. A green glow was emitted, forming the figure of a man dressed in clothes that seemed foreign to him.

  They seemed well-tailored and of obvious quality, consisting of a well-fitted shirt tucked into slim pants. His sleeves were rolled up, exposing his large forearms. Although the hologram was slightly blurry, Ning Shan noticed countless small scars on the man's arms, deeply contrasting with his luxurious vestments.

  “Sir!” the leader said almost unconsciously, his whole body stiffening at the sight of the man—so much so that Ning Shan had almost totally slipped his mind.

  Ning Shan knew that if he were to strike at this moment, while both were distracted, he could probably neutralize them or, at the very least, escape. Still, something deep in his mind told him he would regret it were he to do so.

  “Stand down," the hologram said, not even bothering to turn to address the two men; his gaze was only fixed on Ning Shan. While Ning Shan had next to no clue how this all worked, he could infer that this was a type of long-distance communication. Although different in some aspects, similar devices existed in his previous world. As such, he wasn't rattled and simply waited for the green image to state its purpose, yet the tension was suddenly broken by Sera.

  “Charles Baxter? The Hero of Londinium?" she exclaimed, yet she hid behind Ning Shan's back just as soon as the words left her mouth. Her small hands gripped what remained of Ning Shan's clothes, yet he could feel them tremble slightly.

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  It's a wonder how long she managed to survive, being this afraid all the time, Ning Shan thought.

  All of Ning Shan’s tension had been drained away. While he remained cautious, he felt much more natural, ready to face anything. Somehow, with all the excitement of the new form of power he could tap into, he had forgotten all about the Dao. He could only offer a wry smile at this blunder. Simply because this world lacked the most basic form of qi did not mean all Daos had been shattered. As long as the knowledge remained in his mind, so would the Dao.

  While he was deep in thought, an unheard conversation happened in the distance, to which Ning Shan wasn't privy. He could only see the hologram's lips moving without any words coming out.

  “But, sir!” the squad leader interjected, his expression growing grimmer by the second.

  There was an unwillingness on his face but also pain, more mental than physical. The man looked back toward Ning Shan, his gaze filled with fury. Yet, it vanished just as abruptly as it had appeared. Only the man next to him held his weapon tightly—so much so that Ning Shan could almost believe he heard the metal creak under the strain. It was only a moment later that the hazy figure in green finally addressed him.

  “I heard you did a number on my employees,” the man said, yet there was almost a jovial smile on his lips, if not for the long cigar that hung there. A surreal depiction of a plume of smoke was rendered in transparent green onto the air itself. “As the young lady mentioned, I'm Charles Baxter. As for whether I can be considered a hero, that's up to historians or what's left of them. Either way, it's nice meeting you both. My boys had tales to say about you."

  Ning Shan remained silent as he watched the hologram before him remove the cigar from his lips and offer a very eerie smile. Yet somehow, Ning Shan didn't feel much of a threat from him. Whether it was due to the man having no intentions to do him harm or the fact that this was just an image, he couldn't tell.

  "Not the chatty type, eh?" the man added as he fell back into an oversized comfy chair, one eyebrow rising slightly. Yet, there was no impatience nor loathing on his face, only an evident curiosity. "I like a man who can keep his thoughts to himself, isn't swayed by the situation and knows how to recognize an opportunity. Whether you can be such a man remains to be seen."

  Ning Shan remained calm and passive, waiting for the man to elaborate, only further scrutinizing the man before him. He was large and well-built. His muscles seemed to even want to burst out of his shirt. Yet, what caught his attention was that half of the man's body was made of mechanical parts. Half of his face—from his jaw to his scalp—had been replaced with metal, yet it worked just as well as if made of flesh. Ning Shan could almost believe they were actual muscles if not for the metal being exposed to the outside. He also noticed that one of the man's hands was also robotic.

  “Listen,” the man said as he leaned back, exhaling a puff of smoke upwards. “Your little stunt cost me a pretty penny. Factoring equipment, time and labour, this isn’t something I can just shrug off. After all, I have a reputation to maintain.”

  He tilted his head to one side, resting it upon his closed fist before adding, “Tell you what... I’ll give you an opportunity to make up for my loss. Looking at you, you seem to be in need of a sponsor. If you are half as good as they make you out to be, this could prove fruitful to both of us.”

  “Can you even afford me?” Ning Shan asked back, yet there was no contempt in his tone.

  In fact, his question was genuine. Not only would he have to swallow his pride to work under another man, but his needs in terms of dust were almost extravagant. He had no intentions of working for free. The large man didn't seem surprised by his question, yet the same couldn't be said for the duo in front of him. They both held their weapons tight; all the while, a fire raged in their eyes.

  The tension ran high, yet Ning Shan's gaze was only locked onto the green hologram, watching the man's every move. It was only after a brief silence that it was finally broken. A hearty laugh escaped the man's mouth, shattering the tension. Most were bewildered by the events, yet things went as Ning Shan expected. He had met many similar men before. He knew how to handle their type.

  "I can if you can prove your worth," the man added, a large smile on his lips. "The fact that benefits were your primary concern brings me great relief. After all, one can only trust a man's self-interest. Still, aren't you curious about what I intend to make you do?"

  “What haven’t I done before?” Ning Shan scoffed as he rose to his feet, dusting what remained of his battered clothes. “There’s no such thing as an unfulfillable request, just insufficient funds. As long as you can supply what I need, then consider it done. Just one thing before we seal this deal..."

  On the other side of the hologram, the man could be seen frowning slightly. He opened his mouth to say something, yet Ning Shan interrupted him.

  "It's nothing much," he said before stepping aside, revealing Sera standing behind him. She almost panicked but only clung harder to Ning Shan's body. He could only sigh at the sight. "I don't know what your men have against her, but if you hire me, she also comes along. That's non-negotiable."

  The man, like the duo before them, looked surprised. Sera also turned toward him, confusion clear in her eyes. They had only met a day before, and while they had braved death together, this was merely happenstance. She believed that the man had no reason to do this for her. She couldn't help but be suspicious of his actions, but not enough to let go.

  "I don't believe you've been acquainted long enough for you to do something like this; why would you?" the man asked, perplexed. Yet, Ning Shan showed no reaction. In fact, he only showed a look devoid of any emotions through which nothing could be gleaned.

  “Is that a problem?” was all that Ning Shan replied with.

  After a moment of silence that felt like forever to Sera, the man finally smiled.

  "Not in the slightest," he replied jovially. "Welcome aboard, both of you. I expect some great things in the future. My men have their instructions. Try not to kill each other now that you are on the same side. I look forward to seeing you in person soon."

  The green hologram faded into the darkness as the connection was cut. All that remained was three individuals looking at each other awkwardly, and Ning Shan, unbothered by their transient feelings. He looked at the man who seemed to be the leader and offered a slight smile.

  “What now?” he asked.

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