Mia nodded, then quickly shook her head.
In the Gray Terminal, the rarest thing wasn't metal or weapons—it was food. The scavengers who lived there, too weak or hopeless to produce anything, were always on the brink of starvation.
Ender pulled a few compressed biscuits from his pocket—This was emergency food he always carried.
He'd already observed that there was a forest not far from the Grey Terminal. With a gun in hand, finding food wouldn't be too difficult.
Mia hesitantly took one of the biscuits, clearly afraid. She had never seen such food before.
Under Ender's instruction, she unwrapped it and took a small bite.
"It's delicious~."
Having gone hungry all day, the girl devoured it like a starving animal.
"You're Mia, right? Take me out of here. Those biscuits are all yours."
Mia, who had finished the biscuit in her hand, stared straight at the remaining biscuits Ender was holding and swallowed hard.
"Okay… but you can't hurt me."
Ender didn't respond. Instead, he climbed out of the broken house. Mia, now slightly recovered, quickly followed him.
"Where are you going? You're not from the Grey Terminal, are you?"
Ender suddenly stopped. A cold glint flashed in his eyes as he tossed one of the biscuits onto the ground—then crushed it underfoot.
"Take me out. Don't ask questions."
If the girl showed the slightest sign of betrayal, the hand holding his flintlock would be aimed at her forehead in an instant.
Mia was startled by what Ender did and stepped back a few paces.
"O-okay…"
She didn't dare speak again and walked quickly ahead to lead the way.
"Take me to the entrance of the Goa Kingdom."
Ender moved cautiously, scanning his surroundings. From time to time, filthy scavengers glanced at him with hungry eyes—but when they noticed the gun in his hand, their greed quickly faded.
Recalling what he remembered from the anime, Ender pieced together his understanding of the situation.
The so-called "Grey Terminal" was a massive garbage dump. The Goa Kingdom had been dumping household waste outside its walls for years, creating this wasteland.
Those scavengers—once ordinary citizens—had been exiled for crimes or for offending nobles.
The decaying garbage emitted toxic blue smoke that spread throughout the area, slowly eating away at the people's lives.
Ender's health bar, once at 100%, had already dropped to 98%.
There were no doctors here, no real food—only crime and disease. This was a lawless place where strength determined everything.
Thanks to Mia's guidance, Ender soon reached the outer wall—a towering structure made of dark stone, with a small gate visible ahead.
"This is as far as I can go," Mia said softly. "Goa Kingdom has strict laws. If they find a scavenger inside the city, they'll kill them on sight."
Even as she spoke, her eyes never left the biscuits in Ender's hand.
He tossed her the remaining pieces without a word. Mia caught them and immediately ran off—her only motivation had been hunger, nothing else.
The Goa Kingdom's gate stood open, with a few guards standing on both sides.
This was just a side gate—used for dumping garbage.
Though the guards looked relaxed, a cold gleam occasionally flashed in their eyes. They were killers—accustomed to cutting down scavengers who dared to sneak in.
Hiding behind a pile of debris, Ender waited. Charging through was suicide. The people of this world were unnaturally strong—after all, even the frail-looking Mia had recovered quickly from a heavy blow.
He guessed that those guards' stats were at least 10 points or more—maybe higher.
One hour passed. Then two. By the third hour, the heat of midday had set in—and the opportunity Ender had been waiting for finally arrived.
A horse-drawn cart loaded with rotting garbage rolled out of the gate, reeking terribly. The guards didn't even glance at it; they instinctively backed away, waving their hands.
"Do you need to inspect it, sirs?" the cart driver asked timidly.
"Get lost! It stinks!" one guard snapped.
They didn't bother to check.
From a distance, Ender's eyes narrowed. He swiftly followed the wagon.
Once deep inside the junk hills, the driver stopped at an open patch and began unloading. The timid expression vanished—he now held a knife at his waist.
In the Grey Terminal, the rule was simple: the weak die, the strong take everything.
Lighting a cigarette to mask the stench, the driver grabbed a shovel and started cleaning the wagon.
While he was busy, Ender crept up silently behind him—like a hunting cat. Just as he was about to strike, his foot pressed down on a broken glass cup hidden beneath the trash.
Crack!
The sharp sound broke the silence and the driver flinched.
Ender was also shocked. In the dirty Gray Terminal, the ground was a deep layer of trash, so soft that he couldn't feel what was under his feet.
But now there was no turning back. He lunged forward.
The driver spun around, drawing his knife and thrusting it straight toward Ender.
His twisted face told Ender everything—this man meant to kill him.
Ender's eyes turned cold. In this world, mercy meant death.
He raised his flintlock and aimed directly at the man's head.
Any ordinary person would've hesitated—but the driver only charged faster.
Ender pulled the trigger.
The hammer on the gun hit the flint, sparks flew out, and the gunpowder inside the gun went off. When a lot of gunpowder is lit in a small space, it causes a powerful explosion. With fire and smoke spreading, the bullet shot out of the gun.
Bang!
The smell of burnt powder spread as the lead ball tore into the driver's skull. His body stiffened mid-charge, then flew backward two meters before collapsing, twitching twice before going still.
[Notice: You killed a Black Market Merchant.]
[Your talent 'Soul Devourer' activates — permanently +5 Mana. Current Mana: 65.]
[You obtained: White Treasure Chest.]
[First Kill Achieved — Inventory unlocked (2 cubic meters). You can expand it later using Paradise Coins after returning to Reincarnation Paradise.]
So that "driver" wasn't a driver at all—he was a black market merchant, likely using his position to smuggle goods in and out of the Grey Terminal.
After the Black Market Merchant died, a wooden box, white and about the size of a hand, floated above his body.
Ender tried to pick up the box floating in the air. Although it was only the size of a hand, it felt heavy when he held it.
[White Treasure Chest: Open? Yes / No]
He didn't open it yet. Instead, he stored both the [Treasure Chest] and his [Worn Flintlock] in the newly unlocked inventory.
With a thought, the gun appeared back in his hand. The ability was simple—but incredibly useful. If used wisely, it could mean the difference between life and death.
This place was still dangerous, so opening the chest now was out of the question. If the box emitted light or sound, it would attract attention—and he couldn't afford that.
His priority was to enter the capital city of the Goa Kingdom.
Ender stripped the corpse and changed into the merchant's clothes.
After a moment's thought, he rolled in the filthy sludge nearby, coating himself in grime. The stench made him gag, but now his face and clothing were unrecognizable.
Climbing onto the wagon, he took the reins awkwardly and guided the horse toward the city gate.
In his hand, he held the merchant's knife—though, as he looked closely, it wasn't quite what he expected.
(End of Chapter)