“What the hell just happened?" Sera frantically said, still shaken from having countless muzzles pointed in her general direction. "Ever since I met you, it's been nothing but hazards on my life!"

  She couldn't help but hold her arms, still shivering at the thought of what might have happened to them should they have failed the second scan. After all, the border guards were known for how draconian they could be toward those who posed a threat to the Cradle's security. The government had no qualms about making such people disappear. Not even Charles Baxter's endorsement would be enough to save them.

  "I'd also be interested in knowing the answer to that question," Marquez said as he turned to face Ning Shan, his inquisitive gaze fixed on him. "The three of us have passed through that checkpoint countless times, which obviously makes you the most suspicious..."

  Despite all eyes on him, Ning Shan didn't betray a hint of nervousness. In fact, he looked utterly unconcerned. Even if he indeed was the reason for their near arrest, he wouldn't have cared much to have implicated them. At most, they were acquaintances, but to Ning Shan, they were just a means to an end, temporary guides in a foreign world.

  "What were they scanning for?" he asked calmly, only for the three of them to remain silent. Only the other man scoffed as he turned around, dissatisfaction clear on his face. Knowing he couldn't get much out of Ning Shan, Marquez relented after a long sigh before answering his question.

  “Most people can't stand the red dust. It's almost like an allergic reaction. While it's different for everyone, it almost always leads to death."

  “I saw one individual bleed out then explode as he lost his mask," Ning Shan said as he nodded slightly, only for Sera to grow pale as she replayed that scene in her mind.

  “Hence the reason we wear those masks,” Marquez added. “However, those masks are prohibited within the city. As such, all traces of dust must be carefully monitored, if only to keep the populace safe. Those scans exist to determine whether an individual is safe to enter but also work as a decontamination zone. You saw the green light, right? That's its function."

  “Wait," Ning Shan said as he raised a single hand. "Why are masks prohibited within the city?"

  “You sure ask a lot of dumb questions," the other man scoffed. "How else would the government keep tabs on its citizens if they can't always see their faces?"

  “Eh?" Sera interjected. "I thought it was because the magnetic field that repels the Dust interferes with the Cradle's climate control."

  “How dumb are you?” the man sneered. “Do you really think a system as advanced as an automated climate control system could be disturbed by mere magnetic fields? Of course not; that’s just an excuse they gave to mask the real reason.”

  “Steven! Enough," Marquez said, his expression laced with a warning that didn't fail to imprint itself into the man's psyche. He hesitated only momentarily before turning back to the front, his mouth now shut. "You'll have to forgive him. Talk of the government has always put him on edge."

  “I don't blame him," Ning Shan said. "Governments rarely work for the sake of their citizen, especially if those that make the wheels turn have much to gain from their positions. After all, people are selfish creatures, always motivated by what's best for them."

  “I assume you also include yourself in that assessment?” Marquez asked, his eyes slightly narrowed.

  “I never claimed to be any different.”

  Silence reigned in the steel vehicle until they finally reached their destination. They had travelled through countless corridors in complete darkness, with only the instructions from their vehicle's dashboard to show them the way.

  They finally emerged into a large open space where countless similar vehicles rested, with no signs of their operators. The room was bare, except for a single door a few steps away, with a single dim light above it, probably the lone exit to this room.

  Sera could feel the tension mount, yet she was too scared to make a sound. She could only keep her mouth shut and wait for things to settle down. Unfortunately, this wasn't any different than what she had experienced countless times before when she deployed with her previous team. Even back then, she felt excluded and had to constantly walk on eggshells. Such was her lot in life. Here, however, most only ignored her, which she couldn't help but be grateful for.

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  “Being honest can be a double-edged sword," Marquez finally said, breaking the ice as he prompted the vehicle's door to open to the outside. "I just hope that whatever you are trying to do doesn't come back and bite us in the ass."

  He then stood and walked outside, only to be followed by Steven, who shot Ning Shan a cold glare. Once both men were finally gone, Ning Shan rose, extending his hand to Sera, only for her eyes to grow wide at the sight.

  “Aren't you repulsed...?" she finally asked. Her voice was as quiet as a mouse, and her nervousness was almost palpable. Still, Ning Shan only chuckled as he shook his head.

  “By what? Your appearance? Trust me, I’ve seen some things that would make you wish you weren’t alive anymore just so that you could forget them. I've also seen creatures that would make your worst nightmares look like sweet dreams in contrast. Sure, you might look different from a regular human, but against those things, you seem like the most normal thing. Still, I can't help but be curious as to your origins. Are you human or from another race entirely?"

  “Your world has other sentient races besides humans?! What are they like?" Sera exclaimed, barely masking her surprise, which couldn't help but make Ning Shan ponder, only for his eyes to narrow soon after.

  “How did you know I come from another world?”

  Both of Sera's hands sealed her mouth shut as her gaze darted around. Fortunately, she found that the two men were too absorbed in their own conversation and another voice coming from their communicators to have heard her words. Only then did she remove her bounds and sigh deeply before sheepishly looking toward Ning Shan, who calmly awaited her response.

  "You may think I'm stupid, but I notice some things," she replied in a low voice. "How could I be a good scout if I was that oblivious? There are just too many basic things you do not know, and coupled with the fact you do not require a respirator, it would be dumb of me to assume you are just another citizen."

  "That still doesn't explain why you'd think I was from another world. For all you know, I may be from another city or the wasteland itself."

  Sera's gaze darted around as her body crunched up even more, making her look even more suspicious. Still, Ning Shan was intrigued by her reasoning and decided to humour her. He bent down to her level, lending her an ear.

  "Don't tell anyone you've heard this from me, but a rumour circulates down in the Depths,” she whispered. “Apparently, once a hunter becomes strong enough, he can petition the government to enter the Pillar. Obviously, there's no chance for the average hunter to be allowed to do so. The Pillar is a sacred item, after all."

  “Wait...” Ning Shan said as he closed his eyes and held the bridge of his nose, thinking deeply. “You mean to tell me those people also come from other worlds? What’s your basis for this?”

  “Just the fact that such a rumour is circulating must mean there is some truth behind it, don’t you think?”

  Ning Shan couldn't help but agree. Transmigration couldn't become such a prevalent rumour without people believing in it. While he still had doubts, he couldn't help but become interested in verifying if those people were indeed travellers like himself and, if so, how they managed to do it. He highly doubted they had used the same method he did, as the odds of success were truly abysmal. After all, overcoming the tribulation shouldn't have led him to this world, much less failing as he did.

  “How does one get in touch with those people?” he finally asked.

  “Caught your interest?” Sera replied, a grin on her face. “Still, that’s easier said than done. People who have access to the Pillar usually don’t ever come back. So, your only option would be to go there yourself.”

  “Hey! The preparations have been made. We’re moving out!”

  Marquez's voice shattered the secrecy of their conversation, prompting them to rise and acknowledge him, only to be greeted by an awkward stare. Still, Ning Shan showed no embarrassment as he was too absorbed in what he had just heard. Finding these people might be the first step in knowing why he had reached this world among the countless others available to him. After all, this was just one among many.

  Back in his old world, there were many records of men and women who had come and gone—records of their short stay within the Nine Abyss Realm. While most saw them as mere fiction, Ning Shan knew their tales to be true. He knew countless realms existed aside from his own, yet the world's will was like a cage, imprisoning them within that realm for all eternity.

  While reading the memoirs of those travellers, he had promised himself to follow in their footsteps and finally break free for the first time, allowing his wings to finally unfurl and fly away to the distant shore, away from everything that held him back. He had struggled all his life for that one moment.

  The thought that others existed here who might share his vision couldn't help but make his heart flutter. He couldn't help but seek them out as soon as possible, hoping to achieve the means to travel between worlds. This simple piece of information suddenly made his arrival in this world worth it, even though he had to start from the beginning again.

  With a slight smile, Ning Shan walked behind the group as the door on the far wall came into view. He walked through the threshold only to be stunned by the view beyond.

  They now stood in a chamber big enough to accommodate over twenty people, yet it seemed like a dead end. The opposite wall was made of a transparent material, yet it didn't seem to be glass, but something much more robust. Either way, Ning Shan couldn't help but take a few steps toward the boundary, entranced by what he saw on the other side.

  At the top was the night sky, yet no stars could be gleaned. Slightly below was a circular mountain ridge, yet the edge seemed sharper than most knives. In the middle stood a pillar of multicoloured light that separated the world into two halves right down the middle until it plunged into a dark abyss below. Almost as if a lightning bolt had fallen, shattering a large mountain as it created a large crater with no bottom, yet the bolt remained stuck in place as if in stasis. The sight of that Pillar was both majestic and dreadful. Ning Shan couldn't help but feel its might deep in his bones.

  His sight wandered up and down, never really leaving the Pillar. While he noticed the countless structures attached to the crater's walls with multiple walkways bridging them in the middle, avoiding the Pillar, and the numerous levels that disappeared into the depths below, Ning Shan barely registered them. In fact, most of his attention was fixed on the Pillar and what it represented. It was even more complex than he first anticipated, almost a world in and of itself, a single separate dimension fixed in time and place—at least that was the feeling he had as he gazed into it.

  “Where to?" a mechanical voice said, almost as if speaking straight into his brain, bringing him out of his daze. He turned around, only to see the three others look at him with slight smiles. He also couldn't help but chuckle as surely they, too, had once felt the same as they gazed at the Pillar for the first time.

  “The Ninth Level, please," Marquez replied just before the platform began to move downward toward the dark abyss below.