No One Told Me That This Isn’t a Game (Patreon)

Chapter 7: Veteran

"Mr. Zuo, we're about to reach Fengming City."

After a journey of one day and two nights, Zuo Chang had left the territory of the Heavenly King City and arrived in the vicinity of Fengming City.

Fengming City was a mining city, and it was known for having a super-large iron ore deposit with a reserve of billions of tons. The metallurgical and forging industries were highly developed.

Hundreds of towering chimneys belched black smoke into the sky, creating a rumbling sound.

The sky that should have been a deep blue was now obscured by gray haze and a yellowish tint, making people hesitant to look at it.

This land...

Was not suitable for habitation.

During the journey, Zuo Chang had become quite familiar with the coachman.

The coachman was a Third Realm adventurer. In his youth, he aspired to become a King, but he had to give up that dream after being hit by an arrow in the knee. He later started driving a small carriage and worked as a bodyguard, specializing in short trips. He had gained some reputation in the industry.

As Zuo Chang breathed in the pungent sulfur smell in the air, he asked, "Are we going into the city?"

"We'll head to the city gate tower. I'm only responsible for taking you to Fengming City. Someone more specialized will take over from here."

The carriage swayed as it entered the city gate. The guards at the gate were extremely vigilant.

A crowd of guards armed with swords and knives formed a dark and imposing presence. They inspected every citizen attempting to leave the city.

For those entering the city, their inspections were much more routine, and they were allowed to pass without much trouble.

This setup...

Seemed like they were looking for something.

The coachman exclaimed, "The city's defenses are really strict today..."

Zuo Chang didn't understand, "Is that so?"

"Yes. Those in blue are the city defense forces of Fengming City, while those in black should be the mine protection teams from Fengming Iron Mine. It's quite unusual for both of them to be guarding the city gate. Could there be some important figure visiting today?"

"Perhaps."

Zuo Chang wasn't well-versed in military matters, so he could only agree casually.

After a moment, a group of around twenty people appeared with several carriages, coming in a grand procession.

At the forefront was a middle-aged man. The coachman hurried over to greet him, "Captain Li, we're relying on you again this time."

Captain Li's face was weathered, and his eyes lacked any vitality, making him appear unusually fatigued.

He nodded and glanced at Zuo Chang, "Just one person?"

"Yes, he's heading to Qushui Town for an exam. His background is absolutely legitimate, so you don't need to worry."

The coachman spoke and handed over an envelope.

Captain Li pinched the envelope to gauge its thickness before calmly tucking it into his clothes.

He waved at Zuo Chang, saying, "Alright, follow us. You can board the last carriage by yourself."

Zuo Chang smiled, "Alright."

The coachman nodded and bowed, watching Captain Li walk away.

Then he turned to Zuo Chang and asked, "Mr. Zuo, do you know about Giant Shield Escort?"

"I don't know."

"Uh... Giant Shield Escort is a renowned escort group in 96511. They've been established for ten years and have a flawless record. They're highly reputable! This time, if you follow them, you can rest assured that everything will go smoothly!"

Alright.

After bidding farewell to the coachman, Zuo Chang boarded the last flatbed carriage.

There were already a few people on the flatbed carriage.

Most of them, like Zuo Chang, were at the First Realm of cultivation and were probably also headed to Qushui Town for the exam.

Among them were three individuals who were clearly not newcomers. They cast somewhat unfriendly glances at Zuo Chang as he boarded the carriage.

"Young friend, care for a cigarette?"

Among the three, a middle-aged man who seemed somewhat approachable offered Zuo Chang a cigarette and said with a friendly smile.

Zuo Chang glanced at the odd bulge at his waist.

It looked like the outline of a knife.

He pushed the offer away and said, "I don't smoke."

"Oh..."

The middle-aged man lit his cigarette, took a deep drag, and squinted as he asked, "I'm Wang Tianyou, a Second Realm adventurer. Where are you from, young friend, and what skills have you learned?"

Zuo Chang shook his head and replied, "I haven't learned any skills yet. This time, I'm going to Qushui Town to participate in the adventurer assessment."

"Really? You're a newcomer? You don't look like one!"

"Not like one?"

Wang Tianyou held his cigarette, "Indeed. You don't seem like a newcomer. I think you're quite skilled."

Zuo Chang smiled, "That's quite a compliment."

Undoubtedly, Wang Tianyou was deceived by Zuo Chang's innate talent.

"Veteran."

After personally experiencing the world he was transported into, the talent of a veteran had a slight difference from the game, but not a significant one:

"Veteran": Your seasoned experience can be seen in your eyes. Whether it's your experience, knowledge, or skills, you're truly a master. You can actively use the "Veteran" ability, consuming 5% of your mana per minute to perceive the enemy's attack range.

This talent, as the name suggests, signifies vast experience and a wealth of knowledge.

Wilderness survival experience, adventure experience, and most importantly, combat techniques and combat experience—Zuo Chang possessed all of these now.

What's more critical is that the aura of a veteran could be perceived by others.

In the eyes of others, Zuo Chang appeared young, yet exuded a battle-hardened air, so asking a couple of questions was normal.

Wang Tianyou nodded in a friendly manner, saying, "Your aura stands out, and the adventurer assessment should be a walk in the park for you. No problem at all."

Zuo Chang smiled faintly and didn't deny it, saying, "Brother, what are you going to Qushui Town for?"

"I'm going with a few of my buddies to visit a friend. The wilderness isn't safe, so we're having a caravan escort us. It won't cost us much."

"Oh..."

Zuo Chang glanced at the guards at the city gate and asked again, "The security at Fengming City seems particularly strict today. I hope nothing has happened."

Wang Tianyou shook his head, "I have no idea what's gotten into them. Giant Shield Escort has a lot of face and a good reputation. With their official background, they usually won't investigate us. You can rest assured about that."

Indeed, Giant Shield Escort had quite a reputation.

Upon leaving the city gate, Captain Li presented his credentials, causing the guards' expressions to visibly change, and they let them pass without much scrutiny.

However, that wasn't the case for others.

By the time they reached the last carriage, the guards ordered the passengers off the vehicle and conducted individual inspections.

Some of the guards held magical devices, scanning the bodies of people like Zuo Chang.

If the device sounded an alarm—

Hehe.

There was a makeshift cabin nearby. Regardless of gender, people would willingly enter and strip down to see if they were carrying anything suspicious.

"What's this all about..."

Up ahead, someone grumbled discontentedly.

Zuo Chang recognized the device—it was a "Magic Material Detector."

Its function was similar to that of a metal detector, used to check if the person was carrying valuable magical materials.

He also glanced at the tightly guarded city gate and a hypothesis naturally formed in his mind:

Fengming City had a super-large iron mine with a reserve of billions of tons.

In the game, aside from regular iron ore, these billion-ton iron mines would occasionally produce a magical material called "Iron Gallstone."

Iron Gallstone was the essence of iron, with incredible effects. Despite its rarity, it could significantly enhance the attack power of weapons.

Only when equipped with Iron Gallstone would an item qualify as "top-notch."

In the late game, Zuo Chang even resorted to force and intimidation to compel other factions to tribute Iron Gallstone to him in order to obtain more.

"Could it be... that the Iron Gallstone from the mine has been stolen?"

Zuo Chang pondered silently.

Judging from the situation, it was highly likely.

However, whether it was true or not, what did it have to do with him?

He didn't have any Iron Gallstone on him, and while he wasn't uninterested in such rare items, he was aware that his power wasn't sufficient to qualify him to possess Iron Gallstone.

He was merely a prospective adventurer participating in the assessment.

Zuo Chang spread his arms and stood in front of the guard.

The guard used the magical material detector to scan him once, waved his hand, and said, "Move along, move along! Next!"