The subway finally slid smoothly into the station amidst a series of grumbles from Dr. Lin about how 'stubborn as a mule' Ren Yi was.
Regardless, Ren Yi offered a sincere silent thanks. Fortunately, Xinglong Entertainment City was the final stop; he didn't want to experience another 'rocket-stage-separation' style of braking.
Ren Yi noticed that the eyelids of the playboy and the battle-worn youth on the floor were already twitching slightly; they were about to wake up.
As for why he didn't mention the Armor Hero, it was because the man's eyes were behind a helmet, and Ren Yi couldn't see them.
Before the sleeping Participants in the carriage could awaken, the three people and one crystal quickly left the strange 'transport vehicle.'
Walking through the bright underground passage, the view ahead gradually opened up.
Fun fact: no real casino ever puts the word 'Casino' on its front door.
They usually call themselves 'Entertainment Cities,' 'Resorts,' 'Palaces,' 'Worlds,' and so on.
What lay before Ren Yi's eyes was less like a casino and more like a massive, luxuriously decorated shopping mall, brilliantly lit.
The polished marble floor, as clear as a mirror, reflected the dazzling crystal chandeliers on the ceiling. Behind the glass display windows of the shops lining the road sat all sorts of magical items.
For instance, at the shop closest to Ren Yi, a plastic mannequin at the entrance wore a suit of mecha that looked just like Iron Man.
Ren Yi's inner hero-complex flared up for a brief moment, only to be instantly extinguished when he saw the price tag below.
It wasn't completely unattainable, but there was no need to pay such a steep price for a momentary fantasy.
The mall was bustling with people, vibrant and lively. Ren Yi's gaze swept across the crowd, and his footsteps faltered for a second.
There were... so many Anomalies here.
There were 'people' in suits whose heads were nothing but shapeshifting blue flames; there were 'ladies' with slender figures but spider-like lower bodies, elegantly holding glasses of red wine; there were even several light-and-shadow entities made of pure energy weaving through the shops.
Of course, even more Anomalies showed no unusual features, mixing with ordinary humans so harmoniously that it looked like a perfectly normal daily scene.
Wang Zhixin poked himself out of Ren Yi's pocket. Compared to the sights here, a flying crystal was actually quite unremarkable.
Ren Yi's gaze landed on a massive electronic screen at the end of the passage, which was scrolling through the entry guidelines for Xinglong Entertainment City:
【Xinglong Entertainment City Entry Guidelines】
This entertainment city is open only to customers aged 18 and over. All entertainment activities are restricted to adult customers with independent income capabilities.
Any form of violence, coercion, or fraud against other customers or their property is strictly prohibited. If you encounter such an event, please seek help from nearby staff immediately; we will protect your legitimate rights.
Chips are the only circulating currency within the venue and can be obtained through games, exchange, or trade. Chips cannot be snatched, stolen, or destroyed.
Customers visiting this entertainment city for the first time via invitation may obtain a certain amount of initial chips through collateral for the sake of their gaming experience; upon leaving, simply return the equivalent amount of initial chips to pass freely.
There are multiple exchange windows and trading areas within the venue, offering fair prices for all and transparent pricing.
...
The rules seemed fair and just, even somewhat 'considerate.'
Judging by the rules alone, this place didn't seem like an Anomaly Instance at all, but rather no different from any normal entertainment city.
If one had to nitpick, only the rule about 'returning initial chips upon departure' looked like a potential trap.
However, this was essentially just the casino lending you some chips and asking for them back when you left, without even charging interest.
Forget about Anomaly Instances; in any place, wasn't that just common sense?
Furthermore, the first rule—the first half was clear: no entry for those under 18. But Ren Yi immediately realized that the second half was likely aimed at him.
Translating the rule's meaning:
Unawakened 'children' are not allowed to enter the entertainment city. Those who have awakened but have no fixed source of income—meaning Anomalies without an Instance—are prohibited from participating in the gambling.
They don't prey on the Cubs; quite ethical, really.
The meaning of the following rules was also simple.
The casino is a safe zone. Whether you are a Participant or an Anomaly, your 'fists' have no power here.
Everything will be settled at the gambling table.
Ren Yi felt a momentary flash of confusion.
The owner of this casino seemed incredibly confident to carve out a 'normal' Instance within Anomaly territory.
Recalling the wretched state of that subway earlier, one could see the clues.
In a place like the Alliance where powerful figures gathered, opening an Instance that catered to both Participants and Anomalies required either immense 'strength' or a strong 'background.'
After all, in his previous world, casinos were almost always backed by organized crime.
Ren Yi decisively threw the question to Dr. Lin.
"A bit of both," Dr. Lin said, for some reason gritting his teeth.
"This Instance was originally supposed to be a City-rank Instance, but the Instance owner voluntarily downgraded it and reduced its area in exchange for relatively stronger rule restrictions and the support of the Alliance."
So it was government-backed.
Ren Yi suddenly remembered something. "Wait a minute, what if an Anomaly actually loses everything and has no crystals to pay back? Do they sign a debt note?"
Since Anomalies don't die, if a deadbeat decided to just stop caring, the casino wouldn't have much recourse, right?
"You're overthinking it. They don't sign debt notes here; they only sign labor contracts." Dr. Lin rolled his eyes. "The price is that you have to work for the casino."
"The rules will automatically divert a portion of your Instance earnings to the casino, unless you choose to literally stop eating."
"Anomalies indeed don't die, but if the rules are written in stone that you must work for it for a hundred years, it won't matter even if you die and resurrect."
"I'm giving you a special warning here." Dr. Lin became uncharacteristically serious. "If you really sign that kind of contract, there's no way to find a loophole. Even your brother might not have a way to break it."
"That's why this is such a foul place. Now that you've seen the world, I think we can leave."
Ignoring the second half of Dr. Lin's sentence, Ren Yi turned his head toward Ren Man.
Ren Man had been listening intently as well. It seemed this was his first time here too, and this information was a bit difficult for him to digest.
Noticing Ren Yi's gaze, he pondered for a moment, then reached out into the air as if plucking an invisible string.
Ultimately, he shook his head at Ren Yi, indicating that Dr. Lin was right.
"Washing it away... for you... bad."
Meaning, it wasn't that his brother couldn't do it, but that Ren Yi himself was too weak and would be erased before the contract was?
Ren Yi felt a pang of sorrow.
"It is fine," Ren Man said after another moment of silent thought, as if he had just realized something.
"A hundred years... is very short."
He offered comfort very seriously.
"He can... stay dead for a hundred years."
Rate on N.U.
