As he observed General Nyton, he blended himself among the people around.
He quickly made his way to a long table and grabbed a drink from a small glass.
A male staff member spoke up: "Uhm, sir—that isn't yours." White chugged it fast anyway.
"Just make a new one," White said, turning to leave as he spotted General Nyton walking into a room with golden curtains. The general stopped halfway to show something from his pocket to the guards.
Another checkpoint?
He leaned against the wall near the room's entrance.
White's eyes widened as he felt something.
A seal...
I wonder what kind of things exist behind that room—enough to warrant covering it with a seal...
Straightening up properly, he started walking and bumped into a woman in a long white dress with blonde hair.
"Oh~ Watch where you're going, mister~" she said in a soft tone.
White grinned quickly and shot back a reply.
"It's not my fault—I was lost in thought, and you just had to pull me out of it," White said, pushing back his white hair.
He's quite good-looking, despite that smell he has...
The woman bit one of her nails as she looked directly into White's eyes, her gaze suggestive.
"Oh, you're quite smooth, mister~ Name's Julia."
White took her hand and kissed it. "It's a pleasure to meet a beautiful lady like you, Miss Julia~ I'm White."
"White—what a unique name for such a unique face~" Julia replied, holding onto White's right hand.
"Would you mind drinking with me~?" Julia asked. White smiled and answered, "Of course, m'lady."
Guess I can play along with her a bit and get some intel about that room, White thought as he followed Julia to the bartender's table.
"Two shots, please," Julia said. The bartender nodded.
After a lengthy conversation, White finally decided it was time to make his move.
Looks like this is enough—she suggested we drink together, and three shots have clearly left her tipsy...
"It seems you're not much of a drinker?~" White asked, smiling.
Julia's gaze started to wander. "Eh—I'm not drunk at all~..." she said, slowly trying to focus her eyes.
"I see. By the way, I was wondering—what's that room for?~" White asked, pointing toward the curtained space.
"Oh?... You don't know? It's the VIP rooms..." Julia replied.
White smiled and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Then do you have access to one? Maybe we could spend some time alone together~" he said in a gentle tone.
"Ohh... You're a bad boy, aren't you?~" Julia said, reaching into her purse and pulling out a card.
"Let me see that~" White smiled, taking the card from her hand firmly.
Staring at it, he said, "I see—thank you, m'lady~" before knocking Julia out with a quick tap to the back of her neck.
White signaled for a staff member to come over, and the person hurried to him. "Do you need anything, sir?"
"Could you help get my lady to her room?" White asked, showing the card. "It's room 405."
The staff member nodded. White walked toward the curtained room, presenting the card to the men standing outside. Both nodded and let him pass, while the staff member tended to Julia behind him.
"I'll leave her in your care," White said, handing over the key card.
The staff member nodded. As they climbed the stairs, White noticed numerous rooms spread out in every direction.
It's bigger than I thought.
Almost all the doors look identical—only the room numbers set them apart...
White began walking around, and soon a staff member in familiar clothing approached him. The outfit was loose-fitting, with openings at the hips and chest.
Same clothes as those girls from the transportation we took...
It seems they provide services to VIPs here...
Though right now, I'm lost...
White pushed back his hair again and sighed.
Guess I'll just explore then.
White kept walking, making his way to the third floor. As he stepped through the curtains, his eyes widened—the entire floor was lined with gold and white tiles, with lights covering the ceiling.
He went inside.
Looks like an entertainment district...
Multiple sofas and tables were filled with people drinking heavily, while several platforms held girls in the same outfits dancing around poles.
At both ends of the room stood rows of gambling machines, where older men were playing.
White smiled.
Is this the building's main attraction? As expected of a nation full of merchants.
He walked around the space.
I should probably just observe for now...
After a few minutes, he decided to head toward the right side, past the gambling area.
As he looked around, he spotted a group of men in black suits wearing black pendants.
They look different from the others—special somehow...
White sat down in front of one of the machines, and a staff member approached him at once.
They're quick on their feet...
White smiled and handed over 500 in cash.
"I'll be right back, sir," the staff member said. A few minutes later, they returned with a pouch of coins for the machine and his change.
White smiled, shook the staff member's hand, and slipped a few extra bills into their palm.
Leaning close to their ear, he whispered, "If you want more, keep an eye out for anything interesting around here~" The staff member smiled and nodded quickly.
As White started playing the machine, he noticed another man in the same suit and pendant as the group he'd seen earlier.
So they're guarding him...
As he watched the man with the pendant, a female staff member approached and said, "Wow—you're quite good at this, sir." The man smiled. "What's your name, beautiful?" he asked. The woman replied eagerly, clearly seeing an opportunity.
"Mercy~"
"A-Gun," he said in a soft, deep voice.
He pulled another coin from his pouch. "Blow on this," he told her. Mercy did as she was asked, and A-Gun looked directly into her eyes before kissing the coin.
He inserted it into the machine and flipped the switch, never breaking eye contact with Mercy. After a few seconds, he flipped it again.
[7]
[7]
[7]
The machine began pouring out dozens of coins, the sound echoing through the area. A-Gun's eyes drifted upward.
"I feel ecstatic—especially with you here," he said, flipping a coin into the air. When he caught it, it had turned into a beautiful pink flower.
He smiled.
"Wow—I've never seen a flower before!" Mercy exclaimed, taking the flower and smelling it right away.
"Well, you'll find more if you come with me," A-Gun replied, removing his black hat.
Hey everyone! I've been sitting on this for a little while now and I'm so happy to finally share – Wasteland Bounty if got contracted i will continue the series This means I can fully focus on bringing the story to life without holding back, and I'm working around the clock to make sure Volume 1 is ready to go by March 1.
There's so much I can't wait for you to see – we're diving into multiple unique power systems that shape how characters fight and survive in this harsh world, plus a whole roster of crews that play critical roles in Black's quest for revenge. Every single character gets their own dedicated arc, and each crew has deep, layered backstories that connect to the bigger picture of what's really going on out in the wasteland. Your support has meant the absolute world to me, and I can't wait to share everything I've been building with you all on release day!