The colossal southern gate of Arcadia Capital towered before them. The white jade stone walls, rising more than fifty meters high, were covered in a sparkling web of glowing magic—fitting for the center of civilization and the game's great superpower, Atheria.
The Golden Lion Guild's merchant caravan slowly crossed the threshold into the city. However, the atmosphere inside the capital was far from the peaceful scene many had imagined. The main streets were packed with groups of combat-focused Players patrolling in gleaming armor. Every one of them bore the unmistakable emblem of a blue dragon spreading its wings across their chest.
They were members of the Blue Dragon Guild, the number-one superpower that controlled the entire capital district's economy, trade, and dungeons!
"Stop the caravan!"
A threatening shout rang out at the front of the procession. A tall, heavily built young man in blue steel armor trimmed with gold stepped into the road and blocked their path. A bright golden name glowed above his head.
'Player: Taiga (Lv. 22) - Blue Dragon Guild Chief of Staff'
"The Golden Lion Guild from some backwater town, huh...? Under the laws of Arcadia Capital, every merchant caravan from another city has to pay a 'trade tax' equal to fifty percent of all its goods to the Blue Dragon Guild, and submit to a thorough weapons inspection!"
"A fifty-percent tax?!" Iron Lion's brows drew tightly together in anger. "We haven't even reached the central market district yet, and you guys already have the nerve to make up rules to extort Players?!"
"Those are the laws of the capital!" Taiga snorted. "If you can't afford to pay, or you don't want to comply... then get the hell back to your backwater town!"
The Players nearby lowered their heads and whispered among themselves sympathetically. No one dared pick a fight with the Blue Dragon Guild. Everyone knew that if the guild marked you as an enemy, they would hunt you down until you could never play the game again.
Jingle...
A soft wind chime sounded from behind the merchant caravan. Sean, dressed in a simple robe, slowly stepped down from the wagon. His gaze passed right through Taiga as though the man were nothing but empty air.
"A fifty-percent tax... What if I told you I won't pay even a single gold coin?" Sean said evenly. Yet the icy chill in his voice sent shivers down the spines of every Player nearby!
"Who the hell are you?!" Taiga roared, pointing his longsword at Sean. "From that outfit, I figured you were just some pathetic NPC merchant. You looking to get your head chopped off?!"
"Mr. Sean, don't..." Lumiel hurried forward to stand between them, then whispered under her breath, "Taiga has several top-tier parties lying in wait on the rooftops. If we clash in the capital, the city's security system will attack us too..."
"The security system?" Sean smiled faintly. His brown eyes began to shift into a brilliant blackish purple.
Fwoooooosh!
An enormous surge of purple-spectrum energy erupted wildly from Sean's body! The Unique Skill 'Dark Merchant Forge - Anomaly Code Extraction' activated at once, covering the entire southern gate area!
[ Arcadia Capital's security magic network structure detected. ] [ Intervening in and modifying the area's authorization command code! ] [ Changing area status: 'Safe Zone' -> 'Independent Black Market Zone'! ]
Whoosh—!
The capital's blue energy barrier suddenly transformed into a wondrous deep purple! System notifications popped up simultaneously in the interface windows of every Player near the southern gate!
[ Alert: The southern gate area has been compromised by the power of the black market! ] [ The capital's system punishment rules have been temporarily suspended within the Dark Eye Zone! ]
"What the hell?! What happened to the city's system?!" Taiga's face went deathly pale when he saw the Safe Zone protection status bar above his head vanish!
Sean pulled an A-rank 'Admin-Forged Judgment Shield' from his personal inventory. The power injected through administrator code compressed the air around him until the hundreds of streamers and Players gathered to watch collapsed to the ground, gasping under the pressure!
"Go back and tell your Blue Dragon Guild leader..." Sean slowly approached Taiga and lightly tapped the chief of staff's armored chest with one finger. "This southern gate area... has already been seized by the 'Outskirts Antique Shop' and turned into its second black market branch."
"If you want your tax... have your guild leader walk over here and bow his head to buy an item from me himself!"
Sean's thunderous declaration left every Player in Arcadia Capital utterly stunned, and the entire city fell deathly silent! The Dark Merchant's first step into the capital... had begun by openly challenging the highest authority!