章 284: The Stranger

The moonless night hung heavily over the mountains that guarded the capital city of Etrium. The air was thick with an eerie silence, broken only by the distant shouts of drunken mercenaries having drinks at the city's many bars.

In the heart of the city, a man cloaked in shadows moved with purpose. As he reached the city's outskirts, he approached a hidden garage where a mercenary flying car awaited him.

The vehicle gleamed in the dim light, its blackened metal body reflecting the starless sky. The man approached the car with a sense of familiarity, as though he had done this many times before.

With a flick of the mercenary's wrist, the car's hatch opened, revealing the luxurious interiors bathed in soft blue and white lights. The man climbed in, and the mercenary did the same; the car lifted off the ground and steered towards the mountain that would lead him out of the city.