Chapter 134: The 'Protagonist' Once Again Trapped in a Quandary 【Monthly Ticket Bonus】

[Rust Iron Hell, Lower City, Fourth District]

If the 12th District—referred to as a "safe zone"—was merely an old, rough neighborhood with a fierce local spirit, then the Fourth District, under the iron grip of Blood Skull, was the true embodiment of hell on earth.

Here, the sky was perpetually shrouded in thick steam clouds, sunlight barely piercing through. In such a place, even the laws of the New Federation, openly displayed in the Upper City, held little sway. And the peculiar regional rules unique to the Steam Capital? They struggled to take root here.

This district was the epitome of lawlessness—the sanctuary for those fleeing justice. Runaway criminals from the Upper City, fugitives from other districts—all converged here, drawn by the absence of order. As a result, violent crimes were a daily occurrence. Most people would never dare set foot here.

Yet today, two figures who had no business being here were slowly walking down the grimy streets of the Fourth District.

"Shuimo."

Dannika immediately sensed the unease in the air. The glances from the locals were unnervingly sharp—like wolves lurking in shadows. If she and Tian Dao showed even the slightest weakness, these hardened souls, already brimming with hostility toward the Upper City, would pounce like bloodthirsty beasts, devouring them alive.

They were wearing the uniforms of the Stellar Envoy Association—two outsiders in a territory where such presence was strictly forbidden.

Though it would cause chaos for the entire district, the breach of protocol wasn’t theirs. It was Tian Dao and Dannika who had broken the unspoken rule: Upper City residents—especially Stellar Envoys—were not allowed in the Lower City. To appear here was an open challenge, a provocation.

And sure enough, within moments, word spread to Blood Skull’s inner circle.

[Rust Iron Hell, Fourth District, Erku Ramen Shop]

"Two, please—your order: Rust Iron District’s signature dish—Spring Noodles."

The ramen chef’s hands trembled slightly as he placed the steaming bowls before Tian Dao and Dannika.

Unlike regular ramen with its clear, amber broth and silky white noodles, the Spring Noodles here were unsettling. The broth had a dull, rust-like yellow hue. The noodles themselves were coiled like spiral springs, glistening faintly with a metallic sheen—raising serious doubts about their ingredients.

“I hope this doesn’t send the new Fifth Squad Captain straight to the hospital.”

“Chen Kong and Vivian just wrapped up their mess with Blood Skull, and now the wanted posters are already up. If this isn’t rigged, I’ll eat my own hat.”

“I’ve been wondering why only Vivian came down alone. Now I get it—she’s been set up. Someone’s trying to eliminate her.”

“No wonder Old Jack of Rust Nail Bar said conscience doesn’t survive in the Rust Iron District. Kong got caught in this mess because of a moment of kindness.”

Tian Dao stared at the flood of messages scrolling across his Dimensional Screen—raw, unfiltered reactions from the audience.

He gathered the latest intel while stirring the steaming noodles with his stainless steel chopsticks.

The character "Shuimo" had only recently appeared—piggybacking on Chen Xing’s entrance into the Steam Branch, making a surprise debut in the Dimensional Audience. With several squad captains having fallen during the Season 1 finale at Yujin Base, the audience now viewed these "branch-level" squad leaders as mere early-game minor bosses—some name recognition, but little real weight.

So they paid little attention to Shuimo.

And thanks to Tian Dao’s Edit Privilege—his control over the narrative in Season 2—there was no record of the private conversation between Tian Dao and Chen Xing in the villa from a week ago. As far as the audience was concerned, Shuimo was just an ordinary Fifth Squad Captain. No connection to the mysterious masked man. No link to "Tian Dao."

As Tian Dao stirred, the tangled noodles finally separated.

But he didn’t eat yet. Instead, he began reviewing the major events of the past week in the Steam Capital.

First: The Saintess Yufemia of the Gear Church had failed to gain divine recognition. Unable to complete the succession ceremony, she couldn’t take over from the soon-to-retire Old Bishop Cleve. The church’s leadership remained in limbo.

Second: Former Silver Knight Vivian, once a member of the Gear Church, was now wanted for allegedly stealing sacred relics. She was jointly hunted by the Gear Church and the Stellar Envoy Association of Steam Capital.

As a result, the Rust Nail Bar in the 12th District—once a sanctuary for Vivian—had been razed by Holy War Knights three days prior.

But thanks to Chen Kong and his team, Vivian had survived—though badly wounded. They’d escaped into the hidden corners of Rust Iron Hell.

Had the Lower City not routinely ignored Upper City orders, they’d have been caught long ago.

Still, their situation remained dire. They had two options: flee the city, or clear their names and restore their reputations.

And someone—someone powerful—clearly wanted Vivian gone.

They tightened the gates to the Upper City while subtly loosening the conditions for leaving. A calculated push: exile.

Tian Dao sighed inwardly.

Being the protagonist in a hot-blooded drama really wasn’t easy.

The genre thrived on growth and friendship. But real growth meant suffering—hardship that spilled over onto the people around you.

That was why Tian Dao had chosen the anti-hero route.

As long as he could resist the protagonist’s "rhetorical charm" and reject any attempt at redemption, he could stay at the top of the food chain—eating only sweets, never the bitter.

After all, there was an unspoken rule in every series:

Redemption weakens you. Darkness amplifies you threefold.

With that thought, Tian Dao scooped up a strand of spring noodles and popped it into his mouth.

Instantly, a harsh metallic taste exploded in his mouth.

But as he caught sight of Dannika’s wide-eyed, eager expression—her anticipation practically vibrating—Tian Dao suppressed the urge to grimace. He kept his face blank, chewing slowly.

Because suffering? It only became joy when shared.

That was Tian Dao’s way of turning pain into pleasure.

Seeing Tian Dao eat so calmly, Dannika relaxed. She picked up her oversized stainless steel chopsticks—longer than her forearm—and struggled to wrap them around a single noodle.

With a determined “Aaah!”, she stuffed the whole thing into her mouth.

The next second—

“Uuuuugh!”

Her face twisted in horror. She shuddered violently, as if electrocuted.

Tian Dao’s lips twitched upward.

Perfect.

The bitterness had been passed on.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end