The Transmigrated Author

After walking many miles to the west, we had arrived in the lands of the Iron Fist.

On one side, it's like stepping back in time. The houses are small and falling apart, and the people from within the gates look like they've had a hard life. The ground is dry and dusty, and judging from the markets, there isn't much food to go around either.

But then you walk a bit, and the land suddenly slopes upwards, like a hill.

And on that hill, everything changes. It's more modern, with taller buildings and paved roads, but it's not quite like the cities you see outside the pocket dimension. It's like they're a few steps behind, but still better off than the people on the other side of the hill.

"Should we head inside now?" Anouz nudged to the side while we hid behind the bushes.

Two heavily armed guards stood at the front entrance of the Iron Fist Gates, equipped with modern weaponry, including a submachine gun and a fully automatic rifle.

"I don't think we have a choice. Just follow after me."

As we left our bushes, we took a small detour to the side to not look overly suspicious because walking straight through the trees would obviously cause alarm to them.

"Who are you three? The three stooges?"

"KEKE…"

The two guards cackled in front of us, taunting and provoking us.

Anouz was on the verge of losing control as they belittled us before our very eyes.

"We're kind of lost, so we're wondering if we could enter through here?"

The guards exchanged skeptical glances before the one on the left spoke up, his voice gruff and impatient.

"Lost, eh? And where exactly are you trying to go?"

I kept my expression neutral, knowing we had to tread carefully. "We're travelers, just passing through. Heard there might be work in the city."

The guard on the right snorted. "Work? In Iron Fist territory? You'd be better off begging on the streets."

Anouz tensed beside me, but I subtly shook my head, silently urging him to stay calm.

"Even so," I pressed on, "we'd like to try our luck. Surely you don't turn away all newcomers?"

The first guard narrowed his eyes, studying us intently. "You three don't look like ordinary travelers. What are your skills?"

I thought quickly, knowing our answer could make or break our entry. "We're... mercenaries. Skilled in combat and willing to work."

This seemed to pique their interest. The guards exchanged meaningful looks before the one on the right nodded slowly.

"Mercenaries, huh? Well, the Iron Fist is always looking for capable fighters. But don't think this gets you a free pass."

He held out his hand expectantly. "Entry fee is 50 gold per person. Pay up, or turn back."

I was starting to feel more annoyed as he gave his partner a smug look.

Of course, there would be a fee, and of course, we had no local currency.

So I put my hand in my pocket and kept my fist closed as I offered it to the guard.

"Here, 50 Gold,"

"So you guys do have money after all! Well, I'll make sure you three get pleasant jobs then,"

I went to give him the money, and he looked at me like I was nuts.

"Where's the 50 gold?"

"It's over here,"

BAM!

Thrusting my left arm forward, I grabbed onto his face, lifting him upward.

He struggled against my grip, and I continued to smother his face with even more power.

"Put him down! You filthy outsider,"

He pointed his gun towards me, but I had mitigation ready to block any of the shots.

I can already tell by the look on his face that he is actually scared because both Christian and Anouz are giving him the stare of a lifetime.

Aura that made him drop his weapon and his knees.

"Okay, okay! Just put him down and we'll let you three inside! free of charge! please…"

I released my grip on the guard's face, letting him drop unceremoniously to the ground. He scrambled back, coughing and sputtering, his eyes wide with fear.

"Thank you for your generous offer," I said calmly, brushing off my hands. "We'll take you up on that free entry."

The other guard, still trembling, quickly moved out of the way.

"J-just go through," he stammered. "And please, don't cause any trouble inside."

Anouz chuckled darkly as we passed. "No promises," he muttered under his breath.

As we stepped through the gates, the simple distinction between the outside world and the Iron Fist territory became even more apparent.

The streets were lined with imposing metal structures, and the air was thick with the scent of smoke and industry.

People hurried about their business, heads down, avoiding eye contact. It was clear that life here was harsh, and strangers were not to be trusted. Your journey continues on My Virtual Library Empire

DING!

[First Landmark Has Been Discovered!]

[Landmark Of The Iron Fist: Rust Belt (1/3)]

[5 Skill points have been added…]

"Ohhh… nice! Good thing we got a bit of our strength back because I've been feeling weaker since we got here."

Anouz let out a relieved sigh as he tapped on the buttons of his system screen.

"Right? I can't help but think going into this world made us weaker."

Christian chimed in, nodding in agreement as he also fiddled with his own system screen.

To put it simply, once the world reached the ideal number of players for the story to begin, everyone's stats were significantly reduced and altered. This was due to the changing nature of the world itself.

The orb's world of which Anouz knew, changed because the world was in a stagnant state of constant reset, so that meant that every time Anouz entered this world it would've reset because the requirements weren't met.

However, with the changes itself, I was exempt from the nerfs.

My stats remained unchanged, and nothing had been tampered with seeing how I compared both system windows side by side.

"Anyway, go upgrade your points now because if this is the first landmark on entry, I assume we have to continue upwards."