Lost in the Otherworld

The city of Licheng is bisected by the Li River, with residents referring to the two halves as "Hedong" and "Hexi." Hedong is the old town, home to pedestrian streets, prestigious schools, stadiums, museums, large shopping malls, and the financial center. Hexi, a newer development on the other side, focuses on tourist attractions and has seen rapid growth in recent years, with housing prices catching up to those in Hedong. Licheng is divided into nine districts, with Gaoyang and Qingling residing in the 5th district of Hedong—Shanqing District.

The "Qingyang Bridge" is the first modern bridge in Licheng, mainly connecting Shanqing District in Hedong to Feiyang District in Hexi. With decades of history, this bridge is now akin to an elderly figure nearing the end of its days—its structure dilapidated, long neglected, and traversed by few vehicles. However, after midnight, large trucks begin to frequent the bridge, as it offers a detour around a toll station, making it a preferred route for long-distance freight.

Late at night, Gaoyang and Qingling arrived beneath the eastern end of the bridge, where the heavy trucks overhead occasionally sent deafening rumbles through the uneven surface. Gaoyang feared the bridge might collapse.

Qingling sat cross-legged on the embankment, concentrating on searching for something.

The first note read:—At the eastern end of Qingyang Bridge, use your [Metal] ability to find something.

Soon, Qingling opened her eyes. "I found it. It should be that."

Gaoyang wanted to ask what it was and where it was, but he held back, not wanting to seem foolish, so he remained silent.

Qingling descended the embankment, stretched out her hands toward the river below, and soon furrowed her brow.

“What’s wrong?” Gaoyang asked.

“It’s a bit far. Come here and hold me.”

“Hold you how?”

“Have you seen the poster for *Titanic*? Like that.”

“I get it!”

Gaoyang quickly wrapped his arms around Qingling's slender waist from behind. The wind from the river brought her scent to him—a fragrance reminiscent of swaying flowers.

The girl in his arms leaned forward, her hands moving about a meter closer to the river. Without overthinking it, Gaoyang tightened his grip on Qingling.

Ripples began to appear on the water's surface, gradually growing more intense.

With a splash, a rectangular iron box broke through the water and hovered mid-air.

Qingling gritted her teeth, pulling hard with her hands, and the heavy iron box flew toward them.

Gaoyang braced himself, pulling with all his might, as if playing tug-of-war. When the weight on Qingling suddenly vanished, he couldn’t stop himself from falling backward, taking Qingling down with him.

Qingling didn’t immediately get up from Gaoyang’s chest. She lay there, breathing heavily.

Gaoyang didn't mind. After all, being pressed down by a beautiful girl wasn’t a bad feeling.

“Isn’t the Metal talent supposed to be powerful? Why does it seem... underwhelming when you use it?” Survival instincts made Gaoyang choose his words carefully.

“I only recently acquired it, and my level is too low.”

Qingling stood up and explained, “Right now, I can sense metal up to 20 meters away, control metal within 10 meters, and manage up to 10 kilograms. That thing just now was over the limit.”

Gaoyang silently noted: No matter how strong a talent is, it’s still limited by its level. A powerful talent at a low level might be less effective than a weaker talent at a higher level.

Qingling approached the iron box and took out a dagger to cut through the thick waterproof tape before carefully opening it.

Gaoyang leaned in for a look and was shocked.

Inside the iron box was a disassembled black sniper rifle, neatly embedded in the case. Under the moonlight, the cold, black lacquered metal parts exuded a dangerous, almost seductive gleam.

The system's voice rang in his mind at the right moment.

[Would you like to observe the unknown item? It will cost 1 Luck Point.]

—Observe.

[M82A1 semi-automatic anti-materiel rifle, 12.7mm ammunition, 10-round magazine, effective range 1800 meters, gun weight 14kg]

Gaoyang’s heart sank: Looks like someone is going to be killed.

Even for Officer Huang, acquiring such a sniper rifle would be impossible in a short time. It seems he has been preparing for this for a long time, hiding it here, waiting for the right moment.

Qingling stared at the sniper rifle, deep in thought for a moment.

She took out a backpack from the iron box, covered the box with it, and glanced at Gaoyang. “Carry this.”

Gaoyang quickly lifted the heavy black backpack and slung it over his shoulder.

Qingling opened the second note but remained silent for a long time.

“What’s wrong?” Gaoyang asked.