Chapter 263: Don’t Do Anything Impolite
Faye Yardley and her two companions had only just managed to fill one shipping container when they were teleported to the miniature train station.
Eamon, still dazed, grabbed a blue Smoke Person and asked, "How did we get out already?"
The Smoke Person had clearly been asked this question before and replied with a pleasant attitude, "Honored guests, your time for play is up."
"It’s over so soon?"
"Yes, indeed. This is actually a protective measure we have in Nightfall Citadel for our guests. Anyone who stays alone for too long will encounter something truly terrifying. If you would all please go over there and queue for the miniature train."
Faye Yardley, however, asked a different question. "Do we need to buy another ticket for the train back?"
"But of course. You can purchase tickets directly on the train. If our guests have no money, you can use items obtained from The Frigid World to pay for the fare."
Faye Yardley nodded. She glanced back at the frozen city and said, "Thank you for the information. Let’s head back."
’She had tickets, and Eamon had money, so everything they brought out of The Frigid World was now hers.’
’As for what happened to anyone else, that wasn’t her problem.’
’My heart seems to be growing colder.’
She touched the spot over her heart. It was beating faster than usual, and a nameless rage began to well up inside her.
’My world has been turned into this. By what right?!’
’How dare it become someone else’s playground?’
"Faye."
Faye Yardley turned to look at Cole Kensington’s worried face. She forced a smile. "I’m fine. Don’t worry."
Cole Kensington knew this wasn’t the place to talk, so he just nodded. ’I have to stick close to her,’ he thought. ’Her mood has been erratic ever since we got here.’
’It’s not like she’s lost control; her expression hasn’t even changed. But I can just sense it.’
A bold thought then surfaced in his mind.
On the miniature train, many people needed to purchase tickets. Faye Yardley noticed some of them using Ice Crystals for payment. One Ice Crystal was worth ten return tickets, which seemed like a good deal, judging by the relieved expressions on many faces.
Eamon suddenly whispered, "Faye, do you think I could buy those Ice Crystals from them with money, and then have them use the cash to buy their own tickets?"
Faye Yardley felt the temperature around them drop. She shook her head. "We’re on their turf. Don’t try to snatch business from the hosts. It’s rude."
"Oh. Got it."
The chill receded, and the temperature returned to normal.
Eamon earned a sharp eye-roll from Cole Kensington. ’What an idiot. You think you’re so clever, huh?’
’They didn’t open The Frigid World as a charity for you to just rake in profits. There’s always a price.’
’If even half the people have to pay with items, they’re making a killing.’
’Of course, for them, the more the better.’
An occasional wealthy person didn’t matter; the vast majority of return fares weren’t paid for with money.
It all depended on whether the Smoke People had met their collection quota for that particular group. If the quota wasn’t met, they wouldn’t accept money for a ticket even if you had it.
They had plenty of ways to make you surrender your hard-earned spoils.
Faye Yardley’s group wasn’t lucky; she simply already had tickets, so the Smoke People couldn’t touch them.
Once the miniature train started moving, Eamon asked, "Faye, where are we going after this? We still haven’t had lunch. Let’s go to the Food Street!"
"All right."
Standing at the main gate of the Food Street, they found the roar of the crowd inside was even louder than it was outside. A faint aroma of food wafted out from the entrance.
They paid the entrance fee and stepped inside. The aroma of food immediately assaulted their nostrils, making their mouths water and filling their minds with a single, overwhelming desire: to eat.
Eamon’s feet seemed to move of their own accord as he started walking quickly in one direction, only to be yanked back by Cole Kensington, who had grabbed him by the collar.
"Hey, man, let me go! I gotta eat, I gotta eat! Let me go, I wanna eat!"
Faye Yardley’s brow furrowed slightly. ’Something is very wrong with this Food Street.’
Everyone around them was smiling, their steps light. All the stalls were packed with people. It all looked perfectly normal, which was precisely why Faye Yardley found it so abnormal.
The scents of various foods mingled together, creating a uniquely rich and enticing aroma.
It had to be said, the smell was intoxicating. Even Faye Yardley felt her stomach rumble and the corners of her mouth begin to water.
Eamon, still in Cole Kensington’s grip, couldn’t break free to go eat, so he could only be hauled along as he followed Faye Yardley.
Finally, she saw it—the thing that was wrong. At one of the stalls, a regular human was crouched in front of a furnace, feeding the fire with a miserable expression. He had no choice but to crouch, because both of his legs were gone.
He’d eaten pig’s feet and couldn’t pay, so they chopped off his legs, gave them a rinse, and tossed them into the pot for the next customer.
And now he was forced to tend the fire himself.
’If he had known, he would have rather starved to death.’
’That one bite of food hadn’t been worth it.’
Faye Yardley’s sharp eyes caught the gory scene behind the curtain, but she didn’t even pause, continuing to walk forward.
The crowd was dense, but somehow, no one ever seemed to bump into her.
The food at every stall looked incredibly tempting. Faye Yardley didn’t spare them a second glance and kept moving.
The Food Street was vast. They wound through it for what felt like several laps, but the crowds were still thick, filled with people eating and talking boisterously.
Faye Yardley caught snippets of conversation. It was mostly baseless bragging, punctuated by over-the-top praise for the food.
The rumbling in Faye Yardley’s stomach was getting uncomfortable. Under the guise of rubbing her nose, she popped a piece of chocolate into her mouth.
She slipped a piece to Cole Kensington and Eamon as well.
After walking for over an hour, their stomachs growling, Faye Yardley finally found a deserted-looking shop tucked away in a corner.
The aroma of food wafting from this place wasn’t as rich as the others, but Faye Yardley felt it was, by comparison, much more "normal."
But just as she was about to head over, alarm bells screamed in her mind. She pivoted and instead walked toward a large, clean, and brightly-lit shop nearby.
Once inside, she requested a small private room. The moment they were in it, Faye Yardley felt a wave of relief.
Eamon flopped onto the table, his head lolling. He asked wearily, "Faye, can we eat in this place?"
"Yes."
Eamon instantly perked up. He hurriedly pressed the call button for the waiter. "Quick, we want to order."
"Of course, honored guests. We only offer three set meals. The prices are 188 copper coins, 188 silver coins, and 188 Gold Coins. Which would the three of you like?"
Eamon waved his hand grandly. "We’ll take all of them."
"You can only order one, honored guest. Eating conflicting foods could cause an upset stomach, and we can’t have that."
"Then bring the most expensive one. The 188 Gold Coin meal."
Faye Yardley suddenly spoke up. "I’ll have the 188 silver coin set, please."
Cole Kensington immediately added, "I’d like the 188 copper coin set. Please bring our orders. We’ll be eating separately."
The waiter’s face broke into a wide smile. "Of course. Please wait a moment, honored guests."
’One person can’t order all three, but three people can each order one?’ Eamon felt like his brain couldn’t keep up.