Under the cover of the city's dark night, a mysterious silhouette sprang from one rooftop to another, traversing the urban landscape and merging effortlessly with the surrounding darkness.
Lynn, utilizing his enhanced agility and movement techniques granted by [Quickstep], swiftly moved away from the location where he had interrogated the young man in a black suit. He had managed to extract valuable information from the agent before departing the scene to avoid any unwanted attention.
He knew he needed to avoid being tracked or chased across the city. The Special Investigation Bureau had resources and manpower far beyond the normal police. Getting embroiled in a pursuit with them would be exceedingly troublesome.
Fortunately, those brief minutes of interrogation had been enough for Lynn to extract some useful information from the stubborn agent.
"I'm an agent of the Special Investi—" The young man had shouted after Lynn initially spared his life.
But he was abruptly cut off. "I don't need your credentials," Lynn stated coldly. "Just tell me about the creature."
Under the threat of the shotgun aimed at his chest, the agent begrudgingly explained that the werewolves' origin was still a mystery, but it was understood that they were humans whose transformation was triggered by exposure to something anomalous. Lynn desired more information, but it seemed that was all the agent had access to.
Lynn also learned the information he wanted the most, the origin of the shotgun. To his surprise, it was not a specialized weapon developed by the Bureau but rather a firearm acquired from the black market.
After extracting the information about the black market, satisfied, Lynn swiftly knocked the agent unconscious with a precise strike to the back of the neck before making his escape.
Now, as Lynn traversed the city under the night's veil, he pondered the implications of what he had just learned.
"The Abandoned District..." Lynn muttered to himself as he leaped across rooftops. "I didn't know such an area existed in H City."
Just beyond the boundaries of H City, in a neglected and desolate region where most buildings had been demolished, lay a hidden enclave known as [The Abandoned District]. Shielded and hidden from public awareness for years, it had earned a notorious reputation as a hotbed of crime and illicit activities.
Within this district, a thriving black market existed. Wealthy and influential individuals from the city flocked there, seeking anything and everything that could not be obtained through legitimate means. In this domain, nothing was off-limits for the right price.
"I knew the Federation kept tight control over information flow and internet access," Lynn continued murmuring. "But to completely omit any mention of an entire district, to the point that even residents of the city nearby don't know of its existence?"
He shook his head in disbelief. The government's information suppression went deeper than he could have imagined. For an entire criminal underworld to flourish right under their noses, in total secrecy...it was astonishing.
Further adding to Lynn's astonishment was the knowledge that the Special Investigation Bureau was aware of this place but had taken no action, indicating the influence of those behind it.
As Lynn neared the city limits, the landscape grew increasingly desolate. Even in the dead of night, an eerie stillness permeated the air. It felt as though he had crossed into another realm entirely.
In the distance, Lynn caught sight of the outskirts of the abandoned district. Even from afar, he sensed a malevolent energy suffusing the area. Mysterious figures moved stealthily through the shadows.
Drawing closer, Lynn's keen eyes discerned armed men patrolling the perimeter. He frowned, noting the strict firearms ban across the entire East Continent Federation. Yet here, on the fringes of H City, individuals openly brandished automatic rifles and pistols.
"Despite the nationwide firearms ban, it's clearly not being enforced here at all," Lynn muttered. "If H City harbors a place like this within its shadows, I wonder how chaotic the rest of the Federation truly is."
The nearer Lynn got to the district, the more he understood just how lawless it was. Gunshots rang out periodically in the distance. Armed conflicts seemed commonplace, with constant death risk.
Lynn observed the patrols. The armed guards were vigilant, scanning for any signs of trouble. Getting past them undetected would be difficult, even with Lynn's stealth abilities.
As he analyzed the situation, a crazy idea popped into Lynn's head. It was risky but could enable him to enter the abandoned district without raising suspicions.
Manifesting his spirit threads, Lynn bound and gagged one of the patrolling guards, dragging the struggling man into a deserted area. He ripped the guard's clothes off, assuming his appearance.
The outfit consisted of a black armored vest, tactical pants, and sturdy boots. Lynn pulled the balaclava over his head, obscuring his features. He holstered the guard's pistol and slung his assault rifle over his shoulder.
Leaving the naked guard unconscious, Lynn calmly approached the perimeter checkpoint. The other guards glanced at him briefly before waving him through with a nod. His disguise had worked flawlessly.
Now inside the district, Lynn wasted no time in changing back into his initial disguises within an abandoned building. He stowed the guard's clothes in his inventory and added a nondescript cloak with a hood to further obscure his identity.
From his vantage point in the abandoned building, Lynn surveyed the interior of the district, taking in his first impressions. Illicit activities flaunted themselves in the shadows, but amidst the depravity, some semblance of normalcy remained. Even at this late hour, a few legitimate shops operated, interspersed among seedy bars and brothels. Lynn noticed restaurants, general stores, and various vendors catering to the night crowd.
When Lynn first heard of the existence of this place from the Special Investigation Bureau agent, he couldn't fathom such a location. A lawless enclave situated just outside a major city in the Federation, operating entirely beyond government control and oversight. The thriving hub of crime seemed implausible, yet there it stood.
Lynn observed as armed mercenaries paraded by, making no effort to conceal their weapons. A drug deal unfolded brazenly on a street corner, while bizarre artifacts and curios exchanged hands at makeshift stalls. Truly, this was a realm untethered by moral or ethical constraints.
"This place is perfect for me," Lynn mused, a cunning smile spreading across his face behind his cloak. "Not only for the black market that seemed to be linked to extraordinary powers, but with the lawlessness of this area, I could open a clinic and practice medicine without worrying about credentials or registration."