Xilin Town, Nightingale Tavern.
The patrons and waitstaff had already fled. The scene was chaotic, with overturned tables, chairs, and dishes, spilled wine and food scattered across the floor.
The subtle curve of Kino's smile had long since disappeared, his cold eyes fixed on the glass of wine beside Klez's lifeless body.
In this world, distillation technology was still in its infancy. Most alcohol was brewed from grains and fruits, with low alcohol content.
The last time he drank with Paladin, he had mentioned that the 20-proof fruit wine they shared was the strongest in the world.
Yet just moments ago, when Kino clinked glasses with the two brothers, he suddenly detected an extremely strong aroma of alcohol.
Kino picked up Klez's glass and held it to his nose.
Ah, 53-proof Moutai.
Looking at Klin, the brand of the Rejector flared up with a prompt:
[Reincarnator identity confirmed. Unrestricted communication now possible.]
[If a third lifeform appears, restrictions will be re-imposed. Please adhere to the rules at that time.]
"You bought my intel from the information broker, disguised as a merchant caravan, lured me out of Xilin Town under the pretense of a tip-off, and ambushed me at the designated location," Kino said, sitting on a side chair and gazing at Klin, whose hands were nailed to the table. "A beautifully executed plan. If it weren't for this glass of wine, I might have fallen for it. Now, answer me the following questions."
"One, what is a C-class reincarnation disguise? What are its specific effects? Are there other levels of reincarnation disguises? What are their effects?"
"Two, when did you enter this world? How many of you are there? What is your rank? What weapons do you possess? Where are your companions?"
"Three, now that you're exposed and this reincarnation disguise has failed, what is your leader's next move according to the emergency plan?"
Klin's eyes were bloodshot with rage. He was about to spit curses at Kino when Kino moved first, pulling the dinner knife slightly out of the table and rotating it 90 degrees.
"Crack, crack, crack..." The flesh tore, and bones twisted as Klin screamed, struggling violently. The heavy table shook with the force, but no matter how much he struggled, his hands remained nailed to the table.
Kino watched him with calm detachment. "Saying 'I'll spare you if you cooperate' is certainly a lie, and you wouldn't believe it. But I assure you, if you cooperate, your death will be painless. Trust me, I'm a professional."
Klin's face twisted, his eyes gleaming with venomous hatred. He bellowed, "To hell with you... to hell with you!! You won't live past tonight, Xilin Town will be your grave!"
Kino glanced at the Rejector's brand once again, and as expected, the area restriction was now in effect.
As previously indicated, with the breakdown of the reincarnation disguise, combat had officially begun, and his movements were now limited to a 20-mile radius around Xilin Town.
If he stepped outside this range, he would need to return within the allotted time or face immediate erasure.
As for the "allotted time," the Rejector's brand gave no indication, and Kino had no intention of testing it.
Kino quickly searched through Klin and Klez's belongings but found little of note. There wasn't even a container for the Moutai, though in Klin's pocket, he found the "ring" Paladin had mentioned.
The ring itself was unremarkable, lacking any extravagant jewels, yet its craftsmanship displayed distinct modern techniques, with exquisite reliefs and delicate hollow details—far beyond the capabilities of this world's artisans.
The moment Kino touched it, a line of text appeared before his eyes:
[Reincarnation Item: D-grade Spatial Ring (Owner — Cao Rao)]
Cao Rao was Klin, his alias merely a cover to enter Xilin Town.
No wonder they had nothing on them. Their possessions must have been stored within this spatial ring.
Kino fiddled with it for a moment but couldn't find a way to open the ring.
Cao Rao smiled grimly. "I won't tell you how to open the ring. I won't tell you anything."
Kino wasted no time. He plunged a dining fork into the table, pressing Cao Rao's head onto the fork's handle, then delivered a heavy elbow strike to the back of his skull.
"Thud!" The fork pierced Cao Rao's throat. His body twisted violently on the table, blood spilling, and after half a minute, he fell silent.
After Cao Rao's death, the "Owner" label on the spatial ring vanished.
Kino touched it again, and another line of text appeared:
[Unclaimed Reincarnation Item, D-grade Spatial Ring]
Upon claiming the ring, an item description appeared. Following the instructions, Kino successfully opened the D-grade spatial ring.
Inside, there was approximately 30 cubic meters of storage space, containing rations, bottled water, 3 bottles of Moutai, medical supplies like bandages and antibiotics, 2 small short-barreled shotguns, 16 rounds of ammunition, 100 Silver Moons, and a badge engraved with a sabre.
From their earlier confrontation, it was clear that Klin and Klez were ordinary humans, likely low-tier reincarnators who had just arrived in the reincarnation space. Their combat strategy revolved around modern firearms.
This wasn't surprising, as this was the first reincarnation invasion, and naturally, only low-level reincarnators had arrived.
The two brothers were straightforward, following their leader's plan without deviation.
When the maid called out "Kino, Civil Officer," if they had been bolder, they might have drawn their shotguns and fired. It would have been a chance—but of course, such an act would be akin to suicide in front of a professional like Kino.
Now, the question was this.
The reincarnation squad had been lurking in this world for days, perhaps even arriving as soon as he crossed over.
However, none of them appeared to have particularly strong combat power, and their weapons were only "modern firearms," insufficient to overwhelm an entire town. Otherwise, they would have stormed into Xilin Town by now.
The reason they employed the so-called "Reincarnation Disguise" must have been to set up a trap, increasing their odds of success.
The key now was to uncover the full scope of this trap.
Kino pondered for a moment, then took the badge with the engraved sabre and examined it in his hand.
The symbol on the badge was familiar to him; he had seen it in the annals of history.
26 years ago, in the year 486 of the Fire Sun calendar, after the previous king passed, Dolgland XXIV ascended the throne. Amid political instability, the Eastern Empire launched a large-scale invasion.
The Dolgland royal family, along with the superhuman families of the five major kingdoms, fought fiercely, ultimately helping the 24th king repel the Eastern Empire.
The war, notorious for its extreme brutality, saw broken laurel flags scattered across the battlefield. Scholars dubbed it the "Laurel War."
After the war, although Dolgland had successfully repelled the Eastern Empire, it was severely weakened, losing control over the vast desert region—from Xilin Town in the west to Xizhou in the east.
The native powers of the desert region had grown strong. The "Desert Sovereign" united 52 nomadic tribes, forming a formidable force that frequently raided the borders and intercepted merchant caravans.
These elusive cavalry, who would strike and vanish without a trace, were often referred to as "horse bandits" by the Dolgland people.
The sabre emblem Kino held in his hand was the insignia of these desert horse bandits.
Reincarnation disguise, desert entry, the rendezvous 15 miles east of Xilin Town, the sabre badge, high mobility of cavalry... all the clues converged in Kino's mind, pointing to one undeniable fact.
Kino quickly left the tavern, heading for the military supply depot. He instructed the quartermaster on duty to open the warehouse and retrieve a "Howling Sky Thunder," used for transmitting military orders, lighting the fuse with a firestick.
"Whoosh—Boom!" The Howling Sky Thunder shot into the sky, exploding in a crimson burst, illuminating the night as if a great fire was burning in the heavens. The blinding light and deafening sound awakened the entire Xilin Town.