Leaving the suffocating scrutiny of the Split-Tooth Bar behind, Lin Ye and his companions quickly disappeared into the labyrinthine alleys of Horizon Port's Lower District. The chaos and clamor remained unchanged, but the covert looks directed their way had grown far more complicated, mingling awe with greed. No one dared approach and provoke them lightly anymore. The lingering terror of Thunder's annihilation of the mercenary fleet was enough to keep most petty troublemakers at bay.
Following the coordinates Old Kug had provided, they passed through filthy streets crowded with illegal mod shops and black-market doctors, eventually reaching a hidden base inside the wreckage of an enormous abandoned engine. This was one of the Void Exiles guild's many nests, its entrance concealed and heavily guarded.
Several Exile warriors wearing piecemeal armor had clearly been notified of their arrival. They scrutinized the group with sharp, wary eyes, their gazes lingering on Lin Ye with barely concealed fear and curiosity. Then they silently stepped aside and led them deeper inside.
The engine wreckage had been converted into an enormous hive, with a complex layout and narrow passages. The air smelled of machine oil, welded metal, and some pungent chemical agent. At last, in a cluttered workshop piled high with strange components and weapon blueprints, they met the leader of the Void Exiles guild-Old Pegleg Kent.
Kent was not human, but an elderly alien whose skin resembled rough gray stone. A crude mechanical prosthesis replaced one leg, and energy burns scarred his face. His sole remaining eye was as keen as a hawk's. With a High-Frequency Vibration Engraving Knife, he was carefully etching intricate circuitry onto an unidentified metal plate that emitted a dim blue glow. Hearing them approach, he spoke in a rasp without looking up. "Sit. Not much room here. Find yourselves