An hour later, the breathtaking silhouette of a colossal city finally emerged on the horizon.
But it wasn't a city at all.
It was an entire mountain range, completely hollowed out, reshaped, and armed to the teeth.
The towering, cloud-piercing city walls gleamed in their original deep metallic hue, their surfaces crawling with colossal, upward-facing gears, thick pipes coiled like giant serpents, and countless towering chimneys.
The largest chimney among them relentlessly belched thick black smoke into the sky, staining half the heavens with a suffocating gray-black pall.
"Is this... Blackrock Stronghold?"
Lin Xiyue tilted her head back, her breath catching in her throat.
The scene before her—a brutal, industrial-aesthetic panorama of steel—made her feel utterly insignificant, as if her soul had shrunk within her.
"This isn't a stronghold at all," Su Wan said, her gaze trying to penetrate the massive steel facade to discern its core. "It's a living, colossal factory."
Her voice was hoarse with awe. "It's unimaginable how terrifyingly powerful the energy core must be to drive a city of this scale."
The oppressive, scorching industrial atmosphere had Xia Lian gasping for breath, each lungful of air tasting like scalding, rusty iron.
Lin Qingyue stared at the city, the familiar name in her mind clashing violently with the steampunk scene before her, creating an utterly absurd sense of incongruity.
Blackrock Stronghold... the main city of the Dark Iron Dwarves?
But this art style is completely wrong! Where's the promised Underground Kingdom, the Runes and Strong Liquor? How did we fast-forward straight to the First Industrial Revolution?
And the city's main residents aren't even dwarves—they're humans and Orcs?
She felt as if her carefully constructed game world's lore was being repeatedly rubbed into the ground by this irreverent Dungeon.
As they drew closer, the details of the city gate became clearer.
A massive steel drawbridge hung suspended high above the entrance, guarded by a line of soldiers clad in heavy metal armor.
Intricate bronze pistons and pipes connected the joints of their armor, hissing out small puffs of white steam with every movement.
Even more astonishing were the weapons they carried.
These were monstrous contraptions with barrels thick enough to fit a fist—less guns than shoulder-mounted portable steam cannons.
Seeing the formidable equipment, Lin Xiyue silently swallowed her earlier sarcastic remark about "razing the city."
Could my Immovable Mountain even withstand a single volley from that thing? she wondered.
"Halt! Where are you from?"
The Guard Captain stepped forward, blocking their path.
His helmet was a completely sealed metal canister, with only a narrow slit revealing two piercing glints of light.
His voice, transmitted through some kind of steam-powered device, was muffled and distorted, sounding as if it were coming from inside a sealed can.
"We are adventurers from afar, passing through this place. We wish to enter the city to rest and resupply," Lin Qingyue replied calmly, stepping forward.
Under the "Truth" rule, her answer was concise, truthful, and flawless.
The Guard Captain's helmet rotated slightly, the lens over the observation slit flashing with a faint glow as if scanning their data.
"Four Novice Class Holders... decent levels, excellent physiques... Proceed."
He spoke in a flat, emotionless tone.
"Remember, private duels are forbidden within the city. Resolve conflicts in the Colosseum. Violators will face the consequences."
"Also, while Blackrock Stronghold is a free city, do not excessively harass others."
With that, he stepped aside, his movements mechanical as if he were a wind-up Alchemical Puppet.
The process went surprisingly smoothly.
The four women entered the massive steel city gate.
A wave of stifling heat slammed into them, carrying the choking stench of coal ash, the acrid reek of machine oil, and the unique sweet, metallic tang of rusted steel.
The city's interior was even more astonishing.
Streets were cobbled together from massive stone and iron slabs, flanked by steam pipes that snaked along the sides like giant serpents. Overhead, small steam-powered railcars clattered between buildings, their ear-piercing clang-clang filling the air.
Hustling pedestrians formed a peculiar yet vibrant tableau of life.
Then, the bizarre scene on the street repeated itself.
A cat-eared girl, grinning mischievously, stopped a passing male engineer, about to say something.
The man reacted as if he'd seen a vengeful ghost, letting out a short, panicked cry and bolting into a nearby alley at a sprinter's pace, running faster than if he were being chased by Cerberus himself.
Xia Lian stared in stunned disbelief, instinctively shrinking her neck and muttering under her breath, "Do not look upon impropriety, do not look upon impropriety..."
"Let's find a tavern first and gather some information," Su Wan said, her voice strained.
Su Wan frowned, unconsciously pulling Lin Xiyue closer.
It was as if this small gesture could shield her from the pervasive, predatory gazes that seemed to surround them.
They quickly found a tavern on a street corner, its sign emblazoned with the words "Roaring Furnace."
Just as they were about to push open the door, Lin Xiyue suddenly grabbed Lin Qingyue's arm. "Wait, Sis! We don't have any money from this world!"
"Don't worry, money's not a problem," Lin Qingyue replied with a mysterious smile, patting her pocket.
Under the group's questioning gazes, she explained, "I observed earlier that their currency is identical to the one used in the last Dungeon. I still have some left."
Pushing open the heavy iron door, a wave of raucous noise and the stench of alcohol washed over them.
The tavern was packed with patrons. Contrary to legend, few dwarves were present; most were humans and beastmen.
The arrival of four young women, each possessing extraordinary beauty and grace, froze the tavern's clamor for a split second as countless eyes turned their way.
But the pause was fleeting. The gazes quickly shifted away, returning to their drinks as if the newcomers were taboo subjects.
They settled into a corner booth and ordered four mugs of ale.
"Let's hear what they're talking about," Lin Qingyue whispered, her ears twitching slightly.
But after listening for a while, her expression shifted from anticipation to disappointment, and finally settled into an utterly bizarre, unsettling strangeness.
Throughout the tavern, the conversations revolved around a few repetitive topics, all steeped in a harmonious, optimistic, and consumption-driven atmosphere.
"Heard about it? The new batch of cat-girls at Tender Village have tail fluffiness ratings as high as 95%! I've already reserved a private room. Tonight, no one's stopping me—I'm going to catnip!"
"That's nothing! I've saved up three months' wages just for next week's main event at the Bloody Arena: Bonebreaker Baroque versus the Three-Headed Chimera! Now that's what I call a real man's romance!"
"Sigh, iron ore prices are skyrocketing again. I can barely afford to maintain my steam armor anymore. I'll have to visit my old fox-woman flame at Tender Village for a drink. I'll get her to wipe my tears with her tail and comfort my wounded spirit. Maybe she'll even make me a steamed bun with ham to help me relax."
No wars, no disasters, no Demon Lord invasions.
Not even a single curse against the City Lord or a grumble about life's hardships.
The entire world was as still as stagnant water, the only ripples seemingly occurring in the openly priced Arena and pleasure districts.
Lin Xiyue yawned sleepily. "Sis, the men here are so strange. They act like they're about to lose half their lives if a woman even glances at them on the street, but the moment they step into a tavern, they suddenly become seasoned veterans, brazenly discussing their plans to visit pleasure districts for 'relaxation'?"
"This... these kinds of men... I can't stand them either..." Xia Lian declared, unable to bear the sight.
"Their behavior is completely different inside and out. Maybe... the men they're talking about aren't the same type we encounter on the streets?" Su Wan frowned, a knot forming between her brows. She instinctively felt that something more complex was at play, but she couldn't pinpoint a logical entry point.
Lin Qingyue raised her mug, the sharp tang of the ale sliding down her throat.
The stinging sensation sent a jolt through her vague, uneasy premonition, instantly seizing a crucial clue.
Something's wrong.
Terribly wrong.
Her gaze swept across the man loudly bragging about his plans to visit Tender Village for a cat-girl, then darted to the window. A passing woman had just whistled at a man, who bolted away like his tail had been stepped on.
A massive question mark erupted in Lin Qingyue's mind.
On the street, they're like startled birds, twitching at the mere sight of a woman. But inside the tavern, they transform into gluttonous patrons drooling over the menu?
What are they truly afraid of? Is it women themselves, or rather... "wild," "assertive" women?
Lin Qingyue instantly felt like she'd hit the nail on the head, a lightning bolt of insight cleaving through the fog in her mind.
The guards said this place is "free," yet warned us "not to excessively harass others."
Combining the men's reactions on the street with the tavern conversations... I get it! The "freedom" here is economic freedom! The definition of "harassment" must be different from what we assume!
Being approached or "hunted" on the street might mean shouldering some heavy "responsibility" or "price"—like being forcibly bound into a relationship or losing access to certain places! For them, that's a catastrophic disaster!
But patronizing Tender Village is a transparent, fairly priced, officially protected legal entertainment transaction! Safe! Reliable! Rave reviews!
The more Lin Qingyue pondered, the more absurd the situation seemed, yet the more absurd it became, the more she felt it must be the truth.
Could the purification condition for this Dungeon be... to reform the market's atmosphere, crack down on illegal solicitations, and protect consumer rights?
Or... to obtain the intelligence I need, do I have to go to the largest "Information Exchange"—Tender Village—and personally experience it as a customer or... an employee?
At the thought of this absurdly outlandish scenario, Lin Qingyue didn't feel burdened at all. Instead, the corners of her lips involuntarily curled into a mischievous, triumphant grin.
This kind of fun was far more exciting than simply grinding through monsters for levels!
[Ding! Host's analysis of the twisted worldview's core logic and discovery of immense potential amusement has brought immense joy to both mind and body. Elation Value +999!]