The Rich Cultivator

Tyla blinked as the sound of heavy footsteps echoed through the stone hall. A familiar metallic clank followed, accompanied by the hiss of steam.

"Oh... you woke up?"

A Dragonion walked into view — a towering figure covered in gray scales, his tail dragging lazily behind him. His armor looked half-forged and half-grown, glinting with a dull sheen of metal and organic plating. In his hands, he held a massive mechanical weapon that resembled a gun fused with a claw. Its tip glowed faintly, humming with restrained energy.

Tyla’s eyes narrowed. She recognized that device. It was the same one that had immobilized her earlier — a weapon capable of freezing the targets movements.

Quietly, she slipped her hand into her coat and stored the glowing cube Masha had given her inside her pocket dimension. She wasn’t taking any chances.

The Dragonion’s deep, gravelly voice broke her thoughts.

"You’re a strong girl," he said, resting the weapon on his shoulder. "This thing can even make a Divine Seeker freeze up unless they use their domain. But to stop you? Took full power."

Tyla raised a brow. "Divine Seeker, huh? That’s a nice compliment." She stretched her neck slightly. "Though, I’d appreciate it more if I wasn’t on the receiving end of that thing."

The Dragonion chuckled — a low, rumbling sound that vibrated the air. "Fair enough. Name’s Kurt, by the way."

"Hello, Kurt. I’m Tyla," she said with a faint smile. "Looks like Masha disappeared."

Kurt shrugged, as if that was completely normal. "Don’t worry about it. Boss Masha’s always like that. She sends clones to do her work all the time. Saves her the hassle."

Tyla smirked. "Efficient."

"Did she tell you anything else before vanishing?" Kurt asked.

Tyla nodded. "Yeah. Something about... ’Justice Prevails.’"

Kurt’s eyes brightened instantly. He raised one scaled arm into the air, puffing his chest proudly. "Ah! That’s right! Justice prevails! We, the Justice Bandits, are the righteous ones of this chaotic world. We stand for justice when no one else will!"

Tyla blinked slowly, unsure if she should applaud or laugh. "...Right. Bandits who fight for justice. That’s... very unique."

"Exactly!" he said, missing her tone completely. "We might take from the rich, but only from those who deserve it! In this world, justice needs teeth, you know?"

"I should never tell them.that I am Rich." Tyla muttered under her breath.

Kurt didn’t hear her. He was too busy looking proud of his declaration.

"So," Tyla said, brushing imaginary dust from her sleeves. "Since you guys are all about justice, I assume I can go now?"

"You can, you can!" Kurt said, nodding eagerly. "Boss Masha said we should help you if needed."

"That’s nice of her," Tyla said lightly. "By the way, is she your leader?"

Kurt shook his head. "Nah. We’ve got several bosses, and each commands their own squads. But above all of them is the Leader — the one who gives the final word. Orders flow from the Leader to the bosses, and from the bosses to us. Sounds small, but our network stretches across the world."

"Impressive," Tyla said genuinely. "You even have branches everywhere?"

Kurt grinned proudly. "Everywhere — except the South. Nobody likes that place. Too backward. Some of our members went there... none returned. Even Boss Masha’s brother died in the South."

"That’s... tragic," Tyla said quietly.

For a brief moment, the room fell silent except for the faint hum of distant machinery.

Then Tyla’s eyes glinted mischievously. "Anyway... you said you’d help me, right?"

"Of course!" Kurt said, thumping his chest. "We always lend a claw to allies of justice!"

"Then," Tyla said, pointing toward the weapon on his shoulder, " I don’t want claw of justice, instead , can I borrow that thing?"

Kurt blinked. "You mean this? The Neutralizer?"

"Yeah. That thing looks handy."

He laughed awkwardly, scratching his scaly cheek. "Heh, sorry, not possible. The Neutralizer’s a relic — one of the rarest weapons in existence. It was a reward from an ancient game trial. The other models were destroyed ages ago. Angels dissected a few two thousand years back, but even they couldn’t figure it out. This one’s one of the few left in the world."

Tyla tilted her head. "I don’t want to buy it. How about a rental?"

Kurt blinked again. "Rent?"

---

Half a day later.

Inside her pocket dimension, Tyla knelt beside a gleaming new Neutralizer, carefully setting it on the ground. Her eyes sparkled with satisfaction.

"Hahaha..." she laughed softly to herself. "I was wondering how to copy oversized objects. But this copper ladle really is incredible."

She looked at the ladle that has mini sized Guns in it.

"It can absorb any object within visible range, regardless of size," Tyla continued. "As long as it isn’t held by someone. Perfect."

"Yeah... remember, I was the one who told you that..."

Tyla froze. A faint, ghostly voice had whispered from behind her.

"Wow. You can talk now?" Tyla turned, scanning the empty air. "Ghost girl, how do I turn you back into something visible? How can I get back my memories?"

No response. Only silence.

She sighed. "At least she’s talking more frequently than before." She slung the Neutralizer over her back, satisfied, and exited the pocket dimension.

---

The underground hideout was far larger than she’d realized. The stone corridors were reinforced with steel beams, the floor littered with tools, ammo boxes, and half-eaten meals. Faint light flickered from old mana lamps.

Kurt stood near the center, arguing with a few other Dragonions, all wearing bandanas marked with the Justice Bandits’ emblem — a stylized scale with wings.

When he spotted Tyla approaching, he gave her an apologetic smile. "Sorry, Miss Tyla. My friends don’t want to rent the Neutralizer. It’s technically property of the higher-ups."

"No worries," Tyla said, handing the weapon back. "It was fun while it lasted. You can keep the ten thousand Lydia I gave earlier."

Kurt blinked. "Are you sure? That’s a lot of money."

Tyla shrugged. "Consider it a donation to the ’Justice’ cause."

He scratched his head, chuckling nervously. "We appreciate it! Really!"

"Good," Tyla said, turning to leave.

Kurt led her through a narrow tunnel that opened into an old, dust-covered warehouse. Faded signs and rusted crates were scattered about. A cool breeze rushed in through the cracks of the broken roof.

"You can take this path," Kurt said, pointing toward a faintly glowing exit at the far end. "It leads directly to the city."

"Thanks," Tyla said. "Take care, Justice Bandit."

Kurt grinned and raised his clawed hand in a salute. "Farewell, Lady Tyla! May justice guide your path!"

She smiled faintly and waved back before walking toward the light.

Once outside, the cold air hit her face. She stretched her arms, feeling her energy flow freely again. The faint hum of the city echoed from the distance — engines, chatter, and life.

She reached into her pocket dimension and pulled out her old copper pot. The moment it appeared, it began to vibrate softly, its rim glowing as it pointed in a single direction — east.

Tyla’s eyes narrowed. "So that’s where it is..."

The artifact was responding to something. Something powerful.

She glanced at the skyline — faint, distant towers under the orange dusk. A faint smile curved her lips.

"Guess it’s time to finish this quest. We are streching out a lot."

Her boots crunched over the frost-covered ground as she began her walk toward the glowing horizon. The copper pot pulsed once more, like a heartbeat guiding her forward — toward the unknown.