Keyboard Warrior's Otherworldly Adventure

Sophie's compliance sank Li Jin's heart, and a surge of anger burned in his chest. He glared fiercely at the man in black and said in a low voice, "You better guarantee her safety, or I will not let you off!"

The man in black remained expressionless, seemingly ignoring Li Jin's threat, and simply gestured for him to proceed. Sophie turned back to Li Jin, offering a forced smile, and whispered, "Li Jin, don't worry, I'll be fine. I'll come find you after I've taken care of things back home."

Watching Sophie being taken away, Li Jin felt as if he'd been punched hard, a tightness gripping his chest. He clenched his fists so tightly his nails almost dug into his flesh. Damn this arranged marriage! He cursed under his breath, turning and disappearing into the crowd. He couldn't go to the Misty Forest now; he had to think of another way.

Li Jin returned to the tavern, ordered a jug of strong liquor, and gulped it down. The pungent liquid flowed down his throat and into his stomach, but it couldn't extinguish the anger in his heart. He had to do something; he couldn't just stand by and watch Sophie be sent away for a political marriage.

"Boss, do you sell maps here?" Li Jin called out to the boss behind the counter.

"Map? What map do you want?" The shop owner, a short, stout middle-aged man with a beer belly, asked lazily.

"A map of the royal palace," Li Jin said firmly.

The shopkeeper sized Li Jin up, a shrewd glint in his eyes. "Young man, maps of the palace aren't something you can just sell casually; that's illegal!"

Li Jin pulled a bag of gold coins from his pocket and placed it heavily on the counter. "Is this enough?"

The heavy gold coins made a crisp sound, and the shopkeeper's eyes lit up immediately. He quickly stuffed the gold coins into his pocket, then took out a scroll from under the counter and mysteriously handed it to Li Jin, "Young man, you're lucky. I happen to have one here, but it's not cheap."

Li Jin snatched the scroll, stuffed it into his pocket without even looking at it, and said, "Thanks." Then he left the tavern without looking back.

Back at his lodgings, Li Jin unfolded the map and began to study it carefully. The palace had a complex layout and was heavily guarded; it would be no easy task to sneak in unnoticed.

"Looks like I'll have to find some help," Li Jin muttered to himself. He thought of his college classmate Zhang Hao, a tech geek, who might be able to lend a hand.

Li Jin immediately contacted Zhang Hao and briefly explained the whole story.

"Holy crap, bro, you're really going for this!" Zhang Hao exclaimed excitedly. "Infiltrating the royal palace? That's thrilling! Count me in!"

"Are you sure? This is no joke," Li Jin reminded him seriously.

"Don't worry, brother, don't you trust me to handle things? I'm a top hacker, breaking through the defense system of a mere royal palace is a piece of cake!" Zhang Hao said confidently.

"Okay, it's settled then. I need you to get my hands on the palace's surveillance system and Princess Sophie's exact location," Li Jin said.

"No problem, I've got it covered! By the way, what kind of equipment do you need? Night vision goggles? Miniature bombs? Or..." Zhang Hao began to enthusiastically introduce his "treasures".

"Stop! Hold on!" Li Jin quickly interrupted him, "All I need is a cloak that can make me invisible."

"An invisibility cloak? Dude, are you cosplaying?" Zhang Hao couldn't help but complain.

"Stop talking nonsense, do you have one?" Li Jin said irritably.

"Yes, there is, but that thing is still in the experimental stage, and the effect is not very stable. There may be some minor problems..." Zhang Hao hesitated.

"For example?" Li Jin pressed.

"For example... it might suddenly turn into a pink bunny," Zhang Hao said weakly.

Li Jin: "..."

In the end, Li Jin decided to take the risk. After all, he had no better options than this unreliable invisibility cloak.

A few days later, Zhang Hao arrived in the other world with his "treasure".

"Brother, look, this is my latest invisibility cloak!" Zhang Hao proudly displayed his creation, a black cloak that looked quite ordinary.

Li Jin took the cloak, examined it carefully, and asked doubtfully, "Can this thing really make you invisible?"

"Of course! I've personally tested it and it works!" Zhang Hao patted his chest and assured him. "However... just to be on the safe side, I've prepared a backup plan for you."

As he spoke, Zhang Hao pulled a fluffy pink bunny costume from his backpack. "If the invisibility cloak fails, wear this, and I guarantee no one will recognize you!"

Li Jin: "..." He felt that he might really turn into a pink bunny this time.