Wilderness Zone

Thirty kilometers north of the Military rest point, the asphalt road had long been abandoned after the Great Nirvana. It was overgrown with weeds, and the ruins of houses abandoned for who knew how many years could occasionally be seen.

The roar of an engine came from afar as an armed Hummer sped toward them.

Measuring 5.2 meters long, 2.38 meters wide, and 1.96 meters high, with a 3.6-meter wheelbase, over half a meter of ground clearance, and nearly a thousand horsepower of full-time four-wheel-drive power, this HJ8 Hummer—known as the "King of Off-Road Vehicles"—weaved rapidly around obstacle after obstacle under Xu Kui's control. Anything he could not avoid, he simply rammed straight through at full throttle.

Excited shouts periodically came from the driver's seat. Xu Kui, who had seemed honest and dull-witted when they first met, unexpectedly had this side to him.

"Dammit, Shi Tou, stop fooling around and drive steadier. Our clients, Miss Ailin and Miss Yiyi, are ordinary people!"

Standing in the back row, Liu Yan had her upper body exposed outside the open-top vehicle. She gripped the handle of the Vulcan series heavy machine gun, vigilantly scanning their surroundings.

Against the Vulcan series heavy machine gun's barrels, thicker than a child's thigh, her perfect figure and fierce aura created a strangely compelling contrast.

Yiyi's eyes were glued to Liu Yan. If Ailin beside her had not held her tightly, she would have stood up and copied Liu Yan's pose.

Captain Qin Feng sat in the front passenger seat. Hearing Liu Yan, he punched the loudly shouting Xu Kui beside him.

"Stop playing around. We're getting farther and farther from the military cordon. Stay alert and be ready to fight at any time."

"Haha, Captain. I was practically suffocating after a month in the base city. Getting out here feels great."

Then he shouted toward Liu Yan in the back, "Sister Yan, don't tell me you don't want a fight now that you've got your hands on a Vulcan cannon."

"Usually, we get around on our own two legs when we come out here. How could that compare to driving? Weapons like the Vulcan cannon are only used by the military in small-scale operations. What squad would normally bring one along?"

When martial artist squads entered the Wilderness Zone, the military generally drove them to the edge of the cordon, and they traveled the remaining distance on foot.

After all, battle could break out at any moment in the Wilderness Zone. Driving was convenient, but it also made them a target at crucial moments.

Ordinary Beast Soldier level monsters could wreck an armored vehicle with their bodies in minutes. If they planned on scrapping a vehicle every time they left the city, the cost would be far too great.

Therefore, unless there were special circumstances, squads rarely drove into the Wilderness Zone.

Yiyi's commissioned job this time was one such special circumstance. Since neither girl was a martial artist, they certainly could not endure a long journey at high speed on foot. Moreover, they only needed to find a few suitable shooting locations near the cordon. Thus, Captain Qin Feng had specifically rented this Hummer from the military and even equipped it with a Vulcan heavy machine gun for defense.

Hearing them, Xia Zhi, who sat in the back with the two girls, asked curiously, "Yiyi, it's only an MV shoot. Why did you have to come out to the Wilderness Zone for the scenery?"

Yiyi smiled. "The new song my company prepared for me is about the struggle between martial artists and monsters for survival after the Great Nirvana. I wanted to see what the real world outside the base city looked like, so I could better immerse myself in the emotions while singing."

Xia Zhi nodded. Seeing that he actually believed her, Yiyi laughed sweetly. "I was lying. The company wants publicity—to use this event to build up my fanbase among martial artists. I just wanted to see what real monsters looked like, so I came out."

Xia Zhi helplessly looked at Ailin beside her. She was covering her forehead, looking thoroughly defeated.

As they chatted and laughed, Liu Yan, who was standing in the back on watch, suddenly shouted, "At two o'clock! A pack of unidentified flying monsters is coming toward us from the air at extremely high speed!"

"They're H-class flying monsters, Sharp-beaked Sparrows. Shi Tou, turn left. Yanzi, open fire and sweep them with the machine gun. Xia Zhi, protect Yiyi and Ailin."

Qin Feng, the strongest among them and the one with the farthest sight, immediately identified the monster pack in the distance.

"Got it." Xu Kui answered and sharply spun the steering wheel left. The front of the vehicle swiftly changed direction and tore forward with a howl.

As the vehicle turned, Liu Yan had already pressed the firing buttons on the grips with both hands. The Vulcan cannon's nearly seven-thousand-round-per-minute fire rate could empty its ten-thousand-round ammunition box in less than two minutes. As it spewed a stream of fire, the tremendous recoil made the entire cabin tremble, while machine-gun casings scattered through the air.

"Haha, little birdies, come to big sister," Liu Yan said excitedly.

After following them for several kilometers, the flock of Sharp-beaked Sparrows left behind a ground covered in monster corpses and blood, then flew off elsewhere with hoarse caws.

"That was satisfying. These Sharp-beaked Sparrows are the most cowardly. Kill a few of them, and they won't dare come back."

Seeing the two girls in the back seat looking pale from witnessing combat for the first time, Liu Yan smiled and explained.

"The first shooting location is up ahead. Hurry and get the job done," Captain Qin Feng in the front reminded them.

This mission went exceptionally smoothly. They only encountered a few small-scale attacks by H-class monsters, and in less than five hours, Xia Zhi and the others reached an abandoned bridge—the last shooting location in their plan.

The Golden Spear Squad spread out around Yiyi. She wore a combat uniform, while Ailin had used special-effects makeup to make her face look covered in soot after a fierce battle. Under Ailin's guidance, she struck pose after pose as footage was recorded.

Night in the Wilderness Zone had gone decades without pollution from human industrial exhaust. Pale moonlight and a sky full of stars illuminated Yiyi's flawless features. Looking at the scene before him, Xia Zhi recalled the morning in the original owner's memories that the girl had brightened, and he fell into reminiscence.

No one noticed that, within the shadows cast by the bridge blocking the moonlight, a pair of pale green eyes was watching the girl.

Lost in his memories, Xia Zhi suddenly sensed that something was wrong with the atmosphere around them. As a Mind Controller whose senses were already keen, his sensitivity to the surrounding environment was beyond comparison with that of ordinary martial artists.

At that moment, Qin Feng, the captain who had experienced countless battles, shouted, "Something isn't right. Everyone, stay alert. Xia Zhi, get over to Yiyi and Miss Ailin."

Xia Zhi hurried toward the two girls, vigilantly sweeping his surroundings as he approached. His right hand reached behind his back and gripped the hilt of the Blood Shadow Battle Saber.

Just then, the monster hidden in the shadows was alerted by the squad members' reaction and finally decided to wait no longer.

Its powerful hind legs kicked off the ground, and its entire body shot like lightning toward the two girls on the bridge dozens of meters away.

Hearing the movement, Xia Zhi's eyes instantly locked onto the monster that had made the sound.

It was a Giant Wolf nearly four meters long and almost two meters tall.

Its fur was grayish-black. Even with the naked eye, he could sense the baleful aura radiating from it.

Propelled by the strength of its hind legs, the Giant Wolf pounced at incredible speed. It was now less than ten meters from the two girls, and the air current generated by its massive body sent Yiyi and Ailin's hair streaming backward.

Under the Giant Wolf's shadow, the two girls cried out, their faces drained of color. Their widened eyes stared at the Giant Wolf, now right before them, its outstretched claws gleaming with a metallic coldness.

At that critical instant, Xia Zhi erupted with all his strength. The muscles in his legs bulged, and the third level of Nine Heavens Thunder Blade force generation allowed his speed to instantly exceed the speed of sound. His figure became a blur in the rushing wind.

Whoosh—

Xia Zhi crossed more than ten meters in an instant and appeared before the two girls. Seeing him suddenly appear, their hearts lurched as though they were on a roller coaster, instantly filling with joy.

With no time to draw his saber, Xia Zhi saw the wolf claw already upon him and hurriedly raised the Hexagonal Shield on his left arm to block the Giant Wolf's front claw.

The shield collided with the sharp wolf claw, producing a piercing scraping sound.

The B9 series Hexagonal Shield could withstand attacks from most Lord level monsters. Not even a scratch appeared on its surface after the collision.

Then Xia Zhi kicked with his right foot. His Alloy Battle Boots slammed viciously into the Giant Wolf's soft abdomen, and the explosive force sent it flying more than ten meters away.

Whoosh!

A streak of cold light passed through the spot where the Giant Wolf had been.

Qin Feng had thrown the short spear in his right hand at the critical moment.

Had Xia Zhi not kicked the Giant Wolf away, the short spear would have already pierced its throat.

Captain Qin Feng then appeared beside Xia Zhi.

Looking at the Giant Wolf that had been kicked away, he said to Xia Zhi, "You've never fought a General level monster before, have you?"

"Kill this beginner Beast General level Phantom Wolf by yourself. Let it be your token of admission to prove that you're qualified to join our Golden Spear Squad."

Today's first chapter. There will be another tonight. If you like it, don't forget to bookmark it! Thanks for your support.