The First Time in the Wilderness Area

Three days later, early in the morning, before the sky had fully brightened, Lin Yun was already up.

In the training room on the second floor of the villa, he began putting on his gear piece by piece. His combat pants were D6 Series, made of soft yet durable material that fit snugly against his skin and barely restricted his movements. Three flying blades were fastened to the outside of each thigh—six 7-Series Flying Blades and three 8-Series Flying Blades. Following his usual preference, he had divided them between his left and right sides for easy access.

He wore Alloy Combat Boots, their soles fitted with special anti-slip treads that made almost no sound against the floor. On his upper body was a black combat vest, over which he wore D6 Series arm guards and shoulder guards. His arms were bare, with bracers around his wrists and a communication watch fixed to the bracer on his right wrist.

He slung a specialized backpack over his shoulders, attached his Hexagonal Shield to his back, and strapped the Blood Shadow Battle Blade diagonally across his waist. Once everything was in place, he stood before the mirror and looked himself over.

The young man in the mirror no longer looked like a student at all.

"Lin Yun, hurry up! We're getting ready to leave!" Shen Yang called from downstairs, his voice full of energy.

"Coming!" Lin Yun called back, then turned and ran downstairs.

In the living room, his grandfather, Lin Guodong, was already waiting. The old man wore a worn cotton-padded jacket and stood with his hands behind his back, silently watching his grandson run down the stairs. His lips trembled slightly, as though he had a thousand things to say, but in the end, all that came out was:

"Xiaoyun, be careful."

Lin Yun walked up to his grandfather, reached out to straighten the old man's collar, and smiled. "Don't worry, Grandpa."

He didn't say much. Some things only made people worry more when you said too much.

Lin Guodong nodded without saying anything more, then gave his grandson's shoulder a firm pat.

Lin Yun turned and stepped outside.

Shen Yang was leaning against the SUV, waiting for him. When Lin Yun came out, Shen Yang grinned and looked him up and down. "Not bad. You look like a proper warrior in that outfit."

"You're too kind, Brother Shen." Lin Yun smiled, opened the car door, and got in.

The car drove out of Bright Moon Residential District and headed toward the central area of Jiangnan Base City. The city was just waking up. There weren't many people on the streets yet, only a few street-cleaning vehicles at work along the roadside. The streetlights were still on, their orange glow looking especially warm in the morning mist.

"Come on, Lin Yun. We're going to the HR Alliance Mall to meet up with the captain and the others. Then we'll set off together for the Wilderness Area," Shen Yang said as he drove.

"Yes, Brother Shen."

About half an hour later, the car stopped in front of a skyscraper.

The building had a full eighty-eight floors. Its entire facade was covered in dark blue glass curtain walls, reflecting a cold sheen in the morning light. The two English letters "HR" were emblazoned on the walls, each one three stories tall and clearly visible from a distance.

A broad plaza surrounded the building. At its center stood the largest fountain in Jiangnan Base City, its jets swaying in the morning breeze and scattering rainbow-colored light. More than a thousand fully armed soldiers patrolled the plaza. Several layers of security cordons had been set up, barring outsiders from entering.

Lin Yun and Shen Yang presented their warrior IDs, passed through security, and entered the building.

The first floor was a lobby, lavishly and grandly decorated with crystal chandeliers, marble floors, and leather sofas. Everything about it exuded wealth. A few warriors sat scattered around the lobby, some drinking tea and chatting, others resting with their eyes closed.

"The first floor is for guests to rest. The mall starts on the second floor," Shen Yang explained as they walked. "The Underground Alliance Mall usually sells things for less than the full price at Limit Home. Of course, it's still more expensive than the half-price we get."

Lin Yun nodded. Half-price was a perk only available to members of the Limit Dojo.

"The biggest advantage of the Underground Alliance Mall is that it'll buy the monster materials we hunt at a high price," Shen Yang continued. "If you sell them to the Dojo, the price is lower, but you get contribution points. Sell them to the Underground Alliance, and the price is higher, but you get no contribution points. It's up to each person to decide."

Lin Yun already knew all this. He had read plenty of posts on the Warrior Forum. Selling to the Dojo was about earning contribution points; selling to the Underground Alliance was about making money. Both options had their pros and cons, depending on what a warrior needed.

He glanced around the lobby but didn't see the girl Luo Feng had a crush on. Then he thought about it. They were only in their first year of high school, so Xu Xin probably hadn't come to work here yet.

"Lin Yun, come over. The captain and the others are already here." Shen Yang pointed to a seating area in the corner of the lobby.

Lin Yun looked over. Lin Zheng, Liu Xu, Luo Fang, and Leng Bao were sitting there. Lin Zheng wore a gray combat suit, and his prosthetic right leg was hidden beneath his pant leg. You wouldn't notice it unless you looked closely. Liu Xu was as languid as ever, leaning back against the sofa with her arms folded around her sword and her eyes closed. Luo Fang and Leng Bao sat together, speaking in low voices.

"Captain, he's here." Shen Yang walked over and dropped into a seat.

Lin Zheng looked up at Lin Yun and nodded. "Have you checked all your equipment?"

"I have," Lin Yun replied.

"Then let's go."

Lin Zheng stood and headed outside. His steps were steady, each one firmly planted. You'd never guess he had a prosthetic leg. Liu Xu followed behind him, and the others filed out after her.

The six of them boarded an HR Alliance car and headed for the train station.

Jiangnan Base City's train station had been built specifically for warriors. Ordinary civilian trains were not allowed to enter the Wilderness Area. Several teams of warriors were already waiting on the platform, gathered in groups of two or three. Some spoke quietly, while others rested with their eyes closed.

"Rumble—"

A silver-white train slowly pulled into the station. It had only six cars, but each was reinforced with thick armor. The windows were bulletproof, and several visible impact marks scarred the body of the train—the traces of monster attacks.

Lin Yun followed the Thunder Blade Squad aboard and found a seat in an empty car.

After the train started moving, it picked up speed, and the scenery outside the window raced past. The skyscrapers gradually disappeared, replaced by low houses and barren fields. Farther out, even the fields were gone, leaving nothing but ruins and weeds as far as the eye could see.

Lin Yun leaned against the window, watching the passing scenery as complicated feelings welled up inside him.

This had once been a prosperous city, home to countless people. Now, only broken walls and rubble remained, and monsters had made it their paradise.

The train traveled for about two hours before slowly coming to a stop at a military outpost.

"We're here." Lin Zheng rose and walked off the train, leaning on his cane.

Lin Yun followed the others off the train. Before them stood a heavily guarded military base, with towering walls, watch posts everywhere, and patrolling soldiers. And there was a tower, a good fifty or sixty meters tall.

"Lin Yun, see that tower?" Shen Yang pointed to it. "Every military district in Huaxia Nation—and all over the world, for that matter—sets aside a special area as a Warrior Supply Base. That tower is the symbol of the Supply Base. It represents a beacon that lights the way home for us warriors."

Lin Yun looked up at the tower and fell silent for a moment.

A beacon that lights the way home for warriors... The words stirred feelings in him that he couldn't quite put into words.

The Warrior Supply Base was built inside the military district. It consisted of a series of quiet little buildings with lovely surroundings. Green trees shaded the paths, and flowers and plants flourished everywhere—a striking contrast to the desolation outside.

"Thunder Blade Squad, you'll be staying in A6. Get some rest." An officer at the Supply Base handed Lin Zheng a key and smiled at him. "Old Lin, how long are you planning to hunt this time? If you find anything good, feel free to sell it to the Underground Alliance. I'll give you a great price."

Although the Supply Base's service staff wore military uniforms, they actually came from the Limit Dojo, Thunder Dojo, government forces, and the Underground Alliance. They provided services, but they also bought valuable monster materials from the warriors.

"You know I'm with the Limit Dojo, so naturally I'll only sell my materials to the Limit Dojo." Lin Zheng took the key, his tone calm.

"Uh, you stubborn blockhead..." The man looked a little awkward, but he knew what Lin Zheng was like and said nothing more.

Shen Yang leaned close to Lin Yun and lowered his voice. "The captain's great in every way. He takes care of his team and he's loyal, but he's a little too rigid. Every time we hunt, he sells all the materials to the Limit Dojo. We lose a fortune that way."

"That's called loyalty. What do you know?" Liu Xu had appeared behind them at some point, glaring at Shen Yang.

Shen Yang shrank his neck and sheepishly shut his mouth.

Lin Yun couldn't help smiling.

The Supply Base wasn't very large, but it had all the facilities they needed. A6 was a three-story building with a private courtyard and garage. Lin Zheng swiped a chip key across the entrance, and the lock clicked open.

"Everyone, get some rest. We'll set out first thing tomorrow morning," Lin Zheng instructed.

"Understood."

The others filed inside and picked rooms to settle into.

Early the next morning, before dawn, all six members of the Thunder Blade Squad had already gathered outside the building in full gear.

"Let's go." Lin Zheng led the way.

They left the Supply Base, crossed the military district's security perimeter, and stepped into the real Wilderness Area.

Lin Yun was crossing the boundary of a Base City for the first time, and an indescribable feeling rose within him. The road beneath his feet was cracked asphalt, with weeds growing through the fissures. Collapsed buildings and abandoned vehicles lined both sides of the road. Vines crawled over the walls, and rusted car bodies were riddled with bullet holes.

The air carried an indescribable smell—rotting, damp, with a faint trace of blood.

"Our squad ranks among the best in all of Jiangnan Base City, so we usually choose more dangerous hunting grounds," Lin Zheng explained as they walked. "Before you joined us, we had just returned from City No. 003. We were planning to go back there, but since this is your first time in the Wilderness Area, we're going to City No. 013 instead."

Lin Yun nodded.

He had done his research on the Warrior Forum and knew what City No. 003 and City No. 013 meant.

City No. 003 was SH City before the Great Nirvana Period, one of the most dangerous areas in all of Eurasia. It lay close to the sea, and many marine monsters prowled its waterways. It had one of the densest clusters of buildings in all of Asia, which had led to an astonishing number of monsters there. Lord-level Monsters were everywhere, and some monsters even stronger than Lord-level ones had made their lairs there.

Countless top warriors gathered there. It was practically the largest battlefield where human warriors and monsters clashed.

City No. 013 was Hangzhou before the Great Nirvana Period. It was safer than Shanghai, but only by comparison. As a first-tier city in Huaxia Nation, the density and strength of its monsters were far beyond those found in an ordinary county.

"Thank you, Captain," Lin Yun said sincerely.

He knew Lin Zheng had chosen City No. 013 instead of City No. 003 largely to accommodate him, the newcomer.

"There's no need to thank me," Lin Zheng said without looking back. "You're my teammate, so I'm responsible for your safety."

Following the old route of the expressway, the Thunder Blade Squad traveled for nearly two days.

They encountered plenty of monsters along the way—Iron-Armored Lizards, Wind Wolves, Saw-Toothed Tigers... Most were Beast Soldier Level, with the occasional Beast General Level. But against this team, whose weakest member was a Junior War General, they posed no threat at all.

Shen Yang provided long-range fire support. Each shot from his heavy sniper rifle claimed a monster's life. Luo Fang and Leng Bao cleared them out in close combat, felling monsters wherever their blades and spears flashed. Liu Xu handled security and support. Her Micro-Level movement technique let her dart across the battlefield like the wind, appearing wherever danger arose.

Lin Zheng rarely joined the fighting, but his eyes constantly swept the surroundings, keeping the entire battlefield under control.

Lin Yun was assigned to fight several times as well.

The first time he faced a real wild monster, he deliberately held back and showed only the strength of a Junior War General. He killed an Iron-Armored Lizard with a single clean, decisive slash.

"Not bad!" Shen Yang praised him over the comms.

Luo Fang nodded too. "Your blade work is solid. You don't seem like a rookie on his first real fight."

Leng Bao said nothing, but gave a slight nod of approval.

Liu Xu glanced at Lin Yun, a trace of surprise in her eyes. "You're better than I expected."

Lin Zheng offered no comment, but the corners of his mouth lifted slightly.

Over the next two days, Lin Yun's performance won everyone's approval. Though he was the youngest, his calmness and decisiveness in battle were nothing like those of a fifteen-year-old boy. He put the skills he had honed on the training ground to perfect use in actual combat, with not a single wasted movement or moment of hesitation.

"That kid's a born warrior," Shen Yang said to Liu Xu while they were camping for the night.

Liu Xu shot him a glance. "You just figured that out?"

Shen Yang chuckled and didn't argue.

Once they entered the urban area, everyone grew tense.

The streets were narrower, and the buildings on either side stood closer together. Monsters could spring out from any corner at any time. Lin Zheng led the way, his right hand resting on his sword hilt as his gaze swept the surroundings. Liu Xu followed behind him, her sword already drawn, its blade glinting coldly in the sunlight.

"Up there." Lin Zheng pointed to a former hotel building beside the road. The others filed inside and climbed the stairs all the way to the roof.

The rooftop was spacious, with an excellent view over the surrounding area. Shen Yang immediately began assembling his heavy sniper rifle and set up a firing position at the edge of the roof. The others spread out and checked the surroundings.

Only after confirming the area was safe did they relax a little.

"We're in what used to be Gongshu District in Hangzhou. It's relatively safe here," Lin Zheng said, crouching down and using his knife tip to sketch a simple map on the concrete. "But the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal runs nearby. It connects directly to the Qiantang River, so there are plenty of amphibious monsters in it. Everyone needs to stay alert."

"Understood, Captain," they answered in unison.

He was mainly telling Lin Yun. The others had all been here before.

"Our target is Yuexiu Xinghui Shangcheng, five kilometers away," Lin Zheng continued, drawing on the map. "There's a lot of water nearby, along with a Wanda Plaza. Monsters tend to gather there, but there aren't many Lord-level Monsters, so it's a good place for us."

"Yes, Captain."

Five kilometers was only a minute or two at a full sprint. But it took the Thunder Blade Squad more than half an hour to cover the distance.

They advanced along the edges of the streets, using collapsed buildings and abandoned vehicles for cover. They kept slipping into hiding, moving forward, then hiding again. Lin Yun followed in the middle of the group, spreading his Spiritual Force across a radius of two hundred meters. He sensed every stir of wind and grass.

They encountered a few scattered monsters along the way, all of which Shen Yang silently took out from a distance with his sniper rifle.

At last, the group made it to the top floor of Yuexiu Xinghui Shangcheng.

"This will be our base for now," Lin Zheng said after checking their surroundings. "Everyone get some rest tonight. We'll start hunting first thing tomorrow morning. Leng Bao, Luo Fang, the two of you will take turns keeping watch tonight."

"Yes."

Everyone found a room to settle into. Lin Yun chose one in the corner, rigged up a simple tripwire at the doorway, then sat against the wall, closed his eyes, and began meditating.

His body in Coiling Dragon World entered a meditative state as well. His magic power circulated slowly, while his Spiritual Force rapidly recovered through Dual World Resonance.

The night passed without incident.

The next morning, just as the sky began to lighten, everyone had finished getting ready and gathered by the rooftop window, looking down at the streets below.

Morning mist shrouded this Ruined City, leaving the buildings in the distance faint and indistinct. The streets lay quiet. Now and then, a few monsters passed through the fog, letting out low growls.

"Lin Yun," Lin Zheng said from behind him.

"Yes."

"City No. 013 is nothing like those small counties. The monsters here are densely packed, and it's rare to find one wandering alone. So this will be a tough test for you." Lin Zheng gazed down at the distant street, his tone calm. "But your physical fitness is excellent. I believe you'll adapt quickly."

"Yes, Captain. I won't let you down," Lin Yun said with a determined look.

"Good." Lin Zheng nodded, stood with the help of his cane, and looked over the group. "Then let's set out."

Six figures filed out through the rooftop window, descended quickly along the exterior fire escape, and landed on the ground without a sound.

The morning mist enveloped them. Their six figures flickered in and out of sight, like ghosts disappearing into the depths of the ruined city's streets.

Ahead lay the monsters' lair.

Ahead lay a battlefield where life and death were at stake.

Lin Yun tightened his grip on the Blood Shadow Battle Blade, took a deep breath, and followed the squad onward.