Terrifying Speed of Making Money-Part One

The morning fog had not yet completely lifted. The six figures of Thunder Blade Squad moved through the streets of the ruined city like ghosts.

Lin Yun followed in the middle of the squad, his steps light and precise. After three days of practice, he had completely mastered the art of moving silently through the urban ruins: testing the ground with the balls of his feet before shifting his weight, making sure there were no loose stones or broken glass; leaning slightly forward and lowering his center of gravity, ready to deal with anything unexpected. Liu Xu had taught him these little details one by one along the way.

"Stop." Lin Zheng suddenly raised his right hand and clenched his fist.

Everyone stopped at once, each finding cover and watching their surroundings warily. Shen Yang quickly set up his sniper rifle, sweeping the scope across the buildings ahead. Leng Bao had drawn his spear, its tip gleaming coldly in the morning light. Luo Fang held her short blade, her whole body taut as a drawn bow.

Crouched behind a collapsed wall, Lin Zheng pointed ahead with his short blade. Lin Yun followed his gaze. About a hundred and fifty meters away, three enormous mutated creatures were rummaging around for something in the street.

They were three Steel-Bristled Wild Boars, one of the most common types of mutated boar monsters. They stood a full meter and a half at the shoulder, their bodies covered in coarse bristles. Through years of mutation and evolution, those bristles had become hard structures resembling steel needles, difficult for ordinary swords and knives to cut through. Two enormous tusks jutted from either side of their mouths, gleaming bone-white in the morning light—their deadliest weapons. The largest one had a row of bony spikes along its back, a mark of an Intermediate Beast General: an Iron-Backed Porcupine, the evolved form of the Steel-Bristled Wild Boar.

"Two Primary Beast Generals and one Intermediate Beast General." Lin Zheng's voice was low as he quickly assigned positions. "Leng Bao, Luo Fang, you take the one on the left. Lin Yun, the one on the right is yours. Liu Xu and I will handle the Intermediate Beast General in the middle. Shen Yang, provide covering fire and be ready to finish them off."

Lin Yun was slightly taken aback. This was the first time Lin Zheng had given him an independent assignment in a real battle.

"Any problem?" Lin Zheng glanced at him.

"No." Lin Yun tightened his grip on the Blood Shadow Battle Blade, excitement rising in his chest. After three days of observing and learning, he had figured out Thunder Blade Squad's combat rhythm and coordination. It was time to show what he could really do—while keeping his strength in check, of course.

"Move."

As soon as Lin Zheng spoke, Shen Yang's heavy sniper rifle let out a deep boom.

"Bang!"

The shot echoed through the empty street, but it wasn't aimed at any of the Steel-Bristled Wild Boars. It struck an abandoned car beside them instead. The bullet hit the fuel tank, triggering a violent explosion. It was a tactic Thunder Blade Squad often used: cause chaos with an explosion, throw the monsters off balance, then pick them off one by one.

The three Steel-Bristled Wild Boars flinched at the blast and instinctively scattered in different directions. The one on the left ran toward a pile of ruins, while the one on the right charged into an alley. The largest one in the middle spun around, trying to locate its attackers.

Amid the chaos, Thunder Blade Squad began the hunt.

Leng Bao and Luo Fang rushed silently toward the Steel-Bristled Wild Boar on the left, two shadows slipping through the ruins. Leng Bao thrust his spear from the side, piercing the boar's throat with precision, while Luo Fang's short blade simultaneously severed the tendons in its hind leg. The Steel-Bristled Wild Boar didn't even have time to scream before the two of them finished it off.

At the same time, Lin Yun moved.

Rather than sneak up on his target like Leng Bao and Luo Fang, he faced the Steel-Bristled Wild Boar charging into the alley head-on. This was his first time hunting a Beast General Level monster on his own. He needed to make it quick and clean: he couldn't reveal all his strength, but he couldn't let his teammates down, either.

Seeing someone in its way, the Steel-Bristled Wild Boar let out an angry roar. It lowered its head and charged at Lin Yun, its two tusks like a pair of blades. It was fast, and the ground trembled slightly with every step.

Lin Yun didn't retreat.

He dodged to the side. As the Steel-Bristled Wild Boar rushed past him, the Blood Shadow Battle Blade traced an arc and struck its hind leg with precision. It was a technique Liu Xu had taught him: the weak points of boar-type monsters were their legs and underbellies. Their bristles were tough, but the fur on the insides of their limbs was relatively thin.

"Shhk—"

The sound of the blade cutting into flesh rang out clearly. The Steel-Bristled Wild Boar's hind leg was severed, and it lost its balance and crashed to the ground. It struggled to get back up, but Lin Yun's second strike had already landed, plunging into its relatively vulnerable flank and piercing its heart.

The Steel-Bristled Wild Boar twitched a few times, then lay still.

The whole thing took less than ten seconds.

Lin Yun sheathed his blade and turned to look at his teammates. Leng Bao and Luo Fang had already finished off their target and were looking his way. Leng Bao gave a slight nod of approval, while Luo Fang gave him a thumbs-up.

"Not bad." Liu Xu's voice came through the comms, carrying a note of approval. "Quick and clean. No wasted movements."

Lin Zheng said nothing, but Lin Yun noticed the faintest lift at the corner of his mouth.

The Iron-Backed Porcupine in the middle had already been dealt with by Lin Zheng and Liu Xu. Lin Zheng's short blade had severed its head, and Liu Xu's sword had pierced its heart. The two worked together with the ease of people who had practiced a thousand times. But Lin Yun noticed that after Lin Zheng sheathed his blade, Liu Xu's gaze lingered on him for a moment, while Lin Zheng deliberately avoided her eyes.

"Clear the battlefield." Lin Zheng's voice was as calm as ever.

Shen Yang walked over with his sniper rifle slung over his shoulder and cheerfully began processing the monsters' corpses. With practiced ease, he cut off the Steel-Bristled Wild Boars' tusks and the bony spikes along their backs. They were raw materials for making weapons and armor.

"The tusks and spikes from a Primary Beast General Steel-Bristled Wild Boar can fetch around five or six million altogether," Shen Yang explained as he worked. "An Intermediate Beast General Iron-Backed Porcupine is worth more. These materials alone are worth at least twenty million. Add in the fur and bones, and the materials from all three should come to around forty million."

Lin Yun nodded and committed the information to memory.

"Your blade work is solid." Liu Xu came up beside Lin Yun, her tone carrying a hint of scrutiny. "But there's room for improvement. If you'd aimed that last strike at the knee joint, you could've used half the force. When fighting boar-type monsters, attacking their joints is more effective than attacking their muscles."

Lin Yun listened carefully, committing every word Liu Xu said to memory.

"Another thing." Liu Xu pointed at the hand gripping his blade. "Your wrist is too tense. It gives you more power, but at the cost of flexibility. In the Wilderness Area, flexibility is often more important than strength. Try to relax a little. Let the blade become an extension of your arm, not just a tool in your hand."

Lin Yun tried relaxing his wrist, and sure enough, he found the blade easier to control.

"Thanks, Sister Liu."

Liu Xu waved a hand and turned back to the squad.

"Keep moving." Lin Zheng was already out in front, leaning on his cane.

Over the next two days, Thunder Blade Squad carried out an efficient hunt in the central area of City No. 013. Lin Yun, too, gradually went from observer to full-fledged participant in the hunt.

On the afternoon of the first day, they found a group of Split-Horn Savage Bulls near an abandoned gas station.

They were one of the most common types of mutated cattle monsters, about the size of small elephants, with twisted, enormous horns growing from their heads. Their attacks were simple and brutal: they lowered their heads and rammed their enemies with their horns. Though immensely strong, they weren't fast and had poor turning ability.

"Six, all Primary Beast Generals." Lin Zheng watched them for a while before making his decision. "Lin Yun, you take one. Everyone else take one each. Whoever finishes first can help with the last one."

"Understood."

The battle erupted in an instant.

Lin Yun chose a medium-sized Split-Horn Savage Bull and charged straight at it. When the bull spotted him, it let out a low bellow, lowered its head, and pointed its enormous horns at him. Then it charged like a runaway truck.

Lin Yun didn't meet it head-on. He dodged to the side as his blade swept out, striking the Split-Horn Savage Bull's front leg with precision. The blade cut into flesh, and the bull's front leg buckled, pitching its body forward. Lin Yun seized the chance to circle around to its side and thrust his blade between its ribs, piercing its heart.

The whole thing took less than five seconds.

He looked up and saw that the other team members had more or less finished off their targets, too. Liu Xu had been the fastest; her Split-Horn Savage Bull had fallen before it could even charge. Leng Bao and Luo Fang had worked seamlessly together, finishing off their targets almost simultaneously. Shen Yang's sniper rifle had taken care of one, while Lin Zheng had dispatched his with ease.

"Not bad. You're getting faster." Shen Yang came over and patted Lin Yun on the shoulder.

Lin Yun smiled but said nothing. He could've been even faster, but he needed to control his pace and avoid revealing too much.

The materials from the six Split-Horn Savage Bulls were quickly processed. As he worked, Shen Yang calculated their value. "Their horns are the most valuable part. A pair can sell for around three million. Add in the leather and bones, and all six are probably worth around twenty million."

"Quite a bit less than the boars," Lin Yun said.

"Of course." Shen Yang laughed. "Boar tusks and spikes are great materials for making weapons, so they've always been worth a lot. Cattle horns are valuable, too, but they don't have as many uses. Still, little things add up. Twenty million is still money."

That evening, they settled in an abandoned apartment building.

Lin Yun volunteered to take the first watch. He sat on the edge of the rooftop, looking out over the sleeping Ruined City. The sunset stained the horizon blood-red, and in the fading light, the distant buildings resembled enormous tombstones.

"What are you thinking about?" Liu Xu's voice came from behind him.

Lin Yun turned and saw Liu Xu approaching with a cup of hot water. She sat down beside him and handed it over.

"I was thinking about the captain." Lin Yun took the cup. He hesitated, then decided to say it.

Liu Xu paused. "What about him?"

"His leg," Lin Yun said. "Brother Shen told me. He lost it saving you."

Liu Xu fell silent for a long time. The setting sun lit her face, making her expression hard to read, but Lin Yun could sense the heaviness in her mood.

"He wasn't always like this." Liu Xu's voice was very soft, as if she were talking to herself. "He used to smile and joke around. After a battle, he'd invite everyone out for drinks. He used to... look at me."

Lin Yun said nothing, listening quietly.

"On that mission three years ago, we ran into a Lord Level Iron-Armored Lizard King. That beast was much stronger than I'd expected. I stabbed at it with my sword, but it didn't even bother dodging. It slapped me away with one swipe." Liu Xu's gaze rested on the distant horizon. "I thought I was going to die. Then he appeared, standing in front of me, fighting that beast one strike at a time."

Her voice trembled slightly. "The beast's claws pierced his leg. He pulled it free and kept fighting. Blood kept pouring out, and he kept fighting. In the end, the beast died, and he lost his leg."

"After that, he changed." Liu Xu lowered her head. "He stopped looking at me, stopped talking to me, stopped spending time alone with me. I know what he's thinking. He thinks he's not good enough for me anymore. He thinks he's a cripple, and that he'd only hold me back."

"But he doesn't understand..." Her voice grew softer and softer. "He lost a leg, but I still love him. I'd love him no matter what he became."

Lin Yun was silent for a long time, then said softly, "Sister Liu, have you ever considered that maybe the captain still loves you, and that's exactly why he's acting this way?"

Liu Xu looked up at him.

"The more he loves you, the more he feels he isn't good enough for you." Lin Yun carefully chose his words. "He thinks you deserve someone better than a cripple. He isn't avoiding you because he doesn't care. It's because he cares too much."

Liu Xu's eyes reddened slightly.

"But..." She opened her mouth, then ultimately said nothing.

"Sister Liu, give him some time," Lin Yun said. "He'll figure it out."

Liu Xu didn't answer. She simply stood and brushed the dust from her clothes. When she reached the stairwell, she suddenly stopped and glanced back at Lin Yun.

"Thank you, Lin Yun."

Then she disappeared into the shadows of the stairwell.

Lin Yun sat on the rooftop, watching the last trace of sunlight sink below the horizon as complicated emotions welled up inside him.

When it came to love, an outsider could never understand what the people involved were thinking. But one thing was certain: the bond between Lin Zheng and Liu Xu had never been broken. They were just both too stubborn—one thought he wasn't worthy, and the other didn't know how to get closer.

He sighed and turned his gaze toward the distant night sky.