The Supply Base

A military region was stationed hundreds of miles north of Jiangnan Base City. It was the Northern Military Region, which Luo Zhe and the others had visited when they took the Martial Artist Combat Assessment.

This time, the Fire Hammer Squad was heading to County-level City 0201 in the Wilderness Zone, and the Northern Military Region's base was the closest one to the city.

"Rumble—" The train slowly came to a stop at the military station.

One after another, fully armed warriors stepped off the train. There were more than twenty in all. Seven of them naturally gathered together, with their captain, Gao Feng, at the front. They were the Fire Hammer Squad, a seven-man warrior team headed into the Wilderness Zone to carry out a mission.

As soon as he got off the train, Luo Zhe's attention was drawn to a towering iron structure in front of them, a good fifty or sixty meters tall. The powerful searchlight at its peak was still clearly visible in the bright daylight.

"Surprised?" Chen Gu came up from behind and patted Luo Zhe on the shoulder. Pointing at the iron tower, he said with a smile, "Throughout Huaxia Nation—and even the whole world—every military region has a special area set aside as a Warrior Supply Base, where warriors can rest. They usually build a lighthouse like this at the base. It's meant to light the way home for us warriors."

Luo Zhe nodded, his gaze lingering on the towering iron structure.

The Warrior Supply Base was inside the military region. It had a pleasant environment, with a number of quiet little buildings.

Since the Fire Hammer Squad had gained two new members, an officer at the Supply Base waved them into a three-story building, designated E6. The building would be theirs to use until they left the Supply Base.

The Supply Base officer and the Fire Hammer Squad were clearly old acquaintances. Grinning, he clapped Gao Feng on the shoulder. "Old Gao, how long are you planning to hunt this time? We've worked together plenty of times, so we're old friends. If you get your hands on anything good, make sure you sell it to the Underground Alliance. I guarantee you'll be happy with the price."

Gao Feng laughed heartily and punched him on the shoulder. "Sure. If we find anything good, I'll save it all for you."

"Get us lunch already. I'm starving."

At first, Luo Zhe was a little surprised. How could a burly man dressed like a military officer also be with the Underground Alliance? Only after Chen Gu explained it with a laugh did Luo Zhe understand.

Although many of the people working at the Supply Base wore military uniforms, the staff actually came from the Extreme Martial Arts Hall, the Thunder Martial Arts Hall, the government military, and the Underground Alliance. They served the warriors, but also bought valuable materials from the monsters the warriors hunted, earning a little money on the side.

The Supply Base wasn't particularly large. The Northern Military Region was only a small military region, and there weren't many powerful Wilderness cities nearby. Only a scattering of Beast General Level monsters lived in those cities, so powerful warrior squads generally weren't interested in coming here.

Elite squads like the Fire Hammer Squad, with members at the War General Level, usually went to Supply Bases in major military regions such as the Southeast Military Region. Their main reason for coming to the Wilderness Zone this time was to give the two rookies a chance to practice and get used to the pace of life and death in the wilderness.

No one was born strong. Even the most powerful warriors had to fight again and again before they could adapt to the brutal Wilderness Zone.

After they'd eaten their fill, the Fire Hammer Squad soon found the three-story building marked E6. They swiped the chip key across the door, and it opened.

"Lie down and get some sleep. I barely slept last night."

As soon as they entered, Chen Gu quickly set down the two large metal cases he was carrying, sprang onto the sofa, stretched, yawned, and flopped down lazily.

Luo Zhe and Luo Feng watched with curiosity, but Gao Feng and the others weren't surprised. It was Chen Gu's habit, and he even had a name for it: "The sofas at the Supply Base are extra comfortable."

Who knew if he'd already worn himself out at home the night before?

"If you want to rest, do it now. We're heading out tonight, so make sure you're all alert by then," Captain Gao Feng instructed.

Zhang Ke with his iron spear and the Twin Moon Scimitar brothers all chimed in. They clearly knew the routine and headed straight upstairs to rest.

Luo Zhe and Luo Feng, on the other hand, were still a little at a loss. They'd gone to bed early last night in preparation for the trip to the Wilderness Zone, so they were still full of energy.

Sleep? They'd have to be able to fall asleep first!

This was their first mission in the Wilderness Zone. Their blood was already pounding, their hearts racing, and adrenaline surging through their bodies. They were practically ready to do a backflip on the spot!

And now they were supposed to sleep!?

Chen Gu, resting with his eyes closed on the sofa, suddenly spoke up. "You two, go upstairs and find a room. Take it easy and don't get too nervous. Keep a level head."

"We're setting out at night because it's the end of August, the hottest time of the year. If you carry hundreds of kilos of gear in the scorching heat, you might pass out from heatstroke before you even get a chance to kill a monster. It's cooler at night, and traveling is much more comfortable."

Luo Zhe scratched his head. He really was having trouble sitting still.

This was his first mission in the Wilderness Zone! He knew that if he walked out the Supply Base's front gate, the wilderness would be right there. But being so close to the finish line and still having to hold out for ninety minutes was enough to make anyone miserable.

When the two still showed no sign of finding a place to rest, Chen Gu said nothing more. After all, he'd been the same way on his first mission as a warrior. A few more missions would soon settle them down.

"Hm?"

Luo Feng's gaze sharpened. Through the floor-to-ceiling window, he spotted someone in the Supply Base. "Brother Chen, look—isn't that Zhang Zehu?" Zhang Zehu didn't look to be in good shape. Bandages were wrapped around him, and blood was seeping through them. He was clearly badly injured and recovering at the Supply Base.

At Chen Gu's words, he immediately opened his eyes, stood up, and turned to look in one smooth motion. "That's right, it's Zhang Zehu!"

"Hey!" Chen Gu walked to the door and called out gleefully, "Mountain-Splitting Tiger, what happened to you? You were fine last time. How'd you end up so badly hurt?"

Curious, Luo Zhe went over to Chen Gu and peered outside. Zhang Zehu was tall and burly, and with his terrifying appearance, he looked like a savage beast.

Luo Zhe had heard the name Zhang Zehu before, but he hadn't been involved in the negotiations at the beginning of the month, so this was his first time meeting him in person.

He looked so fierce, as if he were about to swallow Chen Gu whole. He was obviously a villain, just like the twin brothers Yang Shu and Yang Lin, who'd been jealous of Luo Zhe's good looks. If they were in a TV show, they probably wouldn't make it past three episodes.