Wilderness Zone

At that moment, Xu Qing had already arrived at the single-occupancy dormitory building. He unlocked a room with his key.

The room had a bed, a desk, and a bathroom.

Xu Qing set down his bow and quiver and looked around. Through the window, he could see people moving about inside the Supply Base.

Many of the staff at the Supply Base wore military uniforms, but they didn't all come from the military. Some were from the Two Great Dojos and the Alliance.

They weren't just staff at the Supply Base; they also bought materials taken from monsters from the Warriors.

As Xu Qing stood by the window watching, a squad of Warriors came in. One of them was injured, so they had probably just returned from hunting monsters.

Just then, in a small building in the front row, Gao Feng, the captain of Fire Hammer Squad, called out to the injured Warrior with a mocking tone.

In the blink of an eye, the members of Fire Hammer Squad were arguing with the injured Warrior. Their voices were loud, and plenty of people heard them.

"Do they have a grudge against each other?" Xu Qing wondered. The members of Fire Hammer Squad didn't seem like the sort to start trouble for no reason.

The commotion ended soon enough.

At noon, Xu Qing had lunch at the Supply Base. He could have the staff deliver a meal right to his door.

Toward evening, Xu Qing saw Luo Feng and the others leave the building. They were clearly heading out to hunt monsters.

"Going out at night... Yeah, that's definitely better. It's cooler," Xu Qing realized. He filled his water container and followed them.

As soon as they entered the Wilderness Zone, Fire Hammer Squad spread out into formation: two in front, two behind, with Luo Feng and Chen Gu, the machine gunner, in the middle.

Xu Qing followed stealthily from a hundred and fifty meters behind them. With his Spiritual Force, he didn't have to worry about losing them.

Before long, Fire Hammer Squad reached a stretch of barren farmland, where a Single-Horned Wild Boar appeared.

Like the Iron-Haired Boar Xu Qing had encountered during the Martial Artist Combat Assessment, the Single-Horned Wild Boar was a type of pig monster.

But the Single-Horned Wild Boar was far stronger than the Iron-Haired Boar.

The Iron-Haired Boar was equivalent to a Beginner Warrior, while the Single-Horned Wild Boar was equivalent to an Intermediate Warrior—and was even a little stronger than an ordinary one.

Captain Gao Feng sent Luo Feng to deal with the Single-Horned Wild Boar, giving him a chance to prove his strength.

Luo Feng didn't disappoint. He took down the boar beautifully and earned the approval of everyone in Fire Hammer Squad.

"Yeah, I really don't like fighting monsters to the death." Xu Qing watched Luo Feng's entire battle with the Single-Horned Wild Boar. It had been a contest of wits as much as strength.

Xu Qing thought that was too much trouble. It was far more satisfying to overwhelm an opponent with sheer strength. He could have sent the Single-Horned Wild Boar straight to the afterlife with one arrow.

If it were him, he wouldn't give the monsters a chance to get close. He'd shoot them all dead.

And if that didn't work, he still had the God-Splitting Silk. He'd crush them, no problem.

The members of Fire Hammer Squad then began seriously teaching Luo Feng how to kill monsters more effectively. The most important thing was to target their weaknesses.

"Good. Going straight for their weaknesses is the most effective approach." Xu Qing agreed. That way, he could kill stronger monsters at the lowest possible cost.

After all, he couldn't guarantee that every monster he encountered would be weak. Sooner or later, he'd run into one stronger than himself.

From then on, Fire Hammer Squad began grooming Luo Feng as a future backbone of the team. They taught him through words and example, building his combat experience.

Luo Feng was like a sponge soaking up water, rapidly absorbing their experience. His progress was astonishing, and he soon went from a rookie to a capable fighter.

"This Fire Hammer Squad is pretty good. They're decent people. Luo Feng made the right choice joining them," Xu Qing thought.

They were taking the time to teach a newcomer seriously. Luo Feng was a genius, of course, but Fire Hammer Squad was also doing their utmost. They really were impressive.

Other squads might not take a newcomer seriously, let alone patiently teach them.

Three days later, Xu Qing followed Fire Hammer Squad to the outskirts and urban area of County 0201.

The area was full of densely packed buildings left behind from the past. Intelligent, General-level monsters often chose places like this to build their nests, where the buildings could shield them from the human military's artillery.

In places with lots of buildings, Warriors were at a disadvantage in street battles against monsters. The monsters had the upper hand.

Another thing was that General-level monsters were intelligent and could command many Soldier-level monsters.

A General-level monster usually had a large group of beast soldiers following it around, like a boss with his lackeys.

Monsters were common throughout the outskirts and urban area, and they were powerful too. Fire Hammer Squad didn't attack the monsters they came across lightly. Instead, they deliberately avoided them and headed deeper into the city.

Blue Sky Residential Complex had three tall, twenty-one-story apartment buildings. It was also the place Fire Hammer Squad had chosen to make camp.

Roar!

Several Tiger Mastiffs, each the size of a calf, pounced at Xu Qing with their jaws wide open, saliva flying everywhere.

But they didn't see the sharp, thin strands appear in the air. They charged straight into them.

Pfft!

In the blink of an eye, the Tiger Mastiffs had been sliced into pieces, their blood pooling across the ground.

Xu Qing stood there without even glancing at them. Instead, he looked toward the three apartment buildings in Blue Sky Residential Complex. He saw that Luo Feng and the rest of Fire Hammer Squad had already entered the front building.

He understood Fire Hammer Squad's plan at a glance. Taking the high ground would let them rest and search for targets more effectively.

From the look of it, they were searching for a General-level monster, and there happened to be one here.

"I think Sister Xin's worries were unnecessary. Fire Hammer Squad has plenty of experience. They won't let Luo Feng get into danger," Xu Qing murmured.

He'd been watching Fire Hammer Squad's movements over the past few days. They were seasoned, and Luo Feng was growing rapidly under their guidance.

It wouldn't be long before Luo Feng was stronger than Fire Hammer Squad's captain, Gao Feng.

Xu Qing had discovered that Luo Feng was a Spirit Controller when Luo Feng used his telekinetic power in battle, and Xu Qing sensed it.

Once a Spirit Controller awakened, his strength increased rapidly. Luo Feng had already begun cultivating, so his progress would be even faster.

Thinking about it, Xu Qing hadn't really needed to come along at all.

"Whatever. I'm already here, so I might as well see it through. I definitely won't come next time," Xu Qing thought.

Then Xu Qing leaped into the air, springing lightly from building to building as he headed toward the three apartment buildings.

Soon, he entered Blue Sky Residential Complex.

Gunshots rang out from the first apartment building. Fire Hammer Squad had clearly encountered monsters inside.

Xu Qing headed toward the rearmost apartment building. He manipulated the God-Splitting Silk, using it as a foothold as he leaped higher and higher, bounding straight toward the rooftop. He reached the top in no time.

There was nothing on the rooftop. The exit was closed and could only be opened from the inside.

Xu Qing appeared there and gazed into the distance. The view was wide open, and he could see most of the urban area.