Revisiting the Wilderness Zone

It was already noon when Lin Fan stepped out of Villa 199 in Bright Moon Residential Quarter.

Lin Fan had changed into clean clothes, wearing the D5-series combat suit underneath and a casual jacket over it for concealment. With a backpack slung over his shoulders to complete the look, he walked out of the villa.

On the lawn, several elderly men in loose practice uniforms were slowly performing Tai Chi, while in the distance, a nanny pushed a stroller under the sun.

The years were peaceful, and the world was stable.

But Lin Fan had no heart to appreciate this leisurely life at the moment.

His mind was filled with braised beef, roasted lamb legs, and red-braised pork trotters...

He even found the roadside greenery looking pleasing to the eye, tempted to go up and take a few bites.

He hurried along.

The soldiers standing guard at the gate were as professional as ever, snapping a military salute as they watched the young Quasi-Martial Artist depart.

It was lunchtime, and the street was filled with the aroma of various foods.

For Lin Fan, who had just completed his genetic energy evolution and was suffering from severe physical depletion, this was nothing short of torture.

However, he did not stop at the roadside stalls.

Those ordinary carbohydrates and fats could no longer satisfy the ravenous needs of his evolved body.

He needed high-energy "fuel."

Within just a few minutes, Lin Fan walked into an Energy Kitchen, a martial artist restaurant located next to the central square of Yi'an District.

The decor here was rugged; there was no melodic music, only the sound of knives and forks clashing against plates and the noise of heavy chewing.

Most of the diners coming and going were burly martial artists wearing combat suits, and the air was thick with the intense scent of meat and medicinal cuisine.

Lin Fan found a corner seat and called over a waiter.

"Waiter!"

"This page, this page, and the meat on this page—bring me one of everything."

"Very well, sir."

Not long after, the waiter pushed over a food cart piled as high as a small mountain.

"Sir, this is your order."

"Ten portions of premium braised Iron-Armored Bull hind leg meat, five portions of high-energy carbohydrate synthetic sets."

"Also, this is on the house: a rich broth boiled from the bones of a primary Beast General-level Fire-Scaled Pig. Please enjoy."

"Thanks."

Lin Fan did not stand on ceremony. After thanking the waiter, he grabbed a piece of bull leg meat larger than his own face and shoved it into his mouth.

The tender, juicy monster meat slid down his esophagus into his stomach, filling it bit by bit.

That unsettling, hollow feeling of being completely drained slowly began to fade.

In its place, waves of heat surged continuously, traveling through his blood vessels to every corner of his body.

"Refreshing!"

Under Lin Fan's wolfing down, the plates on the table were soon empty. Even the pot of bone broth was polished clean by Lin Fan, looking brighter than if a dog had licked it.

"Phew..."

Lin Fan leaned back in his chair, chewing on a toothpick with a look of satisfaction.

"This is what it feels like to be alive."

Ding.

His phone vibrated; a transaction notification had arrived.

[You have spent 8,200.00 yuan at "Energy Kitchen."]

The corners of Lin Fan's mouth, which had been turned upward, twitched instantly.

"A single meal cost nearly ten thousand..."

Being a martial artist was truly a money-burning profession. It was only at this moment that he deeply understood why so many low-level martial artists would risk their lives to join a martial arts gym or the HR Alliance.

Because relying solely on himself, it was truly difficult to sustain this constantly evolving body, let alone purchase expensive equipment and secret manuals.

Lin Fan stood up and walked out of the restaurant.

He stood on the bustling street and hailed a taxi.

Since his body had been adjusted to its peak, his weapon had completed its first stage of evolution, and even his defensive gear had been upgraded, it was time to test his true combat capabilities.

This time, he wasn't going to the county to scavenge for scraps.

He was going to a true forbidden zone of death.

His target: City 003.

1:00 PM, City 003 frontline base.

As the dull screech of the armored train's brakes echoed, Lin Fan stepped onto this land filled with the scent of gunpowder.

The moment he stepped off the train, the smell of the air changed.

It was no longer the exhaust fumes and food aromas of the city, but a unique scent mixed with machine oil, anti-rust paint, gunpowder, and a faint metallic tang of blood.

It was a bit pungent, but it was invigorating.

Lin Fan looked up.

This place was far more magnificent and far more oppressive than the County 023 base he had visited before.

Rather than a base, it was more like a massive war fortress.

The fifty-meter-high alloy city wall stood like a mountain of steel, stretching across the earth.

On top of the wall, dense clusters of heavy machine gun turrets and laser defense systems rotated slowly, pointing toward the distant Wilderness Zone, while massive searchlights swept the area even in the daylight.

Armed troops were everywhere.

Lin Fan could feel that the quality of the troops here was significantly higher than those at the County 023 base.

The murderous aura radiating from the martial artists passing by was also clearly a notch higher.

Many people had dried bloodstains on their combat suits, and he even saw several stretchers rushing past, with bodies that no longer moved covered under white sheets.

Death was nothing new here; since he had come, he had to be mentally prepared to die at any moment.

Lin Fan did not linger at the base. He tightened his backpack and walked straight toward the exit gate.

"Halt, show your identification."

A sentry with a loaded rifle stopped him.

Lin Fan took out his brand-new ID and handed it over.

The sentry took the ID, glanced at the photo, and then looked up at the young man before him. Although young, the boy had a steady gaze and high-quality equipment. The sentry didn't show much contempt, but rather a hint of scrutiny.

"Quasi-Martial Artist?"

The sentry's voice was stern. "Young man, look clearly: this is City 003, not some low-level Wilderness Zone."

"The density and strength of the monsters here are more than ten times that of County 023. Even official martial artists wouldn't dare claim they are absolutely safe in this area."

The sentry tapped the ID in his hand, speaking earnestly.

"Your equipment looks good—D5 series, right? You've got some backing."

"But the Wilderness Zone doesn't care about money; it only cares about your life. If you die, this gear just becomes someone else's loot."

He had seen too many of these naive rich kids who thought buying top-tier gear meant they could steamroll the wilderness, only to end up being the fastest at delivering their own lives.

Lin Fan heard the good intentions in the man's tone.

He smiled, didn't argue, and just said softly,

"Thanks. I'll just stick to the edges; I won't go deep."

The sentry stared at Lin Fan for several seconds. Seeing the boy's eyes were clear and steady, without a hint of recklessness, he finally sighed.

"Fine. Just keep your wits about you."

Beep.

The gate opened.

"Go on through, be careful."

"Understood."

Lin Fan took back his ID and stepped out.

Leaving the protection of the base city, what appeared before him was a magnificent and deathly silent ruin.

In the distance, the steel bridge that once spanned the river had long since collapsed, and countless skyscrapers stood like massive gray tombstones, looming in the gray mist.

This place was once one of the brightest pearls of human civilization, but now, it was a paradise for monsters.

"This is City 003."

Lin Fan stood at the edge of the broken highway and took a deep breath.

Without any hesitation.

He lowered his posture, his spiritual force providing a slight lift beneath his feet, and he leaped off the broken bridge like a black spirit cat, silent and soundless, darting into the perilous abandoned streets below.

The asphalt road beneath his feet had long since cracked, and weeds had stubbornly drilled through the fissures, growing to half a person's height.

Lin Fan placed every step firmly, trying his best not to make a sound.

"Roar!"

Less than two kilometers into the city outskirts, a violent roar suddenly erupted from the ruins of a shop to his side.

Immediately after, gravel flew.