Black Dog! You screwed me over again!

Wang Shui had not taken a turn on watch. Or rather, none of the three drivers needed to.

After they escaped the encirclement of a vast swarm of Mutants, Brother Tu calmly explained to Wang Shui that encountering such a large swarm in the wilderness was actually a blessing amid misfortune.

Low-tier Mutants were generally brainless and rarely used heavy firepower. With adequate protection and quick enough movements, escaping was easy.

The real danger lay in these things spreading unnoticed through cities. High-tier superhumans affected by an [Outer God]'s radiation were the real trouble.

The three vehicles switched to silent standby mode and huddled together, concealed by darkness and drizzle. Without the radiance of celestial bodies, the night was unnervingly quiet.

"Your heartbeat's even more erratic than before. What is it? Looking at something good on the Dream Network?" Brother Tu suddenly teased from the passenger seat, where he was smoking and keeping watch.

"No... The longer I spend in an environment like this, the more nervous I get." Wang Shui, lying on his reclined seat, did not feel embarrassed to admit it.

"Then you'd better get used to it. Production classes aren't completely exempt from the battlefield. If Iron Edge City falls, the system definitely won't evacuate everyone. It might even shut down ordinary teleportation methods. Holding the line to the death creates greater strategic value. We're all bargaining chips in this war. So get used to it. Once you've been through enough, you won't embarrass yourself too badly facing death."

Brother Tu's tone was flat, and so was Wang Shui's response.

"Get used to it... Come to think of it, I've been here a long time. I even rushed through one world that wasn't particularly dangerous. I've consciously wanted to get stronger, but I only ever get moving when something's right on top of me... Today was my first time seeing monsters like that. Ha, never mind monsters-as a repairman in the city, I've never even seen Awakened fight. At most, there's boxing in the taverns... Sometimes I ask people I know for advice on getting stronger, but they always tell me to train my attributes first."

"Hahaha, we're all self-taught strays the system lets run wild, figuring things out based on our talents and classes. Plenty of people only start taking combat techniques seriously once they get stuck at tier two, level 29. Rather than asking us to teach you, you'd be better off signing up for a [Combat Master]'s training course, or some academy's spell courses."

"Tuition starts at a hundred thousand..." Wang Shui closed his eyes and sighed. It was not just money, either. He was short on time as well. Over those six months, all he had managed was physical training and reading.

"That's why you should follow your class progression and grow quickly early on. Once you've got some power and resources, then make detailed plans... I don't understand production classes, but getting stronger first is never wrong. Every supernatural class has its strengths."

Wang Shui could only sigh helplessly.

"What, you still don't have a class? Haven't settled on a direction, or haven't picked a specific class? Most class-change items aren't that expensive, as long as you aren't eyeing those rare classes... Wait a second. You work for Brother Hei. Don't tell me you're that 'The Knower' who can't change classes?!"

Wang Shui bolted upright. "How did you know?!"

"Oh? It really is you! Hahaha, don't take it personally. For a while, Brother Hei kept joking about you on Flower Street. He only said you were his employee, though. It's nothing, everyone just had a laugh." Brother Tu's laughter was low.

"Actually, your story even drew another The Knower over. But he'd already obtained a class during his awakening mission, so he wasn't as badly off as you. Tsk, tsk, thanks to you, Iron Edge City's Awakened understand this talent much better now. All I can say is, your future looks promising."

But without strength, how could he have a future?

Wang Shui's silence left Brother Tu at a loss for words. He liked this young fellow's conversation and personality, but getting stronger was not something he could help with. If he had a method that could make even someone in Wang Shui's situation stronger, Brother Tu... would not give it away for free. At most, he would refrain from jacking up the price.

"Judging by the current state of the war, Iron Edge City probably won't fall. Just focus on your production work. Who knows, maybe your chance will come someday.

"Take me. I started out as an ordinary gunner, too. It wasn't until tier two that I overwrote my class and became a [Pothos Druid]. Life at low tiers really is rough. Even visiting some incredibly backward worlds meant danger at every turn." "Is it okay to reveal your class like that?"

"Doesn't matter. It doesn't really affect me anyway. But don't go asking everyone you meet. Most classes have certain weaknesses, so people are touchy about it."

The topic was heavy, but Wang Shui only looked somewhat dejected on the surface. He had been learning skills smoothly lately, and expanding his body of knowledge had given him some confidence. Even if it took longer, with enough time, he could gain considerable supernatural power too!

To stay rested for tomorrow, they did not talk for long. With Brother Tu's plant sentries spread across a one-kilometer radius protecting them, the entire escort team rested well.

The rain stopped the next day. Thick clouds still covered the sky, but the star's light brightened their surroundings somewhat, and the convoy soon set out.

The rest of the journey passed without much trouble. They only encountered a band of highway heroes up early to rob travelers. With everyone in the small hunting group too lazy to move, White Cat charged off the roof into the crowd and finished off the dozen or so people in about a minute... probably people? They were humanoid, at least.

Wang Shui recognized White Cat's weapon: an ancient-pattern sword, a very old kind of double-edged slashing sword. Its length and design fell between a two-handed sword and a one-handed sword. It had a straight blade, a broad tip, and a forward center of gravity. It slashed as well as a saber and thrust well too.

The reference materials described this type of sword as less agile than a standard sword, but the longsword in White Cat's hands combined power and agility. Perhaps she was simply skilled. Her swordsmanship had a distinctive rhythm Wang Shui had never seen.

The convoy did not even slow down while those heroes were being dealt with, simply driving past. White Cat, who was not wearing powered armor, soon caught up. Her highly distinctive voice came over the voice channel.

"A bunch of broke bastards."

Indeed. If they were not broke, would they get up early to rob people? They did not even have any heavy weapons.

As they chatted along the way, signs of man-made structures gradually appeared at the edge of the plain. It was a fortress of no great height, its masonry walls draped with numerous steel structures that looked like some sort of defensive array.

As they approached the fortress, they found that the land outside was not barren wilderness. A great many tents and prefabricated huts formed a sizable settlement. People bustled about, many with the appearance of natives.

Right, the system only occupied cities and destroyed regular armies. It did not even bother with bandits, so why would it bother with a trading settlement? Wang Shui even saw wagons pulled by creatures resembling a cross between elephants and cattle, piled with various goods and-small-caliber cannons.

"You can head into the city alone from here. Once you enter the fortress, our mission's complete. If you want a ride back, contact me before the day after tomorrow. We'll be restocking here for now."

Wang Shui nodded. Brother Tu patted his shoulder and left.

To avoid complications from delaying, Wang Shui drove straight into the fortress. To his surprise, the harassment Brother Hei had mentioned never materialized. His tier was verified, and he entered without trouble.

Guided by the semiautomatic driving system, Wang Shui reached the governor's castle, which also served as the [Penumbra of Destruction] hunting group's base. A group of logistics personnel wearing coats patterned with blurry human silhouettes received him. Wang Shui also met a big shot.

The man slowly approached Wang Shui, radiating an oppressive presence. Whether from his imposing air or his killing intent, Wang Shui felt his skin tighten and instinctively wanted to retreat.

The big shot stood over two meters tall, with a square face, a burly build, and eyes fixed straight ahead. His muscles filled out his neat, somewhat casual everyday clothes. In Wang Shui's personal field of vision, a red number floated above his head-"3."

[Danger rating: 3]?!

A number used to describe the danger level of a world region had been placed above this big shot's head. That meant he had killed Awakened of his own faction and been punished by the system, but had paid the price.

"The goods arrived?"

The big shot's question was directed not only at Wang Shui, but at all the logistics personnel present.

The truck unfolded, and the two valuable cargo containers in the back were opened, revealing shells and metal ingots inside. The logistics staff quickly checked them and reported:

"Lord Mengde, almost everything on the overall order is here. There should still be two truckloads of food coming. The mission hasn't been submitted yet. We need..."

Before the logistics worker finished, the big shot turned his gaze to Wang Shui, who hurriedly replied:

"The mission requires Lady Silvia to confirm the goods..."

"Come with me."

Before Wang Shui could finish, the big shot interrupted him, then turned and headed into the castle.

Somewhat nervous, Wang Shui followed anyway. Surely a famous hunting group this large would not do anything to a nobody like him.

The castle was not large. Or rather, Rusty Sword Fortress itself was not very large. It was only a small military installation, not even on a regular supply route.

The native-style masonry castle had little aesthetic appeal. Wang Shui followed the big shot all the way into its depths, until the man opened a huge iron door at the end of a corridor. Beyond it was pitch-black. A cold draft carrying a strange stench made Wang Shui's scalp prickle. His hair stood on end, and his body instinctively backed away, trying to escape.

Too late.

A suction force swept over Wang Shui's entire body, flinging him toward the big shot amid a powerful gust. Instantly, his left shoulder felt as though a pneumatic forging hammer had smashed into it. Agonizing pain struck. Before he could cry out, everything spun, until a violent impact and sharp pain hit his back.

Wang Shui was casually hurled through the iron doorway like a sandbag, slammed into the wall, then fell from a height of five or six meters.

[System warning! You are under attack by an Awakened of your own faction. Would you like to...]

The system's voice abruptly cut off as the iron door closed. Wang Shui had not yet fallen into a daze, but he suffered no second impact from the fall. He seemed to have landed on something fairly soft.

But that thing was writhing... Even in his confusion, Wang Shui jolted and hurriedly got up. He scrambled down from something like a raised platform in a few steps, quickly took a small piece of gel from his waist, squeezed it hard in his right hand, and flung it toward the wall he had slid down.

With a splat, the gel stuck to the wall and emitted a light that was not particularly harsh. This little toy had been a gift from Brother Tu, one of combatants' favorite consumable items: [Sticky Luminous Gel].

The dark, foul-smelling dungeon was suddenly filled with long-absent light. But regaining his sight did not reassure Wang Shui. Instead, it made his skin crawl even more.

He saw the writhing cushion that had broken his fall. It was twenty or thirty people piled together. None were dead, but they were little different from corpses. The farther down they were, the more skeletal they became. Even those on top could barely squirm.

"Hey, newcomer. Got anything to eat? We're dying sooner or later anyway. Give me something."

A voice to Wang Shui's left drew his attention. Only then did he notice several other people sprawled here and there across the empty dungeon. The speaker was slumped against a wall.

"Stop looking. I'm the only one with the strength to talk. You can't contact the system here, or even open your storage space. Your stamina drains fast for no reason, but it just won't kill you. You could climb out of that pile because your injuries are relatively light. In less than two days, you'll be out of strength and at death's door. Hey! I've told you all this. Have you got any damn food on you?!"

Wang Shui shook his head and backed away. Faced with a situation far beyond anything he knew, he felt lost. He kept retreating. The open space gave him no sense of security. Only when his back touched the wall did he slowly slide down to sit.

The luminous gel gradually dimmed. The man opposite could not be bothered to speak anymore and closed his eyes. Wang Shui began examining his situation. He checked his disconnected biological brain. The system was functioning normally; it merely showed that he was outside network coverage. Then he felt through everything on him that was not in his storage space.

A little under half a box of luminous gel, with a dozen or so pellets left; a box of high-energy stomach-soothing candy; three healing potions that could restore injuries; his powered armor card; his throwing knife skill Mystic Card and four Silver Dragon throwing knives; a small stack of white alchemy paper; an alchemy pen; and the mission card.

That casual throw had reduced Wang Shui's health to just 40%. His left shoulder seemed to be broken. It was swelling as well as sending out pulses of pain.

Wang Shui hurriedly drank a small red potion to restore his health and stabilize his injuries. His mind raced, searching for a way out of this dungeon. He did not want to die!

Powered armor? No. Although the iron door above doesn't seem special, charging out would undoubtedly mean facing the [Penumbra of Destruction] hunting group. Never mind that big shot-even a few ordinary combatants would be more than I could handle.

Alchemy! Right! I still have alchemy! Soften the walls, or dig a tunnel out! Wang Shui's spirits lifted. He pressed his right hand against the wall and extended his mental power.

Crackle!

Amid the explosive crackle of electricity, Wang Shui was knocked back, sliding three or four meters. The numbness left him recovering for a long time before he could sit up again.

"This is the governor's prison, where major military prisoners are held. There's a [Rebel Array] covering the outside now, too. Don't waste your strength. Hey, do you know how much of the order has been delivered?"

This time, the voice lacked the other man's faint madness. It was a cold female voice, weak yet calm and commanding, clear as faint moonlight.

Wang Shui tossed another pellet of luminous gel and saw the source of the voice nearby. It was a woman who looked very young, sitting casually against the wall. She had long limbs and delicate features, and wore the same short-sleeved casual T-shirt as the big shot earlier. Her head was slightly raised, her half-open silver-gray eyes fixed on Wang Shui.

[Silvia, Penumbra of the Moon]

Wang Shui had seen images of her, but... an internal rebellion? Suddenly, he seemed to have discovered something not terribly important.

"Recognized me? Answer me. Are all the goods here?"

"Uh, it seems there's just a little food left."

"Oh. Then it'll probably be tonight."

So said the young queen, and Wang Shui's heart rose into his throat.

"They're waiting for the supplies?!"

"What else? They locked me up fifteen days ago. By then, the empire's tier-five superhuman had already arrived outside the city. Afraid I'd fight to the death, they used this dungeon and poison to torment me while waiting for this batch of supplies that exhausted the hunting group's savings. By now, my dear companions have probably left the city. They'll move far from this fortress, so when the siege alert goes up, they can avoid being forcibly conscripted by the system. Heh, then we'll be free too."

Wang Shui fell silent. He believed this tier-five big shot's judgment.

"Why? The mission information was all normal, and nobody noticed this many people going missing."

"Of course it was normal at first. I was the one receiving the supplies before. By now, someone has probably noticed something wrong... Too late. They've locked down my backup powered armor too. Even if I could open my item space, I wouldn't have enough equipment. Besides, my body probably can't fight anymore. Heh, people really do become talkative when they're about to die. I never imagined facing death would feel like this."

The queen's quiet self-mockery did not hold Wang Shui's attention. No... This is very wrong. Judging by the timing, Brother Hei should have noticed something.

Even if Brother Hei wanted Wang Shui to probe the situation with his life, there was absolutely no need to throw away an advance of 100,000 dream points. Putting a little pressure on someone doomed to die would cost him nothing, and Brother Hei had even given him an expensive array.

His thoughts churning, Wang Shui opened the mission panel again:

[Mission description: Transport the item that triggered this mission to "Rusty Sword Fortress" and hand it to the recipient, "Silvia, Penumbra of the Moon."]

The item... that triggered the mission?!

Wang Shui jolted and hurriedly took out the crystal card that had triggered the mission. Its name was utterly ordinary:

[Ordinary Mission Card]

Wrong, wrong, everything is wrong. Wang Shui quickly approached the former queen, making her lift her eyes.

"What, want me while I'm still warm?"

"Hold this!" Wang Shui handed her the card, but nothing happened.

No, that's not it. What else? Why would Brother Hei keep even me in the dark? Wang Shui grew anxious, drawing the queen's attention. She looked at the card in her hand.

"This simple card face... Could it be an unstable storage card? Do you know the condition for opening it?"

Condition? The queen's words sent Wang Shui's mind racing. Condition... Open... Unstable... Destroy... Annihilation Stomach!

Wang Shui suddenly remembered the engraver's medical advice-try not to eat anything strange for a while!

He also remembered Brother Hei insisting on scheduling the engraving just before his departure. Right! That must be it! No, that's definitely it!

Wang Shui snatched the card back from the queen and stuffed it into his mouth. His flexible throat actually expanded enough to swallow a card nearly six centimeters wide. Amid a not particularly strong wave of nausea, Wang Shui finished swallowing it. The array reduced the vomiting effect. Then he felt as though someone had stuffed a thermite grenade into his stomach.

Fuck! Too rash!

Nausea and revulsion surged up. Wang Shui let himself vomit, bringing up two small balls. He recognized one of them. It was a kind of emetic.

Ignoring the strange mucus Wang Shui had vomited up, slender fingers gently picked up the other ball. The clear, cold voice sounded again:

"Storing powered armor inside a spatial item this way, and even evading the high-energy scan at the entrance. Interesting."

Wang Shui's stomach felt terrible. His whole body felt drained, and cold sweat poured off him. Still, he looked expectantly at the queen, who had regained some energy.

"Heh, forget it. This is only a backup suit of tier-five powered armor. And in my current condition, I absolutely can't beat the tier-five outside."

Despair enveloped Wang Shui. As he lowered his head, he heard the sound of moonlight rising:

"Say, would you like to witness my final dance up close?"