Chapter 1 Suren

Suren came out of the Hunter's Guild Hall and walked into the camp.

Judging by the time, it was only afternoon. It was still a bit early to rest.

He thought he should learn more about the ruins, so he planned to sit in the tavern again.

The tavern has always been the most important "information exchange center" besides the Hunter's Guild.

More importantly, Suren felt that most of the wasteland reclaimers who could afford drinks at ten times the price of Old Lindon had successfully come out of the ruins alive. They would have a lot of valuable first-hand information.

Suren strolled around and chose the most crowded and largest tavern, which happened to be called "Black Duke."

This was a chain brand, famous in both the inner and outer cities of Old Lindon. The financial backer behind it was the "Clark Family," one of the five major consortiums that built the camp, and also the financial backer behind the Steam Party.

Even though it was still daytime, the tavern was filled with all kinds of drunken revelers.

They were all wasteland reclaimers who had come out of the ruins and made money to spend.

Suren found a discreet spot in the corner and sat down.

The rye wine, which cost 40 in Old Lindon, was sold here for 400 risos a bottle, by the dozen.

He also called for a pretty courtesan to simply accompany him for a drink, with a tip starting at 3,000.

Don't underestimate these girls. They were the ones who had the most information in the tavern. Although they didn't go hunting, they stayed in the tavern all day. They accompanied many different guests, and had a lot of unexpected information in their mouths.

...

Suren took sips of his wine, listening to the drinkers chatting and joking.

"Did you hear? The 'Firebird Hunter Group' that went out a few days ago came back last night, with a super big harvest. It is said that the managers of those big chambers of commerce who came to collect the goods broke down their captain's door..."

"How could I not hear? It is said that the Firebird group was extremely lucky. They strayed into the central ring area, but not only were they not wiped out, but they also picked up a 'Forbidden Item Level' cursed object... The money distributed to their members is enough to live happily for the rest of their lives."

"Why doesn't our group have this kind of luck..."

"Captain Bess, don't even think about it. There are many high-risk cursed spaces in the central ring area, as well as those mutated monsters that can't be killed. The situation is unclear now. Even top professionals can't guarantee that they can come back alive..."

"That's right, I heard that the 'Iron Crocodile Group' accidentally explored an 'S-level' cursed space yesterday, and suffered heavy losses..."

"Two 'T-level' cursed spaces have also appeared in the west city. The five major families arranged slave groups to test them, and they were all wiped out... But the rewards are estimated to be amazing. I wonder when high-level professionals will be arranged to explore them..."

"..."

Suren drank his wine, acting as a quiet listener.

Now, wasteland reclamation in Dawn City is almost one of two extremes.

Either getting rich overnight, or being wiped out.

Being able to explore a new area and come out alive almost always guarantees good returns.

Suren also heard a lot of useful information from these drinkers.

Which areas were high-risk, with many "T-level" and "S-level" cursed spaces...

Which areas had top-level mutated monsters...

Which were the "nightmare areas" that no hunting groups returned from...

Listening to those fragmented messages, Suren automatically pieced together pieces of the map in his mind, and had a rough idea of the entire outer ring of the Dawn Ruins.

.......

Suren sat in the tavern for a few hours, and had heard enough news.

Just as he was about to leave, find a place to rest well to prepare for a day of wasteland reclamation, his eyes suddenly turned to the stairs on the second floor.

The second floor of the tavern was a VIP area, and you couldn't go up there just because you had money. It was a place specially for people from the inner city.

The iron stairs clanged as a few people walked down.

The tavern instantly became quiet, and the sound of footsteps on the stairs was particularly clear.

Slender white legs stepped on a pair of slender high heels, followed by a white silk dress slit to the root of the thigh. From the angle looking up at the stairs, the beautiful legs were completely visible. After a few more steps down the stairs, a head of fiery red wavy hair and a graceful figure came into view.

Then, her enchantingly beautiful face came into view.

As soon as this woman in a white fox fur dress came down, the entire noisy tavern seemed to be paused, and suddenly fell silent.

A group of burly men holding glasses of wine froze there, their eyes burning.

Her skin was white and glowing, giving people the illusion that she came with a high-gloss beauty filter. Looking at her, everything around her paled in comparison. Especially the slight curve of her lips, which seemed to smile but not smile, brought the amorous feelings between her eyebrows to life.

She was clearly a mob boss, but her every move revealed the grace and luxury of a socialite.

This woman had a temperament that was glamorous but not vulgar.

"She's here too..."

Suren looked at the woman, his eyes slightly narrowed.

He naturally recognized this woman, who was well-known in the outer city gangs, the woman of "Butcher" Banner, the president of the Steam Party, the legendary—Sabina.

A woman who had impressed him deeply on the first day he traveled here.

"Tsk tsk... Seeing it with my own eyes, those peaches are really big enough."

Suren glanced and muttered in his heart.

The snow-white expanse of her chest was majestic, firm and proud, and the heavy sense of oppression was eye-catching.

He was also curious about what this woman looked like in the eyes of others in the tavern, and why they were so obsessed. He released some normal emotions, and then saw the words "slight charm" instantly appear on his attribute panel.

It wasn't a negative state.

It was pure "lust at first sight."

This was a stunningly beautiful woman who could arouse people's desires with just one glance.

"Her charm attribute is very high... Is it a seductive physique, or other abilities?"

As soon as his emotions subsided, the trace of fascination in Suren's eyes disappeared instantly.

In that instant, the woman glanced around the tavern.

With that casual glance, the people in the tavern were heard swallowing their saliva in unison.

Suren keenly captured that gaze, and there was a slight fluctuation in his mental power. He had a new understanding of this woman, and thought to himself, "It seems that this woman is not as rumored, just a character who relies on her beauty to get to the top..."

After going downstairs, this woman was accompanied by a young man with a slightly excited expression.

Suren recognized another acquaintance at a glance.

It was Denzel Oliver, the young master of the Oliver family, whom he had met in the market before.

"Young Master Denzel, let's just drink here today. I'll be waiting for your good news."

"No problem!"

"..."

Probably having discussed something upstairs, the two walked out of the tavern, talking in low voices.

After the few people walked away, the group of stunned men on the first floor seemed to come back to life.

The tavern returned to its noisy and bustling atmosphere.

"Damn it, if I could sleep with this kind of woman, I'd be willing to lose ten years of my life..."

"Shh~ Keep your voice down. You dare to think about 'Butcher' Banner's woman, are you tired of living? Although I think so too, hahaha..."

"..."

Suren listened to these whispers and chuckled.

Without staying any longer, he left the tavern.

.......

Early the next morning, thousands of wasteland reclaimers, fully armed and ready to go, had gathered at the entrance of the camp.

Looking at the flags, there were hundreds of hunting groups of all sizes.

The agreed time for the gathering was seven o'clock, and Suren arrived ten minutes early.

When he arrived, he saw that the members of the "Drunken Hunter Group" were all present.

The team was well-equipped, also with the standard small team configuration: a heavy mechanical warrior, a doctor, a gunman, a warlock, and a demolition expert...

As the captain, Benson was urging the team members to check their equipment one last time.

Seeing Suren approaching, he greeted him warmly: "Brother Jonny!"

Suren nodded in response.

He saw that Tommy had also appeared in the team in full gear, and asked with a slight surprise, "Captain Benson, why did you bring Tommy to the ruins?"

Benson's eyes flickered with love, but also with helplessness, and said, "Yeah, this kid insisted on coming."

Tommy patted the firelock around his waist and said dissatisfiedly, "Dad, I'm not a kid anymore!"

Benson shrugged indifferently, turned to Suren and smiled, "When I was his age, I was already out hunting. Now that he has chosen this path, he will eventually grow up..."

Hearing this, Suren didn't say much.

Wasteland reclaimers have the lives of wasteland reclaimers.

At exactly seven o'clock, the team set off.

This time, the Oliver family hunting group organized more than a dozen small hunting groups to act together, a mighty group of more than a hundred people.

There was a second-tier professional leading the team, Bloom, the captain of the "Warblade Group."

The Oliver family, a large consortium, had the most accurate information and maps of the ruins. Their route this time was also planned in advance.

In order to avoid the danger of crossing the city, the team would go around the city on the outer edges, and then enter from a ruin on the eastern city wall, directly exploring the "Red Brick Tower District."

Suren knew that young master Denzel Oliver was eager to find the hair strands, which happened to be the same as his purpose, saving him trouble.

.......

The outermost periphery of the Dawn City Ruins had almost been cleared, and there was no danger along the way.

The wasteland reclaimers walked smoothly, the atmosphere was relaxed, and they could even chat and joke occasionally.

The living corpse controlled by Suren followed behind the "Drunken Group" team, as if he was transporting goods, slightly isolated.

Tommy, on the other hand, had been following him, pestering him to ask for advice on gunman and mechanical skills.

With more than a hundred people, chatting and joking could always bring up something new.

While Suren was chatting with Tommy, he also pricked up his ears to listen to the gossip of the other wasteland reclaimers.

Unexpectedly, listening to it, he heard his own gossip.

"Speaking of which, have you heard that a ruthless person has recently appeared in Old Lindon City, a new S-class wanted criminal who has made it into the top ten on the bounty list..."

"Oh, there's a new face in the top ten of the bounty list? Where did he come from?"

"I heard that he is a very powerful firearms expert from the Crusaders, called 'Suren'. It is said that he killed three second-tier professionals from the inner city and became famous in one battle."

"That's an exaggeration... Even a firearms master may not be able to kill three second-tier professionals, let alone an expert?"

"The battle on Green Street was very fierce. Many people have heard about it. Moreover, I also heard a rumor from my brother-in-law that 'Suren' was actually a bodyguard driver who defected from a large inner-city consortium before joining the gang. Because he drove and picked up a noble lord's beautiful mistress, he had an affair and was hunted down..."

"..."

Suren listened to the stories in those people's mouths, originally wanting to find out some useful information.

But he didn't expect the story to become more and more wrong.

Familiar recipe, familiar plot, wasn't this exactly the same as Red Demon's back then?

In the end, the topic of these rough men quickly changed from the new star on the wanted list to which night club girl was more watery...

Tommy, on the other hand, listened with great interest. These legendary stories were his favorite to listen to at his age.

After listening to those people talking about "Suren the S-class Wanted Criminal," he suddenly thought of something, turned his head and asked Suren curiously, "Mr. Jonny, who is more powerful, you or that S-class Wanted Criminal?"

Suren smiled: "Me? Far from it..."

Tommy said seriously: "But... I feel that you are very powerful. At least you should be much more powerful than my stinky old man."

Suren heard this and asked curiously, "Is it your 'feeling' ability again?"

"Yes."

Tommy thought for a while, pointed at the person in front of him and said: "I now feel that there is a light on everyone. The firelight on my dad is like a candle, others are like matches, and Mr. Jonny, you are like a... big fireball."

Light?

He saw souls, mental power, or dark spirit power?

Suren felt that Tommy might have awakened a very powerful talent.

He thought for a while and said: "Tommy, don't ever tell anyone that you have this ability in the future. Otherwise, it may bring big trouble to you and your dad."

Tommy was very smart, and he naturally knew what Suren meant, patted his chest: "I know! But I only said it because it's Mr. Jonny. Because... I feel that you are a very good person, better than everyone else."

Suren smiled again after hearing this.

.......

The hunting team walked around the outskirts of the city for almost half a day, repelled several waves of small-scale mutated monster attacks, and finally arrived at the planned entry area of the city.

Dawn City had no city walls, and you could enter the city center by finding any road.

The city was full of ruins and a devastated scene after a great battle.

After stepping into this architectural ruin, Bloom, the leader of the Warblade Group, shouted loudly: "Everyone pay attention, we are now entering a dangerous area. Check your equipment and be on guard against monsters from the sky, underground, and anywhere!"

Everyone responded in unison: "Yes!"

The advancing wasteland reclaimers had launched a months-long tug-of-war with the mutated monsters in the streets and alleys of Dawn City, but not only did it not reduce the number of monsters in the city, but it actually increased.

No one knew where those monsters came from, but they could never be killed.

Moreover, after entering the city, a mist gradually spread in the air, greatly limiting visibility. The mist would also move with the wind. When you reached the dense fog area, the visibility was even less than ten meters.

The atmosphere in the hunting team suddenly became tense.

Along the way, they also encountered several mutated humans gnawing on corpses...

The wasteland reclaimers shot those monsters that were once their companions with a few shots.

........

Then, not long after entering the fog, the large-scale attack that was expected came.

The aura of living people was like a lighthouse in the dark, attracting the monsters nearby.

As Suren walked, his ears suddenly twitched slightly, and he quietly placed his hands on the firelock around his waist.

Another second passed before someone issued a warning, shouting: "Be careful, there are monsters in the sky!"

Before the words were finished, they suddenly heard a strange "squeak squeak squeak" sound in the fog. The sound came from all directions, and the number was surprisingly large.

In the next instant, everyone looked up and saw a group of giant bats with wings spanning two or three meters suddenly flying out of the fog!

Fleshy wings fluttered, and the wind howled.

Bang, bang, bang, bang...

For a time, gunfire rang out, and everyone held up their firelocks and fired wildly into the fog in the air.

However, there were too many monsters, and black shadows continued to fly out of the fog.

The situation suddenly became critical.

Benson and his hunting group were mostly experienced old wasteland reclaimers. When they encountered a situation, they instantly assembled a defensive formation.

Because Tommy was in the team, the core of the crowd was him, and Suren also benefited from it. He didn't have many chances to attack. He occasionally fired a few shots to shoot down a bat that was threatening to him, and then fired random shots, also as participation...

Fortunately, because they were prepared in advance, there was enough firepower, and the hunting group quickly repelled those strange bats.

However, even so, the hunting group still suffered casualties.

"Damn it, our group is missing two people, who were taken away by those bats just now!"

"Our group is also missing one..."

"Everyone be careful, the bat's blood has corrosive toxins..."

"..."

The team had suffered a reduction in personnel as soon as they entered the ruins, and the atmosphere suddenly became heavy.

But the Drunken Group was unexpectedly well preserved, with almost no losses.

The previous situation was chaotic, and no one noticed the excellence of Suren's marksmanship, but Tommy, who was beside him, noticed something and asked in a low voice, "Mr. Jonny, the bat's eyes are so small, and it was flying around, how did you hit it just now?"

"Good luck. You can do it if you practice more..."

Suren smiled and casually perfunctorily said, not expecting this little guy to have such keen observation skills.

......

"Let's go, continue to move forward!"

The hunting group did not suffer much loss, cleaned up the battlefield, and continued to go deeper.

When passing by a pile of corpses, Suren looked at the bat carcasses on the ground, a thoughtful look in his eyes.

[Abyssal Bloodsucking Giant Bat]

Explanation: Likes darkness, bloodthirsty; a mutated monster that lives in an environment rich in dark spirit power for a long time. It has combat power that exceeds the upper limit of its species rank;

Looking at the information identified about this monster, Suren somehow thought of the mutated monsters in the sewers of Old Lindon.