Chapter 5: Ghost Squad

"Li Yu!" Mo Duo gathered her courage and marched right up to him. She needed an explanation. After holding it in all day, she was at her limit. She considered Li Yu a friend and had even gone out of her way to bring him an apple. It was one thing for him to refuse it, but to treat her like a captive was simply too much.

"Ah, Mo Duo... that's right..." Li Yu said, as if suddenly remembering something. He pulled a piece of grilled meat wrapped in a plastic bag from his coat and handed it to her. "I brought this specifically for you. Thanks for the apple."

Mo Duo's eyes widened in surprise. She pursed her lips and accepted the plastic bag. "Thank you..."

Her voice was barely a whisper. She turned and walked back with her head lowered, cradling the plastic bag, her face entirely hidden from view.

Hunter sighed wistfully. No wonder this young brother didn't appreciate the charm of women. So that was it...

Still, he didn't hold any prejudice against this kind of affection.

"It's good to be young..." he muttered to himself. Then, he tipped the brim of his cowboy hat. "Do you have any for me?"

Li Yu reached into his coat. Hunter's sharp eyes lit up. Could it be? He was actually starting to feel guilty for ever having wanted to kill this young man.

"Sorry, I'm out..." Li Yu dug around for a while before pulling out an empty hand, offering an apologetic smile.

Throughout the silent night, Claptrap loyally carried out its duties from the shadows. It excitedly swung its new arm while bracing a gun with the other. In the darkness, its single eye pulsed with a blinking crimson glow.

"Five meters... one meter, five meters... one meter..." it droned in a low, mechanical voice.

It hadn't positioned itself at a particularly high vantage point. The x-ray scope on the E11 Sniper Rifle could pierce through most obstacles anyway, and staying low helped evade the scouts Third Fatty had secretly sent out to hunt for snipers.

......

"Ahhh!"

A shrill, agonizing scream shattered the dawn. The three people leaning against the rusted sheet metal snapped their eyes open almost simultaneously, instinctively rolling onto the ground.

They scanned their surroundings with utmost vigilance. Lying flat on their stomachs, they slowed their breathing to a crawl as the decaying stench of dust flooded their nostrils.

This was a lawless wasteland. One had to remain on high alert at all times; otherwise, they wouldn't even know what killed them.

The three exchanged glances. Only after realizing that the harrowing screams were still some distance away did they slowly push themselves to their feet.

Hunter frowned. His cowboy hat seemed permanently welded to the top of his head. He gazed into the distance and said, "The day after tomorrow is when we head to the underground black market. The guys who haven't scraped enough money together are losing their patience."

Opto-Electric Technology's Black Hole Technology did not distinguish between living creatures and garbage; it devoured everything indiscriminately. His former self's memories held a few glimpses of such cleanups, and the sheer scale of the devastation was horrifying.

Rumor had it that the consumed trash could be converted into compressed energy, but the operational costs were astronomical. Because of this, Opto-Electric Technology only conducted these recycling sweeps once every six months at most.

Thud, thump, roll...

A severed human head rolled out from a nearby corner. Where the eyes should have been, there were only two dried, bloody holes. Its mouth was stretched wide open in a bizarre, unnatural smile that seemed to blend sheer ecstasy with pure agony.

Hunter's eyes flashed as he stared in the direction the head had rolled from. "A gouged-out head. Only a man who has climbed into your bed would end up looking like this."

A pristine, bare foot stepped out from the shadows first, followed closely by a smooth, delicate thigh. The skin was remarkably pale, entirely uncharacteristic of someone who had been baking under this harsh sun for any length of time.

Only a few strips of cloth covered her vital areas, barely containing a breathtaking figure. Several deep scars marred her flesh, yet rather than ruining her overall beauty, the lingering marks evoked a raw, primal desire.

The flush on her skin was just beginning to fade. Widow held a bottle of gray mud and casually poured it over herself. It quickly dried and solidified, forming a protective crust over her skin to shield her from the scorching ultraviolet rays.

A grotesque smile spread across a face as ruined as the surface of the abyss. "A guy with no chance of finding shelter wanted a taste of a woman before he died. I simply granted his final wish."

Perhaps driven by a tragic past, or maybe just a severely twisted mind, climbing onto Widow's body wasn't difficult at all. The only price of admission was a willingness to have one's eyes gouged out and to forfeit their life to her immediately afterward.

"There are no desperate people here..." Hunter's eyes couldn't help but wander over her curves, though he fought hard to restrain his gaze.

"Of course I know that..." Widow's eyes shifted, landing squarely on Li Yu. "I heard you've managed to connect with an extraordinary big shot?"

Li Yu narrowed his eyes. They were completely devoid of emotion, like a dead sea, an ancient well without ripples. "Where did you hear that from?"

There could only be one answer: Third Fatty. Widow's slight nod confirmed his suspicion.

"The waters here are far deeper than you imagine..."

She spoke with profound meaning. Raising her voice even a fraction made her ruined throat sound as though she were snarling.

Li Yu furrowed his brow. He had just struck a deal with Third Fatty yesterday. Why would the merchant deliberately broadcast this news? And exactly who was he trying to broadcast it to?

This place was crawling with ordinary Scavengers. Even Third Fatty felt deep apprehension toward the fictional backer Li Yu had invented. Would any mere Scavenger dare provoke him now?

"This woman is setting a trap for you..." Hunter couldn't help but interject. "She's looking for someone who can exact vengeance for her. Her husband..."

"Hunter...!" Widow shrieked fiercely. Her voice pierced the air like a banshee's wail, making everyone cringe.

"...Is her perverted ex-husband..." Hunter hurriedly corrected himself, which finally placated the furious woman.

"He's a figure from the wealthy district. He has genuine status. He's not someone ordinary people can afford to provoke."

Hunter offered the warning out of the goodness of his heart, seemingly putting himself entirely in Li Yu's shoes and looking out for his best interests.

"It's merely an investment..." Widow shook her head. She appeared to carry no weapons, nor did she seem to possess any overwhelming physical strength, yet her very presence made everyone here feel a deep sense of apprehension.

"All I ask is that when you finally have the power, you conveniently crush that bastard to death."

Widow was completely sincere. She demanded no blood oaths, asking only for a simple, non-binding promise.

And to a Scavenger, a promise was the most worthless currency in the universe.

Li Yu swept his gaze over Widow's completely exposed body until his eyes finally settled on the horribly disfigured face that disgusted everyone who saw it.

His gaze remained tranquil, showing no ripples of emotion, no disgust, and no desire to look away. "What do you know?"

Under Li Yu's unwavering, calm stare, Widow instinctively averted her eyes. Having grown so accustomed to people's revulsion, suddenly encountering someone so perfectly indifferent genuinely left her at a loss.

But the hesitation only lasted for a moment. She took a few steps forward, kicking aside the empty bottles and cans at her feet.

"Have you ever heard of the Ghost Squad?"

"Ghost Squad!" Li Yu didn't react much, but Hunter's response was startling.

He violently shuddered and subconsciously scanned his surroundings, desperately searching for the best escape route.

Seeing that everyone was staring at him, he awkwardly pulled down the brim of his cowboy hat. He gave a dry cough, quickly restoring his aloof demeanor, and said in a low voice, "Isn't that just a rumor?"

Widow sneered, though with her harsh vocal cords, it sounded more like the cawing of an old crow.

"A rumor..." She shook her head. Her exaggerated movements caused the flesh that shouldn't jiggle to bounce quite visibly. The three of them couldn't help but look over, only to quickly pretend they were looking elsewhere right after.

Young boys only looked at faces, while grown men appreciated legs and chests. Demeanor was merely a bonus. Aside from her ruined face, the rest of Widow's features could easily be considered top-tier.