Chapter 26

On the seventeenth day of hunting in the Wilderness Zone, comrade Jiāng Jiāng decided to set aside time each day to practice marksmanship, the sniper rifle.

Just like the dagger that comrade Jiāng Jiāng occasionally practices when he finds time, it can both confuse enemies and serve as a backup measure in emergencies.

As the saying goes, 'many skills do not weigh one down'; this has always been comrade Jiāng Jiāng's principle of conduct. (Disciple of Chén Chén)

Although he was shooting from high ground, comrade Jiāng Jiāng had already begun simulating other unfavorable situations.

High-level beast soldiers? It's very likely they'd get close while I'm aiming; although Chén Chén is protecting me nearby, I must consider the possibility that Chén Chén might not be able to spare time to protect me, so that won't do.

Mid-level beast soldiers? Although their speed and strength are average… in short, they're unsuitable for practice.

So your target is you, little wild boar!

"Bang—"

The rifle that comrade Jiāng Jiāng just used to shoot is actually not an ordinary item; it was specially made for him by Chén Chén. As for why Chén Chén himself still practices shooting—

Of course, it's not just to practice something so superficial; it's to prepare for completing Chén Chén's self-created secret manual《Having a Name》.

However, comrade Jiāng Jiāng clearly misunderstood Chén Chén's idea.

"Boom—"

The special bullet made a loud noise, and of course even louder was the sound of the building collapsing afterward; the special bullet directly pierced the few structural columns of the small building next to comrade Jiāng Jiāng's target, and this bullet became 'the straw that broke the camel's back'.

"A good horse, Bo Le would say it's a good horse."

Chén Chén was still seeing for the first time a martial artist firing a gun and deviating over twenty meters.

After all, whether it's physical fitness or perception, comrade Jiāng Jiāng has fully reached the level needed to use this rifle, so those twenty meters are entirely due to comrade Jiāng Jiāng's own ability.

"Diligence can make up for clumsiness!"

Comrade Jiāng Jiāng is not discouraged.

"Come on, don't waste my bullets; they're expensive."

Chén Chén doesn't want comrade Jiāng Jiāng to waste time on this, and he has two quick ways to persuade him: one is to act as a riddle person, the other is to mention money.

"Okay~_~"

After a day's hunt ended, Chén Chén and comrade Jiāng Jiāng again carried their spoils to Supply Town.

After the Great Nirvana, countless ruins of former cities became gathering places for monsters, and also the hunting grounds of martial artists; in the junctions of these hunting zones, the Supply Town built from the World Tree's trunk is the martial artists' temporary refuge.

The supply town offers considerable convenience; first, it purchases monster materials that martial artists find inconvenient to bring back to the city. The most basic of these is premium meat from special parts of certain monsters. Although its price is far lower than that of special materials, even a mosquito, though small, is still meat, and it can just about offset some of the expenses incurred in the supply town.

With the efficiency of Chén Chén and Jiāng Jiāng, a quick tally of their harvest over just a few days already amounts to hundreds of thousands to millions.

And the most important services the supply town provides are lodging, medical care, and combat supplies resupply.

Needless to say about lodging, the only inn that can operate in the wilderness zone, although its lodging conditions are far inferior to the city's high-end hotel suites, is not cheap at all—each night's stay costs tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of RMB.

However, for hunting squads returning to rest and recuperate, the cost‑performance ratio is extremely high; most of the time demand outstrips supply.

Compared to lodging, the latter two items are actually the main sources of the supply town's income.

Medical technology—even among ordinary people who have no contact with the martial artist world, the World Tree's medical technology enjoys great renown.

Because for every martial artist who joins the World Tree, their family enjoys full medical coverage before the age of eighty, which can treat almost all diseases on Earth. Knowing that most people in old age actually die of disease, and the World Tree's coverage age reaches eighty, this means the World Tree can guarantee that every person will at least live naturally to eighty years old.

Were it not for the many limiting factors, the vast majority of martial artists worldwide would be unable to resist such temptation for their families.

And the medical care provided by the supply town is mainly aimed at treating injuries sustained by martial artists in combat.

Martial artists' combat is extremely brutal; even an ordinary martial artist with abundant experience, after fighting monsters ten times, a hundred times, or more, if their strength does not continue to rise, they will most likely end up with some disability and then retire silently.

Before the World Tree's wilderness supply points were established, low‑rank freelance martial artists were more like consumables—lasting as little as three to five months, or as long as five to six years—so in each city's hunting martial artists there were hardly any elderly 'old timers'.

No one can guarantee they will never be injured in battle with monsters; for a martial artist, even losing just a finger or two counts as a disability, and it will still significantly affect their subsequent combat.

Before the World Tree came into being, the so‑called 'Water of Life' that could supposedly cure disabilities completely was something an ordinary martial artist could never earn in a lifetime, let alone the fact that most martial artists' periods of peak performance are not that long.

As for the treatment offered at the wilderness supply town, if a limb is preserved, it only costs tens of millions; even if the limb is missing, gritting one's teeth to scrape together three to five hundred million can regenerate a severed finger, completely toppling the so‑called 'Water of Life' from its pedestal.

Of course, if one is not a member of the World Tree, the required treatment cost would be doubled.

Minor injuries in wilderness hunting are inevitable; if not treated promptly, they can accumulate into hidden ailments, so the medical service includes a basic 'maintenance' package costing ninety‑eight thousand, which every martial artist who comes to the supply station to rest will receive once.

"Chén Chén, I think we need the deluxe package." Jiāng Jiāng pointed to the maintenance package on the price list that was ten times more expensive and said.

When it comes to maintaining her own body, Comrade Jiāng Jiāng leaves no room for compromise, after all, the body is the capital of revolution.

Compared to the top‑tier medical technology, combat supplies in the wilderness zone are more about high‑volume trade.

The sale, repair, and maintenance of weapons and equipment, as well as the hawking of arms and ammunition.

In the past, damage to weapons and equipment in the wilderness zone and insufficient ammunition reserves were often the biggest reasons for hunting squads making round trips between the wilderness zone and the military supply station.

Moreover, the impact of the World Tree's combat supply in the wilderness zone is not limited to the wilderness zone itself, after all, the weapon configuration, repair and maintenance, and various after‑sales services provided by the World Tree differ from weapons purchased through other channels.

Whether it is arms, monster materials, or auxiliary intelligence, the World Tree's squeezing leaves only one opponent.

——HR Alliance

……

In the early morning, many martial artists were already preparing to set out.

The weather at noon is hot; the best times to travel are in the early morning and at dusk.

"Brother Hao, it's those two people."

"I've heard that these past few days they have continuously hunted hundreds of monsters ranging from beast soldiers to beast commanders, and there are not a few mid‑level beast commanders; it's said that even high‑level beast commanders…"

"Should we go ask them if they'd like to join our squad? With them, our squad would have a chance to take on even entry‑level lord‑class prey," a teammate from another squad said, speaking from experience.

"Forget it, those two guys aren't the sort that our little temple can accommodate."

As for the rumors about this martial artist assessment, many martial artists in the circle already know about them.

An eighteen‑year‑old kid, in a single night, with a single spear, killed over a thousand monsters.

Although they were merely the lowest‑grade beast soldiers, such a record has already sparked considerable discussion in the martial artist circle of Jiangnan Base City, after all, it's over a thousand heads—even if you were butchering pigs, you'd still have to swing the knife a thousand times.

And if I'm not mistaken.

Sun Hao watched from afar the two departing backs, and that male among the two was the "newcomer" of this assessment.

After all, that imposing long spear is not a very common weapon.

This is also naturally the reason why Chén Chén chose the long spear as his human-body weapon.

————

City 003.

In the most dangerous city in all of China, generally speaking, without three to five years of experience one simply doesn't have the guts to enter here.

As previously mentioned, a martial practitioner's career is about five years, and those capable of coming here to hunt have basically left the term "ordinary" behind, at least having reached War Commander-level strength.

"War Commanders are as common as dogs, War Gods walk everywhere."

Jiāng Jiāng said solemnly.

Chén Chén nearly choked upon hearing it, and could only say that Comrade Jiāng Jiāng is deeply poisoned.

The two entering the military district also attracted considerable attention, especially Jiāng Jiāng who looks like a minor, and the rumor about the "genius in the martial practitioner assessment" that has been spreading in the south-of-the-river martial practitioner circle these past few days.

"Chén Chén, there are actually maintenance services here too."

The physical examination and maintenance provided by the World Tree, in terms of experience, are similar to massage and sauna etc.

"Hmm, that's also a branch stationed within the World Tree, currently only available in some larger military districts."

Southeast Military District, which was basically established specifically to deal with City 003 and its surroundings, is the highest level in all of China.

And the cooperation between the World Tree and the Chinese military is already no less than that of the Two Great Martial Halls.

The two had a simple lunch at the supply station, and Jiāng Jiāng also took a copy of the City 003 guide from the World Tree's specialized service point to study carefully.

Based on the traces left by monsters to judge their kind, based on physique to accurately judge their strength, the relatively safe routes within the city, etc., etc.

The area of City 003 is not small; the active martial practitioners come from all over the country and even from around the world; the electronic guide runs over four hundred pages, and only someone like Jiāng Jiāng, a top-notch talent, has the patience to read it page by page.

By the time Jiāng Jiāng had finished digesting everything, it was already evening, which is also the time for hunting.

Chén Chén, possessing an "Earth perspective," easily found Jiāng Jiāng's opponent for today.

Leading Jiāng Jiāng into the urban area, along the way he casually disposed of one, two, three, four… road-blocking "little monsters," finally finding the prey that Chén Chén had prepared for Jiāng Jiāng.

Fierce Weasel.

Before the Great Nirvana, it was also called a marten; the name sounds harmless but it is indeed a carnivorous animal, belonging to a large, diverse group within the canines, and at the same time it is the most violent subgroup within the canidae.

The two hid in an abandoned building; there are many hidden flying creatures in the city, and while high ground offers a wide view, it is not a very good hiding spot.

Chén Chén pointed out a direction through the window for Jiāng Jiāng—a brown-black one only four to five meters tall, which can only be considered small compared to those encountered along the way.

"Jiāng Jiāng, look at that little one."

Jiāng Jiāng looked in the direction indicated by Chén Chén.

"Fox Fierce Weasel, the sole species of the fox-weasel subfamily within the canids, originally lived in Central America, but after the Great Nirvana, due to mutation, its already superb swimming skills and a series of mutations began appearing in China's coastal regions; climbing, running speed, among monsters of the same rank it belongs to Class A…… among canids it is considered the highest bloodline."

"Judging by its quality, it should soon reach high-level Beast Commander, but purely in terms of danger level it is already close to Lord-level."

Chén Chén nodded, his judgment was quite accurate; perhaps too accurate—how could it be this accurate after just one look, hey!

Chén Chén felt a bit regretful; he never expected that his original intention to protect this "weak" martial practitioner Jiāng Jiāng by offering a protection policy would end up backstabbing him here.

"Do you have confidence to deal with it?" Chén Chén said, feigning depth.

"Have…… no! Completely no!"

Jiāng Jiāng only realized Chén Chén's oddness when the words reached his lips.

"Chén Chén, that's not allowed, you're a minor, just became a martial practitioner less than a month ago, a newbie—no way a single person taking on a high-level Beast Commander whose danger level is comparable to Lord-level could ever be acceptable!"

"Won't your conscience hurt?"

Chén Chén slowly leaned close to Jiāng Jiāng's ear and whispered.

"Don't worry, I'll protect you from behind."

Taking advantage of the moment Jiāng Jiāng was distracted.

Chén Chén grabbed Jiāng Jiāng with one hand, together with several hundred kilograms of equipment, and leapt from the floor-to-ceiling window on the fourth floor of the building.

Jiāng Jiāng's face flushed slightly, he was surprised in his heart, but made no sound, silently moving the long dagger at his waist.

The two's falling sound in midair was so small as to be almost nonexistent, but monsters of high-level War Commander rank are extremely keen in both hearing and perception of surrounding airflow.

Chén Chén also wanted to tell Jiāng Jiāng through this action a point not emphasized in the guide.

The mustelid family's perception of danger far exceeds that of ordinary monsters.

Chén Chén and Jiāng Jiāng had not yet landed, still over twenty meters from the Fox Fierce Weasel; the Fox Fierce Weasel, still chewing a piece of flesh in its mouth, suddenly turned, its gaze landing exactly on the two, the crimson around its mouth seeming to have stained its eyes, the ferocity in its gaze pointing at them like a dagger.

"Come on!"

"Stinky Chén Chén."

Jiāng Jiāng's mind also only flashed a moment of Chén Chén's voice, because in the next second the Fierce Weasel charged at the two of them.

Mustelids' attack means mainly rely on double claws and teeth; the long dagger that Jiāng Jiāng bought at great expense in the Thunderbolt Home can barely block the Fierce Weasel's sharp claws.

The Fierce Weasel's claws are like blades grown from flesh, solid and sharp.

Jiāng Jiāng's long dagger is like claws grown on the hand, flexible and unhindered.

At the instant the two figures touched, Jiāng Jiāng's sideways body could just dodge the Fierce Weasel's right claw strike, while the short dagger in his right hand already contacted the weasel's left claw, producing a clear ringing sound like swords clashing.

The two forces, pressing against each other via the weapons, were evenly matched; each then used force to stabilize their bodies.

Jiāng Jiāng immediately rotated force, the dagger seeming to spin, his hand rotating, the blade slipping through a gap in the Fierce Weasel's claw; the purpose is self-evident—first using momentum to detach one of the weasel's claws.

But before Jiāng Jiāng could finish this move, the Fierce Weasel's right claw came smashing over, its speed plus the frontal block left Jiāng Jiāng no time to dodge.

This is precisely why Chén Chén chose the Fierce Weasel as Jiāng Jiāng's opponent.