Chapter 14: The Sun Rises as Usual

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Time rolled back to three minutes earlier.
At this moment, the team had already been operating at the edge of the Iron Beetle Forest for over an hour.
During this period, the truck stopped a total of four times.
The first three times were due to skirmishes; the team's response was swift—no sooner had the sensors detected movement than they sprang into action, not giving the behemoths that appeared near the truck any chance to wreak havoc.
Bai Feng and Wen Lei, the two close-combat members, one attacked while the other defended, holding the behemoths at bay. Meanwhile, Zheng Tian at the rear swiftly swapped in specialized munitions according to the type of behemoth, waiting for the perfect moment to deliver a fatal blow.
The team was well-trained, coordinated, and performed admirably throughout, with not a single close call.
The fourth engagement was Ou Youning's time to shine.
Two behemoths had converged, their energy readings registering high on the sensors, which sent an early warning.
The group then spent ten minutes, using nearly half of Ou Youning’s reserves, to set up a chain-reaction explosive trap. Bai Feng lured the two behemoths over, and both were wiped out in one fell swoop.
By this point, the team had hunted five behemoths in just over an hour, earning nearly fifteen contribution points—more than enough to surpass their daily average income.
After Zheng Tian checked their remaining supplies and found their ammunition reserves still ample, she decided to press their luck and push further in to expand their gains.
They soon found a weakened first-level behemoth, stopped the truck, set up another trap, lured it in, and prepared to ambush.
As the other four busied themselves, Ren Zhong and Chen Hanyu waited in the truck.
At first, everything went smoothly; the trap capable of easily blowing away a behemoth was set up in no time.
But three minutes ago, just as Ou Youning’s trap was triggered, the red warning light inside the truck suddenly flashed on. An alarm blared, shrill and piercing, nearly drowning out the explosion outside.
On the central control panel’s map, a massive red dot appeared near their location, with an estimated energy index of 370–650.
This meant that a newly appeared behemoth was now releasing an energy reading fluctuating between 370 and 650.
By now, Ren Zhong had learned that a first-level behemoth’s energy reading ranged from 10 to 50—equivalent to 10 to 50 kilowatts of power for a human machine.
Second-level behemoths ranged from 50 to 300.
Anything above 300 was a third-level behemoth—the kind you run from on sight.
Chen Hanyu flung open the truck door and, running off into the distance, screamed in terror, "Run! Quick, run! It's a Razor Mantis!"
In truth, the other four had already received this information via their tactical communicators.
They hadn't even tried to return to the truck; instead, each immediately chose a direction and scattered, leaving Ren Zhong alone inside, tense and confused, not knowing what to do.
Ren Zhong couldn’t understand why the others didn’t just escape in the truck.
Surely it would be faster to drive?
But in the next instant, he understood.
A green blur, the so-called Razor Mantis, hurtled from a hundred meters away, slicing through the air with savage speed.
He barely saw a flash of green before hearing Wen Feng—the one who had run the farthest—let out a blood-curdling scream.
This thing was simply too fast!
With the capabilities of a hover truck, it was nothing but a metal coffin.
No wonder they all scattered.
Their only hope was that at least one of them might escape.
Of course, that was wishful thinking—the end was a swift and total annihilation.
...
Bang!

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Bang!
A white mist billowed forth.
Ren Zhong sat in silence outside the cryo-pod for half an hour.
He pondered for what felt like "ten days and nights" and still couldn't figure out how it had come to this.
His head ached.
They had been so cautious, advancing step by step, only for everything to unravel in a single careless moment—dying in the most dramatic fashion yet again.
It wasn’t his fault; his teammates were simply too ridiculous.
He’d been dragged down by his own team!
He’d heard Zheng Tian boast about how formidable and sharp her team was, and yet, when it came to a wipeout, they didn’t even bat an eye.
How genuine.
How unlucky could they possibly be?
But then Ren Zhong wondered if the problem was with himself.
After all, before he showed up, Zheng Tian’s team had survived just fine.
Well, whatever.
The sun would still rise tomorrow.
He stood up, deftly disassembled the cryo-pod, grabbed his iron rod, powered up his onboard computer, and set off straight for the creek.
He drank, washed his face, and ate some red berries.
Then the sharp pain struck...
Damn.
His late-stage lymphoma had returned.
He endured the wave of agony with practiced resilience.
Ren Zhong was already a seasoned veteran in the fight against cancer.
When the pain subsided, he took out his computer and used voice input to organize his thoughts from his previous attempt.
Although he’d only spent a night in Spark Town, he’d met some people, gathered key information, and gained a preliminary understanding of the world—not an empty-handed venture.
This time, he aimed to go further; at the very least, he needed to find a way to become a combat-capable professional—and to guard against the Razor Mantis.
So, whether it was seeking treatment, renting a wristband, or joining Zheng Tian’s team for a hunt the next morning, every detail would have to be handled with even greater precision and efficiency.
This time, he wouldn’t seek out that young man for a late-night chat—there would be opportunities for that later.
...
“You must be Zheng Tian from Spark Town, right? And you are Wen Lei, Chen Hanyu, Bai Feng, and Ou Youning. Pleased to meet you all. My name is Ren Zhong.”
With practiced poise, an air of mystery, and a confident, warm smile—Ren Zhong unleashed these three weapons as he addressed the bewildered Zheng Tian and her team.
The scene was identical, the people the same, the lines only slightly tweaked; everything felt eerily familiar.
The air froze in an instant.
Even the wind seemed to stand still.
An uncanny silence fell over the group.
Zheng Tian and her companions, here to scavenge, were completely dumbfounded.

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Who was this man?
What was he up to?
Why did he act like he knew them all, calling each by name the moment he arrived?
They knew their own worth—they were no big shots in Spark Town, and had never seen this man before.
Who was he, really?
He even knew everyone’s name, including Bai Feng, a failed cyborg experiment, someone who could never become a registered citizen.
Could it be… was he a census officer, coming to Spark Town undercover to conduct a secret investigation?
Gulp. Zheng Tian swallowed hard, edged forward, and asked cautiously, “Sir? You are…?”
Ren Zhong waved her off. “No need for such formality. I’m a traveler on my way to Spark Town, but ran into some trouble and lost my wristband. Right now I don’t have any means to protect myself, so I’d like to offer you this Crystalwing Dragonfly carcass in exchange for hiring you and your team to escort me to town, Zheng Tian.”
Zheng Tian replied, “A traveler? Oh… Mr. Ren, there’s no need for payment. Helping those in need is our duty; we couldn’t possibly accept your reward. Hanyu, quickly dismantle the Crystalwing Dragonfly, then let’s be on our way.”
Ren Zhong cupped his hands in thanks. “Many thanks.”
He could sense that Zheng Tian’s attitude was overly respectful, though he had no idea what she was imagining.
All the better for him.
...
The azure sunset still sank in the west.
Twin moons still rose slowly into the sky.
The boxy hover-truck still sped across the wilderness.
“In five minutes, we’ll encounter Hunter Patrol 11796. Since I don’t have a wristband, I might be mistaken for a wildling. When the time comes, Chen Hanyu, would you mind negotiating for me? Use the Crystalwing Dragonfly’s chip to secure a temporary wristband.”
Ren Zhong suddenly addressed Chen Hanyu beside him in the truck.
Chen Hanyu was momentarily taken aback, her aloof composure shattered, and replied with slight surprise, “Alright.”
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
Up front, Zheng Tian was silently screaming inside.
You liar!
The hunters’ patrol routes were adjusted every few days, at random and without warning.
No one knew their patterns.
Yet you not only know the route—you even know their patrol numbers!
Ren Zhong! And you claim you’re not a census officer?
A traveler?
Do you take us for children?
You must be a high-ranking official!