Chapter 0006: The Rules Beyond the Zone

To most people, the Lower City was already hell.

But from a Walker's perspective, they had imagined hell far too kindly.

Lin Chuan's hand remained resting on Ning Fan's shoulder.

"Kid, you're trembling."

Ning Fan admitted it — his body was indeed shaking.

What lay before him was nothing like the knowledge about the outside zone he had learned back at the Academy.

Beyond the Zone, daylight never reached. Aberrant Beasts roamed freely, and even plants that looked completely harmless could be concealing a deadly threat.

All of that, Ning Fan had studied at the Academy.

But no one had ever told him there would be so many people out here.

So many...

People clinging to life by a thread!

Ning Fan had gradually adjusted to the darkness and could now make out the scene beyond the vehicle.

Outside the Zone Wall, countless bodies lay scattered across the ground.

The few that were still alive were barely breathing.

The person who had called out for help a moment ago was actually among the better off — at least he could still speak.

Most couldn't even manage that.

They had collapsed here, perhaps only hoping to die somewhere a little closer to home.

Ning Fan couldn't help but glance back at the Zone gate, now sealed shut behind them.

To those inside the Zone, that gate kept out the dangers of the outside world.

But at the same time, it had cut off these people's only lifeline.

"Brother Chuan, aren't we going to save him?"

Ning Fan pointed at the man who had called for help, hesitated for a moment, then added: "He's offering a thousand Sola!"

The woman in the black leather jacket let out a dismissive laugh at his question but said nothing.

Lin Chuan didn't answer either.

***

The vehicle drove on for about half an hour.

Aside from the grim sight at the gate, the group didn't encounter any real danger.

Ning Fan kept his gaze fixed on the window, wanting to use his own eyes to understand the world beyond the Zone as quickly as possible.

Then, without any warning, the vehicle came to a stop.

"Brother Chuan, someone's blocking the road."

As Huizi spoke, he gave his wrist a flick, and a dagger appeared in his hand.

The others drew their weapons in kind.

Their reactions were remarkably fast.

Lin Chuan, expression blank, stuck his head out the window.

"I'm Lin Chuan from the Hound Shelter in Zone F32. What's the deal, friend?"

Ahead, a man in his mid-thirties stood in their path.

His right arm was bleeding steadily.

"Looking for a ride," the man said, his voice hoarse. "Five thousand Sola."

"Where to?"

Lin Chuan asked flatly.

The man didn't hesitate. "Wherever you're headed. No detours needed."

"What can you do?"

Lin Chuan pressed.

The man raised his left hand, holding a strangely shaped gun.

Ning Fan noticed something odd.

After seeing the gun, Lin Chuan seemed like he wanted to ask something more — but caught himself.

At the same time, Ning Fan noticed Lin Chuan steal a glance at him.

It seemed like...

Because of him, Lin Chuan had held back that question.

Keeping his guard up around me?

Ning Fan quietly analyzed the situation and decided it was quite likely.

After all, he had only just joined the Hound Shelter. Neither Lin Chuan nor anyone else could have built real trust in him this quickly.

"What tier?"

Lin Chuan suddenly asked something Ning Fan didn't quite understand.

The man blinked, thought for a moment.

"Single-Soul Tier."

"Get in."

Lin Chuan pulled open the door.

The man visibly relaxed, dragging his exhausted body into the vehicle.

Without needing to be reminded, he reached into his coat and pulled out a thick stack of Sola, handing it to Lin Chuan.

That was the rule.

Get in, pay up.

Life money.

"You know how this works, right? If we run into danger we can't handle, you're cannon fodder," Lin Chuan said quietly to the man.

The man smiled tiredly. "Understood."

Ning Fan understood now too.

Back at the gate, he had asked whether they should save the man clinging to life.

No one had answered him then.

Now he knew why.

First — only a thousand Sola in "life money." Not nearly enough.

Second — the man had no fighting ability left. He'd be dead weight.

Third — he didn't even qualify to be cannon fodder.

No one had answered Ning Fan's question because beyond the Zone, this wasn't the Academy. Nobody would patiently teach you anything.

All you could do was observe with your own eyes, judge with your own mind, and feel with your own body.

But still...

What exactly was the so-called "Single-Soul Tier"?

Just as Huizi was about to start the engine again, the man in the front passenger seat suddenly sniffed the air and frowned.

"Dogs."

"How many?"

"Five to eight!"

"Out of the vehicle. Kill them!"

Lin Chuan's decision was immediate. Everyone else was out without a word of complaint, weapons drawn!

Ning Fan stepped out too, gripping the Black Sword tightly in his hand.

In the darkness, several pairs of glowing green eyes appeared before him.

Shadow Hounds!

Ning Fan tightened his grip on the Black Sword even further!

This was his very first real fight!

The enemy before him was no training post, no assessment dummy — these were Aberrant Beasts that could fight back, and would gladly take his life!

"Get back in the vehicle," Huizi suddenly ordered Ning Fan. "New member perk at the Hound Shelter — first encounter, you watch."

Ning Fan was caught off guard.

But before he could respond, the others had already charged forward.

The group moved in seamless coordination. Without a word exchanged, each had found their own target.

Ning Fan watched Huizi.

He'd crossed blades with Huizi before, which made him all the more curious about his true capabilities.

Less than thirty seconds in, Ning Fan noticed something — a big problem.

A serious one.

Huizi's technique was wildly unorthodox.

Every slash, every sideways cut, every upward hook or forward thrust — in Ning Fan's eyes, not one of them passed the standard.

The swordsmanship Ning Fan had learned emphasized broad, sweeping movements — highly fluid, and demanding perfect form throughout each motion.

But Huizi...

He'd already be launching the next strike before the current one was even finished!

Yet despite how unrefined it looked, in under a minute, Huizi had already taken down a Shadow Hound.

Practical.

That single word surfaced in Ning Fan's mind.

He was beginning to understand why, five days ago when he'd shown them his report card, Lin Chuan and Huizi had both smirked with such disdain.

The swordsmanship he'd learned to score high marks was, at best, a performance.

But in actual combat, Huizi's battle style — honed from accumulated experience — was far more effective.

The same went for the others.

"Name's Cheng Bin," the rescued man said, walking up beside Ning Fan. "You're the new guy?"

Ning Fan gave a cautious nod. "Yeah."

"Your team leader doesn't really trust you," Cheng Bin added.

Ning Fan raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"Nothing much," Cheng Bin said with an ambiguous smile, rolling his shoulders in a shrug. "If he wasn't keeping his guard up around you, a team with their strength wouldn't need to go through all this trouble just to handle a few Shadow Hounds."

Ning Fan studied him warily.

Cheng Bin said nothing more.

Everyone had dealt with their respective Shadow Hounds and returned to the vehicle.

Huizi didn't start the engine right away.

The sharp-nosed man in the front passenger seat suddenly turned around and reached out!

Before Ning Fan could react, the man had already seized Cheng Bin by the throat.

Cheng Bin startled and instinctively went for his gun — but Lin Chuan's blade was already pressed against his crotch.

"Friend, let me introduce you — this brother of mine is Wang Ye. Not only is his nose sharp, his ears are too."

Lin Chuan's eyes slowly narrowed. "We saved you for the money. If we catch you talking nonsense to my people again... I'll honor the agreement and deliver your corpse to the destination."

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Proofreader & Editor: Fat Goose 🪶