Chapter 11: Reward

Chapter 11: Reward

Half an hour later, inside the makeshift shelter that had originally belonged to the drifters.

Lejie had already tended to the wounded man in the cloak, binding his hands and feet with drag straps.

Considering his strength and speed far surpassed that of an ordinary person, Lejie used all four teammates' drag straps, and even, uneasy, hauled several chunks of broken concrete to weigh him down.

At that moment the man felt as if he were buried alive; he glanced down at the concrete on his body and said, half-laughing, half-crying:

“Are you worried I’m cold? Should I shovel some more dirt to pack it down?”

No sooner had he finished speaking than Chen Jian sensed his distinctiveness.

The drifters could speak too—there was no doubt about that.

But all their language was stiff, mechanical, even rudimentary.

And this man?

In his choice of words, tone, and even the faint hint of humor, he was worlds apart from the drifter squad Chen Jian had encountered before.

This was not merely the difference between a ‘Holy Blood’ and an ordinary person; it was the gap between normal and abnormal.

With that thought, Chen Jian asked:

“You’re not like those we met before.”

Hearing his words, the man chuckled, shook his head, and countered:

“You’re not still treating those converts as people, are you? How adorably naïve.”

“No wonder they led you into the subway—I’m curious just who you are and how you got out.”

The man’s mouth spat out another religious term, but Chen Jian immediately grasped his meaning.

Converts.

That is, the drifter squad actually survives by latching onto a host.

This perhaps explains why they said, ‘As long as the host lives, we cannot leave.’

Of course, it also explains their attack on their own squad and the loud roar that preceded the mantis‑monster’s assault.

Chen Jian had initially taken it as a warning signal; on reflection, it was indeed a warning—but not for their side, rather for the monster.

Chen Jian exhaled softly, turned his gaze toward the man, and said:

“You shouldn’t be asking questions; given the circumstances, I should be the one interrogating you.”

Of course, of course.

The man shrugged his shoulders and said:

“Before you ask, perhaps I should first explain my situation.”

“My name is Xu Lie; I come from Jinling.”

“As you can see, I am a Holy Blood and also a hunter.”

“I was commissioned by a prominent figure in Jinling City, together with my teammates, to come to Chuansha and hunt this fourth‑level monster.”

“My original intent was reconnaissance, but as soon as I entered the urban area I spotted the traces of your battle, and then I found you.”

“I noticed your gear and assumed you were another squad of hunters from the Machine God Sect, so I decided to hold back and observe, to figure out your purpose first.”

“But I never imagined you’d mixed in with those converts and been led by them into the monster’s lair.”

“I had thought you were doomed, but—”

“You already know what happened afterward; I don’t need to repeat it all, right?”

“Right.”

Chen Jian nodded slowly, without immediately pressing further.

The few short sentences spoken by this man named Xu Lie contained a vast amount of information, more than Chen Jian could digest at once.

Jinling City, a prominent figure, a hunter, a fourth‑level monster.

A series of details indicates that this land still hosts sizable human settlements, and indeed this settlement has developed complex functionality!

Moreover, the human‑monster conflict has clearly evolved to a mature, professional level; otherwise the concept of monster grading could not exist!

This is completely unlike the information provided by those converts.

So, from the very start, they must have been prepared to deceive.

Chen Jian felt a chill run down his spine; he glanced at Xu Lie with suspicion and then continued:

“So, since last night, you’ve been tailing us?”

“If you’d known those converts were problematic all along, why didn’t you warn us?”

“Is there rivalry among hunters, or is there tension between you Holy Bloods and the Machine God Sect?”

“Neither.”

Xu Lie shook his head and replied:

“The problem lies with you.”

“Don’t you realize how strange you are? Your weapons and gear resemble those of the Machine God Sect—guns, shells, heavy armor, radios.”

“But it’s obvious that what you wield is far more powerful than any weapon I’ve ever seen. Moreover, you possess many things I’ve never even seen or heard of.”

“That flying mechanical bird, the odd telescope‑like device on its head that differs vastly from anything I know, the glowing visor.”

“In short, this land has never before seen humans like you.”

“At least in my memory, there has never been such a thing.”

“So, do you think I should have approached you proactively? You approached the converts willingly—what came of that needs no further explanation from me.”

Chen Jian nodded slowly, offering no rebuttal.

At that moment, his mind was rapidly sorting through Xu Lie’s words, and he discovered a rather strange yet subtly logical situation.

This man knows firearms but not body armor; he knows radios but not night‑vision goggles.

Clearly, a portion of human technology—even the terms that name it and the concepts they represent—have vanished over the ages.

Meanwhile, other, more effective and durable items have been passed down through generations.

This is quite true, and it convinces Chen Jian that, at least in this regard, Xu Lie is not lying.

Thus, he seized on the key point of Xu Lie’s statement and continued:

“Where is Jinling City, and how many people live there?”

“You don’t even know where Jinling City is?”

Xu Lie stared, then spoke:

“You’re really strange—you’re not Holy Bloods, yet you’re strong enough to take down a fourth‑level monster with just four people.”

“You know nothing about this place, yet in combat you move as if you know the terrain like the back of your hand.”

“Wait, how exactly did you escape from underground? I mean, no matter how strong your weapons are, that shouldn’t be possible… I see now.”

Xu Lie let out a long, slow breath and said,

"The mirrors on your heads are some kind of instrument that lets you see in the dark, right?"

Chen Jian nodded, making no effort to hide the truth.

"That is correct. It is called a night-vision device."

"A night-vision device... a very fitting name."

"That explains it then. As long as you can see, combined with such powerful weapons, the damage you inflict on the monsters underground is even greater than what you could do on the surface."

"No wonder it was so weakened. Truly impressive."

Xu Lie sighed with deep emotion, then continued,

"Let us return to your question from earlier."

"Jinling is the largest city in the entire south, home to at least ten thousand souls."

"It stands as an outpost at the border between the north and south, and it is one of the most perilous places in the world."

"Caravans, hunters, holy bloods, the church, thieves, monsters—you will find everything there."

"No matter where you come from, if you wish to quickly understand this world, you should go to Jinling."

At this point, Xu Lie paused, as if a sudden thought had struck him, and said,

"No, not should."

"You must make a trip to Jinling."

"Why?"

Chen Jian asked, his brow furrowing.

Xu Lie shrugged and replied,

"You slaughtered the monster and claimed the bounty."

"If you do not go there... who do you intend to leave your reward to for nothing?"

(End of Chapter)