Chapter 4

The unique sound of the hydraulic machinery echoed through the deep cave, followed by large clouds of steam surging out from the exhaust duct hidden behind the rocks. A massive gear-shaped door, three meters in diameter and gleaming with the bluish luster of high-strength alloy steel, slowly sank into the mountain, retracting a full meter before rolling to the side and disappearing into the mountain wall, revealing a deep passage.

Although the light was dim, Su still managed to see through the layers of steam the several weapon terminals hanging from the ceiling inside the mountain and at the end of the passage. The main attack system visible on the terminals was a set of miniature automatic machine guns. The angles at which the black barrels were pointed were carefully calculated; a quick assessment of the impact points would reveal that the fire network tightly sealed the entire passage. Above, there were two different lenses, which appeared to be visible light and infrared sensors. In the old era, such defensive capabilities were considered top-notch, but now, with the continuous emergence of powerful species that could withstand the machine gun fire, the old-style weapon terminals were clearly outdated.

"Hey! Turner! It's great to see you back in one piece!"

As the group just stepped out of the passage, a black man, nearly two meters tall, walked up and gave Turner a powerful embrace.

Turner returned an equally strong embrace and said, "If it weren't for Su, it wouldn't be a matter of coming back in one piece. You'd be sifting through the rotwolf's feces for our remains, if there were any."

The black man followed Turner's gaze and saw Su standing at the back of the group. He walked over, extended his hand, and showed a mouthful of white teeth, smiling. "I'm Tony! I'm the logistics director of N11 Base. You saved Turner, so you're my friend. Welcome to N11 Base!"

After a brief scan and quarantine, the warriors who had been on a mission for over half a month dispersed and returned to their respective quarters to rest. Su, due to his rescue of the entire Turner squad and his possession of a hunter and mercenary license issued by Payne Corporation, received high-level treatment, not only having a private room but also the ability to purchase supplies at base prices.

N11 Base was not large, with only about four hundred residents currently. Due to the lack of additional space, the base had become extremely strict in recent years regarding the review of residency qualifications, and even the number and standards for accepting outside guests were strictly and intricately regulated.

In the old era, N11 Base was one of many nuclear and biological defense shelters, with a regional code of N11. In terms of scale, it was a micro-shelter, but it was equipped with complete drinking water, food, defense, medical, and air purification systems. In any country, shelters capable of defending against nuclear war and having complete self-sustaining capabilities were not intended for civilians. The equipment inside was advanced and regularly updated.

When the war broke out without warning, the N11 shelter had not even been activated. None of the wealthy and powerful individuals with access to the shelter managed to reach it in time. When the automatic defense mechanisms were activated, the N11 shelter sealed itself, with only sixteen maintenance staff inside.

After a long fifteen years, the shelter reopened according to its preset program. By then, the old era had been buried under endless ruins, and the turbulent new era had just begun.

N11 Base replaced the N11 shelter, just as the new era replaced the old.

Su closed his eyes, letting the powerful stream of water wash over his body while replaying the brief history of N11 Base in his mind. The base was fully functional, divided into four sections: living, logistics, military, and central control. At the back of the base was an emergency exit leading to a naturally formed cave, which was said to connect to an abandoned subway network several kilometers away. However, those underground tunnels had long become the paradise of countless dangerous creatures. Therefore, on the base's map, that area was marked in prominent red as "Dangerous."

The short shower lasted only two minutes, costing Su a full fifty units, which was still the internal base price. The currency of the new era was not equivalent to that of the old era, and the only circulating and difficult to counterfeit currency was various coins. Therefore, fifty units was a significant amount for ordinary people, even for residents of the base. Even if money was not an issue, the shower time could not be too long. The water used for showers, though treated, still had a high radiation level and was far from potable. Prolonged exposure could cause irreversible damage to the body. Despite the various restrictions and high costs, being able to take a shower was still one of the most prized benefits for base residents.

The water from the showerhead quickly slowed and eventually stopped. The last drop of water hesitated for a moment before falling, creating a small splash on Su's smooth, jade-like shoulder, then flowing down the smooth curve of his skin. However, by the time it reached his waist, the drop had been completely absorbed by his skin.

Thus, when the shower ended, Su's body was almost dry. He simply wiped himself down and began wrapping bandages around his body. He had already thoroughly checked the room to ensure there were no detection devices, and he doubted anyone would notice the few gallons of water missing from the shower. After all, it was just non-potable recycled water.

Su had already conducted a self-check of his physical condition during the shower. Next, he inspected his firearms, ammunition, and money, then planned his next actions and gathered the necessary supplies. This was a routine he followed whenever he arrived at a new habitat.

There were still many ordinary heavy machine gun rounds for his modified rifle, but only three of the specially handmade bullets remained. He needed to replenish these to at least twenty. The modified revolver used standard 5.56mm rifle rounds from the old era, which were not hard to find. The base should have a sufficient supply, and the prices were reasonable.

"Only 110 units left?" Su counted the coins, his handsome eyebrows slightly furrowed. This amount might only be enough to replenish water and ammunition, far from his goal: the RF series rifle produced by Carteron Company. As an entry-level product of the new era, the base model of the RF series rifle cost 3000 units, and the various additional subsystems were even more expensive. The gene modification agents produced by large companies, which could provide a complete evolution point, cost 10,000 units each, and these were generic agents. The more stable and mature formulations that could directly produce specific abilities, even the lowest tier, cost several times more than the generic agents.

Agility was one of the most important qualities for survival in the wild, and no one wanted to carry tens of thousands of coins across the wasteland. Various companies and organizations were developing their own credit systems, even issuing paper money and credit cards. However, they faced the same problem: don't expect competitors to recognize each other's credit points. Gradually, in this era without banks, barter became the primary means of exchange. Firearms, weapons, and ammunition could serve as semi-universal currency, and gene modification agents had become a form of high-value currency. Of course, this currency was very fragile and could not be stored for long.

Su's gear was very simple: a standard military water bottle, a bullet bag, and a small, ten-centimeter-long, five-centimeter-wide miscellaneous bag for money, medicine, and other items. These could be easily attached to his belt without hindering his movements. Whether a hunter or a mercenary, the less weight they carried often meant more chances of survival.

Su casually grabbed a piece of paper, quickly drew a diagram, marked the corresponding data, and then left the room.

Following the signs on the walls, Su easily found the logistics area. Along the way, several residents greeted him proactively. To them, this young man with light golden hair was just a bit oddly dressed, but his exceptional skills as a third-stage sniper and his license from Payne Corporation, not to mention his mysterious and beautiful left eye, were enough to offset the effect of the bandages.

Finally, he entered the military area and immediately saw the black man busy among a pile of firearms.

"Tony, can you make some bullets for me?" Su handed over the diagram.

Tony swept his large hand across the workbench, clearing a space and laying out the diagram. After a quick glance, he grinned, surprised. "Hey! The recoil from these bullets could shatter your shoulder! Maybe only mutants and those with enhanced defenses would dare to use this stuff."

"Twenty rounds." Su's emerald eyes showed a clear smile; he liked the straightforwardness of this big guy.

"Alright, twenty rounds. You guys at the third stage are all freaks." Tony grumbled, estimating the materials and extending his large hand. "Ninety units and one day. No cheaper."

For non-standard ammunition that required full manual production, this price was indeed very fair, and Su paid without hesitation, parting with most of his wealth.

After collecting the money, Tony continued to stare at Su's shoulder, unable to imagine how such a slender and delicate shoulder could withstand such fierce recoil. Whether it was enhanced defense or enhanced strength, the effects of gene modification were very noticeable, characterized by overly developed muscles and thick bones. Clearly, Su, with his slightly slender build and 179 cm height, had not undergone any such enhancements.

Tony shook his head, deciding not to worry about a question that would surely have no answer. In his mind, anyone who had evolved to the third stage in any area was a freak, except for himself. Tony's third stage was in firearms modification, which fell under the auxiliary ability domain, different from the five major ability domains that were more combat-oriented.

"Tomorrow morning, the base committee wants to talk to you." Tony said while mixing the gunpowder. "They probably have some tasks for you. You know, we don't often encounter third-stage mercenaries in our small base. The committee chairman, old Anthony, was once a third-stage firearms specialist, but he lost an arm and half a leg in a battle against the mob ten years ago, so he retired and became the committee chairman. He's fair and understands what a third-stage warrior needs, so he'll give you suitable tasks and appropriate rewards. I suggest you consider it."

"Thanks." Su's response was simple but sincere.

Tony grinned, his white teeth standing out. "You saved Turner, so you're my friend. Tony never treats his friends poorly. Although..."

Tony shrugged and continued, "Although in this era, the word 'friend' is almost forgotten."

After selecting a box of 5.56 high-explosive rounds, Su left the military area.

"Hey! If you want some fun, go to Red X. There are a few hot girls there!" Tony shouted to Su, who hadn't yet left.

Alcohol, hallucinogens, and women were always synonymous with trouble in Su's mind. He didn't like trouble at all, so he ignored Tony's somewhat meaningful suggestion and returned to his room to rest.

Carefully locking the door, Su casually set up a small, inconspicuous mechanism on it, which looked like a twisted metal wire through the lock. Turner was well-connected in the base and was also a member of the seven-person committee. Su had saved him and the entire squad, so he should be quite safe here. However, nothing was absolute, and Su preferred to be cautious.

After setting everything up, Su lay on the bed, closed his emerald eyes, and his breathing gradually slowed, his body temperature slowly dropping as he entered a strange sleep state. The large modified revolver was placed by his leg, and his left hand gently rested on it.

For Su, being awake was one world, and sleeping was another. The world of the night was sometimes quiet, sometimes noisy, filled with bizarre and surreal fragments, but upon waking, most of these fragments would disappear from his memory.

In a new environment, Su generally slept very lightly, meaning he would have a quiet and dreamless sleep, allowing him to react to any minor disturbance. N11 Base was a new environment, so Su slept very cautiously.

However, tonight was not a dreamless night. Su once again fell into the irresistible dream world.

It was a green world, where everything in his vision rippled as if the entire world were submerged in green water. Through the light waves, countless distorted faces appeared, some human, more non-human. These faces floated in front of him, their lips moving, sound waves clashing and echoing, as if they were constantly saying something, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't hear a single word. Each face brought a completely different sensation, from itching and pain to an overwhelming, tearing pain that made him want to rip himself apart!

Most of these faces appeared only once, a few appeared twice, and only two appeared repeatedly. However, no matter which face it was, they were all blurry and unrecognizable. So Su never understood how he knew which faces had appeared before.

This dream repeated itself, disappearing from his memory upon waking, so Su never knew what he had dreamed.

This time, the dream was interrupted halfway through.

A signal immediately emerged from the depths of Su's consciousness, and dozens of data points were instantly transmitted to his body. His body suddenly shifted thirty centimeters to the side, then he suddenly sat up, his left hand gripping the revolver and swiftly extending it to press against the intruder's chin.

This series of actions was so fast that Su's eyes only truly opened after the revolver was aimed. In the darkness, his pupils glowed with a faint emerald light, a true light and a sign of low-light vision.

"Who are you?" Su whispered. His soft voice, deliberately lowered, added a subtle magnetism, but the nearly fifty-centimeter-long, rugged revolver contradicted this gentle tone.

The massive gun, the extra-long barrel, and the intimidating muzzle left no doubt that at this distance, the revolver could easily blow the head off the most robust ironclad bear. This was not a gun for ordinary people; the recoil was comparable to that of an old-style automatic rifle. Even if the wrist did not fracture or crack after the first shot, the recoil would cause the hand to shift, making it difficult to aim and fire the second shot.

However, with the revolver already pressed against the intruder's chin, there was no aiming issue. Even if the recoil did break Su's wrist, it would be after the intruder's head was blown to pieces.

The skull under the revolver looked quite delicate and thin. Even a weak ordinary revolver could easily penetrate it. However, few people would easily pull the trigger, especially after seeing the intruder's face. Almost all men would hesitate.

It was a very beautiful young girl, possibly not yet twenty years old. Due to the harsh environment of the new era, women often appeared younger than their actual age, so she might be only eighteen or even younger.

She had chestnut short hair and a tan complexion, with her lips painted a somewhat eerie purplish-gray. Her large, beautiful eyes looked at Su, filled with panic, excitement, and anticipation. She wore a short leather jacket with a low neckline and a short hem, exposing half of her plump breasts and her slim waist. It seemed she wore nothing under the leather jacket. Her lower body was clad in tight jeans that hugged her firm buttocks and long legs, as if they were a second skin.

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