The Wilderness

Hundreds of miles north of Jiangnan Base City, a military region was stationed. Rumble~~ The train slowly pulled into the military region's station. Fully armed Warriors disembarked one after another, more than twenty in total, naturally forming four squads. “Luo Feng, normally when we Warriors go out to hunt monsters and need resupply, we enter a military region.” Chen Gu pointed to a towering iron tower, fifty to sixty meters high, ahead. “See that tower? Throughout Huaxia Nation, and even the entire world, every military region designates a special area as a Warrior supply base, specifically for us Warriors to rest. These Warrior supply bases typically build such a lighthouse. It symbolizes lighting the way home for us Warriors.” Luo Feng nodded. The Warrior supply base, nestled within the military region, consisted of quiet, secluded villas, offering an excellent environment. “Fire Hammer Squad, you'll be staying and resting in E6.” A military officer from the supply base handed a key to Gao Feng, the Fire Hammer Squad's captain, and clapped him on the shoulder with a smile. “Old Gao, how long are you hunting this time? If you get any good finds, feel free to sell them to my Underground Alliance. I'll give you a top price.” Inside the supply base, many service personnel wore military uniforms. However, the service staff at the Warrior supply base actually came from the Extreme Martial Arts Dojo, Thunder Dojo, government military, and the Underground Alliance. They not only provided services but also purchased valuable monster materials from Warriors. “Haha, sounds good.” Gao Feng chuckled. “Hurry up and arrange lunch for us.” The supply base wasn't particularly large. “E6, over there.” The Fire Hammer Squad quickly located the three-story villa marked 'E6'. The chip-enabled key slid across the door, and the villa's entrance opened. Until the Fire Hammer Squad departed the supply base, the right to use this villa belonged to them. “Time for a nap, didn't sleep well last night.” Chen Gu dropped his two large iron crates, practically leaped onto the sofa, and stretched out with a yawn. “If you're going to rest, do it now. We're officially setting out tonight, so make sure you're all sharp then,” Captain Gao Feng instructed. “Understood.” Iron Spear Zhang Ke and the Twin Crescent Blade brothers all responded with smiles, clearly familiar with the routine. “Leaving tonight?” Luo Feng was a little surprised. “Luo Feng, haven't you checked the weather? It's late August, the hottest time of the year. Traveling in this heat, carrying hundreds of kilograms? You wouldn't have enough water to drink, and you'd be forced to drink river water.” Chen Gu glanced at Luo Feng with a smile. “It's cooler at night, isn't it better for travel? And it saves water.” Luo Feng gave an awkward smile. Although he'd read many posts, he genuinely hadn't paid attention to that detail. “Hmm?” Luo Feng's gaze passed through the floor-to-ceiling window, spotting a figure in the supply base. “Brother Chen, look, isn't that Zhang Zehu?” Zhang Zehu was currently bandaged, with faint bloodstains visible on the gauze, clearly injured and recuperating at the supply base. Chen Gu also turned his head. “Yes, it's Zhang Zehu!” “Hey!” Chen Gu walked to the doorway and shouted triumphantly, “Mountain-Splitting Tiger, what happened to you? You were fine last time, how did you get so injured in the blink of an eye?” Zhang Zehu, who was walking and chatting with his companions outside, couldn't help but turn his head. He immediately spotted Chen Gu, Luo Feng, and the others at the villa's entrance. His teeth gnashed in anger, but he forced it down, instead scoffing loudly, “Chen Big Cannon, your Fire Hammer Squad is supposed to be an elite squad, so why are you bringing a rookie? Haha, aren't you afraid your whole team will be dragged down and killed by this dead weight?!” Generally, well-coordinated elite squads are reluctant to take on rookies. Because even if a rookie has good physical fitness, their lack of experience means they can easily mess up at critical moments, dragging down veteran members. ... After Zhang Zehu and Chen Gu exchanged a few sarcastic insults, Zhang Zehu fell silent when Captain 'Twin Wind Hammer' Gao Feng barked a reprimand. While he sometimes dared to challenge Chen Gu, he wouldn't dare challenge Gao Feng! This was because Gao Feng used cold weapons, while Chen Gu used firearms. Even at their peak, those who relied on firearms could only reach the 'Beginner Tier Warlord' level, as firearms typically posed a threat only to 'Beginner Tier Beast General' monsters at most. Zhang Zehu was only a hair's breadth away from the 'Warlord' level himself. “Damn it, I can't believe Luo Feng actually got into the Fire Hammer Squad.” Zhang Zehu cursed under his breath as he walked with his teammates. “I thought he'd end up with some ordinary Warrior Squad. That way, I could teach him a harsh lesson and show him the consequences of crossing me. But he actually joined the Fire Hammer Squad!” Zhang Zehu gnashed his teeth in fury. “Hu Zi, was that young man next to Chen Gu the Luo Feng who cost you a hundred million?” the one-eyed middle-aged man beside him asked. “Yes, that's him.” A fierce glint flashed in Zhang Zehu's eyes. “That little brat, I thought he wouldn't go too far. After that negotiation, the Security Bureau immediately raided my nephew's home! That kid actually reported it directly to the Security Bureau. I was forced to immediately donate a hundred million to the nation in my nephew's name, earning him the 'One-Star Tier Citizen' title. But even so, my nephew still has to be detained for several months.” Thinking of his elder brother's anxiety at the time, and Zhang Haobai's terror when he was taken away by the Security Bureau, Zhang Zehu grew even more enraged. He had previously given his elder brother and nephew his personal guarantee. Although he later spent a hundred million to protect his nephew, Zhang Haobai couldn't escape several months of detention and suffering. “Forget it, don't overthink it. Your nephew suffering a bit will do him good,” the one-eyed middle-aged man said with a faint smile. “Hurry up and get some good rest. Your injuries should be mostly healed in about three days, then we can set out and deal with that old beast. Kill that old beast, and our squad will strike it rich.” “Mm.” Zhang Zehu nodded heavily, then glanced at the E6 villa in the distance, scoffing, “I bet you, on his first trip into The Wilderness, Luo Feng will either die or be severely injured!” “Haha, you certainly hold a grudge against him, but getting injured on your first trip into The Wilderness is inevitable,” the one-eyed middle-aged man said with a laugh. ... As evening fell, the fully armed Fire Hammer Squad, a group of six, departed the supply base and entered The Wilderness. “Chen Gu, give me one of your iron crates,” Captain Gao Feng said. “Haha, thanks, Captain. I can manage carrying these two crates for a short while, but for long periods, it's too much.” With that, Chen Gu handed one of the large iron crates from his back to Captain Gao Feng, who effortlessly took it with one hand and slung it onto his back. This amount of weight was nothing to Gao Feng, the strongest member of the Fire Hammer Squad. “Click!” Chen Gu opened the other crate, revealing a silver-gray machine gun, its muzzle gleaming with a metallic sheen. Besides the machine gun, there were countless bullet belts, packed so densely they filled the entire large iron crate. One could imagine the sheer quantity of ammunition. “Brother Chen, what kind of gun is this?” Luo Feng asked, puzzled. “M81 model, 12.7mm caliber, capable of firing between 50 and 300 rounds per minute, adjustable speed,” Chen Gu said with a proud smile. “The entire gun body even incorporates some Third-tier Kro Alloy, so even with continuous firing, the barrel's heat won't affect bullet accuracy.” Luo Feng asked, confused, “Brother Chen, why don't you use a Vulcan cannon? Aren't the Vulcan series machine guns widely known for their power?” “You rookie!” Chen Gu glared. Iron Spear Zhang Ke, standing nearby, also chuckled. “Luo Feng, the Vulcan series heavy machine guns are indeed powerful. However, the Vulcan series consumes an absurd amount of ammunition. 7,000 rounds per minute, and some high-end models are even faster. Do you understand what that means? 7,000 rounds per minute. And a bullet capable of threatening a Beginner Tier Warlord monster typically weighs at least 50 grams! Ten thousand bullets would weigh 500 kilograms!” “Imagine carrying five hundred kilograms of bullets and traveling hundreds of miles. Then, when you finally encounter a monster, the Vulcan cannon would deplete all its ammunition in just over a minute,” Zhang Ke said, looking at Luo Feng with a smile. “So, what do you think of the Vulcan series?” Luo Feng suddenly understood. He truly hadn't considered this. Yes, the weight of ammunition was indeed a major issue. How many bullets would one need to carry to sustain 7,000 rounds per minute? “Except for the military, or specialized operations against a specific monster where large quantities of ammunition and Vulcan machine guns are transported, it's impossible for ordinary Warrior Squads like us to use such machine guns. We simply don't have enough bullets to expend,” Chen Gu said with a self-deprecating smile. “I'm carrying 10,000 rounds this time. And the Captain has to help me carry some.” Chen Gu, with bullet belts wrapped around him and a machine gun in hand, stood with Luo Feng in the center of the formation, protected by the others. The Twin Crescent Blade brothers were at the very front of the squad. Captain Gao Feng and Zhang Ke brought up the rear. “We'll follow this highway for about three days until we reach our destination—County-level City No. 0201,” Captain Gao Feng stated. Luo Feng, however, couldn't help but observe the highway before them. For humans living in base cities, highways only existed in legends. The highway beneath their feet was already dilapidated, its surface riddled with cracks. As far as the eye could see, the sprawling highway was littered with ruined or shattered cars, vans, trucks, and even discarded tires. Occasionally, black stains of dried blood were visible on the ground. “Let's go!” The reddish glow of the setting sun illuminated the highway, which had been silent and dilapidated for decades. The Fire Hammer Squad, a group of six, steadily advanced along it. “Roar~~” “Howl~~” From the fields and ruined villages flanking the highway, roars and howls of monsters echoed. Luo Feng could even spot numerous monster figures. The other five members of the Fire Hammer Squad were completely relaxed, but Luo Feng dared not let his guard down for a second. He couldn't relax... because he saw monsters everywhere. “Alright, Luo Feng, there's a G-tier to F-tier Unicorn Boar ahead. It's yours,” Captain Gao Feng's voice rang out. “This is your first battle in The Wilderness!”