Prologue 1: Prelude to the Beginning
The dim yellow sky was burdened with thick, boundless dark clouds.
The air was filled with a pungent sourness.
And this caused every breath taken here to feel like inhaling several active steel needles from the trachea into the lungs.
An irritating stinging sensation occupied every corner of the respiratory system.
Even the newest type of filter mask could not prevent the invasion of this sensation.
This was Sector K/JD/W/02, subordinate to the JD Ruined City Nuclear Wasteland Area……
Just like all ruined city nuclear wasteland areas, no humans had settled here for over a hundred years.
This city had already died under the dual blows of nuclear weapons and viruses over a hundred years ago.
Leaving behind only the cold steel and concrete remains, allowing surviving humans in this cruel era to occasionally fantasize about the prosperity of the pre-war world.
As for those so-called ‘residents’ left in this city…… they were no longer human.
It was even difficult to classify them as living beings.
Decaying walking corpses acted and preyed in ways that defied biological common sense.
Just like undead that only existed in imagination, wreaking havoc on the human world.
“Hoo……”
Removing his windproof goggles, he rubbed his sore eyes.
Zhong Jing moved his gaze away from the scope.
Keeping his eyes open for a long time had made them somewhat dry.
Eye drops to relieve the dryness were in his pocket.
But compared to his eyes, there was something more important he needed to do.
He took a deep breath and held it in his chest.
Then extended his left hand, which had left the rifle stock, to twist off the filter canister of his gas mask.
Tossing it into the satchel at his waist.
After which he fumbled for a new filter canister from a compartment in the satchel.
Replaced it in the previous position…… tightened!
This series of actions was fluid and extremely skilled.
Taking only a few short seconds.
Zhong Jing never used his sight throughout.
His gaze remained fixed on the surveillance area ahead through the sniper scope mounted on his rifle.
Completing all this relying solely on the feel in his hands and muscle memory.
These were just some of the essential skills of a mercenary who perennially operated in dangerous zones.
Once one became familiar with the operational rules of the nuclear wasteland areas, and successfully completed a few operations alive, one could naturally do it.
With the rise and fall of his relaxing chest, Zhong Jing let out a slight sigh of relief.
After confirming the filter canister was not leaking, he resumed a normal breathing rhythm.
Since entering this nuclear wasteland area, this was already the fourth filter canister he had replaced.
Which gave him an unreal feeling.
After all, consuming them so extravagantly was something he wouldn't have dared to imagine in the past.
Although filter canisters were basic equipment for operating in nuclear wasteland areas, and not too expensive in price, they couldn't withstand the rate of consumption.
Calculated according to his breathing rate, each filter canister had a usage limit of about an hour.
If combat was encountered, causing an increased breathing rate, the usage limit would only be shorter.
The cumulative cost of these consumables would eventually amount to a considerable sum.
And the reason he could breathe so freely at this moment was: these filter canisters were not purchased out of his own pocket, but were distributed free of charge by the logistics and equipment department of the Chu Sheng City Human Base government.
It wasn't just small items like filter canisters and gas masks.
For this operation, the Chu Sheng City Base government also provided a series of other material supplies.
Including but not limited to combat vests, uncontaminated food and water, various types of weapons and ammunition, and so on.
The benefits didn't stop there.
The upfront payment offered by Chu Sheng City was also an extremely enticing figure.
Therefore, almost all mercenaries, large and small, around Chu Sheng City participated in this combat operation.
Zhong Jing had only witnessed such a large-scale effort from the Chu Sheng City Base government once before, during the operation to reclaim the industrial zone two years ago.
Just as Zhong Jing was breathing the non-toxic air provided by the filter canister and inwardly marveling at Chu Sheng City's grand gesture, a burst of noisy static suddenly sounded from the radio, which had been silent for a long time.
Followed by a partially garbled and indistinct human voice, filtered through a weak signal, coming through the earpiece into his ear.
“This is the 02 Sector Operations Department, 02 Sector Thirteenth Surveillance Team, report situation, over.”
“02 Sector Thirteenth Surveillance Team, received, this is Surveillance Team Member Number Five, Zhong Jing, current situation all normal, repeat, current situation all normal, over.”
Zhong Jing reported truthfully.
After receiving the acknowledgement, the wireless earpiece quickly returned to endless silence.
And Zhong Jing continued to carry out his surveillance mission.
His position was on the rooftop of a ten-story office building whose structure was still relatively intact.
The view here was expansive, allowing the entire surveillance area to be brought into sight.
And the contamination on high-rise buildings was also relatively less.
Making it the most ideal surveillance point in this area.
The area he was surveilling was a plaza below, covering more than forty thousand square meters.
He had heard that this place was once a public place for human leisure activities or events in the civilized era.
But now it had long since lost its original purpose, becoming a forbidden zone of life that no one dared to enter.
It was difficult to find a complete paving stone on the ground.
The wildly growing vegetation was no longer confined to flowerbeds and lawns, but had expanded its habitat to every crack in the plaza.
The entire plaza looked more like a wilderness.
The fitness and entertainment facilities had long since become scrap metal at the edge of the plaza.
The four large LED screens standing in the center of the plaza had all collapsed.
Their shattered screens exposed countless wires and components.
Those were the high-value recyclables most coveted by scavengers in the nuclear wasteland areas.
Three usable precision parts were enough to cover their food expenses for a day.
However, traversing this dangerous forbidden land came at the cost of one's life.
Even mercenaries dared not enter rashly, let alone scavengers who made a living by picking up scraps and struggled even to deal with the most basic walking corpses.
“Wild Dog, what's the situation?”
Just then, the creaking sound of a decayed iron door being opened from behind pulled all his attention back from the mission area in his scope.
The steady and characteristic sound of military boots made it clear who the newcomer was.
Luo Shi, a member of the Chu Sheng City Standing Combat Army Security Team, rank of Captain.
Unlike him, a mercenary, Luo Shi, who held a regular army status and was also a member of the Security Team, had no need to worry about shortages of combat supplies.
The logistics department wouldn't let these Security Team members go hungry, even if they had to tighten their own belts.
Unlike Zhong Jing's half-face gas mask, the Security Team members were issued a more advanced model of new gas mask.
It combined the advantages of both full-face and half-face types.
The protective face shield could be detached at any time as needed to cope with different combat environments.
Beneath the mask stained with nuclear dust, a flash of contempt flickered in his eyes.
This was not a deliberate display of arrogance to highlight his status, but rather the inherent pride of being part of Chu Sheng City's most elite combat force.
Even though Zhong Jing himself was somewhat famous in mercenary circles, a mercenary was still a mercenary.
At this moment, he was just an ordinary soldier.
Everyone was the same at this moment.
“Nothing…… happening,.”
He immediately rose from his prone position and saluted.
These were just formalities out of necessity.
The other party's address and demeanor made Zhong Jing sneer dismissively.
The other person couldn't see this under the cover of his windproof goggles and gas mask.
This appellation was not unique to Zhong Jing, but a derogatory term used by all regular army personnel for all mercenaries.
In the eyes of these regular army personnel, mercenaries were really no different from scavengers in terms of glamour.
Dressed in rags, driven by remuneration, they went to dangerous areas to complete one mission after another.
They were cunning,Humble, and unscrupulous.
Like most social strata, they lived in the lower levels of Chu Sheng City, struggling on the edge of life and death.
All they sought was a meal for the next day.
And Zhong Jing's appearance undoubtedly strengthened Luo Shi's thoughts.
A fifteen-year-old youth.
Prolonged malnutrition in his childhood had led to his short and frail stature.
His hunched back seemed never to have been straight.
He often wore windproof goggles and a gas mask, so people had never seen his true appearance.
No fangs, no sharp claws.
Compared to "Wild Dog," Luo Shi actually preferred to call Zhong Jing "Rat."
The survival rate of such people was not high.
They were just consumables for the upcoming war.
Seemingly useless for the subsequent combat.
“Watch your tone……”
The disrespect in Zhong Jing's words made him frown deeply.
He strode forward two steps and stood in front of Zhong Jing.
His height advantage allowed him to look down at Zhong Jing.
A low voice from his throat carried an undeniable sense of oppression.
Facing such pressure, Zhong Jing did not reply.
He merely lowered his head slightly.
Seemingly yielding to Luo Shi's overwhelming pressure.
But in reality, the purpose of doing so was to give his eyes, hidden behind the windproof goggles, a better angle to clearly see Luo Shi's hand movements.
At the same time, he had quietly hidden his hand behind his back, reaching for the dagger hanging at his waist.
Zhong Jing was never an impulsive person.
But complete preparedness was never excessive in this era, at any time.
If Luo Shi made any move that endangered his life, he wouldn't mind striking first.
And just then, the radio, which had just ended its communication not long ago, suddenly crackled with static again.
Followed by an urgent directive from another channel: “This is Operations Command Headquarters!
All combat units, attention!
Target has appeared!
Location: K/JD/W/07 Sector, 22B Street!
All surveillance personnel along the route, report target information on the public channel at any time!
Repeat……”
The sudden emergency diverted Luo Shi's attention.
Zhong Jing also quietly released his grip on the dagger, letting his hand fall to his side.
“Hmph, return to your battle station…… Number Five.”
With a cold snort, Luo Shi turned and left the rooftop.
Zhong Jing briefly savored Luo Shi's earlier address and then repositioned his rifle.
Luo Shi dared not delay the combat plan.
This was a matter of course.
Chu Sheng City had already expended too much for this operation.
Those participating in this operation were not just mercenaries and the Security Team.
Chu Sheng City had also mobilized three of its four Standing Combat Brigades.
Such a large-scale endeavor was enough to show the importance the base government attached to this operation.
If any part went wrong, Luo Shi, a mere Security Team Captain, could not bear such responsibility.
And the target that could prompt Chu Sheng City to mobilize such vast human and material resources for an operation was naturally not simple.
It was an extremely threatening existence.
Humans knew very little about it.
The pitiful amount of information couldn't even fill a few sheets of paper.
They were neither mutant beasts created by viruses, nor radiation-contaminated mutants.
Completely different from those deformed and ugly monsters.
Their appearances were all that of human girls around their teens.
They even possessed captivatingly beautiful exteriors.
And intelligence no less than that of humans.
Theoretically, they were beings with whom dialogue was possible.
However, beneath their beautiful and delicate exteriors, lay power and cruel hearts that inspired immense fear.
Whether human or monster, these were merely their prey.
Discovering such an unstable and dangerous factor near Chu Sheng City naturally put everyone in Chu Sheng City on high alert.
And the other party’s prolonged loitering also made the base government, feeling greatly threatened, determined to formulate this massive combat plan.
Not hesitating to conduct a suppression in the nuclear wasteland area, known as a forbidden land.
“This is Operations Command Headquarters!
Target confirmed, identity Witch, code: CS1310921002, codename Tyrant, danger assessment level: A grade……”
“All units enter combat status, operation officially begins!”