In Ren Zhong's memory, if you trace human civilization back four thousand years, starting from the establishment of Yang City as the capital during the Xia Dynasty, nations have existed.
Now, a sudden thought of a world without nations flashed in his mind, giving him a sense of unreality.
But he found it inconvenient to ask directly, only burying the doubt deep in his heart.
Outside Starfire Town, near the city gate, there was a huge parking lot, and when Ren Zhong and the others arrived, they witnessed a spectacular scene.
One truck after another, of all shapes and sizes, rushed towards the city gate, reminiscent of the car-scene in "Mad Max".
A small number of trucks, like Zheng Tian's team's assembled van, were hovering.
Most trucks, however, were still equipped with various wheels or tracks.
There were also some people riding uniquely shaped motorcycles.
As for the most numerous, they were relatively simply equipped, either walking alone or in pairs or threes.
Zheng Tian said with a slightly proud tone, "Don't look at them scrambling for position now, but our hover vehicles outperform these rusty piles moving on wheels in passing performance, acceleration, and top speed. Once out of the gate, in just a few minutes, we'll leave them in the dust."
She wasn't exaggerating, Zheng Tian's team equipment was indeed above average.
Ren Zhong's gaze involuntarily drifted to the other side.
Six people were riding single-seater vehicles resembling motorboats, slowly floating out from a closed garage in one corner of the parking lot.
The six "motorboats" formed a line, quietly heading towards the city gate.
The six people on the vehicles were of varying builds, wearing unified azure outfits, with helmets that covered their heads like motorcycle helmets.
Compared to other scavengers, this team's equipment and aura were distinctly different, making them stand out.
The bystanders' reactions matched Ren Zhong's perception.
The scavengers blocking the path of the six promptly stepped aside even before they approached.
"This is one of the three direct professional teams under the Resource Company. Our trade account is under them."
Zheng Tian noticed Ren Zhong's gaze and added a little more information.
Ou Youning, who was about to get in the car behind the two, cursed, "A bunch of vampires."
Ren Zhong calmly asked, "What's their commission rate?"
Zheng Tian: "Twenty percent."
"That high?" Ren Zhong feigned surprise, "Why not find a different professional team?"
Zheng Tian shrugged, "We can't. Others won't take us. No rush; we'll become a professional team sooner or later. Okay, enough of that, let's go."
The box truck continued south through the vast wilderness.
Ren Zhong was still squeezed in the back seat, with Chen Hanyu on his left and Ou Youning on his right.
Pushed so close that her body touched his, Chen Hanyu remained as silent and stern as before.
Ren Zhong neither cared about her indifference nor about the unavoidable physical contact between the two.
Back in school, he had often ignored the hints from pretty female classmates due to his single-minded focus on studying, earning him various nicknames over time, with the most representative being "Aloof Study Maniac" and "Emotionless Book Machine."
Of course, this was a misunderstanding by others about Ren Zhong.
He was neither aloof nor emotionless.
It was merely his thirst for knowledge driving him to constantly move forward, as he felt his energy was limited and didn't want to waste precious time on relatively meaningless campus romances.
He did not reject women; he just felt the timing wasn't right back then.
Little did he know that, when he finally somewhat succeeded academically and felt ready to seriously consider settling down, his life was nearing its end.
Since waking up, his situation had become more nuanced.
Previously, he consciously ignored others' ambiguous glances due to his thirst for knowledge, driven by self-fulfillment.
Now, his needs have sharply shifted from self-fulfillment to more basic survival, becoming more intense and urgent.
Only when survival needs are met can people contemplate what life should be like.
Minutes after the car set out, Zheng Tian began explaining some points to Ren Zhong.
"Since it's a trial run, we'll keep things conservative. Today, we're heading to the Iron Worm Forest, 124 kilometers from the town. The forest mostly houses First Level Ruined Beasts, predominantly insect types, similar to the Crystal Winged Dragonfly you dealt with yesterday. Let me first tell you about our team of five. We all passed the First Level Professional Title Evaluation; I am a First Level Gunsmith. Wen Lei..."
The profession of a Gunsmith, as the name implies, focuses primarily on powerful long-range weapons.
Wen Lei is a defensive Heavy Mecha Warrior, responsible for close-range primary defense in the team.
Mechanical Warriors primarily rely on their mechanical exoskeletons for combat, needing a robust physique and a basic understanding of mechanical engineering principles.
There are numerous types of mechs in this world, beyond the fully armored defensive type like Wen Lei's, including Spider Tanks, lightweight fast armor, and multi-purpose combat armor.
Ren Zhong already knew Chen Hanyu's profession, a Demolition Master.
Bai Feng's profession is an Armored Soldier. People like him have genetic peculiarities. As children, they are identified with the potential for body modification using transplanted foreign cells, forming a nuanced state of multiple species' genes coexisting after overcoming immune backlash, acquiring physical features and mobility traits from other life forms on various planets. Bai Feng serves as the close combat lead attacker in the team.
As for Ou Youning, who carries pockets all over himself, he's a Blast Master, chiefly playing with explosives, advocating that explosions are art. Although hunting Ruined Beasts usually involves encounters, if luck permits, spotting a Ruined Beast in advance allows making thorough preparations and laying out various blast traps targeting the beast's traits, achieving the goal of defeating the strong with the weak.
"Ren Zhong, brother, not to brag, but given enough time and materials, the blast traps I set can even kill a Third Level Ruined Beast! And speaking of Second Levels, I've already blown up quite a few!"
As Zheng Tian was introducing abilities, Ou Youning proudly held his head high, almost getting his tail up in the air.
Zheng Tian: "Stop it, don't jinx it. Although Iron Worm Forest mainly has First Level Ruined Beasts, occasionally there are Second Levels roaming. With our current equipment, dealing with Second Levels isn't cost-effective—winning would still be a heavy loss; if encountered, we must avoid them. Let alone Third Levels!"
Ou Youning scratched his head sheepishly, "Haha, I just want Ren Zhong to be reassured and believe in our strength."
Zheng Tian: "Since you don't have a clear professional inclination yet, why don't you stay with Hanyu and be responsible for her safety? Here's your gun. Take it. It's the standard equipment of the town's Night Watchman, with a caliber of 5.22mm, moderate power, and a magazine capacity of forty-five bullets. I've added a four-time scope."
Ren Zhong silently gripped the machine gun in his hand.
This marked his first time holding a weapon in his life.
He seemed calm but couldn't control his heart from racing.
Ren Zhong understood what this meant.
In this unfamiliar world, holding a gun was akin to holding a glimmer of hope.
Although it was his first proactive hunt, the harsh lessons learned from those brutally killed by hunters and various Ruined Beasts outside the dense forest had long made him acutely aware that this world was fraught with danger, where human life was worthless.
Ren Zhong: I can do it!
Ren Zhong died again.
Extremely carelessly.
Not only did he die, but Zheng Tian's entire team was also annihilated.
In the morning, Zheng Tian was still brimming with ambition for the future, nearly making Ren Zhong delusional, thinking someone adept at going with the flow and skilled in disguise really could carve out a new realm.
Unexpectedly, just two hours later, this semi-professional team, ranked high in Starfire Town, met a catastrophic end.
Ren Zhong floated wordlessly in mid-air, seizing the last moments of his "Underworld God's Eye View" to observe the chaotic scene.
A humanoid green-shadow zipped across the ground at astonishing speed.
It moved so fast that the naked eye could scarcely track it.
The person it finally targeted was Chen Hanyu, who was struggling to crawl away.
About thirty seconds prior, Chen Hanyu had been cut in half at the waist but was not yet dead, her tenacious will supporting her as she fought to crawl forward.
Meanwhile, the green shadow approached Ren Zhong, and only after thoroughly tearing him apart did it return to finish off Chen Hanyu, who had managed to crawl nearly five meters forward, leaving a long trail of blood on the ground.
As for the others, they were already long dead.