Chapter Twelve: The Hunter Codename: ‘Shadow,’ Lory Island
“Damn, a date, and at night too.”
Mindless opened the D-10 energy pod and dumped the waste into the trash bin. “Don’t come back tonight. Stay safe. You’re still a natural-born, and your kidneys are pretty valuable.”
Su Cheng gave him a sharp look. “I’m leaving.”
He threw on his raincoat, put on a black metal mask, and started his electric bike.
Although it wasn’t raining, he didn’t want anyone to see him registering as a hunter.
Everyone on the street dressed quite uniquely, so no one paid him any attention.
The outskirts of the Ruined City were divided into four zones, with two waste processing plants located in zones C and A respectively—his zone being C.
These waste treatment plants were the property of Guangke Technology Group.
No remnants were allowed inside.
Only hunters or those with special permits could enter.
Of course, registering as a hunter granted access as well.
These plants specialized in processing all kinds of garbage dumped from Future City.
The waste residue after processing was transported to designated dumping sites.
In other words, the Earth’s remnants could only scavenge secondhand garbage.
Soon, the road transformed into metal plating, with no traffic lights or intersections—only a single road leading to the waste treatment plant.
From here, one entered the plant’s territory.
“I haven’t seen that outfit before. Must be a newbie registering.”
“Wonder how long they’ll survive.”
“Who cares? Raiders have been crazier lately, with better prosthetics and weapons. Even we struggle against them. Newbies are just walking corpses.”
“Let’s go. I heard Zhang Jie got some high-grade gear. Let’s check him out at the Loli Island Bar. That stuff can boost your body!”
...
The closer he got to the waste treatment plant, the more immense it felt.
The entire facility covered roughly 20 square kilometers!
Three enormous chimneys pierced the sky on the outskirts!
They spewed thick yellow smoke.
At the center stood an even larger funnel-shaped cylinder.
Large Future City transport fortresses continuously passed through high-energy particle barriers, dumping refuse into the cylinder.
From both sides of the plant extended thick pipelines underground.
These transported the heat generated during waste processing to the city for heating.
After the Century War, Earth’s day-night temperature swings were extreme, and winters had grown colder!
Global average temperatures had dropped by about 30 degrees Celsius!
Even southern coastal cities experienced snow and ice!
Therefore, heating was essential worldwide every winter.
The plant’s walls were constructed from advanced alloys, incredibly sturdy.
Numerous cleaning robots swept and maintained the facility daily.
It was the only building in the Ruined City free from rust and remarkably clean.
Arriving at the waste plant’s gates, the words “Guangke” were carved above, with a circular protrusion in the center.
No other hunters were nearby.
“Please activate your identification chip or open your personal network ID,” a mechanical female voice suddenly announced.
Su Cheng activated his chip.
A laser shot from the circular device, scanning him from head to toe.
“Identity verified. Please state your purpose of visit.”
“To register as a hunter.”
“Identity approved. Entry granted.”
“Please do not linger. Complete registration promptly.”
As the mechanical voice finished, the alloy gates slowly retracted sideways.
Su Cheng parked his bike outside and stepped in.
The gates closed behind him.
Glancing around, he briskly moved toward the cylindrical machine ahead.
On either side stood two rows of massive spider-shaped robots.
Each towered three meters high!
Eight enormous metallic legs spread nearly five meters wide!
All were armed with four large-caliber kinetic guns.
Their abdomens housed plasma cannons!
The front bore the words “Guangke Technology” in bold.
Three huge round eyes glowed white, fixating on Su Cheng and tracking his every move!
This was his first time inside the waste treatment plant and his first time seeing such formidable advanced robots.
And this was just one of Guangke Technology’s waste treatment plants, boasting such immense firepower.
It was hard to fathom the sheer scale of this company!
Behind the spider robots was a wall—no other rooms or visible waste processing machinery.
Su Cheng approached the cylindrical machine.
Instantly, an operating console rose from underground.
A virtual keyboard projected above, accompanied by a hunter registration form.
“Please fill out the form to complete registration.”
Registering as a hunter was straightforward.
One could use a codename instead of a real name.
After completing the form, the mechanical female voice spoke again.
“Codename: Shadow. Registration complete. Hunter level: Beginner.
Points: 0
Information access level: Beginner
Purchasing privileges: Beginner
Points required for next upgrade: 100.”
Then, a rectangular transparent card ejected from the console.
“Please take your hunter card. Hunters may view relevant information and data through the card. Registration complete. Please leave the registration area promptly.”
“Attention: Please exit the registration zone immediately.”
“Attention: ...”
Glancing at the spider robots whose eyes remained locked on him, Su Cheng turned and strode toward the entrance.
The gates had already begun to open slowly.
With a hiss of pressure release, the waste treatment plant’s gates shut once more.
Just as Su Cheng stepped out, he saw a blonde beauty dragging a raider whose two heads had been blown apart, body mutilated.
The woman’s gaze was cold and unwavering. She scanned her card before calmly entering the plant.
Such a stunning, cold beauty was a rare sight in the old world.
Su Cheng mounted his electric bike, pulled out his hunter card, and tapped it.
His identity information appeared immediately on the transparent card.
Besides his personal data, three tabs were displayed: Information, Goods, and Hunting Bounties.
He first opened Information and found not only news from Guangke Technology but also messages posted by other hunters.
It resembled the old century’s official forums.
He browsed through several important notices.
Hunter points were earned by killing raiders, though the points gained this way were relatively low.
Completing bounty missions issued by the waste treatment plant granted large amounts of points.
Once total points reached a certain threshold, the hunter could level up.
Points had many uses!
Next, he opened the Goods tab.
Here were items available for purchase or exchange.
Currently, Su Cheng’s beginner level only allowed him to buy low-grade nutrient liquids priced at four alliance credits—slightly cheaper than outside shops.
He could buy up to eight bottles per day.
For him, this meant one bottle of high-grade nutrient liquid daily.
No risk, and cheaper too.
Above were medium and advanced nutrient liquids, requiring higher levels.
There were also various weapons and prosthetics for sale.
Low-level goods could be purchased with alliance credits, but high-level items required points.
Finally, he checked the Hunting Bounties tab.
Here were bounty missions released by the waste plant and others posted by individuals.
There were no restrictions on taking missions, nor limits on participants.
The first to complete a task claimed the reward.
Putting away the card, registering as a hunter was highly beneficial to Su Cheng.
He was already hunting raiders, so the hunter rewards and points were extra income.
Information access and item purchases were also very convenient.
He opened his chip communicator.
“Friend, what’s up?” came a voice.
On screen, Zhang Jie was smoking a cigar, holding a beer, and with one hand slipping under the clothes of a woman beside him.
“Yeah.”
“Loli Island Bar, VIP room 888. Come on, it’s on me.”
...