Jiangnan Base City, one of the six major base cities in Huaxia, has a population of up to 200 million. In addition to the main city, it has eight satellite cities and is extremely prosperous.
Within the main urban area stands an 88-story skyscraper, adorned with the very eye-catching English letters 'HR' on its walls.
Around the first floor of the skyscraper, over a thousand heavily armed soldiers patrol, forbidding any outsiders from stepping even half a step inside. Only warriors and individuals of noble status are permitted entry.
Ordinary people can only watch this skyscraper from afar with curiosity and envy.
In the entire Jiangnan City, the vast majority of people have never been inside in their entire lives.
This place is the renowned HR Alliance Mall, the headquarters of the Underground Alliance (HR) in Jiangnan Base City.
The Underground Alliance, formed by the joint efforts of major super families and conglomerates worldwide, is a colossal entity capable of rivaling the five major countries and two major martial arts centers. It is rumored to control fifty percent of the world's wealth.
As the headquarters of the Underground Alliance in a base city, its importance is self-evident. This HR building is a landmark of Jiangnan City, and the entire structure is extremely luxurious.
The lobby, filled with a sci-fi aesthetic, is staffed by personnel in white shirts and black suits, almost all of whom are handsome young men and beautiful young women in their early twenties, each sporting a smile that makes one feel as comfortable as a spring breeze.
This first floor is for reception and resting. From the second floor upwards, it is where the mall's goods are sold.
At this moment, in the lobby's rest area—
"Boss, is this really a good idea? After all, it was arranged by Manager Zhuge. To refuse him so directly might…" a scrawny man said cautiously, looking at the blue-haired youth who had just hung up the phone, speaking hesitantly.
The blue-haired youth cast a cold glance at the scrawny man. "Do I need to give Zhuge Tao face? He's just an Advanced General. Relying on his God of War-level brother, he's accumulated some connections, knows a few God of War experts, and managed to get a manager position in Jiangnan City. Outside of Jiangnan City, he's nothing!"
The scrawny man immediately dared not speak further. The other three sitting nearby also repeatedly agreed.
The blue-haired youth glanced at them and snorted coldly:
"What are you guys afraid of? Offending Zhuge Tao is my problem, it has nothing to do with you. This person called Su Mu, what is he? A High-level Warrior at 27 years old? Zhuge Tao told me his movement techniques are good, his attacks are special, he has perseverance and a firm will, and with some training, he can be comparable to an Elementary Battle General. Ridiculous! My entire team consists of genuine General-level warriors. What use do I have for him?"
Then he grinned, revealing a mouthful of pearly white teeth. "The reason I'm doing this is for everyone's benefit. One more person means one more share of money to split. You guys don't want your hard-earned money to be given to a good-for-nothing, do you?"
This touched a chord with the others, and they nodded in agreement.
"Brother Hao is right." "We'll listen to Brother Hao."
Zhang Shihao, the captain of the Lone Wolf team, is an Intermediate Battle General at 23 years old, nicknamed 'Mad Dog'. He has a frenzied personality, and many warriors in the Wilderness Area choose to avoid his team. It is also rumored that he has a God of War-level father, who holds a significant position in the Extreme Hall.
Zhuge Tao's original intention was to assign Su Mu to Zhang Shihao's team. On one hand, the Lone Wolf team is strong, with all members being General-level. On the other hand, although Zhang Shihao has a terrible personal reputation, the distribution of resources within the team is quite fair.
However, Zhuge Tao probably did not anticipate that this guy would show him such blatant disrespect, refusing to even give Su Mu a trial chance and simply dismissing him over the phone.
—
Su Mu, being looked down upon, was not particularly angry. He actually preferred to go to the Wilderness Area alone. Even if Zhang Shihao hadn't called, he would have voluntarily proposed to leave the team after meeting them.
Before becoming a Psychic, he might have needed teammates. But after gaining psychic abilities, his self-preservation capabilities increased infinitely. He could hunt monsters alone, and the money he earned wouldn't need to be shared. Why bring along several burdens and constantly worry about his secret being exposed?
However, if he encountered the so-called Lone Wolf team in the Wilderness Area, he wouldn't mind teaching their arrogant captain a lesson.
October 10th, Zǐjīng Neighborhood, outside Villa 101.
Su Mu was bidding farewell to his mother, Aunt Lin, and the others. Today was the day he would leave the base city to hunt monsters in the Wilderness Area.
The Wilderness Area is a general term for the world outside human base cities, encompassing ruined cities, suburbs, mountains, oceans, lakes, and more.
Su Mu was wearing a black combat suit, alloy combat boots, and wrist guards. An alloy heavy sword was strapped to his back, covered by a warrior's backpack.
A communication watch was fixed to the wrist guard on his right hand. Inside the backpack, water and some high-energy food were prepared.
A flying dagger belt was fastened around his waist, with ten flying daggers tucked into the pouches. Although he could control at most six at a time, he carried extras in case of damage or loss.
Flying daggers are not exclusive to Psychics; many warriors carry them. After all, warriors have great strength, and the flying daggers they throw possess considerable power, serving as a ranged attack method. Therefore, Su Mu was not worried about anyone guessing his identity as a Psychic.
In this era, Psychics were still extremely rare.
"Study hard. I'll be back to check your homework, understand?" Su Mu ruffled the hair of Lin Lei, who was eight years old, and said with a smile.
Lin Lei grinned, baring his teeth, and nodded. The sturdy, energetic boy looked much more spirited than when he was in the Lower City District.
Lin Xue, standing nearby, saw Su Mu's gaze and quickly said, "I understand, Brother A Mu. You need to be careful."
When Lin Yi gave birth to her second child, her husband abandoned her and their three children, who later took her surname.
Although both Su Mu's mother and Aunt Lin's eyes showed worry, they didn't say much. They knew the Wilderness Area was dangerous, but they also knew that hunting monsters in the Wilderness Area was every warrior's responsibility, something they couldn't evade.
Tang Xiaojing walked up to Su Mu, tidied his clothes, and said with a loving smile, "Come back soon. Your Aunt Lin and I are already planning to find you a warrior wife."
Su Mu: "..."
Watching Su Mu, who practically fled into the warrior-exclusive vehicle for the Extreme Hall, the atmosphere of farewell was slightly diluted. However, the four of them stood at the villa entrance until the special vehicle had long disappeared before turning back.
—
To travel from the base city to the Wilderness Area, one must first take a train to the military district stationed outside the city. All military districts worldwide have a specially designated area as a supply base for warriors, where they can rest and replenish resources.
Outside the military district lies the endless wilderness!
As Su Mu stepped off the train upon arriving at the military district, the unique aura of the Wilderness Area hit him. Despite the fortress acting as a barrier, he could still hear the roars of monsters in the distance.
There were dozens of warriors who rode the same train as Su Mu. Upon alighting, they automatically divided into small teams of five or six and headed toward the supply base.
Su Mu was the only one traveling alone, naturally attracting the attention of many around him.
"Brother, do you have a team? Our team is short one person." At this moment, a refined young man suddenly approached and called out to Su Mu, who was preparing to head to the base.
This person was about 1.78 meters tall, a head shorter than Su Mu. He sensed an unusual, almost inhuman, dangerous aura from Su Mu, which was why he proactively invited him.
It was common for teams in the Wilderness Area to experience attrition. If one didn't have acquaintances to team up with, they could only look for newcomers without a team.
"I already have one, sorry," Su Mu replied with a slight smile.
The refined young man sighed helplessly. In fact, he could tell from Su Mu's demeanor that he wasn't a rookie just arriving in the Wilderness Area, so having a team was normal.
"It's okay. Let's get acquainted. My name is Bai Yi," the refined young man extended his hand.
"Su Mu." Shaking hands with the other person, Su Mu prepared to leave. Unexpectedly, Bai Yi followed along.
"Brother Su Mu, where are your teammates?"
As Su Mu walked, he raised his index finger and pointed to himself.
Bai Yi froze. Then, he saw Su Mu, all alone, walking towards the gate leading to the Wilderness Area…