Chapter 80: Doomsday Ruins
“How did you find out about this information?”
Everyone had been hanging around together for a long time, knowing each other’s backgrounds well. So when the middleman brought up such news, they were still somewhat skeptical.
“Damn, you guys actually doubt my words?”
Seeing the expressions of his teammates, the middleman didn’t even need to guess what they were thinking. He immediately grew irritated and hurried to explain.
“You all know my cousin joined the Blood Wolf Hunting Corps. This time, their team took on a mission to investigate the large Dimensional Rift. He came back from the Northern Wasteland and personally told me about it.”
“Such important information—your cousin would just leak it like that?”
One of the teammates clearly didn’t buy his explanation.
“If it had only been the Blood Wolf Hunting Corps that discovered it, he definitely wouldn’t have said anything. But there were multiple forces investigating that large Dimensional Rift this time. It’s impossible to keep the matter hidden. So, when he returned and we chatted, he told me about it.”
“Besides, their team suffered heavy losses during this investigation. Now that winter’s begun, and there’s a large Dimensional Rift near the ruins, no one wants to head to that base for now. They’re probably planning to wait until spring next year, when all the major forces are prepared, to jointly explore it.”
“Not to mention, if that ruin holds technological data from before the Doomsday Era, the hidden benefits would definitely make those major powers go mad with greed.”
“Really.”
“I figure this information will spread in a few days. Shouldn’t we get ready early? Once word gets out, prices on equipment and supplies will skyrocket. Even if we don’t go, I can still flip my stock for a profit.”
Hearing his plan, his teammates at the same table immediately began weighing the credibility of his words.
And not just them—the hunters drinking at the nearby tables who overheard the conversation were also silently evaluating the reliability of this news.
Zhou Ming, quietly savoring his Ice and Fire Romance nearby, was also calculating in his mind whether he should go. After all, this expedition would be far more dangerous than his previous two wilderness explorations.
After thinking for a while, Zhou Ming decided to wait until the information spread further before making a decision. By then, there would likely be more leaks, and he could assess the real situation to determine whether the risk was worth it.
If the ruins contained only technological relics, Zhou Ming wouldn’t bother getting involved.
But if it had anything related to the Beast Tamer field, he would take the risk to go.
Because during the Doomsday Era, the surviving humans of Blue Star had lived on thanks to the secret permanent military bases that predated the apocalypse.
In their search for Blue Star’s own transcendent system, most of the research had been conducted in these secret bases—since only there could such work even be possible.
The most infamous of these during the Doomsday Era was a permanent military base later known to history as Hell. Over ten thousand human experiments had been conducted there, most of them on unwilling subjects.
Yet, it was precisely in that so-called Hell Base that the current Beast Taming Cultivation System had been born.
The most renowned figure in the Hell Base was a professor named Li Yuan.
He was the one who perfected the Meditation Technique and the condensation of the Spiritual Seed, laying the foundation for the establishment of the Blue Star Alliance.
At the same time, this man—who should have been revered by later generations—had personally overseen thousands of human experiments.
Professor Li Yuan never tried to justify his deeds, nor did he ask the Alliance to alter history. He merely left behind a statement:
“No matter how noble or brilliant my goal may have been, my actions were truly dark—utterly devoid of humanity. I don’t need future generations to whitewash me, for darkness is darkness and cannot be covered by the word ‘light.’ My only hope is that such things never happen again, and that the human society of Blue Star will someday regain civilization and order.”
When Zhou Ming had read these words at the Qinshan Library, he couldn’t help but feel deep respect for the man.
To dwell within darkness, to bear it, and yet not to use the brilliance of one’s cause as a veil for one’s sins—that took extraordinary honesty.
Zhou Ming also understood why Li Yuan had left such words. Because if darkness could always be cloaked under the excuse of light, countless others would commit evil under the guise of righteousness.
Of course, Zhou Ming’s feelings toward him were purely of respect; he made no judgment as to whether the man was right or wrong.
What Zhou Ming wanted to know now was what purpose the hidden ruins before him had served at the dawn of the Alliance’s founding.
After all, perfecting the Meditation Technique and condensing the Spiritual Seed were merely the keys to opening the door to the transcendent path. The later refinement and development of various professions had required the participation of numerous hidden bases.
Different bases had pursued different directions of development, leading to the later emergence of multiple occupational branches.
If this base had conducted research related to Beast Tamer class advancements, Zhou Ming would have no choice but to take the risk and go there himself.
Thinking that there were still two or three months before spring arrived, Zhou Ming wasn’t in a hurry. He planned to gather detailed intelligence first.
Besides, after being swindled out of several hundred thousand Alliance Coins at the Hunter Market, he at least confirmed that his New Martial Arts Beast King Body remained unaffected. His mental state had reached its limit, and his Beast Taming aptitude couldn’t improve further with ordinary resources. Zhou Ming decided to use the remaining time to make final preparations.
Whether he decided to go or not, strengthening himself would always be beneficial. At this point, only New Martial Arts could rapidly increase his strength.
Once his physical fitness improved, he was confident that he could fire the Thunder Type-2 Revolver twice in quick succession—an undeniable boost to his combat ability.
After sorting out his thoughts, Zhou Ming didn’t plan to stay any longer. He downed the last of his Ice and Fire Romance and left the lively Hunter Bar.
Stepping out of the warm bar, the cold wind immediately hit his face. Zhou Ming walked through the chilly air toward the shops surrounding the Hunter Guild.
Although the goods sold there couldn’t compare to those on Treasure Street, their quality was still guaranteed—no counterfeits.
After all, most of their customers were hunters from the Hunter Guild. If any shop dared to sell subpar goods, those hunters would have smashed the place long ago—they were hardly the law-abiding sort.
In an old store, Zhou Ming spent over three hundred thousand Alliance Coins purchasing the resources needed to train in the Beast King Body, as well as some other items, before catching the tram back home.
After this trip, Zhou Ming’s assets had nearly halved, leaving him with only seven to eight hundred thousand Alliance Coins. On the road of pursuing transcendent power, money was as vital a resource as any other.
For ordinary people, unless blessed with extraordinary talent, the sheer cost of chasing transcendence would bind them for life.
When the tram arrived at the station, Zhou Ming didn’t return home immediately. Instead, he stopped by the newspaper stand and bought a copy of the Qinshan Evening News.
It had been some time since he’d visited the Black Market, and he was planning to make a trip there soon.
Given his current situation, only the Black Market could provide specific information about the ruins in the Northern Wasteland.