Chapter 97: Ruthless and Merciless
Step by step, Zhou Ming moved quietly, slowly descending toward the second underground floor.
Even though the serpent swarm was helping to scout ahead, Zhou Ming still remained cautious, constantly monitoring the changes within his Radar Sensory Domain.
After witnessing how the desiccated corpses could evade the serpents’ detection, Zhou Ming had come to understand that on Blue Star, where extraordinary powers existed, anything could happen. Even situations where his sensory field failed to detect something were entirely possible.
Moments later, Zhou Ming successfully reached the second layer of the ruins without encountering any unexpected incidents along the way.
The previous team had also vanished without a trace. Judging from this, they had likely not ambushed near the passage entrance but instead proceeded directly toward the third level of the ruins.
Seeing no abnormalities around him, Zhou Ming took out his map to confirm his current position and the route he should take next.
On the map, various facilities were clearly marked—detention rooms, dissection rooms, warehouses, shooting training rooms...
If the first level of the ruins had been the main living area, then the second level must have served as the operational zone in ancient times.
Looking around, the various facilities perfectly matched the ones noted on his map.
Zhou Ming speculated that the forces selling this intelligence in the Black Market must have obtained the information from the Alliance’s archival records.
After double-checking the map to ensure no mistakes, Zhou Ming picked his route and began heading toward the third level of the ruins.
Not long after he left, other Beast Tamers and Hunters who had entered the ruins also made their way down to the second level. Judging from their equipment and contracted beasts, these were clearly among the top-tier participants entering the ruins.
Every one of them carried night-vision gear, and the pitch-black environment of the ruins did nothing to hinder their sight.
Before long, Zhou Ming came to a stop again. Scattered across the ground before him were fragments of mangled corpses—remains of the desiccated zombies that roamed the ruins.
“Was it that heavy machine gun?”
Besides the dried, shattered corpses, the ground was littered with bullet casings, and the surrounding structures were riddled with destruction.
“Looks like they took the same route as me.”
After a brief moment of thought, Zhou Ming decided not to change his path. He might as well let them clear the way ahead.
Crouching, Zhou Ming flicked away a bullet casing, then quickened his pace toward the third level.
As he advanced, the number of corpses detected by his sensory domain increased. Fortunately, all those along his route had already been eliminated by the previous team.
Judging from the scattered bullet shells, Zhou Ming was certain the group possessed spatial equipment—only such gear could carry enough ammunition.
“It seems that if a conflict breaks out, I’ll need to eliminate that heavy gunner first.”
Zhou Ming was confident in his own strength, but not to the point of recklessly facing a heavy weapon head-on.
Even a Professional Beast Tamer could not yet completely disregard Blue Star’s technological weaponry. Only a Transcendent Master could truly move unchallenged.
“Didn’t expect someone to catch up so soon.”
Just as he was about to leave, Zhou Ming sensed someone approaching from behind. Clearly, he wasn’t the only one intending to take advantage of that previous squad.
Thinking carefully, he realized that within a centuries-old ruin, the thick layers of dust on the ground could easily reveal the tracks left by anyone passing through.
Sensing the pursuers, Zhou Ming didn’t rush toward the third floor. Instead, he took out a high-explosive grenade.
Using some silk thread from his backpack, he quickly improvised a tripwire trap.
Since he had entered the ruins, mercy was no longer something he could afford. If he could take out a few opponents now, there would be fewer competitors later for the relic’s information.
Moreover, the explosion would slow down anyone behind him—they would have to tread carefully from that point on.
No one would have guessed that the polite, soft-spoken young man who rarely talked at the Base was, in this ruthless, survival-of-the-fittest environment, an utterly merciless hunter.
Not long after Zhou Ming departed, another squad arrived at the very place he had just left.
“Seems the group ahead has spatial gear. Otherwise, their heavy gunner wouldn’t dare waste so many bullets.”
The squad leader, clearly a seasoned veteran, looked at the shattered corpses strewn about and reached the same conclusion as Zhou Ming.
“Boss, what should we do?”
“No problem. Judging from the bullet marks, it was likely a vehicle-mounted heavy machine gun. Using that kind of weapon requires terrifying physical strength.”
“As long as we can launch a sneak attack and take down the gunner, we’ll still have a chance.”
Hearing the captain’s reasoning, the others visibly relaxed a little.
For Apprentice Beast Tamers, aside from the snipers they dreaded, nothing was more terrifying than a heavy machine gunner with endless ammunition.
A storm of metal could leave them with no room to even resist.
But hearing their captain’s words gave them reassurance—after all, his contracted beast was a Swiftshadow Serpent.
That Ferocious Beast specialized in speed and concealing its aura, perfect for ambushes in an environment like this ruin.
“Let’s go. If they get there first, it’ll be troublesome.”
“Yes, sir.”
At the command, the team immediately accelerated toward the third floor. They knew that someone had already cleared most of the desiccated corpses ahead of them.
Boom!
The tripwire trap Zhou Ming had set was triggered, and the entire second floor erupted with a sound like thunder in summer.
Before they could react, the explosion’s fiery light and shockwave engulfed them. There was no time to defend.
Their beasts rushed instinctively in front of their masters—
—but it was useless.
Zhou Ming’s high-explosive grenade unleashed not just deadly fragments but also a violent blast wave. Without prior warning, the squad was instantly decimated.
The once-confident team would likely never again see the sunlight outside the ruins.
Such was the weakness of Apprentice Beast Tamers—their bodies were simply too fragile. Even if their beasts could survive such an explosion, their masters could not.
“Looks like the trap I left got triggered.”
Though the ruins were vast, the sound of a high-explosive detonation still echoed across the second floor. Zhou Ming, not far away, naturally heard it.
Seeing that his trap had worked, Zhou Ming didn’t bother setting another one. Such methods lost effectiveness once others became cautious—experienced Beast Tamers and Hunters wouldn’t fall for it twice.
This explosion alone was enough to intimidate those behind him, forcing them to slow down.
Elsewhere, the first team that had entered the second level also noticed the blast.
“Captain, someone’s using high-explosive grenades.”
For them, the distinct sound was easy to recognize.
“Seems someone’s following us from behind. Could be a fight… or a trap set to ambush pursuers.”
After a moment of thought, the captain quickly deduced several possible scenarios.
“Should we lay an ambush ourselves?”
One member suggested.
“No need. But stay alert for grenade attacks—especially you, Da Zhuang.”
Ultimately, the captain chose to prioritize their main objective, though he still warned his team.
“Don’t worry, Captain. If they can even get close, that’ll be the real miracle.”
Da Zhuang’s booming voice rang out as he pounded his chest, completely dismissing the unseen threat.
The captain didn’t argue.
Hunters generally avoided using grenades and similar explosives, not only because they exposed one’s position and attracted unwanted trouble—
—but also because they weren’t as effective as people imagined.
Grenades were slow to throw, and a Beast Tamer with strong Spiritual Power could react in time to dodge or shield themselves. With their beasts defending them, the explosion’s aftermath was rarely fatal.
Unless a grenade detonated right next to a beast, it was unlikely to inflict a killing blow. Fast-moving beasts could even, under command, fling the grenade back before it exploded.
After heightening their vigilance, the team stopped paying attention to the previous blast and continued straight toward the third level of the ruins.