Chapter 1: Wang Jie
As a Guide in these wastelands, Wang Jie faced two choices: Be killed by the team that hired him—or kill them first.
The second option was far simpler.
“Kid, your time’s up!” the burly man snarled, brandishing a broad blade wreathed in a murky gray aura. Its keen edge sliced through the air, promising death long before steel could connect with flesh.
Wang Jie raised his gaze. In the scorching midday sun, his lean frame appeared deceptively weak. His otherwise ordinary features were outlined by a faint, golden sheen. Beneath that glow, his dark eyes seemed deep and unreadable.
He lifted one hand. Without visible effort, he caught the descending blade. Snap! The gray aura proved illusory as the steel fractured under his grip. Before the burly man could even register his shock, Wang Jie flicked his wrist, slicing the man’s throat with the broken shard. Blood spattered across the dust-choked ground like crimson beads.
Unfazed, Wang Jie stepped forward, seized another attacker by the hair, and with a swift pivot, flung him into a third.
Crack! Their skulls collided, bursting like overripe fruit. In a single fluid motion, Wang Jie whipped his arm and hurled the fractured blade into the chest of the last foe.
The man’s eyes widened in a final moment of disbelieving horror before he collapsed into the darkness of death.
Wang Jie exhaled.
[What a pointless mess. We agreed: I guide, you pay. Instead, you tried to steal my map. No honor at all.]
He surveyed the surroundings. With casual efficiency, he grabbed a nearby corpse and flung it forward. Mid-air, a monstrous, plant-like creature with rows of razor-sharp teeth erupted from the ground, snapping the body into nothingness before it even touched the earth. One by one, Wang Jie fed the rest of the corpses to the beast. It was better to leave no trace in these End Times. Not before he searched every pocket, of course.
[Ah, a Mutated Beast Tooth. Rare Cataclysm Material—this is good fortune.]
He tucked the item away.
[This should help cover Old Five’s next treatment. He’s always saying his medicine is off, and Four Eyes keeps jacking up prices. At least Old Nine’s leg is finally recovering.]
Brushing the dust from his clothes, he moved on. A harsh wind scoured the barren earth. In the distance, under the punishing sun, the Abandoned City shimmered like a mirage—a distorted skyline of ruin and rubble.
…
After half a day of trekking, Wang Jie reached the city’s outskirts. His keen gaze fell upon a crumbling wall, its plaster long since peeled away. Beneath a shattered pane of glass, an ancient newspaper fragment had somehow survived.
“Rainbow Birds Sighted on the Outskirts of Golden Hill: Crowds Gather for the Spectacle!”
He read the headline as he always did whenever he passed through.
[Who would have thought that such a simple trending story would mark the world’s end?]
His eyes dropped to the date: Year 2200. That year, history was cleaved apart. A once-peaceful era vanished in the face of cataclysmic change. On that day, all firearms across Blue Star—and every factory that produced them—abruptly stopped functioning, without explanation or warning.
Meanwhile, plants and animals everywhere began mutating into fearsome, hostile forms. Humanity itself embarked on a new path: the Age of Cultivation.
Now it was Year 2210—a full decade since the Apocalypse. Wang Jie was eighteen.
[Ten years… I was only eight when everything fell apart.]
Despite the dangers, he enjoyed his life as a Guide. It paid well, and it let him roam beyond the Base in search of Cataclysm Materials—a perfect mix of livelihood and adventure.
[Time to find my next job. With luck, someone else needs a skilled Guide.]
He moved along the city’s edge, paying little heed to the occasional sounds of wet crunching that drifted from deeper within the ruins. Such grisly scenes were commonplace in this new world.
Before long, his attention was drawn to a distant billboard. He stooped, grabbed a loose stone, and hurled it.
Clang! The rock struck the rusted metal, exposing two figures who had been hiding behind it.
“Come out. I’ve seen you already,” Wang Jie called.
Two people emerged—both women. One was plain-featured, her skin hardened by the harshness of life. Even so, her figure was still evident beneath worn, layered clothes. The other looked far worse: face smeared with grime, clothes in tatters, trembling from head to toe. She clutched a small dagger, her eyes flickering with fear.
Wang Jie studied them for a moment.
“Are you…a Cultivator?” the rough-skinned woman asked, anxious.
“No,” Wang Jie replied. “I’m a Guide.”
Her eyes lit up. “A Guide? Perfect! Please, take us to Golden Hill Base. I—I can pay you. My money’s all at the Base, but once we get there, it’s yours!”
The second woman spoke too, though her voice was cracked and hoarse. “I have Cataclysm Materials. I can pay you with those.”
Wang Jie shifted his gaze. “Which kind?”
“A vial of Beast Blood,” she answered softly.
[Not bad—Mutated Beast Blood isn’t cheap.]
“Very well,” he said aloud. “I accept.”
Relief washed over the two women, and they clung to each other in gratitude. Wang Jie offered a thin smile.
[Still, I’d better warn them.]
“But don’t try to fool me,” he cautioned. “Betraying a Guide will cost more than you can imagine.”
“We won’t!” the rough-skinned woman hastily promised.
He motioned for them to follow. “Let’s go. Stick close.”
Leading two nervous women through the wasteland was hardly ideal. The timid one jumped at every minor sound, though she managed not to scream. Her fear hung in the air like a thick fog.
“You must be exhausted,” said the rough-skinned woman. “My name is Liu Shui. And yours?”
Wang Jie didn’t glance back. “Are you two traveling together?”
Liu Shui nodded, while the timid woman remained silent.
[No need to reveal my real name—better safe than sorry.]
“Call me Wild Grass. Best Guide in Golden Hill Base,” Wang Jie said.
Liu Shui blinked, puzzled by the name but did not press further.
Suddenly, a thunderous Boom! reverberated through the ruins. Without hesitation, Wang Jie pulled both women down, gesturing for silence.
High above, massive mutated beasts barreled through the crumbling skyline, roaring in guttural fury. The trio crouched low until the tremors subsided.
Peering out, Wang Jie spotted multiple figures in the distance, spreading out methodically as if they were searching for something, unfazed by the lurking monsters. It didn’t take long for them to notice Wang Jie and the women.
Clang!
A sword fragment whistled through the air and buried itself into a nearby wall, fracturing concrete on impact. Over a hundred meters away, a young man stood with an outstretched hand—he had launched the broken blade with lethal accuracy.
Liu Shui clutched Wang Jie’s arm in fear, while the timid woman recoiled, dagger clutched to her chest.
“Come out. All of you,” the young man commanded.
Wang Jie took a measured breath and rose to his feet.
[They’re too well-equipped to risk a fight without reason. Besides, I have nothing worth taking—except my life.]
He stepped forward, the two women trembling behind him.
“Who are you? Why were you hiding?” the young man demanded, sharp eyes raking over them.
“We were collecting Cataclysm Materials before heading back to Golden Hill Base. I’m a Guide,” Wang Jie answered.
The young man’s gaze flicked over Wang Jie, then the two women. Seeing no immediate threat, he waved them away in dismissal.
Wang Jie murmured a quiet thanks and hurried the women off.
“Are they part of a Hunting Team?” Liu Shui whispered once they were at a safer distance.
Wang Jie nodded.
[Definitely. Only an official Hunting Team would be bold enough to roam this deep into monster territory.]
Hunting Teams were recognized by a Base and specialized in exterminating mutants. Their sanctioned status made them formidable. These people clearly belonged to a different Base than Golden Hill’s.
“Wait,” came the young man’s voice from behind.
Wang Jie paused. The youth’s gaze was locked on him. Approaching, the young man tossed him a compact Signal Device, then held up a photograph.
“If you see this person, activate the device,” he said. “Once we confirm, we’ll reward you well.”
He then produced a vial of crimson Beast Blood and swirled it between his fingers, giving Wang Jie a meaningful look. Finally, he tossed it over.
Wang Jie caught it in midair, surprise flickering in his eyes.
[Another vial of Mutated Beast Blood?]
“We’ll pay you ten more just like that if you help us locate him,” the young man continued, voice dripping with arrogance. “For us, ten vials of Beast Blood are negligible.”
Wang Jie gave a curt nod. “Understood.”
The young man dismissed him with a wave. In their eyes, a Guide like Wang Jie was nothing but a hound—good for sniffing out leads in a land of endless dangers.
As they left, voices drifted on the wind:
“Let’s hope he hasn’t used the Hibiscus Tears yet. Otherwise, killing him is pointless.”
“Impossible. We’ve been chasing him day and night. He wouldn’t have had the chance.”
“Stealing from the Five Extremes… once we catch him, he’ll wish for death.”
Wang Jie led the women onward until the hunters were a distant memory. Liu Shui nudged him. “What was that about?”
[They want me to be their eyes, but there’s no need to share details just yet.]
“They’re looking for someone,” he said simply.
Liu Shui nodded and said no more.
Meanwhile, a faint spark lit Wang Jie’s eyes.
[Hibiscus Tears… If I could get my hands on that, it would be perfect for Old Five’s condition. Golden Hill Base has a similar Cataclysm Material, but it’s way out of my budget.]
Suddenly, the timid woman let out a soft gasp. A shard of bone had punctured her worn-out shoe. She gave Wang Jie a pained, apologetic look.
[She’s no threat, but she’ll slow us down if she injures herself more.]
“This area is relatively safe,” Wang Jie remarked. “Try not to be so tense—just watch your steps. I’ll keep an eye out for anything dangerous.”
“We should find somewhere to rest for the night,” Liu Shui suggested. “We can’t reach the Base before dark.”
Wang Jie nodded, turning in another direction.
Not long after, they arrived at a cluster of decrepit buildings. The walls were stained with ancient, congealed blood, and piles of bones filled every corner, carrying a lingering stench of decay.
Choosing the least damaged structure, they ventured inside. The moment they entered, they noticed a man sitting quietly on a ruined sofa, staring at them without a word.
Wang Jie’s eyes narrowed. He recognized him instantly.
[That’s him—the very man the Hunting Team is after.]
This novel is translated and hosted on Bcatranslation