Jia Tao quickly booked a room. After parking the car, the two of them walked to the Hunter's Guild in the South District.
Compared to the messy Blackstone Town, not only was the Iron Chariots city several times larger, but the facilities in the city were also much better. The ground was paved with limestone of sufficient thickness. Not only did it make the streets look clean and tidy, it also prevented the hidden dangers of insectoids entering from underground.
The only thing that puzzled him was that the Steel Chariot's house wasn't very tall. With the technological level of the old era, humans were able to build skyscrapers that reached into the clouds. However, in the new era where ability users and mechanics were born, the height of a house seemed to be a taboo.
The houses in Blackstone Town were all below three stories. Although the houses of the Iron Chariots were slightly taller, the tallest building did not exceed five stories. The Hunter's Guild was one of the few buildings that reached five stories.
There was a huge empty space around the Hunter's Guild's stronghold. There were all sorts of vehicles parked there. Most of them were motorcycles, with a small number of pickup trucks and jeeps.
Although there were many thieves in the South District, none of them would dare to steal from the Hunter's Guild.
Two burly men with pistols at their waists stood at the entrance of the Hunter's Guild with their arms crossed. Their eyes were as wide as copper bells. Although they were not very strong, their appearance was enough to scare away some cowards.
Stepping through the door, there was an empty hall. The chill in the air suddenly disappeared, and the temperature rose by at least ten degrees.
A huge holographic projection screen was projected in the middle of the hall. There were all sorts of mission information scrolling on it.
Most of the people were gathered in front of the mission projection screen, trying to find a mission that suited them.
Dim yellow light shone down from the ceiling. The light was somewhat soft, but it did not appear dim.
Many hunters were hurrying in and out of the hall. There were even quite a number of people with ferocious auras.
"Wait here for a moment. I'll go submit the mission first. According to the normal procedure, there are some complicated procedures to join the Hunter's Guild. If I advance to C-rank, I'll have the right to recommend you to join. It can save me a lot of trouble," Jia Tao said.
Qi Yuan nodded. Although the Hunter's Guild was open to all hunters in the wilderness, it was not easy to become a registered hunter who could apply for missions. Ordinary people could not register or accept missions. They could only issue bounty missions.
Without a C-rank recommendation, Extraordinaires not only did they have to test their combat strength, but they also often had to complete a designated test mission such as hunting a Corrupt Wolf.
The Hunter's Guild had always been about strength!
After Jia Tao left, Qi Yuan sized up his surroundings alone. Although most of the houses in the Hunter's Guild were made of brick, there were many metallic decorations that were filled with technological colors inside.
Whether it was the holographic projection screen or the steel robot standing in the corner, they gave Qi Yuan a refreshing feeling.
"This is what a new era should be like!" Qi Yuan said in his heart.
A man in a gray checkered shirt walked over and greeted them with a smile.
"Brother, you don't look familiar. Is this your first time at the Iron Chariots? How should I address you?"
Qi Yuan glanced at him and felt an inexplicable sense of closeness. It was as if he was a long-lost brother from a different mother!
There was a metal badge engraved with a crossed sword on his chest. It was the badge of a registered hunter.
"Qi Yuan," Qi Yuan replied.
"My name is Cao Hong, a registered C-rank Hunter from the Hunter's Guild." Cao Hong pointed at the badge on his chest.
"Brother Qi, are you here to join the Hunter's Guild?"
"Of course." Qi Yuan smiled.
"Brother, you've found the right person," Cao Hong said with a laugh.
"What do you mean?"
"It's not easy to join the Hunter's Guild," Cao Hong said in a low voice.
"Just the ability test alone eliminated many Wilderness Hunters. The subsequent test missions are even more dangerous. Many Wilderness Hunters even lost their lives because of it. If Brother Qi is willing to trust me, I can help you complete the registration."
"You have that ability?"
"Of course. I know the person in charge of this Hunter's Guild stronghold. As long as I pull some strings, helping you complete the Hunter's registration is a piece of cake."
"How do I pull some strings?" Qi Yuan asked.
"Of course it's this!" Cao Hong mysteriously made a gesture of counting money.
"I can help you complete the Hunter's registration with just three thousand!"
Qi Yuan paused for a moment, then said hesitantly, "I just came here.
I don't have any money on me. Why don't you lend it to me first? I'll return it to you when I have the money! "
"I —"
Cao Hong opened his mouth and almost spat out a mouthful of blood.
It wasn't easy to meet a newbie, and he actually opened his mouth to borrow money from me. Is the quality of Wilderness Hunters nowadays so bad!?
Cao Hong's expression changed several times until he saw the gun handle at Qi Yuan's waist. Only then did he suppress the urge to turn and leave.
"Brother, I'm also embarrassed to have money!
Otherwise, I'd definitely lend you the money! "
Cao Hong let out a long sigh, then changed the topic.
"Do you have anything valuable on you, such as weapons? There's a black market here that can be exchanged for cash."
"No!" Qi Yuan spread his hands, his face full of helplessness.
Did my ability fail?
Why does this person know how to lie through his teeth!?
Cao Hong cursed in his heart, but his excellent professionalism allowed him to hold it in.
"I think the gun at your waist is not bad. If you go to the black market, you should be able to exchange it for some money!"
"This is what I eat." Qi Yuan patted the Butcher at his waist.
Death Harvest was inconvenient to carry around, so he left it at his residence. Qi Yuan only had the Butcher on him.
Following Qi Yuan's movements, the Butcher in the holster shook slightly. Cao Hong glanced at the gun from the corner of his eye, and his expression froze.
F * ck!
The Butcher!
It's actually a ruthless person who uses the Butcher!
Cao Hong had been in the Iron Chariots for many years, and he had long developed a pair of discerning eyes. Not only could he easily find unfamiliar faces in a crowd, but he could also determine whether the other party was a newbie or a veteran from their expressions and subtle movements. He rarely missed.
Therefore, he quickly aimed at Qi Yuan and tried to fish for some money.
However, when he saw the Butcher at Qi Yuan's waist, he instantly realized that he had misjudged.
There were good and bad guns. Generally, one could judge the strength and personality of the user from the model of the gun used.
For example, the Butcher, which was an old model but had terrifying close range shooting power, was definitely a symbol of violence.
With the Butcher's price, ordinary hunters would rather choose a submachine gun with a longer shooting range than the Butcher.
Because the Butcher's recoil was too strong, and because its shooting range was not an advantage, if one missed a shot, one could only wait for the enemy to close the distance and engage in a melee.
Moreover, the Butcher's gunshot was too loud. One shot could be heard from a few kilometers away.
The Insectoids of the new era were not the beasts of the old era that would be scared away by gunshots. They would actively approach the source of the gunshot and hunt.
In other words, other than its power, the Butcher was useless in the same price range!
Hunters who dared to use the Butcher in the wilderness were either brainless boors or thugs with shocking strength!
Once these people realize that they have been tricked, they would probably use the Butcher to smash my head without hesitation.
Thinking of the terrifying scene of Qi Yuan smashing his head with the Butcher, Cao Hong laughed dryly and tried to put on a gentle expression.
"Brother Qi, since you can't bear to part with this gun, then forget it. Let's talk about this again next time. I still have something to do, so I'll take my leave first!"
Seeing that Qi Yuan had no intention of drawing his gun, Cao Hong sighed in relief.
"Cao Hong, what are you doing?"
A slightly angry voice suddenly came from behind, giving Cao Hong a fright.
He turned around and saw Jia Tao hurriedly walking over.
"Oh, it's Brother Jia Tao!" Cao Hong greeted him while winking at him, hinting him not to speak nonsense.
"I think Brother Qi is bored standing here alone, so I'll accompany him for a few days."
"Stop winking," Jia Tao scolded with an unfriendly expression.
"Qi Yuan is my brother, and I owe him my life. If you dare to do anything bad, I'll chop your head off!"
"How could I!
You misunderstood! "
Cao Hong laughed awkwardly, then his gaze fell on the hunter badge on Jia Tao's chest.
"You … You've advanced to C-rank?"
Cao Hong could not believe his eyes. He and Jia Tao were old acquaintances, and they had gone on missions together before, so he knew Jia Tao's character very well.
A few days ago, when Jia Tao was preparing to clear the swamp with Nie Xiu and his brothers, Cao Hong had hinted Jia Tao to stay away from Nie Xiu. Unfortunately, Jia Tao did not listen as he was bent on revenge.
He thought that Jia Tao would definitely die in Nie Xiu's hands, but not only did Jia Tao come back alive, but he had also advanced to C-rank. The significance of this was self-evident.
Nie Xiu and his brothers were dead, and Jia Tao had not only completed the difficult mission of clearing the swamp, but also took the reward for himself. That was why he could advance to the next level.
With Jia Tao's strength, he could not defeat any of the three brothers. There must be other factors involved for him to be able to come back alive.
Thinking about what Jia Tao said, Cao Hong instantly understood the key point.
It was Qi Yuan who saved Jia Tao!
In other words, Nie Xiu and his brothers had most likely died in Qi Yuan's hands!
F * ck!
This Qi Yuan is a dragon crossing the river!
I actually hit him with the autumn wind!
Cao Hong looked at Qi Yuan with some lingering fear and laughed dryly. "Since Qi Yuan is your brother, I won't embarrass myself. With your recommendation, Brother Qi will definitely be able to join the Hunter's Guild smoothly. I'll take my leave first."
Seeing Cao Hong leave in a hurry, Jia Tao vaguely guessed what had just happened. He said with some embarrassment, "Although Cao Hong likes to take advantage of others, he has never killed anyone. He's different from people like Nie Xiu."
"Are you close to him?" Qi Yuan asked casually.
"We used to cross the wilderness together," Jia Tao explained.
"But after coming here, we've been in contact with each other less and less. Although Cao Hong has already reached Tier 2, his ability is Mysterious Domain. His combat power isn't that strong, so he rarely goes out on missions. I don't know how he became a C-rank Hunter."
"It's not easy for someone like you to live until now." Qi Yuan shook his head.
"Cao Hong should be a Tier 3 ability user now. If you were half as smart as him, you wouldn't be in such a miserable state."
"Tier 3?"
Jia Tao looked at Cao Hong's departing figure in disbelief, as if he couldn't believe his ears.
A person who relied on deceiving newcomers all day had silently advanced to Tier 3?
Although Jia Tao believed that Qi Yuan had no reason to deceive him, he still had some doubts this time.
Qi Yuan smiled and didn't explain. If he hadn't felt a trace of abnormality from Cao Hong, he wouldn't have bothered with this kind of trash who relied on his mouth to make a living.
If Cao Hong was really a Tier 2 Mysterious Domain, grass would have grown on his grave. How could he still be alive after deceiving people for so many years?
It even made him feel a sense of danger.
If his Mysterious Domain ability had advanced to Tier 3, then everything could be explained.
A Tier 3 Mysterious Domain ability already had a certain amount of combat power, and its methods were more unpredictable than other abilities. Steel Defense could resist physical attacks, but it might not be effective against the invasion of a Mysterious Domain ability.
"This is the mission reward for clearing the swamp!" Jia Tao walked to the side, took out a thick black cloth bag, and handed it over.
Qi Yuan shook it, took out twenty thousand, and threw the bag under him back to Jia Tao.
"According to the rules, we'll split it equally!"
Without waiting for Jia Tao to refuse, Qi Yuan urged, "Let's go.
I don't lack this money. Help me complete the registration first and keep an eye on this Cao Hong. We might have to deal with him in the future. "
Jia Tao didn't hesitate. With Qi Yuan's strength, he definitely didn't lack money.
Jia Tao led Qi Yuan to the back of the holographic projection screen and followed a spiral staircase that led downwards.
It was only now that Qi Yuan realized that the Hunter's Guild's stronghold didn't seem big, and the floors weren't high either. However, that was the part that was exposed above ground. There was an even bigger space underground.
"Most of the Iron Chariots' buildings are of this design. The space underground is far more spacious than the space above," Jia Tao explained in a low voice.
"It's said that it's the same inside the Black Steel Shelter. Some buildings even extend thousands of meters underground, and you have to take an elevator to reach the target floor."
Qi Yuan nodded and vaguely guessed the reason why some buildings were of such design.
There was definitely an unknown danger hidden in the thick lead clouds. This danger had yet to be conquered by humans, so there were no satellites or planes in the new era. They didn't even dare to build high-rise buildings.
In the new era where great power belonged to oneself, the strength of humans had far surpassed that of the old era. However, even so, humans had not been able to become the ruler of Planet Aquamarine. There were still large unexplored areas on the ground, and the sky had become an untouchable forbidden zone. Although they had yet to come into contact with the ocean, it definitely wouldn't be any better.
This world was still filled with danger.
Right now, the checkpoint was only refreshed in the area between the gray and blue borders. In the future, it would definitely refresh in the depths of the blue area. It might even refresh in other more dangerous places, such as the depths of the lead clouds in the ocean.
At this thought, Qi Yuan was a little worried but also a little expectant.
He was worried that one day, he would have to face these dangers that threatened the entire human race.
What he was looking forward to was that he would become even more powerful to face these dangers.
After walking down dozens of meters, he walked through a long and dark underground corridor and stopped in front of a metal door.
"We're here. This place requires a Level C authorization to enter. I'll open the door."
As Cao Hong approached the metal door, a green screen of light appeared out of thin air. It scanned Cao Hong's face and the badge on his chest. Following which, a cracking sound came from behind the door. The metal door slowly opened, and two fully-armed guards appeared in his field of vision.
"Jia Tao, welcome to the Home of Hunters!" One of the guards said with a smile.
"Thank you!" Jia Tao replied. He turned around to look at Qi Yuan and said:
"This is Qi Yuan. I'll be the guarantor and recommend him to join the Hunter's Guild."
The guard looked at Jia Tao in surprise. Although the Hunter's Guild had the process of recommending someone as a Level C Hunter, very few people were willing to do so. This was because doing so was equivalent to endorsing someone with their authority. If there was a problem with the guarantor, the guarantor would also be implicated and might even have their authority reduced.