Before setting off, Qi Yuan had originally wanted to bring in the tool man, Jia Tao, but he did not expect to be stopped by Luan. Although Luan did not explain too much, Qi Yuan's sharp senses had sensed that something was wrong. Although he had accepted this clean-up mission, there might be other dangers hidden behind it.
There was only one reason for rejecting Jia Tao's participation. He was too weak to face the danger.
Although Luan's hint was not very obvious, the existence that made Wolf's Teeth Hunt so cautious was definitely more dangerous than the Insectoid Hive itself.
Wolf's Teeth Hunt was willing to help him the first time to observe and test him. There must be other reasons for the second time.
Otherwise, based on his relationship with Wolf's Teeth Hunt, they would not help him with the missions again and again.
Even if Xiao Hei lost the bet.
The mission this time was more like a tacit transaction.
While accepting Wolf's Teeth Hunt's help, he had to bear the additional danger brought by Wolf's Teeth Hunt.
Qi Yuan also thought about whether he should get involved, but he still chose to join in the end.
Luan rejected Jia Tao but did not reject him. This meant that his strength was enough to face the danger, and this was under the condition that his [Steel Self-Healing] was not exposed.
With his [Steel Defense] and [Steel Self-Healing], his ability to face danger was definitely better than most Tier 3 warriors.
When Qi Yuan drove the Iron Wolf and rushed out of the Iron Chariots together with Wolf's Teeth Hunt's Jeep, the undercurrent hidden under the water surged again.
In the Jeep, Xiao Hei was not laughing, and her expression was serious.
"Sister Luan, although Qi Yuan is strong, he is only a Tier 1 warrior. Won't it be dangerous for him to get involved in this?"
"Maybe."
Luan leaned against the passenger seat and closed her eyes tiredly.
"I have already hinted to him. With his intelligence, he should have guessed that this mission is not just a simple clearing mission. Otherwise, he would have taken the initiative to pay the hiring fee first."
Listening to the two's conversation, Chestnut seemed to have something to say. Luan noticed that his expression was a little strange.
"Chestnut, just say what you want to say. It's time for you to overcome your shyness."
Chestnut blushed and said weakly, "I feel that Qi Yuan is much stronger than the last time I saw him."
Luan's eyes narrowed.
"Are you sure?"
Although most of Chestnut's abilities were focused on the shadows, he still had a mysterious ability that no one knew about — Danger Sense.
Although Tier 1 Danger Perception did not provide any substantial boost to combat power, it could help Shi Feng avoid many dangers under special circumstances.
Chestnut nodded slightly.
"The last time I met Qi Yuan, I had the same feeling. He was stronger than the first time we met. This time, it's the same. He's stronger than the last time we met. Although he's not as strong as someone who's at a higher level, the feeling he gives me is getting more and more dangerous."
"Is he still getting stronger?!" Xiao Hei could not help but click her tongue.
"Before we set off, I even used the Bug Beast Detector to test him. He's still at Tier 1!"
The strength that Qi Yuan displayed during the previous battle in the Insectoid Nest was already very strong. His Combat Domain's strength, speed, and defense were almost invulnerable. He could completely ignore the attacks of Tier 1 Insectoids and kill Tier 2 Insectoids as if he was chopping vegetables.
If he could continue to get stronger, the next time they met, he would be able to kill Tier 3 Insectoids and wipe out an Insectoid Nest all by himself even without Luan's help.
Luan's eyes glinted.
"Qi Yuan is not our enemy. In this plan, we can even treat him as our friend. The stronger he is, the more effective it will be for us."
"Although our informant has sent us news that the enemy is preparing to attack us again, they're also very cautious. They might not really attack us this time. It's very likely that they're just testing us."
"When we're clearing out the Insectoid Nest, Xiao Hei, stay alert. Once you discover any traces of the enemy, lock onto his position immediately!"
Xiao Hei nodded seriously.
"Don't worry. As long as the enemy dares to appear, he won't be able to escape my senses!"
"Should we remind you about Qi Yuan?" Chestnut asked softly.
"No need!" Luan shook her head gently.
"The fewer people who know about this, the better."
"Today's operation is at most a test. The real battle will definitely be the clearing of the old cities."
"If nothing goes wrong, Qi Yuan should have already guessed that the captain is observing him. He's very likely to participate in the clearing of the old cities. Our enemy will definitely not let go of this opportunity. With Qi Yuan's strength, he might be able to give them a surprise."
"Since Qi Yuan is so strong, will the captain leave the last spot for him?" Xiao Hei suddenly asked.
Luan thought for a while and shook her head gently.
"Although Qi Yuan's direct combat strength is very strong, what we need most is a sniper. Qi Yuan's role overlaps with the captain's, so his Combat Domain ability will give him extra points, but it's not enough for the captain to make the final decision."
"Moreover, Ying and Lutai's strength might not be weaker than Qi Yuan's. Although they can't directly kill a large group of Insectoids, they have records of killing Rank 3 Insectoids, and they've killed more than one."
"Qi Yuan's disadvantage is that he's only Rank 1. If he can advance to Rank 2, his Combat Domain ability will be strong enough to directly kill Rank 3 Insectoids. Whether or not he has the ability to snipe won't be that important anymore. Zheng will definitely leave the last spot for him."
Xiao Hei shrugged helplessly.
"I think that the next time we see Qi Yuan, he might already be able to directly kill a Rank 3 Insectoid!"
"If that's the case, it's good news for us. Although we don't have a sniper, Qi Yuan's strong direct combat strength is enough to increase our margin of error."
"I think it's more interesting for Qi Yuan to pretend to be a sniper!" Xiao Hei couldn't help but laugh out loud.
"Think about it carefully. If the enemy really thinks that Qi Yuan is a sniper and attacks him, only to realize that they can't beat him when they get close. Instead, they'll be killed by Qi Yuan. Wouldn't that be very interesting?"
Luan raised her head and looked at Xiao Hei through the rearview mirror.
"If that really happens, we'll be very happy because we won't have to send extra people to protect the sniper at the back. However, I don't think you'll find it very interesting.
Think about it. After Qi Yuan joins Wolf's Teeth Hunt, who among us is the easiest target for the enemy to target? "
Xiao Hei's smile instantly froze!
That's right!
If our sniper is Qi Yuan, then my defense is the weakest. Logically, I'll be the first target to be killed.
In addition to the strong attack power of the Radiant Dawn, if I'm the enemy, I'll also choose to attack!
F * ck!
Just thinking about it makes me feel like I'll die at any time!
I don't have the crazy Combat Domain ability of Qi Yuan!
Once the enemy gets close to me, I'll probably be killed instantly!
Thinking about what she might face in the future, Xiao Hei instantly trembled!
Soon, they arrived at the mission site to eliminate the Insectoid Hives.
Luan walked down from the jeep and looked into the distance with a serious expression.
"Recently, the gathering of Insectoid Hives has become more frequent!"
Qi Yuan nodded in agreement.
"The number of missions to eliminate Insectoid Hives is increasing almost every day!
Moreover, there aren't many Hunters who are willing to accept such missions. The Hunter's Guild should consider increasing the rewards for completing the missions. "
He had been observing the missions issued by the Hunter's Guild for the past few days. Near the border of the blue zone, there would be a new mission to eliminate Insectoid Hives appearing almost every day. This meant that new Insectoid Hives that were gathering were discovered every day.
The speed at which the Iron Chariots were clearing Insectoid Hives could not keep up with the speed at which Insectoid Hives were gathering. The most direct result was that the number of Insectoid Hives in the wilderness was increasing. Moreover, their locations were slowly spreading towards the depths of the gray zone.
The Insectoids in the wilderness were shrinking the human's area of activity. The blue zone occupied by the Insectoids was expanding while the gray zone occupied by the humans was shrinking.
"It's not because of the Hunter's Guild." Luan shook her head lightly.
"I've asked the Hunter's Guild. Compared to other encampments, the rewards given by the Hunter's Guild at the Iron Chariots aren't low. In fact, it's even higher than other encampments. The Clearance Points and cash rewards for missions are almost the highest. In addition to the price of purchasing Insectoid Hives, a mission to eliminate an Insectoid Hive can earn a profit of 120,000 to 150,000."
"This kind of profit isn't low. Even if all these missions are graded as C + Level Missions, other than a little more Clearance Points, the real profit won't increase by much. It's just that most Tier 3 Hunters aren't willing to take the risk for these things."
"Why?" Qi Yuan was puzzled.
"Isn't it possible to obtain Mechanical Equipment and Genetic Medicine with Clearance Points from the Hunter's Guild? It can also help them enter the Black Steel Shelter, right?"
To Tier 3 Hunters, the only things that were truly attractive were these three items.
"That's because the Black Steel Shelter doesn't want too many wilderness refugees to enter the shelter!"
Luan's eyes were filled with mockery and disdain.
"In the eyes of the Shelter's managers, the humans outside the Shelter, including us, are just parasites that need to rely on them to survive. They look down on us, which is why they don't want Mechanical Equipment and Genetic Medicine to enter the wilderness. They also don't want us to enter the Shelter. If it weren't for the fact that they still need us to clean up the nearby Insectoids and Polluters, they would even completely isolate the Shelter from the outside world.
"Countless Hunters in the wilderness yearn for the things in their hands, but they are unwilling to give them away. They only give out a little bit of charity occasionally and let the people outside fight for it.
"There are too many people fighting for it, and the Shelter's charity is too little.
"There are dozens of Tier 3 Hunters at the Iron Chariots. They've been waiting here for years or even decades to enter the Black Steel Shelter. They've accumulated enough Wealth and Clearance Points, but they still haven't had the chance to enter the Shelter.
"If you were them, would you still risk your life for such an illusory opportunity?"
Qi Yuan was silent. With the Great Power Restoration, the gap between the levels of humans had become wider and wider. The Shelter's threshold was enough to keep most Hunters out.
Just as Luan said, in the eyes of the Shelter's managers, there was no such thing as Hunters. They were all just wilderness refugees.
"Whether it's Aptitude Users or Mechanics, Tier 3 is the limit outside the Shelter. Only by entering the Shelter can you reach Tier 4!" Luan said softly.
"So, they're not only blocking the right to enter the Shelter, they're also blocking the future of humanity in the wilderness!"
"How many people does the Black Steel Shelter give out to enter the Shelter every year?" Qi Yuan asked.
Luan extended a finger and shook it.
"One!
There are more than 10,000 Iron Chariots. Every year, the Black Steel Shelter gives out one spot! "
"Isn't it cruel?"
"What's even crueler is that we don't have any choice at all. There have only been two people who had the courage to reject the Black Steel Shelter's invitation. One is Leader Ling You, and the other is Master Qu."
Luan turned around and looked at Qi Yuan.
"Although I'm exaggerating, you don't have to worry too much. You're more likely to enter the Shelter than anyone else. If Master Qu is willing to recommend you to the Black Steel Shelter's Biological and Mechanical Laboratory, you're likely to be recruited directly."
Qi Yuan smiled bitterly and shook his head.
"If it's that simple, Master Qu's laboratory would be full by now."
"Let's not talk about this." Luan smiled.
"Just based on your enthusiasm for destroying the Insectoid Nest, I'm not willing to let you enter the Shelter. If other Hunters can be like you, the border of the Grey Zone can be pushed north by at least 5,000 meters every year."
"Chestnut, let's get to work!
Check the number of Insectoids! "
After hearing his name being called, Chestnut, who had been silent all this while, immediately perked up.
"Leave it to me!"
Chestnut quickly turned into a shadow and left.
Xiao Hei glanced at Qi Yuan and silently took out Radiant Dawn. She no longer had any thoughts of challenging him.
She had already been crushed the last time. This time, it wouldn't be any better.
Soon, Chestnut emerged from Xiao Hei's shadow.
This time, his expression was somewhat relaxed.
"Two Rank 3 Insectoids, seven Rank 2 Insectoids, and thirty-one Rank 1 Insectoids!
They're much weaker than the Insectoids we destroyed last time. "
"Looks like we don't have to waste the Plasma Bomb." Luan shrugged.
She and Chestnut could easily deal with the two Rank 3 Insectoids. As for the remaining Rank 2 and Rank 1 Insectoids, Qi Yuan alone could not kill them.
"The sooner we kill them, the sooner we can call it a day!"
Qi Yuan chuckled and took out Death Reaper from behind him.
"Be careful!" Luan reminded them.
Chestnut and Xiao Hei nodded cautiously. Anything was possible in the wilderness. Any negligence could cost them their lives.
What's more, there was still a spy in the dark, the mastermind of the Wolf Fang Hunting Team.
Xiao Hei took out a few black high-explosive bombs from the backseat of the jeep and handed them to Chestnut.
"Although we don't have to waste the Plasma Bomb, we can still get a few high-explosive bombs!"
Xiao Hei took the high-explosive bombs and glanced at Luan. She then turned into a shadow and disappeared.
"Come and go without a trace. Chestnut's ability is very useful!" Qi Yuan praised.
"Your Combat Domain ability is already powerful enough. We're all envious of you. Don't be envious of Chestnut!" Xiao Hei could not help but ridicule.
"Everyone has to have some dreams!" Qi Yuan chuckled.
Before he could finish his sentence, the flames from the explosion of the high-explosive bombs shot up into the sky. The entire ground shook.
Boom!
Boom!
Boom!
Red flames erupted from the ground like a volcano. Although it was not as terrifying as the Plasma Bomb, the power of the three consecutive explosions was equally shocking.
Thousands of meters away, a figure in camouflage emerged from the ground. It was a man with a sinister face. He had dark green eyes and looked like a venomous snake waiting to strike.
Through his binoculars, the man saw the flames shooting up into the sky and the swarm of Insectoids. He also saw Qi Yuan and the rest going against the flow. The dark green light in his eyes slowly flowed.
"The hunt has begun!"
The man's lips curled up slightly. He then dived into the ground again and began to move.