Chapter 65: Seeking the Truth

It was a small-scale nuclear explosion, yet no one in Black Mountain was spared. Nearly half the city had been blown away, and the dead were too many to count.

The Eastern District and Northern District were gone. What remained of the land was saturated with deadly levels of radiation.

Finn walked alone into the heart of the blast to investigate. From the radial pattern of the scorch marks, he could tell at a glance that the newly acquired nuclear reactor had detonated.

Everyone caught in the explosion was dead. The truth had been buried in the blast. Uncontrolled nuclear energy had erased everything in its path. No one knew what had truly happened.

Most of Black Mountain’s combat forces had perished, along with nearly every high-ranking official. Among the dead was even the revered City Lord, Darius Smith. It was a catastrophe in every sense.

Night had fallen, but no one slept.

Survivors dragged their families to the less damaged West District and Southern District. There, they huddled together amid grief, terror, and suffocating silence, struggling to endure.

Sector Commander Kenneth Bell of the South District was chosen as the temporary City Lord. He would oversee reconstruction. Nearly half of Black Mountain’s territory was now polluted by radiation from the blast and had been rendered uninhabitable.

In an open-air encampment, the remaining senior personnel and survivors gathered around a fire to decide what came next.

Olivia sat cross-legged on the ground. The flickering campfire lit her red, bloodshot eyes. She no longer cried—she had no tears left.

In just one short day, she had lost her father, her friends, and her companions. Without Finn’s protection, she would have lost her life as well.

Finn stood silently beside her. He didn’t know how to comfort her. Sometimes, quiet company and a willing ear were the best protection one could give.

Temporary City Lord Kenneth Bell stood at the center of the camp. He was exhausted, facing a crowd drowning in grief, but he still forced himself to make plans and gather their remaining forces to defend their home—Black Mountain.

“We need to know the truth! Why did it explode?!”

“The Wilderness Rhino caravan sold us that nuclear reactor! They owe us an explanation!”

“Seize the Wilderness Rhino armed caravan! Hang every last one of them…!”

The crowd’s fury boiled over. Their boundless anger had finally found an outlet—the Wilderness Rhino armed caravan. That very group had sold them the reactor and sworn again and again that it was perfectly safe.

But the caravan had already left Black Mountain and disappeared without a trace.

A frail, aged voice rose above the noise. “You refused to heed the warnings of the Holy Radiance and abused nuclear power. Now retribution has come! I told you long ago—never use anything connected to nuclear energy. You wouldn’t listen. It was nuclear power that brought the Cataclysm…”

The crowd turned toward the speaker. It was a white-haired old man, Milton Jenkins. He wore tattered red robes, and his thin left arm was wrapped in bandages. He was likely the last remaining follower of the Radiant Path in all of Black Mountain.

At a time like this, if anyone else had spoken so heartlessly, the furious crowd would have already riddled him with bullets.

But Milton Jenkins had spent more than ten years helping the people of Black Mountain remove radiation. He worked diligently day after day, charged very little, and often acted out of pure charity. Because of this, he commanded great respect.

During Black Mountain’s earlier campaign to drive out followers of the Radiant Path, Milton Jenkins had been spared thanks to his popularity and prestige.

He had also been injured in the nuclear explosion. A falling beam had crushed his left arm, and he had been buried under the rubble. Fortunately, his neighbors pulled him out. Given his age, there was no hope of that arm ever healing properly again.

“Quiet,” Kenneth Bell said, raising a hand to calm the crowd. “No matter what, we have to demand an explanation from the Wilderness Rhino armed caravan. We’ll split into two groups. I’ll organize several teams to go after the Wilderness Rhino caravan. The rest of you will stay here and rebuild our home.”

No one objected. The survivors began pulling together what little strength remained. Word soon arrived from surviving wasteland hunters that they had spotted the Wilderness Rhino caravan’s vehicles in a northern canyon just a few days earlier. That gave them a rough direction to pursue.

The Wilderness Rhino caravan was most likely heading for Antonio Refuge City. Located at the heart of the continent, Antonio Refuge City sat at a major transportation crossroads. Many caravans stopped there to rest and trade goods. It was a true city of merchants and travelers.

Finn stood beside the blazing campfire, lost in thought. He had held a fairly good impression of Darius. The old man had worked himself to the bone for Black Mountain’s development and had even tried to force Olivia Hill to marry him.

Now Darius had been reduced to nothing in the nuclear blast. All Finn could do was sigh.

Olivia walked up to him, her back straight. “Master, may I ask you for something?”

Master… Finn only now remembered that Olivia had voluntarily become his maid. Being called “Master” by a beautiful blonde girl for the first time felt a little strange. Maybe he would get used to it after hearing it a few more times.

Finn met her bright blue eyes. “Go ahead. What is it? If it’s about rebuilding Black Mountain, I won’t agree. That’s already beyond what I can do.”

Olivia said seriously, “I want to ask you to help capture the Wilderness Rhino armed caravan! So many people died in the explosion, and we don’t have enough hands. If you’re willing to help, everyone will be grateful to you!”

Finn fell silent, thinking it over. Tracking down an armed caravan across the vast wasteland didn’t seem very practical.

The nuclear explosion had struck with terrifying force, wiping out what had once been a thriving home. Countless lives had been lost.

Finn understood that this had become a deep scar on Olivia’s heart. If he forcibly took her away and ignored Black Mountain’s current crisis, and if things went wrong, the once lively and cheerful girl might fall into a shadow she could never escape.

Thud!

Without waiting for an answer, Olivia dropped to her knees and grabbed Finn’s pant leg. Her voice broke with grief and desperation. “Master! Please! You’re all I have left! My only hope!”

Fine. For the sake of his own maid’s mental health, he’d help her out. Finn pulled Olivia to her feet and gently drew her into his arms. “Alright.”

“Thank you, Master!” Olivia pressed against Finn’s chest, trembling faintly. A fragile smile finally returned to her face.

Later, Olivia spoke with Temporary City Lord Kenneth Bell. When Kenneth heard that Finn, a Tier 5 Vanguard, was willing to help, he was overjoyed. He even suggested that Finn take over Darius’s position as City Lord, but Finn refused outright.

“Bro,” Jimmy sidled over and whispered, “You hiring any male servants? I’m pretty capable, you know!”

“Get lost. I only take female servants.” Finn waved him off helplessly. He really couldn’t accept someone like Jimmy as a servant.

“Then what if I dress as a girl? I look really good in women’s clothes!” Jimmy refused to give up.

“Scram. Go stand somewhere else and cool off.”

Jimmy silently shuffled far from the campfire, pouted, and let out a soft “Hmph,” saying nothing more.