Chapter 66: Antonio Refuge City

Without wasting a moment, Acting City Lord Kenneth Bell dispatched five squads. They set out in different directions to track the Wilderness Rhino armed merchant convoy, determined to demand an explanation no matter the cost.

Given Finn’s overwhelming combat strength, Kenneth assigned a capable scout to Finn and Olivia.

She was a mutant girl named Penny Peterson. Her clothes were filthy, clear snot ran from her nose, and her brown hair was woven into dirty braids. She was only eleven years old. Her combat ability was only at the Tier 1 Vanguard level, yet she possessed a powerful detection ability called Earth Radar.

Whenever Penny lay on the ground with her ear pressed to the earth, she could pick up engine sounds, footsteps, and the sound of people running within a ten-kilometer radius. She could even accurately judge the number of people, their approximate weights, genders, and the size of any convoy. She was a living radar, perfect for reconnaissance.

Jimmy was still sulking off to the side. Finn had made it clear he wasn’t taking him into the fight, obviously treating him as dead weight and planning to leave him behind again.

Finn walked over, patted Jimmy on the shoulder, and pulled five bottles of healing potion and one Nine Revolutions Resurrection Pill from his storage space. He pressed them into Jimmy’s hand.

“Thirty Contribution Points. You’re a grown man now. Learn to protect yourself, and don’t get yourself killed,” Finn said.

Jimmy accepted the items carefully, excitement flashing across his face. He scratched his head, looking thoroughly confused. “Bro, what do you mean by thirty Contribution Points?”

Finn didn’t answer. He climbed into the fully fueled off-road vehicle with Olivia and Penny Peterson. Its bright headlights pierced the darkness as they sped off into the boundless wasteland.

……

The next morning, on the cracked and potholed old-world interstate highway, the off-road vehicle carrying Finn, Olivia, and Penny came across a convoy.

Most of the vehicles were cargo trucks piled high with supplies. Only a single pickup truck with a heavy machine gun mounted on it led the way at the front. Their armed strength didn’t seem particularly strong.

Judging by their direction, the convoy was heading toward Black Mountain.

Olivia raised her binoculars, took one look, and said in surprise, “It’s the Holy Army of Deliverance from the Radiant Path!”

The off-road vehicle’s wheels turned sharply, and it swept sideways across the interstate, blocking the convoy’s path. Olivia jumped out with a submachine gun in hand and stood unflinching before the heavy machine gun mounted on the pickup truck.

“Beautiful lady, why stop a convoy bringing salvation?” A red-robed man stepped down from the cab of one of the trucks. His hair was graying, and he introduced himself as a priest of the Radiant Path, the leader of this convoy.

“What are you going to Black Mountain for?” Olivia asked warily.

The red-robed man traced the symbol of the Radiant Path on his chest and said:

“A fellow believer sent word over the radio. Black Mountain has suffered a terrible misfortune. They were using a nuclear reactor from before the Cataclysm, and the nuclear energy turned against them, triggering an explosion. Many people lost their lives, and the survivors have been left homeless and displaced.”

“As soon as we heard the news, we sent food and purified water to help the suffering residents of Black Mountain.”

Olivia wasn’t entirely convinced. She activated her X-ray vision ability and scanned the convoy, confirming it carried only grain, canned purified water, tents, bandages, and other supplies.

Only then did she relax. “Have you seen an armed merchant convoy called ‘Wilderness Rhino’?” she asked.

“No. Poor souls. May the light of Holy Radiance protect you.” The red-robed man placed a hand on his chest as he spoke.

Finn and Olivia climbed back into the off-road vehicle, drove around the convoy, and continued in the direction the Wilderness Rhino convoy was likely heading.

“The people from the Radiant Path are really kind!” Penny said from the back seat. She turned to watch the supply convoy disappearing into the distance, a small spark of hope in her eyes.

The little girl sniffled and sighed. “If only the adults would listen to the Radiant Path and stop using nuclear reactors.”

Olivia drove in silence. She usually shared her father’s dislike for the Radiant Path, but now that they were actively delivering aid, she couldn’t bring herself to say anything against them.

Finn switched on the off-road vehicle’s FM radio, turned the copper dial, and tuned it to the Radiant Path broadcast. A cool female voice was reporting the news:

“Black Mountain has suffered a major nuclear explosion. Many innocent people died in the blast, and most of the high-ranking personnel were killed. It’s said City Lord Darius Smith also perished in the explosion…”

“Their information network is far too efficient,” Finn said with a frown.

“Maybe other Radiant Path followers are leaking the news!” Olivia’s temper flared. “They shouldn’t have spread it! Black Mountain’s military has nearly collapsed. It’s like a wounded elk—with no help from its own kind, the smell of blood will only draw in hyenas and vultures!”

Although Black Mountain had taken heavy losses, half of its wealth and reserves remained intact. Whether it was roaming wasteland bandits or other factions, all of them would be eyeing the remaining spoils of this fat prize.

By rushing to broadcast the news, the Radiant Path radio would only make the blood from Black Mountain’s wound spread farther and faster. Trouble was coming for the survivors in Refuge City.

The off-road vehicle raced northward across the open desert. In less than a day, they arrived at Antonio Refuge City.

“Master, we’ve arrived,” Olivia said to Finn, gradually slowing down.

Before them stood a Refuge City crisscrossed by roads. There were no towering skyscrapers from before the Cataclysm, only low brick-and-wood buildings. These structures were scattered across the desert in small clusters, like pieces of yellow cake strewn over a cloth of sand.

The location offered convenient transportation. Seven or eight dilapidated asphalt roads and interstate highways intersected within the Refuge City, with dusty dirt paths cutting through as well. Countless jeeps, pickups, vans, and trucks moved through the streets, and there was even the rare sight of a traffic jam.

This city had no walls. Only a few stone fortresses stood around the Refuge City, each mounted with heavy machine guns. Sentries patrolled in small groups, their attitude relaxed and lazy.

The Refuge City itself had no valuable resources to plunder. It had grown prosperous purely because of its position as a transportation hub.

The off-road vehicle slowly pulled into a gas station. They didn’t even need to get out. After they paid with dollar coins, the attendant brought over the fuel hose and filled the tank.

The three of them got out and decided to find a well-informed place to ask around first.

“Master, let me carry your backpack for you,” Olivia offered eagerly, reaching for the tactical pack on Finn’s shoulder.

“No need. Just look after your own things,” Finn said, waving her off.

His own tactical backpack was only for show anyway. Everything important stayed in his storage space.

Olivia, by contrast, was loaded down with weapons and ammunition. A submachine gun hung at her waist, a massive sniper rifle was strapped to her back, bullet belts wrapped around her midsection, and grenades filled her pockets. She was fully armed and carrying a heavy load.

Lately she had been respectfully calling Finn “Master,” and she did so with complete naturalness. In truth, Finn didn’t care much about what his maids called him. He wasn’t the type to get hung up on formalities.

If every maid used the exact same title, it would feel monotonous and lose all variety. He preferred things to stay interesting.

Finn hoped that in the future, different maids would address him with different titles—things like husband, my king, general, my lord, sensei, Chairman, professor, mentor, sir, Captain, Emperor, chief, sifu, old master, big brother, daddy.