Chapter 38 Recruitment and Requirements

Chapter 38: Chapter 37: Recruitment and Requirements

Faced with Han Ning’s question, the jacket-clad man standing on the road sign did not answer directly. Instead, he countered, "Brother, where did you come from?"

Han Ning furrowed his brows slightly. From the moment these two appeared, they had adopted a condescending, scrutinizing posture, and their tone was far from friendly. Naturally, he wouldn’t easily reveal his background.

Seeing Han Ning remain silent, the jacket-clad man didn’t mind. Instead, he chuckled, breaking the tense atmosphere. "Anyone who has survived this long isn’t a fool. It’s completely normal to have your guard up. My name is Chen Feng, and he is Lu Yunping. We are survivors from the Biyun Bay Resort to the east." After briefly introducing their identities, he asked, "You’re probably heading to Bailu Port for the boats, right?"

Han Ning gave a slight nod, silently confirming it.

"Just as I thought," Chen Feng said. "Bailu Port is deep within this mist. Going in without knowing the ropes is nothing but suicide.

"We hold intel on this foggy zone, including the behavioral patterns of some of the monsters inside.

"However," his tone shifted, "if you want access to this information, you have to join us. Moreover, we don’t take in anyone without capability. To join, you must pass our strength test and earn our approval."

"I have no interest in joining any organization," Han Ning said, shaking his head. He was used to acting alone, especially in this post-apocalyptic world where all order had collapsed. Besides, joining Liu Feng’s team last time had left him with some bad experiences.

"Don’t misunderstand, we aren’t some organization with strict hierarchies or mandatory orders," Chen Feng explained.

"It’s more like a platform for exchanging intel and trading supplies. It was spearheaded by a few relatively strong Awakened to attract capable and resourceful Awakened in the vicinity, Gathering us together to survive.

"Everyone who joins is of equal status. You can freely trade supplies, exchange intel, post or accept commissions, and form teams to explore more dangerous areas together. But the prerequisite is that you must have something worth sharing, or possess the ability to obtain valuable information."

Looking at Han Ning, Chen Feng’s tone turned far more serious. "If you want to quit, you can do so at any time. No one will stop you. But there is one universally acknowledged iron rule: once you leave, you cannot reveal the base’s location or any information about its members to anyone. Violators... will be treated as an enemy by everyone.

"A lot of this intel was piled up using human lives. Intel that can save your life is the most valuable hard currency in this apocalypse.

"There’s no getting something for nothing without paying the price."

Han Ning fell silent. In truth, he felt that Chen Feng’s words made a certain amount of sense. As a lone wolf, he really did need a platform where he could exchange goods and information. However, he did not trust the two men in front of him.

"Why should I believe you?"

"Heh." Chen Feng seemed to have anticipated this question and smiled faintly. "As long as you pass the test, I can give you a portion of the intel regarding the misty zone for free. This information will be enough for you to judge the authenticity and value of our intelligence.

"As for further, more in-depth intel—such as relatively safe routes, the distribution of danger sources deep in the mist, and the situation at the Bailu Port mooring area—you’ll need to trade or obtain that inside using your own methods.

"Whether you want to visit our base or participate in future trade Gatherings is entirely up to you.

"We won’t force anyone to stay. The Gathering location is open; you can come and go as you please, and no one will stop you."

If he could obtain a portion of the intel, Han Ning figured it was worth a try. After weighing the pros and cons, he looked up, met Chen Feng’s gaze, and gave a crisp, decisive answer: "Alright."

Seeing Han Ning agree, Chen Feng jerked his chin toward Lu Yunping beside him. "Yunping, go see what this brother is made of."

Lu Yunping shook his head decisively. "Not doing it. You lost the bet just now and still haven’t paid up those three live chickens. You want me to work? No way."

Chen Feng choked on his words, looking somewhat helpless. His figure blurred as he drifted down from the road sign, landing lightly in a relatively open clearing ahead where the pooled water only reached his calves. Any rainwater that came within ten centimeters of Chen Feng was entirely blown away by an invisible current of air.

His gaze swept over Snow Cake by Han Ning’s side. Holding up three fingers, he revealed a faint smile. "The rules are simple. If you can last three minutes against me, you pass the test. I will immediately honor my promise and give you a portion of the intel.

"Don’t worry, it’s just a friendly spar. I won’t take your life."

Han Ning’s gaze was calm as he nodded. "Alright."

"Careful now!"

Before his voice could even fade, Chen Feng’s figure vanished from where he stood.

WHOOSH WHOOSH WHOOSH!

The airflow swirling around the two of them abruptly accelerated, emitting a low, howling whistle of wind.

WHOOSH!

A powerful gust of wind violently exploded outward, using his vanishing point as the epicenter and kicking up massive splashes of water.

"ROAR!!"

Snow Cake, who had been ready to strike at any moment, was completely bewildered upon seeing the figure suddenly vanish. It could only constantly dart its eyes around, trying to catch a trace of the opponent.

"So fast!" Han Ning’s heart jolted. If his Mental Power hadn’t increased, he feared he wouldn’t even be able to lock onto the other party’s movement trajectory. "Snow Cake probably won’t be able to keep up with his speed."

The heightened sensory acuity brought by raising his Mental Power to 0.7 played a crucial role in this moment. He barely managed to catch a blurry afterimage moving at astonishing speed, carving out an erratic trajectory as it struck toward his left side!

SWISH SWISH SWISH.

Almost the exact instant Chen Feng launched into motion, Han Ning acted on reflex. A full fifteen dark green vines explosively shot out from the water surface in front of, beside, and even behind him.

Ever since his Vine Technique broke through from Middle Level to High Level, he hadn’t truly tested the power of the Advanced Vine Technique. Now was the perfect time to try it out.

The diameter of the vines summoned by the Advanced Vine Technique stabilized at roughly the thickness of three fingers. Compared to the Middle Level, their color was a much deeper, near-black shade of dark green. The sound of them tearing through the air was sharp and ear-piercing, and their speed was at least thirty percent faster than before.

[Vine Technique (High Level) Skill Level +1, Current: 5/500]

The fifteen vines wove together into a sprawling, inescapable net, accurately sealing off Chen Feng’s path of attack.

However, Chen Feng’s speed was simply too terrifying. While moving at high speeds, his body displayed an astonishing ability to change direction. Facing the strangling net of vines, his figure merely twisted and folded bizarrely. Like a willow catkin blowing in the wind, he actually slipped right through the gaps in the vines.

The terrifying force carried by the tips of the vines whipped viciously into the water, violently shattering a submerged chunk of concrete to pieces.

"Not bad power, but unfortunately, you’re way too slow!" Chen Feng’s slightly teasing voice rang out from behind Han Ning’s right side.

Immediately after, Han Ning felt a strong gust of wind blast his right side. Without him noticing, Chen Feng had already circled around to his flank. The five fingers of his right hand were pressed together like a blade, and a thin, rapidly swirling layer of pale cyan air had actually coalesced along the edge of his palm.