Leviathan's Rules
Liu Xia looked at Song Xuan silently, as if looking at the void, but in fact he was already immersed in his own thoughts.
If this is the price, as Song Xuan said before, Liu Xia really would not want to stay here as a resident. This price... is really too terrible.
"Then what other rules are there?" Ding Ruotong asked.
Song Xuan walked to the sofa and motioned for them to sit down, then looked at Ding Ruotong who was still full of curiosity about the Black Gold City.
"The second rule is that all ordinary residents are forbidden to leave the City of Black Gold for the rest of their lives. Only hunting teams, with permission from the Hunters' Guild affiliated with Leviathan, can go out hunting. They kill mutant beasts in the contaminated area to obtain mutant cores. This is also the main way for the City of Black Gold to obtain energy."
"So the only way to enter and exit the Black Gold City is to join the hunting team?" Liu Xia paused and said, "Then what is the way to join the hunting team?"
Song Xuan patiently explained, "Every summer, the Hunter Guild holds a three-day Hunter selection competition. An area is designated within the contaminated area for the competition, and participants compete individually."
"After three days, the contestants will be evaluated based on the mutant cores they have obtained. The top 100 will receive the title of Hunter, and the top 10 will have the opportunity to join the Leviathan Hunting Team."
"Everyone who obtains the title of Hunter will receive corresponding housing and living supplies. However, in return, the lowest-level E-level Hunters must pay three Exotic Beast Cores to the union every month. Hunters of other levels must pay more, otherwise they will be stripped of their Hunter title and gradually demoted to ordinary residents."
"Corresponding level?"
"The rank is determined by the Exotic Beast Cores obtained during the competition. The rules vary from year to year, but the S-rank is fixed. You must obtain at least one Exotic Beast Core that reaches level six. However, few people would dare to challenge a mutant beast of this difficulty."
"Level 6 Exotic Beast Core?" Liu Xia recalled the first time he met Song Xuan. He turned to look at him and asked, "So, when we killed the mutant queen ant in the contaminated area, was it because you were participating in the Hunter selection?"
Song Xuan nodded, acknowledging her guess: "Yes and no... I was indeed participating in the Hunter selection at that time."
His gaze softened from heavy to heavy, a gentle smile playing on his lips. "However, I was chasing a mutant pangolin when I accidentally left the designated competition area and entered a mutant ant nest. That's how I got the chance to meet you again."
Liu Xia felt a little uncomfortable under his fixed gaze. He coughed lightly and said, "So you were in the competition at that time. No wonder you left in a hurry after killing the mutant ant queen. But why didn't you take the level 5 alien beast core?"
Song Xuan was stunned when asked this question, and replied as a matter of course, "That's what you wanted. Of course I won't take it away."
"If there weren't only a few hours left in the game, I wouldn't have been so anxious to leave." He sighed and continued, "I wouldn't have spent so much time looking for you later. It's a pity that you didn't even remember who I was by then."
Liu Xia recalled the disappointment in Song Xuan's eyes when they met for the second time at the "Laotao Restaurant". He seemed to understand that everything had a traceable path.
Song Xuan stood up, picked up the backpack on the coffee table, and handed the room key to the still-contemplative Liu Xia. With a serious expression, he instructed, "I'm going to the Hunter Guild to take care of some things. You guys rest here first. If you need to go out, don't leave this area."
"Your current status is somewhat awkward. Outsiders are prohibited from wandering around the city. Although patrols rarely come here, it would still be troublesome if they discovered you."
Liu Xia took the key and nodded.
Although no one knew what method Song Xuan had used to lead them into the Black Gold City, and what kind of risks he had taken to help them hide their identities, judging from his tone and expression, it wasn't just a simple "a bit troublesome".
After Song Xuan left, Ding Ruotong, who had hardly slept in the past two days, washed up and fell asleep on the bed in the second bedroom. Although Liu Xia had not rested mentally, his body had been lying down all the time, which made him very energetic.
After doubling his daily training while sweating profusely and taking a comfortable hot bath in the bathroom, Liu Xia sat on the sofa refreshed and thought about what he would do next.
Judging from the currently known intelligence, the Black Gold City undoubtedly has the best living conditions, but it also has the most restrictions on individuals. Although Song Xuan did not specify the specific content of reproductive rights, one can roughly guess some clues, which are nothing more than the inability to marry on one's own.
As for how the children will be allocated, Liu Xia doesn't care. As a modern person, she will not tolerate being arranged by others as to whether she wants to have children or with whom she wants to have them.
The people in the garbage area seemed free, but their living conditions were extremely poor. With the abilities of the three of them, it wasn't difficult to obtain survival resources. However, the rebellion at the mine resulted in the murder of Shen Wanren, and the situation was now in a state of turmoil. He was a direct participant and a key figure in the outcome.
Shen Wanren is dead but the hive still exists. No one knows what changes will happen to the garbage area in the future.
After careful consideration, the situation on both sides does not look optimistic. For now, it is better to hide in the Black Gold City to recuperate and quickly obtain the supplies required by the black market doctor to replace He Tianlin's heart. It would be better to discuss a place to live permanently with his companions after the situation calms down.
"Do you still want to tell Song Xuan your identity now?"
She had already thought about this matter before and was determined to tell it. There was no doubt about that. She could no longer hide it from this man who was deeply attached to her original self.
At this moment, the human instinct of seeking good and avoiding danger made Liu Xia feel a little troubled. He Tianlin's mechanical heart had not been replaced yet. If she told this, would Song Xuan be unwilling to continue helping her because she was not the original Liu Xia?
Although Liu Xia has always been decisive and ruthless in killing evildoers, she is essentially a kind and gentle person. It's just that this inner core has always been hidden by her powerful appearance and abilities.
In fact, I have thought about waiting until I get the mechanical heart and replace it with He Tianlin, but that would be no different from deceiving someone else's feelings.
On one hand, it was a matter of life and death for He Tianlin, and on the other hand, he felt guilty about deceiving his friend. This dilemma gave Liu Xia a headache, and he couldn't help but cover his eyes and sigh.
…
At this moment, Song Xuan had no idea of the distress in Liu Xia's heart.
After walking out of the dilapidated neighborhood with his backpack, he did not go to the "Hunter's Guild" in the city center as he said, but walked in the opposite direction with a cold expression.
As night falls, the nightlife of the City of Black Gold is about to begin. There are more and more pedestrians on the streets, and the fatigue of a day's work appears on their faces.
Most people on the street flocked to the direction Song Xuan had gone in the afternoon. When they gathered in a crowded block, the fatigue on people's faces gradually eased, and smiles gradually appeared on the numb cheeks of these residents.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com