Ah-Hao’s voice dropped, thick with a profound sense of sorrow and rage. “But those people... they never came back. Not a single one of them!”
“Later, everyone understood. It was a death sentence. They were trading their lives for a pittance. Fewer and fewer people volunteered after that...”
“Any criminals caught in the Outer City were forcibly sent to be test subjects, too. But it seemed like they never had enough of them. And then...”
“The poor in the Outer City started being framed for all sorts of things—theft, brawling... they’d be hauled away and never seen again.”
“Others just vanished into thin air. They’d go out to toss the trash at night or head to a remote spot to scavenge, and they’d just... disappear. Everyone guessed the company men were snatching them up in secret!”
“That’s why the poor without a place to stay fled the Outer City. They were terrified of being turned into test subjects, so they ran to the Ruin Zones and became refugees.”
“The poor in the Outer City at least have the status of legal citizens. The lords in the Inner City can’t just kill them without a reason. But we refugees are nothing! These company men... killing us or snatching us for experiments doesn’t cause them any trouble at all!”
Su Wan listened quietly.
So that was it.
If her previous attitude toward these three was based on their arrogance and aggression, then now, knowing who they represented, a certain line in her heart became clearer.
When Crow had tried to attack her earlier, killing intent had already surfaced in Su Wan's heart.
The reason she hadn't acted then was that she still needed Crow to deal with the monster.
Su Wan could tell that Eagle and the middle-aged captain alone couldn't kill that monster.
She also noticed that once she traveled to the Apocalyptic Plane, she became cold-blooded and calm.
Su Wan knew she had completely offended these three and the power behind them.
If these three were allowed to return alive, the consequences would be unimaginable.
She hadn't yet grown her wings, and the shelter was just starting; she didn't want to be exposed to that level of scrutiny.
She had to cut the weeds and pull them up by the roots!
As Su Wan’s gaze turned cold, thinking about how to use the domain advantage and Absolute Control to kill them, Black Rat walked out silently.
He had clearly been eavesdropping for a long time; the scar on his face looked even more hideous in the dim light.
His gaze swept over the battle outside. He licked his dry lips and lowered his voice. “Landlord, the kid is right. We can’t afford to offend the Panshi Company, and we can’t hide from them.”
“If even one of these three pieces of trash makes it back alive today, I’m afraid our Terminal Station Shelter will never know peace again.”
He paused, observing Su Wan’s reaction. Seeing no objection, he continued, “They must die! But this kind of dirty work shouldn’t trouble you, Landlord.”
“I’m willing to share your burdens. I guarantee I’ll handle it cleanly, leaving no loose ends.”
Su Wan turned her head, looking directly at this hunter for the first time since his punishment had made him obedient.
There was fear in his eyes, and greed, but right now, mostly an urgency to prove himself.
Someone like Black Rat, who had struggled on the edge of life and death for a long time, was precise and cold-blooded in his judgment of timing.
He wanted to use this pledge of loyalty to stabilize his position and even gain benefits.
Su Wan didn't fully trust Black Rat, but she admitted that him taking action was more appropriate than her doing it herself.
Black Rat was familiar with the laws of survival in the ruins, knew how to handle bodies and traces, and if something went wrong later, he could serve as a buffer.
Su Wan nodded slightly. “Take everything from them, especially communication devices and identification. Bring it all back.”
“Yes! Rest assured, Landlord! I’ll handle it perfectly!” Black Rat’s eyes flashed with a sharp light as he immediately agreed.
This was the word he was waiting for.
He quickly checked his belongings: a poisoned crossbow bolt, a triangular military bayonet, and a piece of tough steel wire.
He took a deep breath, that habitual sinister caution of a ruin hunter reappearing on his face.
The battle outside reached its peak of brutality and brevity.
Driven by the threat of death and survival instincts, the three exploration team members exploded with their final potential.
Even though Crow was severely wounded in the abdomen, his eyes were bloodshot as he poured his remaining mental power and rage into his specialized handgun!
A concentrated beam of crimson energy shot out, accurately entering the depths of the monster's wide-open mouth as it roared, triggering a muffled explosion and a shrill scream!
Eagle squeezed out the last of his Wind Ability, his figure turning into an afterimage!
The high-frequency vibration dagger in his hand stabbed into a crack on the monster's side at an incredible angle, vibrating at high frequency to widen the wound.
And the captain, Rock Wall, didn't try to detoxify or save himself. Instead, he poured all his remaining Earth Ability recklessly into the ground beneath him!
【Earth Ability: Sinkhole Cage】!
The already unstable ground beneath the monster suddenly softened and collapsed!
Countless sharp rock spikes thrust out from all directions. Although most were blocked by the monster's hard shell and swinging bone blades, a few managed to pierce the monster's relatively soft abdomen and lower joints!
“ROAR—!!!”
The monster let out a deafening roar of pain, its massive body twisting violently due to the agony and the collapsing ground, losing its balance.
Thick, foul-smelling dark green blood gushed from its wounds simultaneously.
This desperate strike became the final straw that broke the camel's back.
The monster's massive body crashed onto its side, kicking up a cloud of dust.
It struggled, making unwilling gasping sounds from its mouth, its bone blades waving feebly a few times before gradually stiffening, its life force rapidly dissipating.
The monster was dead, but the three men were also at the end of their ropes, severely wounded and near death, finding it difficult to even move a finger.
Just then, a black shadow darted out from behind the cover to the side!
It was Black Rat! He had been waiting for this exact moment!
The moment when the prey and the hunter were both exhausted and broken!
He didn't use his crossbow; instead, he held a triangular military bayonet with blood grooves.
His movements were swift, silent, and ruthless, aiming straight for the vitals!
Thwip!
The bayonet accurately pierced behind Crow’s ear, penetrating the brain.
Crow didn't even have time to make a sound before the light in his eyes vanished instantly.
Eagle, seeing this, his face changed drastically. He let out an angry roar, “Lowlife! You're looking for death—”
Rate on N.U.
