Chapter 40: Mad Gods!

As an almost first-tier city and also being central, radiating out to several satellite towns, it forms both an economic and a transportation hub. As a result, both house prices and rents in the city center are very high.

Even if they chose to rent a house in an old suburban neighborhood, the cost was not low. Therefore, the initial plan was to join an adventure group as soon as possible, then stand out and earn big money to move into a large villa.

However, dreams are beautiful, but reality is cruel.

Since the three of them had just graduated and still carried a touch of the ivory tower’s pride—which isn’t a problem, because what’s youth without a bit of madness?—the outcome was that the inferior adventure groups looked down on them, and the good ones were fiercely competitive. Even when they thought of part-time jobs like bricklaying, business only wanted necromancy beastmasters, especially skeletons that can work day and night without a meal break.

Competitive, it’s damn competitive!

The capitalists should all be hung from streetlights!

This resulted in a situation where, a month later, the three of them still hadn’t found suitable jobs.

During this period, the beast feed they bought for their pets was a significant expense, one they could not cut back on. Long-term inadequate nutrition would affect their beasts’ potential—unless they didn’t want to become powerful beastmasters.

As a result, the money they had brought from home could only last for another half a month. If they still couldn’t sort things out by that time, they would have to return home with their tails between their legs.

So the three of them gathered to hold a small meeting, to re-establish a new direction, and shifted their goal from becoming big shots to becoming excellent bounty hunters.

After all, before one could discuss high art, one had to take care of ordinary life’s necessities.

And the first task they took on was to hunt a Mad Blood Hyena, the job with the richest reward.

They planned to start their legend with this.

“I’ve caught you!”

Songyue had caught Zhao Bin, who had deliberately thrown the game. She hammered his shoulder fiercely a few times, and he put on a pained expression as if to make peace.

The three of them gathered together, and Chen Chi, acting as the brain of the group, pointed at the map and said:

“If we walk further ahead, we will reach the rune iron net at the junction of the Abandoned City District and the western edge of the city. The engraved sigils can prevent monsters from invading, but they don’t affect humans. We can just climb over it and we’ll be there.”

Zhao Bin was already impatient: “Then let’s hurry up. Eating meager meals all this time has nearly made my mouth go numb. Once we earn money, I’ll treat you both to a big meal.”

“Speak more civilly!” Songyue gave him a look and said worriedly: “Why did we come ten minutes early? Didn’t the property owner’s committee say there would be a fourth person? Shouldn’t we wait for him? Facing a pack-hunting monster like a Mad Blood Hyena, an extra person means extra strength.”

Chen Chi pondered upon hearing this, while Zhao Bin waved his hand indifferently and said:

“We are already a mature team. Not only is each of our strengths at the peak of Red Copper, but also, I can be the tank, you are the healer, and Chen Chi is in charge of control and command. It’s already perfect. An extra stranger might make coordination more difficult.

It’s solely because the client insisted that there must be four people for the task that we added an extra person. In reality, we don’t need him. Moreover, we aren’t looking to hog all the glory. When the task is completed, we’ll give him his share. Not having to work and getting paid will make anyone happy…”

Although he said this, Zhao Bin also had his own ulterior motives.

He wanted to show off in front of Songyue. If he could play the hero and save the damsel in distress, it might even kindle romance.

If a stranger joined, whether too strong or too weak, it could make things uncontrollable.

Sorry, stranger, you’ll have to bear with it this time. After the task’s reward is distributed, I’ll take my share and transfer an extra three thousand to you!

Zhao Bin thought to himself, barely hiding a smirk.

Chen Chi glanced at him, guessed his thoughts but didn’t expose him. Instead, he agreed:

“Zhao Bin is right. Whether the stranger can coordinate with us is one thing, but it’s worse if we run into some dark beastmasters. They especially like to disguise themselves and backstab newcomers to steal their pets and money. We can’t be too careful. We’ll just include his share of the money later on.”

“You both make sense…”

Songyue got a little scared and nodded her head. The three quickly arrived in front of the rune iron net following the map.

Many of the runes were damaged, and the iron net had several small holes. Although the Star Beast Tower was still operational, the nearby residential areas were already panicking,

after all, low-level monsters had infiltrated before. It was decades ago and quickly suppressed, but no one wanted to be the exception.

The three climbed over the wire fence and, after about ten minutes, quickly reached the outskirts of the Abandoned City District.

“So this is the abandoned old city district of Dayuan City…”

Songyue opened her mouth in surprise, looking at the ruins before her. The once magnificent skyscrapers were now in ruins.

And most strangely, a thick layer of reddish-brown rust covered everything, even on the glass.

Amongst all this rust, a lot of climbing plants had taken root: ivy, climbing roses, Dichondra, and bougainvillea, etc. Only their colors had become reddish-brown, signifying new life on these wastelands.

Chen Chi looked at his surprised childhood friend and explained with a smile: “I looked up information. The reason this city district was abandoned was because, decades ago, a group of evil god sect members held a sacrifice here, using hundreds of thousands of people’s flesh and blood to summon a powerful minion of an evil god that went on a massive killing spree, resulting in countless deaths.

Although in the end it was killed by the League’s powerhouses, the city district’s after-effects of the battle covered it with a thick layer of rust, making it uninhabitable. Therefore, a new city district had to be built not far from there, and the old city became a buffer zone against monsters. That’s why there are a lot of powerful creatures lurking around the central market area.”

“What! You mean these rusts aren’t naturally oxidized but the remnants of those powerhouses’ power!?”

Songyue widened her eyes, unable to grasp the magnitude of such a force that could turn a city district inhabited by millions into ruins, just from the after-effects of battle.

Such beings were like gods and demons, right?

Chen Chi nodded with awe, saying, “I was also shocked when I found the information. These beings are like natural disasters, seemingly controlling a power called ‘Domain’, though it’s uncertain whether the rust was caused by that evil god’s minion or the League’s powerhouses…”

“No matter who it was, they were very powerful. I hope one day I can also become such a top powerhouse!” Zhao Bin looked admiring, yearning for a day when he could have the power to change heaven and earth at will.

After expressing their amazement, the three of them quickly adjusted their moods, as their primary goal was to hunt the Mad Blood Hyenas.

After searching for about ten minutes, they soon discovered a dozen Mad Blood Hyenas wandering at the entrance of an abandoned convenience store!

They looked similar to normal hyenas from afar, with intact heads, but their flesh had rotted away, presenting a dark red color. The flesh within their ribcages had fallen, revealing cold, white bones. And within those decaying bodies’ chests, a blood-red heart pulsed red light.

Many thin, red tentacles grew on it, spreading out of the skeletons, twisting irregularly, making them incredibly eerie.

These tentacles, animate as if alive, stretched out, grazing the ground as the hyenas lowered their heads, apparently searching for life.

One of the hyenas continuously probed, startled a rust-covered beetle that was about to escape, caught by a mass of blood tentacles, ripped with a crunch, devoured, feeding the blood-red heart.

In addition to claws and fangs, they had tentacles too for attacking.

“How disgusting…”

Songyue couldn’t help frowning. Chen Chi, also slightly unsettled, reminded her:

“I’ve read in books that Mad Blood Hyenas are likely degenerates of Bloodthirsty Hounds that devoured excessive amounts of fresh blood. During their transformation, they’re prone to sensing a hidden being known as ‘Mad God’ and become corrupted. Their hearts mutate, continuously producing a ‘Mad Blood’ and tentacles that drive the hyenas mad.

During this process, they frenziedly attack all living things, even their kin and offspring. Even as their bodies decay, their consciousness is enslaved by the heart, forcing their decaying bodies to continue hunting for it. However, if they can resist the madness, they might evolve…”

While they were discussing, a few Mad Blood Hyenas suddenly raised their heads, keenly catching the scent of living humans.

“Aoou!”

With a call to their kind, the Mad Blood Hyenas gathered, their wild gazes aimed at the three, emitting fierce growls. Like a flood of blood, they charged ferociously towards them…