Love and passion, cutting up the wasteland.

Because of the status of the shield guards, it is much easier for people to enter the Mine Town than for people inside to come out. The former almost accepts everyone, while the latter must consider their identity to ensure that they are not people from the Mine Town who have been labeled as "bloody remnants". In fact, only a few organizations that have obtained the United City's charter have this qualification.

However, Tech Hunter is one of them.

"But..." Someone raised a question at this time, "If the coalition forces really want to destroy the Sorrow Mine Town and purge everyone here, why don't they just withdraw all defenses and hand the city over to the Beakbeasts?"

The town of Ai Mine stands on a wasteland of bones, and has also suffered from repeated plunder and attacks from beast disasters. Although the shield guards are powerless and unwilling to resist foreign enemies, they live on the city walls, and there are also watchtowers, fortresses, and towns inside... In order to protect themselves from being killed by giraffes, they objectively weaken the impact of each beast disaster.

Even Kone of the Farstrider clan escaped the last time he went south for trade by hiding in a fortress controlled by the Sorrowful Mine Shield Guards.

The shield guards' living needs almost all depend on the supply and trade from the outside world, forming a small social form along the city wall. The things that leak out after a layer of circulation and digestion, to some extent, also feed a lot of wild people in the outer city.

Although it sounds cruel - but if they are the only ones to maintain the cleansing of the people in Ai Mine Town, it might be more efficient than directly disbanding the organization.

There were many different opinions around the campfire. Some said that this was just the bad taste of the nobles of the United Cities, who turned the entire city into the largest arena. Others said that this showed that they were not yet so crazy, and maybe they had once been determined to rebuild the Mine Town, which was why they left behind an organization... There were speculations everywhere, and there was even a tendency for quarrels.

"If there is something that meets the coalition's goal, but they fail to accomplish it - it must not be because they don't want to, but because they don't have the ability to do it." At this time, Lu Meng spoke up, "Or maybe there are greater interests that cannot be given up."

"Have you seen the map I gave you before?"

Everyone looked at him and nodded.

It was a copied map of Ai Mine Town, which used to be the imperial capital. Countless people had measured its geographical surroundings, combined with the information about the Bloody Rebellion that Bo had, Chad's life, and the adventure experiences of Ji Hailukin and others... Finally, it was produced under Lu Meng's revision.

Lu Meng used the firelight to spread out his portion and show it to everyone.

In this square city-state, the outermost part is the internal defense line held by the shield guards, and next is the area where the wild people in the city live. The southwest direction is dyed a large area of ​​blue by ink.

That is the area controlled by Kaiton City today.

As for their own location, it is just a newly marked red dot.

However, this was not what Lu Meng wanted to show everyone. His finger continued to move inward, past the living area of ​​the wild people.

Next, there was a blank.

There are no routes, patterns or markings, nor are there any signs indicating any faction.

It’s not that there isn’t.

But it is impossible to detect and there are no clues.

Everyone understands.

That was the core of the town of Sorrow, the truly prosperous part of this mining capital in the past. In comparison, where they were now was just a suburban slum.

It was also after experiencing drastic changes.

The fastest decline and the biggest change in appearance.

As a result, past maps are completely unusable.

"The people living in there are mountain dwellers and city dwellers... We were warned not to have any contact with them in the past," Chad began, "but to be honest, we rarely see them here."

Moreover, even the wild people in the outermost areas have such a difficult life, not to mention those in the mining areas and urban areas.

How many are still alive?

It's all unknown.

"But look," Lu Dai, who had been watching the show, came up to Lu Meng and pointed at the boundary between the wild folks and the empty space in the city. "If the shield guards are used to prevent the wild folks from charging and escaping, then this circle of the wild folks themselves, doesn't it seem to be used to prevent them as well?"

silence.

"Uh, sorry for talking nonsense..." The mechanic apprentice retracted his head in disappointment.

"No, it's possible." Lu Meng continued, "But to say 'defense' is a bit too much, they are more like a buffer."

Trapped the wild folks with shield guards.

Then use them to wrap up the blank inner city.

"It is impossible to know whether the coalition forces had the intention to rebuild and control Ai Mine Town..." Lu Meng said, "But they definitely did not intend to completely abandon this place."

The South United City at that time was in its heyday. In addition to the current Kaidun, Wandering End and other places participating in the war, there were actually many more city-states.

It’s just a pity that they perished before the Ai Mine Town they besieged.

For example, the farm fort is constantly being eroded by the burning forest.

For example, the old prison town further south.

Even Tian Xin Li Zheng, who is now famous in the south, was not a small soldier at that time. He was just a hooded guard of the Tian Xin family in Kaidun City and might not be able to participate in the top-level strategy of suppressing the Bloody Rebellion and blocking the Sorrow Mine.

Lu Meng thought.

I'm afraid the other side is also very confused about the coalition's original intention of making such an arrangement.

This time, the Kaiton City seems to have controlled nearly 80% of the sphere of influence. It is impossible to compete with them - but this is limited to the known areas.

More in the city and mining areas.

Still blank.

This is where everyone fell silent.

According to their thinking, if they want to control Ai Mine Town this time, no matter what kind of speculation and arguments there are, there is at least one consensus: use the settings originally left by the coalition forces to control Ai Mine Town.

After actually entering the city, many warriors from Shem realized the gap: even if it had been abandoned, the depth of a mine town was several times greater than that of the White Eyebrow Valley, and even the base of the largest tribe on the grassland could not compare to them.

The area is impossible to measure.

If we must compare, perhaps only Flash City, which is still in the planning and future stage, can be compared with it.

It is impossible to control such a city-state without utilizing the existing organizations, so everyone is so concerned about the existing structure during the discussion.

However, the Shield Guards were an organization left behind by the United Cities, and Kaedun City had taken the lead. They had no advantage in terms of strength, inclination, or timing.

If this were not the case, then Aikuang Town could not be said to be under the control of Kaiton City.

In fact, many people are somewhat discouraged.

Now, the Red King has pointed out a clear way.

However, if the shield guard was really set up out of necessity - even the coalition forces that suppressed the Bloody Rebellion were unable to do what they wanted to do, leaving such a large blank.

How could it be possible for me?
"The same goes for Kaiton City." Lu Meng said with a smile, "This means that they are facing the same dilemma as us, and their mastery of the shield guards is unlikely to help Tian Xinli Zheng much."

It's the same starting line.

Do not……

He looked at Chad and Bo.

The rugged and deep mine veins, the prosperous urban area that has undergone changes...the places that the coalition forces cannot explore are different for the other group.

——The rebel army of the Bloody Rebellion itself.

The ashes of the anti-slavery activists are the orthodox "blood remnants", the old people who have survived from the previous generation to the present.

Although he couldn't come in person this time, with Bo here, she had long been entrusted by the Beehive Prince to do her best to help Lu Meng, but she didn't expect that the other party turned to the depression lagoon halfway - although this was a necessary move in hindsight, it objectively helped her to untie the knot in her heart.

Chad said they were wild people, and according to tradition they were warned not to touch the inner city, but in fact, because of the relationship between Ji Hai and Lu Jin, they were the ones who really went deep into it. It was even because of this reason.

Ji Hai then developed that strange illness.

In fact, it is not a disease.

Rather, the skyrocketing ability to tame animals has in turn distorted the transformation of the human body itself - to communicate with animals, a tamer cannot be the same as an ordinary person, and the so-called ability to tame animals will not be passed down only among the tribes of Shandi in a way similar to clan bloodline.

Lu Meng promised Ji Hai that she could help him with his treatment. In fact, what really needed to be done was to help him improve his strength and better fill the gap between his talent for animal taming and his actual strength. Every time the young man fell ill, it was after he overused his animal taming ability. This was an example.

After finding the root cause, not only did the number of attacks decrease, but his talent for animal taming was further consolidated and controlled. It could almost replace Lu Meng's original work in this area, which was a blessing in disguise.

If one wants to continue improving their animal taming abilities, they have to start with animals that they are more friendly to - if they are of the same type, that's fine, but if they are alien creatures, it may even affect the trainer's own brain structure in turn, causing them to transform towards the creatures they have tamed in order to gain a stronger affinity.

Thinking will also change accordingly.

No one knows how long it will take to cross the critical point.

Ji Hai is already lucky.

It is still within the scope of a normal animal taming genius.

Back in the Sorrowful Mine Town, why and where did he begin to undergo such a mutation, as well as Chad's subsequent investigation written in cipher text...all this information is tools to help Lu Meng go deeper into the Sorrowful Mine Town.

Lu Dai was somewhat happy that her first speech was recognized. She continued to stare at the map and glanced at Lu Meng's profile in the firelight. She suddenly remembered some rumors about this unknown person.

So he quietly approached and said:
"Honestly...you really don't know the way inside?"

"What is inside the Sorrowful Mine Town..."

"what are you saying?"

Lu Meng glanced at her with a hint of doubt in his eyes: "Isn't this my first time here?"

"Oh oh." Lu Dai reacted, realized that he had asked a stupid question, and closed his mouth.

"However, even if it is on the outskirts, there should be people who have been active in the inner city before, right?" After deciding on the strategy of continuing to go deeper rather than fighting with Kaiton City from the outside, someone asked.

"Yes," Chad nodded, "That's another organization besides the Shield Guards. They were also recruited from the wild folk."

"Wild Blood Hunt."

……

……

Izumi's heart was pounding, he was breathing heavily, and he looked back from time to time.

She felt a sharp pain in her lower abdomen.

It feels like I'm out of breath.

It's no wonder. Not only was he running anxiously, he was also eating while running - the bread around his waist was now only half left.

Seeing this in Izumi's eyes, he felt even more distressed.

This is a shortage of food rations for several days.

But this was not her fault. If she hadn't replenished some energy temporarily, given her already weak condition, she wouldn't have had the strength to support herself to run here and escape the fate of being captured.

I'm afraid I'll faint halfway.

That would be tantamount to death.

Fortunately, in the end, I still brought back a few loaves of bread, so it was a gain.

Izumi tried his best not to think about the long period of time he had to stay in the same place. If he was so worried about every mistake, then life would be full of despair.

How painful it must be to live.

After confirming that no one was following him, Izumi groped forward towards a dim light in his field of vision, and finally found his own little house - a collapsed attic.

The girl opened the window and went in.

"Snapped!"

What came towards him was a slap in the face, and Izumi was knocked flying. His skinny limbs fell heavily to the ground, and he felt even more pain than when he hit that person just now.

It was so blurry that she could hardly get up.

"Why did you come back so late?" A man in a tattered cloak, who was probably just in his early forties but already covered with wrinkles, raised his right hand, but he finished beating first before asking, "I thought your wings had hardened and you finally wanted to fly away."

"I won't leave." Izumi finally regained consciousness and lowered his head and said, "...Dad, I won't leave."

She seemed to remember something and pretended to reach for her waist, but the man had already seen the belt and the bread in the bag. His eyes lit up and he snatched it away: "Good stuff."

But he frowned again: "Why is it only so little?"

"You were out all night and only brought me four loaves of bread?"

There were five of them, and there were two pieces that she broke off and hid in her sleeves. They were broken but still edible... But Izumi didn't say it out loud.

She knew her father didn't want to hear it.

Can't remember the number either.

As for the fact that I originally had more gains, but I met a weird person along the way, and even almost couldn't come back... there is no need to mention it, as it will only lead to scolding.

As Izumi expected, although the man cursed, even if there were only 'four' loaves of bread left, it was still an excellent harvest among the savages. The corners of his mouth raised with a satisfied smile.

This made the girl feel a little relieved.

But, the next moment.

Her heart was immediately gripped.

My father took out a piece of bread from the cloth bag. The satisfied expression on his face disappeared in an instant, replaced by a cold and solid look.

"Izumi." He squatted down and handed the bread to his daughter.

"Are you very hungry?"

On the cut of the half-cut bun, there were tiny teeth marks from the little girl.

Izumi's body trembled instantly.

Even when she had just faced a life-and-death threat, her reaction had not been so violent.

"It's okay, tell Dad..." The man pulled up the corner of his mouth, "You are..."

"Are you really that hungry?"

At night in Aikuan Town, there were conversations and plotting around the campfire, people sharpening their swords like they were practicing Zen, there were prayers, there were screams from those under the city walls being driven off by sporadic flying arrows, there were bloody bites in the moonlight as bright as day... and there were also people crying quietly.

Finally, everything disappeared in the wind.

(End of this chapter)