Helping each other with countless me.

Chapter 595 License
early morning.

Li Zhongren woke up from his not-so-sounding sleep. The light coming in from the window was still that familiar, dim yellow light, as if covered with a layer of oil stains.

The air was filled with rust, dust, and an indescribable, faintly sweet and fishy smell emanating from the distant wilderness.

This is the norm in the main world.

He took a deep breath, feeling the spot in his inner pocket where the crystal that had disappeared and transformed into external nourishment had once been, and a sense of peace welled up within him.

The power of the cheat was his greatest asset in this desperate world.

After washing up, he walked out of the dilapidated apartment building.

The streets downstairs were beginning to awaken, but it was unlike any other "morning" in the world.

There are no birdsong or fragrant flowers here, only the harsh noise of metal rubbing together, the hissing of steam pipes releasing pressure in the distance, and the numbness and vigilance on the faces of most pedestrians.

However, the human capacity for adaptation is astonishing.

Even in such a repressive environment, the warmth and vitality of daily life still stubbornly persist.

On the street corner, a short queue stood in front of a snack stall emitting billowing white steam.

The stall owner was an old man with a metal prosthetic arm, who was skillfully using tongs to pick out a kind of food similar to a roujiamo (Chinese hamburger) from a boiling pot that emitted a strange but tempting aroma.

The flatbread looked rough, and the "meat" inside was dark in color, but the aroma was exceptionally strong, mixed with the smell of some kind of spicy seasoning, which effectively masked the unpleasant smells in the environment.

"Old Zhang, same as always."

A tired-looking man in overalls handed over a few rough banknotes bearing the city's emblem.

"okay."

The old stall owner quickly wrapped up the food and handed it over.

Li Zhongren felt the change in his pocket and joined the queue.

He ordered the same food as well as a hot, cloudy drink made from the roots of an unknown plant, but high in calories.

He leaned against the not-so-dirty wall next to the stall, slowly eating his breakfast from another world.

The flatbread was rough and scratchy, and the "meat" inside was chewy but its origin was unclear. The hot drink had an earthy and bitter taste, but it did provide calories and a feeling of fullness. People around ate silently and walked by hurriedly. Occasionally, a patrol team in uniform would pass by, their sharp eyes scanning the crowd.

A peculiar sense of disconnect arises spontaneously.

On one side is the daily life that is being maintained with a touch of everyday life, while on the other side are the distorted details that are everywhere, reminding you that this world has already collapsed, such as the metal prosthetics of the stall owner, the strange smell that never dissipates in the air, and the fear hidden in the eyes of pedestrians.

While eating, Li Zhongren sorted out his thoughts and memories of his predecessor.

His ability allows him to travel between parallel worlds without a defined cooldown period.

But he could sense that using it required consuming a special kind of "energy".

The twisted crystal that was absorbed yesterday clearly replenished this "energy" considerably.

He speculated that this energy likely originated from the distorted object itself.

Destroying the distorted objects, acquiring crystals, feeding the cheat codes, extending travel time, and gaining stronger survivability—it's a perfect positive cycle.

"Energy... the power of distortion..."

He thought to himself silently.

"The stronger the cheat, the longer I can be 'normal'."

Although the memories of the previous incarnation were ordinary, they contained basic common sense about this world.

This is a post-apocalyptic era where humanity huddles in city fortresses built around supernatural powers.

Beyond the city lies a forbidden zone known as the "Wilderness," a place where distortion and mutation reign supreme, physical laws are more chaotic, and danger lurks everywhere. Ordinary people who leave the city's energy barriers and purification towers have an extremely low chance of survival.

This gave rise to the special professional group of "hunters".

They are professionals born to address the distorting threats both inside and outside the city.

They can be roughly divided into several categories:

Bounty hunters primarily hunt down superhumans or ordinary people who commit crimes using twisted powers or technology.

The City Hunter is responsible for dealing with occasional, small-scale twisted events or mutated creatures within the city, such as the chainsaw he encountered yesterday.

Revenant hunters are the most dangerous and legendary group of hunters.

They formed teams, venturing deep into the wilderness to hunt powerful Twisted Creatures, collect rare materials, explore ruins, and even attempt to establish outposts. They are the main force for the city to acquire advanced Twisted Materials and expand its living space.

Why "hunters" instead of an army?
The memories of the predecessor provided a vague answer: faced with the ubiquitous and bizarrely powerful distortions, traditional human wave tactics and disciplined forces were of little effect.

Individual exceptional abilities, experience in dealing with the bizarre, and the flexibility of the team are often more important.

Moreover, those who have vested interests and wield significant personal power would likely be unwilling to see a highly organized army with standardized and extraordinary military force emerge to diminish their power or even constrain them.

The existing city defense forces are mostly responsible for operating fixed, large-scale "super-tech" defensive weapons and maintaining basic order within the city.

"This has little to do with me."

Li Zhongren drank the last sip of the bitter hot beverage and made his decision.

His abilities are perfectly suited for the profession of "hunter".

Especially... City Hunter.

Going into the wilderness? Forget about it at this stage. His understanding of the wilderness is limited to hearsay and horror stories, and going alone would be suicide.

Bounty hunters need a network of relationships and intelligence sources, which he, a newcomer from another world, couldn't handle.

Only City Hunter deals mostly with twisted events within the city.

He can use his abilities to perfectly counter them—by dragging them to a parallel world and teaching them a lesson using the laws of physics!

It can not only hone your skills and acquire crystals to feed your cheat, but also earn money to make a living and even improve your status in this world.

with a clear purpose!

Li Zhongren threw the wrapping paper into the designated recycling bin and walked towards the direction of the "City Hunter Association" in his memory.

It's time to apply for a license.

With this skin, many of his movements would be much easier.

Of course, the application process may have some special aspects.
-
Dividing line

Li Zhongren boarded the rattling bus.

This vehicle was less a bus and more like a tin can with welded wheels and a makeshift engine, its exterior covered with repair marks and dark red rust.

The car was cramped and filled with the pungent smell of engine oil, sweat, and some kind of disinfectant.

He squeezed into a window seat and looked out the window.

The city slowly unfolded before his eyes.

This is a bizarre, chaotic, and orderly composite.

The low-lying shantytowns, built of scrap metal and concrete blocks, are adjacent to a few relatively intact old buildings whose exterior walls are covered with thick, phosphorescent vine-like structures.

Further away, enormous chimneys tirelessly spewed thick, eerily colored smoke, making the already dim yellow sky even more striking.

The most breathtaking sight is the view of the distant horizon.

Several broken pieces of skyscraper debris, as if cleaved in two by a giant axe and then carelessly discarded, defied all logic and floated in mid-air, slowly and silently rotating.

Unstable arcs of energy flickered at their broken ends, and occasionally huge, twisted shadows of flying creatures swept past them.

Those are the tombstones of the destruction of the old era, and also a direct declaration of the distorting forces of the new era, where the laws of physics have long been shattered.

Most pedestrians hurried along, their faces bearing the usual numbness and vigilance. Many of them carried the marks of this era.

Crude mechanical prostheses, rough electronic components embedded under the skin, or the inhuman glint that occasionally flashes in the eyes.

This is a world struggling to survive amidst ruins, profoundly transformed by a twisted force.

The bus struggled along amidst the bumps and noise, finally stopping at the edge of a slightly more spacious square.

Li Zhongren got out of the car; his target was right ahead: the City Hunter Association.

It was an extremely eye-catching building.

It is not a traditional skyscraper, but a huge, angular, dark metal pyramid-shaped tower.

The tower has few windows visible, and its surface is covered with thick armor plates and various sensors, antennas, and weapon arrays of unknown purpose.

The spire is not a lightning rod, but a complex, constantly rotating device that emits faint force field ripples, clearly designed to defend against attacks from the air or from afar.

This design is simple and robust, effectively resisting impacts from all directions, whether from twisted creatures outside the city or unstable factors within.

It stood there silently, like a lurking beast, exuding an aura of power and authority.

However, Li Zhongren did not head directly toward the heavy-looking metal door that required identity verification.

He stopped at the edge of the square, calmly analyzing the situation.

First, he is not a twisted superhuman. The association's review must have testing methods, and his ordinary human body simply cannot pass the test.

Secondly, yesterday there was a distortion near his home that led to an investigation by the Bureau of Investigation. Today, an ordinary person applies for a hunter's license. If we don't investigate further, it's fine, but if we do, we'll find it full of loopholes.

The risk is too high.

But he has a strategy that is almost impossible to solve.

Li Zhongren took a deep breath, his gaze fixed on the magnificent yet oppressive Hunter's Tower, and silently recited in his heart.

"Crossing."

"brush"

The world has shifted again.

Silent and unnoticed, yet earth-shattering.

The heavy, cold metal tower has disappeared, replaced by a five-story brick-and-mortar building that looks quite old, with some peeling paint on the walls and a white sign with black lettering hanging at the entrance.

[Street Residents Affairs Center]

The powerful defensive field and weapon system at the top of the pyramid have been transformed into a constantly rotating, somewhat cute LED screen on the rooftop, displaying slogans such as "Garbage sorting is everyone's responsibility" and "Neighborly harmony, building a harmonious community together."

The demeanor of the surrounding pedestrians has also completely changed.

Those hunters with prosthetic limbs, fierce eyes, and menacing aura have now become "volunteers" wearing red vests and red armbands.

The bustling atmosphere, full of life, replaced the oppressive silence, and the sunlight (real sunlight) shone on the streets, warm and peaceful.

"really."

Li Zhongren felt reassured, and at the same time, he clearly felt that the "energy" in his body, which was transformed from the twisted crystal, began to be slowly and steadily consumed.

Time is limited, we must be quick!

He strode into the "Street Residents Affairs Center," where people were coming and going, mostly elderly men and women who came to handle medical insurance, social security, or obtain certificates.

He went straight to a window with a sign that read "Volunteer Registration".

Behind the window sat an older woman who looked rather bored.

"Hello, ma'am, I would like to apply to join the city's safety volunteer team."

Li Zhongren flashed a smile that was as sunny and harmless as possible.

"Oh? That's great news, young man!"

The woman's eyes lit up; she was clearly pleased with this "labor" that had come to her door.

"If you want to be a volunteer, just fill out a form."

She handed me a poorly printed form.

The information is extremely simple: name, address, phone number, health status, criminal record, and type of volunteer you are applying for.

Li Zhongren took the form and glanced at it.

The focus is directly on the types of volunteers.

There are also three types.

These are, respectively, community security volunteers, city emergency response volunteers, and environmental protection volunteers both inside and outside the city.

After a brief analysis, Li Zhongren understood that these three types, in order, correspond to bounty hunters, city hunters, and the most difficult wilderness hunters.

Li Zhongren quickly filled in the information according to the previous person's information, and checked "city emergency" in the volunteer type.

The woman took the form, glanced at it casually, seemingly not caring whether the contents were true or false, then took out a plastic-covered work ID from the drawer, and used an old dot-matrix printer on the table to print Li Zhongren's name and number, and finally stamped it with a red seal of "Xinqiao Subdistrict Office".

"Alright young man, from now on, the safety of the community will depend on you young people to take good care of it!"

The middle-aged woman smiled and handed over the cheap-looking work ID that seemed like it might fall apart at any moment.

"Of course, thank you, Auntie!"

Li Zhongren took the work permit, suppressed his excitement, and quickly left the subdistrict office.

"return."

"Brush~~"

The warm sunshine, the bustling atmosphere of daily life, and the chatter of elderly people were instantly swept away, and the cold, rusty air rushed back into the nostrils. The oppressive metal tower stood before the eyes once more, radiating an invisible pressure.

The huge difference in experience made Li Zhongren feel slightly dizzy.

He immediately looked down at his hand.

That cheap "volunteer work permit," with its plastic cover even peeling off a bit, has now changed drastically.

It transformed into a heavy-looking metal card with subtle dark patterns inlaid along its edges.

The card features the emblem of the City Hunter Association in the center, with crossed spears and gears, and a twisted vortex behind them.

Below the emblem is his name and a laser-engraved number.

The card felt cool to the touch, and one could faintly sense an extremely weak energy fluctuation—this was the association's certified extraordinary anti-counterfeiting mark.

"Success!"

But at the same time, a feeling of exhaustion washed over him. He felt that nearly two-thirds of the abundant energy in his body had been consumed in just one or two minutes of "coverage"!

"hiss"

Li Zhongren was secretly alarmed and quickly analyzed the situation.

The larger the area covered and the stronger the 'concept,' the more terrifying the consumption. The Hunter Association itself is one of the gathering and symbols of twisted power, so the consumption is huge. In fact, this is because he only went to the hall, a place where there was not much twisted material leaking out.

However, he also came to another conclusion: there were quite a few Twisted Hunters in the hall, but twisting them did not consume much power. Therefore, the conclusion was that if the power of twisting was not leaked or used, the energy consumed when twisting would not be much.
In the future, when carrying out missions, you must ensure that speed, accuracy, and ruthlessness are the optimal solutions.

Fortunately, we still have one-third of the energy left.

He still had some start-up capital.

Thinking of this, Li Zhongren gripped the cold metal card in his hand, his gaze once again fixed on the tall pyramid. This time, he was going in to receive his mission.

(End of this chapter)