Trickster Hunter.

Chapter 518 The storm is coming
After saying this, Nagano Soya suddenly raised his head and looked at Sun Hang and Zhulong.

“If you intend to let the Tian Shu Tower take over this matter, I will fully cooperate,” Nagano Soya said. “I am not interested in the treasures hidden there. I just want to know what it was that my father was so obsessed with on his deathbed.”

“The Tian Shu Tower has no plans to take over this matter for the time being,” Sun Hang said.

Sun Hang had considered whether to take possession of the so-called "treasure," but considering that there was almost no information about it, he felt that it would be better to wait and see for a while longer.

Furthermore, the treasure map and the treasure mentioned by Nagano Soya can only be considered "side quests." Obtaining them would be an unexpected bonus, and if they were not obtained or the treasure did not exist at all, it would not have much impact on Sun Hang.

He actually felt that this operation would allow him to observe the true abilities of these free hunters and lay the groundwork for future recruitment efforts.

As for Nagano Soya's statement that "this treasure can change the current state of human civilization," Sun Hang had no particular thoughts—there are far too many things that can change the current state of human civilization, so many that he couldn't even count them all, but in fact, the vast majority of these things cannot play a decisive role in the life or death of human civilization.

Only when such things become numerous enough that mass production brings about a qualitative change will the course of human civilization be significantly affected.

Unless this treasure is some kind of cheat item that can "instantly and unconditionally annihilate all of humanity"... But then again, if such a thing really exists, then all the efforts of human civilization are nothing but a joke.

They are like characters in a video game, thinking they can defy fate, but little do they know that as long as the person sitting in front of the screen presses the Del key, their life and the whole world will be completely erased, leaving not a trace.

If that's the case, then Sun Hang would only suggest that all of humanity just give up and give up – since no matter how hard we try, it's useless, then we might as well not try at all.

Those condescending observers only want to enjoy the characters' struggles before they die on the screen. Since the ending is the same regardless of whether they die or not, why satisfy these observers' perverse tastes?
Humans don't need to do anything; simply raising their middle finger at "the other side of the screen" is their most powerful form of resistance.

“You don’t need to…” A hint of doubt appeared in Nagano Soya’s eyes, “Don’t you need to report to the Celestial Pivot Tower before making a decision?”

“We are the plenipotentiary representatives of the Tian Shu Tower,” Sun Hang said.

“It seems your authority is higher than I imagined.” Nagano Soya nodded. “Then, I understand…”

“I have only two requirements for this operation,” Sun Hang added.

"Please speak," Nagano Soya said to Sun Hang with a respectful tone.

"First, we will disclose the treasure map information to all free hunters, free ability users, and mercenaries in Yumen and Longcheng, allowing everyone to participate in this operation. Second, we will also participate in this operation as 'observers,' and we hope you will not interfere with any of our actions."

"According to news from Dragon City, you've come here to recruit manpower for the occupied territories of Egypt." Nagano Soya looked at Sun Hang. "So, it seems you intend to treat this operation as a 'test,' am I right?"

“I understand correctly.” Sun Hang smiled, took the bottle of sake from the accountant, and took a swig.

The next second, his expression changed slightly: "Why is it water?"

“The boss has lost his sense of taste and smell… For his health, I’ve replaced all alcoholic beverages with water,” the accountant said.

"Since it's water, why won't you let him drink it?" Sun Hang looked at Nagano Soya with some surprise, while the latter gave a helpless smile.

"This was the boss's own request. He said he could no longer taste the wine, and only by doing this could he recall that flavor."

"So this is part of your game? Never mind then." Sun Hang waved his hand. "Just let me know when you release the mission. I'm just wandering around here... There shouldn't be anything I need to be careful about, right?"

"No, please go ahead," the accountant said. "If anyone tries to cause you trouble, please try not to kill anyone. Let us handle it."

“Okay.” Sun Hang nodded.

……

……

Inside the "Spring Breeze" stronghold, a small bar without a name.

Sun Hang, Zhu Long, and Xue Yue sat at a table close to the wall. On the table was a pitcher of concentrated craft German dark beer worth 128 yuan. Although it was called concentrated craft beer, Zhu Long only took one sip and told Sun Hang directly that the beer was at least one-third water and one-third diluted alcohol. Only the remaining one-third of the liquid might have any resemblance to the lowest quality beer on the market.

"Nagano Soya sent someone with a message that he will announce the treasure map information to the entire Yumen at midnight." Zhulong took out a flat wine flask from the inside pocket of his coat and took a small sip. "At that time, the entire Yumen will probably go crazy."

"Aren't these people worried that this is a trap?" Sun Hang took a sip of the watered-down dark beer. To be honest, he couldn't taste what the stuff was made of; it just tasted sour and astringent, with a strong smell of alcohol that went straight to the top of his head. In short, it didn't seem like something drinkable at all.

I don't know how the people at the other tables were enjoying their drinks so much...

“Nagano Soya and Harukaze have decent reputations in Yumen, so their only concern is the difficulty of the mission,” Zhulong said. “But as long as the reward is high enough, even a mission with no chance of survival will be accepted.”

"Going to Egypt is almost certain death; how many people do you think would be willing to do that?"

"The reward, the key is the reward," said Zhulong. "At the same time the treasure map information is made public, the Tian Shu Tower will offer a very high reward for all information related to the treasure map, the treasure location, and the treasure itself... Note that we are offering a reward for information, not the treasure itself. Therefore, even if some people do not intend to compete for the treasure, they will join this mission to earn this reward."

Sun Hang frowned as he watched the bartender serve a "special snack" to the customers at the next table—a whole bowl of roasted earthworms. He whispered, "What's the reaction from the council? If those politicians find out that there's such a treasure in the Hexi Corridor, but the Tian Shu Tower hasn't taken any real action, they'll probably get restless."

"The Federal Parliament is completely unaware of this matter." Zhulong smiled. "The Tian Shu Tower has completely blocked all information channels..."

"The Celestial Pivot Tower intends to sideline the Council?" "Recently, the Mainframe has reversed its previous stance, using Elder Pei's name to forcefully reject many proposals from the Federal Council." Zhulong lowered his voice even further, "Within the Council, some have already begun to suspect this..."

"What will the council do if they know that Pei Zongjun is dead?"

"It's hard to say, but chaos is inevitable." Zhulong sighed. "So the best course of action is to maintain the status quo. If that's not possible, then we'll have to..."

"Only what?" Sun Hang paused slightly, then made a "decapitation" gesture. "Abolish the council and let the Tian Shu Tower take over? Transform it from a research institution into a ruling institution?"

“In fact, the daily operations of the Federation are almost entirely controlled by the mainframe. As for the significance of the Federation Council…” Zhulong paused, then continued, “It has been too many years since the last war against the monsters.”

The meaning behind his words was crystal clear.

Xue Yue glanced at the roasted earthworms on the next table and couldn't help but swallow. She paid no attention to the conversation between Sun Hang and Zhulong, focusing all her attention on the food.

"Boss, one of our special snacks to go with your drinks." Sun Hang noticed Xue Yue's gaze and said to her, "Let's get this straight, you're going to have to finish this by yourself. I don't want to eat it. And you probably don't like earthworms either, Zhulong, right?"

“We can give it a try.” Zhulong regained his normal tone. “I’ve long heard that Yumen’s roasted earthworms are very famous. Trying them will make the trip worthwhile.”

Sun Hang watched as Zhulong picked up a roasted earthworm with his fingers, put it in his mouth, and chewed it.

"What does it taste like?" Sun Hang asked immediately.

"It tastes better than I expected." Zhulong nodded. "It tastes similar to dried meat, but with an added earthy aroma."

"real or fake?"

Have you ever had grilled snails in a French restaurant?

“I’ve never eaten it. I don’t like eating insects,” Sun Hang said.

“That’s such a pity,” Zhulong said. “However, the taste is similar between the two. The biggest difference is probably the seasoning. Compared to the grilled snails with cream and butter, the grilled earthworms in Yumen have a lot of chili and barbecue seasoning, which gives them a very smoky flavor. It feels like eating skewers at a roadside food stall late at night.”

"You still go to a roadside stall for skewers in the middle of the night?" Sun Hang was taken aback. "I thought you either ate at high-end restaurants or those little-known but ridiculously expensive private eateries..."

“Then you might have a deep misunderstanding about me.” Zhulong shook his head. “As an amateur gourmet, I’m still very enthusiastic about exploring those delicious hole-in-the-wall restaurants in the streets and alleys. And when I’m busy with work, I’m not picky about compressed biscuits and cheap instant noodles. Besides, didn’t we eat beef noodles together before? Why weren’t you suspicious then?”

"I thought you had to eat beef noodles with us because all the high-end restaurants and hotels were fully booked."

“No, Longcheng’s beef noodles are very famous. I have to try them every time I come here.” Zhulong suddenly raised his wrist and glanced at the hunter’s bracelet. “It’s already eleven o’clock. In another hour, Nagano Soya will announce the information about the treasure map.”

As soon as he finished speaking, several mercenaries at the next table turned to look at them, which made Sun Hang raise his eyebrows – he had clearly set up a one-way soundproof barrier around them, so it seemed as if these people had heard what Zhulong had just said.

"Hey buddy," the mercenary at the next table greeted Zhulong, "What, are you waiting for that exciting moment?"

"What exciting moment?" Sun Hang removed the one-way soundproof barrier and asked, feigning confusion.

"The boss of Chunfeng claims that he has deciphered the complete treasure map and will announce the details of the treasure map to the entire Yumen at midnight. What, don't you know?" the mercenary said excitedly. "There's only one hour left now."

“I know… but the rest of us are just average-sized. If we participate in this kind of operation, we’ll probably lose our lives,” Sun Hang said.

"Hehe, it's good that you didn't participate. Once the baby is born, it'll definitely be another bloodbath." The mercenary grabbed a handful of roasted earthworms and stuffed them into his mouth, chewing as he spoke. "Some people may not have the skill to search for treasures in deserted areas, but they not only have the guts to ambush people on their usual routes, they're also incredibly bold!"

"Who are you referring to?" Sun Hang asked.

"Dude, stop pretending. You guys, us, and a lot of people from Yumen are all thinking the same thing! What's there to hide!" The mercenary was clearly a bit drunk, completely ignoring his companion's gaze. "There's an old saying, 'The oriole stalks the cicada, unaware of the mantis behind!'"

"It's like the mantis stalking the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind," Sun Hang corrected.

"Ah, right, right... Mantis... Mantis catcher..." He was about to say something when his companion struck him on the back of the neck with a chop, and he immediately collapsed to the ground.

"Sorry, he's had too much to drink." The other mercenaries nodded to Sun Hang and the others, paid the bill, and then dragged the limp, lifeless guy out.

“That guy was right about at least one thing,” Zhulong said to Sun Hang. “This is going to be a bloodbath.”

"How many people can die? It can't be more than the deaths on Nameless Island and in Tianfu City, can it?"

“The situation is different… On Nameless Island, at least the hunters participating in the trial were nominally teammates. As for Tianfu City, everyone worked together to fight the monsters. But in the No Man’s Land, every one of your kind you see might want to kill you,” Zhulong said. “To be honest, I’d rather face dangerous monsters than deal with these troublesome guys.”

"Even the best hunter can have a mishap." Sun Hang picked up a roasted earthworm, hesitated for a long time, and then put it back on the plate. "I don't want any guy who's been targeted to be shot dead for no reason."

"With our capabilities, controlling the entire situation might not be easy," Zhulong shook his head. "But then again, this can be seen as a kind of selection... can't it?"

(End of this chapter)