Trickster Hunter.

Chapter 557 Camping
Before Sun Hang could get a response from Cheng Ming, the dusty White Tiger mech arrived first.

Unlike its almost brand-new appearance when it first came out of the warehouse, the White Tiger's external armor was now covered with a thick layer of dust, and there were many scorch marks on the surface. A mechanical arm used to load ammunition for weapons hung down on the side of the machine, tapping the shoulder armor with each sway of the machine.

“You look rather pathetic,” Sun Hang said, putting his hand above his eyes and looking up at Baihu.

"Fortunately, we encountered a small-scale deadly sandstorm on the way, as well as two Type C monsters." Nagano Soya's voice came through Sun Hang's earpiece. "The machine itself was not damaged and still retains most of its combat power."

“Actually, you didn’t need to come,” Sun Hang said. “You should also know that I issued this bounty to select hunters to carry out a more difficult mission.”

“I know,” Nagano Soya said, “but from the moment I sat in this cockpit, my life began its countdown… Even if I choose to return to Yumen, I don’t have many days left.”

Sun Hang: "Are you really that persistent about this?"

“This is not only my father’s obsession, but also my mother’s last wish.” Nagano Soya sighed. “You know what, I feel great right now… Although I was a little lost at first after learning that it was all just my father’s hallucination, what followed was a feeling of relief.”

Sun Hang suddenly felt that Nagano Soya's life was somewhat tragic.

But the next second he rejected his own idea.

Everyone has their own way of living, and he has no right to define someone else's life.

"What are you planning to do next?" Sun Hang asked. "In fact, I don't want Baihu to get involved in the battle, as that would greatly reduce the difficulty of the operation."

“I won’t take the initiative to attack.” Nagano Soya controlled the white tiger to crouch down behind Sun Hang. “You can consider me as a backup force. If the situation gets out of control, I can join the battle at any time.”

"What if the monster is successfully hunted?" Sun Hang asked.

“I originally planned to control the White Tiger and keep going deeper into the no-man's-land, using my last moments to peek into places no one has ever been before,” Nagano Soya said. “But then I changed my mind… Can I ask you for a favor?”

Sun Hang: "Go ahead."

"After I die, I beg you to take the White Tiger back to Dragon City, or send the coordinates to the Dragon City garrison so they can send someone to retrieve this machine," Nagano Soya said. "I have guarded the Jade Gate for Dragon City for decades, which can be considered as fulfilling my duty."

“Okay,” Sun Hang nodded.

As soon as Nagano Soya disconnected the communication, the mainframe's voice seamlessly rang out in the earpiece: "Cheng Ming already knows that his mother can receive a free transplant, but he has not given up on this operation."

“It seems he really has ulterior motives…” Sun Hang muttered to himself. “Keep an eye on Cheng Ming for me, record all his actions, and report back to me every eight… no, every four hours.”

"Received," the mainframe replied.

Logically speaking, Sun Hang shouldn't need to pay attention to a minor character like Cheng Ming... but for some reason, Sun Hang's intuition kept telling him that there was something wrong with Cheng Ming... a very big problem.

……

Sun Hang and his group waited for two more days at the edge of the collapsed area before the other convoy finally arrived at the meeting point in small groups.

Although the route they chose did not involve terrifying creatures like flesh-eating ants, the convoy still suffered a loss of nearly one-fifth of its members. Many vehicles showed obvious signs of combat, and a modified pickup truck was found carrying the bodies of four hunters in its cargo bed, in addition to weapons and supplies.

Sun Hang publicly disclosed the information about the Cordyceps-like creature and the collapsed area online, so the hunters did not immediately scout the collapsed area. Instead, they began to build a simple camp nearby.

It was more rudimentary than simple – a few vehicles arranged in a circle with a tent in the middle constituted a camp. There weren't even tables, chairs, or electronic devices inside. The hunters did their work and rest in the vehicles, only gathering under the tent for meals and discussions about their mission.

This was a last resort – after all, deadly sandstorms could occur at any time in the no-man's-land, and apart from the Stone Forest, it was difficult to find a safe place to set up camp. This so-called camp was more symbolic than practical.

Fortunately, Nanhua Town is nearby. Once the deadly sandstorm hits, the hunters can simply drive into Nanhua Town to take refuge. The remaining cellars and basements in the town ruins are the best options for escaping the deadly sandstorm in the no-man's-land, besides the Stone Forest.

The only risk is encountering a rare, deadly sandstorm that can alter the terrain... It is said that once, a group of hunters were taking shelter from a sandstorm in a cellar when they discovered that the walls on both sides of the cellar were getting closer and closer. The desperate hunters were eventually crushed to death inside the cellar. When another group of hunters found them, the coordinates of the town ruins had already shifted four kilometers to the south, and the flesh and blood of the mortal hunters had completely seeped into the pores of the concrete base.

Sun Hang and Zhulong did not hide the fact that they were hunters of the Tian Shu Tower. At the same time, they made it clear that they would not participate in the operation. Sun Hang also told the hunters that those who performed well in this operation would have the opportunity to participate in a mission with higher rewards but also higher risks.

The reward for the other task cannot be measured in monetary terms.

However, to Sun Hang's dismay, the hunters weren't very enthusiastic about it... Many of them just wanted a piece of the pie from the exorbitant bounty... These seasoned veterans knew very well that the "more dangerous mission" Sun Hang mentioned was simply beyond their reach.

The strength of this insect-infested monster is already outrageous enough, but fortunately it's a group hunt, so hunters who aren't very strong can do some auxiliary work—what's commonly known as being a "slacker." But in the more dangerous mission, there might not be any room for a "slacker."

Even the most greedy hunter would find it hard to be greedy when faced with a mission that has a 100% chance of killing him.

……

……

“It’s been four days.” Nagano Soya said to Sun Hang after patrolling the edge of the collapsed area with the White Tiger and returning to the camp, “I have never seen such a peaceful no-man’s land.”

"Peaceful? In what sense?" Sun Hang asked.

“A death sandstorm,” Nagano Soya said. “We’ve gathered over forty people here. With this level of vitality, the death sandstorm will soon come knocking like sharks smelling blood… But in these four days, not only have newly formed death sandstorms disappeared, but even the one that was chasing us before, 5198, dissipated on its own about thirty kilometers from Nanhua Town.” “Perhaps it’s because two tigers cannot share the same mountain,” Sun Hang said. “The death sandstorm is a strange creature, and this giant worm grass is also a strange creature. Moreover, in terms of level, the giant worm grass might even be higher than the death sandstorm. The death sandstorm certainly wouldn’t dare to rashly step into the giant worm grass’s territory.”

“That makes some sense.” The White Tiger’s head monitor turned to the side, where a group of free hunters and mercenaries were heating food around a campfire in an open area not far away. “When do you plan to launch a probing attack on the target? Wait until the next wave of hunters arrives?”

“Don’t ask me that question, ask them.” Sun Hang pointed to the group of people around the campfire. “I’m not involved in this hunt, nor will I issue any orders to any of the participants. My Zhulong’s task is to observe and record… Just think of us as the two pairs of eyes of the Tian Shu Tower.”

"Speaking of which, there was a fight yesterday." Yang Qiaoxi, sitting on the hood of the SUV, held a bowl of steaming self-heating rice and said while eating, "It seems to be over a fight for command within the team."

"Any results?" Zhulong asked.

"No." Yang Qiaoxi shrugged and shoveled another mouthful of rice into her mouth. "Neither of them is willing to admit defeat. In this kind of fight, it's impossible to really kill anyone, so naturally, there's no clear winner."

"Is there not a single person in this group who can command respect?" Zhulong asked doubtfully.

“It’s all pieced together from several small groups, and each group has its own strengths—some groups have outstanding individual combat capabilities, some have the largest number of members, and some have the best equipment… Everyone is worried that if outsiders gain command, they will take all the credit and push all the hard and tiring work onto others, so naturally they can’t work together,” Yang Qiaoxi said. “That’s normal.”

"Do they do this every time there's a large-scale hunting operation?" Sun Hang asked.

“In the past, large-scale hunting operations were usually led by the Tian Shu Tower or the city defense army. The command authority was never something these free hunters and mercenaries could fight over. Either the client who issued the mission would send a leader down, or at the very least, someone with prestige and combat power that overwhelmed everyone else would step forward to take on this important task…”

At this point, Yang Qiaoxi deliberately focused her gaze on Baihu: "But now none of the three of you are willing to step forward, so all that's left is this rabble making a racket... Actually, I seriously doubt whether you can really pick out a suitable candidate using this method."

“I’m afraid there are some tough ones among this group.” Sun Hang scanned the group of free hunters one by one. In terms of meme strength alone, he couldn’t find any of them worthy of his attention.

Leaving aside intelligence, experience, and tactical skills, just in terms of combat power, the female hunter with beast-like abilities from Seabuckthorn Rose was probably the strongest among this group.

However, after the beast transformation ended, that guy entered a long period of weakness and eventually died in Giant Hill.

Even if the female hunter were alive, Sun Hang would not choose her.

Choosing the tallest among the short doesn't mean the chosen one is actually that tall; it just means the person being compared to is so insignificant... Moreover, the female hunter's character and personality aren't exactly great either.

Thinking of this, Sun Hang glanced at Su Yue, who was huddled in the corner.

She did not join the group of free hunters, but stayed by Sun Hang's side.

Yang Qiaoxi initially didn't really care whether Su Yue lived or died, but seeing Su Yue exposed to the undisguised gazes of those grown men every day, dressed in rags, she finally found a spare set of tactical clothing and threw it to Su Yue.

Yang Qiaoxi was half a head taller than Su Yue and had a more robust build. Her clothes were more than one size too big for Su Yue, making Su Yue, who was covered in bandages and had a cast on her arm, look extremely pitiful.

However, after learning about what she had done, Sun Hang felt no pity for her whatsoever.

At that moment, she was holding a compressed biscuit and munching on it like a chick pecking at rice. When she saw Sun Hang's gaze turn towards her, she immediately pursed her lips and put on a pitiful and weak look.

She's used this trick to fool many men, except for the two in front of her.

Just two days ago, she overheard Sun Hang and Zhulong discussing whether to use her as a live sample to test the corrosiveness of spores on protective suits. She was so frightened that she almost ran away. Fortunately, Yang Qiaoxi strongly opposed the suggestion, which put the topic to rest.

But what she didn't know was that Sun Hang said these words on purpose to see how she would react.

If she were to betray him as she had done to her savior, then Sun Hang would have no qualms about using her for live experiments.

At this moment, a somewhat nonchalant-looking mercenary strolled over. He first glanced warily at Sun Hang and Zhulong, then approached Su Yue: "Beautiful lady, won't you choke on just those compressed biscuits? Would you like something to drink?"

As he spoke, he shook the kettle in his hand, and the liquid inside made a dull clattering sound.

Su Yue swallowed hard, but instead of responding to him, she lowered her head even further.

"Are you a hunter too? Why do you look like a wronged little wife?" The mercenary seemed a little wary of Sun Hang and his group, and didn't dare to get too close. Instead, he squatted down about two meters away from Su Yue and curiously looked her over.

"I suggest you stay away from that woman," Yang Qiaoxi said from the hood of the car.

"What's wrong, Boss Yang? Are you jealous because you think this woman is prettier than you?" The mercenary grinned at Yang Qiaoxi.

"Jealous? I'm not jealous at all! I'm just afraid you'll die at her hands... She's the hunter of sea buckthorn roses. If you get tricked, don't say I didn't warn you," Yang Qiaoxi scolded.

"Seabuckthorn Rose?" The mercenary immediately stood up, instinctively taking two steps back. "Really? How did the people of Seabuckthorn Rose end up in such a miserable state?"

“She escaped from Giant Hill, don’t you think?” Yang Qiaoxi raised an eyebrow.

"Does that mean... everyone else from Seabuckthorn Rose died in Giant's Hill, and she's the only one who survived?" The mercenary's eyes suddenly changed.

(End of this chapter)