The plunder of the heavens begins with the Spirit Cage.

In an instant, a large number of dense bullet chains, like scorching fire whips, lashed fiercely at the charging beast horde.

The bullets struck the Devourer's tough keratinous shell and muscles, making dull 'thud' sounds.

The excruciating pain drove them to roar even more frantically, and they continued their charge recklessly.

However, the closer the Devouring Beast got, the denser the barrage of bullets it endured.

The dozens of Devouring Beasts in the front row were blasted with bloody holes in just a few shots by the almost saturated barrage of bullets.

Finally, it penetrated the core spiritual seed and quickly transformed into a pool of black water from the inside out.

Only a distorted, white skeleton remained, standing abruptly in the wind and sand.

With the suppression of artillery fire and the harvesting of heavy machine guns, the last wave of Devouring Beasts dissolved completely in the blue light of the shattered core.

The sight of steaming black water and stark white bones everywhere made Sima Zhao immediately order a halt!

Now that the phenomenological equipment is in hand, Lu Qianwei has revealed the method by which a superhuman can kill a Devouring Beast by piercing its core with their spiritual energy.

And the fact that animal bones can effectively guide spiritual energy is no secret.

But the superhumans who learned of this news could only manage a wry smile.

A springtime for those with superpowers?

Forget it.

The minimum number of Devouring Beasts is 40, and naturally awakened superhumans are extremely rare. It's considered good if a camp can gather a dozen or so.

"Everyone get off the bus and collect the aggregate!"

Everyone deserves credit for this extermination of the Devouring Beasts. Take these bones back, and your days in Starlight City will be much easier!

Sima Zhao's shout immediately ignited the enthusiasm of many survivors.

Soon after, the soldiers and survivors jumped off the vehicle, put on makeshift gas masks, and began clearing away the lurking spines.

Skillfully using crowbars and axes, they dragged the Devouring Beast bones out of the viscous black water, broke them into pieces, and tossed them into the back of the pickup truck.

Charlie tapped a huge, scimitar-shaped rib with a crowbar and grinned: "Hey, if we sharpen this thing up, we might be able to use it as a bone blade!"

"You're not a superhuman, what use is it to you?" Link said, somewhat speechless.

“Boss, you can’t say that!” Charlie immediately retorted, asking, “Think about it, which is more valuable, selling the raw materials or turning them into finished products yourself?”

Link frowned. "What you said does make sense."

"Hey, when the time comes, you'll use your power armor to hammer, and you'll definitely be faster than everyone else!"

"Tch, don't get any funny ideas. Once we get to the bunker, whether or not our weapons will be confiscated is another matter."

"And where in the world are there so many naturally gifted people with superpowers?"

"How many acquired superhumans did the Heluo Kingdom produce back then?" Link shook his head pessimistically.

He preferred his daughter to live inside the fortress rather than in Star City, which was built around the fortress.

Anything said from the outside world is too dangerous and chaotic.

With a motley crew of survivors gathered together, it wasn't hard for him to imagine how many conflicts and frictions would arise.

With that thought in mind, he put down his weapon and walked toward Sima Zhao.

Soon, he was escorted by two Black Vanguard soldiers to Sima Zhao.

Sima Zhao looked at the old-fashioned police powered armored vehicle in front of him.

He said with great interest, "Link, I respect that you still adhere to the principles of the police even in the wasteland."

But this is not a license for you to use intelligence to bargain for other things! Sima Zhao's goodwill towards him diminished greatly.

Intelligence, intelligence, is all about seizing the initiative.

If it's something truly important, saying it now only amplifies the uncertainty.

In the past, delaying a battle could have been enough to land someone in a military court!

“Sir, you misunderstand,” Link shook his head. “The important thing I’m talking about isn’t intelligence, but a technical blueprint.”

"Oh~" Sima Zhao's tone softened upon hearing this. "Tell me, if it's a useful technology."

This could indeed bring in a large sum of money.

"I don't need money, sir. I hope to use this technical blueprint of mine to exchange for three spots to enter the Dark Fortress."

Lin Ke gave a military salute, and seeing that Sima Zhao showed no reaction, he abandoned his attempt to use emotion.

He explained, “Two years ago, while patrolling around Muxiu Town, I stumbled upon a group of robbers fighting amongst themselves. After clearing them out, I found an encrypted terminal in a pile of corpses.”

Only after cracking it did they discover that it contained a blueprint for a lightweight ion shield.

The original owner was a military technician from the old era. He was robbed while fleeing, and that's how the blueprints ended up in my hands.

Chapter 27 Starlight City, Mercenary Guild

Lightweight Ion Shield is a portable, basic energy defense technology.

The core principle is to convert the built-in energy into a high-density ion flow, forming a thin but tough ionization barrier on the surface of the body or armor.

It can directly deflect low-velocity ballistic weapons, ablate small explosive fragments, and reduce the burning damage of close-range energy weapons.

It is best suited for flexible combat scenarios such as individual assault and urban warfare.

There are only a few hidden bunkers, and they were all traded from other factions.

Sima Zhao never expected that the shield generator technology blueprint that the commander had been longing for would arrive here in this way.

His attitude immediately became more amiable, and he walked up to me, patting the metal shoulder armor with a smile.

He said, "Brother Lin, if it's true, your family and you will definitely be able to live in Beacon Fire City!"

Link was greatly impressed by his description of the good things about Beacon City!

For him, Xiaoya being able to live there was already the most perfect thing.

Link opened the armored security storage box and solemnly handed the terminal containing the blueprints to Sima Zhao.

"Commander Sima, even if we don't go in, I hope my daughter can get a spot."

"Tch, what are you thinking, brother? We Black Fang Army aren't like that."

"Your merit is rightfully yours, and I will report it truthfully." Sima Zhao turned and waved his hand before returning to the armored vehicle.

Before closing the door, he added, "But until there are results, you'll have to stay in Starlight City."

Hmm... at most three days, the Dark Fortress has been quite busy lately~

It took two and a half hours to process the thousands of skeletons.

After being loaded onto the transport vehicles that arrived later, the group finally arrived at Starlight City, which was built five kilometers away from the bunker!

Starlight City was built to welcome the survivors.

Due to the time constraints, only half of the city wall, which was tens of meters high, had been built at this point.

A large number of construction machines and city residents are roaring as they hoist precast concrete blocks.

Engineers, clinging to scaffolding, rapidly directed drones to attach reinforcing steel plates and electric grids, among other defensive measures to prevent spine climbing.

Only the city gate area was completed first.

Link and the other survivors who arrived later stood on the open ground in front of the city gate, listening to an official's instructions on entering the city and the precautions to take.

At the same time, it records previous careers to better facilitate faster job allocation.

As for the weapons and equipment they carried, in order to prevent riots, it was naturally impossible for them to bring them in.

However, in general, two solutions will be adopted in this situation.

One way is to exchange money at the current market price in the wasteland to make life more convenient in Star City.

Another reason for reluctance is to register and store the items, as the city will later establish a Starlight Mercenary Guild.

Tasks such as eliminating Mana Flowers, hunting Devouring Beasts, scavenging, and collecting samples will be assigned by this guild, and corresponding weapons will be distributed accordingly.

Based on mercenary rank, various Old World resources, as well as power armor and potential awakenings, can be redeemed with points.

It is now widely known that superhumans are the hope for controlling the Mana ecosystem in the new century, and any attack cannot be separated from the support of spiritual energy.

And the opportunity to become a superhuman is a symbol of being superior to others, as it has always been throughout history.

Therefore, many people who live on the edge are willing to register a mercenary group after learning about the various benefits of the mercenary guild.

After all, people who adapt to the post-apocalyptic wasteland are not very willing to lay down their guns and do hard labor.

"Boss, the minimum requirement for a mercenary group is two hundred people, which is a bit difficult." Charlie scratched his head in a troubled manner.

There were only about fifty city defense soldiers who escaped from Muxiu Town.

Finding other partners to cooperate with, deciding who will be the leader and who will be the subordinates, will likely be another round of negotiation.

"No way!"

Just as Charlie was feeling distressed, a red-haired girl with a ponytail standing beside them had a childlike sense of grievance in her almond-shaped eyes.

After glaring at Charlie, she looked at Link and said, "Why do you guys always want to go outside!"

"Dad, you used to be a policeman, and now Starlight City is recruiting sheriffs. They've already invited you, so why are you still thinking about going out on adventures!"

Link gently rubbed his daughter's head. "Silly girl, I never said I was going on an adventure."

"Then why don't you sell that power armor?! Keeping it is just a risky move!"

Mom's gone, if you also... Waaaaah!

"Hey, you... don't cry, I won't go. That armored vehicle has been with me for so many years, how could I bear to sell it?"

"Keep it as a memento, just keep it as a memento..." Link comforted Lin Xiaoya, at a loss for words.

"Really?" Lin Xiaoya looked at her father suspiciously.

“Of course it’s true!” Link nodded in agreement. “It won’t be long before we can move into the Beacon City of the Dark Fortress.”

You know Beacon City, right?

That's a dungeon with an environment almost identical to Hisakawa... so I wouldn't be stupid enough to go on an adventure like that.