For many, the Lower City was already hell incarnate.

But in the eyes of Marauders, those people had imagined hell to be far too beautiful.

Lin Chuan's (Captain Lin's) hand remained firmly on Ning Fan's shoulder.

"Kid, you're trembling," he stated matter-of-factly.

Ning Fan couldn't deny it; his body was indeed shaking.

The scene before him was a far cry from what he had learned about the world beyond the barrier in the academy.

Outside the district, eternal darkness reigned, Aberrant Beasts roamed freely, and even seemingly harmless plants could harbor deadly secrets.

Ning Fan had learned all this in the academy.

But no one had told him that there would be so many people beyond the barrier.

So many...

People clinging desperately to life!

As Ning Fan's eyes gradually adjusted to the darkness, the grim reality outside the vehicle came into sharp focus.

Beyond the district wall, countless bodies lay strewn across the ground.

The few who still clung to life were barely hanging on.

The person who had just called for help was actually one of the lucky ones; at least he could still speak.

Most were struggling even to draw breath.

They lay there, perhaps hoping to die just a little closer to what they once called home.

Ning Fan couldn't help but glance back at the district gate that had already sealed shut.

For those inside the district, this gate was a bulwark against the dangers of the outside world.

But for those left behind, it was a death sentence, cutting off any hope of survival.

"Brother Chuan," Ning Fan ventured, pointing at the person who had begged for help, "aren't we going to save him?" After a moment's hesitation, he added, "He offered a thousand Solas!"

Hearing Ning Fan's question, the woman in the black leather jacket sneered but held her tongue.

Lin Chuan, too, remained silent.

The vehicle rumbled on for about half an hour.

Apart from the horrific scene they had witnessed at the gate, the group hadn't encountered any immediate danger.

Ning Fan's gaze remained fixed on the window, desperately trying to make sense of this alien world beyond the district.

Suddenly, the vehicle screeched to an abrupt halt.

"Brother Chuan," Hui Zi (Brother Hui) said, a dagger materializing in his hand with a flick of his wrist, "someone's blocking the road."

The others also drew their weapons with lightning speed.

Lin Chuan, his face an expressionless mask, poked his head out of the window.

"I'm Lin Chuan from the Stray Dog Pack of F32 District," he called out. "What's your game, brother?"

Before them stood a man in his thirties, his right arm bleeding profusely.

"Need a ride," the man rasped, his voice hoarse and desperate. "Five thousand Solas."

"Destination?" Lin Chuan asked, his tone neutral.

The man replied without hesitation, "Wherever you're headed. No need to go out of your way."

"What's your skill set?" Lin Chuan probed further.

In response, the man raised his left hand, revealing a strange-looking gun.

Ning Fan noticed something odd. After seeing the gun, it seemed like Lin Chuan wanted to ask something more, but he held back at the last moment.

At the same time, Ning Fan caught Lin Chuan glancing at him surreptitiously.

It seemed...

It was because of Ning Fan's presence that Lin Chuan didn't ask that question.

Are they wary of me? Ning Fan mused silently, realizing it was quite possible.

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After all, he had just joined the Stray Dog Pack. It was unrealistic to expect Lin Chuan or the others to trust him so quickly.

"What level?" Lin Chuan suddenly asked, using terminology that Ning Fan didn't quite grasp.

The man blinked, considering for a moment.

"Single Soul Level," he finally answered.

"Get in," Lin Chuan said, swinging the door open.

The man visibly relaxed, dragging his weary body into the vehicle.

Without prompting, the man produced a thick wad of Solas from his pocket and handed it to Lin Chuan.

This was the unwritten rule.

Board the vehicle, pay the fare.

The price of survival.

"You understand the drill, right?" Lin Chuan said in a low voice to the man. "If we encounter trouble we can't handle, you're the cannon fodder."

The man smiled wearily, "Crystal clear."

Ning Fan understood too.

Earlier at the gate, when he had asked if they should save the person struggling to survive, no one had answered him.

Now he knew why.

First, a thousand Solas as "survival money" was a pittance.

Second, that person had no fighting capability left and would be dead weight.

Third, he didn't even qualify to be cannon fodder.

No one had answered Ning Fan's question earlier because the world beyond the barrier wasn't like the academy. Here, no one would spoon-feed you knowledge.

All you could do was observe with your own eyes, judge with your mind, and learn through the harsh teacher of experience.

But...

What did that so-called "Single Soul Level" mean?

Just as Hui Zi was about to restart the vehicle, the man sitting in the passenger seat suddenly sniffed the air and frowned.

"Dogs," he growled.

"How many?" Lin Chuan's voice was taut with anticipation.

"Five to eight!"

"Out! Slaughter them all!"

Lin Chuan's order was swift and decisive. The others didn't waste a single breath, leaping out of the car with weapons at the ready!

Ning Fan also disembarked, gripping his black sword with white-knuckled intensity.

In the oppressive darkness, Ning Fan finally saw them—several pairs of glowing green eyes.

Shadow Hounds!

Ning Fan's grip on his black sword tightened even further!

This was it—his first real battle!

The enemies before him were no longer lifeless wooden posts or test dummies, but Aberrant Beasts that could fight back and potentially end his life in the blink of an eye!

"Get back in the car and stay put," Hui Zi suddenly barked at Ning Fan. "It's a perk for Stray Dog Pack newbies. First encounter, you just watch and learn."

Ning Fan was taken aback.

But before he could even formulate a response, the others had already charged headlong into the fray.

These people moved with an uncanny synchronicity, finding their targets without so much as a word exchanged between them.

Ning Fan's eyes locked onto Hui Zi.

Having faced off against Hui Zi before, Ning Fan was particularly curious about his combat prowess.

But after less than half a minute of observation, Ning Fan noticed something that made his blood run cold.

A glaring problem!

Hui Zi's attacks were far from textbook perfect!

Whether it was a horizontal slash, a side cut, an upward stroke, or a forward thrust, every move seemed to fly in the face of everything Ning Fan had been taught.

The swordsmanship Ning Fan had learned emphasized grand, flowing movements, with exacting requirements for the completeness of each action.

But Hui Zi...

He was already launching into his next attack before the current one had even finished!

And yet, these seemingly unorthodox movements allowed Hui Zi to take down a Shadow Hound in less than a minute.

Practical!

The realization hit Ning Fan like a thunderbolt.

He now understood why Lin Chuan and Hui Zi had exchanged those knowing smirks when he had proudly presented his academic grades just five days ago.

The swordsmanship he had painstakingly learned to score high marks was, at best, a choreographed dance.

But in the crucible of real combat, Hui Zi's rough-and-ready fighting style, honed through hard-won experience, was devastatingly effective!

The others fought with the same brutal efficiency.

"Allow me to introduce myself. Cheng Bin's the name," the man they had just rescued sidled up to Ning Fan. "You're fresh meat, aren't you?"

Ning Fan nodded cautiously, "Yeah, what of it?"

"Your captain," Cheng Bin said, a hint of amusement in his voice, "he doesn't trust you an inch."

Ning Fan's eyebrows shot up, "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing sinister," Cheng Bin shrugged, his smile enigmatic. "It's just that if they weren't watching their backs around you, a team of their caliber wouldn't need to break a sweat over a few mangy Shadow Hounds."

Ning Fan eyed him warily, saying nothing.

Cheng Bin, sensing the tension, fell silent as well.

With the Shadow Hounds dispatched, the team returned to the vehicle.

Hui Zi didn't immediately start the engine.

The man with the keen nose sitting shotgun suddenly whipped around, his hand a blur of motion!

Before Ning Fan could even blink, the man had Cheng Bin by the throat in a vise-like grip.

Cheng Bin's eyes widened in shock. His hand instinctively moved towards his gun, but froze midway as he felt the cold kiss of Lin Chuan's blade against his nether regions.

"Friend," Lin Chuan's voice was deceptively calm, his eyes narrowing to dangerous slits, "let me introduce you to my brother here. They call him Wang Ye. Not only does he have a nose like a bloodhound, but his ears work overtime too!"

Lin Chuan leaned in closer, his voice dropping to a menacing whisper. "We saved your hide because you paid good money. But if I catch you whispering sweet nothings to my people again..." He paused for effect, "I'll make good on our agreement and deliver your corpse to our destination. Understood?"