The city, shrouded in a colossal net, was dilapidated and gloomy, yet possessed a strange, grim grandeur.
Howl of the Madmen. That was the name given to these city ruins.
It had once witnessed a massive battle between Transcendents, and more than one had perished here.
Although their remains had mostly been scavenged or destroyed long ago, their deaths continued to influence the city to this day, altering its landscape, ecology, and the very nature of the beings and things within it.
There was a collective term for this phenomenon: Calamity-corruption.
Depending on the power that influenced it, the resulting corruption varied.
And in the Howl of the Madmen, there was a specific rule:
If one day you discovered your companion had become smarter, or had suddenly acquired a wealth of knowledge... do not hesitate. Kill him immediately. For that was a sign of corruption.
This was also the origin of the name "Howl of the Madmen"—maddened scholars cursing everyone who stepped onto this broken land with their knowledge.
As a vast expanse of urban ruins, the Howl of the Madmen was roamed by numerous Graverobbers.
Some were outlaws, some adventurers, and some seekers of freedom; sometimes, they were all three at once.
They formed gangs across the silent ruins, pursuing wealth and liberty, mostly minding their own business.
However, a strange individual had appeared in the ruins today.
He came from a satellite town, dressed cleanly, solitary, and carrying almost no weapons.
The only thing that could be called a weapon was a long blade, which looked rather crudely made. But aside from the weapon, he was carrying a chaotic assortment of other things:
An umbrella, drinking water, food, a sleeping bag, and a camera hanging around his neck.
He would also stop from time to time to enthusiastically take photos.
He looked just like a tourist visiting a scenic spot.
"How long do you think he'll last?"
On top of a crumbling high-rise, a chubby middle-aged man squatted at the edge, watching the strange figure below.
"He still has a chance to survive if he turns back now. Otherwise, following this route..."
The tall, thin man beside him gazed into the depths of the city. "He is bound to die by noon tomorrow at the latest."
"That camera is high-end gear; it should fetch a good price, right?" the fat man said, rocking his body back and forth.
"We can just pick it off his corpse after he's dead," the tall, thin man said indifferently.
"Actually, there are other ways." The fat man flashed a disturbing, sinister grin.
Time quickly passed to 6:00 PM. Nightfall spread rapidly through the gloomy city ruins.
Xiao Lin looked toward the city depths and decided to set up camp right here for the night.
This was his first field expedition. He had set out at 8:00 AM and had been hiking for nearly 10 hours, but he had not yet reached his target destination; he needed to go deeper.
In truth, he didn't need sleep at all in his current state. The only reason he maintained the habit was to visit the Institute in his dreams.
He found a half-collapsed building, cleared a flat, hard space inside, lit a campfire, and began to prepare dinner.
He had brought a small iron pot and mineral water to cook instant noodles, but just as the water came to a boil, a voice came from behind him.
"Wow, brother, living the good life, huh?"
Xiao Lin turned his head to see two figures, one fat and one thin, approaching him.
The one speaking was the fat man. He squinted his eyes, looking kind and benevolent, yet he held a gun in his hand.
It was a revolver, the muzzle pointing diagonally down at the ground; a slight lift would allow him to fire at Xiao Lin. However, Xiao Lin was not surprised at all by their appearance, as he had already spotted them on his dynamic satellite map.
They weren't tracking him; rather, his route just happened to pass through their patrol area.
This was also the reason he chose to camp here. The fact that they were active in this area meant there were no dangers nearby that they couldn't handle.
Therefore, it was safe for him as well.
Xiao Lin leisurely tore open the instant noodle packet and dropped the block into the pot before speaking. "What do you want?"
His tone was neither cold nor friendly.
"Nothing much. Saw you camping here, just came to take a look." The fat man acted overly familiar.
"So, aren't you going to introduce yourself?"
"No need. Introducing myself to a dead man is meaningless." The fat man shrugged, observing Xiao Lin's reaction.
But Xiao Lin showed no reaction at all. Instead, he took an egg from his backpack, cracked it on the rim of the pot, and dropped it in.
Then he took out the prepared greens and bean sprouts and dumped them all in.
The instant noodles smelled even better...
The fat man swallowed slightly, then poked Xiao Lin's thigh with the gun. "Buddy, let's make a deal. I'm quite interested in this camera of yours."
"This is for work; it's not for trade," Xiao Lin politely refused.
"Trading a camera for your life—isn't that worth it?" The fat man leaned in, putting on a mysterious expression.
"Fortunately, I have many lives." Xiao Lin shook his head.
The fat man paused, then broke into a wretched grin. "Ah... then I guess I'll just pick it up off your corpse tomorrow. By the way, when you die tomorrow, please throw the camera far away so it doesn't get broken."
Xiao Lin didn't intend to say anything more. He stirred the noodles with chopsticks, added a sausage, and then looked up to ask, "Do you guys want some?"
The fat man's expression stiffened slightly.
Just then, the thin man, who had been silent the whole time, spoke up. "A few kilometers ahead is the territory of the Wisdom Demon. If you don't want to die a miserable death, don't go any further."
The fat man clicked his tongue. "What's wrong with you? We agreed to trade info for goods, why did you just give it away? Aren't we losing big time?"
But the thin man merely glanced at him and said nothing.
Xiao Lin then spoke up. "I know. Actually, my purpose is to hunt that guy."
"Hunt... the Wisdom Demon?" The fat man looked stunned.
"That's right. It's a small experiment, and I'll take care of this nuisance while I'm at it."
After a brief silence, the fat man suddenly slapped his leg and roared with laughter. "Bro, you are truly hilarious. Thought you were a rookie, turns out you're just an idiot."
The thin man said coldly, "There have been people like you before. Stronger, with better gear. But they've all been dead for a long time."
"That thing... even the Transcendents in the satellite town wouldn't touch it, including Lan Shiyu."
Xiao Lin remained indifferent, simply nodding. "Thanks for the warning, but I'm confident."
The fat man was slightly angry. "So what do you plan to use against the Wisdom Demon? That toy broken knife of yours?"
Xiao Lin looked at the Tang sword beside him. "It's enough."
Actually, for him, cold weapons were more effective than firearms because they could carry his Essence more conveniently.
If he used firearms, he would have to distribute his Essence onto every single bullet, a process that was both complex and draining.
The Tang sword was a slashing weapon; slashing was more in line with human instinct than thrusting, simpler, and more powerful. That was why Xiao Lin had chosen it.
The fat man grew impatient with Xiao Lin. "Forget it. Good words can't save a ghost determined to die. If you want to throw your life away, we're leaving."
He stood up and tucked the revolver into his waistband.
"You really don't want any?" Xiao Lin asked again.
"We don't eat a dead man's food. Bad luck."
Leaving these words, the two figures quickly disappeared into the night.
Xiao Lin paid no attention to their movements. After eating, he went to sleep. Facts proved that no matter where he slept, he could always return to the Institute in his dreams.