Luoyin City Fortress, this is the third fortress on the western side of the North Continent’s main wing.
It is actually a very large fortress, and although its geographical location is not as critical as Gu Castle, it still stands as a major city on the front line... but over the past year, Luoyin City Fortress has already begun to operate "over capacity."
The reason is simple.
Moon City, which is adjacent to it, evacuated all its residents due to the nearby Super Large Disaster Realm, and Luoyin City naturally took on the task of "diverting" the population.
The soldiers of the fortress’s legions began to be responsible for transporting materials over extremely long distances, as well as managing the personnel transfer between the two fortresses.
Moon City was left as an empty shell because the task of maintaining the Disaster Realm was too onerous. During the year that the Fourth Legion was stationed there, Luoyin City was in charge of providing food and military supplies.
The rear compartment of the military heavy-duty truck was piled high with materials, as a group of people were moving cargo, among them, a frail man mixed in with the rest.
He held a large box of steel in his arms, staggering to his feet, not yet having managed to load it onto the vehicle.
"Zhao Qi... hurry the fuck up!"
Someone suddenly yelled from behind him.
He quickly quickened his pace.
But out of nowhere came a vicious kick, sending him tumbling face forward to the ground.
Zhao Qi slammed hard into the mud.
He felt dizzy, turned around to look, saw stars before his eyes, a blur of figures, and couldn’t make out who had delivered the kick.
Even if he saw clearly... it would be pointless.
The man sat lost with a blank look on his face, watched by the crowd, which let out snickering sounds.
A robust voice of rebuke rose from behind the group.
"What are you staring at? Get back to work, quick!"
At the moment this voice rang out, the fortress soldiers who had been watching the commotion went back to moving cargo, and Zhao Qi also hurriedly got up, gathered the scattered steel back into the wooden box and held it in his arms, but as he rushed forward in a panic, someone stuck out a foot and tripped him again.
He fell hard again, this time not so lucky, banging his chin against the metal edge of the truck... and he passed out cold.
When he awakened, it was not in a warm infirmary.
Blood flowed down his chest, the biting cold wind numbed the wound so much that it felt no longer painful.
Zhao Qi’s mouth trembled non-stop.
The truck had already driven away.
This wasn’t the first time, in this place, no one cared about him... no one would believe that a wealthy young master could be sent to such a place to suffer and struggle, and this fellow, who only knew how to bluster, on his arrival at Luoyin City’s engineer corps, tried to use his illustrious background to secure special treatment.
Sadly, the laws of survival in North Continent did not favor such tactics.
If you come here, you do your job in your place.
If you’re no help, then just scram!
The comrades in the legion had no desire to associate with him, who would want to partner with a completely useless waste? Who could entrust their back to such a character? Even though the engineer corps was only responsible for routine maintenance and inspection tasks, no one was willing to work with Zhao Qi... and his repeated emphasis on his exceptional family background ultimately earned him the disdain and fists of the North Continent soldiers.
If not for "Wild Dog’s" orders, he would have been expelled from the city long ago.
The engineer corps didn’t want to deal with this useless mess... and the captain in charge of the squad even condoned the "bullying" within the team, because with Zhao Qi’s presence, his squad was always at the bottom of the rankings. If this guy was willing to leave on his own, it would be better for everyone.
Zhao Qi held his chin, trembling as he found a secluded corner and sat down against the wall.
He searched high and low but couldn’t find a single cigarette...
A figure blocked the wisps of cold breeze that swept through, not looking down on the man squatting in the corner from a stance of superiority, but silently offering a cigar.
Zhao Qi dared not take it.
In a place , a cigar is a luxury.
Stunned, he looked up at the figure that blocked the Wind Snow, trying to make out the face in the backlight, only to see that person wearing a thin cape, with features difficult to discern in the backlit view.
He looked back at the cigar, noticing it was from East Continent...
The first reaction of Zhao Qi was to lower his head, hug his knees, and say with a trembling voice, "You’ve mistaken me for someone else."
He didn’t believe there was still a kind person willing to give charity to him in such a place.
The only explanation was... he’d been recognized.
Zhao Qi would rather fall a thousand times in the mud, get cut a hundred times by sheet metal.
Rather than being recognized by someone from his past even once.
The person chuckled and asked, "Excuse my boldness... who are you?"
The voice sounded unfamiliar.
Zhao Qi lowered his head... he hugged his knees, gazing at the muddy reflection of his dirty face, and suddenly realized something, laughing bitterly at himself.
How could anyone from his past possibly recognize him now, looking ?
If his father were still alive.
Standing in front of his father... he probably wouldn’t be recognized either, would he?
"Go ahead, smoke. Good stuff, I’ve only got two left, one for you, one for me."
The person spoke indifferently.
Zhao Qi, with trembling hands, slowly accepted the cigar, and as he lit it, he got a clear view of the benefactor’s face— a young "adventurer." The term "adventurer" seemed apt because the young man’s face was weather-beaten, his cloak ragged, and his knapsack worn, as if he’d been traveling a long time.