"Rumble～～" The train slowly hissed to a stop at the military station.

A line of fully armed martial artists disembarked one after another—more than twenty in total—who naturally coalesced into four small squads.

"Luo Feng, when we martial artists go out to hunt fierce beasts and need resupply midway, we always stop at the military zones," Chen Gu said, pointing toward a colossal transmission tower looming fifty or sixty meters high ahead. "See that tower? In all of Huaxia, indeed, across the entire globe, every military zone designates a special sector as a martial artist resupply base, specifically for our rest. These bases usually feature such a beacon tower. Its symbolism is clear: to illuminate the path home for us martial artists."

Luo Feng nodded.

The martial artist resupply base was situated deep within the military zone, composed of quiet, small buildings set in an environment of remarkable serenity.

"Fire Hammer Squad, you’ll be staying and resting in Building E6," an officer at the resupply base said, handing the key to the squad leader, 'Gao Feng,' while clapping him heartily on the shoulder. "Old Gao, how long are you planning to hunt this time? If you bag anything valuable, feel free to sell it to the Underground Alliance—I'll give you top price."

Although many service personnel at the base wore military uniforms, the staff in reality came from the Limit Martial Arts School, Thunder Martial Arts School, government forces, and the Underground Alliance. While they provided service, they were also actively acquiring precious materials harvested from fierce beasts from the martial artists.

"Haha, sounds like a deal," Gao Feng laughed heartily. "Hurry up and arrange lunch for us."

The resupply base wasn't excessively large in scope.

"E6, over there." The Fire Hammer Squad quickly located the three-story building designated by the marker 'E6'. As the chipped key swiped across the lock, the front door swung open. This building was exclusively theirs to use until the Fire Hammer Squad departed the base.

"I'm crashing for a bit; I didn't sleep well last night," Chen Gu declared, tossing his two large metal chests onto the ground before leaping onto the sofa and stretching languidly.

"Rest now if you need to. We officially set out tonight, so everyone needs to be sharp then," Captain Gao Feng instructed.

"Understood."

Iron Spear Zhang Ke and the Twin Moon Scythe brothers cheerfully acknowledged the order, clearly familiar with the routine.

"Departing tonight?" Luo Feng expressed slight surprise.

"Luo Feng, haven't you noticed the weather?" Chen Gu chuckled, giving Luo Feng a knowing look. "It's late August, the hottest part of the year. You think you can march hundreds of miles carrying several hundred kilograms of gear in this heat? No matter how much water you carry, it won't be enough; you'd end up drinking from rivers. It's cooler at night, making travel much more pleasant, and it conserves water."

Luo Feng offered an awkward smile. Despite reading numerous posts, he had genuinely overlooked this practical detail.

"Hm?" Luo Feng's gaze drifted through the floor-to-ceiling window, spotting figures moving within the base. "Brother Chen, look, isn't that Zhang Zehu?" Zhang Zehu was heavily bandaged, and faint traces of blood were visible on the gauze near the padding, indicating he was injured and recuperating at the base.

Chen Gu turned to look. "Indeed, it’s Zhang Zehu!"

"Hey!" Chen Gu strode to the entrance and shouted with unrestrained glee, "Mountain Breaker! What happened to you? You looked fine last time; how did you end up this busted up overnight?"

Zhang Zehu, who had been conversing with his companion outside, turned instantly. Upon seeing Chen Gu, Luo Feng, and the others by the doorway of the small building, his teeth clenched in fury. He suppressed his anger and instead boomed back with derision, "Chen Big Cannon, you Fire Hammer Squad claims to be an elite team, yet you bring along a rookie? Haha! Aren't you afraid this dead weight will drag your whole team down to a miserable death?"

Generally, well-coordinated elite squads were reluctant to bring novices along. Even if a newcomer possessed excellent physical fitness, their lack of experience often caused them to falter at critical moments, easily jeopardizing the veterans.

※※※

After exchanging a few sharp barbs, Zhang Zehu fell silent when Captain 'Double Wind Hammer' Gao Feng issued a sharp reprimand. While Zhang Zehu dared to challenge Chen Gu, he never dared challenge Gao Feng! This was because Gao Feng relied on cold weapons, whereas Chen Gu utilized firearms.

For those using firearms, even at their peak, they could rarely threaten beyond the 'Junior Warlord' level, as weapons generally maxed out their threat against 'Junior Beast Warlord' level monsters. Zhang Zehu himself was only a sliver away from reaching the 'Warlord' realm.

"Damn it, I didn't expect Luo Feng to worm his way into the Fire Hammer Squad," Zhang Zehu muttered to his teammates as they walked, grinding his teeth. "I figured he’d end up with some common martial artist squad, giving me an easy chance to teach him a lesson about crossing me. But he actually joined the Fire Hammer Squad!"

Zhang Zehu was furious to the point of clenching his jaw.

"Zihu, was the young man standing next to Chen Gu—the one Luo Feng cost you one hundred million—the one?" the one-eyed middle-aged man beside him inquired.

"Yes, that's him."

A vicious glint flashed in Zhang Zehu's eyes. "That little brat! I thought he wouldn't push things too far. After that negotiation, the Security Bureau raided my nephew's house the very next day! That kid actually reported me directly. I was forced to donate a hundred million in my nephew's name immediately to secure him the title of 'One-Star Citizen.' Even so, my nephew still has to serve several months in custody."

The memory of his older brother's anxiety and Zhang Haobai’s terror when the Security Bureau took him away only fueled Zhang Zehu’s rage. He had made grand promises to his brother and nephew before. Even though he spent a hundred million to save his nephew from a worse fate, Zhang Haobai’s several months of suffering in detention couldn't be avoided.

"Forget it. A little suffering might be good for your nephew," the one-eyed man said lightly. "Focus on resting well. Your injuries should be almost healed in three days. Then we can set out to deal with that old beast. Killing that old fellow will make our team rich."

"Yes." Zhang Zehu nodded heavily, then glanced toward Building E6 in the distance, scoffing, "I'd bet this rookie Luo Feng either dies or gets severely injured on his first trip into the wilderness!"

"Haha, you really hold a grudge against him. But injuries are almost inevitable for a first-timer in the wilderness," the one-eyed middle-aged man replied with a slight smile.

※※※

As evening approached, the fully equipped Fire Hammer Squad, six members strong, departed the resupply base and entered the wilderness.

"Chen Gu, hand me one of your metal chests," Captain Gao Feng requested.

"Haha, thanks for the trouble, Captain. I can handle carrying these two boxes for a short while, but not for long." Chen Gu passed one of the large chests from his back to Captain Gao Feng, who took it effortlessly with one hand and slung it onto his back. This weight was negligible for Gao Feng, the strongest member of the Fire Hammer Squad.

"Click!"

Chen Gu opened the other chest. Inside lay a heavy machine gun, its entire body a dull silver-gray, the muzzle gleaming with metallic polish. Alongside it were long, dense chains of ammunition, packed so tightly they made the entire chest look stuffed. The sheer quantity suggested an enormous volume of bullets.

"Brother Chen, what gun is this?" Luo Feng asked, curious.

"M81 model, 12.7mm caliber, adjustable rate of fire between 50 to 300 rounds per minute," Chen Gu said proudly. "The entire frame is even alloyed with some Grade Three Crolite. Even if you fire continuously, the barrel temperature won't affect the bullet's accuracy."

Luo Feng looked confused. "Brother Chen, why aren't you using a Vulcan Cannon? Aren't the Vulcan series machine guns universally recognized for their immense power?"

"You rookie!" Chen Gu glared.

Iron Spear 'Zhang Ke,' standing nearby, also chuckled. "Luo Feng, the Vulcan heavy machine guns have great stopping power, true. But the Vulcan series chews through ammunition at an insane rate. 7,000 rounds per minute, and some high-end models fire even faster. Do you know what that means? 7,000 rounds a minute. And a bullet capable of threatening a Junior Warlord level beast usually weighs at least 50 grams! Ten thousand rounds of ammunition weigh 500 kilograms!"

"You try marching hundreds of miles carrying 500 kilograms of bullets. By the time you get to a beast to fight, the Vulcan Cannon will be empty in just over a minute," Zhang Ke said, smiling at Luo Feng. "So, how good is the Vulcan series, really?"

Luo Feng realized the gravity of the situation. He truly hadn't considered this; yes, the weight of the ammunition was a massive issue. 7,000 rounds per minute—how much ammo could one realistically carry for such a weapon?

"Unless you're military or specifically deployed to hunt one particular beast with dedicated heavy ammunition transports, we—the likes of us—can never use those machine guns. We simply don't have enough supply to feed them," Chen Gu admitted wryly. "I brought a total of 10,000 rounds this time, and I still needed the Captain to carry some for me."

Chen Gu had ammo belts wrapped around his body and held the machine gun. He and Luo Feng stayed near the center of the formation, protected by the others. The Twin Moon Scythe brothers took the lead, while Captain Gao Feng and Zhang Ke anchored the rear.

"We’ll follow this highway. It should take about three days to reach our destination—County-level City 0201," Captain Gao Feng stated. Luo Feng, however, was mesmerized by the highway before them. For those living within the base cities, highways only existed in legend.

The road beneath their feet was already severely dilapidated, split by numerous fissures. As far as the eye could see, the extended highway surface was littered with broken or shattered sedans, trucks, and lorries, with even discarded tires strewn about. Dark, dried bloodstains occasionally marked the ground.

"Let's move!"

As the setting sun cast a reddish glow over this highway—silent, ruined, and neglected for decades—the six members of the Fire Hammer Squad advanced along its cracked surface.

"Roar～～"

"Awoo～～"

Sounds of fierce beasts echoed from the fields and dilapidated villages flanking the highway. Luo Feng could even spot numerous beast silhouettes. While the other five members of the Fire Hammer Squad appeared relaxed, Luo Feng dared not let his guard down, precisely because beasts were visible everywhere he looked.

"Good, Luo Feng, there’s a solitary-horned wild boar ahead, somewhere between G-rank and F-rank. It’s yours," Captain Gao Feng's voice cut through the air. "This is your first battle in the wilderness!"

— Book Three, 'Nine Heavens Thunder Blade,' Begins! .