Chapter 116 - 94: House and Mission

Chapter 116: Chapter 94: House and Mission

This foreshadowed that as time went on in this post-apocalyptic world, humanity would likely face more unknown and extreme challenges.

In such an environment, unless an individual’s strength reached a level where they could ignore the vast majority of threats, surviving alone would become increasingly difficult.

Xu Mo took stock of his assets. After paying for rent and repairs, he had a little over six hundred Contribution Points left on his Identity Card. It seemed like a decent amount, but it was still cutting it close for living a stable, long-term life in Jiang City’s Inner City, where the cost of living was higher.

’Of course, I could rely on my "door" ability to get plenty of food, water, and other supplies from that world where time stands still. I wouldn’t have to worry about basic survival at all. But if I did that for too long, never participating in the base’s production and trade, I’d inevitably attract unwanted attention.’

For the sake of his long-term plans, Xu Mo chose to integrate into the survivors’ way of life. Taking missions to earn Contribution Points would both maintain his cover story and serve as an excellent disguise.

With this in mind, Xu Mo hesitated no longer and strode toward the Hunter’s Guild.

The main hall of the Hunter’s Guild was as bustling as ever, seeming even more crowded than when he had come yesterday. A massive electronic mission board constantly scrolled with new information, and small queues had formed in front of the terminals for accepting missions. The air was thick with the smell of sweat, tobacco, and a unique mixture of tension and anticipation.

Xu Mo navigated through the bustling crowd, found a temporarily vacant screen, and began browsing the list of missions available for his current F-rank clearance.

F-rank missions were mostly basic gathering and simple cleanup jobs. They were low-risk, but the rewards were correspondingly meager:

[Gather] Collect uncontaminated wild vegetables (fiddleheads/purslane) from designated areas. 5 Contribution Points per kilogram.

[Gather] Scavenge scrap metal (iron, copper, aluminum categorized separately). Priced by quality and weight, 1-3 Contribution Points per kilogram.

[Cleanup] Clear out a mutated rat nest in a designated sewer area of the Inner City. Confirmed to be small-scale. Reward: 50 Contribution Points.

[Cleanup] Assist a City Defense Army perimeter patrol team in clearing low-lying vegetation near fortifications to prevent hidden threats. 20 Contribution Points per day.

[Transport] Deliver a batch of supplies from an Inner City warehouse to a forward base office. Reward: 40 Contribution Points.

E-rank missions, on the other hand, began to involve some risk of combat and exploration, with correspondingly higher rewards:

[Hunt] Kill Scavenger Wolves and retrieve their pelts (relatively intact) and canine teeth. 80 Contribution Points per set of materials.

[Exploration] Conduct a preliminary survey of a residential complex marked "abandoned." Draw a simple map and mark potential threats. Reward: 120 Contribution Points.

[Escort] Escort a small merchant caravan to Forward Base No. 9. Reward: 70 Contribution Points.

[Cleanup] Exterminate a horde of corpses gathered at a small farm. Estimated number: 30-50. Reward: 200 Contribution Points.

[Collection] Collect the fruits or roots of a specific type of mutated plant. Potential for associated dangers. Reward varies by quantity collected, with a minimum of 100 Contribution Points.

Xu Mo’s eyes swept quickly over the mission list. He needed a job that was suitable for his newcomer status, offered good value for the effort, and would allow him to get a basic feel for the environment outside the city and the mission process.

Finally, his gaze settled on an E-rank mission: Coordinated Cleanup - Zombies on the Outskirts of Red Star Industrial Zone.

Seeing this mission, Xu Mo tapped on it.

[Mission Name]: Coordinated Cleanup - Zombies on the Outskirts of Red Star Industrial Zone

[Mission Rank]: E

[Mission Type]: Cleanup/Coordinated Operation

[Issuer]: Jiang City Defense Army Logistics Department

[Mission Description]: Cooperate with the City Defense Army’s cleanup force to clear a designated area on the outskirts of the Red Star Industrial Zone. The main targets are wandering, ordinary zombies. Mission takers are responsible for plugging any gaps and clearing out scattered zombies or those hiding in the blind spots of buildings.

[Requirements]: F-rank clearance or higher. Must provide your own weapons and ammunition.

[Assembly Time]: Two days from now, 8:00 AM

[Assembly Point]: West Gate assembly point, Outer City

[Reward]: Base reward of 100 Contribution Points. An additional bonus of 5 Contribution Points will be awarded for each confirmed zombie kill. Any spoils of war may be kept by the individual after inspection.

[Note]: Round-trip transportation will be provided.

This mission was a perfect fit for Xu Mo’s needs.

’First, it’s a coordinated mission organized by Jiang City. With a main force present, it’s relatively safe, making it perfect for a "newcomer" like me to get my first experience. Second, the location is on the outskirts of the Red Star Industrial Zone. Although previous intel mentioned a possible nest of new aquatic mutants deep inside the zone, the outer areas have been cleared multiple times, so the threat level is manageable.’

’Furthermore, cleanup missions often present opportunities to scavenge some stray supplies, which is a nice bonus. Finally, and very importantly, the mission provides round-trip transport, which will save precious fuel for my own vehicle. Without using my "door" ability to refuel, every drop of gas has to be carefully conserved.’

Without much hesitation, Xu Mo tapped the screen and accepted the mission. The screen prompted him to confirm the details, re-emphasizing the assembly time and location with a warning not to be late. After he confirmed, the mission information was recorded on his Identity Card and in his Hunter’s Guild file.

After accepting the mission, Xu Mo didn’t leave right away. Instead, he retreated to a relatively empty corner of the hall and began to watch the surrounding Scavengers with interest.