Chapter 76: The Hunter and the Momentum

“So that’s how it is! I never expected the company would send me to participate in this wager battle!”

Facing Black Hawk Corporation’s forced conscription, Zhang Ran, though unwilling, had no choice but to acquiesce. According to the contract he had signed with Black Hawk, the company did indeed possess the right to forcibly requisition employees. Even without such a contract, given Black Hawk’s power as a group with Hunters among them, Zhang Ran had no grounds to refuse.

“Put your weapons away and follow me. There’s no need to look so downcast. Though these wager battles are all fights to the death and extremely dangerous, before you go into battle, you’ll receive personal instruction from Lord Link—a rare opportunity! Beyond that, if you win, all your debts to the company will be canceled, and you’ll receive one hundred thousand contribution points.”

The man explained patiently as Zhang Ran stepped into his room. With a thought, he stowed the Po Jun blade, his dagger, firearms, and rucksack into his spatial box, then left the apartment to follow the man to Black Hawk City’s central headquarters.

...

Fifteen minutes later, they arrived at Black Hawk Headquarters.

After a thorough security check, Zhang Ran was finally allowed into the building that symbolized Black Hawk’s supreme authority. Compared to other structures in the city, the headquarters’ interior was decidedly modern: the floors were laid with gleaming marble tiles, electric lights illuminated the corridors at regular intervals, and there were even two elevators.

Of course, these elevators were reserved for the five executive officers; both Zhang Ran and his escort could only climb the stairs.

Soon after, Zhang Ran reached the sixth floor. He was the third contestant to arrive. Once he was there, the follower of Lord Link quietly slipped away.

Another ten minutes passed before the remaining two contestants arrived. At that moment, a tall, young woman descended the stairs. She wore a secretary’s uniform, her skin unblemished by radiation spots, and her figure was elegant.

“Gentlemen, Executive Officer Lord Link will arrive soon. Please wait patiently and mind your manners,” she said with a slight smile, reminding the five contestants before standing demurely by the elevator doors.

“A Level 4 Evolver! As expected of a Hunter-class executive’s private secretary!” Zhang Ran’s heart skipped a beat as he used his chip to scan her, startled by the result.

Not only was her strength impressive, but compared to other women Zhang Ran had seen, her looks were also above average. While she wouldn’t be considered a beauty in his eyes, she was at least noticeably above the average standard of Earth.

In the Wasteland, ordinary women suffered years of radiation exposure, resulting in dark spots, grayish skin, and thick hair. Malnutrition was common, and their appearance was mostly unremarkable—often far less attractive than even the plainest Earthly women.

However, once a woman became an Evolver, her genes were optimized. Her resistance to radiation increased, her appearance improved markedly, and, thanks to a better diet, Evolver women tended to have far more appealing figures than the average woman.

As for the secretary before Zhang Ran, her circumstances far exceeded those of most female Evolvers. As a private secretary to an executive, she didn’t have to roam the wilds, could remain in the low-radiation city, and clearly took care of herself. In Black Hawk City, she was undoubtedly a beauty—though, to Zhang Ran, her looks were just barely passable.

After another five minutes, the sound of the elevator signaled its arrival. With a ding, the doors slid open, and a middle-aged man in a suit stepped out. He looked to be around forty, with a square jaw and an aura of command—every inch exuding the presence of a man in power.

“Lord Link, the five contestants are present. Please review them,” the secretary said, bowing at a perfect forty-five-degree angle with utmost respect.

“Very well, I am aware,” Link replied, raising his head to let his gaze sweep indifferently over the five contestants.

What a terrifying presence! So this is the power of a Hunter?

When Link’s gaze landed on him, Zhang Ran felt a chill in his heart, his muscles tensing, his pulse quickening, blood surging through his veins—a visceral reaction to the difference in their very life force.

In Zhang Ran’s perception, Link was no longer merely human but a ferocious beast. Even a single glance sent waves of pressure that seemed capable of tearing him apart with the slightest gesture.

At that moment, the Evolution Tree in Zhang Ran’s spiritual sea shuddered, releasing a cool stream of energy that coursed through his body.

“Chip, analyze Link’s data!”

With the refreshing energy dispelling his fear, Zhang Ran silently issued a command to his chip.

[Name: Link]
[Age: 57]
[Level: Level 2 Hunter (Level 11 Evolver)]
[Abilities: ??? (Primary Domain: Combat)]
[Strength: 32.9]
[Constitution: 31.7]
[Agility: 30.5]
[Mental Power: 28.6]

As the data appeared transparently before his eyes, Zhang Ran couldn’t help but gasp.

Attributes above 30! That’s incredible!

For a Scavenger—Evolvers of Level 1 to 9—every level gained about 2 base attribute points. By Level 9, a typical Evolver’s base attributes were around 19, and their actual stats would fluctuate near that mark depending on their domain.

But for a Level 1 Hunter—a Level 10 Evolver—their base attributes would reach 25. Each additional level added 5 points. For someone like Link, a Level 2 Hunter, his base attributes had reached 30—truly formidable.

Beyond that, Hunters possessed a unique ability that Scavengers did not: “Aura.”

Aura, or presence, was a qualitative leap in life force. Their life-field became so powerful that it could amplify their strength and suppress or influence enemies to a certain degree. This was the origin of “Aura.”

The fear Zhang Ran felt toward Link was a result of this very Aura. It was said that higher-level Evolvers could refine their Aura into a personal Domain.

Within a Domain, the Evolver became a true sovereign, capable of bending reality with a thought. However, such existences were rare even in Ancient Desert City—true giants who would never deign to set foot in small powers like Black Hawk Corporation.