Chapter 138: Countdown (III)

Even the most dilapidated settlements have commerce and trade, and Hope Town was naturally no exception. In an open space at the street corner, Ferren and his companions quickly spotted a ragged area resembling a slum and a flea market. Most of what was displayed here, however, consisted of shabby clothing, along with some handmade weapons and firearms. These were the typical goods sold in the markets of most settlements. Naturally, one could not expect to find any legendary divine treasures in such a place.

The sudden appearance of Ferren and the others quickly attracted the attention of the crowd. The peddlers in the market stirred slightly, but soon lapsed back into silence. Putting everything else aside, just looking at the flashy, impeccably clean clothes of Ferren and his group—free of even a single crease or stain—made it clear that these people were obviously not going to be interested in the junk they were selling.

However, not everyone was ready to give up. Just as Ferren was about to leave with Aluka and the others, a young boy hurried over to their side and blocked their path.

"Sir, is there anything you need?"

Hearing the boy's voice, Ferren reached out to lift the brim of his hat and cast a glance at him. The young man looked energetic. Although prolonged malnutrition had left his frame somewhat thin, his eyes and tone carried a rare, cheerful vibrancy in this dim, gloomy town. Sensing Ferren's gaze, the boy hurriedly stepped back and lowered his head.

"Please forgive my forwardness, but if you are looking for something, I think you can tell me... I can help you avoid a lot of trouble and guarantee that I won't waste your time. Of course, if you could give me a small reward for it, that would be more than enough for me."

"Oh?"

Hearing the boy's confident guarantee, Ferren looked at him with mild curiosity and then chuckled softly.

"We want to buy food. Do you have a way?"

"Food?"

Faced with Ferren's inquiry, the boy's expression instantly froze. In these small settlements, food was always the most vital resource—worth more than gold. Therefore, the prosperity of a settlement could be judged simply by whether it had food for sale. Mature settlements like the Ninth District, which not only had enough food to supply their residents but could even provide high-end delicacies to the Seven Giants like Ferren, were already considered powerful factions.

As for Hope Town, where even its own people were malnourished to the point of nearly going out en masse to beg, it naturally fell into the very category of settlements most suitable to be used as a negative example.

"I'm very sorry, sir. If you want to trade for food, there is nothing I can do."

Under these circumstances, the boy obviously could no longer say anything else. He had originally hoped that the visitors might have food to trade for other things, but upon hearing that Ferren and his group were also looking for food, he realized he could not help.

"The food here is strictly rationed. That... um..."

"It doesn't matter."

Before the boy could say anything further, Ferren waved a hand to cut him off.

"We want to meet the ruler here. Can you help us pass a message?"

"This..."

This time, the boy hesitated for a moment. He raised his head, carefully looked over Ferren and his companions, then bit his lower lip and nodded as if making a firm decision.

"Of course, sir. Please follow me."

Every settlement had a ruler. In this era, democracy had long since been tossed into the dustbin. A strong and capable ruler was what everyone desired most. This was also the reason why Ferren was unwilling to build his own faction. True, building a powerful faction and having things go your way at the snap of a finger looked impressive. But as a ruler, one had to look out for the residents under their governance. Whether one chose to be a hero shielding all people or a tyrannical dictator, they had to consider their subordinates. Unlike Ferren, who roamed around with Delリン, killing when he wanted and leaving when he pleased, entirely unconcerned with the thoughts of others.

As the old saying went, for an emperor, the most luxurious thing of all was freedom.

And for Ferren, he clearly had no intention of losing that freedom.

Unfortunately, most people preferred to make the alternative choice.

Guided by the boy, Ferren and the others soon arrived at the residence of the "Mayor" of Happy Town. This place looked completely different from the barren and impoverished town outside. The "Mayor's" residence appeared to have once been a manor, now occupied by the town's ruler. In stark contrast to the dark, gloomy, and dilapidated environment outside, this place was brilliantly lit. The guards stationed at the outer gates were also dressed in glossy uniforms and held meticulously polished firearms, making them look fundamentally different from the beggars outside.

"This is the mayor's house."

The boy leading the way looked timidly at the manor before him and whispered to Ferren and the others.

"The mayor occupies the entire manor and has recruited quite a few people to work for him. Almost all the food in Happy Town comes from here."

Having said this, the boy finally raised his head and walked up to the grand gates. Seeing him approach, the sentries on guard immediately stepped forward to block his way.

"Hey, Sandy, what are you doing here?"

"Get lost, kid. This isn't a place for brats like you!"

One of the guards even raised his rifle butt and slammed it heavily against the boy's forehead, knocking him to the ground. The boy clutched his forehead with one hand while shouting loudly,

"Wait, I brought people to see the boss!"

"Brought people? What kind of people? A little squirt like you could possibly..."

Hearing the boy's words, the lead guard wore a look of utter disdain. He originally intended to mock the boy further, but upon seeing Ferren and the others emerging from behind him, both guards instantly froze. It was hardly surprising; in this post-apocalyptic wasteland, although they had seen plenty of people, they had never before laid eyes on anyone dressed as neatly, cleanly, and gorgeously as Ferren's group. Setting aside Ferren's handsome face—which was striking enough to make other men want to shoot him on the spot—just the sweet and lovely Franka, the charming and alluring Aluka, and the dazzling Delin in her maid outfit were enough to leave the two guards dumbstruck. In particular, Aluka's slender legs outlined by the pure white stockings beneath her miniskirt made both men stare blankly, practically drooling as they almost knelt on the spot.

"Such a bunch of idiots."

Watching the two guards standing there in a daze, like targets of a paralyzing spell, Aluka let out a soft huff. She finally understood why Miss Moon and Alisa always emphasized that women should use their own charm to solve problems. In the past, whenever they went on reconnaissance or exploration missions, they tried their best to disguise themselves to avoid drawing attention. Yet even so, they still encountered plenty of suspicious and wary gazes. But now, she merely stood here, and two hardened desperadoes instantly lost their vigilance, turning into drooling idiots. Aluka was certain that even if she pulled out her gun and shot them dead right then and there, they wouldn't react at all.

If Aluka hadn't actually received training from Miss Moon, she might have even suspected this was some kind of special ability or magic.

In truth, the two guards couldn't entirely be blamed for being foolish; the post-apocalyptic world was exceptionally cruel, not to mention the omnipresent monsters in the wilderness. Because dark clouds blocked out the sun, temperatures were also extremely low. Under such conditions, ordinary people wished they could wear more and more layers.

Imagine a woman—no matter how pretty she might be—suffering from prolonged malnutrition, lacking the heart to apply makeup or style her hair, and then bundling up in layers of shabby clothes that exuded a sour, stale odor. What charm could she possibly have left?

It was simply that the harsh living conditions of the doomsday world had severely lowered most people's aesthetic standards, leading them to think that basically, as long as it was a female... Oh... and now it was no longer limited to females. According to information Ferren received from Miss Moon, Vegas had indeed opened a dedicated beast zone following his suggestion, and the business had turned out to be exceptionally booming. Aside from a few incidents where frightened mares kicked people to death, everything went smoothly. Even more baffling to Miss Moon was that many people actually showed more interest in these beasts than in humans, with quite a few traveling to Vegas specifically for this newly introduced special service!

To this, Ferren had calmly stated that he was merely striving to benefit his fellow post-apocalyptic men, expressing deep modesty that he had only made a tiny contribution...

One could easily imagine how post-apocalyptic males surviving under such aesthetic standards would feel upon seeing existences like Aluka, Delin, and Franka. The shock was no less than witnessing the descent of goddesses or the manifestation of deities. There was no need to dwell on Aluka's attire; it was high-end gear from the Fortune Society—fireproof, waterproof, bulletproof, and warm against the wind, perfectly resolving the ultimate dilemma among otaku: "Won't you be cold wearing a miniskirt in the dead of winter?"

As for Delin and Franka—familiar spirits' clothes were conjured using energy, so they didn't need to worry about such things at all.

"You two..."

Compared to the two guards, the boy fared a bit better, largely due to his young age and lack of experience in this area. Even so, he didn't dare to stare too long at the three young girls accompanying Ferren. Even at the silver-haired girl transformed from Franka, he only dared to steal a few quick glances before immediately turning away with a blushing face, not daring to look further. As the saying went, "Satiety breeds indulgence"—you had to be well-fed first before having such thoughts, and he was still starving right now.

"Ahem, ahem!"

Hearing the boy's call, the two idiot-like guards finally snapped out of their daze. They coughed sheepishly, flashed awkward smiles as they nodded at Ferren and his group, and then turned their gazes back to the boy.

"Who are they? What are they here for?"

"Well, you see, they want to discuss food trading with the boss..."

"What?!"