My Apocalypse Territory-Chapter 156: What is That!

Lindong Sanctuary lay to the north, roughly twenty kilometers away, spanned by a vast mountain range.

The terrain of the mountain range was complex and intricate, filled with many fatal dangers, and mercenaries from Lindong Sanctuary seldom ventured deep into these mountains.

However, the periphery of the range was a common hunting ground for the mercenaries, where occasionally they could hunt down Mutant Beasts… These were not like Demonized Beasts, which were nearly inedible, and their materials only fetched a good price if they came from high-level Demonized Beasts. Materials from common Awakener First or Second Layer Demonized Beasts had flooded the market, and even bringing back a cartload would barely sell for a few Source Crystals.

Mutant Beasts were different; even the lowest level of Mutant Beast had exceptionally delicious meat. It was said that the meat of higher-grade Mutant Beasts contained a great deal of energy, which could slowly improve physical fitness when consumed by ordinary people.

The meat of Mutant Beasts was becoming increasingly popular in Lindong.

A five-person team moved cautiously through the forest.

"Everyone be careful, we've entered the outskirts of the mountain range," said the team leader, "I hope that we come out of this as well as we entered."

"Don't worry, Captain. Although it's our first time here, our team is strong. As long as we're careful, there won't be any problems. The only concern is whether we can find Mutant Beasts, because hunting just Demonized Beasts won't earn us many Source Crystals."

"Indeed…"

The rest nodded in agreement.

They were originally a Mercenary Team active around the Lindong Sanctuary. However, as the number of Awakeners increased and their strength grew, the Demonized Beasts near the Sanctuary became scarce and the surrounding materials had long been plundered, making it nearly impossible for them to get by. This had led them to seek a new way out here.

"We still need to be careful," advised the Commander. "The dangers here are far greater than those around the Sanctuary. The Awakeners active in this area are much stronger as well. We have to…"

He was cut off by a thunderous noise in the distance.

Following a pained roar, trees in front of them were snapped and crushed as a beast the size of a small car charged out.

The bulky creature, with short, stout limbs and a metallic sheen covering its body, was like a tank charging through, leaving destruction in its wake.

The Commander gasped, "Is that, is that a Gold-Swallowing Beast?"

Someone quickly caught on, "Captain, is that the kind of Mutant Beast that refines higher-grade metals inside its body after consuming metal?"

The Commander nodded.

"They say the metal is very hard and tough, and most importantly, it has excellent Source Power conduction. A piece the size of a palm could sell for a fortune at the Sanctuary. If we could get that, wouldn't we strike it rich?"

He said, then soon followed with a disheartened shake of the head.

Clearly, he understood that with the power the Gold-Swallowing Beast had displayed, they were no match for it.

"Wait, look at the Gold-Swallowing Beast's abdomen, there are scorch marks… and look there, some people are hunting the Gold-Swallowing Beast, they're nearly catching up to it."

The silhouettes of several people were rapidly closing in.

"That's…?" The Commander's eyes widened. "That's the Fiery Fire Team! No wonder, after all, Fiery Fire Team is an established top-tier Mercenary Corps. It's said their Commander Wang Wu has already broken through to the Fifth Tier, so it's not surprising he can take on this Gold-Swallowing Beast."

Originally, they had thought to search for any metals after the Gold-Swallowing Beast had left, since even the unrefined metals consumed by the beast were typically valuable.

But now, they didn't dare get any closer.

They only thought of making a swift exit. If discovered by someone from the Fiery Fire Team, they were very likely to be silenced.

"Let's hurry and leave. That Gold-Swallowing Beast certainly won't get away, and we'd better leave while the Fiery Fire Team is still hunting," one of them said.

The team members nodded and were ready to depart.

Then their eyes suddenly widened as they looked toward the horizon.

A massive net fell from the sky, enveloping the Gold-Swallowing Beast. Sharp stakes at the corners of the net anchored it firmly into the ground. The net, made of an unknown material, resisted the violent thrashing of the beast, trapping it securely.

Wang Wu, who was nearly upon the Gold-Swallowing Beast, was startled and yelled, "Who's there!"

From the nearby woods emerged a group of muscular big men, standing silently on both sides, and an unremarkable-looking youth slowly stepped forward.

This young man was not particularly sturdy; standing among the big men, he seemed somewhat frail.

However, Wang Wu's pupils constricted instantly, and he immediately took a defensive stance.

In the distance, members of the passerby team were shocked beyond words.

"Who are those people, and why does the Fiery Fire Team seem so wary of them?"

The experienced commander took a step back upon seeing that young man, "Have you heard of Forget Sorrow Bar?"

"Forget Sorrow Bar? Isn't that the one in the slums with a lot of influence, rumored to have several Awakener enforcers? Could these be people from Forget Sorrow Bar? But even if they were, they wouldn't measure up to the top-tier Fiery Fire Team, right?"

The team members were increasingly puzzled.

"True, Forget Sorrow Bar alone is no match for the Fiery Fire Team. But did you notice that young man in the middle? That guy is called Grey Blade, and he's the real reason why the Fiery Fire Team is cautious."

"It's said that after consolidating the power of Forget Sorrow Bar, he founded the Forget Sorrow Mercenary Corps. Recently, their ranking at the mission center has been climbing higher and higher. Although not yet officially recognized as a top-tier team and the other members aren't considered experts, that man called Grey Blade is extremely terrifying. It's said that no one who's been targeted by him has ever survived."

After being briefed, the team members all drew in a sharp breath. No wonder...

Upon another glance at Grey Blade, their gaze had changed. Just one man standing there made the whole top-tier team cautious—their own strength paled in comparison.

The thought was as aspirational as it was daunting.

At this moment, Grey Blade was closely inspecting the giant beast before him, glistening with a metallic sheen.

"We finally caught the gold-swallowing beast, the last material required by the Lord for building the Floating Chariot can now be gathered. Just need to figure out how to transport this gold-swallowing beast back to the territory, but..." He glanced at Wang Wu and others nearby, furrowing his brow.

Wang Wu was staring at Grey Blade.

After a moment of silent hesitation, a ruthless look crossed his face.

He made a hand signal to his teammates, and a member skilled in firearms immediately took a shot.

The shot, however, was not aimed at Grey Blade or any of the other strong men but hit precisely a thin line connected to a nail that had been driven underground.

Sparks flew.

The line snapped.

The gold-swallowing beast's struggles grew fiercer. At the other three corners of the net, the ground cracked open with loud snaps and stones flew about as the nail, firmly embedded deep underground, was ripped out by the beast's mighty force and shot into the air.

In the next moment, the gold-swallowing beast, caught in the net, surged forward with all its might.

This charge was unstoppable.

In the blink of an eye, it had covered a great distance.

Grey Blade's brows furrowed.

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The Lord had ordered him, if possible, to capture the gold-swallowing beast alive.

With this in mind, he didn't give a second thought to the Fiery Fire Team and hastily chased after the gold-swallowing beast.

Wang Wu and a few others also hurriedly followed suit.

In the distance, other mercenary teams drawn by the commotion and recognizing the gold-swallowing beast, thinking themselves capable of claiming a share, also darted toward the scene.

The experts weaved through the forest.

Grey Blade, leading the chase, was about to catch up.

Another top-tier expert, not wanting to fall behind, dashed over the treetops.

Suddenly, a towering cliff appeared ahead. The gold-swallowing beast, running too frantically to turn, slammed straight into it.

Boom!

Rocks fell from the cliff.

But just when everyone thought the gold-swallowing beast would be trapped against the rock wall, they saw the cliff face, like a sheet of glass, shatter inch by inch.

A giant hole, over ten meters in diameter, was revealed.

In the center of the hole, a gray mist swirled, resembling a vortex.

And the fleeing gold-swallowing beast had already vanished inside the hollow.