Chapter 59: Entering the Realm of Excellence

After winning the title of Hunting King, no one celebrated for them.

Only a staff member from Future City, quite unwillingly, released them from the cages of the arena and escorted them back to the three-bedroom apartment they had been assigned.

Seeing this outcome, Professor Wu’s face darkened. He had hoped to use the city’s ruthless games to eliminate them, but against all odds, these people survived unscathed. Not only that, they left behind a reputation for bravery and skill with the city lord. The lord of Future City had even decided to recruit these four at any cost.

They were guests in someone else’s domain, and the city lord’s status within the organization far exceeded his own. There was nothing he could do.

Zhang Xingmin and his companions were still unaware of these hidden machinations, but they could sense that their lives in Future City were improving.

For instance, most of those who entered Future City with them were still struggling at the edge of life and death, some already reduced to wandering spirits or the evening meal of wild beasts. Only they had returned to their apartment.

The building, once filled to capacity, now stood empty, betraying no sign of the overcrowding of a few days prior. Occasionally, someone would come and go, or survivors would stagger in from the arena, battered and bruised.

Leaving aside those still trapped in the arena—mere playthings to the city’s masters, not counted as people—even among the lowest class of slaves in Future City, the Falcon Squad was exceptionally lucky.

With the city lord indirectly protecting them, no one dared assign them dangerous or grueling tasks. Other slaves were forced to hang from steel wires to descend to the city’s base, maintaining or constructing new towers and transit systems near the ground—they were exempt. Other slaves labored in machine factories, but not them. Others worked heavy shifts in pharmaceutical or chemical plants, yet again, not them.

Those jobs were far too hazardous. These four had caught the city lord’s eye and would soon become provisional citizens, perhaps even full citizens. It was out of the question to risk them on dirty, exhausting, or life-threatening work.

They were shielded from fatigue, injury, thirst, and hunger—not pampered as noblemen, but never neglected. Just days ago, the city lord had asked about the four new arrivals, wondering if they had shown any remarkable abilities.

It was the first time the city lord had ever inquired about newcomers; clearly, the speculation was correct—these people were extraordinary. As slaves, they were expected to work on schedule, but never were they kept overtime or forced to burn the midnight oil; they even managed to sneak naps during shifts.

When everyone treats you as special, you may start to believe it yourself. That was the situation facing Zhang Xingmin and his group.

Of course, being rational, they weren’t foolish enough to believe they were chosen ones, blessed with protagonist halos, cheats, or buffs as in a novel. After all, they had been in Future City for ten days or so. Though luckier than other newcomers, they were still restricted and monitored at every turn, with no real freedom and no obvious chance for further advancement.

But they weren’t troubled by this. They knew their purpose in Future City: to uncover its secrets and gather intelligence for destroying the enemy base. This period of anonymity and disregard was perfect for exploring the city’s true nature.

Despite strict controls, their harvest was considerable. Through various means, they had gained a rough understanding of Future City’s structure.

The entire city was one of the organization’s core bases—a testbed for controlling future urban centers. Unlike ordinary cities built near rivers and open plains, Future City was nestled amid mountains.

Deep within Golden Rooster Ridge, there was not a single flat expanse. To maximize usable space, the city’s designers suspended the whole urban area, constructing a massive framework of stainless steel and other sturdy metals. This solved the risk of landslides and floods, while expanding the flat area available.

On this artificial plateau, the city was built using lightweight, durable metal and reinforced glass, eschewing traditional concrete and steel. With numerous high-rise buildings, commuting was made easier by a network of sky bridges crisscrossing between towers, giving an impression of endless connectivity.

Though the city lacked greenery—even staple grains and vegetables were rarely seen—cold and poorly lit in many places, it was hard to dislike living there.

As for functional zoning, they still hadn’t fully mapped it out, since access depended on one’s status. For newcomers, there was no freedom; they were confined to arenas or factories, as if imprisoned—indeed, worse than prison, since at least inmates could survive.

As slaves, their food, shelter, and work intensity far exceeded the hardships of old society’s bonded laborers, but their movements were strictly limited: centered around their residence, no more than five kilometers laterally, and restricted to the bottom third of Future City vertically. Any time they ventured farther, it was under heavy surveillance for work.

Despite these harsh realities, the Falcon Squad, even without superhuman abilities, had managed to evade security several times, sneaking into forbidden zones.

The lower third was the slaves’ domain, divided into countless small sectors, producing most of the city’s daily necessities. Some areas were densely populated; their Iron Tower District was considered among the best.

The middle third was for ordinary citizens and provisional citizens, comprising about thirty percent of the city’s population, with living standards comparable to the outside world’s middle class. They were responsible for bridging operations, maintaining order, and law enforcement. The inspectors they met upon entry lived in this area.

Above that was the city’s true core, inaccessible to ordinary people. It was said to be funnel-shaped, with the city’s central garden—a former mountain summit—at its heart.

In addition, they had noticed many forbidden zones scattered throughout all three residential areas. Rumor had it that only top-level executives could enter; the rest were strictly barred. They were searching for a chance to explore these forbidden places.