Chapter 42: A Grand Morning

That was right. This era existed as such.

For the sake of survival, the people in the settlement lived the most primal way of life.

The gap between civilization and the sudden deterioration of the natural environment would be the most logical explanation.

However, the humans’ new civilization developed the Safety Sector, and behind the walls, there were technologies that surpassed even the old civilization!

Indeed, technology was the key! The most significant achievement of the old civilization had somehow reached a bottleneck in development, yet it was easily broken through by this current civilization which was built upon the ashes of the old.

Some even defied the laws of physics of the old civilization.

Nonetheless, why were humans living such a pitiful life hiding behind the sector walls, escaping the world and not conquering it?

Based on the looks of it, those super technologies behind the walls were not mass-produced. Unlike the old civilization, whenever new technology was invented, it would eventually change the way people lived their lives. Ultimately, even commoners could enjoy the benefits of technology.

These questions pained Tang Ling’s heart that felt like it was being clawed by a cat, but he was helpless about it.

No matter how high the access level of the library card he had was, the books that it had access to did not hold any information about all that. There was not even a single word about it.

“If there was a way…” Tang Ling rubbed the library card in his hand. He heard from the cooking maiden that this library card was actually Su Yao’s goodwill. While Tang Ling felt grateful, he was greedy for more information and knowledge.

Inevitably, Tang Ling thought about the true mystery of this current era—the Mysterious Store.

The man who granted Tang Ling the ability to read several types of language with a swing of his hand was Kun!

If not for the man, Tang Ling would have to walk past all the precious treasures which were the books.

“Hey, boy, let me have a look. What are you mumbling about? I’ve already ordered an iron-scaled horse wagon to go to the inner city. You’ll be late if you walk.” The cooking maiden’s voice entered Tang Ling’s ears while he was lost in his thoughts.

The cooking maiden, Rona, seemed to like Su Yao a lot. While she was also a genuine person, she was just a little naggy.

“Mmm. I’ll get going now.” Tang Ling always showed a heart of gratitude to those who cared for him.

In this era, unconditional goodwill might probably be the most precious thing he could ever encounter.

“My, my, my, look at you, boy! Your shirt, tsk tsk tsk!” Rona dragged Tang Ling over and carefully stroked his uniform. Her eyes were overflowing with envy and affection.

The uniform was made out of very high-quality material.

Even though Tang Ling was rather thin and short compared to his peers, his decent facial features and rigid posture coupled with the uniform made him look as handsome as a noble.

Even that black hair and abysmal eyes of his were filled with an unusual and mysterious air.

After all, his features represented the bloodline of the Dongsheng Continent of the old civilization and were considered rare in Safety Sector No. 17. Rumor had it that the other descendants were all gathered under a powerful and mysterious Safety Zone.

On top of that, Tang Ling’s name actually followed the typical system of naming in the Dongsheng Continent of Huaxia. The purebloods of Huaxia were as rare as a phoenix’s feather in Safety Sector No. 17.

Due to the affection for Su Yao, Rona’s love further extended to men of a similar bloodline.

Tang Ling, who was still a teen, felt shy toward Rona’s affection. He quietly moved her hand away, but at the same time, she stuffed two eggs the size of fists into his hands. They were warm and aromatic.

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“Here, these are iron thorn bird eggs. Eat them on the go. Don’t starve yourself during the exam,” she said.

Tang Ling felt grateful in his heart. He knew this was Rona’s personal kindness. Uncle Su Yao would never be so delicate.

Iron thorn bird eggs were not cheap either, and they were great for recovering stamina.

Back when he used to hunt around the settlement, Tang Ling already knew that an adult iron thorn bird could easily puncture ten men’s stomachs with its kick, let alone if it attacked with its sharp beak and ridiculous speed of sprinting.

Moreover, it laid only several eggs at a time, and when it did, it tended to get fiercer.

“Thank you,” Tang Ling said softly. As he spoke, he loaded his limited luggage on his back. If he could progress smoothly through the exam, he would be staying in the First Reserved Camp from then on.

Even if he failed, he would still end up in other training camps and not in Rona’s inn anymore.

“The important thing is to get excellent results.” Rona’s gaze revealed a trace of heavy emotions. This teenager, who barely talked and seemed like he had countless sorrowful experiences, seemed to win her sympathy.

More importantly, after Tang Ling left, would Su Yao still drop by?

Struggling with her heavy feelings, Rona felt a little anxious.

Tang Ling paused his steps, and for the first time, he smiled bashfully at Rona. “Aunt Rona, I’ll come back and visit.”

The first light of the morning finally appeared, shedding its warm light over the little inn.

******

The iron-scaled horse wagon was wobbly because the wagoner had to whip the horses to remind them to keep their explosive temper in check from time to time.

Tang Ling did not mind at all. He buried his face in the iron thorn bird eggs and drinking water as he made his final preparations for the upcoming exam.

Tang Ling had no idea what the exam was about, but he knew it would not be too easy. He once spent two credits buying the information from Quark and he had not forgotten what he obtained. There was an important segment in becoming a Purple Moon Warrior which was to pass a mysterious test.

He thought about those reserved warriors who graduated from the First Reserved Camp and had extremely high chances of becoming a Purple Moon Warrior. Would their exam include this mysterious test?

There was no answer no matter how hard Tang Ling pondered. Moreover, the crowded street was rather distracting.

The people on the street were excited because today was the day of the reexamination. The elites who would enter the First Reserved Camp would be selected today and no one wanted to miss such a grand scene.

After all, life inside Safety Sector No. 17 was depressing as well.

Tang Ling swallowed a mouthful of water. After spending time reading, of course, Tang Ling knew that in order to maintain the rights to stay in the Safety Sector, the people had to offer their labor at all times and on all kinds of occasions.

Compared to the settlement, the people here were not as free because the gigantic gate of the sector blocked outsiders but at the same time locked them in.

Commoners had no rights or funds to go out of the sector.

Living under such conditions, the birth of every new batch of Purple Moon Warriors would be a grand celebration that was followed by the introduction of the “new blood” who would be arranged to enter the First Reserved Camp.

With every single powerful warrior that was produced, would the people not feel safer?

Even though he did not want to display any ill intentions, Tang Ling’s eyes inevitably showed a trace of mockery. He hoped that the people of the sector would never see the glare from the swords that night which slaughtered the innocent and weak in cold blood.

Following his scrambled thoughts of that night, the inevitable appeared.

What kind of era is this? If only I could… If only I had the power, I’d smash it with all I have!

“Dear Young Master, we are here.” The wagoner’s voice interrupted Tang Ling’s sudden frantic thoughts.

The skilled wagoner had taken him to the street where Su Yao had brought him earlier. Without permission, people of the outer city could not even set foot on the street.

However, it was filled with people since sunrise because the reserved warriors who were here to enter the reexamination were waiting on the street. Their families were given permission to set foot not just on the street, but even to enter the inner city to witness the important and grand exam.