The Transcendent named Wang Qiang slowly approached the red-skinned corpse. After getting close, he dragged one of the bodies out with an extendable crowbar.

However, after completing this action, Wang Qiang suddenly covered his mouth and nose.

"Master Shi, it's poisonous! And it's somewhat volatile—extremely toxic!"

Hearing it was toxic, Shi Tian immediately gave an order.

"Retreat! Everyone put on mechanical gas masks."

When out and about, excellent protective gear is naturally essential, and it's common knowledge that Exotic Species can be toxic.

This team of Transcendents was not only strong but also well-equipped. Naturally, they would not lack protective gear.

Their gas masks were not the simple kind that Lu Luo had bought before, but the mechanical gas masks recently produced by Hongtu Arms.

These mechanical gas masks were designed by Li Tanya after the battle at Ganmu.

Not only could they protect against gas and isolate odors, allowing the Transcendents to maintain a relatively normal breathing state, but they could also speak normally, which was very convenient.

After putting on the masks, the Transcendents felt a bit safer.

Wang Qiang picked up his crowbar again and began to search through the corpses here.

"Master Shi, there are not only red skins here but also a lot of Grade 1-2 Exotic Species corpses, and it seems there are even Third Tier ones! Although they are tainted with poison, it should not be a problem if we pack them in protective bags. Taking these materials could provide a decent income."

Wang Qiang appeared very pleased, and many other team members were also happy at this time.

However, if Lu Xiaoluo were awake, he would have felt something strange.

These well-equipped and not weak individuals showed a strange unfamiliarity in their actions and behavior.

This was because this team was indeed on their first expedition beyond the wall.

Their identity was a private military force of the Minsheng Company from Sea Star, and all the team members were Transcendents trained by Sea Star Minsheng.

Although these people were only a force raised for their combat abilities, they were born and raised in the Inner Ring.

Compared to those from the Fourth Ring, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say they were delicate and pampered.

As one of the three major companies in the Wasteland, Sea Star had always controlled civilian production.

This time, due to the changes in the Fourth Ring and the emergence of the Outburst, they felt a certain sense of crisis, leading to the idea of exploring beyond the wall and the formation of some private teams.

The team led by Shi Tian was one of them.

At this moment, hearing his disciple's words, Shi Tian nodded slightly with satisfaction.

Although he didn't know how the red-skinned bodies came to be, such a situation might be dangerous but also an opportunity.

If they could obtain a large amount of Exotic Species materials for free, it would be quite encouraging for a team like theirs venturing beyond the wall for the first time.

"Have the team members start collecting the Exotic Species materials with protective bags, and remember to protect themselves. Try not to directly contact the bodies. If you get poisoned, you must report immediately and use the antidote."

Embarrassingly, Shi Tian was the only member of this team who had been beyond the wall before.

Leading a group of inexperienced individuals, he felt immense pressure.

Due to the previous changes in the Fourth Ring, the Minsheng Company realized they had fallen behind Hongtu and Lan Tian without even being aware.

And if they didn't take action, this gap would only widen.

If the Fourth Ring were to become like the areas beyond the wall, with denser energy, then pharmaceutical and weapons companies would naturally grow vigorously.

And the Minsheng Company would undoubtedly be hugely affected, as the increase in Dark Energy might lead to a wide spread of plants in the Fourth Ring.

Plus, after long-term adaptation to the Dark Energy of the Fourth Ring, humans could very well, like ordinary Exotic Species, consume some relatively clean Exotic Species meat.

These seemingly insignificant changes would all have a huge impact on Sea Star Minsheng.

So now, fully depending on civilian life, they could no longer afford to stand idly by. They needed to reconnect with the world beyond the wall, discover resources, and develop new civilian businesses.

Though these were still just daydreams, it was always good to imagine.

Therefore, Sea Star sent out a total of four teams for this initial exploration beyond the wall, corresponding to the eastern, southern, western, and northern regions of the Fourth Ring, respectively.

This exploration had no substantial purpose—just to probe the environment, gather resources, and understand the needs of Transcendents beyond the wall.

They were to experience combat, exterminate some Exotic Species, and bring back the materials.

They weren't looking to make money, just wanting a clear understanding of the conditions outside the walls, to adapt to the new rhythms of the Fourth Ring.

He sought to understand the needs of other Transcendents for items from outside the walls through his own team's needs.

Only by understanding the needs of their customers could Sea Star transform amidst these massive changes.

The squad led by Shi Tian was tasked with this glorious mission.

In fact, during the entire march, they were very tense and doing poorly; two out of the twenty members had died before even reaching Rift Valley.

Apart from killing some common Exotic Species, the team had almost no substantial gains.

Without a Scouting Sequence, they couldn't find Dark Spirit Stones, Corrosive Items, or any useful materials.

They were practically a team with nothing.

This situation made even Shi Tian, leading the team, begin to feel a sense of confusion.

But now, they had discovered a large number of Exotic Species corpses—red-skinned ones, and various other sorts, including some rare species.

Only with the most basic of gains could their team begin to build confidence.

However, just as these Sea Star Minsheng team members were scavenging materials, a certain Sequence was shouting at its host, who, unfortunately for him, was sleeping amidst a pile of corpses, surrounded by a deadly poison.

Host, wake up. There are people around you; get up quickly.

Hey, Lu Luo, are you going to get up or not? You're sleeping like a dead pig; someone's about to come knocking.

Fine then. It seems like you don't even care when someone is stealing your money. You're not the Lu Xiaoluo you used to be.

Hearing that someone was stealing his money, Lu Luo sat up with a SNAP.

"Who's stealing my money? Are they tired of living?"

Awakened, Lu Luo noticed about a dozen people stripping materials from the Exotic Species corpses, carefully handling them, some with faces full of surprise.

This scene left Lu Luo's expression bewildered.

"What? What's happening?"

Just then, Luo Ya walked over to where Lu Luo was sitting on the ground.

Her expression also became strange.

"How come you're not wearing a gas mask? And you're all dirty. Have you been contaminated by the toxins from the corpses? Hey, why aren't you talking? Have you been poisoned?"

Lu Luo didn't know what to say to the young woman in front of him.

He stood up and scanned the surroundings. The people looked at him, and seeing Lu Luo standing with Sister Luo Ya, they kept quiet.

It seems like they don't even understand the most basic Wasteland defensive security protocol. Are all these people fools?

"I..."

Lu Luo was about to say something but was interrupted by Luo Ya opposite him.

"Wait, you're not from our company, are you? Who are you? What is your purpose here?"

Did this woman just notice? Is it you who's odd, or are these people? Why do I feel something is not quite right?

Lu Luo also felt something was off. Clearly, you are the ones robbing me, so why are you interrogating me? People from the company? What kind of company sends out a bunch of trash like you? Moreover, in such a dangerous environment outside the walls, there is no trust between people. Even if you want to question me, you should at least raise your weapon, point a knife or gun at me, and show some hostility. That's the least respect you could give me! Your posture looks like you want to argue; I'm embarrassed to make a move.

"Ah, forget it!"

"Why aren't you talking? Who exactly are you? AH!"

Before Luo Ya could understand the situation, she was grabbed by the neck and hoisted up by Lu Luo.

Her scream naturally drew the attention of the other Sea Star members. Even if they were slow on the uptake, they now knew that they had encountered a situation.

As captain, Shi Tian raised his gun at Lu Luo, the man standing amongst the corpses, covered in blood, giving off a very dangerous vibe.

"Who are you?"

"That question, I should be asking you, shouldn't I?"

"What do you mean?"

Lu Luo swept a glance around; he hated it most when others touched his money.

"You, why did you touch my things?"

Shi Tian revealed a puzzled expression. Your things? What of yours did we touch?

He subconsciously looked at the Exotic Species corpses laying around and the members who had just been collecting materials from them.

An idea he thought unlikely bubbled up in his mind.

These Exotic Species, they couldn't all have been killed by him, could they? How is that possible?

Lu Luo was also slightly frowning at this moment. These people were strong, mostly Second or Third Tier.

If they were to take empowered shots, it's very likely they would hurt me. He disliked humans pointing guns at him like this, especially since this was outside the wall.

"You took my things, pointed guns at me, and still pretend to be ignorant. Quite audacious indeed!"

No sooner had Lu Luo spoken than his body suddenly burst into action. Catch the king first to capture the thieves, he thought, deciding to deal with the leader opposite him first.

The boiling steam made Luo Ya, in Lu Luo's hand, feel uncomfortable. She suddenly sensed a gust of wind, a result of Lu Luo's sudden acceleration.

Shi Tian hadn't even spoken when he was struck in the stomach by Lu Luo's knee.

"COUGH!"

Both being Third Tier, Lu Luo's strength by now was beyond what could be described by that Tier.

He was the ceiling of biological state perfection!

Shi Tian spat out a mouthful of fresh blood and was sent flying, knocking another member to the ground as well.

This sudden attack left the others taken aback. When they looked back at where Lu Luo had been, his figure had already disappeared from that spot.

"Fire!"

BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!

The bullets couldn't touch Lu Luo, not because he was faster than the bullets, but because these people's reaction speeds were too slow.

Their field of vision, rate of fire, and angles—all failed to capture Lu Luo.

This battle was thus a one-sided beating.

Lu Luo, with forceful might, kicked an individual holding a riot shield, bending the sturdy shield with a single kick.

The person was also sent flying backwards.

Feeling his own power, Lu Luo began weaving through the group of people ceaselessly.

The gunfire continued nonstop, the crowd in turmoil, unable to muster any semblance of cooperative ability.

These individuals might have been strong, but to Lu Luo, their combat experience seemed to amount to one thing—noobs.

How can they be so weak? Transcendents of Second and Third Tier shouldn't be this weak. Is it that I've grown too strong? No, that's not it. Something is also off with this team itself; they lack synergy and real combat experience.

Lu Luo struck down one after another, each blow rendering a member of the team combat ineffective, but he didn't kill them.

He had an inkling something was not right with this team. It was strange.

A team of this level, sent outside the wall, and they made it all the way here without being completely wiped out? Could there be anything more curious than this? Looking at the group of people lying on the ground, Lu Luo fell into deep thought.

Seeing her team defeated and thinking Lu Luo meant to kill them all to silence them, Luo Ya, whom he was still holding by the neck, quickly called out, her voice strained, "Wait a moment, sir. We didn't mean to offend. It was a misunderstanding; we didn't see you, so we picked up your things. We are from the Minsheng Company of Sea Star. Please spare us. We will compensate for your losses at full price!"

This woman's thinking was very clear, and her words completely changed the fate of the team from this point on.

"People from Sea Star Minsheng?"

Lu Luo's first impression of this company, which was on par with Hongtu Military and Lan Tian Biotech, was rather poor.

How on earth did such a company survive?

"Compensation? Alright, then let's talk about the issue of compensation!"

You never disappoint, getting all excited as soon as money is mentioned!

He stood before Luo Ya, bare-chested, his pale hair and skin having a striking impact.

Luo Ya swallowed subconsciously as she gazed at the imposing Lu Luo before her. This person is so strong!

Lu Luo had the people from Sea Star open their backpacks and dump out all the Exotic Species materials.

There were various materials from First to Third Tier, not in huge quantities since these people hadn't been scavenging for long.

After a brief glance, Observer already provided a rough price analysis.

A total of 53 types of Exotic Species materials, with prices ranging from 300 to 4,000, and an overall estimated value of around 41,000.

"This messy pile here, including the stuff on the ground, I won't rip you off. 100,000, and we'll call it even."

"100,000? Are you trying to rob us? Besides, some of these things are clearly ours."

"What did you say? I didn't catch that!"

Luo Ya wanted to argue with Lu Luo, but when their eyes met, she inexplicably backed down.

"Then, could you make it cheaper?"

"No!"

"Alright, sir."

When venturing out beyond the wall, it was necessary to carry a certain amount of cash—this was common practice among many large companies.

No one knew what could happen beyond the wall, so keeping some money or Dark Spirit Stones to trade with Scavengers was now a frequent occurrence outside the wall.

Though the people from Sea Star lacked experience, they did understand this much.

They were wealthy to begin with, and although 100,000 wasn't a small sum, it didn't put much pressure on them.

After receiving the money, Lu Luo was ready to leave, but Luo Ya stopped him again.

"We are an exploration team from Sea Star Company, operating beyond the wall. I want to hire you as our guide for activities out here and to teach us some knowledge about the Wasteland. Is that possible?"

"Not interested."

Aren't you going to ask how much they'll pay?

Observer, true to its Grade S Sequence nature, always spotted the crux of the matter.

So, Lu Luo turned back to face the sheepish Luo Ya.

"How much are you willing to pay?"

"100,000."

"Just 100,000? Not interested."

"100,000 for one day! We only need three days, and during these three days, all the Exotic Species loot will be yours. However, I expect you to do your best to teach us something useful during these three days, especially knowledge about the Wasteland."

Three hundred thousand for three days—it was quite a sum! However, the truly valuable thing was the loot from Exotic Species in those three days.

Originally, Lu Luo had wanted to decline, but after glancing at the team's composition—five Third Tier and thirteen Second Tier Transcendents—he started to hesitate.

These people were quite strong. It wasn't just about strength; their equipment was also advanced. The only flaw was their lack of combat experience.

He suddenly had a bold idea.

If I consider myself a solid Fourth Tier level, couldn't a Fourth Tier expert leading an elite team attempt to attack a Lord? The Otter King! It's right next door! Yes, this is to enhance the capability level of the elite teams from the major companies inside the wall. I'm not just after the money!

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