Was it even possible to find such a perfect weapon? Lan Jin had not held out any real hope.
When they arrived at the dormitory, it was basically the same setup as the base in J City. Capsule-style bunks, top and bottom. Since it was not yet the end of the work shift, there were hardly any people inside, leaving the place quiet.
The only difference was that Lan Jin and Ling Jiang switched beds. Lan Jin now had the lower bunk, while Ling Jiang moved to the upper.
Once they knew where they would be sleeping, the two only glanced over the beds briefly before heading downstairs to meet up with Lao Gao and Huang Jinghe.
The four of them did not hesitate to go straight to the shopping center.
It was a three-story building, divided into sections. The first floor had daily necessities like toiletries and cosmetics. The second floor was all clothing, from menswear and womenswear to children's clothes. The third floor carried home goods and construction materials: beds, mattresses, bedding sets, wardrobes, shoe cabinets, and so on.
But after making a round through the place, they were all dumbfounded. Where were the weapons? There was no open counter selling them at all.
The truth was, weapons existed, but they were not sold openly in the shopping center.
Each base had its own rules. Because of H City's terrain, the surrounding area was especially dangerous. The base did sell weapons to outsiders, but only after evaluating how much value the buyer could bring if given a weapon. If the higher-ups approved, you could pay the required contribution points to buy one.
This made things awkward for them.
Fortunately, Lao Gao asked around again and learned there was another way. The base occasionally issued missions. Teams could go out, hunt, and bring back resources. These could be exchanged for contribution points. The top-ranking team would even receive a weapon as a reward.
Of course, this rule only applied to teams that stayed at the base long-term. Otherwise, if a strong fighter took the weapon and left, the base's security would still be compromised. Rules like these existed to protect the base itself.
For them, neither method seemed very realistic.
Disappointed, the four walked toward the entrance on the first floor. But before they could speak, loudspeakers in the corridor suddenly broadcast:
"Attention, comrades! A dangerous creature has been spotted outside the base. Please close all doors and windows immediately and do not go outside…"
Before the announcement had even finished, the shopping center's main doors slammed shut. The speed was startling.
People in the corridor sprinted away, each looking for somewhere to hide.
The broadcast repeated three times. Then everything went silent. The entire base felt unnaturally still.
Except near the entrance.
Huang Jinghe, having never seen a situation like this, spoke cautiously. "That rabbit before didn't trigger a broadcast. So this isn't a rabbit. Could it be some other kind of mutated creature?"
Lan Jin said, "Let's go take a look. If we can deal with it, we will. Who knows, maybe we can earn contribution points. And we need to make connections if we want to buy weapons anyway."
The broadcast might have sounded urgent, but the four of them had never experienced such events before. They had no real sense of fear.
Besides, when it came to mutated creatures, they had only seen that rabbit. This was a chance to broaden their horizons. If they could handle it, they would be helping the base complete a mission. If not, it would simply mean they were not strong enough. The base would not blame them.
Even so, no one made the first move.
Ling Jiang, impatient by nature, could not stand the hesitation. "Let's go then. We'll see what it is first."
With that, the four jogged to the entrance.
Only when they got there did they realize the base had two gates. The outer one was the heavy door they had seen before, replaced after the rabbit incident.
The temperature checkpoint marked a boundary line, and along it stood a transparent protective door. From here, they could clearly see outside. The door did not reach all the way to the ceiling, so it was possible to climb over from above.
Several soldiers were already up there, pouring some unknown liquid down from the top.
When the four peered through the gaps to see outside, every hair on their bodies stood on end. The ground beyond was swarming with mutated snakes.
Each snake was about a meter long, its entire body crimson. On its head sat a shining, gem-like object. The creatures flicked their tongues toward the people inside, the sight as disgusting as it was unsettling.
Lan Jin was not afraid of much, but snakes were another matter. Seeing them piled several meters deep, she immediately took several steps back. "Ugh, I hate snakes. They're disgusting."
Ling Jiang looked surprised. "You're afraid of snakes?"
Lan Jin nodded. "I'm afraid of animals with no legs, and animals with too many legs."
Snakes were one of them. That said, she had no problem eating snake meat and even thought it was delicious, so long as she did not see them alive.
Spotting Brother Zhang nearby, Lan Jin called out to him. "Brother Zhang, are these things poisonous?"
Brother Zhang came over, smiling wryly. "Extremely. If someone gets pricked by their tails, they die within a minute. Look closely at the tail. See how it's shaped like a sharp spike? That's where the poison is."
They had not noticed before, but now they saw that each snake's tail was indeed sharply pointed.
"But," Brother Zhang added after a pause, "the gem on their heads is valuable. It's not actually a gem, but a crystal. It can supply energy to ability users. And if you prepare the snake properly, it's a delicacy with high nutritional value."
Huang Jinghe frowned. "This wall doesn't go to the top. Aren't you worried they'll get in?"
"They can't climb in," Brother Zhang replied. "Snakes are still snakes. They're afraid of realgar. We treat the outer edge of the protective gate with it every day, and just now, they poured more on top. With this method, they've never managed to break in."
Even so, Brother Zhang did not seem entirely reassured. There had never been this many snakes before. Whether the realgar would hold them off this time was uncertain.
He stood there, frowning in thought. But before he could say anything more, the four had already squeezed up to the very front of the protective gate, peering out and discussing the scene.
===
Realgar is a naturally occurring mineral composed of arsenic sulfide (As₄S₄). It's known for its striking red-orange color and has been used historically for various purposes, such as:
Ancient China: Used in traditional medicine (with caution due to toxicity) and as a pigment in art.
Europe (Middle Ages): Called "ruby sulfur," it was used in alchemy and as a poison.
Pigment: Known as "arsenic red" in paintings (though it degrades over time).