Chapter 18: Chapter 18: Hunter, Village-Level Store, and Bounty Tasks

Cold air, air conditioning…

Lin Feng felt the long-missed comfort.

From the scorching nearly fifty degrees Celsius on the surface outside, entering the twenty-six or twenty-seven degrees of the Hunting Wilderness Guild, the huge temperature difference made the heat on everyone’s skin condense instantly, their hairs standing on end.

Lin Feng couldn’t help but shiver.

He was wearing only a thin linen long pants and short sleeves, accustomed to the thirty or forty-degree heat, it was his first time entering such a comfortable environment.

Liu Mingfei was the same. If it weren’t for inviting Lin Feng’s team to hunt the Rock-Horned Horse together, it’s estimated that he would never have the chance in this lifetime to set foot in the Hunting Wilderness Guild and feel the cold air of the air conditioning.

However, Chen Shanshan, walking at the forefront, walked through the corridor with ease, preparing to enter the hall.

Sitting at the desk at the entrance of the corridor was an elderly man with half-white hair in a security uniform, who took the initiative to greet Chen Shanshan:

“Shanshan, it’s been years since we last met.”

Chen Shanshan replied with a smile:

“Hello, Uncle Wu! I’m here to handle some matters.”

The old man called Uncle Wu smiled and looked at Lin Feng and Liu Mingfei, nodding:

“Go on in.”

Lin Feng squinted slightly, sensing a very sharp aura from this old man, much stronger than Chen Shanshan who had already been enhanced to Level 9.

To serve as security at the Hunting Wilderness Guild, one must at least be an Evolver, to have the strong insight needed to examine the passing Deserters.

Being older, being able to find a retirement job here is not bad at all.

Following Chen Shanshan into the hall, what appeared before them was a tastefully decorated hall with the rare presence of electric lights.

Much like a former bank, there were several rows of waiting benches, with five service windows and five counter staff sitting behind glass partitions.

All of them were young, pretty girls.

Not very old, with strength around the Mid-Stage Enhancement.

With the Holy Spring Day just over, there weren’t many hunters handling affairs on the guild’s corridor, and Chen Shanshan directly stepped forward to state her desire to register as a hunter.

The other party took out a form to fill out information.

Lin Feng and Liu Mingfei, holding Photovoltaic Rock Armor, wandered around to explore.

The Hunting Wilderness Guild was built on a heavy truck thirty meters long, six meters wide, and could house a maximum area of 180 square meters, the current hall not exceeding eighty square meters.

So on both sides, there were several shop storefronts.

Lin Feng saw the shop Chen Shanshan mentioned, which specializes in purchasing meat, though the price was very low, only 80% to 90% of the outside market.

Other shops came from the Four Major Villages of Oasis Town.

This kind of commercial hotspot probably only they have the energy and qualification to rent and open stores.

Holy Spring Village was selling water-related items, including some church scriptures and badges with a tint of faith in them.

Lin Feng paused outside the shop, stretching his neck to take a curious look inside.

Mainly because these things were extremely expensive, a coin-sized well cover badge costing ten pounds of jerky.

Who would waste money on such a psychological comfort?

“Hello, do you need anything?”

Just then, a shop assistant, a middle-aged priest, came forward enthusiastically:

“These have all been blessed by the Bishop. As long as you praise the Master of the Holy Spring in your heart, you can gain mental peace and tranquility.”

Lin Feng hastily shook his head:

“No need, no need, I’m just looking.”

After speaking, he quickly walked to the next shop.

The things sold in Nongzhuang Village were many, with very fresh fruits, and also living sandthorn seedlings with pot soil.

And some horse meat products.

Also various ointments for bruises and strains, anti-inflammatory medicines.

The prices were all quite high.

For Lin Feng and his group, who had just come into wealth, consuming here brought some pressure.

At the back, Mechanical Village had some auto repair parts, along with modification and assembly services, equivalent to a repair garage plus a second-hand car market.

The items sold by Dawn Village were some vehicle-mounted solar panels and small household appliances, including fans, electric stoves, and even cooling air conditioners.

As the main target of this transaction, Lin Feng stood and observed, finding not only appliances inside but also some high-end equipment for sale.

For instance, a combat suit hanging in the glass window.

Equipped with ventilation and breathability functions, with two small electric fans installed on each side of the waist, and photovoltaic panels sewn on the back for electricity supply, opening them can effectively lower body temperature when outside, drying and expelling sweat.

The outer layer had a gray-yellow camouflage pattern, which also provided excellent concealment and obscurity effects in the Wasteland.

Lin Feng was tempted.

After all, when dashing across the Wilderness, the decline in Physique status was mostly due to the rapid rise in body temperature, leading to heatstroke reactions.

Especially when the metabolism accelerates, with full body blood-filled, being under the fifty-degrees surface roasted by the blazing sun felt like being stewed in a pot of boiling water, excruciatingly unbearable.

Just as Lin Feng gathered the courage to inquire about the price, Chen Shanshan’s call came from the side.

She had already completed the information form, passed the strength evaluation, and successfully obtained the Junior Hunter identity license.

Lin Feng then carried the Photovoltaic Rock Armor and walked towards them.

Chen Shanshan pointed to the stairs beside the hall:

“The Bounty Task Hall is on the second floor, let’s go take a look.”

Taking the two of them to the second floor of the Hunting Wilderness Guild, inside, the staff were pinning bounty orders on five wooden boards with thumbtacks.

According to the source of the bounty tasks, dividing them by the Five Villages of Oasis Town, such categorization was clear and straightforward.

Chen Shanshan walked straight to the wooden board labeled Dawn Village and quickly found several tasks seeking wild Rock-Horned Horses to grow Photovoltaic Rock Armor.

The bounty for Photovoltaic Rock Armor varies in reward depending on its grade.

Lin Feng noticed that at the bottom of each task sheet, it said how many points it was worth and inquired about this.

While squinting as she searched for the bounty order that best matched her materials, Chen Shanshan explained:

“Points, they are additional rewards given for completing tasks, like a bonus the guild gives to hunters. Otherwise, why would anyone come here for bounties? They could just go directly to the employer and save the guild from charging fees from both ends.”

“Accumulated task points can be exchanged for many things, including basic food and fresh water, as well as weapons and equipment you can’t buy outside, or even the valuable qualification to board the mobile oasis and become a member of the Upper Class.”

“Of course, only the top Evolvers have the strength to accumulate that much.”

Saying this, Chen Shanshan pointed to the wooden board hanging on the far wall that recorded the Hunter rankings. Lin Feng walked over and found the top few scorers only had around seventy to eighty points.

However, ordinary bounty orders only awarded one to two points per order, with most not exceeding five points. From the points, the task’s risk and difficulty could be inferred.

Accumulating eighty points would require at least completing thirty to forty tasks.

So it’s extremely difficult.

And the qualification to exchange for the Oasis Upper Class demands five hundred points, making it hard to achieve within a year if accepting tasks every day, not to mention there aren’t that many tasks available.

In the entire hall, Lin Feng briefly scanned through the bounty slips, finding only sixty or seventy, with some published dates even before the last Holy Spring Day.

Yet, on the other side of the leaderboard, an annual top three bonus was posted, featuring special weapons and equipment from large city production.

The first-place prize this year was a titanium steel exoskeleton light armor from prehistoric ruins, capable of withstanding over three tons of impact, barely affected by ordinary light firearms.

Indeed, there are good things.

Otherwise, those hunter teams formed by Evolvers wouldn’t be so enthusiastic.

Besides the total points leaderboard, there was a separate wooden board sealed in glass, displaying bounties on special red paper.

“These are bounties from the Oasis Upper Class, requiring at least an Evolver to take, and you must complete more than ten bounties to become a Senior Hunter to qualify for them.”

Chen Shanshan had already found a suitable bounty slip and, after taking it down, came over to explain.

Lin Feng clicked his tongue twice.

The Upper Class’s privileged treatment was glaringly displayed, while the bounties behind glass, regardless of difficulty, typically awarded high task points from the Hunting Wilderness Guild.

The rewards were likely also paid by the guild itself.

“Let’s go. I’ve already notified the staff to contact the bounty issuer. After a while, they’ll come with the rewards, and we can discuss the price based on the grade and materials then.”

Lin Feng nodded and followed Chen Shanshan back to the downstairs lobby, sitting on the benches to rest.

Enjoying the air conditioning, it was quite comfortable.

Before the issuer from Dawn Village arrived, several groups came intermittently, most being Level 9 Enhanced People, along with a mysterious Evolver or two acting alone, completing their tasks at the counter before hurrying off.

During this time, everyone encountered Li Hu, who they had briefly met when fleeing for their lives previously.

Compared to last time in the wilderness, Li Hu had a new scar on his face, and the other team members looked somewhat disheveled.

The large burlap sack they carried contained a small, near-death creature.

Judging by the pathetic cries of the prey, it seemed to be a Rock-Horned Horse.

Lin Feng noticed their bounty slip, which awarded five points, indicating the task was probably challenging.

After finishing the exchange, Li Hu noticed Chen Shanshan and approached in mild surprise, saying:

“I heard you guys killed another Desert Wolf after us? You’ve already advanced to Level 9 Enhanced People?”

Chen Shanshan smiled:

“You’ve had quite a haul too.”

Li Hu glanced at the heavy item wrapped in burlap in Lin Feng’s hand, nodded, and didn’t make further small talk:

“Congratulations, let’s catch up soon.”

He then led his teammates towards Nongzhuang Village’s shop to buy hemostatic medicine.

Shortly after they left, the bounty issuer arrived, a middle-aged Late-stage Enhanced Person, not very strong but wearing glasses, looking scholarly.

Apart from Fifth Village, the residents with permanent status in the other four major villages weren’t strong, but they made a living from their skills, armed with expertise.

The bespectacled man quickly assessed a Level 9 Rock-Horned Horse with prematurely evolved Photovoltaic Panels. Although the quality met standards, the semiconductor layer was too thin, leading to a price deduction.

After some bargaining, the final offer was one Rock Armor and a price of thirty kilos of jerky, while the original bounty slip specified fifty kilos.

In total, one hundred fifty kilos.

Which matched the price of four hundred kilos of horse meat from a Rock-Horned Horse.

The value of Photovoltaic Rock Armor is indeed high.

If it’s a Tier One complete form, it’s worth two hundred fifty kilos, even more valuable than the horse meat itself.

The Hunting Wilderness Guild’s bounty rewards are converted into shopping points, with one kilo of standard dehydrated jerky exchanging for one point.

Points can be directly exchanged for meat at the butcher’s shop.

They can also be used to purchase supplies in shops across the Four Major Villages.

Task points differ, as they can be exchanged for shopping points, but not vice versa.

Lin Feng finally understood why even top evolver teams had such low points.

After all, no one could resist the temptation of redeeming those advanced supplies and equipment.

After the transaction, since the group wasn’t short of food, they temporarily recorded it in shopping points under Team Leader Chen Shanshan’s name.

She also eagerly wanted to head back to the bus and then to the bathhouse for a bath.

Passing by the shop in Dawn Village, Lin Feng paused, noticing a counter inside displaying many metal spectacles.

He told the others to wait in the passage for a moment while he entered the overflowing village shop.

“Boss, about how much does it cost to get a pair of these?”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep