Chapter 004: Task

Aside from purchasing medication from the company, there is only one other option. Old Jack emphasized the town marked on the map: "This was once a small town with thousands of residents, but it has now turned into ruins, a paradise for monsters. However, in this small town, there is a hospital that contains the antibiotics and penicillin we need most. If you are willing to go to the town with Holt and his five companions to retrieve enough medication for the base, I can offer you a reward of 100 dollars for this mission.

The former is impossible to consider from any perspective, as for the latter, I cannot even dare to imagine it.

However, such information does not exist in his memory bank; he cannot even recall what kind of person he was or what experiences he had before entering the hibernation pod. Naturally, there can be no memories of any modifications.

However, they do not know that Zero does possess a unique ability, albeit not one that is particularly special. The golden right eye, which can freely adjust its focal distance like a high-powered telescope, is not something an ordinary person can have. Yet, Zero is currently reluctant to reveal this ability to outsiders. Given the frenzied demand for abilities in this era, it is highly likely that they would send Zero to the operating table and remove that special right eye for research purposes.

At midnight, Zero nodded and Old Jack said, "Then prepare yourself; we will depart in the afternoon. As for the details of the operation, you can ask Holt. If there are no issues, then you may leave."

The soldiers uniformly carried old-fashioned rifles, with the black hardwood stocks showing signs of wear and tear. The dark blue barrels also bore numerous white marks. Clearly, these firearms had been in use for many years, raising doubts about their actual effectiveness

"Does your company not provide medication assistance?" Zero frowned and asked

Zero temporarily had no issues with mhetushu.com, so he turned to leave. However, as he pushed open the door, he paused again and asked Old Jack: "What do those miners think of you?"

Are they workers? At the very least, it is a hundred times better than being treated as a tool. With this thought, Zero quietly exited the room

Zero spent a night in the storage room, accompanied only by the compact automatic rifle he carried with him and the cold ground

She seemed to have something on her mind, looking at Zero with a hesitant expression, but ultimately said: "Come with me, Grandpa has something to discuss with you"

He stood up and moved his body, feeling that his physical strength had already recovered. Although he had only eaten one meal yesterday, he still did not feel hungry now, as if that moldy bread and bitter water were still having an effect. Zero frowned, knowing that this was impossible. Normally, a tiny bit of food should be converted into the energy required by the body and consumed completely. Given the current situation, if that food did not contain high-calorie substances, then there must be something within Zero that stored the absorbed energy and distributed it with high precision, ensuring that not a single bit of energy was wasted, thereby maximizing the effect of the food.

"It is very fair," Zero nodded and then asked, "So what work do you have for me?"

Naturally, it is equally not easy to obtain this small amount of money. Profit is always accompanied by risk

Zero raised an eyebrow and asked, "What about the second option?"

Old Jack chuckled coldly and said, "Do you think the company is a charitable organization, young man? In the eyes of those noble lords, we are nothing more than living tools. And in this era, the value of medicine is comparable to that of gold; do you think they would waste medicine on mere profit-making tools? Of course, purchasing medicine from hetushu.com is not impossible, but with the profits from our small mining area, it is quite difficult to afford such expenses"

However, for a base that is half civilian and half industrial, the deployment of such firearms for soldiers is indeed consistent with its identity

Perhaps I need a pair of sunglasses. Zero thought to himself, and then embraced the machine gun as he fell asleep. In less than three seconds, his even breathing had already begun, as the physical energy consumed from a day's activities gradually restored like a gentle stream.

Upon seeing Zero enter, Old Jack waved his hand, signaling the others to leave first. Thus, Holt and four soldiers passed by Zero in single file. As they brushed past him, Zero caught a glimpse of schadenfreude in their eyes

He was assessed as incapacitated, and for Base Z7, there were no extra rooms available for someone like him, an ordinary person. Zero did not oppose this arrangement, but it was indeed difficult to sleep comfortably even on the rough, unpolished ground.

"Clever fellow," old Jack praised as he threw a map in front of Zero.

Now, Zero can somewhat understand why Old Jack was so disappointed after he was identified as incompetent

A sudden knock on the door echoed, followed by three consecutive knocks, and the door was pushed open, revealing Leah's youthful face.

Zero One left, and Old Jack sighed. He added new tobacco to his pipe and took another puff. The glow of the fire in the pipe flickered, reflecting in a picture frame on the desk

Once upon a time, he was also a worker

When the clock at the base pointed to six o'clock, Zero opened his eyes, feeling perfectly refreshed

You still have quite a few problems, kid. Old Jack said irritably: "Workers, whether you or those little pups, are nothing more than workers hired by me, Old Jack!"

He cannot remember who once said this to him, but it is perfectly suitable to describe his current situation

At this moment, a deafening bell rang outside the storage room. Following that, Old Jash's voice echoed through the broadcast: "Get up, you little rascals. It's time to work. If you stay in bed any longer, watch out for me kicking your eggs. You have five minutes to eat, and then all of you report to the work area!"

At midnight, he followed her out of the storage room

In this new era of the world, only those with extraordinary abilities or those wielding great power will earn respect. Other ordinary individuals, including the elderly man before me, are merely replaceable objects

Our base is a small place, and there are only two types of work suitable for you. Old Jack said slowly: One is mining, working in the underground mining area with those miners, and the daily wage is 10 cents

Old Jack readily agreed, saying: "No problem, you can ask Holt for these items. As for the costs, I can note them down for you first. If you manage to get the reward, we can deduct it from there"

Unable to sleep, he appears cold and aloof like a lone wolf. Yet, deep down, he is profoundly shaken by Leah's words

Clearly, the world after awakening is completely different from what he remembered. The national system of the old era has entirely collapsed, leaving humanity with nothing but endless wasteland and various monsters wandering in the wild. The conditions for survival are so harsh that those with special abilities who can compete with the surface monsters for resources become exceedingly important

Such capabilities are not functions that normal human organs can possess. If such an energy-saving system truly exists, it can only indicate that Zero has been secretly modified to some extent. This reminds him of his golden right eye, which raises the question of whether it is also a product of some kind of surgery

The map is not large, and it simply marks the location of Base Z7. Three hundred kilometers to the east of the base lies a town, labeled "Silver Tree City." As for the areas near the base, they are mostly high mountains and wilderness, all of which are marked in red with the word "Danger."

These military uniforms are quite worn, not only patched up but also stained with large patches of oil.

Old Jack pointed to the location of Silver Tree City and said, "Our supplies of medicine are running low. If we do not receive a replenishment, it will be difficult for us to survive this year. Mining is a dangerous job; although the radiation in the underground mines is not as severe as on the surface, there are occasional appearances of infected mutated creatures or mineral deposits carrying viruses. In this day and age, there are at least eight hundred deadly viruses, and without timely treatment, even the strongest individuals can quickly succumb to death."

In fact, the Z7 base strictly has one ability user. That person is Leah, the granddaughter of Old Jack. However, Leah's abilities are a first-tier specialization in memory and a second-tier specialization in pharmacy. Compared to the five major fields that are more combat-oriented, Leah's abilities fall under the category of support. Support-type ability users are generally classified within the range of ordinary people

The broadcast continued to sound three times before ceasing its tormenting of the ears. Zero pressed his hands against his ears, feeling that the volume of the broadcast was excessively loud, causing his eardrums to ache painfully.

"That sounds good. I think mercenaries are more suitable for me than miners," Zero calmly inquired, "So, boss, you should have a task for me now, right?"

"I accept this task, but I still need a pair of sunglasses, a dagger, and some ammunition," Zero stated his demands.

That hibernation pod, hetushu.comcom, needs to be checked again carefully when the opportunity arises, thought Lingxin

Old Jack exhaled a smoke ring and said, "Our base does not accommodate idlers. If you wish to stay here, you must work for me"

I also know that you would not be willing to be a miner. Although you are incapable, you should still be a decent warrior, so the second option would be more suitable for you. Old Jack put down his pipe, the glow inside dimming, and he knocked off the ash, saying: "Come be a mercenary. Your daily work will be to maintain order in the base. When on missions, there will be corresponding rewards. If you perform well, I can apply for a professional license for you from the Parkland Consortium." He knocked off the ash and said: "Come be a mercenary. Your daily work will be to maintain order in the base. When on missions, there will be corresponding rewards. If you perform well, I can apply for a professional license for you from the Parkland Consortium."

Liya brought Zero into another room of the house, which was arranged like a study. However, in the shabby room, the old bookshelf, which was on the verge of falling apart, held only two or three books. Old Jack sat in a black leather chair that had several holes in it, puffing on his pipe, with a pair of feet clad in military boots propped up on the desk. In front of the desk, there stood four soldiers in uniform, including the Black soldier Holt.

With the door closed, only Old Jack and Zero remained in the study

100 yuan may not seem like a lot, but it is equivalent to nearly three years' wages for a miner, thus it can be considered a small fortune

Zero glanced over and recognized that these were all rifles. This type of heavy, old-fashioned rifle is a single-shot firearm, and the rifling inside the barrel allows the bullet to be fired with a spin, which provides some advantages in terms of accuracy. Its effective range can reach approximately 400 meters, but the slow firing rate determines that this type of firearm is unsuitable for large-scale warfare.

The truth is always hidden deep within the fog

In the frame is a yellowed old photograph, in which a young Jack is grinning widely while holding a hammer

After traversing a long corridor, the two individuals walked through the residential area, making several turns before arriving at the house where Zero had stayed yesterday, the home of Old Jack