The siblings were incredibly grateful after sharing a sumptuous breakfast with Merida.

  Finally feeling some energy returning to his body, Liam pondered how to earn some money.

  He didn’t dare to ask Merida, lest the doctor looked down on him, thinking he only wao py games after finally finding a pce to live.

  Although this was exactly what he pnned on doing. Naturally, he dared to do so because he was fident that this was a fast way to earn more money.

  However, for now he had to e up with something else.

  “Three days…”

  Liam felt some pressure. What could he do to earn money in three days?

  For the homeless there were two maihods to get their hands on some credits.

  One was to ‘find’ things ahem to Ben. The other was to work at a factory at the edge of the city, skinnis.

  Liam found a modern tablet in the living room, browsing the i for alternatives.

  At the same time, he quickly looked up the price for a virtual reality sole. But doing so left him in despair as he would have to pay at least 7,5k credits.

  This insane pripletely eliminated all his options. Only one of them remained but it was incredibly risky.

  Well, I don’t have a choice. This time I’m really fag a challenge.

  Liam ighe flig emotions in his chest as he told Serena and Merida that he would be w today.

  Merida enced him, to take Serena with her aing her help in the ic.

  Naturally Liam accepted readily. It would be great for Serena to follow Merida and learn something. After all, the pirl hadn’t been to school for four years.

  Thus, the siblings separated as Liam went back to the lower city. He had to walk for a while. The surrounding buildings gradually grew smaller, the enviro being more industrial. The factory Liam worked in from time-to-time was not far away from here.

  But Liam didn’t go there as he soon reached the giant wall separating the city from the hostile wilderness.

  Falva Star hasn’t been poputed for a long time. Thus, the p wasn’t tamed yet, with nature still occupying a rge part of it. It was different from humanity’s older ps where every little spot was occupied by someone.

  Liam felt his heart pound as he walked up some stairs he wall, reag a special part of the city.

  All kinds h figures gathered here, ready to risk their lives in the wilderness for some quick money.

  Liam entered a square, feeling skeptical eyes following him. This was the first time he also spotted a few martial artists. However, none of them were really powerful.

  The bloody aura surrounding them still put some pressure on Liam as he passed them, eyeing the sharp swords dangling from their bodies.

  Not daring to stare, Liam quickly entered a few stores, buying some basic equipment, spending ahousand credits.

  Liam smiled wryly as the money ran out of his hands like sand. But this was necessary if he wao have a the wilderness.

  pleting his preparations Liam came to a stop in front of the enormous gate leading outside. It was surrounded by stern soldiers eyeing Liam with sharp eyes.

  The young man was fused about what to do, having no choice but to approae of the soldiers.

  “Hey, you opee for me, please?”

  Liam didn’t dare to be disrespectful. But the soldier pletely ignored him.

  Liam frowned as a few of the surrounding hunters snickered. Luckily there were some helpful people among them as well.

  A tall man with three scars on his face wearing a thick red armor approached Liam:

  “Yo. You new here?”

  “Yes.”

  “Mhm thought so. You ister.”

  With those words the hunter poi a building. Above its entrance ‘hunters office’ was written in bold red letters.

  “Oh. Ok. Thank you for reminding me.”

  “Are you pnning to go out alone?”

  “Yes.”

  “You’re suicidal.”

  “What?”

  “I offer you to join our party.”

  Liam was taken aback. He looked at the hurangely, certain that there was a catch to it.

  “Don’t look at me like that. We ever have enough hands.”

  At this moment a proached. She came to a stop o the hunter.

  “Boss, another newbie?”

  “Yeah.”

  “You, newbie. Don’t be surprised. The boss has always had the strategy of overwhelmis with numbers.”

  The tall hunter his colleague.

  “And it’s successful, right?”

  “It is.”

  Liam stared closely at the two hunters as he voiced his doubts:

  “How high are your casualties?”

  The boss simply shrugged his shoulders.

  “High. But being a hunter is ily risky.”

  Liam nodded calmly.

  “You’re probably right. But I still have to dee. I o make a lot of money.”

  “Haha. This isn’t the first time I have heard those words. How much do you need?”

  “Seven and a half thousand in three days.”

  Instantly the hunter’s face froze. He shook his head.

  “Impossible.”

  “What?”

  “Only the most experienced hunters earn this much.”

  “Really?”

  The female hunter saw the heavy frown on Liam’s face. She hesitated for a moment before whispering:

  “There is a ce.”

  “There is? you tell me?”

  “If you mao e back with a beast egg, you will earn big. But trying to do so is indeed suicidal.”

  Liam’s expression was solemn but inwardly he came to a decision.

  Afterwards he asked a few more questions before thanking the two hunters and walking towards the hunters office.

  Registration was fast despite Liam not having an ID. But this was a on occurren the office, where all kinds of poor fools came to try their luck.

  Thus, Liam soon held a bronze medal in his hand. Showing it in front of the rge gate, a separate door ened for him, allowing him to leave the city.

  Liam felt his heart beat wildly as he walked through a narrow corridor.

  Soon he arrived in the wilderness.

  Liam took a whiff of the air. pared to the city it was incredibly , taining no smog or the smell of unwashed humans.

  A look around revealed the enormous city wall behind him. It was surrounded by rge pins covered in snow, revealing various tracks.

  Far to the right was a street eg to another city. It was regurly patrolled, discing as from drawing near. Behind it id a few pntations produg food for the city.

  Lastly Liam looked ahead at the t trees in the distance.

  Calming his mind the young man began to step forward. His movements ged gradually, resembling the steps of hunters in the game.

  Liam was silent, his mind vigint, as he reached the forest after a while. His footsteps produced as little sound as possible despite the snow.

  Keeping his breath shallow, Liam found some fidence as he mao observe a few deer pying outside the forest.

  Normally newbie hunters would probably be delighted to hunt these on animals.

  But Liam had no choice but to go after beasts, which were more or less extremely powerful alien animals with the potential to increase their strength over time.

  However, the really powerful beasts didn’t live close to the city. They usually stayed around the A Civilization’s ruins for some reason.

  Liam let out a sigh as he remembered that his parents went missing in one of them.

  Suddenly the deer perked up. Liam reprimanded himself. This was no game! A low sound had already alerted the animals.

  Liam watched them jump away, branding this lesson in his mind.

  With renewed vigince he sneaked into the forest. A dense foliage weled him, f him to take every step carefully.

  Snow fell from the leaves as Liam’s body brushed against them. Fortunately, he bought fortable leather armor which served to keep him warm in the harsh weather.

  However, as Liam moved deeper into the forest the temperature even rose sihe t trees prevehe warmth from esg.

  Suddenly Liam heard a sound nearby. He calmly took off his bow which was slung around his upper body.

  Treading carefully, he approached a rge bush growing near a tree trunk, hiding within it.

  Holding his breath the young man peeked around the trunk.

  Liam furrowed his brows as he spotted a kind of small wolf with dark brown fur sniffing the ground.

  He just realized that he didn’t have muowledge about the local beasts. He could only reize them based on the vague pressure beasts usually emitted.

  Liam pondered if it was woing back but he didn’t have a suitable source of information.

  I ’t expect all the huo teach me…

  Not able to e up with other options, Laim could only tinue. As the beast slowly distaself, he advanced deeper into the forest.

  Soon, he arrived before a small hill. A pack of scaled beasts slowly circled it, leisurely feeding on the foliage.