The moment the middle-aged man and his group left, the surrounding crowd surged forward eagerly, loudly hawking their specialty goods.
Mutated hyena meat was one thing, but there were also people like brothel madams peddling young girls and boys…
Fortunately, Jiang Zhixu didn’t need to say a word. The guards beside him instinctively stepped forward. Faced with three Level 1 rifles, those people finally retreated with some sense.
Jiang Zhixu asked the young guide, “What’s your name?”
“My name is Tangyuan.”
The boy, Tangyuan, visibly relaxed after the middle-aged man and his group left, returning to the precocious composure he had when they first met.
“Sir, where would you like to start? Rust Town has a trading market, bars, the Black Alley…”
“Anywhere is fine,” Jiang Zhixu said casually.
His purpose in coming to Rust Town was clear.
First, to trade surplus resources—like iron ore and steel ingots—for polymer materials, electronic components, precision parts, and biological gel.
He still needed 96 units of biological gel to produce the Level 1 modification component, “Night Camouflage Armor.”
Second.
He needed information on Thunder Ore veins.
Currently, the *Singularity* only had one Thunder Cannon. Compared to the substantial stockpile of Thunder shells, this was far from enough!
At least one on each side!
Not to mention Jiang Zhixu wanted to use his talent for a critical strike to create a Level 2 Thunder Cannon as a trump card, which would require an additional cannon as spare.
If luck wasn’t on his side, one Thunder Ore vein might not even be enough!
Finally.
There were the various blueprints for Level 1 and Level 2 modification components.
This was in preparation for the prerequisites to upgrade to a Level 2 Mobile City.
Looking at it this way, Jiang Zhixu had quite a lot to do in Rust Town!
But there was no rush. All of this could be done after gaining a thorough understanding of Rust Town.
“Understood, sir!”
Tangyuan immediately mapped out an optimal tour route in his mind.
And so, over the next few hours, under the guidance of the little guide Tangyuan, Jiang Zhixu conducted a general tour of the entire Rust Town.
Jiang Zhixu also saw the trading district Tangyuan mentioned.
This was an area jointly established by groups like adventurer convoys, scavengers, and mercenaries.
These people typically didn’t belong to Mobile Cities. Instead, they were survivors on the Wasteland who, lacking the qualifications to build Mobile Cities, spontaneously gathered for survival.
Like Mobile Cities, they would also explore abandoned cities or settlements of wild creatures, battling Mutant Beasts, Zombies, and fantastical monsters to obtain resources.
Then they would return to safe points like Rust Town to sell these resources to Mobile Cities, exchanging them for industrial support, such as daily necessities and combat supplies.
This was their way of life.
Adventurer convoys, scavengers, and mercenaries were essentially the same. The difference lay in that adventurer convoys had autonomy, going wherever they pleased.
Mercenaries made a living by taking on missions, primarily involving intelligence gathering, verifying resource points, rescues, and the like.
Scavengers, however, were a broad category.
For example, people like Tangyuan, who ventured out to explore for survival but lacked self-defense capabilities, were called scavengers.
“…But ‘Wanderers’ are different from all of them.”
When the topic naturally turned to “Wanderers,” a gleam of admiration flashed in Tangyuan’s eyes.
“The adults say Wanderers are like the bards of the old world, traveling the entire world relying on their own strength.”
Tangyuan seemed to think of something, his eyes filled with longing.
“They don’t hoard resources or seek development. Instead, they prefer to spend their finite lives on endless exploration.
“From the dried riverbeds in the eastern Wasteland Zone to the wind-eroded stone forests in the west; from the salt marsh depressions in the south to the Mutant Kingdom in the north… Wanderers can be found in every corner of the Wasteland Zone.
“If you turn around in any desolate place, you might see a Wanderer… or their remains.
“The adults say they are the ones who truly treat this world as a ‘game.’ Their sole belief is to explore the extinct civilizations and stories of this land… They call this the ‘plot.'”
Jiang Zhixu watched the light that emerged in Tangyuan’s eyes when he spoke of “Wanderers.”
Understanding dawned on him, and he asked, “You want to become a Wanderer too?”
Tangyuan nodded firmly, then shyly added, “I know I don’t have the strength for that now, but I’m working hard in that direction. For example, I’m saving money to learn more knowledge!”
Wanderers could roam the world freely, relying not just on passion.
Powerful survival skills, profound knowledge, exceptional combat abilities… every Wanderer known by name or alias was a top-tier powerhouse in the wilderness.
“A fine ideal. Keep striving.”
Jiang Zhixu didn’t pour cold water on the child’s dreams.
The profession of Wanderer clearly came with an extremely high mortality rate. But in this world, living with ideals and goals was far better than dying in a daze.
Seeing that he hadn’t been mocked by an important figure for once, Tangyuan felt inwardly encouraged. Clenching his fists, he said:
“I will! I will definitely become a legendary Wanderer like the ‘Cartographer’!”
Jiang Zhixu caught the new name and asked curiously, “Cartographer?”
“Yes!” Tangyuan nodded vigorously. “He’s my idol. I grew up listening to his legends!
“It’s said that over seven years, he single-handedly explored the Giant’s Skeleton, mediated the War of the Two Alliances, and even drew the Wasteland Zone map we use today…
“He loved using drawings to record his experiences and created that detailed map for everyone, saving countless lives because of it.
“But he never left his real name, so everyone calls him the ‘Cartographer.'”
Jiang Zhixu was also somewhat astonished by what he heard.
But a doubt arose in his heart: why had he never heard others mention such an impressive person until now?
Could it be that he was already…
Jiang Zhixu voiced this question.
Tangyuan answered without hesitation, his tone carrying a childish stubbornness: “The Cartographer is definitely still alive!”
Definitely…
If the Cartographer were truly alive, Tangyuan’s word choice would have been “of course,” not this term laden with strong subjective hope.
Seeing Jiang Zhixu’s silent expression, Tangyuan grew anxious, his voice rising a notch:
“The Cartographer must be alive! It’s just… it’s just that there’s nothing left worth exploring in the Wasteland Zone for him. So three years ago, he went alone to the Level 2 Zone. He hasn’t returned because he’s blocked by the barrier!”
Qi Honglang, who had been listening beside Jiang Zhixu, quietly interjected: “The regional barrier… only blocks Mobile Cities, not people.”
Instantly, Tangyuan visibly flushed with anger.
He pursed his lips, glaring at Qi Honglang, but dared not utter a word of rebuttal due to the difference in status.
“Just the Wasteland Zone took the Cartographer seven years to explore.”
Jiang Zhixu spoke up then. He reached out, gently placing a hand on Tangyuan’s shoulder, and said kindly:
“The Level 2 Zone is likely even vaster. Three years is a very short time. It’s perfectly normal not to have heard any news.”
After speaking, he shot a glare at Qi Honglang, who responded with an awkward smile, his gaze drifting elsewhere.
Hope was the most precious thing in this Wasteland.