Apocalypse Hunter

**Chapter 10: Restocking Supplies**

"Reporting to the officer, we’ve spotted two unidentified individuals approaching—one male, one female, carrying melee weapons. Their capabilities are unknown. Report complete!" A guard in the watchtower spoke into his shiny black radio.

After some static, a deep voice came through, "Understood. Keep a close watch. Over."

A minute later, three heavily modified, high-powered motorcycles roared out of the Bareno Military Base, kicking up long trails of dust as they sped toward the approaching strangers.

“Stop! Identify yourselves!” The motorcycles screeched to a halt in front of Arthur, the dust flying everywhere. Arthur frowned, his jaw tightening as the muscles in his face twitched.

“Hm?” Susan looked at the overbearing soldiers, her eyes brimming with disdain. “Do we look like wild corpses or beastmen to you? Are you blind?”

The yellow dust swirled, but a frost-like chill emanated from behind the soldiers, making their throats tighten. The six soldiers exchanged uneasy glances, their weapons old-model firearms—a relic from the Rose Era, now mass-produced.

Despite their initial aggression, the fear seeping into them kept them in check. They wore yellow-and-black camouflage, topped with black steel helmets. Sweat poured from their heads in the stifling, radioactive air, making them look like members of some elite special forces unit.

“Apologies. We’re under orders from Captain Badrin to conduct a routine inspection. Since you’re unknown individuals approaching the base, we must follow protocol to ensure the base’s security. Please cooperate.” One soldier, his face covered in a thick beard, nervously explained, clutching his weapon tightly.

“Fine, look at this,” Arthur said as he brushed the dust off his black vest, pulling out a small black object and tossing it to the soldier.

The soldier scrambled to catch it, then examined it closely.

It was a gilded wooden plaque, intricately carved with patterns resembling latticework. At the bottom, there was a depiction of rice stalks, and above it was the fierce visage of a snowfield sabertooth lion. The lion’s mane bristled, its jaws wide open, exposing two sharp fangs. Next to its head were five deep red marks—a clear indication of a Grade-Five Hunter.

Such an elaborate Grade-Five Hunter badge was extraordinary. Soldiers in this region had seen their fair share of combat, but none had encountered someone of such high rank. The soldier couldn’t help but gasp.

As he was contemplating how best to placate the two individuals, he felt a sudden sting in his palm. Startled, he realized the sabertooth badge was already back in Arthur’s hands without him noticing. Reluctantly, the soldier gestured for them to proceed.

---

Inside the Bareno Military Base, the facilities were far from advanced. While the water purification system wasn’t fully functional, the water produced was barely drinkable. For those struggling to survive, simply having water was a blessing, regardless of its radiation levels.

For example, Arthur, who drank like a camel at an oasis. He downed 500 gold coins’ worth of water in one sitting and still wasn’t satisfied.

Arthur finally set down the bottle, not because he was full but because he couldn’t bear to spend more of his hard-earned gold.

Despite his thirst, he knew that what he had consumed would be enough to sustain his body for a week—he wouldn’t need another sip for seven days. In that sense, he was much like the camels of the Rose Era, with their twin humps storing water reserves.

Susan stood nearby, gaping in disbelief. It took her several moments to collect herself before blurting, “Arthur, I’ve never seen anyone drink like that! I guess water really can be consumed that way!”

“Call me Stonefield, alright? Don’t you think it sounds cooler?” Arthur said, belching as he spoke. The motion nearly caused the water sloshing in his stomach to spill out.

“No!” Susan rejected him decisively.

“Whatever,” Arthur muttered, shrugging as he headed toward the bathhouse.

“Where are you going?” Susan asked, her expression mischievous as she sized him up. Her gaze made Arthur’s body heat up, but he suppressed the surge of testosterone and replied flatly, “To take a bath.”

As he lifted the curtain at the entrance, Arthur turned back and added, “Since you’ve already cleaned up, go fetch the custom weapons I ordered from Captain Badrin. The payment’s already settled.”

With that, he disappeared behind the curtain.

Watching his figure vanish, Susan let out a seductive, playful laugh before spinning on her heel and leaving the water purification building to head toward the armory.

---

Within the base, the demographics were peculiar. Half the population consisted of tall, muscular Black men, while the number of white women outnumbered them at least twofold. The gender ratio in this post-apocalyptic era was wildly unbalanced.

A group of towering Black workers sat together, chatting as they puffed on white cigarettes, blowing smoke rings for fun.

Their well-defined muscles rippled with every small movement, their tattooed skin glistening in the sunlight. Their minimal clothing, stained with grease, served only to accentuate their physiques as they proudly displayed their masculine pride—raw strength.

At that moment, a stunning woman walked past. Her skin was as pale as porcelain, and she wore a black tube top barely containing her ample curves, which seemed to defy gravity. With every step, her chest jiggled with an almost hypnotic rhythm.

Her slender waist, exposed to the open air, and her tight, torn pants accentuated her shapely figure. Her appearance was enough to drive these men wild with lust.

However, what stood out was the solid black metal rod slung across her back—a detail that made the group pause, though not enough to curb their desires.

The men ogled her, swallowing audibly, their inhibitions evaporating.

One particularly burly man couldn’t resist any longer. He rubbed his large hands together and approached her, his broad grin revealing a row of gleaming white teeth.

Encouraged by his boldness, a few others followed. To them, this unfamiliar beauty was like a rare delicacy. In their eyes, no harm could come from having a little “fun.”

However, Susan had long grown accustomed to such situations. While she didn’t see her beauty as a big deal in Arthur’s eyes, she understood the dangerous allure it held for others—especially here.