Achieving Demon Godhood from Unlocking Talents

SPLASH!!

The river surged, its waves churning.

The Red River, several hundred meters wide, flowed southeast for nearly a thousand kilometers, crossing mountains, forests, and plains, passing several Wilderness Shelter Cities and Alliance cities along the way.

Traces of human activity could be seen on both banks, as well as certain wilderness Mutant Beasts drinking at the water’s edge.

Occasionally, an aquatic Mutant Beast would startle, sending up a spray of water and creating ripples.

But more common were the countless freighters and ferries traveling along the waterway, like a thousand sails passing by.

In the New Era, the Alliance Country had long since conducted multiple sweeps of the wilderness lands and waterways within its territory. Travel and shipping within the Alliance City Circle were far safer than they had been during the doomsday wasteland period.

Though Mutant Beasts still appeared occasionally, they were no longer a rampant threat.

After several days, Red Maple Shelter City was finally in sight.

Looking ahead, magnificent city walls rose from the ground, appearing on the wide, flat plains on both sides of the waterway.

Like the Great Wall of old, the outline of the concrete walls, dozens of meters high, could be seen from afar. They exuded a sense of weight, resembling a crouching behemoth.

What looked like trams moved along the top of the walls, their whistles echoing from the distance and startling the wilderness. Turreted watchtowers stood in a ring, their red sensor beams occasionally sweeping across the landscape.

Outside the walls, a dense, sprawling cluster of low-rise buildings stretched as far as the eye could see, forming what appeared to be a massive settlement surrounding the shelter city.

"Red Maple Shelter City is one of the largest city circles on the Eastern Continent, located in the southern part of the Alliance Country."

The White Ash Ferry sailed across the river, drawing ever closer to the shelter city.

There were quite a few people out on the deck. A middle-aged sailor from the ship’s crew stood outside the cabin door, voluntarily introducing the city to everyone.

"It was established in the Old Times and has been around for nearly a hundred years. It was one of the very first wasteland shelters ever founded."

"Today, the city circle covers a vast area with a population of over seventy million. Besides the main city, four satellite cities were also built one after another."

The middle-aged sailor spoke deliberately with a smile, his voice clear enough to reach everyone’s ears without a megaphone. He was clearly a combatant with a high level of Life Energy.

Some of the passengers on the ferry were visiting Red Maple Shelter City for the first time. Hearing this, their interest was piqued, and they all stopped what they were doing to listen to his introduction.

Lu Chao was among them. He had returned to his normal appearance and was dressed in a simple black tracksuit, standing with Zhao Yuanqing to one side of the cabin and listening quietly.

Chen Xiao and Fang Xu were also with him, leaning against the deck railing on either side.

Over the past few days, he and Zhao Yuanqing had switched transport mid-journey and dropped their disguises. They then waited for Chen Xiao and Fang Xu to set out and meet them, arriving at the shelter city just before the reporting deadline.

"The City Lord’s Mansion and the Four Elder Families have governed the city circle for many years, managing the main city and the four satellite cities. The patrol teams and the City Guard Army operate both inside and outside the walls; the former is responsible for security within the city circle, while the latter deals with the wilderness. They’ve repelled numerous Beast Tides and threats from warlords, safeguarding the shelter city’s Anning."

"However, things are different now." The middle-aged sailor smiled and reminded everyone, "Red Maple has joined the Alliance Country and has officially entered its observation period."

"Special envoys from Yao Capital have already established a United Committee and are intervening in the city circle’s governance. A new Superpower Bureau has also been established, and it’s full of powerful individuals. Some of the rules have changed slightly, so after you all enter the city, you might want to ask around and consider your next steps..."

As he spoke, the people on deck had varied expressions.

Lu Chao raised an eyebrow slightly, vaguely sensing a hidden meaning in the sailor’s words.

"Captain, it looks like the situation is a bit more complicated than we thought."

Chen Xiao, dressed in a crew-neck t-shirt and loose pants, stood half a step behind him. He frowned and said, "My aunt’s husband told me that the Four Elder Families were all part of the group that followed the first City Lord to establish this shelter city. Now, they each control one of the four satellite cities, holding the position of Garrison Commander and enjoying a high degree of administrative autonomy."

"Under them, they also have the four major corporate groups: the Jinggang Chamber of Commerce, Steel Union Machinery, Star Peak Communications, and Primordial Oasis. They monopolize many of Red Maple’s industries, and even the branch companies of the Five Major Enterprises have to give them some leeway."

"I have a feeling we’re going to have to deal with these people a lot in the future..."

He was slightly worried, having clearly done a lot of homework before they set out. Fang Xu, to the side, was the same; both had used their family connections to get a basic understanding of Red Maple.

Lu Chao nodded slightly at his words. In fact, he had also heard all of this from Luo Qianshan.

Back when Luo Qianshan was still a Wilderness Hunter, he had lived in Red Maple Shelter City. He was very familiar with its many rules and factions and had specifically explained them to Lu Chao.

He had even given him a letter, telling him to open it only after arriving in Red Maple. With the token inside, he could find an old acquaintance of Luo Qianshan’s and ask for help.

"Let’s take things as they come. It’s not too late to think about this after we join the Superpower Bureau."

After a moment of thought, Lu Chao said no more. The Superpower Bureau would have someone assigned to meet them, and their mission details would be provided after they reported in.

Hearing this, Chen Xiao and the other two nodded lightly, their worries easing a bit.

The few of them were chatting idly.

TAP, TAP.

Footsteps rang out, gradually drawing near.

"The ferries from United Shipping have always been safe and reliable. They’re quite well-known in the Red River Region and rarely have any incidents."

"Still, I didn’t expect this voyage to nearly end in disaster."

A group of several people approached. Lu Chao’s group of four stopped their conversation and looked over.

The speaker was a young man of about twenty-six or twenty-seven with a slicked-back hairstyle. He was rather handsome and wore a crisp, expensive dress shirt, surrounded by several bodyguards in suits.

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