Global Shelter Game

Chapter 194: Chapter 185: Heishui Town 2

Although Carlos did his best to block, Bena found an opening and landed a punch squarely on his abdomen.

Carlos grunted in pain and involuntarily doubled over.

Bena didn’t press his advantage. Instead, he withdrew his fist, signaling that Carlos could continue the fight.

Carlos took a few deep breaths to ease the pain in his stomach, then straightened up again.

"I lose. You’re really strong," Carlos said, looking at Bena with a flash of admiration in his eyes.

Bena clapped Carlos on the shoulder. "You’re not bad yourself. We’d welcome you to join us."

Carlos nodded, a determined glint in his eyes. "I will contribute all my strength to the shelter."

With Carlos joining, the atmosphere in the tavern grew even more enthusiastic.

Many others were now eager to try their luck, hoping to join the shelter and secure a better living environment.

Bena and his group continued to post recruitment notices in the tavern while also searching for potential talent around town.

After Carlos, a few more people came forward to apply, but their skills were average. No one particularly stood out.

Bena wasn’t discouraged by this. He knew that in the wasteland, true talent was rare and hard to come by.

He had Neil and Lin Hao continue posting recruitment notices in the tavern, while he took Carlos for a stroll through town to see if they could spot any promising individuals.

The two of them began to chat idly as they walked.

In the course of their conversation, Bena learned that Carlos had served as a guard and enforcer in several wasteland settlements and possessed a wealth of combat experience.

His family had been killed in an attack by mutated creatures, after which he had wandered the wasteland alone, surviving as a mercenary.

Bena sympathized with Carlos’s story and also expressed his admiration for his skill and experience.

He believed Carlos’s addition would be a great help to the shelter.

As they talked, the conversation soon turned to the huge, black lake near Heishui Town.

When Bena and Carlos began discussing the black lake near Heishui Town, a grim look appeared in Carlos’s eyes.

"That lake is unusual," Carlos said in a low voice.

"I’ve heard the townsfolk say the water quality is terrible, and the creatures around it have become very strange."

Bena’s interest was piqued. He knew that environments in the wasteland were ever-changing, with many areas having mutated due to the cataclysm.

"Is there anything special about that lake?" Bena asked.

A grim look flashed in Carlos’s eyes.

"Heishui Town gets its name from the huge, black lake nearby.

The water in that lake is black, supposedly because of a special kind of ore at the bottom that turns the water black."

"What’s more, the lake water is radioactive and very dangerous. Some of the town’s residents tried to get close to it and ended up suffering from radiation exposure, developing all sorts of health problems."

Bena nodded thoughtfully. He knew such environmental changes often gave rise to unique creatures and resources.

’And the obvious radiation spots on the residents of Heishui Town are probably related to this black water,’ Bena thought.

"Have you ever explored the lake?" Bena asked.

Carlos shook his head.

"No. That lake is too dangerous; I wouldn’t dare explore it alone. Besides, the townsfolk rarely go near it either."

"Besides the black lake, are there any other places of note near Heishui Town?" Bena continued to ask.

Carlos thought for a moment, then said,

"About twenty-something kilometers east of Heishui Town, there’s a stretch of ruins. They say it was a city before the great cataclysm.

There are a lot of abandoned buildings and facilities there, and sometimes mutated creatures show up."

"However, some people have also found useful things there, like weapons, equipment, and supplies.

If you’re interested, I can take you there to have a look."

Bena nodded. The ruins had sparked his interest.

If they could find useful supplies and equipment in the ruins, it would be a great help to the shelter’s development.

"Alright. Once we’ve recruited enough people in town, we’ll go check out those ruins," Bena said.

As the two were wandering aimlessly through Heishui Town, Bena suddenly noticed a dilapidated building on the edge of town from which faint, strange sounds were coming.

A thought struck Bena. He signaled for Carlos to approach the building cautiously to see what was going on inside.

They crept silently toward the building and carefully peered inside.

The interior of the building was spacious, filled with various pieces of crude training equipment. A lone figure was inside, training hard and drenched in sweat.

Bena observed carefully and found that this person was quite skilled. His movements were incredibly swift, and every strike carried immense power and speed.

’I might have found some real talent,’ Bena thought, delighted.

He immediately led Carlos and the others closer to the building.

However, before they could get close to the somewhat dilapidated building, the person stopped training. He looked warily toward the entrance, having clearly already detected their approach.

Bena and Carlos exchanged a glance, each seeing the surprise in the other’s eyes.

Even though they had tried their best to walk quietly, the other person had still detected their presence very quickly.

Such awareness was even more impressive than that of some seasoned Mercenaries.

’He must have extraordinary talent for combat,’ Bena thought, his estimation of this person rising even higher.

He signaled for Carlos and the others to wait outside while he went forward, preparing to speak with the person.

"Hello, I’m Bena. We mean no harm. We were just passing by and saw you training, so we came to have a look."

Bena said this in the calmest tone he could manage, not wanting to provoke any hostility.

In the wasteland, however, trust between people was incredibly fragile.

The person clearly didn’t believe Bena’s side of the story so easily.

The person watched Bena warily for a long moment before finally speaking slowly.

"This isn’t a circus. I’m under no obligation to be watched. This is my place. Please leave."

Bena wasn’t discouraged by the person’s coldness. He maintained his smile.

"I’m very interested in your training. I was wondering if you might be interested in joining us?"

The person gave Bena a cold look but didn’t answer immediately.

Bena wasn’t in a hurry. He waited quietly for a response.

After a good while, the person finally spoke.

"Why should I join you?"

Bena smiled faintly. He knew the person was already somewhat tempted; otherwise, he would have just kept trying to chase them away instead of asking a question.

"Join us, and you’ll get a better living environment and more resources."

"Moreover, we’ll provide better training conditions and equipment to help you take your skills to the next level."

A flicker of conflict showed in the person’s eyes. Bena’s words had clearly moved him.

The reason he trained so hard was, of course, to increase his strength. Without enough power, he had no way to get his revenge.

Bena continued,

"You can think it over. You’re welcome to join us anytime."

"We’ll be recruiting at the Conch Tavern for the next couple of days. If you’re interested, you can stop by and ask us about it."

With that said, Bena led Carlos and the others away from the building.

He didn’t press the issue. He trusted the person would make the right choice.

In the time that followed, Bena and his group continued to post recruitment notices in Heishui Town while also searching for potential talent.

Through Bena’s patient searching and waiting, they found a few more promising young people.

Although their current abilities were still rather limited, Bena believed that with enough time and resources, they would surely grow to become the backbone of the shelter.

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