Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
Tenth District: Battlegrounds
墨書 Inktalez
The biting cold wind swept up the trash and flyers from the street corner, swirling them back down to the ground. The pavement glimmered faintly under the pale glow of a few streetlights, evoking a sense of chill and desolation. Chen Rui stood at the mouth of a dim alley, his hands shoved deep into the pockets of his tattered olive-green jacket, coldly surveying this so-called Tenth District. He took a deep breath; the icy air kept him alert as he tightly clutched the order document in his hand.
This was not merely an order; it was a sentence. He had been expelled from the military and banished to this place, left to rot like a discarded husk. The Special Zone, infamous for Wasteland City, housed those abandoned by society: soldiers who had lost their combat abilities, fallen gangsters, and even pawns secretly dealt with by the government. Though this place appeared quiet, it was rife with undercurrents. Chen Rui knew that it was not a place for living but rather one where people disappeared completely.
He adjusted the backpack on his shoulder and glanced around. There were no signs of prosperity here—only crumbling buildings and graffiti-covered walls. At the end of the alley, a small man watched him intently, wearing a mask that concealed all but his dark, brooding eyes.
"Here for business?" The man slowly approached, a hint of hostility curling at the corners of his mouth as he asked in a low voice.
"What’s it to you?" Chen Rui replied coolly, meeting his gaze with icy resolve. His hand subtly brushed against the hilt of the knife at his waist. This place was never welcoming to outsiders; conflict could erupt at any moment.
"Don’t get me wrong, friend." The small man raised his hands in a gesture of surrender, appearing harmless. "I’m just trying to give you a heads-up. Once you step into this place, you need to know who’s in charge."
Before he could finish speaking, four figures suddenly emerged from deeper within the alley, wielding various blunt instruments and surrounding Chen Rui. Their faces twisted into menacing grins, clearly having planned this ambush.
"You’ve got some guts coming here," said one man leading the group, swinging his club with a chilling smile.
Chen Rui sized them up with a slight smirk forming on his lips. The people in this Special Zone might have seen some fighting, but their skills were nothing more than that of street thugs. He took a step back, pressing against the alley wall to keep an eye on all their movements.
"So who’s your boss? You or these guys?" he asked casually, his tone laced with provocation.
The group seemed enraged by his words; without finishing their retorts, they charged at him with their clubs raised. Chen Rui's eyes narrowed as he swiftly sidestepped one attacker and deftly grabbed the end of his club, yanking it back forcefully. The thug stumbled and fell to the ground. Seizing the opportunity, Chen Rui drove his elbow hard into the man's temple; he didn’t even have time to grunt before collapsing unconscious.
He spun around and kicked another assailant who rushed at him while nimbly dodging an incoming blow. In less than ten seconds, he had taken down all of them. The small man stood frozen off to the side, visibly shaken by this sudden turn of events, his face pale.
"Send my regards to your boss," Chen Rui said as he dusted off his hands nonchalantly. "I have no interest in following rules here; if anyone wants trouble, they can come at me."
The small man clenched his teeth in silence, his eyes filled with malice as he muttered something under his breath before hastily signaling for his companions to leave the alley. Chen Rui watched them disappear from view with an unyielding gaze. He sensed that things were far from simple here; especially in this Special Zone, it was more complex than he had anticipated.
As night deepened, he quietly made his way toward the center of the Special Zone—the few places still illuminated by light. Chen Rui pulled out a map from his pocket; it only marked several key Areas within Tenth District but failed to indicate any buildings. The map was so rudimentary that it seemed hastily made—merely listing names like South Street, Scrap Iron District, and Vagrant Alley. Clearly, information about this place had been buried for too long; outside knowledge about it was nearly nonexistent.
Just as he was about to fold up the map, a low voice came from behind him: "That map is valuable; don’t lose it."
Chen Rui stiffened and quickly turned around to see a shadow standing behind him. The figure wore a thick cloak with its hood pulled low over its face; only sharp eyes peeked out from beneath the shadow.
"You’re Chen Rui," he stated cautiously, hand resting on the hilt of his knife and ready for action.
"Relax," the figure chuckled softly, its tone carrying an elusive undertone. "I’m just here to remind you—be careful here. You’re new and don’t understand the rules of this game."
"Thanks for the warning, but I don’t need any rules," Chen Rui replied coolly.
"Oh really?" The shadow chuckled again. "Let’s see how long you can last then." With that, he slipped away into the darkness of the alley and vanished.
Chen Rui frowned as he watched where the figure had disappeared. He had thought that being exiled here would mean dealing with gang conflicts or survival challenges at most; however, things in this Special Zone were far more complicated than he had imagined. The shadow's words hinted at something deeper—was there a greater force manipulating events within this Special Zone?
He tucked away the map and walked deeper into the alley. Without rules imposed upon him, he would create his own. If he was destined to survive here, he would adapt to this environment on his own terms.
Comment 0 Comment Count