Chapter 8.3 – Holding Your Hand
Just like its name implied, Midnight City’s most bustling, most lively time was after midnight. Once daytime passed and the fatal radiation sunlight it brought weakened, that was when all living things began to move. The entire city would come alive, becoming brightly lit and bustling with noise. Men and women all used the most barbaric, primitive methods to vent out their insuppressible desires and fear towards survival. Meanwhile, only in a place like Midnight City, where there was an abundance of energy to waste, could they act so unrestricted under the illumination.
When Su entered Midnight City, it was still morning. The entire city was was extremely quiet, its residents that experienced a night of partying still fast asleep to recover the little strength they had left. For as far as they could see, the spacious streets were filled with abandoned trash and tightly shut nightclubs. There were a few people completely knocked out from intoxication on the streets. Nighttime was still extremely cold, and by laying there an entire night, even if it was someone with one level of defense strengthening, if they did it often, they would be sending their life away. However, when one was experiencing utmost pleasure, who worried about these things?
Like all other cities in this era, Midnight City was also built on the ruins of an olden era city. Being able to assemble several tens of thousands of people was something Sinking Blade truly could feel proud of accomplishing. Of course, this was closely tied to the fact that they grasped enough energy, clean water, and food. However, when compared to the massive ruins left behind by the olden era, Midnight City’s current city district still only occupied a small amount of space.
Similar to the Black Dragonriders, Midnight City also had radiation clearing technology, and as a result, the radiation levels within the city area were much lower than outside the city. This was no simple matter. One has to understand that during a war, the targets of nuclear weapons were all major cities, which was why the radiation levels of city ruins would naturally be much higher than that of the surrounding areas. However, compared to the radiation resistance force field Dragon City constructed that could cover the entire city, the level of technology was definitely not of the same era.
In Midnight City’s surroundings, there were several similar cities roughly a hundred or so kilometers away. Steel Gate occupied the mines left behind from the olden era, and from there established a metallurgy means. They then also completed a military system that could produce all types of weaponry from bullets to tanks. New Milano City was good at biotechnology, and almost all of the ability formulations came from that place. Apart from this, there were a few smaller cities and powers. Further west was a large expanse of continuous and uninterrupted mountain ranges. The cold weather, barren environment, and creatures that had silently experienced several tens of years of mutation made that vast mountain range a place humans refused to step foot in.
If one looked at this place comprehensively, it was actually quite the prosperous place. Over a million people were thriving in this region. Even though most people had to struggle for the food needed for survival, at the very least, after selling their bodies, dignity, and anything else of value, these people still had the privilege of living. Moreover, the most important thing was that they knew that they would live to see tomorrow, barring nothing especially unfortunate happened.
This was the fundamental difference between refugees surviving in the wilderness. Those struggling for survival in the wilderness never had a tomorrow to look forward to.
Even though Midnight City was still asleep, Su could already feel the thriving life force this city exuded. Compared to Dragon City, the population of this place was smaller, the streets more filthy, and the technology clearly not as developed, seemingly at least thirty years behind. However, the life force and vitality were at a level at which Su had never experienced before in Dragon CIty.
Jack brought Su to a hotel situated at the border of the city. These were all independent residences that could satisfy Su’s need for peace and privacy. Food, water, women, and men, this place could provide Su with everything he needed, and he was even ensured a limited amount of safety. Extra bodyguards were available for hire, but that required additional payment. After asking Su about his opinions on all of this out of courtesy, Jack delivered Su’s information to the higher levels and promised that opportunities to make money would come soon. The areas in the surroundings of Midnight City weren’t all that peaceful. Even though battles didn’t happen endlessly like in the Black Dragonriders’ territory, there would still be small scale conflicts from time to time. In addition, every so often, there would be one or two large scale battles. This type of environment, for mercenaries that wanted to make money, was quite good.
However, regardless, compared to the Black Dragonriders’ endless battles, the peacefulness of this place was like that of heaven.
Su reserved a vila that could house a total of five people, and the courtyard could park two off-road vehicles as well. After some rest, their group prepared to walk around the city. They would familiarize themselves with the environment, as well as look for opportunities along the way.
A somewhat vague thought crept into the bottom of Su’s heart, only, this thought currently still wasn’t too realistic, and it wasn’t a field he was familiar with either. However, he could feel more and more clearly that if he wanted the people by his side to live peaceful lives, this was perhaps the only way.
In the afternoon, Midnight City began to gradually awaken. In this city, the main means of entertainment were sex, alcohol, drugs, gambling, and battle. Compared to the olden era, it really wasn’t all that different. The difference mainly laid in the fact that this place was more chaotic and disorderly, and a bit more of ‘the strong preying on the weak’.
Reflecting the lifestyles of the people here, the streets were lined with bars, evening shows, drugstores, arms shops, and clinics, there unexpectedly weren’t too many hotels. There were enough abandoned houses in the city ruins that could offer those struggling for survival at the lower class of this city free shelter and entertainment. Those that could live in hotels like Su were just the handful of people at the top of the food chain.
