Love and passion, cutting up the wasteland

On the wasteland, huge metal skeletons extend from one end of the Gobi to the other, bearing traces of rust.

Some of the mottled steel plates are scattered on the ground, and more are still hanging on the frame, blocking out shadows one after another, making its lower part an excellent shelter for drifters.

Lu Meng and Calvin were walking through it, and from time to time traces of the fire turning to ashes could be seen.

Not far away is the technology hunter's relay station in the Stan Desert.

"Master, what do you think this is?" Kavin raised his head with curiosity on his face.

Living in Scone Town, he couldn't imagine anyone building such a weird steel building in this wilderness.

Judging from the extent of the rust, it seems that it has been here for a long time.

"Probably a boat." Lu Meng replied casually.

The Vikings would turn their longships upside down on the shore to use as temporary houses, and the shelter in front of them was obviously an overturned steel ship.

The deck has been rusted away or dismantled, and people dwell in its dead belly.

"Boat?" Calvin had some difficulty understanding the word, but he roughly guessed that it was something used to swim in the water.

In the Shark Kingdom, the only river is the swamp flow that flows into the swamp, and most of the time it is either dry or can be wade across.

Even in swamps, where the water is deep, a raft tied to it is enough.

Looking at the big guy in front of me, I can't imagine it sailing on the water.

Even if there is a river that can accommodate it, it will sink to the bottom if it is put on it, right?

"Yeah." Lu Meng nodded without explaining much.

Judging from the size, this is probably just an ordinary fishing boat.

The master didn't say anything, and Kavin didn't dare to ask any more questions.

This is a lesson learned from the past.

When they were on the road these days, they encountered Shaq soldiers on patrol who came forward to investigate.

Although they didn't do anything bad, Kavin's bag still contained supplies for the troubled caravan and the illegal straight knife, which made Kavin feel guilty.

Fortunately, there were no near misses along the way, and the Shaq soldiers were just doing a routine thing.

Kavin asked Lu Meng, Master, aren't you worried?

Worry?

Lu Meng’s answer is:

"There's nothing to worry about. It's you who's carrying the bag, not me."

"But it's okay," he patted his apprentice on the shoulder and comforted, "If you are caught, I will definitely rescue you."

"——Just be careful not to be beaten to death on the spot."

Kavin wanted to cry but had no tears.

The key is that he feels that the master's words are serious.

Whether you are ready to send him to the top of the tank or you will definitely save yourself...

I don't know whether to be moved or sad - anyway, just cry.

It would be happier not to know some things.

After walking out of the shipwreck, they were greeted by a steel door.

The technology hunter's relay station here is built on a huge rock. It is a natural platform and barrier. No fence is needed. There is only a narrow slope leading directly to the open iron gate.

There were several Tech Hunter guards standing by the door, and behind them was a series of gallows, hanging from the unscrupulous trespassers.

Some of them are already full of white bones, while others are only half rotten, with hideous faces, and they are still warning the people passing by until they die.

However, Lu Meng discovered that there were more than just human remains on the gallows - one of them also had some kind of creature with six limbs hanging on it, which had rotted and peeled off its skin.

‘They are probably human-skinned spiders that escaped from the Spider Plains,’ Lu Meng thought to himself, ‘I don’t know if this can really deter their companions. ’

It's quite performance art.

It was as if he had killed mosquitoes before and always left their corpses on the wall.

However, the flesh of human skin spiders is inedible in the first place, and it seems to have no other purpose besides hanging here.

The two climbed the slope.

"etc."

The technology hunter who was guarding the gate drew his sword from its sheath.

At this moment, Lu Meng could sense that the crossbow turrets' crosshairs were pointing at him.

They come from the roofs of the buildings on the huge rock.

If you can establish a stronghold in the wilderness, then this place must not be a stop for people to play and relax, but a fortress ready for counterattack.

Lu Meng didn't show anything strange, he stepped forward generously, took out the magnetic card and handed it over.

This was the identification given to him by Tai, the technology hunter who had been traveling with them before.

The technology hunter and his companion looked at each other and took the magnetic card.

"drop--"

The card reader beeps softly.

"Welcome, friend." The technology hunter put away his knife and made way.

Being able to have such a magnetic card means that the person coming has been recognized by a member.

Under normal circumstances, technology hunters still trust the vision of their companions.

At least as customers, there is no problem doing business with them.

Lu Meng nodded and thanked him, and took Kavin straight to the machine shop in the relay station.

A curtain with wrenches and gears hangs in the machine shop, owned by a little old man covered in oil stains.

Most of the civilizational relics collected by technology hunters from ruins around the world will be collected at relay stations everywhere. After being collected and sorted by machine shops, valuable ones will be selected and sent to the end of the world where the mechanics are.

The remaining props will be digested internally by the technology hunters, and everyone will purchase them as needed.

It was the rest of these selections that dazzled Calvin, a man without horns, and he subconsciously exclaimed.

The little old man who owned the shop sneered.

‘Nowadays, anyone with any knowledge can do business with a technology hunter. ’ He muttered in his mind.

——The decline of civilization is not without reason.

Lu Meng straightened his clothes and sat in front of the counter.

…

"You want to buy some blueprints for weapon forging?" The old shopkeeper chewed his teeth.

"From the north." Lu Meng added.

If it is the special products of the Shark Kingdom such as segmented axes and flat swords, the technical drawings can be obtained from the local craftsmen in Scone Town, and there is no need to go to the relay station.

"North..." The shopkeeper turned over the counter, "It seems you are interested in fighting cleavers and cross swords."

When ordinary people talk about the north in the Shark Kingdom, they are referring to the Holy Empire.

The combat cleaver is the standard equipment of their soldiers, and the cross epee is the symbol of the Paladin. When it comes to the equipment of the Holy Kingdom, these two weapons cannot be avoided.

If the range is wider, you can also add their sacred breastplate.

Snapped.

A stack of drawings was placed in front of Lu Meng.

"Find it yourself." The store manager said casually.

Lu Meng took a quick look and saw that the drawings of combat cleavers and cross epee swords were among them. He picked them out and put them aside.

Although they already have these two weapons, the technology for forging them has not yet been mastered. The more skills you learn, the more ways you can upgrade your weapons in the future.

Kavin on the side was a little frightened.

Having been an apprentice in the blacksmith shop for so long, he has some understanding of the situation in the industry.

Forget about the combat cleaver, as standard equipment it is not a patent of the Holy Kingdom, and the technology is widely spread.

The cross epee is different. Its standard name in the Holy Kingdom is the 'Paladin Cross', which has a strong religious flavor.

Because of the special design of the cross epee, they have extra damage bonus to the mechanical body, and the mechanical life is the absolutely evil and pure Narko recognized by the Holy Kingdom.

It can be said that the 'Paladin's Cross' is the 'Exorcist Holy Sword' of the Holy Empire. It is attached with the power of Auckland and carries out punishments on behalf of the gods. It cannot be contaminated by ordinary people.

It is said that even the sword of the Holy Lord of the Holy Empire is a paladin cross - so it also represents divine power.

For this reason, the Holy Kingdom not only prohibits ordinary people from carrying the Paladin Cross, but also prohibits the spread of its forging technology.

——Especially if it cannot fall into the hands of foreigners, and they should not be allowed to defile and blaspheme this sacred weapon.

However, in such a machine shop, the complete technology for forging a cross epee was mixed with other drawings and was taken out by the shop owner.

It looks like it's covered in dust, and these technology hunters don't seem to pay much attention to it.

Who is this?

Lu Meng thought clearly about this.

Nothing to be surprised about.

It has always been difficult for any organization to completely ban the circulation of technology. The Holy Kingdom cannot even guarantee a complete blockade within its own country, let alone intervene in the leakage and spread of technology from the outside world.

not to mention.

The Paladin Cross may not be an invention of the Holy Empire.

Although they regard it as a treasure, to people in other places, the cross epee is just an ordinary long sword. There will even be a reduction when attacking enemies other than skeleton men, and other weapons may not be as useful.

Lu Meng put away the two drawings, but was not satisfied:

"Are there any further north?"

"Further north?" Even the old shop owner was stunned this time.

"It's further north than the 'End of the World'." Lu Meng confirmed, "Are there any drawings that came out of those places?"

The shopkeeper was silent.

In the eyes of many people, the Holy Kingdom is the northernmost civilization on the entire continent.

In addition to technology hunters and mechanics, anyone who can tell that there is a place like the 'End of the World' in the north of the Holy Kingdom must be considered a very knowledgeable person and knows many secrets.

However, the shop owner knows that the 'end of the world' is not the real end of the world.

Only drifters who have been there personally can realize that there is a vast land beyond the 'end of the world' - the name given by mechanics actually means the end of civilization.

Further north, even technology hunters dare not go too deep.

That's the territory of the 'Painted Tribe' - the cannibals.

"If the customer wants to know the secrets of the cannibals, then you may be disappointed." The shop owner slowly said, "The news about the cannibals is sent to the nearest end of the world and handed over directly to the mechanics' scholars for research. , will not be leaked easily."

"——Unless you go and investigate in person."

"I am a layman," Lu Meng said with a smile. "Secrets don't matter, but there are so many old armories in the Cannibal Plains... You should have some drawings from there, right?"

He tapped the paper on the table: "Just like them."

"Yes, yes...but the value may not be very high." The shop owner became serious, hunched over and moved out an iron box.

While he opened it carefully, he secretly observed the young man, but other than the still indifferent expression, he didn't notice anything strange.

As soon as the other party mentioned the 'old armory', the shop owner knew that he had met someone knowledgeable and couldn't help but think highly of him.

As a person who has served mechanics all his life, the shop owner knows more secrets about the world and history than ordinary people. Unknowingly, his standards for evaluating others have also changed.

——Compared to the destruction and rebirth of the entire world, what are these forces, powers and coins in the secular world?

Ordinary people, even customers introduced by technology hunters, all appear to the shop owner to be innocent and untainted by knowledge.

Or lucid stupidity.

...The young man in front of me seems to be different.

The box opened to reveal yellowed paper.

"In fact, the technology hunters have not gone deep into that place. These were traded to us by the cannibal hunters." Facing Lu Meng, the shop owner couldn't help but say a few more words. "Compared to the young men who have been going in and out of the ruins all year round, these are still the ones who Men who are more familiar with cannibals are more likely to come back alive."

"Everyone has a reason to do this." Lu Meng nodded.

Lu Meng's words were incomprehensible, but the meaning was clear to the shop owner's ears - this was obviously a hint that the cannibal hunters had a deep hatred for the cannibals.

'He's been exposed to them. ’ the shopkeeper thought.

Although the shop owner himself knows a lot, it is mostly based on hearsay, which is still inferior to someone who has actually traveled thousands of miles.

You must know that even the most experienced technology hunters often only plow one area in order to make a living, and end up being a shopkeeper like him for the rest of their lives.

The guest in front of him came from the cannibal plains to Stan Desert, which is equivalent to crossing the entire continent. For such a person, the world has almost no secrets.

——And he is still so young.

The shopkeeper stared into Lu Meng's eyes, and the more he looked at them, the more he felt that they were filled with the wind and frost of the journey, charming and vicissitudes of life.

Lu Meng was stunned and silently pulled down his goggles to block his scorching gaze.

——It’s quite strange to be stared at by such a little old man suddenly.

If he hadn't known that this was the territory of technology hunters, he would have almost thought he had entered some kind of shady shop like a human meat bun shop.

He looked through the documents in the box - these were actually copies.

The original should be stored in the Machinist's University or the Tech Hunter's Great Library. Books are a commodity, and only by retaining the original version can they continue to be printed and sold for money—machinists also need to eat.

Lu Meng quickly found what he was looking for.

[Production Blueprint: Flesh Cleaver]

If all weapons are 'killing weapons', the flesh-cleaving knife is different.

——It is specially used to slaughter humans.

This is a weapon commonly used by cannibals.

It is said that due to the design characteristics of the flesh cleaver, the person who is slashed will hardly bleed - because its owner prefers juicy food.

Correspondingly, this [machete] is quite capable of cutting flesh and injuring and maiming people.

Reflected in numerical value is the attack bonus against "humanoid" flesh and blood life.

Since the cannibals have not mastered the forging technology, almost all the flesh-cleaving knives they use are remnants of old armories, and the quality has been quite low since they were passed down. This has also led to the fact that the flesh-cleaving knives that are now being circulated are more of a collection of curiosity. It has no actual combat value, and real warriors have little interest in it.

However, once Lu Meng masters the blueprints and pushes up the level of the product, the attack bonus will be even more substantial, enough to give full play to its advantages.

In addition to the drawings of the flesh-cleaving knife, Lu Meng also discovered something else...

"I bought these."

He made a prompt decision.

Although, as the owner said, the mechanics will not let the secrets about cannibals leak out, all the knowledge that comes out has been vetted beforehand.

——But what if they don’t even know that this is related to cannibals?

Lu Meng was very grateful for his foresight and put on the "Chinese module" before coming to the relay station to make it easier to find information.

He just saw the words "gene", "virus"... in a book.

Digression: Unlike the game, the current setting is that the bonus value of the weapon is linked to the grade; in addition, the flesh-and-blood chopping knife is simply the author's favorite (because it is very hellish).