Although these small and medium-sized cities have been abandoned, most of them still have stationed troops and serve as outposts.

Some awakened ones on missions, regardless of which organization they belong to, as long as they don’t have a serious criminal record, can stay temporarily at military bases—this is explicitly stipulated by the world government.

After all, awakened ones often have to venture deep into the wilderness to complete their tasks, and it’s not easy to find a place to stay.

However, the living conditions at military bases are, of course, nothing to write home about, since soldiers don’t have high demands for material comforts.

“Come on, I’ll just stay for two days, three at most! You wouldn’t have the heart to let me sleep on the street, right? For the sake of me saving your life, just let me stay for two days!” Emily Carter continued to put on a pitiful expression.

Blake rolled his eyes, thinking, “You’re the one who killed the pet I finally managed to find, aren’t you?”

But after thinking for a moment, Blake still nodded. “Fine, you can stay. But! Don’t mess up my living room! And don’t drink too many of the beverages in the fridge—those were all painstakingly brought back from Hanhai City!”

(Hanhai City is the nearest central city to here.)

“Yay! That’s great!” Emily Carter said happily.

Blake looked rather reluctantly at the snacks and drinks in his fridge, feeling like they were doomed.

6:00 p.m.

Emily Carter looked at the rows and rows of books on the bookshelf, her mouth forming an “o” shape.

“I didn’t expect you to be a scholar, huh?” Emily Carter said.

“...Just to kill time. Also, please don’t mess with my things.” Blake said from the kitchen while cooking.

“I still find it unbelievable—no housekeeping robot, not even an old-fashioned dishwasher, and not a single friend. How on earth do you survive alone in this city?” Emily Carter said as she flipped through a book.

Emily Carter’s surprise was justified.

In this era, all housework is done by robots. Someone like Blake, who cooks and washes dishes himself, is practically living like someone from centuries ago.

It’s as unbelievable as a 21st-century modern person growing their own vegetables and raising their own chickens.

“...If I have to say, it’s probably because I’m a bit of a loner.”

Blake placed two dishes on the dining table and served two bowls of rice.

One meat, one vegetable—both very ordinary dishes, but Emily Carter ate with great relish.

“Your cooking is amazing! How long has it been since I had a proper meal? Let me think... it’s been almost a month!” Emily Carter said as she shoveled rice into her mouth, with no regard for ladylike manners.

Blake, on the other hand, ate quite casually and was even a bit picky.

“Oh, right! Turn on the TV!” Emily Carter said.

Whether inside or outside the city, there are people fighting wild beasts almost every moment. Most of the battles around central cities are recorded or even broadcast live for the public to see.

Scenes of powerful wild beasts being defeated can give people a sense of security, while real-time beast alerts can help prevent unnecessary civilian casualties.

On the screen, a black giant dragon, at least seven or eight meters tall, was wantonly spewing flames. As the fire swept by, vehicles on the road caught fire and exploded, pedestrians fled in panic, and the scene was utter chaos.

Although these big cities are heavily guarded, occasionally a particularly powerful wild beast will break through the particle barrier and cause massive destruction.

Suddenly, a woman in a red feathered cloak appeared on a nearby rooftop. In her left hand, she held a recurve bow over two meters long. She drew the bow and released an arrow, which struck the black dragon directly in its right eye!

The black dragon let out a deafening roar, flapping its wings in an attempt to take to the sky, but the second arrow arrived almost instantly, nailing precisely into the tail of the first arrow!

With the tremendous force, the first arrow pierced straight through the dragon’s brain, shooting right through its head!

“Silver Watch’s A-rank hero Lingyu is really amazing!” Emily Carter said as she continued eating.

“Silver Watch?”

“Hey, is your general knowledge really this bad? Not knowing about the Hunter Alliance is one thing, but you don’t even know Silver Watch?” Emily Carter was speechless. “You have a TV here—don’t you watch the news?”

“...Yeah.” Blake nodded.

“Alright, I give up. To put it simply, after the Z-virus outbreak, the joint government formed by countries around the world created an awakened ones organization, specifically to handle special incidents like wild beast invasions.”

“That’s what’s called ‘Silver Watch.’”

“Within Silver Watch, there are five hero ranks from D to S. The one you just saw in red is one of Silver Watch’s A-rank heroes, named Lingyu.”

Emily Carter explained while eating.

“All things considered, your Hunter Alliance is still a second-rate organization.” Blake said.

“Pfft! What are you talking about!” Emily Carter almost spat out her food. “The Hunter Alliance is independent from the world government—it’s the largest awakened ones organization in the world, and it’s even stronger than Silver Watch!”