Pardo had originally been looking forward to rummaging through the police station for valuables. After all, the more heavily guarded a place was, the more valuable things it held—everyone knew that. Not to mention this was the territory of the Treasure-Stealing Gang. With "treasure" in its name, it surely had to be hiding plenty of valuables.
As she passed by, Pardo spotted several storage rooms filled with hidden goods. With her luck as a guarantee, they were definitely full of valuable items.
They're not taking me inside, and instead heading out to the deserted outskirts... they're not planning to do... that to me, are they?
Of course, the "that" in Pardo's mind didn't refer to anything between men and women, but rather something like turning on one of their own. Backstabbing like that was nothing unusual on Dusk Street—Pardo had long since gotten used to it.
Taking advantage of the moment when the two men opened the car door, Pardo tried to slip away. However, the recruiter with the red bandage had already been keeping an eye on her. He placed a hand on her shoulder and reassured her, "Miss thief, don't worry. We're a proper gang—we won't do anything to you. You might only know the benefits of joining us, but you don't yet understand the obligations of the Barcelona gangs."
"The four major gangs of Barcelona all have the duty to defend the outskirts against the beast tide that comes every seven days."
"Beast tide?" This was the first time Pardo had heard the term.
Bang. Raven shut the car door and added seriously, "Ever since a year ago, this city has been afflicted by a strange curse. The contamination has caused both humans and animals to mutate to varying degrees. Those with low mutation levels die directly, while those with higher levels become beasts or zombies."
"And those beasts and zombies erupt in large numbers every seven days. Everyone in the city must work together to resist those terrifying attacks."
Barcelona was undergoing a Honkai Eruption, and it had already been ongoing for quite some time—it hadn't just started after the Fifth Honkai Eruption.
An endless stream of Honkai Beasts and zombies surged from the outskirts, constantly attacking the city in an attempt to destroy this human stronghold.
This was also why the citizens of Barcelona, despite suffering under gang oppression, had never left the city. Because here, at least the gangs' armed forces provided protection.
If they tried to flee, not only were all routes in and out strictly controlled by the gangs, but even if they managed to escape, they would most likely die at the hands of Honkai Beasts—or become infected with Honkai Sickness.
After explaining the gangs' predicament, Raven declared righteously, "Hey, with greater power comes greater responsibility. The four major gangs of Barcelona have made an agreement—each gang is responsible for one direction of the city. Our Treasure-Stealing Gang is in charge of the northwest outskirts."
"To deal with those monsters, we've already lost quite a few brothers. We're short on manpower right now, so you'd better perform well. If you do, we'll promote you to a junior boss. Then you'll have good food and drink, and you won't have to live in constant fear anymore."
A junior boss was just a low-ranking leader in the gang. Raven was clearly painting a rosy picture.
"Ah... I see..."
Pardo subconsciously shrank back, cold sweat forming on her back.
So this car was sending people to the battlefield. No wonder they were being so friendly.
I came here to pick up goods, not to go to war!
This is a black van!
I'm not doing this anymore. I want to get out—right now!
But after glancing at the two men's fierce appearances, Pardo swallowed her words.
She naturally didn't dare say any of that out loud. Who knew what these "colleagues" might do if they found out she wanted to run away?
With their physiques, her small frame couldn't possibly fight them.
Better to find a chance to slip away quietly.
Someone else might hesitate due to the contract. Even a hundred years ago, there were already ways to track people through fingerprints. With modern technology, it was even easier.
But Pardo, who came from Dusk Street, had no hesitation about breaking agreements. Running off right after signing wouldn't affect her mood in the slightest.
Suddenly, the car jolted. Pardo tilted to one side and let out a yelp, nearly rolling off her seat.
"What's going on?"
Rubbing her head, she looked at the massive pothole that had suddenly appeared in the middle of the road.
The pit took up nearly half the road. Looking around, Pardo saw that there were many similar holes scattered nearby.
This was a paved road—how could there be such large craters?
Raven, however, seemed used to it. "Probably from transport trucks and construction vehicles passing through frequently."
Trucks and construction vehicles don't just drive off the road randomly!
And those tracks are carved straight into the ground!
Don't try to fool me—I've seen Chariot-class Honkai Beasts digging before!
These were clearly stomped out by Chariot-class Honkai Beasts!
And that tree over there—that was snapped by a Seraph-class Honkai Beast!
Pardo had personally experienced a Honkai Eruption before, so she naturally recognized the traces.
Even if she hadn't known at the time, after working with the Mad Hatter Party, she had learned.
She might act simple, but she wasn't stupid. When it came to things that increased her chances of survival, she knew them inside out.
I have to escape! I absolutely cannot stay! I don't want any treasure anymore!
In fact, Su's original arrangement for Pardo had been to enter the city through the recruiter and then find a chance to slip away. It wasn't supposed to be difficult.
But Pardo had been tempted by greed. Hearing that the Treasure-Stealing Gang had many treasures, she had decided to scout it herself.
Instead of scouting, she ended up being drafted as cannon fodder.
Curiosity kills the cat.
When the car reached the outskirts, Pardo realized that the area had already been completely devastated by Honkai Beast attacks. Ruins and wreckage were everywhere. The blood on the walls had long dried, clotted, and turned black.
The reason Pardo hadn't seen such a horrific scene when entering the city was because Su had arranged the safest possible route for her—there were barely any Honkai Beasts. He really was a considerate leader.
The car stopped on a wide patch of grass. Raven said to Pardo, "Get out. This is the area our Treasure-Stealing Gang is responsible for."
He pointed toward a distant hill. "That's our base. If you perform well in this battle, not only will you receive generous rewards, but we'll also arrange for you to live there."
Squinting, Pardo looked at the hill. It seemed like nothing more than an ordinary mound.
Raven raised his hand, and the watch on his wrist blocked Pardo's view. "The seven-day tide hits at four in the morning. It's seven in the evening now—we have nine hours left. Next is your task. You need to patrol this area and check for any beasts or zombies. Report immediately if you find anything."
"Don't worry. Our company won't send newcomers to the front lines. Your job is mainly to patrol the rear and handle miscellaneous tasks. It's very safe."
Safe? Pardo still remembered those massive craters just now. And you call this safe?