The first area that appears in this section is called the "Supply Station." There are a total of three supply stations: No. 1, No. 2, and No. 3. No. 1 and No. 2 belong to the military and are located at the entrance and exit of the base, respectively. They are responsible for verifying and exchanging currency and military supplies. Every time a mercenary team returns from the wild, the staff at the supply station will calculate the value of the materials they have collected and issue currency accordingly. All lethal weapons and armored vehicles are withheld and not allowed into the city; the mercenary team can only reapply to use them the next time they set out. The mercenary teams use the currency to exchange for guns, bullets, armor, fuel, and other necessities for field expeditions, and can even purchase different models of armored vehicles.

Unlike the first two supply stations, Supply Station No. 3 is located inside the city and is responsible for the exchange of civilian goods. Using base currency, one can exchange for daily necessities, food and ingredients, spirits, electronics, and many other items at the supply station, and can also conduct housing transactions.

Opposite Supply Station No. 3 is the "Free Market." Sometimes, the items that mercenary teams obtain from human ruins are not what the military needs. In such cases, they can bring safe items into the city for free trade.

At this moment, Adam Carter noticed a line of small print annotation below.

Note: The Free Market is not an official base facility. All consequences of actions are at your own risk.

Note: Employment and contractual relationships established through the Free Market are not protected by base law. All consequences are at your own risk.

There was nothing else of note. Adam Carter specifically noticed the word "employment."

In other words, the Free Market is also a place where jobs can be found.

Continuing on, there is an introduction to the various residential areas. The densely populated residential areas are Zones 6 and 7; the other zones have very few people, and many buildings are vacant. Zone 8 is a centralized shelter with comprehensive security facilities.

Further on is the introduction to the Tribunal.

Adam Carter recalled the colonel with the cold green eyes, and his reading speed slowed considerably as he read word by word.

The Tribunal's duties are not limited to identifying aberrants at the city gates. They also patrol crowded areas in the city for secondary screening and to eliminate hidden dangers. The main patrol points are around the supply stations, but they also conduct random inspections of residential buildings—especially those with abnormal behavior or who have been reported.

For some reason, Adam Carter suddenly remembered the phrase, "You'd better be."

If possible, Adam Carter hoped that Brian Clark would always stay at the city gate, so the adjudicator would not have to lower himself to come to the residential buildings.

Flipping further, the other areas had little to do with him—such as the city administration office, city defense office, and the main city. It said that the base consists of the outer city, also called the satellite city, and the main city. The main city is the location of the base's important research, military facilities, and is the center of energy and politics. Unless one holds a special pass or residence permit, entry is strictly forbidden.

After finally finishing browsing the base map, Adam Carter closed the book. Once again, he felt that humans are a species quite different from mushrooms.

The second book he opened was called "Supply Station Assessment Manual." As soon as he saw the cover, related memories surged up, much clearer than the others. Adam Carter thought, perhaps this meant that, for Aaron Carter, going to the supply station was a very important matter.

If that's the case, then why did he agree to go to the wild with Josie?

He pondered for a long time, and finally thought, Aaron Carter is just that kind of person.

Aaron Carter missed the exam. The supply station's recruitment assessment was held fifteen days ago, by which time he was already a skeleton.

But it didn't matter, Adam Carter thought. A year from now, when the supply station recruits again, if he is still alive in the human base, he will give it a try. That way, when he returns to the cave, he can tell Aaron Carter what it was like.

The long period of reading had exhausted him. After trying to read two pages of the "Assessment Manual," Adam Carter was already drowsy and eventually went to bed. The next morning, to avoid running into Josie, he left his room at four in the morning, went downstairs, arrived at the transit point, and took the train to the supply station—he was going to the Free Market across the way to look for a job.

It was seven o'clock in the morning when he got off the train, and a thin white mist still lingered in the air. The Free Market was a large circular building with four entrances and exits. He entered through the nearest one.

The scent of spirits drifted into his nose.

At the entrance, four long tables had been set up. People dressed as mercenaries were playing drinking games and talking loudly at the tables. There was alcohol in front of them, and from time to time someone would ask for a refill. At that moment, a server would fill their glass with spirits and use a small device to scan the ID card handed over by the customer for payment.

A strong, dark-skinned mercenary was drinking alone. When he saw him, he raised his eyebrows, grinned, and shook the glass in his hand. "Kid, what are you looking at? Want to learn how to drink?"

A short-haired woman next to him immediately elbowed him in the chest. Her voice was hoarse but full of cheer: "Rule thirty-two, minors can't drink."

The man said, "So what if he drinks? It's not like the adjudicator will come and arrest him, right?"

The woman burst out laughing. "A kid who's underage doesn't know how tough the adjudicator is."

"He'll find out soon enough."