Chapter 90: Encountering a Master

[Hunter identity confirmed, logging into Hunter Zone...]

[System auto-detection shows player has Third Tier Black Iron combat power; Black Iron Battle Zone can be activated.]

[Activate now?]

"Activate," Lin Huang nodded in confirmation.

[Black Iron Battle Zone activated!]

[Please set your account nickname.]

"Gun God." Lin Huang thought for a moment and chose a rather arrogant name.

[Nickname already taken, please choose another.]

"King of Firearms."

[Nickname already taken, please choose another.]

"Headshot Master."

[Nickname already taken, please choose another.]

"Just a Newbie." Lin Huang realized all the cool names had been taken, so he settled for something more low-key.

[Nickname available, confirm?]

"Confirm." Without hesitation, he selected confirm.

[Black Iron Battle Zone is divided into Firearms Zone and Mixed Combat Zone. Please choose your game area.]

"I choose Firearms Zone." Lin Huang had seen advertisements for the Mixed Combat Zone, where all kinds of weapons were used, but he preferred to spar with others who specialized in firearms.

After selecting the battle zone, a projection of selectable virtual maps appeared in front of Lin Huang.

Perhaps because the Hunter Zone had just recently launched, the number of available maps was limited—only eight.

Lin Huang noticed one map featured a blend of Eastern and Western architecture, which intrigued him, so he chose that map.

[Map selected: Li River Tower]

[Li River Tower's battle mode is team confrontation, with two teams of six. Teams are distinguished by colored tags above their heads: teammates have white, enemies have red. Battle duration is thirty minutes, and the team with more kills wins.]

[You can choose random matching or invite online friends to battle together.]

"Random matching." Lin Huang was playing the game for the first time and had no in-game friends.

[Random matching complete. Please select your weapon.]

As always, Lin Huang picked the Black Eagle 33.

[Weapon selection complete. Generating map now.]

In just a moment, the virtual environment before Lin Huang transformed. The once empty game pod shifted in seconds into a city beneath the night sky.

[Welcome to Li River Tower!]

With a female voice prompt, Lin Huang's teammates quickly appeared one by one as projections.

"Any complete newbies here?" A tall man around twenty-five or twenty-six swept his gaze across the group, lingering briefly on the nickname above Lin Huang's head.

The others shook their heads, but Lin Huang raised his hand. "Um… I just got the game ring today."

Upon hearing this, the others showed faces of slight disdain. Newbies in this game easily become burdens to the team, not only failing to score kills but also gifting points to the opposing team.

"Just follow me and switch to a rapid-fire rifle," the tall man said, frowning at the pistol-shaped Black Eagle 33 in Lin Huang's hand.

"I'd rather not switch. I'm used to the Black Eagle 33." Lin Huang shook his head, refusing the suggestion.

"Kid, you really should switch, for the sake of the whole team. Don't just think of yourself. Using a pistol, your fire rate and range can't compare to a rifle. You're already unfamiliar with the game, and playing like this will drag us down," said a stern middle-aged man, his nickname above his head: "Man in Bloom at Forty-One."

"Let me try a couple rounds first. If it doesn't work out, I'll switch to a rifle." Lin Huang insisted on keeping his weapon.

The others looked displeased at his stubbornness.

"Enough, let's drop it. I'll give you two rounds. If you die twice without a single kill, you'll have to follow my orders," said the tall man, still frowning but conceding.

"Alright," Lin Huang agreed readily.

He was confident in his marksmanship; while he might not dominate the Black Iron Zone, he was certain he wouldn't die twice without scoring any kills.

"I'll take him to the night market; you four head to the courtyard," the tall man assigned roles quickly. No one objected—because Lin Huang was a potential burden, no one wanted to bring him along.

Lin Huang didn't mind. He had originally thought that even if no one guided him, he could wander around solo and familiarize himself with the map. He hadn't expected the tall man to choose to lead him after he refused to switch weapons, rather than abandon him outright.

The tall youth's nickname was "Tall and Mighty, That's Me."

Trailing behind him, Lin Huang glanced at his nickname, his expression somewhat odd. "He is tall, that's for sure. But does 'mighty' refer to his performance in-game or something else…?"

Tall and Mighty had no idea Lin Huang was silently mocking his nickname. As they advanced, he explained, "Li River Tower seems to have plenty of buildings, but the main battle zones are two: one is the courtyard, where the other four are headed; the other is the night market, where we're going. The courtyard offers a broader view, while the night market is filled with obstacles. The night market high platform, the bridgehead in the courtyard, and the control center's high platform are all good spots for snipers…"

Tall and Mighty would have preferred Lin Huang to use sniper mode with his Black Eagle 33, rather than wander about with a small pistol.

The virtual map was set at night, and the night market glowed with vibrant lights.

Lin Huang listened to Tall and Mighty's briefing while observing the terrain. All around were snack shops and colorful signs.

Though he knew it was a virtual scene, Lin Huang couldn't help feeling hungry.

He casually grabbed a piece of grilled squid from a stall. To his surprise, it had real texture, warmth, and even the aroma of genuine squid. He wondered how the game managed such realism.

Tall and Mighty led Lin Huang through row after row of restaurants, familiarizing him with the area. When they stepped out of a steamed dumpling shop, a sudden sniper shot rang out.

Just a few steps outside, Tall and Mighty's head exploded, his body shattered as it hit the ground.

Instead of retreating, Lin Huang dashed forward out of the shop, using Cloudstep for rapid movement and raising his gun to shoot at the night market high platform Tall and Mighty had just mentioned.

Above the high platform, a woman in a black skin-tight suit was also making rapid movements. Her sniper rifle morphed into a black pistol—the same model as Lin Huang's: the Black Eagle 33.

A flurry of shots missed their mark. Lin Huang's expression grew grave; he hadn't expected his first battle in the Black Iron Zone to pit him against a true expert…

~~~~~~

Seeing some readers complain about recent chapters being too bland, I can only say: a novel can't be all monster fights and leveling up in every chapter, with no slice-of-life at all. It's like cooking—if you keep adding salt without any other seasoning, the dish won't taste good. If you want it flavorful, you need to add soy sauce, vinegar, MSG…