Apocalypse: Master of Soul Beasts

"Yang Hong? Chinese?"

Upon hearing Kuangliu’s question, Old Sam shook his head.

"Chinese-American. According to rumors, the Yang family has been living in America since his grandfather’s generation."

Kuangliu nodded in understanding. In this case, it was difficult to say whether Yang Hong was a Cathay national or an American, but he most likely considered himself more of an American.

When talking about this man called Yang Hong, Old Sam had a look of admiration.

According to Old Sam, this Chinese-American named Yang Hong used to be an Independent. He had arrived in Sin City only a month ago. His strength was so extreme that he had immediately seized half of Sin City’s territory, leaving neither Lord Claus nor Annie daring to confront him.

Previously in Sin City, the status of non-white individuals was considerably low, and with the absence of law and order, white supremacist ideologies began to resurface. But Yang Hong single-handedly changed this situation. Now, the majority of his followers were of Asian or African descent.

But it was undeniable that these individuals constituted one of the most powerful forces in Sin City!

After quickly summarizing the information they currently had, Wen Yu and Kuangliu swiftly made up their minds.

First, they would try to contact Lord Claus. After all, Old Sam was one of Claus’s people and familiar with his territory and residence. In reality, Claus was the only ’boss’-level figure Wen Yu and Kuangliu could currently reach.

Then they would reach out to Annie through Claus. As fellow power brokers in Sin City, they had undoubtedly dealt with each other before. From there, they could contact the American army through Annie’s Special Ops Team.

They opted not to contact Annie directly because Old Sam had no idea of her whereabouts. Their only alternative would be to force their way in, but such an action could easily lead to misunderstandings. If Annie went into hiding as a result, the hard-won clue they had just secured would be lost.

After making their decisions, everything else seemed simple.

Old Sam’s jeep sped along the road, crushing countless plants beneath its wheels. Half an hour later, Sin City was already within sight.

Rudimentary defensive infrastructure—that was Wen Yu and Kuangliu’s first impression.

The entire Sin City didn’t even have a proper wall. Judging by the surroundings, it appeared the ’leaders’ within had no desire whatsoever to construct any.

Mere sandbags were piled in the middle of the road, where a few professionists, guns in hand, lackadaisically collected tolls. This, apparently, was the entrance to Sin City!

"This place has been abandoned by the American military."

Kuangliu concluded after seeing the scene.

The reasoning was simple: walls were indispensable for defending against a demon plague! Otherwise, what was the difference between fighting Demon Fiends within a settlement and battling them in the wild? If a settlement offered no defensive capabilities, what purpose did it serve?

Initially, both of them thought that the American military wasn’t stationed here for other reasons, but now...

It truly seemed as if the American military had written this place off as a lost cause.

"I’ve said it before. Those officials are all shit-eaters."

Upon hearing Kuangliu’s words, Old Sam cursed angrily, then started the car, heading towards the "entrance" of Sin City.

Before their vehicle even drew close, the toll collectors in the distance began firing warning shots.

Old Sam immediately stuck his head out the car window and shouted loudly, "Bastards, it’s your grandpa! Fuck! If you scratch my car, I’ll feed you to my daughter!"

Old Sam’s face, it turned out, still carried some weight. The moment those professionists saw Old Sam’s bushy beard, they immediately lowered their weapons and trotted over to the jeep to greet him.

As the ’manager’ of Lord Claus’s breeding farm, and possessing a third-level mutant dog himself, Old Sam held a respectable position within Claus’s faction—certainly far above these gatekeepers.

Old Sam waved his hand and drove straight into Sin City. The toll collectors, meanwhile, didn’t even ask about Kuangliu and Wen Yu, who were seated in the back.

It was clear they were nothing more than a disorganized mob!

As they entered the west side of Sin City, they were greeted by a massive sign.

"Welcome to Sin City, where you’ll find the strongest liquor, the hottest babes, and the ultimate pleasures!"

Below it was a crude map, the destination marked as Claus’s lair—the Red Stone Hotel!

Upon seeing this, Old Sam stopped the car and spoke to Wen Yu and Kuangliu.

"Lord Claus is always on the top floor of the Red Stone Hotel. Once you get there, you’ll find him. This is as far as I go."

Evidently, Old Sam, unsure of Wen Yu and Kuangliu’s intentions, chose to decisively extricate himself from the situation. He reasoned that even if Wen Yu and Kuangliu ended up clashing with Claus, the subsequent fallout would have nothing to do with him.

Wen Yu and Kuangliu had already guessed Old Sam’s intention and quickly nodded in agreement. Kuangliu also promptly paid Old Sam the magic crystals.

With the magic crystals in hand, Old Sam’s spirits visibly lifted. He called out loudly to Wen Yu and Kuangliu, "Gentlemen, enjoy yourselves! Sin City is a paradise for powerful experts! Especially the Red Stone Hotel!"

After speaking, Old Sam gave the two a knowing smile, quickly started the jeep, and drove away.

Strictly speaking, post-apocalyptic Sin City wasn’t much different from pre-apocalyptic Las Vegas.

Both were places of utter hedonism and decadence.

Post-apocalypse, the collapse of the economic system initially led to a unique barter system. However, under the guidance of Sin City’s three major power brokers, a new form of paper currency was eventually reintroduced.

Of course, this paper currency lacked the tangible value of magic crystals, and most professionists still preferred to use magic crystals as hard currency.

However, professionists who could afford magic crystals were in the minority and thus insufficient to drive a settlement’s economy.

After all, magic crystals equated to power, and power equated to life!

Yet, some professionists, unburdened by attachments, lived day to day, with no thought for the morrow. With any resources they acquired, they sought immediate gratification, utterly disregarding their future. In such an environment, the Red Stone Hotel and its surrounding amenities naturally emerged and flourished.

Following the map, Wen Yu and Kuangliu strolled leisurely through the streets of Sin City.

The streets were dilapidated, littered with weeds and refuse. Occasionally, one could even spot scattered bones and corpses.

Countless slightly mutated creatures—cats, dogs, mice, and the like, none yet having reached Level 1—scurried through the streets, lending a perverse sort of vitality to Sin City.