Trash in the Apocalypse

Chapter 234: Back to Society

[For successfully reshaping metals 1,000 times, Smith Apprentice Title unlocked! Smithing would become faster and easier. Every time a successful item was crafted, the user would receive varying experience points depending on the quality of the item.]

Old John stared at the notification in front of him with shock. It was already deep in the night and he doesn't know if anyone was still awake, so he pocketed his urge to ask around and continued smithing. He took another heated metal from the furnace and replaced it with a new iron pipe. He then placed the heated metal on the anvil and started hammering its impurities away.

Jun encountered various night creatures as he traveled the road at night.

The most annoying was the mosquitoes that sneakily hovered around him since they were small and would come in swarms. They focused on his face since it was the only thing they could bite on with his cloak covering most of his body. Fortunately, he had Aura(Death) which allows him to detect everything in the two-meter area around him, allowing him to slap them away when they decided to charge forward.

And just like what the secretary told him, there wasn't much to see along the road. A few trucks would pass by and the soldiers on board would glance at him but no one really bothered to greet him. They probably found it strange that someone was using a bike instead of the dozens of cars littered on the street.

After pedaling for twenty minutes on the winding national highway, Jun finally arrived at the eastern entrance of Antipolo City.

A blockade of cars and wired barricades could be seen in the distance. The soldiers on top of the bus called for him to stop while shining the floodlights on him.

Jun squinted his eyes and used his hands for cover due to the severe brightness coming from the floodlights. When his vision finally adjusted, he examined the area more closely.

Armed soldiers were watching him keenly but they kept it professional since they haven't raised their weapons yet. The officer in charge spoke to Jun.

"Good evening. Aren't you cold traveling at night? How are you doing today?"

The soldier realized that Jun isn't someone weak since he's not scared to travel alone. He remained wary and looked at the distance, trying to see if there were people in hiding by the side of the road. Its either the man had a group or he's just confident with his skills to survive. 

Another reason for the soldier's wariness was Jun's appearance. Jun wore a black cloak that covered most of his body and made him appear suspicious. The blockade was positioned at the only entrance of the city. Unless people choose to climb a steep mountainous area, this would be the only place they could go.

Although Jun could do that to remain incognito, why go for the hassle when he had a citizenship certificate with him?

Jun already examined the certificate earlier and had a script in mind. 

He summoned his dimensional storage which alarmed the stationed guards. After explaining that he would only take out his citizen certificate did the soldiers calm down but still cautiously watched him.

Jun get off his bike then pushed it forward while taking the certificate with him. He raised the certificate and explained excitedly.

"I worked for the Tikling Outpost and finally got my citizenship this afternoon." 

The soldier remained stoic but upon seeing Jun's occupation, Hunter, the soldier's expression eased and looked heartily at Jun.

"So, Mister Jun Reyes. You're a Hunter? Did you hunt lots of food for the outpost? I see the Brigadier General Corwin's seal over here. You must have done a good job searching for food."

Jun chuckled and replied, "You could say so..."

"It must be tough to look for food in these situations. If you encounter any problems, you can look for me, alright? You can always find me here," he then closed in on Jun and lowered his voice, "In the future, you must sell some of your hunts to me, okay?"

"Of course!"

Jun found it interesting that the man misunderstood his occupation title. Instead of a Hunter, one who hunts enemies, he was mistaken as a Hunter who hunts for food. Nevertheless, he didn't correct the man and let the misunderstanding go.

As the soldier ordered for the wired barricade to be moved, he chatted incessantly with Jun. 

Jun didn't let this chance pass by and asked for more information.

"Did a convoy pass here recently?" said Jun.

The soldier turned to Jun in confusion but still answered him. "Yeah, about a week ago. Why?"

"Actually, a retired-General also wanted to contract me but unfortunately I was already contracted with the outpost. He asked me to look for him after I finished my service and here I am. Do you happen to know where they stay?"

The soldier hesitated to answer but with Jun's offer of trading with him in the future, he reluctantly gave him some news he heard.

"I don't know where the people you're looking for stays, but I know that most of the VIP's stay near the CAF Garden Resort and Hotel. The place is extremely guarded though. Well, that doesn't matter if you just show your certificate and tell the guards who you're looking for."

"Also, let me tell you a secret." the soldier whispered, "Those VIPs are looking for skilled people like you." he patted Jun's shoulders and waved goodbye.

Jun found the overly friendly attitude of the soldier strange. He shrugged it off as the soldier being desperate in making connections, so he turned back and waved again.

Just as the soldier turned around and went back to his station, the green question mark above his head turned black. The man turned back and saw that Jun was looking at him, so he waved his hands again.

Jun rode his bicycle and thought, "What a weirdo."

As Jun disappeared from their sight, the soldier quickly fetched a mobile phone from his side pocket and dialed a number. 

It didn't take long for the other side to pick up the call.

"He came... The man named Jun Reyes, he came. He just arrived a few minutes ago. He got a business-class citizenship certificate with the Brigadier General Corwin's seal... Yes, I sent him there... Uhm, the reward... Thank you! Thank you!"

The other side hangs up the call and the soldier placed his phone back to his pocket. The man sighed deeply and spoke to himself.

"Everyone needs extra income, right?"

Unfortunately for him, Jun wasn't a wanderer. He spent his teenage years securing his foothold over Binangonan and doesn't have enough time to explore the country.

After pedaling for minutes, Jun finally saw peoplehundreds of breathing and living people. He was only on the outskirts but there were already hundreds crowding the streets!

Antipolo was surrounded by other towns and barrios. Barrios are small villages with at least a few dozens or hundreds of families. On the other hand, towns and cities only varies from the population and revenue capacitywith cities having the upperhand.

Jun approached a kind-looking old man and asked for directions.

"Good evening. Do you know where I can find CAF Garden Resorts and Hotel?"

"I'm sorry, you've got the wrong person to ask. I'm not a local and I just arrived here a few days ago."

Jun thanked the man and asked a few more random people in the streets but he still got the same answer.

He began thinking, if locals managed to retake the city with help from the military, they would surely choose the residential area near the center for more security. Or he could just ask a police officer!

He looked around but found none. The outskirts must be not that important to them?

Jun decided to ask one more time and would call it a day no matter what result he got. He approached the closest person, which happened to be a woman, and asked for the hotel's direction. 

The woman answered. "You don't need to take me to a luxurious one. Just give me the excess money you have and I'll make sure that you'll be satisfied."

Jun pulled a blue bill rotting in the corner of his dimensional storage and presented it to the woman. "I don't need your service. Just tell me where I can find the place."

The woman stared at him as if he was a weirdo but then shrugged and took the blue bill. "I don't know the place, but I know someone who might. Follow me."

She strutted like a duck as if wanting to seduce Jun. 

Jun was surprised to know that the thing he thought useless could actually be used here! He followed after her and asked, "Can we still use money here?"

"In the meantime, we can, but everything you can buy was limited, so people with lots of stored cash can't hoard everything. We don't know what the government is planning but we don't feel good about it."

"You're not trapped here, right? Why not go rob a bank? With enough people, you could scavenge for things..."

The woman turned and faced Jun while smiling wryly. "Please hand over your cash. I know your strong but please don't force us to do things."

Jun frowned and stared at the green question tags above her head. Then, he looked around and found himself surrounded.

He glared at the green question tags before sighing deeply. 

'What a sh*tty ability.'