The Medal for Men

Saibei City, one of the few three-character big cities within the imperial city walls, is located in the end-of-days frontier region of Jiangzang, the border of the East Continent, facing off against Xi City of the West Continent.

What brought the end of days was a pillar of light that descended from the sky, obliterating life and causing dreadful destruction. The former Middle East region sank into the ocean, over half of the islands of Australia disappeared, and the original world map was rendered useless.

Now between Saibei City and Xi City lies a vast ocean. Of the seven continents, only five remain as places where humans gather. Africa, now overrun by wild animals, has fallen. It has become a paradise for monsters.

Freshwater creatures took less than forty minutes to adapt to life in saltwater when doomsday arrived. The seas have become the most dangerous place in the world.

People erected defense lines along coasts and built tall walls, but before that there were days that could only be described as a nightmare.

Animals evolved faster than humans. By the time humans had just grasped mutant abilities, all kinds of bizarre monsters had already embarked on raids. Their intelligence rose, and their combat power far exceeded that of humans. Humans were no match for these monsters.

Doomsday took away more than one third of the human population, and monsters amplified that number further. Humans in the East Continent were once reduced to clinging to life inland.

All of this happened within two years. After that, three Grand Marshals emerged like unrivaled war gods, leading humans to fight back.

To the people of the East Continent, Marshal Wang Jianjun was not only a war god and idol, he was also their faith. He was like an eternal flame guiding the direction of the people during those dark days.

Using war to feed war; the corpses of monsters provided food, reserves, and also materials for weapons and technological advancement. War was cruel, it was also endless.

People living inland found it hard to imagine that even now, in the barely peaceful environment, border cities like Saibei City were still in a perpetual state of wartime preparedness.

The people here were undoubtedly unfortunate.

Li Changan, newly arrived in Saibei City, tightened his backpack. In the square outside the train station, tents were already set up under military organization, with refugees barely eking out a living inside the city walls.

There were not enough dwellings in the city, so public facilities had to be temporarily borrowed. Outside the city there was ample land, but going out there was asking for death.

"Excuse me, coming through," someone pushed Li Changan aside and headed for the square, waving flyers and shouting loudly at the square, "Recruiting workers for the third city wall, mutants with earth and steel abilities preferred, double pay, meals provided for all workers, 100 credits paid daily, only recruiting 2,000 people..."

Before he could finish speaking, the crowd swarmed over frantically. If not for the garrison troops maintaining order, countless people might have been trampled to death.

Li Changan raised his eyebrows. 100 credits daily pay was as low as dirt in the empire.

Automated machinery could already replace most manpower, but the empire had not implemented it widely due to employment issues. As a result, labor was extremely cheap, but daily wages were still over 100 credits at the minimum.

Even so, people were desperately fighting over such jobs, which showed how extremely dire the situation was outside Saibei City's walls. It was surely much more ghastly than what was broadcasted on television.

Li Changan stopped a cab and headed for the outside of the second city wall, where troops were stationed and recruits enlisted.

Border cities were a bit different from inland cities. They had multiple walls dividing them like inner and outer cities of ancient times. Saibei City's first wall had already fallen. The second wall was now the defense line, while the third wall under construction probably could not withstand the tide of beasts.

A sizeable crowd had already gathered outside the second wall, with even more people than Li Changan expected coming to sign up. Some even brought beddings and lined up, while Li Changan had nothing but the clothes on his back.

Thirty minutes later, Li Changan was hungry.

"Should I go eat first instead?" Looking at the line of hundreds of people ahead, Li Changan muttered to himself, but hesitated upon glancing back.

Oh well, he'd still eat first, then buy some food and bedding! Once he made up his mind, Li Changan left the long queue without any hesitation.

"Hey, wait a sec!" Someone called out from behind.

Are they calling me? Li Changan wondered and turned around, coming face-to-chest with bulging pectoral muscles.

A bear... a bear man? Could this be the bear man Jiang Jiang talked about! Seeing one for the first time, he really was huge!

Li Changan looked up then down, scanning the big fellow from head to toe with a smirk. "Can I take a picture with you?"

"You know me?" The big guy scratched his head, apparently this was the first time he had heard such a request.

"Nope!" Li Changan shook his head. "But it's my first time seeing a bear man, wanted to take a picture and show my friends."

The big guy's face darkened. "I'm not a fucking bear man, I'm just a bit bigger, hairier, that's all!" He pressed his forehead then remembered he had something else to ask before Li Changan could continue.

"I wanted to ask why you were about to leave after lining up for so long? What made you want to go all of a sudden?"

"Because I was hungry," Li Changan politely replied despite his disappointment that the man was not a bear man. "Didn't know there would be so many people lining up. I came straight here after getting off the train and didn't get to eat."

"You can't go eat?"

The big guy awkwardly shook his head. "No one's stopping you from eating. I just thought you got cold feet about enlisting. If you don't mind, come with me to get some leftovers from the mess hall. What do you think?"

"Sounds good!" Li Changan nodded. He had heard army rations were plentiful, he didn't mind the taste.

Upon hearing that, others lining up started shouting.

"Commander, I'm hungry too!"

"Take me too!"

The big guy scowled. "Fuck off! Who do you think you are compared to him?"

The crowd was unhappy.

"What's there to compare?"

"Yeah commander, you went overboard!"

Li Changan kept silent as he waited.

The big guy was put in an awkward spot with his prestige on the line. He pointed at Li Changan and yelled at the others, "Look at the scars on his hands. If I'm right, this guy's probably a vagrant hunter. They have priority enlistment rights. So what if I take him to get some food!"

Hearing he was a vagrant hunter, the scene quieted down a bit, though some were still disgruntled and grumbled.

"Then show us the vagrant hunter ID."

"Flaunting connections openly like this is going overboard!"

"Can't be for real right? Who would put on this act for us to see!"

The big guy's expression was ugly. He took a liking to Li Changan at first sight. After many years in the army, he could tell with one look who was suitable. Li Changan was undoubtedly so.

But now being doubted like that, he felt rather embarrassed.

The crowd suddenly cried out in surprise. Following their gaze, the big guy saw Li Changan taking off his shirt next to him...

"Holy fuck bro, were you shoved into a meat grinder?"

That body full of scars made one's scalp tingle. Over half his body was covered in injuries, and from experience, the big guy could tell many were lethal wounds.

"Is this enough?" Li Changan's gaze swept past everyone, but no one dared meet his eyes.

What need was there for wanderer permits? Those scars were his medals of honor.

"Let's go, I'll get you something to eat." The big guy revealed a smile. "Haven't asked your name yet?"

"Li Changan."

Li Changan? I struck gold, the big guy was overjoyed and determined to place Li Changan in his own team.

Little did Li Changan know his meals were already decided before he even got to eat.