85: Chapter 85 Arrival at the Wall of Hope! The Remains of Civilization

“Halt! Who goes there!”

Not long after Mark, following Qin Yu’s order, used the simple communication device attached to his damaged Thunder Spear to send out intermittent signals, a voice full of vigilance suddenly rang out from the high ground on both sides of the canyon ahead!

That voice, amplified by some kind of acoustic device, echoed throughout the canyon, sounding cold and imposing.

Immediately following, several blinding beams of intense light suddenly shone down from above, like sharp swords, precisely locking onto Qin Yu and his party!

Those were high-powered military searchlights!

Under the illumination of the strong lights, the hidden firing points on the canyon walls on both sides were finally exposed.

Bunkers constructed from sandbags and steel plates stared down menacingly from above, like the eyes of ferocious beasts.

The dark muzzles of machine guns flashed with fatal cold light under the searchlights!

“It’s… it’s me! I am Mark! Captain of the Third Exploration Squad!”

Mark could barely open his eyes against the blinding glare; he shouted with all his might, his voice hoarse.

“We have returned! Requesting passage be opened!”

The sentries on the high ground had apparently recognized Mark’s identity.

But they did not immediately lower their guard.

The beam of the searchlight slowly moved away from the wretched figures of Mark and the others, finally focusing on the very core of the entire group—the man standing tall like a mountain with his upper body bare, and the ten female warriors surrounding him riding terrifying giant beasts!

Silence.

A deathly silence.

All the soldiers on the canyon heights drew in a sharp breath through the loudspeakers the moment they clearly saw Qin Yu’s party.

What did they see?

A man resembling a god or demon!

Ten Valkyries riding prehistoric monsters!

That terrifying aura, which could be felt even from hundreds of meters away—barbaric, primitive, yet so powerful it was suffocating—made these long-trained soldiers feel what 'shock' truly meant for the first time!

“My God… what are those monsters…”

“Are they… are they the ‘savage’ Tribe mentioned in Captain Mark’s report?”

“This… this is a savage?!”

After a brief shock, a series of urgent reports and commands came through the loudspeaker.

A moment later, a steady voice sounded: “Captain Mark, please lead your ‘guests’ forward along the main canyon road! Do not make any unnecessary movements!”

“Received!”

Mark felt as if he had been granted amnesty, quickly turning back and looking at Qin Yu with an almost pleading expression.

There was no expression on Qin Yu’s face.

He merely lifted his chin slightly, signaling the team to proceed.

Rumble—

With a heavy sound of metal grinding, the canyon passage ahead, blocked by huge rocks and iron nets, slowly opened to both sides, revealing a path leading into the depths.

The moment Qin Yu led the team into this passage, he could clearly feel that the muzzles of at least twenty heavy machine guns were locked onto him from all directions.

If he made any sudden move, a violent storm of metal would instantly tear him to shreds.

At least, that is what the soldiers of the Hope Barrier believed.

Chen Xiao and the Valkyries behind her instinctively tensed up, sweat beading in the palms holding their weapons.

Their mounts, those ferocious Swift Dragons, also sensed the intense killing intent, letting out uneasy growls from their throats.

Only Qin Yu remained composed.

He didn't even lift his eyelids, as if those deadly weapons capable of piercing steel plates were merely useless scrap metal in his eyes.

His steps remained steady, still imbued with undeniable kingly dominance.

Passing through the several-hundred-meter-long “Death Canyon,” the scene before them suddenly opened up.

A steel fortress, unimaginably huge, appeared before everyone!

This was the “Hope Barrier”!

It was situated within a massive impact crater. Its main structure was pieced together from the wreckage of a giant ocean liner and dozens of train carriages.

Countless steel plates, shipping containers, and abandoned vehicles were welded and riveted together, forming an ugly and ferocious steel city wall tens of meters high and stretching for several kilometers!

On the city wall, searchlights were numerous, electric nets were dense, and patrolling soldiers were visible everywhere.

A cold, oppressive aura, filled with iron blood and order, rushed toward them!

This was indeed a sturdy fortress capable of resisting the charge of any prehistoric giant beast.

The final miracle burst forth from a modern civilization in despair.

However, there was no feeling of “Hope” here.

Only the “Barrier.”

A cold barrier that isolated everything outside.

Entering the fortress interior, this feeling became even stronger.

On the wide roads, there were men wearing uniform gray work clothes everywhere.

They labored silently, moving supplies, repairing equipment, each person wearing an identical look of numbness and fatigue on their faces.

They were like programmed worker ants in a giant factory, repeating their tasks day after day.

Not a trace of vitality could be seen.

Along both sides of the road, fully armed soldiers stood guard and patrolled expressionlessly, holding automatic rifles.

Their gazes were sharp and cold, monitoring every worker and remaining vigilant against every outsider.

When Qin Yu’s group, whose style was completely out of place in the entire fortress, appeared, they instantly attracted everyone's attention.

The numb workers stopped their work and stared blankly at Qin Yu’s party.

In their eyes, there was first shock, then bewilderment, and finally, a deep-seated, almost extinguished… longing!

They saw Qin Yu’s vigorous body, brimming with vitality and endless power!

They saw the exquisite beauty and hot figures of Chen Xiao, Liu Wei, and the other Valkyries!

They saw the ten Swift Dragon mounts, full of the beauty of primitive wildness!

This was a scene full of vitality, freedom, and power that they had never witnessed!

It formed the starkest, cruelest contrast with the lifeless steel cage they inhabited!

Some soldiers noticed the workers’ distraction and immediately stepped forward, mercilessly striking them with their rifle butts.

“What are you looking at! Get back to work!”

“A bunch of trash! If you slack off again, you won’t eat today!”

The workers grunted from the blows and immediately lowered their heads, resuming work like machines.

But their eyes couldn't help but steal glances toward the direction Qin Yu had left, again and again.

A seed named “resistance” was quietly planted in their long-numbed hearts.

Qin Yu took all this in.

His [Totem Eye] could even see deeper.

He could see a massive, heavily guarded building deep within the fortress.

Inside, hundreds of women were imprisoned.

Their [Talent] panels were, without exception, the gray ‘None’.

Their emotional states were also strikingly consistent—despair, numbness, humiliation, compliance.

A disdainful sneer curled the corner of Qin Yu’s mouth.

Was this the so-called “civilization”?

Treating women with infinite potential as mere tools for reproduction and objects of reward, managed centrally.

How foolish!

What a… waste!

In his Tribe, every woman was a precious treasure, each having the chance to awaken a talent through effort and loyalty and become a professional wielding extraordinary power!

But here, they were just penned-in livestock.

“Hmph, a bunch of short-sighted fools.”

Qin Yu had already passed judgment on the rulers of this Barrier in his mind.

“Stop.”

Just then, a military officer wearing the rank of Captain blocked their path.

He was tall, with an arrogant gaze, looking Qin Yu’s party up and down, his eyes filled with undisguised contempt and scrutiny.

When his gaze swept over the hot figures of Chen Xiao and Liu Wei, a trace of lecherous greed flashed in his eyes.

“You are the savages Mark brought back?”

The officer spoke in a condescending tone.

“Savages riding dragons? Truly laughable.”

A soldier behind him even mocked them without restraint.

A flash of icy killing intent instantly crossed Chen Xiao’s eyes!

Her Swift Dragon mount, “Wind God,” also seemed to sense its mistress’s anger, letting out a threatening low growl and baring its sharp teeth.

“Insolence!”

The officer’s face darkened, and he abruptly raised the rifle in his hand, pointing it at Chen Xiao!

“What? A beast dares to cause trouble in the Hope Barrier? Believe it or not, I’ll turn it into a pulp right now!”

The atmosphere instantly became tense and explosive!

However, Qin Yu merely glanced indifferently at the officer.

“Do you wish to die?”

He did not raise his voice; his tone was as calm as if he were stating a fact.

But the moment the officer met Qin Yu’s gaze, he felt as if he were being stared down by a slumbering Tyrannosaurus Rex!

An indescribable fear originating from the depths of his soul instantly gripped his heart!

His body froze.

His finger was on the trigger, but he simply could not pull it down.

Cold sweat streamed down his forehead!

“Captain Zhang! You must not be disrespectful!”

Just then, a voice came from not far away.

A civilian staff member hurried over and whispered a few words to the officer named “Captain Zhang.”

Captain Zhang’s face turned pale and then flushed, but he finally lowered his gun with reluctance.

He glared fiercely at Qin Yu, as if saying, “You wait for me.”

“Hmph! Follow me!”

Captain Zhang snorted coldly, turned around, and led the way.

“Colonel Xiao is waiting for you.”

As he walked, he muttered under his breath in a voice only he and his trusted subordinates could hear: “A bunch of reckless savages. We’ll see how arrogant you are when you face the Colonel!”

They were led to a magnificent structure modified from an ocean liner’s gangway.

Two incredibly heavy alloy gates slowly opened before them.

Inside the gate was a deep and cold metal corridor.

“Go in,”

Captain Zhang showed a strange smile.

“I hope you can make the ‘wise’ choice.”

Boom!!!

As Qin Yu’s party stepped inside, the two alloy gates closed heavily behind them with a deafening roar!

The light instantly dimmed.

The entire corridor was left with only cold emergency lights emitting a ghastly white glow.

This place was like a meticulously designed… steel cage!