330 Second Tribulation

Several days have passed and his hunt continued hunting without worrying about Black Haven. He constantly received updates from Evo about the surge of new survivors coming from the north. The recruitment plan he devised succeeded and it was better than he expected. 

Almost two thousand new survivors have come to Black Haven of their own accord. Considering the developments, the National Police's departure actually netted him more than a thousand promising survivors. 

These survivors aren't wishy-washy and have chosen his territory despite the rumors. That could only mean they are strong individuals, or they just think they are. Nevertheless, he gained a lot of new possible citizens that could help in further securing the area.

The success of the recruitment drive lies heavily on two factors; the bad rumors that came from the survivors that left Black Haven, and the unfair treatment these survivors received from the old government. Without those factors, these people wouldn't leave in a hurry and choose a new place to live.

It took a lot of time for these people to earn a place in the community and with them venturing into another territory, their futures would become uncertain. 

The bad rumors about Black Haven's neutrality enticed certain groups of people to come over. On the other hand, people who don't like the expedition to the north finally found somewhere to stay. 

Though the Stronghold City wouldn't be completely abandoned, its overall defensive power would decline steeply as if begging the people to question its safety.

Overall, the old government didn't like the sudden event and people at the top were investigating the matter.

Blake Shu already reported most of the events in the city and promised to stay loyal to Black Haven. The only thing he requested is constant support in terms of supplies and technology, so his organization can thrive in the midst of hostile territory.

Of course, Jun wouldn't discount him and would give appropriate support. However, if the man wanted excellent gears and top-secret information, he needs to sign a contract with Jun swearing fealty to Black Haven and its people.

While checking the latest updates from his smartwatch, Jun felt a sharp feeling coming from behind and immediately jumped to the side.

Screech!!!

A Hunter tried to ambush him, thinking he wasn't paying attention to his surroundings. Unfortunately for the Hunter, he always uses Detection when he needs to do something. When the hunter's movement was detected by the skill, it was the time when he felt the hostile intent coming from behind.

The energy remaining from its body seeped out and transformed into EXP that entered Jun's body, causing an event that Jun was trying to delay. 

[You have leveled up!]

That's right. He was on the verge of leveling up and he wanted to prepare himself before advancing to the next pit stop, level 20.

His stats were already way ahead of everyone but he just wants to do it in a safe place, probably someplace nearby to the compound. If he could document or have other people witness the tribulation, maybe they could get a better comprehension of what to do in the future.

However, things often don't go the way you want them to go. 

[Successfully reached the second bottleneck. Your lightning tribulation is on its way. Please relax and calmly wait for its energy to gather.]

"Wait, what?!" Jun widened his eyes in surprise. 

The first time he experienced the lightning tribulation, he was on top of a building in Angono just reaching level 10. The noise and energy overflow caused the nearby carriers to flock to his location, making him a very rare treasure trapped in one place. If he didn't have unique items with him at that time, getting out of that place could have been really troublesome.

The bright skies started to darken above his area as thunder slowly rumbled in the clouds. In the horizon, there were patches of blue skies, making these single patches of dark clouds extremely unusual. 

It didn't take long for the first lightning to strike down and he was prepared for it. However, the accompanying thunder caused a lot of hidden carriers in the area to become alert. Some ambitious ones even willingly searched for the place where the sound was coming from.

Jun wasn't scared of the tribulation. With his stats alone, he could guarantee his safety unless outside forces tried to join the fun.

And that is what's happening now.

The lightning tribulation continued to strike him while he tried his best to climb to a higher place. At least he could easily escape as long as he had the high ground. 

Jun ran across the street and agilely climbed the nearest house he saw. He used his enhanced leg muscles to jump a few meters into the air and grab the railings of the second floor's balcony. From there, he catapulted himself into the roof and gave himself the height advantage. If carriers want to reach him, they either had to see him first or smell him.

He focused deeply trying to absorb every lightning essence that entered his body. Refining his bones and muscles might be something natural during tribulation, but he wants to take one step ahead and willingly refine the energy himself. With additional help, he might receive more benefits.

Jun didn't forget to look around the surrounding as the tribulation tested his body. Hordes of black regular carriers can be heard roaming around. The evolved carriers made sure that their presence was known as they bellowed at each other as if communicating.