The motorcycle blazed across the desert.
As expected, there were far more wild beasts along the way than usual, and their aggressiveness had clearly increased; fortunately, most of them couldn't keep up with the motorcycle and were shaken off before long.
Sadie's psychic power was particularly useful at a time like this.
Apart from Mai Mai's one-time deals and Ma Lu's mediocre marksmanship, her Thorns attack was currently the most reliable long-range attack method the team could count on, ready to be unleashed at any moment.
With her taking care of the faster beasts that got too close, the squad didn't need to stop, avoiding being surrounded.
After nearly six and a half hours of arduous travel, the Giant Curtain finally reappeared before their eyes.
The towering, solid concrete city walls stood under the sun, offering a reassuring sense of security.
However, after traveling a bit further, Boggy at the forefront suddenly slowed down.
"What's wrong?"
"Gate 3 is shut."
"Then... should we head to another city gate?"
"The Giant Curtain was already on the highest alert when we left. To strengthen the defense, two gates were closed; only Gate 3 was still open."
As the two spoke, noises of a fight came from behind the dunes on the left.
"Let's go take a look first," Boggy said as he turned the handlebar, and the five of them hurried to the source of the noises, only to find a group of about fifteen people gathered here, jointly fighting off two Three-humped Wolf Camels.
Members of the Twin Sunflower Hunting Group didn't stand by idly.
At times like this, hunters had to stand together.
Using [Charge with Hits], Boggy accumulated a 1597% power bonus and aimed at the head of the Three-humped Wolf Camel, hurling his mechanical spear!
A one-hit kill!
Hearing this, Boggy also calmed down slightly and continued to ask, "Did the guild say when the city gates will be opened again?"
The scar-faced female Hunter replied, "They're preparing a trap that can make the Golden Leopard reveal itself. In 40 minutes, Gate 3 will open again for 5 minutes to let the people stranded outside the city come in."
The members of the Twin Sunflower Hunting Group then also received a regional broadcast from the guild, asking the survivors outside the city to prepare to enter.
Seta and Mai Mai climbed atop a nearby dune to observe the movements of beasts near the city gates.
At this moment, a young man and woman approached Boggy and Ma Lu.
The handsome young man with a mechanical sword on his back was the first to speak, praising, "Nice move! Captain Boggy, the spear you threw earlier was amazing, killing a Three-humped Wolf Camel in one shot! The Twin Sunflower Hunting Group truly lives up to its reputation!"
Boggy interrupted him, "If you've got something to say, say it quickly; we're still in danger."
"Uh..." The young man's face turned a bit embarrassed, but he quickly recomposed himself, pulled the girl next to him closer, and coughed lightly.
"Actually, I'd like to issue a commission, asking you to protect my sister into the Giant Curtain."
"You and your sister don't really look alike at all," Ma Lu said.
Compared to Seta and Sadie, this pair of siblings had almost nothing in common, not even the color of their hair matched, though the girl had dyed hers, one could still see strands of bright silver at her temples.
"We... are distant cousins."
Boggy wasn't in the mood for his nonsense and cut to the chase, "We're not available to take commissions right now, you should find someone else."
"Wait," the young man said with a wry smile, "Alright, I'll tell the truth, this is Methe, the daughter of the First Judge, Lord Dionysus."
Surprise finally showed on Boggy's face, "Why would Judge Dionysus's daughter be outside the city?"
"My mentor was a geologist," Methe said, "these past few days I was with her collecting data outside the city, and we didn't expect to encounter the beast tide. She... she was shot in the temple by a Short-Eared Lync Hedgehog that burst out suddenly right in front of me."
Methe's eyes reddened again and her voice trembled when she spoke of the terrifying moment of her mentor's death, but being the daughter of the First Judge, she managed to hold back her tears.
The young man then introduced himself, "I am Methe's guard, Hulk. I'm not a Hunter, and my abilities are limited. Before we left the city we had also hired a Hunting Group, but after the beast tide appeared, those who didn't die fled, and now only the two of us are left."