Chapter Twelve: Lan Xin and Tao Lu

The Free Zone might not have been dangerous to others, but for Xia Yan it was a place where he was walking straight into peril.

“To stay alive, you must conceal your face,” Emilia said. “I have an ability that can alter your appearance for at least a month, but people with this ability are extremely rare. If your identity is uncovered, some may trace it back to me. So for this trip to the Free Zone, I will not use it. It must be reserved for the mission involving the Winged People.”

Xia Yan nodded without objection.

“To hide your identity, there are two methods. The first is a skin mask, which is suitable for ordinary times in the Free Zone. The second is to rely on your gear and wear a mask or something similar to cover your entire face. That works best during the auction period,” Emilia said.

“Why can’t I use a skin mask during the auction?” Xia Yan asked curiously.

“Psychics can easily detect a skin mask. Once you use one, they will investigate your identity, and the risk of exposure becomes very high. So at that time, ordinary methods are more effective.” Emilia smiled.

“What exactly is the Free Zone?” Xia Yan had always been curious about those three words.

“I don’t have the time to explain it to you,” Emilia said, shaking her head. “If you have questions, ask Qihao. He knows the details. Also, he is human, so I hope the two of you can get along.”

“Your real intention is to have him keep an eye on me, isn’t it?” Xia Yan said indifferently.

Emilia did not deny it. Her expression grew serious. “Then, Xia Yan, will you complete my mission?”

“Yes.” Xia Yan nodded. Once he gave his word, he never broke it, no matter how heavy the cost.

“Even if someone on the human side tries to stop you?”

“Even then.” Xia Yan nodded again.

Not long after, Xia Yan met up with Qihao and boarded an aerial vehicle bound for the Free Zone. Qihao did not know that Xia Yan had come down from the second floor of the villa; if she had, she would have been furious.

During the journey, Xia Yan asked Qihao about the Free Zone.

It was an extraordinarily special region. Its population was only a little over ten million, only slightly more than Lost City, yet its area was much larger, roughly a third the size of a district.

The Free Zone was made up of six great powers, humans included. To put it politely, they were split apart; to put it bluntly, they were rebels.

But the Free Zone was powerful. Its upper echelons held two kinds of strength.

First were the experts of the six great powers, chiefly human forces. Though none of them had a fully developed brain domain at one hundred percent, the power of the human leader could not be underestimated.

Second were humanoid mutants. The Free Zone was the home of every humanoid mutant in the entire Earth Federation, such as the Shadow Leopard Xia Yan had once slain.

During their conversation, Xia Yan could feel Qihao’s hostility toward him.

For that reason, he felt no fondness for her at all. This mission was merely a reluctant cooperation, and he did not want any dispute with this woman.

He even worried that she might betray him.

Yet Emilia had told him not to worry about being betrayed by those around him. Qihao was one of the most loyal people in the world to her.

District One, Fieretooth Squad.

The Fieretooth Squad had four members in total. Their mission this time was to go to the Free Zone, though they did not know the more detailed information. To be exact, their role was similar to that of bodyguards.

The Fieretooth Squad was by no means weak. Their four members possessed abilities from different categories, combining offense, defense, healing, and support. Their brain domain development was all just short of fifty percent, making them the best choice for this mission.

To be precise, all four were four-star ability users.

Because brain domain development was difficult to predict precisely, the Earth Federation no longer judged ability users by that standard. Instead, it classified them by star rank.

A one-star ability user meant someone whose brain domain development exceeded ten percent but did not exceed twenty percent, and who had awakened an ability.

A two-star ability user meant someone whose brain domain development exceeded twenty percent but did not exceed thirty percent.

A three-star ability user meant someone whose brain domain development exceeded thirty percent but did not exceed forty percent.

A four-star ability user meant someone whose brain domain development exceeded forty percent but did not exceed fifty percent.

These four were all close to becoming five-star ability users, yet they still belonged to the four-star level.

It could be said with certainty that the two combat members of the Fieretooth Squad were no weaker than Captain Feng Qiang had once been.

Now they waited in this wilderness, still missing the other two people assigned to the mission. They were not anxious, after all, this was an order from the higher-ups.

Half an hour later, the two companions finally arrived. Leading them was a sturdy man in his forties, while the other left the four members of the Fieretooth Squad wearing odd expressions.

She was an extremely young woman—no, she was more like a girl!

This puzzled them greatly, because at most she looked seventeen or eighteen. There was no way her strength could be that impressive. Someone like that going on a mission to the Free Zone would only be a burden.

Still, she was very beautiful. Though her face was cold as frost, her long silver-white hair made her seem ethereal, almost as if she were a being beyond the mortal world.

“I am Chai Guan!” the sturdy man said to the four of them. “I will be in charge of this operation. You will follow my arrangements.”

“Understood,” said the team leader, Zhen Shi, at once.

“I am Lan Xin,” said the girl in a quiet, cool voice.

When Xia Yan left District Nine, the Third Human Squad had officially disbanded.

How ironic it was: the seven-person team had seen Captain Feng Qiang resign, Ma Wu and Qing Xia die, He Changlou crippled and stripped of his guardian status, Nangong Yong return to District One, Xia Yan depart for the Demon Clan, and only Lan Xin remained.

Gong Kui then extended an olive branch to Lan Xin, hoping she would accompany her to District One. For Lan Xin, it was not a bad choice at all, so she bade farewell to her grandfather, Lan Qing, and followed Gong Kui to District One.

This mission was the first one she had undertaken after arriving in District One.

In the wasteland like yellow sand, Tao Lu narrowed her eyes and looked into the distance, a faint smile on her face.

She seemed carefree, yet also melancholy. Still, there was always confidence in her gaze; she had never once been lost.

She was a decisive and intelligent girl. Just as she had once left Yi Ling, she never believed she had done anything wrong, because what Tao Lu was looking toward was the farthest horizon.

She had arrived a little early for the meeting time. Perhaps her recent mood had been unsettled, and she had deliberately come sooner than necessary.

In her hands, she held two things.

A suitcase filled with currency, and a glowing laser pistol.