Chapter 58: Clash

"Is this a test?"

In the surveillance footage, Ye Bai saw only one kind of advanced aberration—a Type H, also known as a speed variant—and there were just over a dozen of them, hardly enough for a siege. Furthermore, the ordinary aberrations seemed pathetically weak; out of several hundred, scarcely any managed to get near the city gate, most being wiped out along the way. They looked more like the sick, the old, and the feeble among their kind.

The station chief regarded the young man before him, eyes glinting with surprise. He hadn't expected this youth to be so perceptive, recognizing the feint at a glance.

The smile and respect on his face weren't genuine, born not from the age of Ye Bai and his two companions, but from their status as students from the Violet Star Academy. In truth, as men who had clawed their way out of carnage, he and his fellows had little regard for the privileged yet foolish scions of the academies. In the past, academy envoys arrived with their noses in the air, looking down on the station's defenders, as if their credentials alone made them invincible. Yet, lacking sense, many perished in District D without even making a ripple. When such highborn youths died, their elders would return to pressure the garrison, making life harder for everyone. Over time, the station chief had learned to speak as the occasion demanded, offending no one, ensuring both his own safety and that of his men.

This time, however, the group leader seemed to have discernment. The station chief nodded and replied, "That's right. Every time the mutants mount a large-scale attack, they test our defenses several times first."

Ye Bai pressed on, "Weren't the sources always dealt with in the past? Why does this sort of siege still happen every year?"

The station chief's mouth twitched. If it were so easy to root out the source, would they need to garrison this place year after year? But what he thought, he could not say. Instead, he replied, "Each year, those sent from above enter District D. But I've heard the true source lies within District A, a place few can reach. That's why the attacks continue annually."

Ye Bai was taken aback. He hadn't expected the source to be in District A this time—a place far beyond any entry-level operator. At that moment, Yao Ling stepped forward and said, "We only need to handle the unrest in District D, as those before us did. Anything beyond that is beyond our ability."

Ye Bai nodded. The station chief sighed inwardly. This girl was sharp, cutting off his unspoken plea for their help. There were plenty of good things in the irradiated zones, but duty forbade their entry.

"Yes, you need only enter District D and eliminate the source there." Since further assistance was out of the question, there was no reason to detain them. The chief gave Yao Ling a measured look. "When do you plan to set out? We must prepare for the next assault ourselves."

"No need to trouble yourself further, Chief. We'll complete the mission. Ling, Little Monk, let's go." The three left the central command room and found a lodging nearby to rest together.

Ye Bai wiped a cold sweat from his brow and said to Yao Ling and Little Monk, "That was nerve-wracking—a single misstep and we'd have fallen right into the station chief's trap. He’s a real smiling tiger, who knows what he would have asked of us. Luckily, Ling, you resolved things."

Yao Ling replied, "Let’s rest a bit, then set out. The sooner we find the source, the sooner we earn our points. The irradiated zone is a chaotic place, crawling with unsavory sorts. Let’s avoid getting embroiled in matters outside our mission, lest we attract the attention of some troublesome 'Black Mountain Demon.' Still, there are plenty of useful things here; if we get the chance, we should try to seize them."

"Ling, how do you know all this? None of it is in the books."

She blinked and said, "My brother told me."

Cao the Little Monk was already fast asleep, leaning against the wall, while Ye Bai and Yao Ling rested on the other side, regaining their strength.

District D—the City of Chaos. It lay at the very edge of the irradiated zone. Some structures from before the Age of Darkness still stood: towers fifty or sixty stories high, plazas big enough for thousands, and rusting automobiles everywhere.

The trio slept less than two hours before leaving the garrison and entering District D. No doubt, the chief’s informants had already reported their departure, but it mattered little. Just as the chief wouldn’t help them clear the source, they weren’t responsible for defending the city. Each had their own mission, and for strangers, there was neither obligation nor the power to do more.

When Ye Bai first arrived in the main city, the Green Forest metropolis seemed vast, awe-inspiring, and strangely imposing. But seeing these relics from before the Age of Darkness left him even more incredulous—how had people built such tall buildings? Did the cars really run without attribute crystals?

Missions with no leads were always the most difficult at the outset. You stumbled about, relying on luck. They’d hoped to glean some clues at the garrison, but had left empty-handed—almost ensnared in a different sort of trap.

This place was utterly unlike the world outside. No trees grew here; everything seemed parched, as though water had long abandoned the land. Without cover, the sunlight was merciless, and the three could only take shelter in an abandoned building.

"With no clues at all, where do we even begin?" Yao Ling wiped sweat from her face and handed out three bottles of water from her pack.

Ye Bai and Little Monk set up camp, deciding to spend the night there. Little Monk hammered his iron spikes into the concrete floor. "Maybe something interesting will happen tonight. In this heat, nothing with sense will come out during the day."

The building was just a shell—the glass long since shattered, everything inside consumed by time and buried under a thick layer of yellow dust.

Day here could be summed up in one word: silence. So silent it unnerved you, so silent it felt as if you were the last person alive.

As the temperature dropped and the sun finally slid from the sky, dusk enveloped everything—not darkness, but a heavy gloom.

"They’re here."

Sleeping though he seemed, Little Monk was more attuned to his surroundings than anyone—part of why he dared rest in unfamiliar places.

Ye Bai gripped the long blade at his side. Yao Ling held her pulse gun tightly. Little Monk extended the guards on his hands.

Quietly, the three descended, with Little Monk leading and Ye Bai bringing up the rear.

After three flights, Little Monk stopped at a landing, his steps so light he didn’t even disturb the dust.

"There are aberrations below, in the corridor."

Ye Bai was surprised. Yao Ling covered her mouth in disbelief. "That’s impossible. We checked everything on the way up—there was nothing here."

Little Monk shook his head, peering into the dimness. One aberration paced near a window, always turning back just before it might fall. Another lurked at the far staircase. The last, closest to Little Monk, scratched at the wall with its fingers.

He held up three fingers behind his back. "You deal with the one across the passage, Ling. The other two are mine."

Little Monk crept to a new position. Yao Ling took his place and nodded to signal she was ready. Ye Bai watched the upper floors; if aberrations could appear out of nowhere below, they might above as well.

With his trademark illusory step, Little Monk launched himself like a diving hawk toward the nearest aberration, his five fingers curling into a claw to crush its skull.

The faint noise immediately alerted the other two aberrations. At that moment, a white laser beam struck the one across the corridor. Little Monk spun, braced his right foot, and leapt, executing a mid-air spin. His talon-hand struck, smashing the aberration at the window so hard its head was driven into its chest. It swayed a moment before collapsing, black blood oozing out.

No sooner had the three aberrations fallen than a chorus of howls erupted—from below, above, and out on the street.

Ye Bai, Yao Ling, and Little Monk were stunned.

"What’s happening?" Yao Ling could hardly believe it. They’d dealt with the aberrations swiftly and silently—so how had they been discovered?

Moreover, the corridors and rooms had been empty when they arrived. Where were all these aberrations coming from?

Sensing danger, Little Monk rushed to Yao Ling’s side. "Don’t think—just run. The aberrations below are swarming up!"

Ye Bai glanced down the corridor and saw a dozen mutants charging their way.

"Quick! Grab your things and get out of this building. There are too many—we can’t waste our strength here," Ye Bai said, igniting his inner power and sending it forward to strike down the oncoming aberrations.