Chapter 135: First Meeting in District 27
Chapter 135: Chapter 135: First Meeting in District 27
When Xu Qingsui first traveled from the safe zone to Zone 9, the short journey on foot hadn’t seemed like a big deal.
This journey to the 27th District, however, was twice as long and presented a desolate, lonely, and dangerous path.
Along the way, various types of Mutants harassed the camper van, but it shielded her from all their attacks. When night fell, she had no need to worry about lodging; the camper provided the safest and most comfortable conditions. Throughout the long journey, she had a plentiful supply of food for her three daily meals, with a wide variety to choose from.
After experiencing all this firsthand, Xu Qingsui realized just how much Lu Jingyu had considered on her behalf.
「Three days later」, she finally entered the 27th District’s territory.
Xu Qingsui opened her Spiritual Map to check the location of her second Contracted Sentinel and was surprised to see the red dot was just about to overlap with her own.
Xu Qingsui was puzzled. She had only just entered the territory of the 27th District and was still a fair distance from its safe zone.
’Why would this Contracted Sentinel be here?’
She sped up. Her questions would be answered once she met him.
Before long, the faint sounds of a fight reached her from outside the camper van.
In the distance, she could see several Mutants—their eyes scarlet, their mouths full of fangs—on the attack.
Perhaps hearing the vehicle, several gazes turned toward her, their owners’ faces filled with surprise.
They were clearly baffled by the appearance of a camper van in a place like this.
Drawing near, Xu Qingsui hit the brakes, stopping the van in front of the group.
Several pairs of eyes watched Xu Qingsui as she stepped out of the vehicle.
Only then did she notice that in addition to the few Sentinels fighting the Mutants, another group was standing a short distance away, observing the battle.
A refined-looking man in a suit and tie, wearing rimless glasses, stood at the very center of the group.
Although his expression was unreadable behind his glasses, Xu Qingsui could still feel the cool aura he exuded and sensed that he was sizing her up as well.
The others were positioned neatly around him, clearly assigned to his protection.
Xu Qingsui glanced at the badges on the chests of the Sentinels protecting him and was taken aback.
’What kind of person was this man, to be guarded by several B level Sentinels?’
It was a known fact that safe zones were also stratified by level, with significant disparities in resources and other aspects.
Both High level Sentinels and guides aspired to move to higher-level safe zones to secure more resources.
In a peripheral safe zone like Zone 9, most of the population consisted of D level and C level sentinels, which was why a B level Sentinel like Shen Ling’an had enough clout to make waves.
And an S Level Sentinel like Chen Yunfei was already considered among the top tier there.
The reason he was willing to stay and not expand his reach was mainly because he was born and raised in Zone 9, and the foundation Chen Chang’an had built was also located there.
As for an SSS level sentinel like Lu Jingyu choosing to lie low in Zone 9, she could only surmise he had other plans.
The 27th District was one level higher than Zone 9. And while a B level Sentinel didn’t hold as much sway here, they were by no means a dime a dozen.
For that man to be guarded by so many B level Sentinels, his status had to be incredibly high.
As this thought struck her, Xu Qingsui glanced at her Spiritual Map again and was shocked to see that the red dot was located exactly on the man being guarded in the center of the group.
’He’s my Contracted partner?’
’But if that’s the case, he should be an SSS level sentinel, shouldn’t he? Why would he need B level Sentinels for protection?’
Xu Qingsui was baffled, but just then, the battle began to wind down.
The man’s gaze left Xu Qingsui and turned to the battle.
Just as the last of the Mutants were knocked to the ground, their lives hanging by a thread, the man suddenly called out, "Careful! I want them alive!"
It was the first time she’d heard him speak. His voice was clear, and unlike Lu Jingyu’s ice-cold tone, it had an easygoing quality, even when giving a command.
At his command, the Sentinels immediately withheld their killing blows. Pulling out specially made restraints, they worked in concert to encircle the Mutants.
Then, one of them raised a long rifle, aimed at a Mutant in the center, and pulled the trigger.
The targeted Mutant froze, swayed for a moment, and then collapsed to the ground.
The man repeated this action until all the Mutants in the circle were on the ground.
Xu Qingsui guessed that the rifle was firing some kind of tranquilizer.
Once all the Mutants were down, the men moved in and started tying them up.
With the immediate threat neutralized, the man gestured to his guards and began walking toward Xu Qingsui.
Now, Xu Qingsui got a clear look at the man. Unlike Lu Jingyu’s cold severity, this man’s handsome face was always smiling. His fair skin and refined demeanor gave him the air of a gentle scholar.
Yet, as she looked at his smile, Xu Qingsui felt there was some other emotion hidden behind it.
The man’s B level guards remained close by his side as they approached, their eyes darting between the camper van and Xu Qingsui.
Their eyes held envy when looking at the camper van, but that turned to contempt and disgust the moment they noticed the D level badge on Xu Qingsui’s chest.
Xu Qingsui wasn’t surprised by their gazes. ’After all, D level is the absolute bottom of the hierarchy!’
The man, in contrast, also glanced at the badge on her chest but kept smiling genially, showing no trace of disdain.
"Hello—" The man had just walked up to her and opened his mouth to speak when, with a deafening ROAR, the ground began to shake.
Instantly, the B level Sentinels once again formed a tight circle around the man. With grim expressions, they scanned their surroundings, ready for a fight.
Amid a cacophony of noise, the bound bodies of the Mutants suddenly began to convulse violently.
But the Mutants were still unconscious; it didn’t seem like they were causing the commotion.
Just as everyone was trying to locate the source of the tremors, the bodies of the Mutants were suddenly flung into the air.
Immediately after, a figure erupted from beneath the ground, launching itself into the air and tearing the airborne Mutants to shreds.
In an instant, a rain of blood and shredded Mutant limbs showered down from the sky.
The Sentinels who had captured the Mutants were instantly drenched in gore. Some even had fragments of flesh and bone clinging to their heads and shoulders.
Clearly, the airborne figure was not satisfied with just a few Mutants. Leaving an afterimage in its wake, it dove toward the Sentinels on the ground.
It all happened so suddenly. Between the shock and the gory spectacle, the Sentinels on the ground had no time to react before they were killed, dead before they even knew what hit them.
In the blink of an eye, besides the dark figure, nothing else on the battlefield was left breathing.