Chapter Sixteen: The Forbidden Zone?!

"Although Wen Xiang is highly capable, her senses are not particularly sharp..." Lin Lei had already drawn his alloy war blade, his body surging forward at lightning speed.

As he charged ahead, a golden light cloak suddenly enveloped him, and his strength soared instantly! He glanced sideways and saw Zhen Shuang nodding at him. Lin Lei immediately understood—this must be Zhen Shuang’s ability.

Feeling the power surging through his body, Lin Lei grew more confident. He was already not far from Wen Xiang, and with the added boost, he nearly reached the enemy in a single bound.

Sensing the faint stir of air currents, he raised his steel blade high, using his forward momentum to leap upward.

Whoosh!

He slashed fiercely at what appeared to be empty space.

Clang!

A crisp ring of metal striking metal echoed.

Ripples shimmered before Lin Lei's eyes, and suddenly, the strange, lion-faced figure materialized right in front of him. Lin Lei’s steel blade landed squarely on a patch of its scorched-black armor.

Crack!

Under his blade, the bizarre armor split with jagged cracks. Lin Lei felt a sharp, searing pain in his palm, as if a mere mortal had struck steel with full force—the shock reverberated intensely.

The creature howled in pain, swinging its golden sword down with a sudden, violent arc.

Lin Lei instantly brought his blade up to block.

Clang!

A terrifying force coursed through the alloy war blade into his hand. The golden glow around him pulsed, absorbing much of the impact...

But even so, his body still rocked like a boat in a raging sea, forced back ten paces before regaining balance!

The creature, too, staggered backwards.

At that moment, fiery red streaks shot past Lin Lei—Wen Xiang had unleashed another barrage of fire serpents!

Explosions rang out in quick succession, flames swirling all around...

Lin Lei narrowed his eyes, preparing to charge forward again.

Suddenly, everything blurred before him, then snapped back into focus.

The scene around him had shifted; he was back in his original position. The alloy blade was sheathed across his back—he hadn’t drawn it at all.

He raised his hand; the pain from earlier now seemed nothing but an illusion.

Hodge stood beside him, smiling,

“Well? That’s the power of a third-tier anomaly.”

Turning, Lin Lei saw Zhen Shuang’s customary faint smile, while Wen Xiang’s eyes still burned with fire, genuine sweat beading on her brow. “Damn, if not for its camouflage, I could’ve handled it alone!”

Lin Lei looked to Hodge and asked, “What’s that anomaly called? Among third-tier anomalies, how does it rank?”

Hodge smiled.

“That anomaly is called the Sky Mirage Lion. It’s a mythic-type, third-tier anomaly—not the strongest in terms of raw power, but its abilities are unique, and it can fly. Among third-tier anomalies, it’s quite formidable.”

Lin Lei nodded, licking his lips. “For the investigation mission we’re taking on, will we face something of similar strength?”

Hodge replied,

“The exact type is unknown, but chances are, the third-tier anomaly you'll encounter will be even stronger than the Sky Mirage Lion. However, it likely won’t possess such extraordinary abilities—‘mythic-types’ are rare.”

A glint flashed in Lin Lei’s eye.

The three of them had struggled to handle the Sky Mirage Lion, but that was with all three still at the first stage. If they advanced to the second stage, and with the Investigation Bureau providing source artifacts, taking down the Sky Mirage Lion would be easy!

Lin Lei pondered briefly, then nodded decisively. “I’m ready!”

Wen Xiang and Zhen Shuang, for their part, had no objections.

Hodge smiled at them, “Since that’s settled...”

He drew several contract-like documents from a folder under his arm and handed them out. “Sign these confidentiality agreements first.”

Lin Lei scanned through it, and, finding nothing amiss, signed his name.

“This mission involves secrets that must never be disclosed. You’ve already signed confidentiality agreements, but I must reiterate—do not breathe a word of what I’m about to say to anyone, ever. The consequences would be dire—far beyond what you can bear.”

All three nodded.

Lin Lei’s curiosity only grew.

Hodge continued, “Have any of you heard of the concept of a ‘Singularity’?”

Lin Lei was taken aback, and Wen Xiang frowned.

Zhen Shuang narrowed her eyes and spoke,

“It’s said that some anomalies are born from source energy ‘erosion’, causing normal creatures to mutate.

“Others—mythic-types, demon-types, abyssal-types—come from other worlds. A Singularity is the node that connects this world to those others...”

At these words, Lin Lei’s eyes widened. “Our mission is related to a Singularity?”

Hodge raised an eyebrow.

“The mission you’re about to undertake does indeed involve a newly-formed Singularity. More precisely, it’s a ‘Forbidden Zone.’”

At the words “Forbidden Zone,” Chen Fan’s expression instantly changed as he recalled his experience from a few days before.

Hodge continued,

“A Forbidden Zone is always a Singularity, but not every Singularity is a Forbidden Zone.

“Any site with unusual spatial fluctuations counts as a Singularity, but only those with unique rules and exceptional dangers are termed ‘Forbidden Zones.’

“If left unchecked, a Forbidden Zone will grow, spawning uncontrollable disasters...

“You can think of a Forbidden Zone as a special place filled with anomalies and extraordinary materials. Whether it’s ingredients for Enlightenment Elixirs or materials for breakthroughs, nearly all originate from various Forbidden Zones.”

A light dawned in Lin Lei’s mind.

At last he understood why, even after combing all of Biyang with a Source Energy Radar, he’d encountered so few anomalies and found so few materials with unique fluctuations.

These things simply weren’t of this world.

Hodge went on,

“Each Forbidden Zone has its own limiting rules. For example, the Forbidden Zone you’ll be entering has two main restrictions: only first-stage beings can enter, and there is a cap on the number of entrants...

“Your mission is to enter that Forbidden Zone and destroy the Singularity core!

“This process is called ‘liberating the Forbidden Zone.’

“Once a Forbidden Zone is liberated, its restrictions are lifted, allowing others to enter and truly control it.”

Liberate? Control?

Lin Lei’s thoughts raced, his mind filled with possibilities.

Hodge’s gaze swept across the three once more.

“The mission officially begins tomorrow. Today, the Bureau will put your team through a brief training camp—be prepared, it may be a hard day!”