Fang Mo's heart tightened, but he quickly put on Kaili's signature arrogant smile, tinged with aloofness, and turned around.
Two men stood nearby, one tall and one short, both around thirty. They still carried the dust of the wilderness and traces of lingering energy.
Seeing Fang Mo turn, the two men looked at him with familiarity and strode over.
Fang Mo swiftly searched Kaili's memory fragments. The tall man was Kent, and the shorter, stockier man was Grant. Both belonged to the Fifth Reconnaissance Squad of the Third Pioneer Legion and were level-four Liquid Metal Warriors. Since their assignments were similar to those of Kaili's Seventh Squad, they were on friendly terms outside work.
"Kent, Grant, back from your mission?" Fang Mo imitated Kaili's slightly cold but not impolite tone, his gaze sweeping over the somewhat ragged edges of their clothes. "Judging by the state of you, it didn't go too well?"
Kent scratched his disheveled short hair and spat. "Don't even ask! We just pulled out of High-Risk Zone 28. Nearly died out there. Those Mutant Beasts have gone mad—their aggression has more than doubled since last month!" As he spoke, he glanced beside Fang Mo out of habit, his brows drawing together. "Huh? Where's Locke? Where's that brat hiding to slack off this time? Aren't you two always joined at the hip?"
Fang Mo had already prepared for this. His expression immediately darkened, and his voice sank. "He... isn't coming back."
The air froze in an instant.
Kent's expression stiffened, and Grant's weary smile vanished.
"We were ambushed by a shapeshifting realm Mutant Beast, a Crimson Sky Ape, on the edge of the Black Flame Mountain Range's core region!" Fang Mo lowered his eyes, his tone heavy and sincere. This had actually happened; he had merely switched the