Glacio Rider

Yan Yan and Ling An exchanged glances and nodded slightly.

Tang Manliu hesitated for a moment. He and Instructor Yan Yan were indeed old acquaintances.

The Wuwu Logistics base was right across from the Training Camp, and the two often ran into each other.

The instructor's words certainly carried considerable weight with him.

He looked at Ling An uncertainly. "That may be true, but Instructor Yan Yan, this Patroller looks, uh... a little hard to judge."

Yan Yan seemed to have come specifically to help Ling An. He said with certainty:

"Patroller Ling An may look somewhat different from other Patrollers, but his strength is beyond question. You can trust him."

Tang Manliu felt a surge of bitterness.

Somewhat different? He wasn't even the same species!

Seeing that Tang Manliu still seemed hesitant, Yan Yan said firmly, "If you're still worried, Manager Tang, I'm more than willing to vouch for him!"

At that, Tang Manliu hurriedly waved his hands. "There's no need for that, Instructor Yan Yan."

He gave Ling An a long, searching look, then turned toward the expectant Mimika beside him and sighed.

"All right, fine. Since Instructor Yan Yan has gone this far, you can go."

"Yay!" Mimika jumped excitedly. "Thank you, Manager! And Instructor Yan Yan! And Mr. Kitty-no, I mean Patroller Ling An!"

"But remember, safety comes first!"

Tang Manliu looked solemnly at Ling An. "Patroller Ling An, please make sure you protect Mimika. She isn't good at fighting..."

Ling An pressed the switch and nodded gravely. "I've got you, bro."

"I'll go get the goods for the order ready. Let's meet at the city gate in ten minutes!"

Mimika dashed into the warehouse like a whirlwind.

Tang Manliu sighed helplessly.

With everything settled, Ling An and Yan Yan left Wuwu Logistics.

"Thank you, Instructor Yan Yan," Ling An said sincerely at the entrance to the Training Camp.

Although the instructor always looked rather fierce, he had turned out to be surprisingly kindhearted.

Without him, Ling An would probably have had to spend a lot more time persuading Tang Manliu.

Yan Yan waved a hand. "You're welcome. I'm sure the Flaming Sea won't pose a problem for someone with your strength. If you want to thank someone, thank Jingming."

"Jingming?" Ling An asked curiously.

He peered into the Training Camp, where Jingming's familiar figure was working up a sweat.

Noticing Ling An's gaze, Jingming gave him a bright smile.

"That kid... We heard the argument inside Wuwu Logistics earlier. He guessed you wanted to deal with the problem in the Flaming Sea, so he came to me and asked me to help you."

"Does it have something to do with him?" Ling An asked tentatively.

Yan Yan let out a long sigh and explained:

"The danger in the Flaming Sea isn't just the Flameblooms' toxic pollen. A Gravity Storm hangs over the area year-round. If left unchecked, it could become active and sweep the pollen up into the clouds, putting all of Jinzhou at risk."

"Back then, a squad of Midnight Rangers was assigned to deal with the problem. They intended to attack the Flameblooms' core Resonance Mark, deactivate it, and put an end to the Gravity Storm."

"The squad suffered terrible losses during that operation. In the end, only a handful of soldiers remained to charge toward the core Resonance Mark in succession. One after another, they carried the last Explosive Lance forward to strike it..."

"Did they fail?"

Yan Yan nodded slightly. "The last Explosive Lance did have an effect, but it didn't fully deactivate the core Resonance Mark. The Flaming Sea is still shrouded in toxins today, though they can no longer reach Jinzhou."

Watching Jingming train hard inside the camp, Ling An pressed the switch. "And that has something to do with him?"

"Yes. Jingming's older brother was one of the Midnight Rangers who charged toward the core Resonance Mark that day. In the end, he perished in the explosion and remained in the Flaming Sea forever."

"That's why Jingming became a Reserve recruit. He wants to be a brave Midnight Ranger just like his brother, so he asked me to put in a good word for you. Hmph, that kid!"

Ling An couldn't help looking at the sweat-soaked recruits in the Training Camp.

He wondered how many of them were like Jingming, with siblings or even parents who had once served in the Midnight Rangers.

In this cruel world, war seemed never to end.

When a father fell, his son took his place; when an older brother fell, his younger brother followed.

He walked silently toward the city gate, while Yan Yan's deep, stern voice rang out behind him.

"Jingming, two extra hours of training today!"

"Yes, sir!" There was no trace of complaint in Jingming's voice. If anything, he sounded delighted.

Ling An met Mimika at the city gate.

She was bent forward beneath a huge suitcase on her back, packed with the goods needed for the order.

When she saw Ling An arrive, she gave him a grateful smile. "Thank you, Patroller Ling An."

Ling An waved a hand to tell her there was no need to thank him. They were simply both getting what they needed.

Still, Mimika said, "I know the manager is worried about my safety, but from the very first day I joined Wuwu Logistics, I swore that no matter what happened, I would always uphold our motto: Mission Must Be Accomplished. It's my soul!"

Ling An smiled almost imperceptibly.

Mimika wasn't a Resonator, nor was she particularly sturdy. Her looks were the sort that wouldn't stand out in a crowd.

Yet as she spoke those words, she had something of the fiery spirit of a hot-blooded manga protagonist.

As the old saying went, heroes were as plentiful as fish crossing a river. The longer he stayed in Jinzhou and the more people he met, the more he understood it.

That feeling grew ever stronger in Ling An's heart.

Whether Jingming or Mimika, they were ordinary people.

But without a doubt, they were also the heroes of their own lives.

Fully prepared, Mimika hitched the suitcase higher on her back and clenched both fists.

"Haha, I feel like my soul is burning! Customers in the Flaming Sea, wait for me!"

Well, now she really was a hot-blooded courier.

Ling An smiled helplessly and followed her.

Guixu Harbor City, the Flaming Sea.

The place was covered in things called Flameblooms.

Despite their name, Flameblooms weren't plants, but animal-type Tacet Discords. Their flowerlike forms were merely the ends of their limbs.

They bloomed with an eerie beauty throughout the Flaming Sea, releasing toxic pollen and turning the area into a death trap.

At the center of the Flaming Sea, rumbling sounds never ceased.

Professor Woodrow of the Eastern Foothills Research Station stood in a white lab coat, gazing at the scene within the Flaming Sea with a deeply troubled expression.

"I heard someone has already accepted the bounty. I wonder when they'll get here," the assistant beside him said with a sigh.

"This Tacet Discord is extremely powerful. It has fused with the wills of the Midnight Rangers squad after they overclocked all those years ago. Even after all this time, ordinary Resonators can do nothing against it," Professor Woodrow said, sighing.

As though to confirm his words, the rumbling engine grew louder and louder.

Professor Woodrow stared into the distance and murmured:

"A Rumbling Tide-Class Tacet Discord that rides forever. I named it-Glacio Rider!"