Buddy, I'm back

The Exile thug's resolve crumbled in an instant.

Who could have imagined that what awaited him at the Third Research Station was not the Resonator boss he took such pride in, but a corpse?

Ling An gazed into the pitch-black research station and suddenly sensed a familiar presence.

So it was her.

That explained it.

Ling An had never expected to run into someone he knew here in Guixu Harbor City.

As for who that someone was...

Ling An watched Danjin slowly emerge from the research station.

Her eyes were crimson, and her face was covered in blood.

Ling An didn't know what to say. He felt as though Danjin randomly spawned all over Jinzhou.

Anywhere there were Exiles, she might spawn there.

"A... a demon! She's a demon!" The Exile thug was terrified out of his wits at the sight of Danjin.

He struggled frantically and fled into the distance.

Seeing him try to escape, Danjin closed the mouth she had just opened to greet Ling An and hurled the Crimson Blade in her hand.

The Crimson Blade spun through the air, tracing a beautiful arc before striking the Exile thug in the back.

He fell to the ground with a thud and never stirred again.

Only then did Danjin hurriedly wipe her face, lower her head, and scoop Ling An into her arms without a word:

"Oh! Ling An, what are you doing here?"

Her eyes returned to their clear blue color, and her smile was sweet and innocent.

The speed of the transformation left Ling An marveling.

He pressed the switch. "What a coincidence!"

Surprise appeared on Danjin's face. This was the first time she had run into Ling An since he became a Patroller.

She hadn't expected him to be able to speak through his Terminal all by himself already.

She fiddled with the Gourd around Ling An's neck, and it let out a cry of "Total madness!!!"

Danjin gave an awkward little smile, released the Gourd, and said to Ling An, "Long time no see! I've missed you so much!"

Just then, she caught sight of Yuni and her companion out of the corner of her eye.

Her aura changed in an instant.

Yuni felt killing intent prickling against her back, as though it would pierce straight through her in the next second.

Ling An hurriedly warned her, "These people are helping me!"

At his words, the killing intent hanging over Yuni instantly dispersed.

Trembling, she wiped her forehead. She was already drenched in sweat.

Just what did this young-looking girl do?

If Ling An hadn't spoken up, she probably would have died in that very instant.

"Ling An, did you come here to play with the Exiles too?" Danjin asked.

Ling An shook his head and explained the situation to her.

"Oh, I see..." Danjin nodded thoughtfully. "I've already dealt with all the Exiles in here. If you need anything, help yourselves."

She gently set Ling An on the ground and said softly, "Since you still have things to do, I won't get in your way. See you next time, Ling An."

"We've already dealt with all the remaining Exiles, miss," Mimika suddenly said, having been silent until now.

She seemed to have only just recovered from her earlier shock.

"All right..." Danjin lowered her head, looking dejected.

She had gone to all the trouble of coming this far to Guixu Harbor City, only to stay for such a short while.

"Um... ma'am..." Yuni suddenly addressed Danjin.

Danjin raised her head, looking puzzled.

"If you don't mind, I do know where some Exile thugs are nearby..." Yuni said hesitantly.

"Really?" The light returned to Danjin's eyes.

Yuni nodded. "I can send you the coordinates of their camps."

"Wonderful! Thank you!" Danjin received the coordinates, her face lighting up with joy.

She happily scooped Ling An up and planted a loud kiss on his forehead. "See you next time!"

She waved hastily and rushed toward the nearest set of coordinates, unable to wait.

Watching her rapidly receding figure, Ling An couldn't help marveling to himself.

What an "innocent" girl.

Meanwhile, Mimika and Yuni entered the research station.

"Ah!!!" Both women cried out at once.

Ling An stepped into the research station curiously. His vision immediately went dark, leaving him unable to make out the interior.

But the overwhelming smell of blood and the sticky floor told him what had just happened here.

That scene was what had frightened Mimika and Yuni.

Ling An was at a loss for words. After a long silence, he finally tried to comfort them:

"Uh, that's just how Danjin is. She can be a little rough sometimes, but at least she's straightforward and innocent..."

Mimika and Yuni spent a while bracing themselves, but still chose not to turn on the lights.

In the darkness, the group carried the rear section of the Explosive Lance out of the storeroom.

Behind them, the doors of the Third Research Institute slowly closed.

They had no time to clean up further.

Who knew which unlucky soul would be the next to come here and open those doors?

Eastern Foothills Research Station.

Professor Woodrow looked at the three successive batches of Explosive Lance components that had arrived, a satisfied smile spreading across his face.

This was a powerful weapon Jiting had once invested in developing. With it, he was certain they could defeat the Glacio Rider and resolve the crisis in the Flaming Sea.

He looked at the Exiles hauling things back and forth, sweating profusely from their exertion. At first, he had thought they had come to rob him.

To his surprise, they were quite mild-mannered and had actually come to deliver Explosive Lance components.

Especially the fellow at the front who seemed to be their leader.

He might have been a bit dim, but he certainly worked hard.

Professor Woodrow immediately began thinking of recruiting them.

Once the crisis in the Flaming Sea was resolved, there would still be vast areas here to develop, and they would be short of manpower.

These mild-mannered Exiles looked perfectly suited to hauling loads and mixing concrete!

He glanced at Ling An, who was waiting, and asked quietly, "Patroller Ling An, after testing, the remaining materials are only enough to assemble two Explosive Lances. How are you feeling?"

At that, Ling An turned his gaze toward the Tacet Field in the center of the Flaming Sea.

There, the Glacio Rider's presence raged.

He said quietly, "I'm ready."

"Good. The Eastern Foothills Research Station has the appropriate launcher. We'll need you to provide coordinates in real time so we can strike accurately!"

Afraid something might go wrong, Professor Woodrow went over every detail with Ling An.

"If you have a launcher, why didn't you use it before?" Ling An seemed to have spotted a flaw.

Professor Woodrow shook his head. "The Flamebloom's core resonance mark is different from the Tacet Field you see now. A Gravity Storm swirls above it. A launcher alone wouldn't be enough."

Ling An nodded in understanding.

With everything ready, only the final step remained.

King against king.

On the outskirts of the Flaming Sea, a few more people had gathered than last time.

Professor Woodrow and his assistant, Mimika, Yuni, and the mild-mannered Exiles all watched intently as Ling An ventured farther in.

Everyone's hopes rested on him.

"Can this Patroller... really do it? I once saw that Tacet Discord from far away. It's not something an ordinary person can challenge."

"Our Patroller probably isn't ordinary either," Professor Woodrow said with a sigh of wonder.

But Ling An could no longer hear their conversation.

He strolled through the Flaming Sea and entered the Tacet Field once again.

That familiar figure riding a motorcycle appeared before him once more.

Ling An grinned. "Buddy, your big brother brought you something good this time."

A wind suddenly rose within the Flaming Sea.

A black cloak unfurled, snapping fiercely in the gale.