Chapter 39: Echoes of the Mutant Hunt

At the dilapidated entrance of the zoo, only two iron pillars remain in place of the former arched gate.

A gust of wind stirred a cloud of shimmering sand in front of the sand-coated gate.

Beneath the blazing sun, several crows pecked rapidly at a decaying, unrecognizable corpse.

Not far away, in a building with only half a wall standing, six Awakeners clad in various gear gathered together.

“Commander, aren’t we going to inform the Tianfeng Security Zone?”

“Since you’re here in person, any mix-up could be problematic. I’ve noticed that lately the Tianfeng Security Zone seems to be searching for something, sending troops everywhere. They wouldn’t have discovered our arrival, would they?”

A stern middle-aged man was accompanied by a Second-Stage Awakened, armed with a longbow, who asked respectfully.

“It should be nothing—most likely just a routine training drill.”

“Mentioning it would only cause trouble.”

The middle-aged man waved his hand and, with a calm gaze, looked deep into the zoo.

“Are you certain the intel is accurate? Is there truly a Second-Stage mutant on the verge of evolving here?”

“We rushed over from the Zhenjiang Security Zone, nearly a thousand kilometers away. I don’t want our trip to be for nothing.”

Almost immediately, a bald Second-Stage Awakened replied in a low voice:

“Lord Honggang, the intel is spot on. We accidentally discovered that peak-level Tiger Beast mutant as well.”

“That day, while we were conducting a low-altitude search in an armed helicopter, we were nearly shot down by that mutant.”

“Fortunately, we pulled up just in time and managed to retreat.”

With a slight nod, Honggang, a Third-Stage Awakened, fixed his intense gaze.

“Good, then.”

“My son, Hongxing, has just been selected for the Fire Seed Plan and is in dire need of a piece of equipment. A mutant on the verge of advancing to Third Stage is highly likely to yield Blue Equipment.”

At the mention of his son, the usually stoic Honggang allowed a rare smile to appear.

“Although the Capital has placed him under an A-Class training sequence, I still hope he can push even further.”

The others listened with envious eyes.

Their Safe Zone leader, Honggang, is himself a Third-Stage Awakened. His son, having recently been identified with A-Class talent, was promptly taken by the Capital Military District for special training.

Rumor has it he started at Third-Stage training with support equivalent to half a corps upgrade—a treatment that makes everyone green with envy.

“Commander, we will ensure this mission goes smoothly.”

“I’m confident that young master Hongxing will ascend to a higher sequence. With his talent, reaching the top isn’t out of the question.”

Hearing the flattery from his subordinates, the middle-aged man chuckled lightly and shook his head.

“The First Sequence? That’s impossible. It’s already locked by General Zhang’s Second Son, an SS-level Awakened.”

“His Dual-Type: Strength and Agility and remarkable combat prowess have led the Capital to spare no expense in leveling him up, pushing for Fourth Stage.”

“If my son can reach the Third Sequence, I’ll be satisfied.”

“SS-level!?”

Those behind were taken aback, their surprise evident.

“Commander Hong, did our Huaxia Battle Zone just produce another SS-level? Wouldn’t that put him on par with the Four Commanders?!”

Their hearts pounded; for those of B-Class talent, an SS-level is nothing short of legendary.

As his tone trailed off, Honggang seemed to recall something:

“One SS-level? No, two. However, the other SS-level has already been abandoned by the higher-ups.”

“Abandoned?!”

The news was even more explosive than before; his subordinates gaped as though they’d misheard.

“Commander, how can anyone abandon an SS-level? Have the Capital folks lost their minds?!”

Casting a casual glance at his crew, Honggang didn’t hesitate to repeat the news.

“I thought the same at first. But then I learned the other SS-level is a Willpower Type. The Capital believes he lacks the potential to evolve into Third Stage—his combat skills don’t compare to General Zhang’s son. So they outright gave up on him.”

Everyone was stunned; many wore looks of regret, though confusion still lingered:

“Sir, even if the other SS-level’s chance of reaching Third Stage is slim, it isn’t impossible! At worst, a Second-Stage SS-level might nearly match a Third-Stage. Talent like that shouldn’t be discarded! If our Safe Zone had such a genius, wouldn’t we nurture him fully?!”

Listening to their bewilderment, Honggang looked meaningfully over his shoulder.

“You’re mistaken.”

“It’s precisely because the other SS-level has even the slightest chance to break through and reach Third Stage that the Capital chose to suppress him and abandon him outright!”

“The official reason is his lack of potential, but behind the scenes… heh, heh.”

With a cold laugh, Honggang fell silent.

After the apocalypse, the Huaxia Battle Zone had known too much ‘peace.’ An SS-level genius evolving into Third Stage often signals the birth of a new Commander.

For the commander of the Huaxia Battle Zone, that means nearly supreme authority!

General Zhang’s son ascending is acceptable; no one had any objections.

Yet amid secret competitions among the major military regions, no one wanted an outsider to disrupt the balance—especially since that person belonged to no faction.

For all these reasons, the higher-ups maintained a tacit understanding to simply abandon the other candidate. After all, an SS-level doesn’t guarantee a Fourth Stage.

After all, the Four Commanders are all SS-level…

Suppressing his inner thoughts, Honggang waved his hand nonchalantly.

“Prepare to lure out that mutant.”

“There must be plenty of lower-stage mutants lurking around here. Once we engage, they’ll become a nuisance.”

With that, Honggang focused and braced himself for battle.

Even as humanity’s top Third-Stage fighter, facing a peak-level Second-Stage mutant kept the pressure high—especially since that tiger beast might be only a step away from evolving to Third Stage!

“Yes, Sir!”

They saluted in return.

At Honggang’s command, the remaining Second-Stage Awakeners swiftly drew their weapons, ready for combat.

…….

On the roof of an abandoned residential building, Yenir frowned as he looked toward the nearby zoo.

Just a minute ago, he had noticed that another group of Awakeners seemed to be gathered in a nearby building.

Thanks to his exceptional strength and spiritual perception, he could sense that their power was not to be underestimated—one of them even appeared to be a Third-Stage.

Could someone be trying to steal the mutant from me?

Slipping into the shadows, Yenir silently crept forward.

Seconds later, a series of shrill, piercing screams erupted as several Awakeners burst from the building, charging straight toward the zoo.

At the same time, a thunderous roar resounded from within the park.

“Roar!!”

“Howl!!”

In a deserted amusement park, the two mutants that were first provoked charged out to confront the Awakeners, and finally, a massive red Corpse Tiger, as huge as a mining truck, lumbered into view.

Its vast, blank eyes reflected the figures of the onlookers.

Hidden at the rear, Yenir instantly took note of the unmistakable presence of Honggang and the Corpse Tiger amidst the group.

So here we actually have a peak-level Second-Stage mutant, and even a Third-Stage one!?

Licking his lips, Yenir realized in an instant that the Third-Stage was coming straight for the Corpse Tiger.

Licking his lips once more, a daring idea took root in his mind.

The mission must be completed.

But…

Perhaps he could also snag the mutant for himself?

Glancing at his skill panel where Sky Rift Radiance had just cooled down, Yenir couldn’t help but recall its terrifying power.

Even from a hundred meters away, it could unleash devastating damage…

With proper control, he might even be able to secure the kill from a Third-Stage contender.