Chapter 414: Tides of Destiny

The atmosphere was strange and unsettling.

In a brief lull of quiet, the two opposing forces stared each other down, though the Far Frontier side was nearly trembling with excitement.

Clearly, these soldiers had misunderstood something—especially that commanding officer.

Clearing his throat, Yenir waved his hand with a hint of resignation and tucked away his badge, signaling for Huang Yuanhao to explain things while he led his men away.

Watching the increasingly agitated and even terrified group, Yenir felt no surprise.

His stature was so high that he belonged to the very pinnacle of Huaguo’s entire system.

To those below him, he was the ultimate authority—every move he made sent shockwaves, spawning countless speculations.

Even in the Capital, though some dared to openly defy him, they were either subordinates of high-ranking officials or committee members of equal rank.

Normally, those beneath him would go out of their way to avoid crossing his path.

Take Lu Tianming for example.

Excluding the retired senior commanders, there were hardly more than a handful in Huaguo ranked above him. Each standing member of the Executive Committee held the power to shape national policy.

In local settings, not to mention Lu Tianming himself, even his underlings—no matter how many layers removed—they could easily be put in their place by someone like Xiao Hai.

If Yenir were to return to the Tianfeng Security Zone now, all forty-two nearby safe zones along the North China Battle Zone’s front would be mobilized in advance to greet him. Even Chen Kailai’s superiors would raise their glasses in salute.

In other words, even a falling brick from the Capital could hit someone rated only Third-Stage, making his intimidating persona seem less fearsome.

With A-level access, Honorary Committee membership, a reserve commandership and a slew of military ranks, Yenir could launch anyone to glory with a single word.

Compared to other top brass, his only shortcoming was the lack of actual military authority; his foundation was too shallow.

To be frank, Yenir knew well in his heart that if time weren’t such a luxury and he had to act, it would inevitably harm some people’s interests…

Given his potential and status, under normal circumstances no one would dare oppose him. Everyone would do everything possible to please him, even spontaneously rally around him to form their own faction.

Yet this was a road he could not avoid.

And that was no exaggeration.

Even the way the Military “cared for” him spoke volumes—within grasp of the Military’s understanding, they always tried their best to cooperate.

Take the Far Frontier operations for instance—even the Capital Military District, not exactly on good terms with him, still assigned some veteran Far Frontier soldiers so that Huang Yuanhao could act with him.

And as one of the Four Commanders, Fang Hao even went as far as using his own connections to ensure that everything went his way.

With fighter jets escorting him along the way, if not for the Far Frontier military forces entrenched at the Border, high-level officials would have been there to welcome him the moment he arrived, fully cooperating throughout.

…………..

“Who are you!?”

“Are you really with the Military!?”

Inside a meticulously cleaned reception room, Yenir looked curiously at the girl standing before him, still visibly shocked and hardly able to believe what she saw.

Nodding slightly, Yenir motioned for her to sit and speak before chuckling lightly:

“No one can fake a Military badge. That thing is a unique item—you should know that.”

“Besides, what is there on you worth my deceit?”

Studying the girl intently, Yenir’s eyes flickered as he quickly compared her to a familiar presence from his memory. It was hard to imagine that if he hadn’t heard the rumors about that individual—whose plight and appearance so closely mirrored hers—he would have believed that they were one and the same.

The girl wasn’t very old—probably around nineteen or twenty—with a look of youthful determination, resembling a wary little beast.

Her tall silhouette and well-defined, muscular build testified to rigorous training, every gesture reflecting standard Military discipline.

Beautiful in her own right, her unique aura only added to her charm, making her a prized catch even outside the Military.

It was no wonder the entire squad treated her like a treasured gem—in Military terms, she was a real flower.

Slowly taking a seat, even after she had combated her caution, Lin Rou couldn’t help but gaze in disbelief at Yenir’s face—a face too youthful to belong to someone who held such power. In her mind, no major figure capable of reaching that level was under fifty.

Yenir even seemed younger than her… yet his prowess and nonchalant demeanour convinced her almost completely.

He wasn’t deceitful—after all, they were merely low-ranking soldiers, clueless about any real intelligence. Otherwise, why would they be sold as slaves? If there was any value, it was only in his status, which some found exciting when toying with her…

Realizing this, she couldn’t help but feel a twinge of anxiety.

What was someone of his caliber doing in the Far Frontier, and what did he want to discuss with her?

Before she could voice her nervous questions, Yenir, having made his comparison, spoke first:

“Your name… is Lin Rou, isn’t it?”

“Second-Stage Beginner, close-combat, agility-oriented awakener? Your talent lies in water manipulation, and you serve as support?”

With her eyes widening sharply, Lin Rou could only gape in surprise as Yenir recited her credentials.

She instinctively nodded, only to notice a sudden glimmer of delight in his eyes.

Why would such a top figure know me!?

And why did he look at me so strangely?

“Are you in need of something from me?”

Nervously, Lin Rou asked, unable to shake off the feeling that Yenir’s gaze was all too eerie…

It felt as if he had seen something utterly unbelievable…

“Of course!”

After a heavy nod, Yenir took a deep breath:

“Let’s talk about why you were captured. I’m very curious—you’re not Border troops, are you?”

“And on stage, you seemed to be captured alongside a group of settlement survivors?”

Suppressing the unusual glint in his eyes, Yenir began his inquiry from the start.

No one could guess how curious he was about Lin Rou’s story.

There was no ulterior motive. In her previous life, this girl had been taken captive during a battle and purchased by a faction. But a year later, inexplicably, she had ascended to Third-Stage! Then, amidst the ensuing chaos of disaster, she had brutally slain the leader of the Black Eagle Security Zone in front of hundreds of thousands!

A Third-Stage beginner had devastated a mid-level opponent! She then swiftly took control of the entire safe zone!

And in the subsequent Far Frontier uprising, she clashed with the Bloodshadow Legion, eventually leaving Far Frontier with several devoured safe zone populations to join another battle zone.

In the time that followed, Lin Rou’s strength skyrocketed. According to the limited reports Yenir had heard, she had swept through and unified a nearby small nation with unstoppable force, replacing its government!

As for what happened afterwards? With the distance between the two battle zones and his own preoccupations, Yenir hadn’t paid any attention to those details.

Recalling those memories, even Yenir had to admit that the story was nothing short of miraculous!

From being captured and sold as a slave to becoming a Third-Stage who slew a high-level warrior, then ruling over a million people, and finally, after a fierce war with the Bloodshadow Legion, leaving Huaguo…

Ultimately, she had even obliterated an entire nation to become its supreme ruler…

Frankly, Yenir wasn’t entirely sure he could ever manage that. He knew all too well the fate that awaited someone who ended up as a slave—there was simply no way to turn the tables.

Especially given Lin Rou’s record of cruelty and bloodshed!

Thus, Yenir was genuinely curious about what this seemingly ordinary girl had endured to become like this…

“So why were you captured?”

Sitting across from him, Lin Rou instinctively echoed his question, a flash of hatred igniting in her eyes.

After a moment of silence, she clenched her fists and slowly began:

“It must have been less than two weeks ago…”

“Our squad was ordered to patrol the Border when we discovered enemy awakeners from another battle zone crossing over.”

“I’m not sure if you know, but these enemy forces, once past the Border, typically attack mid-to-small safe zones or raid mine resources. They’re ruthless and use brutal methods.”

“Survivors they captured were either turned into food or reduced to mere breeding tools.”

“So… we ended up fighting them.”

“During the battle, although we held the advantage, the enemy kept retreating until we finally caught up near a settlement.”

“There, those enemy awakeners attempted a full-on charge into the settlement, using survivors as hostages to threaten us.”

“Fortunately, our Captain unleashed his explosive talent and managed to hold them off, though he was injured in the process.”

“But no one expected that this settlement had already been attacked by the Black Camel Merchant Guild, and many slave team members were present.”

“At first, we didn’t notice; we assumed those slave team members were just part of a regular caravan.”

“So after we defeated the enemy awakeners, we planned to stay in the settlement temporarily to recover, not expecting any further trouble from them.”

At this point, Lin Rou’s fingertips turned white as a painful memory resurfaced.

“These slave teams pretended to offer us medicine and then ambushed us. In the ensuing melee, many of our squad members died.”

“Although our Captain managed to barely fend them off with another burst of strength, the losses were too heavy. The slave team then called in a Third-Stage fighter from nearby.”

“In the face of a Third-Stage, we were utterly powerless to resist…”

“After that, we were captured and sent to a slave camp. You probably already know what happened next…”

Reluctant to delve into further details, Lin Rou raised her head with a bitter expression and looked at Yenir:

“Thank you for saving us…”

“If it hadn’t been for you, our fate…”

She could no longer finish her sentence.

Recalling what they had endured after being captured, even in a safe environment, Lin Rou’s whole body trembled uncontrollably.

That trembling wasn’t from fear, but from unbridled anger and hatred.

In that place, aside from barely clinging to life, they had nothing.

She had even witnessed severely injured comrades being flayed alive, their flesh and skin cut away just to squeeze out every last bit of value.

And she knew all too well what her fate would have been if Yenir hadn’t intervened.

Watching as the girl struggled to suppress her hatred and pain, Yenir paused for a moment and gently patted her shoulder.

“As fellow Military, it’s our duty.”

“In truth, failing to save the others was the Military’s oversight.”

He sighed inwardly.

Yenir had intended to ask a few more questions, but he chose not to.

After being injured while fending off enemy awakeners, only to be ambushed by his own battle zone, and then watching as those he protected were stabbed in the back while comrades were slaughtered by survivors from the same battle zone…

It was impossible not to feel pain. Not to mention that without his intervention, the fate of Lin Rou and the others would have been even bleaker.

Was it the result of enduring too much darkness that he had reached the point of his previous life?

“What are your plans now?”

“Should I arrange for someone to take you back to the Border Military, or would you rather come with me?”

Handing over a cup of hot water, Yenir quietly inquired, waiting to hear Lin Rou’s decision.

Though a person’s growth is shaped by their experiences, if he took Lin Rou along, she might not develop to her full potential. But given that she’d already reached such heights, her talent and spirit were undoubtedly impressive.

If it was a good match, perhaps he could incorporate her into his own plans.

When faced with Yenir’s question, Lin Rou instinctively raised her eyes to meet his.

Yet, much to Yenir’s surprise, she didn’t choose any of the options he offered:

“No.”

“I don’t want to go back to the Military.”

“I don’t want to protect anyone anymore.”

“I want…”

“to kill them all!!!”