Chapter 85

The next morning, Sun Yan woke up from a deep sleep, the first time he had slept soundly since arriving on White Prison Star.

Stretching lazily, he leaped out of bed, feeling a surge of strength throughout his body, which had returned to its optimal state.

The room where he had rested the previous night was a single dormitory, a treatment reserved for officers in the White Prison Star military base. Looking around the room with its simple furnishings, Sun Yan couldn't help but sigh inwardly. The White Prison Star military base was the lowest-level base, and the military department provided very limited supplies, making the lives of the soldiers quite hard.

Walking to the window, even though it was still early morning, he could already feel the scorching heat outside. It was said that over a hundred years ago, White Prison Star was a picturesque place, even more beautiful and prosperous than Domyr Star, but it was ultimately destroyed by war.

Gazing at the gray sky, Sun Yan's mind was calm. Since he had comprehended the革金拳意 (Gegen Fist Intent) three days ago, not only had his strength advanced rapidly, but his emotions had also become increasingly stable, with rare fluctuations.

Checking the time, it was already 6 a.m. Sun Yan opened the door and walked out; the time he had agreed to meet John was approaching.

Arriving at the front hall of the base, Sergeant Li was already waiting there. Seeing Sun Yan's figure, he immediately came over.

"Good morning, Brother Li."

Sun Yan greeted with a smile. After becoming familiar with Sergeant Li and others, he increasingly liked the straightforward and direct way the soldiers conducted themselves, without the need for any reservations.

Sergeant Li handed over a backpack and whispered, "Inside is a set of D-grade protective suit, some repair fluid, and first aid supplies. Sun Yan, be careful once you enter the Orange Alert Zone. John and his team seem reliable, but don't trust them too much."

Sun Yan nodded gratefully, "I understand, Brother Li."

At this moment, John approached with two others.

"Sergeant Li, Mr. Sun Yan, good morning! These are the other two members of our mercenary team."

John greeted with a smile and introduced the other two members to Sun Yan. One was named Bell, a Level 3 Warrior responsible for long-range sniping and ambush. The other was named Tom, also a Level 3 Warrior, who set traps and restrained monsters during battles.

John was the leader of this mercenary team, a peak Level 3 Warrior, and the main attacker during battles.

Originally, as a Level 2 Warrior, Sun Yan did not have the qualifications to join this mercenary team. However, his achievement of hunting thousands of monsters in three days made John look at him with new respect.

Sun Yan sized up the other two members. Bell was a tall and slender young man who always wore a smile, making him seem easy to get along with. Tom, on the other hand, was a brown-haired, flat-headed man with a stern face, who rarely smiled.

Bell greeted with a grin, "Hey, Brother Sun Yan, you're really impressive! When I was your age, I was still doing odd jobs at the Morning Wind Group."

Beside him, Tom nodded, acknowledging Sun Yan's inclusion.

John clapped his hands and said, "Alright, let's not waste any more time. Time is money. Let's set off immediately! Come on, Sun Yan, I'll tell you the details on the way."

After bidding farewell to Sergeant Li, the four of them left the military base and headed toward the Orange Alert Zone.

...

Around 1 p.m., it was the hottest time of the day on White Prison Star. The ruins of the city were like a steaming pot, with visible heat waves rising.

At the very edge of the Green Alert Zone, in the ruins of a half-standing high-rise, four figures were engaged in a fierce battle with a group of Blood-striped Leopards.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Bell held a crossbow in both hands, pulling the string repeatedly, and arrows shot out like a string of pearls, targeting the Blood-striped Leopards.

Unfortunately, although the arrows were as fast as lightning, the Blood-striped Leopards reacted even faster, easily dodging Bell's shots. Many of the leopards even pounced, trying to tear Bell apart with their claws.

Tom wielded an alloy long knife, moving around Bell's side, forcing back the leopards that charged at him. Ensuring Bell's safety was Tom's main task during battles, and the two worked together seamlessly.

At the center of the battle, John wielded two short swords, the alloy short swords vibrating and weaving a web of sword strikes, making it difficult for the leopards to get close.

Sun Yan, using the [Hurricane Step], moved like a whirlwind, his form unpredictable, appearing beside John from time to time, his palms flying to cover any gaps in John's defense.

Sss! Sss! Sss!

During the battle, Blood-striped Leopards fell one after another, either killed by arrows through the head, sliced open by short swords, or crushed by Sun Yan's [Swallowing Sea Palm].

Thud!

A palm shadow broke through the air, leaving a transparent palm print in mid-air, striking the head of a Blood-striped Leopard.

In an instant, the leopard was thrown back, landing on the ground, blood flowing from its seven orifices, spreading on the ground.

The ruins fell silent. Sun Yan looked around, retracted his palm, and took a deep breath.

"Ha ha, Mr. Sun Yan is indeed a young genius with extraordinary strength."

John walked over with a smile, his blue eyes filled with unhidden admiration, "No wonder you could hunt thousands of monsters in three days. At my age, I probably wouldn't have even a tenth of your strength."

Beside him, Bell also showed admiration. Among mercenaries, strength was the ultimate measure, regardless of age. Sun Yan, at 16, had such outstanding combat skills, which left Bell in awe.

Of course, John and the others did not know Sun Yan's true background. If they knew that this young man had been on White Prison Star for less than a week, they would be even more astonished.

Sun Yan modestly responded with a few words, then said, "Captain John, can you now tell me what our target is for this mission to the Orange Alert Zone?"

John nodded, leaned in, and whispered, "A while ago, I received a reliable tip that a trace of an Iron-winged Pangolin was found in the Orange Alert Zone of White Prison Star. Our target is this Level 5 mutant."

Sun Yan's eyebrows shot up in surprise, "An Iron-winged Pangolin! There are such mutants on White Prison Star?"

"Yes, the information is very reliable," John confirmed with a nod.

Sun Yan finally understood why John had been vague earlier. The Iron-winged Pangolin was an extremely rare mutant. Although it was only a Level 5 mutant, its entire body was valuable, with all its materials being highly prized.

The Iron-winged Pangolin's iron wings were essential materials for manufacturing A-grade fighters. The rarity of this mutant was the reason for the scarcity of A-grade fighters in the entire Odin Star Region, not because of technical limitations, but due to the difficulty in obtaining the raw materials.

The skin, flesh, and bones of this Level 5 mutant were also rare materials for formulating D-grade gene serum, often in high demand but short supply in the market.

Seeing Sun Yan's surprised expression, John smiled in satisfaction and whispered, "With your strength, I will not treat you unfairly. If we successfully hunt the Iron-winged Pangolin, after deducting 20% for the military, I am willing to give you 1.5% of the reward."

John's offer was quite fair. If Sun Yan were a temporary member, he would probably receive less than 1%. However, what Sun Yan truly cared about was not the reward but the blood of the Iron-winged Pangolin.

Through the chip from Zhu Feiyan, Sun Yan learned that the blood of the Iron-winged Pangolin was an important ingredient in D-grade repair fluid. Although the other materials for D-grade repair fluid were also precious, Sun Yan believed that with a bit of effort, he could eventually collect all the necessary materials.

When that time came, his father's illness could be cured.

Sun Yan firmly said, "Captain John, I don't need the other rewards. I only hope that if the hunt is successful, you can give me 500 ml of the Iron-winged Pangolin's blood."

John's eyes lit up, and he confirmed again, "Just 500 ml of the Iron-winged Pangolin's blood? Mr. Sun Yan, this distribution is not fair to you."

Despite Sun Yan's insistence, John readily agreed, as getting a larger share of the reward was a win for him.

After the discussion, John and the others cleaned up the battlefield, took a short rest, and then set off again. Their figures quickly disappeared into the ruins.

...

The Orange Alert Zone of White Prison Star was vastly different from the Green Alert Zone. Many areas had not been fully explored, and various unknown dangers existed.

As for the even more dangerous Red Alert Zone, it appeared gray on the base's map, indicating a completely unknown state.

The reason these areas had not been fully explored was not due to a lack of military strength, but because the planet had little value for further development. Therefore, the military department had publicly offered rewards for exploration, allowing interstellar mercenaries to complete the task, while the military department took 20% of the profits.

Traveling with John and the others, by around 6 p.m., Sun Yan and the group had reached deep into the Orange Alert Zone. The vast ruins were littered with bones and remains, both human and monster.

Looking at the map, Sun Yan frowned; the device had completely malfunctioned. It seemed that there was a mysterious force in the Orange Alert Zone interfering with the device's normal operation.

Signaling Bell and Tom to be on alert, John said with a smile, "In interstellar exploration, there are various dangers, and devices often fail. In such situations, we rely on the instincts of the mercenaries, which is also a manifestation of our value as warriors."

Sun Yan nodded in agreement, understanding that John was guiding him. Although John's strength was not great, his experience as an interstellar mercenary was extremely rich. In many dangerous situations, experience was often more useful than strength.

Suddenly, Bell whispered, "Captain, I've found the target's trail, it's just ahead."

John and Sun Yan both showed signs of joy. The former gave a signal, and the group quietly moved forward.

After advancing for 15 minutes, a cemetery appeared before them. What made them wary was that the city had long been in ruins, with no intact buildings. However, this cemetery was well-preserved, and a sinister aura hung over it, making the hair on their arms stand up.

In the sky, flocks of white crows flew by, their shrill cries carrying a strange and eerie sadness. These were the common wild beasts on White Prison Star—Bone-eroding Crows.

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