Under Ye Xingyao’s introduction, Fumier and Qiansui came to understand each other’s identities. Along the way, they chatted about some details not mentioned in the mission reports.
Of course, they omitted Yi Shiyue’s and Ye Xingyao’s elven identities. Fumier, perceptive as she was, caught the hints in Ye Xingyao’s words, which put Ye Xingyao greatly at ease.
After these topics were exhausted, the two young ladies in the back seat fell completely silent, leaving Ye Xingyao and Qiansui to chat intermittently. Their conversation mainly consisted of complaints about some troublesome rules of the Hunter’s Union or anecdotes about Hongye Qiu.
The vehicle moved swiftly and smoothly. The scenery outside the window gradually changed from novel high-rises and gardens to relatively older buildings. The tracks left for railcars in the sky also grew sparser, and the same was true for the vehicles passing by.
What Ye Xingyao hadn’t expected was that the off-road vehicle they were riding in attracted surprisingly high attention from pedestrians on the street. Thinking about it, that was only natural. Even for the well-traveled Ye Xingyao, it was rare to see an off-roader with such excellent performance and a design that didn’t look cheap at all.
If not for her average driving skills, she would have wanted to take the wheel and speed along.
Going further out from the main road, they would pass through a series of checkpoints. However, these checkpoints weren’t like ancient city walls that tightly encircled the Satellite City. They were set up at intervals, primarily used to detect meteorological elements like weather and wind direction, while also serving the function of guarding against potential enemies.
The vehicle slowly stopped beside a checkpoint. Qiansui rolled down the window and exchanged a few words with the soldier stationed there. This trip had been reported to the Human Alliance, and they had obtained a passage permit with considerable authority. After the checkpoint communicated with their superiors in the Human Alliance, they quickly let them through.
They even thoughtfully told them the location of the Human Alliance’s military garrison nearby, advising that if they encountered danger they couldn’t handle, they could go there for help. This made Qiansui exclaim in envy.
“Is Sister Ye Xin’s mission this important? Normally, hunters like us wouldn’t get this level of support.”
Even though Qiansui was a Star-Dark Level Hunter, normally, without direct orders from the true high-ranking officials of the Human Alliance, people with supreme command authority in emergencies wouldn’t receive this degree of attention. After all, in terms of raw power, he was only a Dream Entry Level Superpower User.
“Ahaha…”
Ye Xingyao gave an embarrassed laugh and touched her own hair. She herself hadn’t expected to have such influence. It seemed the Human Alliance was really putting effort into helping her this time. This feeling of having official backing to clear the way was quite satisfying.
Actually, thinking carefully, it was very simple. Upon learning that she planned to go to the wasteland near the Elf race, the Human Alliance had shown her goodwill—supporting her actions and seeing things through to the end—all just to earn her favor. Even if the Human Alliance used forceful measures—forbidding her from going or restricting the movement of people around her, like her sister, essentially house arrest of hostages—she wouldn’t have any special recourse.
However, if they did that, it would push the Star Elves toward the Elf camp. Compared to making enemies, having one more friend made things more convenient. In these matters, the old hands at the Human Alliance knew well how to gauge the right degree.
“Mm, after I drop you off at the military garrison, I’ll return the same way. This trip, I’m just a driver. If you need to go back to the Satellite City downtown, just ask a soldier to drive you back. With your authority, these are requests they have to accommodate.”
Qiansui finally put his hands on the steering wheel. After leaving the checkpoint, there was no longer any trace of human habitation. Instead, the road condition deteriorated, and the ruined urban area was dusty and desolate. This was also an abandoned old district, but not in the same direction as the old district where Mite had kidnapped them.
The off-roader’s performance was fully displayed under these road conditions. The mottled, potholed road couldn’t stop the vehicle’s advance at all; the girls inside only felt a slight bumpiness. Seeing this, Ye Xingyao thought to herself that she would get one of these vehicles sooner or later. She would ask Qiansui about the price when they got back.
Soon, near the distant skyline, they could see a military garrison in camouflage colors. Ye Xingyao had never dealt with the military outside the Satellite City before. She only knew their full name in the Human Alliance was the “Human Alliance Wasteland Armed Forces.” After completing compulsory high school education, one could choose to join such a military. It was said the benefits were pretty good. Many people who didn’t think they had talent for entertainment services or business would come here to try their luck if they had some ability. Maybe they could even get a minor officer position.
It was said that here, they didn’t fully obey the Human Alliance’s control. In a state of imminent battle, the local commander’s will was supreme, and the Human Alliance couldn’t participate in decision-making. And their “special status” was because the things they had to face directly were far beyond what people living in pigeonhole apartments could imagine. Monster attacks were almost a daily occurrence. What they were truly defending against wasn’t just monsters, but also the Elf race that had settled nearby.
“Speaking of which, Li Xiang and I used to be part of this place too. I wonder if the old squad leader and the others have managed to get some official positions. It’s been a while since we kept in touch.”
Qiansui looked at the approaching military garrison and let out a small sigh of nostalgia. Soon, the off-road vehicle stopped at the garrison’s entrance.
Four sentries holding weapons came down from their posts, ready to conduct a routine inspection. After all, people who could come here were extremely rare, and those driving such an expensive off-roader were even rarer. It was quite novel for them.
One of them was verifying with his superior. Qiansui and Ye Xingyao exchanged a glance, then got out of the car together.
“Hunter’s Union, Star-Dark Level Hunter, Qiansui, on an escort mission.”
“Hunter’s Union, Midnight-level Hunter, Ye Xin. The mission details are not convenient to disclose. You can report to your superiors after verifying my identity.”
Saying this, the two of them took out their Hunter Badges and handed them to the soldier in front. The Hunter’s Union provided decent benefits for high-rated hunters like these, and the corresponding Hunter Badges saved them a lot of trouble when verifying their identities.
“Oh? Lady Ye Xin? The girl in that video that the big shots in the city had to release?”
One of the soldiers, after beeping her Hunter Badge with a scanning device, stared at Ye Xingyao’s face, as if remembering something. He clapped his hands in sudden realization and alerted his comrades around him.
“Uh, that’s me.”
Ye Xingyao admitted it a bit awkwardly.
‘How did my reputation become this famous now?’