Chapter Twenty-Five: A Bloody Reckoning

Xiao Feng swiftly drew the pistol from his waist and, with a thunderous crack, shattered the searchlight above.

"Move! Ai Wei will be waiting at the gate!"

With his rifle in hand, Viper dashed after Xiao Feng, racing toward the perimeter gate of the zone.

At that moment, however, a wave of Alliance soldiers began converging upon them. Fortunately, night cloaked much of their escape—the majority of troops were still rousing from sleep, hastily donning uniforms and grabbing rifles at the sound of gunfire. This afforded Xiao Feng and Turner a crucial window.

Seeing the soldiers blocking their path ahead, Xiao Feng raised Ai Wei's formidable handgun and, without an ounce of hesitation, squeezed the trigger.Bang. Bang. Bang—Bang—Bang!A rapid succession of bullets burst from the muzzle, each round finding its mark squarely between the brows of the approaching soldiers.

By the time Viper processed what had happened, the entire line of enemies lay lifeless on the ground before them.

"F*ck, what kind of marksmanship is that?" he muttered in awe.

"Enough talk. Keep moving," Xiao Feng barked.

Just then, the Viper squad's armored vehicle screeched to a halt before the zone's main gate. The door flew open, and Cook leapt out from within."Get in, quick!"

Xiao Feng caught sight of Cook and couldn't help but curse, "D*mn it! Why'd you bring him?" But with chaos at their heels, there was no time to argue. He and Viper dove into the vehicle.

Ai Wei, seated at the wheel, slammed her foot on the accelerator. The engine roared as the armored vehicle surged forward, crashing through the heavy iron gate and into the vast wilderness beyond.

Watching the shattered gate recede in the rearview, Xiao Feng shook his head. "They'll have their hands full tonight."

Ai Wei, laughing as she glanced at her unharmed brother beside her, said, "Let them. Our survival comes first! Everyone, hold on!"

On the zone's wall, a massive spotlight swung toward them, catching the vehicle in its blinding glare.

A split second later, a high-caliber sniper round slammed into the rear window.

"Down!" Xiao Feng shouted, shielding Alice beneath him.

And then came the voice he most despised."Haha! Let me handle that."It was Brann.

He leaned out the window, lifted his rifle, and unleashed a barrage at the searchlight. Sparks flared, and the beam flickered into darkness.

Brann whooped triumphantly, "Oho! Got it!"

Xiao Feng scowled. "D*mn it… tonight, the zone's in complete chaos." But deep down, his thoughts still lingered on something unresolved. Amid the battle's confusion, he had not spotted the corpulent Locke. If he had, Xiao Feng would have gladly put a bullet through his skull to settle the score.

"Serves them right for arresting my brother!" Ai Wei chuckled as she drove. "They had it coming."

Under Xiao Feng's direction, the armored vehicle barreled toward their rendezvous point. As its headlights illuminated the area ahead, they found White surrounded by several massive rat corpses.

Old White eyed the approaching vehicle grimly. He hadn't wanted to draw others into this mess.

The vehicle ground to a halt before him. Xiao Feng leaned out."Uncle, get in, quick!"

White climbed aboard, casting a glance at the others inside."You brat—why'd you drag them into this?"

Xiao Feng shrugged helplessly. "I didn't plan it. It just happened."

White's gaze landed on Alice, trembling in the corner. He immediately crossed to her, wrapping her in his strong arms."Don't be afraid, sweetheart. I'm here now."

Tears welled in Alice's eyes as she clung to him."Daddy… Daddy…"In his embrace, she finally felt safe.

Xiao Feng noticed the little white wolf curled in Alice's arms and reached out to stroke its head. The wolf let out a soft, comforting whine.

Ai Wei called out, "Old White, where to?"

"Godor City."

"Got it. Everyone, hang tight!"The armored vehicle roared across the barren plains toward its new destination.

Xiao Feng suddenly recalled Kelly's off-road vehicle. He sighed wistfully."What a pity… that was a fine ride."

At dawn, Lisa pushed open Alice's door with a smile, only to find the bed empty. Her gaze dropped to the floor, where a message had been carved into the wood by Xiao Feng's dagger:

"Took the girl for treatment. Don't worry. —Old White."

Lisa collapsed to her knees, sobbing uncontrollably.

Allen, gaunt and pale, stepped into the room, knelt beside her, and wrapped her in his arms."Maybe Old White did the right thing… Please, don't cry."

But Lisa wept harder, clinging to Allen."He's a b*st*rd. A d*mn b*st*rd…"

After a long night of hasty repairs, the gate of the protection zone barely held together, just enough to stave off a beast onslaught. As sunlight spilled across the dented metal, a lone figure appeared on the horizon.

Kaili was a mess. Exhausted, her tight black leather suit torn in several places, her body bore wounds from the night's brutal battle. Only the enchanted hide of her outfit had saved her from being torn apart by the monsters.

She may have been the first—and only—person to survive a night alone in the wilderness outside Zone 64. A woman, no less.

Through the slashes in her suit, her pale skin peeked through, making her look even more fierce… and dangerously seductive.

"It's the envoy! Open the gate!"

Kaili staggered through the opening."Where's Locke? Get him here. Now!"

Locke emerged from the barracks in disarray, still dressing."Envoy?! You're still alive—?"

"I should be asking you that," she snapped. "Another gifted one was in your zone, and you failed to tell me? I nearly died because of your negligence!"

Locke trembled."I—I swear, I had no idea. I didn't know about another ability user!"

"Save it. Ready a car. I'm heading back immediately. The Alliance needs to issue a kill order."

Locke spun around."You heard her! Get a car ready, now!"

Minutes later, a battered military jeep tore out of Zone 64. Kaili sat behind the wheel, her gaze icy and fixed on the road ahead.

In her mind, there was only one image—Xiao Feng.And she burned with the desire to rip him apart, piece by piece.