CHAPTER 107: CHAPTER 107: MEETING_1

「In a blink of an eye, three days had passed.」

Wang Zhan had traversed a long distance in the Death Forest. Based on the continuously expanding map range on his personal terminal, he was now not far from the eastern peripheral zone of the Death Forest.

The human encampment is on the east side. I only know the general direction, how troublesome, Wang Zhan thought, taking a temporary break in a large tree.

In three days, besides making his journey, he had also killed quite a few intermediate Soldier-level beasts along the way, acquiring many extreme attributes. His three extreme attributes had already exceeded 1,890, each only a few digits short of their maximum values.

Where can I find one or two more intermediate Soldier-level beasts? The beasts nearby are already somewhat beyond my limit, Wang Zhan thought with a bitter smile.

Wang Zhan still clearly remembered that the Death Forest was merely the outermost region of the battlefield between humans and beasts, and this area was only part of the affected battlefield. Even so, the deeper he went into the Death Forest, the deeper he plunged into the human-beast battlefield.

During these three days, Wang Zhan had encountered over a dozen human Martial Artist teams fighting beasts. The weakest members of these teams were at least Warriors. Wang Zhan had also seen several teams led by Martial Masters and even Martial Generals. The beasts they faced ranged from upper-class Soldier-level beasts to General-level beasts, covering various ranks.

These are all beings I wouldn’t even dare to touch.

This is a raw battlefield. Although it doesn’t have the grandeur of the Beast Tide in Chang’an City, the brutality of the small-scale fights happening everywhere is even more intense, Wang Zhan mused with some emotion.

His current location no longer allowed him the recklessness he had enjoyed in the wilderness. Despite having broken the 50% Limit and possessing a top-tier human Mental Energy Cultivation Method, Wang Zhan still felt incredibly weak on this battlefield.

Enough of these thoughts. I should deliver the map first,

Wang Zhan thought, shaking his head slightly and temporarily setting aside the chaotic notions in his mind.

After walking eastward for about another hour, Wang Zhan’s personal terminal suddenly received a new message.

’Student Wang Zhan, the map in your possession is crucial. I have dispatched a special envoy to rendezvous with you. Hand the map to the special envoy, and your mission will be complete. Please await the envoy at your current location. I have applied for a reward of 10,000 merit points for you upon the safe handover of the map. —General Qin Guanglu.’

Upon seeing this unexpected message, Wang Zhan exhaled a sigh of relief.

As expected, the map I’m holding is very important. So important that even a general from the human encampment has personally sent me a message, he thought. His tense heart finally relaxed considerably. Holding the map felt like carrying a heavy burden on his shoulders; Wang Zhan hadn’t truly relaxed for the past few days.

I’ll just wait here, Wang Zhan decided after ensuring the surrounding area was safe, preparing to wait at the specified location as instructed in the message.

About half an hour later, a middle-aged man in military uniform finally appeared in the distance. The moment he came into Wang Zhan’s line of sight, he looked directly toward Wang Zhan.

He’s finally here, Wang Zhan thought with a laugh, jumping down from the tree.

"You must be Student Wang Zhan, correct? Where is the map?" the special envoy asked with a smile, quickening his pace.

"It’s here! Hurry and take it. I don’t dare to look at it, and holding it feels like my hands are burning," Wang Zhan said, quickly taking out the map to hand it over.

Seeing the map, the special envoy’s eyes brightened. He laughed and said, "Excellent, excellent! Hand the map to me, and your mission will be complete..."

His voice trailed off. They were now less than ten meters apart, and Wang Zhan was just about to hand over the map.

But just then, a sharp WHOOSHING sound suddenly tore through the air.

Wang Zhan didn’t even have time to react.

The special envoy’s expression changed, however, and he hastily retreated several steps. The next moment, a purple-black dagger was embedded in the ground right where he had been standing.

This sight made Wang Zhan’s eyes widen. He quickly turned to look in the direction the dagger had flown from, only to find a woman in a long black dress standing behind him, though he hadn’t noticed her approach.

When he saw the woman’s face, however, utter disbelief was written all over his own. He gasped, a breath catching in his chest, and for a long moment, he couldn’t seem to breathe at all.

"You... You..." Wang Zhan rarely lost his composure like this, but seeing the woman in the long dress made his breathing quicken, and words failed him.

"It’s me," Yao Yao said, nodding slightly. She took two steps forward to stand in front of Wang Zhan. "Don’t worry about anything else. Just protect yourself. We can talk about everything later."

Wang Zhan instinctively wanted to refuse. In his impression, Yao Yao was still a young girl with little Talent in martial arts.

However, he then felt a formidable aura emanating from her, an aura in no way inferior to that of his mentor, Duan Kun! Duan Kun was a seasoned Martial General, a true powerhouse hardened by countless battles on the battlefield.

Yao Yao is now comparable to Duan Kun? Even if it’s just her aura, it’s utterly shocking! Wang Zhan couldn’t comprehend what could have caused such a drastic change in her.

「Meanwhile, Yao Yao was confronting the special envoy.」

"Miss Yao, what is the meaning of this?" the special envoy demanded, his face dark. He had been a hair’s breadth away from obtaining the map.

Looking at Yao Yao shielding Wang Zhan, the special envoy’s heart plummeted.

Yao Yao had a considerable reputation within the Federation. She was the most outstanding product of the Federal Laboratory in many years, and the most successful example of countless human genetic experiments conducted to date. Because of this, Yao Yao’s appearance anywhere automatically associated her with the Federal Laboratory, and she was considered its spokesperson.

The Federal Laboratory, though its name sounded unremarkable, encompassed all the top scientists in the entire Federation. Its purview ranged from genetic experiments to weapons of all kinds, civilian welfare, and even the Martial Arts Path of Martial Artists and the creation of various cultivation resources. Everything was inextricably linked to the Federal Laboratory. It was an institution not renowned for martial strength, yet no one dared to underestimate it.

"The Original Organization is truly formidable," Yao Yao sneered. "If someone hadn’t messaged me, I might have believed this special envoy charade was real. Daring to manipulate even the Federal Martial Arts Tournament—you’ve crossed the line."

The special envoy’s pupils contracted slightly but quickly returned to normal.

"Miss Yao, I don’t understand a single word you’re saying." The special envoy produced his identification. "I am Dong Yingwu, General Qin Guanglu’s personal aide, a colonel in the Military Department. These are my credentials.

"If you still don’t believe me, you can verify my identity with anyone. I guarantee..."

"You can’t guarantee anything," Yao Yao said, waving her hand dismissively to cut him off. "Your identity is real, but that doesn’t stop you from working for the Original Organization, nor does it stop me from doubting you."

A hint of mockery touched Yao Yao’s lips. "Don’t bother trying to explain. The identity of the person who sent me the message is enough for me to be one hundred percent certain."

Hearing this, Dong Yingwu frowned slightly. After a moment of silence, he shook his head and retreated two steps.

"Since Miss Yao is unwilling to believe me, I won’t insist." Dong Yingwu then looked at Wang Zhan. "Student Wang Zhan, keep this map safe for now. Remember, do not look at it under any circumstances, and do not entrust it to anyone else. It would be best if you could deliver it to General Qin in person."

After saying this, Dong Yingwu gave Yao Yao a long, meaningful look, then turned and left without any hesitation.

Once Dong Yingwu had left, Yao Yao immediately grabbed Wang Zhan’s hand. "Let’s find a secluded place to talk. It’s not safe here anymore."

Wang Zhan nodded silently.

Soon, they found a relatively quiet small Pool. A General-level beast had been resting there, but Yao Yao dispatched it with a couple of moves after she appeared. The Pool then temporarily became their resting spot.

Only then did Yao Yao look at Wang Zhan again.

They stared at each other in silence for a moment. Yao Yao’s eyes reddened slightly, the emotions from their long separation finally becoming too much to suppress.

"Brother Zhan, I..."

Her voice had barely begun when she was interrupted, pulled into a tight embrace by Wang Zhan.

"It’s... real," Wang Zhan’s voice sounded beside her ear.

"Wh-what’s real?" Yao Yao’s body trembled slightly. She had never been this close to Wang Zhan before. The sudden hug had completely muddled her thoughts.

Wang Zhan’s voice, husky with emotion, resonated near her ear. "You... you’re real. You’re really not dead! This is wonderful... you’re really not dead!"

"When I first saw you... no, I mean, until the moment I held you in my arms, I couldn’t believe it was true! Yao Yao, this is so wonderful, truly wonderful."

Yao Yao could finally hold back no longer, and tears streamed down her cheeks. Her breathing, initially ragged, gradually calmed as she recalled everything between herself and Wang Zhan: their three years of close companionship in high school; then watching Wang Zhan soar to prominence, her own strong will driving her to keep pace with him.

Later, she was treated as a test subject at the Martial Arts School and then endured a life-and-death struggle at the hands of Yuan Shisan. In just over half a year, she had experienced so much, all to keep up with Wang Zhan, to be able to stand by his side.

And now, at this very moment, she had finally achieved it.

"I missed you so much," Yao Yao murmured softly.

"Me too," Wang Zhan replied.

After a long while, Wang Zhan loosened his embrace.

Their emotions had largely settled, and they both remembered they were still within the Death Forest; it wasn’t the time for reminiscing. More importantly, there was the map Wang Zhan carried. He had already realized its significance, and Yao Yao likely knew a great deal about it.

"So, what exactly does this map show? And why did you come here?" Wang Zhan asked, voicing the questions on his mind.