Chapter 113: Enemy TerritoryMeanwhile, while Adyr was off scaring a man into shitting himself and interrogating him about the Cannibal’s whereabouts, a five-man STF unit sat around a small fire, some distance from the settlement, staring at a young blonde girl with startled expressions.

    "So you’re telling me a man wearing the same uniform as us dropped you off here... and then just left?" Kara asked, her brown eyes narrowing as she looked at the girl sitting calmly across from her, holding two water bottles like they were treasure.

    "Yes. Brother said there are other big brothers and sisters here, and they can give me good food," Zelda replied. Her sharp eyes scanned the area, but when she didn’t find anything that resembled food, she pouted.

    Kara watched her for a moment, then pulled a canned dessert from her supply bag. She opened it and handed it to the girl. "This brother—do you know his name?"

    Zelda accepted the dessert with a bright expression and nodded. "Yes. He said his name is Adyr."

    Just as Kara had suspected. Her description matched him exactly, but she still couldn’t figure out why Adyr had left the girl here. The team had only been out on a routine sweep. When they returned, she was just sitting there, waiting for them.

    "Do you have a family?" Kara asked, trying to get a clearer picture.

    The girl flinched, nodded at first, then quickly shook her head. "I had a father, but big brother said he went somewhere far away."

    "Far away? Where?" Derek asked from where he was sitting.

    "I don’t know. It’s good he’s gone," Zelda said, not looking up as she ate the dessert with steady spoonfuls. Her face looked genuinely content.

    Kara and the others didn’t press the question. They didn’t need to be Adyr to notice the bruises on her arms.

    "I guess we’re keeping her for now?" Derek asked. She was alone, with no one to rely on. Leaving a child to fend for herself in this chaotic world would be a death sentence.

    Kara nodded. Rescuing civilians hadn’t been part of their objective, but in the field, orders could always change. "I’ll inform headquarters."

    And with that, Zelda’s new future began, one where she might find a little happiness... and maybe even more water bottles.

    —

    Above a terrain ravaged by war, charred and cratered with the marks of long-forgotten battles, the night sky stretched heavy and suffocating like a curtain of ash.

    Cutting through that darkness, a creature flew with silent force, its wings snapping sharply as it glided across the sky with unnatural grace, carving a clean line through the air.

    Its snow-white wings caught even the faintest trace of light, piercing the black with a brilliance that made them resemble a holy weapon. With every beat, it launched itself forward, covering large distances with precision and speed.

    It’s too dark. Adyr looked down. Even with his enhanced stats, his vision couldn’t make out the finer details. The moon was trapped behind layers of thick, filthy clouds, offering no support.

    Still, he kept flying.

    He had already extracted everything he needed from Zelda’s father. The coordinates were locked clearly in his mind. Even if he had to fly blind, as long as he followed that mental target, he knew he would reach something. He wasn’t about to give up the advantage the night provided.

    He was heading toward what was likely the Cannibal’s base—a place that could be crawling with strong enemies. Charging in without a plan would be suicide. In a place like that, stealth and silence were the only logical approach.

    While gliding forward, he considered testing his Burst Hop skill mid-air. This was exactly the type of situation he had envisioned when choosing to acquire that Spark. sea??h thё NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    He burned 0.1 energy from his reserves and activated the skill.

    The muscles in his legs tightened violently, trembling and heating under the pressure. In the same instant, condensed vibrations erupted from his feet, discharging downward and kicking against the open air. The force tore through the sky and launched him forward like a missile, trailing a sonic boom behind him.

    BOOM.

    The sky echoed with the blast, and the torn ground far below trembled in response. Adyr shot through the air with brutal speed, the wind slamming against his face and tearing at his skin. The pressure built against his wings, but the feathers absorbed and dispersed it with ease.

    This is better than I thought. He kept his mouth shut against the wind pressure, trying to force its way in. At this speed, even breathing was a challenge.

    The skill was excellent for sudden bursts of acceleration, and when paired with gliding, it helped him maintain speed over long distances. It consumed almost no energy and didn’t overload his body or wings. In fact, not having to flap constantly reduced overall fatigue.

    Back when he had first evolved and gained his wings, even staying aloft for a short time had drained him. Now, with his improved stats and this skill, long-range flight was finally practical.

    Of course, finding a flying Spark to use as a mount was still the smarter long-term strategy. But until he found one and saved up enough crystals to claim it, this method was more than efficient enough.

    Adyr kept using his skill a few more times whenever he felt himself slowing down, maintaining a straight flight path as he continued deeper into unfamiliar territory. As he flew farther into the zone, he began to notice the air thickening—heavier, more contaminated. Even with his high [Resilience] stat, it was starting to feel uncomfortable.

    He was approaching the heart of one of the regions where nuclear bombs and chemical weapons had once been unleashed. It also meant he was getting close to the Cannibal’s headquarters. First-generation mutants of significant power were often born in such places, so it made sense that one would choose a site like this for shelter.

    It wasn’t long before he started noticing changes on the ground—structures, movement, and faint sources of light. Adjusting his flight, he hovered above what looked like a small, makeshift fortress.

    "Hah. Looks like I found you," Adyr muttered with a faint smile, eyes fixed on the crude structure below.

    From its windows and openings, dim light spilled outward, breaking the darkness. He could even see figures patrolling—night watchmen wandering the perimeter.

    There was no doubt. This was the gang’s headquarters.

    Instead of diving in, Adyr landed nearby, choosing caution over haste. The flight had been smooth and quiet, but fatigue had started to set in. He wasn’t planning to attack until his strength had fully returned.

    He settled between a pair of rocks on a high ridge, choosing a vantage point with a clear line of sight to the entire compound, and began observing silently.

    The structure appeared to be made from rusted, mismatched sheets of metal, mostly tin and weak steel. It wasn’t exactly sturdy, but it was large. At first glance, it could have housed two or three hundred people. But based on the movement patterns and the scattered lights leaking through gaps, Adyr estimated there were likely no more than one hundred to one hundred fifty inside. It was only a rough guess; the data wasn’t precise enough for anything more.

    He paid particular attention to the guards.

    They looked bored, detached, and careless. None of them moved with discipline or alertness. Their posture reeked of overconfidence. They clearly weren’t expecting trouble.

    Adyr made a mental note of it.

    They were disorganized, lazy, and likely hadn’t seen real conflict in a long time. Being the dominant force in the area had made them complacent. Their defenses were soft.

    He came to the same conclusion about their internal security. If the outside was this poorly maintained, the inside wouldn’t be much better.

    After committing every observable detail to memory and mapping out a rough plan in his mind, Adyr stood up. He was ready to move.