Chapter 9: Encounter with the Rift Leopard

Of course, she saw nothing at all.

After hiding, Ye Mi replayed the scene in her mind, her electronic eye flickering with emotionless red light.

The brown-haired girl’s eyes were heterochromatic: one black, one white. The white one was an artificial eye.

Ye Mi recognized it: the A-65 model prosthetic eye produced by OC Corporation, equipped with a connection chip for data analysis, field-of-view adjustment, combat trajectory assistance, and other features. It was exorbitantly priced—one and a half million credits.

What did that mean, exactly? Before she lost her sight, Ye Mi had worked in a department of OC Corporation’s subsidiary, laboring from dawn until midnight, seven days a week, for a monthly wage of just three thousand credits.

If she neither ate nor drank nor paid for lodging, it would have taken her nearly forty-two years to afford one.

And yet, this prosthetic eye—an astronomical luxury for Ye Mi—was worn by a girl who looked no older than herself. The difference between people truly was staggering.

If she had possessed that kind of money back then, would her eyes never have gone blind? Would she have been spared so much humiliation?

Ye Mi indulged in these fantasies, but felt nothing at all.

Hearing the team advancing, she quietly slipped away from the ruins, concealed her presence, and followed closely behind them.

This squad clearly had a purpose. Ye Mi was deeply curious about what they were up to—and whether she might have a chance to intercept whatever black market deal they were after.

She wasn’t worried about being discovered. The brown-haired girl’s abilities were plainly marked on her uniform: D-minus, and the fact that she was still lingering in Zone One made it clear that this squad lacked the capacity to explore Zone Two—at least for now.

Ye Mi was familiar with the Exploration Department’s protocols. Even if they were equipped with bio-detectors, as long as she shielded her heart, there was no way she could be detected.

So, with their skills insufficient and their instruments unable to counter her, she had no qualms about shadowing them—even if she couldn’t win in a fight.

“But… why do those Rust Tide mutants always leave their hearts exposed, just asking to be shot?” Ye Mi muttered inwardly in confusion. She had long since shielded her own heart within her body.

Perhaps it was because they hadn’t evolved yet, or maybe it was so they could recognize their own kind more easily—after all, they did love to acknowledge kin. After pondering, Ye Mi could only think of these two reasons.

The light rain continued to fall.

Before long, the low growls of beasts echoed ahead.

The three-person squad halted, confronted by two creatures as large as small cars, blocking their path.

They were rust-red, about three and a half meters long, resembling cheetahs, but their bodies were covered in jagged, irregular spikes, and their mouths split back to the ears, lined with spiral fangs.

Such monsters were a common sight in the Light Ruins. The Defense Bureau named them Rift Leopards—one of the primary threats in Zone One.

They were famed for their speed, able to appear behind prey in an instant, mauling them in a heartbeat. However, their eyes had degenerated, leaving them almost blind. They couldn’t see anything that wasn’t moving. Their strength was rated at D-level, which was precisely why exploration squads in Zone One were always led by at least one D-level ability user.

Yet, thanks to humanity’s terrifying incursion speed and rampant energy extraction, Zone One’s energy was dwindling, and monsters had grown scarce. Encountering two Rift Leopards at once was rare.

“Whoa, a double leopard ambush.”

Ye Mi, assessing the situation, immediately hid, choosing a perfectly safe vantage point before fixing her gaze on the distant battle.

She sincerely hoped the two Rift Leopards would leave the squad battered and broken.

The brown-haired girl looked grim. Such rare occurrences, and it just had to be them.

“Captain…”

Before the team member could finish, the Rift Leopard on the left crouched low, the spikes along its spine bristling—a prelude to attack.

The brown-haired girl didn’t have time for explanations. She could only bark, “I’ll hold off the one on the right. You two take the left!”

As soon as the words left her mouth, a rust-red blur lunged from the curtains of rain.

Her pupils contracted. Instinctively, she drew her long blade, slashing as claws met steel, sparks flaring.

The battle happened in a flash. The Rift Leopard was blindingly fast; she barely managed to parry, but a spike tore her shoulder open, blood gushing freely.

Pain made her grit her teeth—she couldn’t fall. Her teammates were locked in their own struggle, and her survival was tied to theirs. She had to endure.

On the other side, the two E-level team members fought together against the other Rift Leopard, but even so, it was a desperate struggle. One had his arm bitten, the other was thrown violently to the ground.

They understood how hard their captain was fighting, but they had no choice but to hang on. The Rift Leopard was relentless, giving them no chance to breathe. In a heartbeat, it was about to sink its teeth into the wounded man’s head.

“Die!”

With a roar, the man jammed a grenade into the creature’s gaping maw as it lunged.

The instant before detonation, his hand was shredded by the closing jaws.

Boom!

The blast flung him backward, slamming him against a rock wall. Blood and flesh from the Rift Leopard sprayed everywhere.

Shrapnel ripped bloody gashes across his chest and legs—blood poured out, impossible to staunch.

Meanwhile, the brown-haired girl was close to collapse. She couldn’t spare a glance at her teammates, only grit her teeth and endured.

Her ability was combat enhancement—not especially rare or powerful. She could only rely on her heightened abilities and the weapons at her disposal.

Fortunately, her teammate’s self-sacrificial move eliminated one Rift Leopard, giving the other a chance to help their captain. With two against one, the remaining Rift Leopard was soon brought down.

But all three were gravely wounded—the scene was nothing short of brutal.

“A savage, all-or-nothing fight.”

Ye Mi watched from afar, clicking her tongue in amazement, mentally narrating as though she were munching popcorn.

The Rift Leopards had appeared at the perfect moment—a classic case of the mantis stalking the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind. Now, it was her turn to act.

In her field of vision, the brown-haired girl was helping the teammate with the severed arm, her hands shaking as she injected a painkiller.

“Hold on… don’t… go…”

The broken, stuttering words reached Ye Mi’s ears. She could easily guess the sentiment—don’t pass out, hang in there, wait for rescue.

If they were the sentimental type, perhaps they’d even say, “Why are you so foolish!” or “Don’t leave us!” The very thought made Ye Mi shudder in disgust.

Staying hidden among the surrounding structures, she crept closer. The nearer she drew, the clearer the voices became. Through the rain, the brown-haired girl’s words reached her: “Go… to the laboratory…”

Ye Mi paused, not making her move just yet, but instead, like a ghost, silently followed after them.