Landing in Silence,
The deep rumble of the Void Runner's anti-grav engines faded into the whisper of forest wind. Trees swayed gently under the hovering craft, and camo plating shifted across its hull like ink, mirroring the foliage above. Luo Yuchen, now sixteen and sharpened by seven years of discipline and study, stood at the forward hatch with Xing by his side and Xiong Bao lumbering behind.
With a silent nod, he gave the final command.
"Initiate concealment protocol, KORA."
[Acknowledged. Optical camouflage engaged. Perimeter stealth field activated.]
Panels slid shut over the Void Runner's hull as if sealing a secret within nature itself. As the final gleam vanished beneath simulated bark and moss, the forest swallowed the ship whole.
Luo Yuchen turned. Gone was the boy-prince of the Luo Dynasty. Here stood Lan Yuheng.
"From this moment on," he said, adjusting the collar of his simple traveler's cloak, "I am Lan Yuheng. You are Zhuang Niao. Xing... well, you need no name."
At his side, Xing wagged his tail. His form had shifted: gone was the feral fox-hound beast that patrolled the Sovereign's halls. In its place padded a striking Husky, fur a mix of slate-gray and snow-white, his golden eyes still too intelligent for comfort.
Xiong Bao blinked. "Zhuang Niao? But… young master, that name sounds like a... like a wandering chicken."
Yuchen smirked. "Exactly. The less threatening, the better."
Xiong Bao rubbed his nose, his massive hand dwarfing his round face. "I'll protect you even if they laugh at me."
"That, Zhuang Niao, I never doubted."
Crossing into the city was like walking into another world.
The air shimmered with heat and neon. Towers rose like blades of light, cutting through a blanket of fading dusk. The roads were rivers of motion—synth-cars gliding silently, bikes buzzing by in blurs, crowds pouring between crosswalks, lit signs, and street vendors in a chaotic harmony only Shanghai could master.
Xiong Bao inhaled deeply, eyes wide. "It smells like fried dumplings, engine oil, and perfume. All at once."
Yuchen—Lan Yuheng now—nodded. "A living city."
"Young master," Xiong Bao said reverently, "there's too much to choose from. But… if I may…" he beamed, puffing out his chest. "Let this humble bodyguard give you a tour of the wonders I learned about in my secret studies."
Yuchen raised a brow. "Secret studies?"
"Mostly travel vlogs. And a girl from the logistics wing." Xiong Bao coughed.
They started at The Bund, arriving just as the city lit up.
Colonial-era buildings lined the riverside promenade, standing with dignified pride against the sci-fi spires of Pudong across the river. The contrast was dazzling—graceful stone arches on one side, glass and steel dreams on the other.
"Is that the Oriental Pearl Tower?" Yuchen asked, pointing toward the gleaming sphere-laden spire.
"Yes, young master!" Xiong Bao grinned. "It changes color every few minutes!"
As if on cue, the lights shifted—a pulse of crimson to gold. Across the Huangpu River, laser shows played across skyscrapers. Yuchen narrowed his eyes, analyzing the projection tech automatically.
Xing barked softly, pawing at the rail. The breeze tugged at his fur, and he stared into the river's black-glass surface, reflections twisting with time.
They took a Huangpu River cruise, riding along gentle waves as city lights danced on water. Yuchen stood at the prow, arms crossed, quiet.
"What do you think, young master?" Xiong Bao asked.
"It feels... untamed. Alive."
Next came Pudong.
Elevator rides in the Shanghai Tower took them to the clouds. The observation deck glowed with ambient lights, digital maps outlining every inch of the city below.
"Young master," Xiong Bao whispered, breath fogging the glass. "We could fit five Luo fortresses in that city block alone."
Yuchen remained silent, gaze fixed on the blur of light and life below. The scale of the world outside their borders was no longer theory. It was real.
In the Ritz-Carlton Skybar, they sat at a corner table. Xiong Bao drank an overpriced soda, pinky raised comically high, while Yuchen sipped imported oolong.
"You look like a prince," a passing waitress murmured. Yuchen gave her a simple nod, gaze still lingering on the skyline.
"The stars are drowning in lights," he murmured.
"The city has no sky, young master. Just reflections."
They descended into the pulse of Nanjing Road.
Bright signs. Towering billboards. Street dancers, food vendors, crowds so thick that Yuchen instinctively kept a hand near his blade-armored wristband.
Xiong Bao marveled at shoes with auto-adjust heels and jackets made of memory-fabric that changed color with heart rate.
"Look at this, young master! Shoes that massage your feet when you run!"
Yuchen smiled faintly. "Your father would say to train harder instead."
Xing sat on his haunches, tongue out, while passersby snapped photos. One girl bent to pet him, only to freeze as Xing's golden eyes bore into her. She fled.
"Still too wolf," Yuchen muttered.
Ducking away from the neon glare, they entered the heart of the Old City.
Curved eaves. Cobblestone paths. Lanterns swaying like memories.
Yuchen felt something stir deep in his chest as they crossed the threshold into Yuyuan Garden. Stone bridges curved over koi-filled ponds. Willow trees wept into still water.
A tea house offered them sanctuary. Xiong Bao slurped noisily, while Yuchen admired the ancient calligraphy hung near the window.
"This," Yuchen said softly, "is the kind of peace we fought to preserve."
Xiong Bao blinked. "You mean... we can fight for dumplings too, right? These are amazing."
Tianzifang was a maze of color and sound.
Street artists painted murals in real time. Handcrafted lanterns flickered. Boutique stores sold miniature mechs carved from wood and stone.
Yuchen bought a small crimson fox statue for Xing.
Xiong Bao tried on a silk scarf, posing in front of a mirror.
"Do I look mysterious?"
"You look like a dancing curtain."
Their steps grew slower in the French Concession.
Tree-lined avenues whispered of slower times. The city felt different here—gentler. Cafés hid behind ivy-covered fences, and wine bars whispered stories from another century.
They dined at a rustic rooftop restaurant.
"It's odd," Xiong Bao mused, chewing thoughtfully. "No one here knows who you are. Yet you still feel like a young master."
"Power doesn't vanish with a name," Yuchen replied. "It merely waits to be remembered."
They ended the tour at Century Park.
The trees muffled the city, and the grass felt softer than any battlefield could offer. Xing ran along the lake, chasing birds.
Xiong Bao paddled a boat with comedic overenthusiasm, nearly tipping it twice.
Yuchen sat beneath a willow tree, watching sunbeams filter through the branches. The moment was simple.
And precious.
Night fell like silk.
They chose a prestigious hotel near the city center—a blend of futuristic design and old-world charm. A penthouse suite was reserved under the name Lan Yuheng.
The room overlooked the Bund, city lights twinkling like fireflies.
Xiong Bao collapsed onto the velvet couch with a satisfied groan.
"Young master... Shanghai is loud. But I like it."
Yuchen stood at the window, arms crossed.
"It's beautiful," he admitted. "But beauty without strength invites wolves."
Xing barked in agreement, curling at his feet.
Tomorrow, they would begin the real mission.
But tonight...
Tonight, they were just two strangers and a dog, staring into the blaze of a city that had never heard of the Sovereign's flame.
The sun rose like a muted drum behind Shanghai's skyline, casting long shadows through the high windows of their penthouse suite. Lan Yuheng stood at the corner of the lounge, already dressed in a muted charcoal-gray urban coat, his silver-black hair tied back in a low knot. His gaze was calm, but his mind raced.
"Zhuang Niao," he called.
Xiong Bao, mid-stretch on the carpet and still half asleep, blinked groggily. "Yes, young master?"
"Today we investigate the guilds. We walk in silence, observe everything, speak only when needed. If someone asks about our background, we're brothers-in-arms from the western frontier. Understood?"
Xiong Bao rubbed his nose and nodded. "Understood."
Xing, now comfortably shaped as a Siberian Husky, padded beside them as they left. His golden eyes flicked from side to side with unusual awareness.
Shanghai, the fractured haven of mercenaries in China, didn't hide its chaos. The city had a strange rhythm. On the surface—glamour and lights; below—power plays, information trade, and veiled threats.
Yuheng and Zhuang Niao spent the day weaving through this dichotomy.
They started at the open-air bazaar in the southern quarter, where freelance bounty hunters displayed monster pelts and mech trophies like medals. Guild recruiters watched from behind folding tables with blinking scanners and drones.
"Eastern Hounds," Xiong Bao whispered, gesturing toward a group of scarred men in green exo-suits. "Rumors say they use S-rank beast organs in their augmentations."
Yuheng nodded, noting the pattern of mech-enhancement ports on one warrior's arms. "Reckless modders. Good in war, short-lived in peace."
They moved on.
The central plaza of the city had more refined Guilds.
The Crimson Summit, known for elite assassins, displayed a demo booth where a thin, scarred woman disassembled and reassembled a railgun in under six seconds.
Guild of Three Moons seemed deceptively civilian, but its merchants sold advanced energy systems, gene-mod stimulants, and mech tuning cores.
Silent Tide Syndicate ran a luxurious-looking corner establishment—inside, people signed contracts with finger-prick blood scans.
By dusk, they had mapped over thirty mid to high-tier guilds.
Back in their suite, Yuheng uploaded everything to KORA.
[Analysis received. Compiling threat index and cross-reference profiles.]
"We'll need influence," Yuheng muttered. "To make our move later."
The sun climbed again.
Yuheng, Zhuang Niao, and Xing left early for the central tower of the World Federation.
It stood as a pillar of modern architecture—gilded plates, steel-glass symmetry, and the emblem of unity above all: a globe wrapped in ten silver wings.
The main hall was flooded with mercenaries.
Mech pilots in neural suits. Beast hunters with bandoliers of plasma darts. Awakened types with glowing sigils across their foreheads.
Lines extended across the marbled floor.
They joined the line.
While waiting, holo-screens played recruitment ads, contract highlights, and elite ranking boards. One ad played repeatedly:
"World Federation: Honor your strength. Join the frontline of civilization."
After an hour, they reached the front.
A bespectacled attendant greeted them. "Names?"
"Lan Yuheng and Zhuang Niao," Yuheng replied.
"Beast familiar too?"
"Support type. Registered under our group."
The woman typed swiftly, then looked up.
"You're new, so let me give you the essentials."
She tapped a screen. A massive interactive hologram emerged behind her desk.
[Mercenary Guild Classification & Ranking System - Overview Begins]
She explained it like a ritual:
Ranks 1 through 5. From Rookie Contractors to Legendary Mercenaries.
Specialization Categories: Awakened, Mech Pilots, Beast Hunters, Naval Operators, Hybrid Specialists.
Contract Classes I to V. Difficulty scaled. Payment multiplied. Death risk real.
Membership Tiers: Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum.
Advancement Criteria: Reputation, contracts, peer recognition.
"You'll start at Rank 1," she concluded. "Your ID card will have a tracker and payment sync. Do not lose it. Do not tamper with it."
"Understood," Yuheng said calmly.
She handed them their black-gold registration cards.
Lan Yuheng: Rank 1 Mech Pilot | Beast Hunter (Dual-Class)
Zhuang Niao: Rank 1 Combat Specialist | Hybrid Support
Group Status: Pending Guild Association
"You can accept solo missions or register as an independent squad. Guild recruitment opens weekly. Until then, build your reputation."
Yuheng nodded. "Thank you."
They left the counter.
Xiong Bao stared at his card. "Young master... this feels official."
"It is. Our cover story must be flawless. And now, we step into the game they created."
Xing wagged his tail, his expression unreadable.
[KORA: Proximity surveillance enabled. Infiltration program initiated. Objective: Analyze all mission postings for optimal insertion points.]
The fire in Shanghai had only begun to flicker.
Tomorrow, they'd light the flame.
The early morning sky over Shanghai bled with silver light. From their high-rise suite, Lan Yuheng stood calmly at the central console table, sipping hot green tea while flipping through mission data. He spoke without raising his voice.
"KORA, segregate all Class-1 standard missions focused on beast elimination and resource collection from the mercenary board. Priority filter: Shanghai and surrounding outskirts. Book every available one."
[KORA: Processing request… Filtering mission database: Class-1. Objectives: Beast Elimination, Resource Collection. Total identified: 1,428.]
[Booking all available missions under registered mercenary unit LAN-YH-01. Confirming… Locking assignments… Completed.]
Xiong Bao—Zhuang Niao—froze mid-chew with a half-eaten bun in his hand. "We just booked every low-level outdoor contract in this entire city. Young master… that's a whole battalion's worth of work."
Lan Yuheng set his tea down, eyes calm and calculating. "Which means we control supply and field reputation before any other rising team gets their shot. The guild will either blacklist us or watch us with interest. Either outcome is valuable."
[KORA: Guild backend experiencing overload. Other mercenary teams reporting blockouts. Subcontract requests anticipated within next 48 hours.]
He turned to Bao. "Pack your bags. We're heading back to the Void Runner.
Back at the outskirts of Shanghai, within the heavily camouflaged perimeter of the forest clearing, the Void Runner shimmered into existence—its active camouflage field deactivated as soon as Lan Yuheng's biometrics passed the perimeter.
Xing—the celestial hound—transformed back into his default beast form, padding silently ahead as the ramp descended.
Inside the cargo bay, the two hangars containing the Crimson Sword and Siege Breaker mechs were silent, dormant, and armed.
In the nearby equipment chamber, both young warriors began preparing.
Lan Yuheng calmly donned his layered black-and-red armor suit—a neural-link exo-shell forged from lightweight alloy, shock-absorbent mesh, and reactive memory fiber. From the weapons rack, he selected:
1 elegant straight sword in black Metallic scabbard with silver-etched on it, 2 slim throwing daggers with auto-return chips, 1 long-range plasma sniper rifle with quantum scope, 1 plasma revolver with dual-mode stun and burst, a compact med-kit, energy boosters, and terrain-adapted breather mask
Across the bay, Zhuang Niao—already clad in his heavy orange-plated combat armor with yellow trim—loaded his own gear:
1 massive siege hammer, 1 reinforced riot shield with kinetic absorption panels, 1 plasma revolver with larger caliber, 1 carbon dagger with thick-bladed, 1 military-grade semi-auto plasma rifle with grenade launcher attachment, Some packs of high-calorie protein bars and Emergency supplies.
Bao grinned, slapping the side of his siege hammer. "This one's gonna bash a few skulls today. I can feel it!"
Lan Yuheng fastened the final buckle on his chest plate and glanced sideways. "What about the mechs, you ask?"
Bao nodded. "We bringing Crimson Sword and Siege Breaker?"
Lan Yuheng's expression was steady. "Only if needed. KORA will deliver them on-site by air-drop or deploy by hover insertion. Until then… we move light."
[KORA: All systems green. Standby mode disengaged. Awaiting destination parameters.]
Lan Yuheng activated the mission grid again, bringing up the tactical overlays and mapping systems inside the Void Runner's main cabin.
"KORA, calculate the nearest mission clusters within Pudong, Baoshan, and Fengxian. Estimate distance, terrain difficulty, average enemy threat level, and expected time of completion."
[Analyzing...]
[Mission Clusters Identified:]
Pudong Ridge Sector (Sector 3): 112 missions – Distance: 15.3 km – Estimated time: 18 hours
Baoshan Outland Swamps: 89 missions – Distance: 28.7 km – Estimated time: 23 hours
Fengxian Ravine Paths: 143 missions – Distance: 33.5 km – Estimated time: 26 hours
[Priority Suggested: Pudong Ridge Sector. Closest distance. Highest mission density.]
Lan Yuheng nodded. "We'll start with Pudong Ridge. Load the targeting nav. Prep launch."
[Confirmed. Setting trajectory path. Void Runner initiating silent takeoff.]
Back in Shanghai, the World Federation Hub was in chaos.
Lines of mercenaries were stunned to find their selected contracts suddenly… gone.
[Notice: Mission ID #SHPD-0413 – Locked by LAN-YH-01] [Notice: Mission ID #SHFY-0682 – Locked by LAN-YH-01]
Forum pages erupted:
[Thread] Who the hell is LAN-YH-01?
@SteelFang: Took my whole week's resource run. Bastards.
@RazorHound: Two-man team. Booked 1400+ Class-1s. Total madness.
@DeadeyeTian: They'll collapse. Watch.
@StormGhost: Or they'll rise. Depends how fast they deliver.
The Void Runner's engines powered up with a silent pulse, magnetic lift elevating it gently before it shimmered back into stealth mode.
From the skies, it disappeared.
Inside the cockpit, Lan Yuheng stood at the central command column, arms crossed.
Zhuang Niao finished loading a protein bar into his mouth. "We really doing this, young master? All these missions back-to-back?"
Lan Yuheng didn't look away from the HUD. "Not all at once. But enough to make a name. And gather intelligence."
Xing barked once, sharp and ready.
Bao smirked. "Let's go kill some monsters."
[Destination Approaching: Pudong Ridge Sector. ETA: 6 minutes.]
[Auto-deploy hatches armed. Mid-range weapon deployment ready. Targeting array active.]
Lan Yuheng sheathed his sword.
"Show me what Shanghai's wilderness has to offer."
The World Federation Headquarters in Shanghai buzzed with confused activity. The contract terminal systems, which had just cleared thousands of Class-1 missions for general distribution, now registered a single unit—LAN-YH-01—as the sole holder of every beast elimination and resource collection task across all districts.
Mission control officers stared in disbelief at their terminals.
"This can't be right," muttered Chief Operator Ma Fen as she reviewed the logs. "All 1,428 contracts, gone in under thirty seconds. Bulk-locked by a fresh registration."
A younger analyst near her tapped furiously at his console. "Confirmed, Chief. Two individuals—mercenary IDs: Lan Yuheng and Zhuang Niao. No prior records, no completed contracts. Just... poof, mission blackout."
"Someone just black-holed an entire tier of mission availability," said another. "There are over 2,000 lower-ranked mercenaries who now have no Class-1 jobs."
Commander Zhu Yu of Internal Affairs frowned. "Monitor their progress. If they actually pull this off, we might have more than a fluke on our hands. If they fail, penalize accordingly. Either way—flag LAN-YH-01. Priority status."
Within the underground mercenary forums, the outcry reached fever pitch.
HunterNova_88: "Yo what the hell is LAN-YH-01? Can someone explain why all the cleanup missions are gone?"
IronWolf92: "My entire team prepped for that Fengxian Quarry run. Gone. Who does this?"
ZhouCrimson: "It's a rookie group. Two-man cell. Registered yesterday. No contracts done. Either dumb or dangerous."
ScarbladeOrder: "We should 'greet' them personally. Take some contracts near theirs. See if they survive."
KyraGlass: "Or they're geniuses. If they complete even 20% of those contracts, their rep skyrockets."
In the eastern outskirts of Pudong's Fang Ridge, the Void Runner decloaked silently in a clearing shrouded by ancient trees and creeping fog.
[KORA: Arrival confirmed. Zone: Sector 7, Fang Ridge. Estimated mutated beast population: 67. Resource nodes: 42.]
Lan Yuheng stepped down in full armor, his silver, gold-lined plating reflecting the filtered sunlight. His sword strapped across his back, sniper rifle holstered over his shoulder, and plasma revolver gleaming on his hip.
Zhuang Niao followed, clad in his bulkier, burnt-orange armor reinforced at the joints. His siege hammer rested on his shoulder while the large shield clamped to his left arm.
Xing shifted from his hound form, sleek and feral, his obsidian-black coat almost invisible in the shaded underbrush.
"KORA, status on beast density within one kilometer?" Lan Yuheng whispered.
[35 minor threats. Three Class-D howlers. One Class-C tuskbeast. All active.]
Zhuang Niao cracked his neck. "Finally, something to punch."
They moved as one—Yuheng slipping through the underbrush like a phantom, Niao drawing attention with heavy stomps to lure the creatures.
The first contact came quickly. A trio of low-level fangrats erupted from the nearby foliage, baring needle-sharp fangs.
Yuheng moved first— a dagger flicked from his sleeve and embedded into one's throat. The second met his sword in a clean vertical arc, bisected before it squealed. The third, trying to retreat, caught a plasma round from his revolver.
Zhuang Niao slammed his shield into a charging tuskbeast, stopping it mid-charge, before sweeping its legs with his hammer. One overhead blow crushed the skull with a wet crunch.
"Nice hit," Yuheng commented.
"Wasn't even trying yet," Zhuang Niao said, grinning under his helmet.
[KORA: Threats neutralized. Beginning resource scanning. Bioluminescent spores detected, medicinal value: Tier-2. Collection initiated.]
While Xing guarded the perimeter, Yuheng knelt near a spore colony and began careful extraction. He used a nanomask to prevent inhalation and collected them into bio-sealed canisters.
In three hours, they had eliminated over fifty minor beasts, three tuskbeasts, and a serpentine crawler that tried ambushing them from a tree hollow.
KORA's Internal Log – Priority Unit Performance Summary.....
Mission Block: Pudong Sector 7
Beasts Eliminated: 58 (confirmed)
Resources Collected: 22/42 nodes complete
Injuries Sustained: None
Ammunition Used: 4% (Lan Yuheng), 12% (Zhuang Niao)
Fatigue Levels: Minimal
Projected Completion Time for Pudong Sector: 16 hours remaining
Performance Score: 97.4% Efficiency
Inside the Federation's intel department, Mission Analyst Lei Rong watched the real-time contract updates.
"They're clearing sectors like professionals," she muttered. "Kill-confirm timestamps are too fast for rookies. Either their gear is top tier—or they're faking IDs."
Commander Zhu crossed his arms. "Keep watching. Track when and how they escalate. If they break into Class-2 before the week's end, we escalate too."
Meanwhile, in the forums, a tone shift began.
ShadowMire: "Reports say LAN-YH-01 cleared 50+ beast nodes today. No backup. No subcontracting. WTF."
VultureDagger: "I followed their signal trail. Saw them in action. They move like Tier-3 veterans. That big guy? Fought off a tuskbeast barehanded after his hammer got stuck."
InkBlade: "I might offer a subcontract. These guys are scary efficient."
By the time twilight blanketed the forest, Lan Yuheng and Zhuang Niao had carved out a kill zone.
Xing rested atop a boulder, his muzzle red with ichor.
Zhuang Niao bit into a protein bar and sat on a fallen log. "We should've packed more snacks."
"We'll resupply after clearing three more nodes," Yuheng said. He wiped his blade clean, eyes scanning the treeline.
[KORA: Nightfall risk increased. Mutated Lupine packs often become active post-sundown. Estimated threat convergence in 90 minutes.]
"We'll use it," Yuheng murmured. "Ambush them during their own hunt."
Zhuang Niao grinned, rising to his feet and hammering his fists together. "Young master, you're always five steps ahead."
"Stay alive and keep up, Niao. That's all I ask."
The moonlight filtered through mist and shattered leaves, and LAN-YH-01 moved again—one step closer to becoming a legend.