"According to the mission instructions, i just need to go straight for over thirty kilometers after exiting the South Gate. That's where the Mutated Beasts are gathered."
After confirming her target, Firefly, clad in her sam armor, arrived at the South Gate.
Compared to the East Gate, where many people entered (the one Yui took Firefly through), the South Gate saw more people exiting than entering.
A crowd of people, dressed in armor and carrying weapons and firearms, exited through the South Gate. Beside the South Gate, numerous armor, weapon, and arms shops were open.
Even various signs were erected nearby, displaying either missions to clear out area or to hunt down a powerful Beasts.
'Why do I have a sense of déjà vu, like I'm about to enter a dungeon? Is this really a near-future setting?'
Seeing these scenes that strongly resembled recruiting for a dungeon raid, her brain temporarily froze.
She could only say that the scene before her, aside from lacking terms like 'tank' or 'healer,' felt no different from forming a party in any fantasy story.
"Hello, mister, you look… uh, quite unfamiliar? I see you've been standing still. What's wrong? Did you just arrive at Grenource recently?"
Just then, a voice interrupted Firefly's thoughts. She turned to look in the direction of the voice and saw a very masculine-looking girl waving and walking towards her.
Hearing the girl's words, Firefly considered whether to answer, then nodded, indicating that she had indeed just arrived recently.
"Then it's not strange."
At this point, the girl turned to face the South Gate and said to Firefly:
"Are you seeing this kind of scene for the first time and find it very strange? A bunch of mercenaries looking for teams at the gate to take on missions?"
Firefly nodded again.
The girl's eyes lit up, and then she clenched her right fist and slammed it into her palm, making a 'slap' sound.
"Then I'll have to explain it to you. It's mainly because about five days ago, for some crazy reason, the people from Genesis Technology suddenly wanted to go into the Forbidden Forest Area deep in the forest to research something, so they sent out a research team."
"That research team even had an A+ rank guarding them, thinking they would surely be able to return from the Forbidden Area.'
"But the result was, that research team vanished without a trace after entering for one day, completely lost communication."
"Then, on the third day after the research team disappeared, something seemed to go wrong in the forest. The number of Mutated Beasts began to grow exponentially. The Grenource official forces simply couldn't clear out these Mutated Beasts, so the officials spent a lot of money issuing missions at the Mercenary Association. At that time, the missions to clear out Mutated Beasts were almost overflowing!"
"This led to a shortage of mercenaries. Now, large numbers of mercenaries from other places are pouring into Grenource to accept missions to clear out Mutated Beasts, which has led to the current scene."
After speaking, the girl spread her hands, looking quite helpless.
'Three days after five days ago? Isn't that when I just arrived in this world? Is it a coincidence?'
After listening to the girl's lengthy description, Firefly immediately caught this suspicious timeline.
"Hello, hello, Mr? Big brother? Are you listening?"
Seeing Sam spaced out again, the girl asked him again.
"Forbidden Forest Area?"
"You don't know?"
The girl was a bit strange, but quickly realized, "Oh, then you must be visiting Grenource for the first time."
Before Firefly could nod, the girl continued:
"The Forbidden Forest Area is a region deep within the forest where there seems to be a powerful interfering magnetic field. Any electronic items that enter will cease to function."
"In addition, the giant trees in the forest are tall and lush, which also makes it impossible to observe the internal environment of this area from high altitudes."
"Many mercenaries have gone to explore that forest before, but a strange phenomenon occurred: those with strength below B- couldn't enter, and those with strength B- or above who entered couldn't come out."
"But because this area isn't very large, and no other dangers appeared, the government never managed it."
"So, over time, this place became a Forbidden Area."
"I understand..." After hearing the girl's words, Firefly gained a new understanding of the place, but…
"Thank you for your explanation, but why explain in such detail to a stranger you've just met… what's the reason?"
Firefly frowned slightly in confusion, then the cold metal-covered head of the sam armor turned slightly, precisely "locking onto" the girl in front of her. Her cold, flat electronic synthetic voice had no fluctuations.
A chilling sense of oppression spread from Sam like a tangible entity, instantly enveloping the surrounding space.
"Let's talk nicely! Don't do anything! Don't do anything! If you do, the City Guard will arrest you!"
Feeling this intense pressure, the girl in front of her, like a startled small animal, quickly squatted down, protecting her head, and shouted loudly.
Seeing this, Firefly was stunned. She had only meant to ask the girl a normal question; she hadn't said she was going to act, right?
Moreover, if she really did attack... this head-hugging squat defense probably wouldn't stop it, would it? Shouldn't the first reaction be to run?
"I never intended to act, merely to ask for a reason."
Although a bit confused, Firefly still explained to the girl, indicating she had no ill intentions.
"Phew, that's good…"
Seeing the oppressive feeling disappear, the girl quickly patted her wildly beating heart, then, with trembling legs, stood up by leaning against the wall.
"I just… my teammates got injured, and I wanted to take on a mission myself to earn some credit points to get them treated…"
"But because my ability is rather… strange, no one is willing to team up with me. I can only actively seek out people to join, but I've been rejected by many…"
"You want me to take you on a mission?"
After listening to the girl's description, Firefly instantly understood her meaning.
Seeing that there seemed to be a chance, the girl immediately nodded frantically and said:
"Yes, yes! I'll try my best not to be a burden!"