Chapter 2 — entering the mist
The teleportation array roared to life.
A blinding column of light surged skyward, splitting the clouds like a divine spear. Within it, the world twisted, space folding and bending around two figures trapped inside.
"Turn it off! Turn it off!"
Yuan Xie's scream tore through the chaos, his voice cracking with panic.
Guards rushed forward, slamming against the barrier
Bang! Bang!
but the light screen of the array had already sealed off reality itself. Not even an A-Class Source Ability User could pierce it.
"Turn it off!" Yuan Xie bellowed again, face pale as ash.
The Courier, trembling, could barely form words. "O-once the teleportation array is activated… it cannot be stopped…"
Yuan Xie froze.
His heart turned cold.
Jiang He chuckled, voice calm amidst the blinding light. "Seems you really didn't pay attention in class, Yuan Xie. Forgot your basic common sense?" His smirk deepened. "And here's another bit of knowledgeI wonder if you still remember. Each teleportation array can only be activated once every seven days."
The words hit Yuan Xie like a thunderclap.
Seven days.
That meant he would be trapped in the Border Region for at least seven days.
He knew what that meant no law, no sanctuary, only death lurking in the mist.
"Jiang He!" Yuan Xie roared, his face contorted. "You trying to drag me down with you?!"
Jiang He's eyes glinted coldly. "No. Before I die, I'll beat you to death first."
Then he lunged.
Crack
His fist slammed into Yuan Xie's jaw. Blood sprayed through the air.
"Jiang He, you—!
Another punch cut off the words.
Then another.
And another.
Jiang He's restraint shattered. Every blow carried the fury of two lifetimes
the injustice of the Tribunal, the betrayal of a world that never gave him a chance, and the buried rage of a corporate slave who had once bowed his head to idiotic bosses.
"This… is for everything!"
His fists fell like hammers, fueled by raw catharsis.
Outside the teleportation field, the sun dipped toward the horizon.
The glowing barrier rippled in hues of crimson and gold, the scene within obscured by the swirling light.
By the time the light finally dimmed, the platform was empty.
Only a splatter of blood remained
silent testimony to what had transpired.
Border Region No. 38
When Jiang He opened his eyes, his body screamed in agony.
His bones felt shattered, his muscles torn. Every breath came with searing pain.
He coughed, spitting out a mouthful of thick, clotted blood.
"…Still alive?"
He forced himself upright, blinking through the blur in his vision.
Above him stretched a clear blue sky
identical to that of Jixing City.
But only for a few hundred meters.
Beyond that, the world ended.
A massive wall of mist towered over the horizon, so dense it seemed to devour light itself. It pressed down on the earth like a living thing, a boundary between life and annihilation.
That must be the Chaos Domain, Jiang He realized.
The land where the Guai roam.
Near the edge of the open zone, clusters of crude concrete bunkers dotted the landscape. From them, armed figures emerged
men and women clad in rough armor, faces scarred by survival.
Among them stood a familiar face.
"Yuan Xie…" Jiang He whispered.
He was alive.
Not only alive, but standing upright, smiling obsequiously as he bowed to a middle-aged man with an air of quiet authority.
Jiang He frowned. "How…? I beat him until he couldn't move. How is he standing like nothing happened?"
As if sensing his gaze, Yuan Xie turned, eyes locking with his.
Hatred burned there. Then he leaned closer to the man beside him and whispered something in his ear.
Before Jiang He could move, a voice spoke behind him.
"Sun Zhen. B-Class Source Ability User. The strongest in Border Region No. 38."
Jiang He spun around.
A short, round man stood behind him
barely one point seven meters tall, his plump face gleaming with sweat, eyes sharp beneath thick brows.
"You are?" Jiang He asked warily.
The man grinned, revealing a row of white teeth. "Name's Lu Wenbiao. But just call me Brother Biao."
"…Jiang He."
"Nice to meet you, Brother He." Lu Wenbiao's grin widened as he pointed toward Yuan Xie. "You're wondering how that guy's wounds healed so fast, right?"
"Yeah."
Lu Wenbiao chuckled, rummaging through his pockets until he produced a small wooden box. When he cracked it open, a wave of medicinal fragrance filled the air.
Jiang He's nose twitched. "Your medicine?"
"Nope," Lu Wenbiao said, closing the lid with a snap. "A Priest-type Healer fixed him up. Cost him five hundred Alliance Coins. My medicine's cheaper
only fifty."
"I don't have any money," Jiang He admitted. "Alliance Coins still work here?"
"Of course. You can't buy much here, but people still have families back home. If you earn coins, you can send them through the teleportation array when it reopens in seven days."
Jiang He nodded slowly. "But there aren't that many people in the Border Region. Even if you earned from all of them…"
"Still not enough to get rich," Lu Wenbiao sighed dramatically. "That's why I barter. Got anything valuable?"
"No."
"Then no deal." He pocketed the box with a shrug, then winked. "We'll have a chance to trade again soon. Trust me."
Jiang He managed a faint smile. "I'm afraid there won't be."
"Oh, there will," Lu Wenbiao replied confidently.
He didn't know Jiang He was an Ability Nullifier
a cripple among killers.
In this place, that meant only one fate.
Jiang He exhaled, shifting the topic. "You said that man Sun Zhen is B-Class? Someone of that level can be exiled?"
"Even elites break the law," Lu Wenbiao said with a shrug. "But because he's B-Class, he survived. Now he's the ruler of this outpost."
Jiang He studied the man.
Sun Zhen didn't fit the image of a brute leader. He was tall and lean, perhaps in his forties, his dark hair tied back neatly. A short stubble lined his jaw. His eyes, though calm, carried the weary sharpness of a predator long used to command.
"Boss Sun's not bad," Lu Wenbiao murmured. "But be careful. Out here, the law means nothing. The strong take what they want, and the weak… disappear."
"Understood," Jiang He said quietly.
At that moment, Sun Zhen climbed onto a large rock, his voice cutting through the noise. "Everyone, quiet!"
The camp fell silent.
"Today's assignment
same as yesterday," Sun Zhen announced. "Southern tidal flats. Target: Eye Worms. Their numbers should be thinning out, but remain alert!"
"Yes, sir!" the crowd answered in unison.
"Good. Form your teams. Move in batches!"
Instantly, the soldiers began grouping up friends with friends, veterans with veterans. Within moments, every small unit was formed.
Except one.
Jiang He stood alone on the outskirts, awkward and isolated.
No one wanted dead weight.
Then Sun Zhen's gaze swept the crowd and landed on him.
"Little Biao," he said, "take the newcomer."
Lu Wenbiao saluted lazily. "Got it, Boss!"
Jiang He blinked. "You didn't join a team either?"
Lu Wenbiao chuckled. "I like freelancing. Less drama, more freedom. Come on, rookie
Border Region's not as bad as it looks. Just keep your eyes open, and you might live long enough to hate it."
Jiang He exhaled, nodded, and followed.
And thus, before he could even catch his breath,
his life in the Border Region had already begun.
Notes—
Gaui - is also called as weird , ghouls or trimolpias
Source Ability User Ranks: Classified into six tiers by the Ark Alliance — S, A, B, C, D, and E.
Guai Ranks: Correspond to human ranks — S through E. The stronger the Weird, the more chaotic its nature.
Weakness Principle: Each Weird possesses a hidden flaw. Discovering and exploiting it is the only reliable way to kill them.
Border Region No. 38: A frontier settlement located within the Chaotic Zone. Established and maintained by exiled Source Ability Users.