Chapter 160. Heading to the inner perimeter

The downpour was heavy.

It was currently morning in zone zero. But the thick fog and towering canopies made the day look no different from night.

Lightning and thunder flashed all over.

Aiden left his current hiding spot.

His figure dashed through the terrain with swift speed.

Since his arrival in zone zero, he had traversed the outer perimeter. He knew the place like the back of his hand. Currently, all the rank 2 creatures in the outer perimeter were dead and Aiden had absorbed their blood essence. What remained were terrifying rank 3 chaotic beasts.

Aiden had already planned to only engage rank 3 chaotic beasts from afar, using the remainder of his poisons. He had taken the remaining poisons beneath the corpses of the chaotic beasts and added them to the ones he had decided to keep earlier. Aiden was, however, aware that unless absolutely necessary, he would not engage with rank 3 chaotic beasts, even if he had the poisons.

He would keep them for emergency situations where he encountered intermediate rank 3 and beginner rank 3 chaotic beasts and he could not run away. As for advanced, expert, and legendary rank 3 chaotic beasts, he would try as much as he could to stay away from them completely. He didn’t want to die.

His primary focus was to hunt legendary rank 2 chaotic beasts. Since the legendary rank 2 chaotic beasts of the outer perimeter were dead, he had to enter the inner perimeter.

He was very familiar with the outer perimeter, but he was a stranger to the inner perimeter.

Aiden’s enhanced vision, smell, and hearing operated with full throttle. He passed through the outer perimeter with effortless precision. He avoided traps, biological hazards, and camouflaged predators with ease because he knew the outer perimeter like the back of his hand.

Very soon, he noticed from his scan that the perimeter ahead looked no different from where he currently was. However, unlike the outer perimeter, the fog there was thicker, the camouflaged predators were uncountable, and the biological hazards were almost everywhere.

Aiden could not see everywhere in the inner perimeter from his scan. But he saw that the inner perimeter didn’t even have any ruins there. At least from what he saw. There were no broken buildings and rusted vehicles. They had been completely buried by the ravages of time.

All he saw ahead was a thick, heavy rainforest with icy terrains, towering tree canopies, and dreadful environments. There were even mountains, rivers, lakes, and waterfalls there.

At least from what he saw.

Aiden’s gaze narrowed as he looked towards a particular direction. He saw several colossal legendary rank 2 chaotic beasts in one direction of the inner perimeter. The creatures were gallivanting in and out of a cold lake. Streaks of ice flashed across their figures. Each time they breathed, clouds of vapor formed across them.

The creatures were fishes. They had huge thick scales with huge dark fins. When they leapt out of the water, they opened their mouths to yawn. Aiden saw their terrifying razor-sharp teeth with streaks of ice flickering across it. Clearly, these predators had the ice affinity.

"So far, that place seems to be the only safe location for me."

Aiden initially thought of shaping his blood into the shape of a chaotic beast. Then, he’d enter it to navigate the inner perimeter. This was a method he used to navigate the oceans of the pocket world he entered in BurningSands City for a while. He also used a similar method to evade the attention of certain beasts in the Ashen Wastelands for a while.

But he had noticed the chaotic beasts in zone zero were very wild. That wouldn’t work here.

They were very predatory and even ate each other. If he tried that, it would only invite more targets on his back.

It was better to venture the place covertly.

With his crimson armor and two crimson daggers in hand, Aiden shot towards the direction of the large lake.

****

The air of the Cyrenthia Empire Frontlines was currently warm.

Unlike the Eldorath Empire which was currently experiencing winter, it was currently summer in the Cyrenthia Empire.

The sun spared no one from the heat.

"Fuck this weather," Major Dominio Stele cursed as he used a handkerchief to clean sweat from his forehead.

He passed through several operatives who were currently going about their business.

He had urgent news to report. He had just received a message from the second team sent to zone zero.

However, just when the message began to play, the voice at the other end went silent. Only static was heard after that.

Stele realized that they were dead.

Zone zero was more dangerous than they had anticipated.

The higher-ups had to know this.

He entered a room full of generals and admirals of sector 9 of the Frontlines.

He shifted his legs together and performed a crisp military salute.

"At ease, Major." The head admiral of sector 3, a pretty woman with a domineering bearing chairing the meeting, spoke.

The higher-ups in the room, all legendary rank 3 warriors, looked at him with admiration and respect. This major had a very bright future.

Stele obeyed the order.

"Report what you have, Major. How’s the team fairing?" The head admiral said.

"Ma’ams, sirs, this is the comm message that was sent to me by the second team we sent after the first team went radio silent."

He tapped on a button.

A message began to play.

[Command, this is team 2 of operation Zero, we have suffered heavy casualties...]

This was all. It was obvious to everyone in the room what had happened. The operatives had died before they could finish talking.

"Their comms cut to radio static shortly, then went completely silent. Perhaps the environment there destroyed the comms," Stele said.

The admirals and generals in the room nodded to his words.

"Indeed. We expected something like this, but not to this level. Even if the operatives were supposed to die, it was not supposed to be this quick. Naturally, we will just have to send another batch. It’s not a big deal"

"We just received Intel that the Eldorath Empire bastards have decided to wait for two months before they send operatives there."

"Those bastards can’t even admit that the operatives they sent there are dead and that they have to send a new batch of operatives there."

"Whatever, this works to our advantage. We can send more operatives there. This time, we should have an active surveillance at work and give real-time on-field instructions to the operatives. This will help us understand the situation there better. We can use that to our advantage the next time we send operatives, even if the ones we are about to send die."

"That’s true."

All this while, the admiral seated as the chair of the meeting was quiet as the others communicated among themselves.

Something was not adding up to her.

Her instincts were telling her something was not adding up. Common sense and logic told her that the operatives sent to zone zero died due to chaotic beasts and the environmental hazards. But she felt like there was more to the situation. She just couldn’t put a finger on it.

But... just as her colleagues had said. They would use active surveillance and give on-field instructions to the operatives they send there to understand the situation better. Perhaps, then, the missing piece she could not put her finger on would fall into place.

"It’s decided. Let’s proceed as discussed," she said. "Major Stele, send another team of operatives there. Make arrangements for active surveillance and on-field instructions. We will monitor the situation there ourselves."

Stele nodded. "Roger."

"Dismissed, Major."

"Ma’am." He saluted and left.

"Meeting adjourned," she said.