Chapter 1425: Chapter 1425: Wilderness Ruins (Large Chapter, Requesting Monthly Votes)
“Director, we’re heading out first.”
The farewell scene of the young agents flashed across the floating warplane’s display.
Soon after, the warplane ahead sliced through the airflow, heading northeast.
“They will first head to the Kewort Group’s mining site to seize the electronic equipnt,” Vigina watched the floating warplane disappear into the distance and said softly, “then they’ll confiscate the stimulants distributed at the mining site and take them back to Denno City for testing.”
“Hmm.” He Ao nodded gently, watching the direction where the warplane vanished.
The Slorx Grand Canyon is approximately east of Denno City; it’s a massive canyon spanning most of the wasteland, where Kewort Group’s large rare earth mining sites are located in the north.
The ‘safe comrcial route’ and ‘low-altitude airway’ currently used by the Federal Bureau of Investigation to reach the northern part of Slorx Grand Canyon were successfully explored under Paxiu’s lead back in the day.
The Slorx Grand Canyon wasn’t as significant before, with only a few adventurers and Transcendents visiting. Once mining sites were established, this route beca important.
According to data stored in Colin’s computer, to conceal the existence of the vast rare earth mines inside the canyon, Kewort Group built many ‘fake mining sites’ along the canyon.
Kewort Group would use these fake mining sites to recruit workers and use fake mine tunnels as secret paths to transport workers to the real mining sites for extraction, leaving them unaware of their actual working location.
The rare earth ores from the canyon would also be mixed with ores from these fake sites for shipnt.
Following this road directly will lead only to those fake mining sites; reaching the designated location requires taking secret trails explored solely by Kewort Group to reach the real mines.
All these trail data were stored in Colin’s computer and have been handed over to the Federal Bureau of Investigation by He Ao.
In fact, these ‘cover-up’ arrangents were mainly set up when Kewort Group first opened the mines. Now, with Kewort Group’s ‘growth’ and increased control over cities near Denno City, they are less ‘concealing’ about their activities.
“Where should we go next?” Vigina asked, holding the joystick, looking at He Ao, “If we take the safe route to Ains,”
She raised her hand, and the console in front projected a map showing a winding, illusory ‘airway,’ “we should head west a bit, then bypass the wasteland north of Denno City, head northeast, bypass the central mountains of the Federation, then head south-west to reach Ains.”
After demonstrating the route, she said softly, “This is the route for airships and aerial transport, it’s the safest route, with almost no chance of encountering powerful exotic beasts.”
She looked up at He Ao, “Taking this route takes about a day, and there are many aircraft, requiring flight traffic control. Along the way, we need to report to each city’s air traffic departnt to avoid air congestion, and we might need to recharge along the way, but the air traffic departnts of each city are unlikely to keep our identity and whereabouts confidential…”
“We don’t need to take the safe route,” He Ao shook his head while looking at the map in front of him and drew a line forward, “Let’s head southeast imdiately.”
“Isn’t that the southern Slorx Grand Canyon?” Vigina was slightly surprised, “It’s said that there are many powerful flying exotic beasts near the canyon, trying to cross it is very dangerous due to potential attacks from these beasts.”
“It’s fine, there aren’t that many flying exotic beasts there,” He Ao smiled and shook his head, “even fewer now.”
“Alright!” Vigina glanced at He Ao, asked no further questions, and directly piloted the floating warplane along the route He Ao had just drawn.
She wouldn’t forget his original identity just because his skin beca a bit fairer after his promotion.
This was once the ‘Uncrowned King’ of the southern wasteland of Denno City, this wasteland is his true holand.
The speeding floating warplane swiftly sketched a straight line across the sky, painting a trail against the firmant.
As the floating warplane smoothly began its cruise, Vigina glanced at the scenery outside and softly sighed, “We actually passed through security so easily. I thought Kewort Group would station people at each city gate, collaborating with the City Defense Army to completely lock down our entry and exit routes.”
“In the short term, they won’t make any conspicuous ‘moves,'” He Ao just shook his head slightly when he heard this, “Didn’t you already release the news about Colin orchestrating the Dark Lizard incident?”
“Yes,” Vigina nodded slightly, seemingly realizing sothing, and whispered, “Now the Dark Lizard incident and the President’s assassination incident have drawn the entire Federation’s attention to Denno City’s vicinity, like magnifying glasses focusing on the Kewort Group,”
She gradually clarified her thoughts, “Kewort Group doesn’t lack enemies either, and there’s no friendship between consortia. Mining consortia like Kopes Mining are just waiting for Kewort Group to expose more ‘issues’ to take a bite.”
“So in this situation, Kewort Group doesn’t dare to act rashly to avoid being ganged up on.”
Vigina looked at He Ao, slightly amazed, “This is one of the reasons you had broadcast the case details in the na of the Federal Bureau of Investigation? You thought of this last night?”
But as she said this, she suddenly furrowed her brow, sowhat puzzled, “But even if Kewort Group doesn’t dare to show anything on the surface, they could still rely on their connections with the City Governnt and the City Defense Army to have them block us, couldn’t they?”
“Denno City is about to elect a new Mayor,” He Ao said softly.
In an instant, Vigina understood, “The Mayor’s support and advantage are not high, so he can’t have any scandals! He can’t issue any direct orders against us! After the Dark Lizard ends, coercing the heroes who saved the city last night would make his prestige plumt!”
She turned to look at He Ao, “What about the City Defense Army? Didn’t Kewort Group inform them?”
However, this ti, without waiting for He Ao’s reminder, she imdiately realized, “The South City’s Commander, who had close ties with Kewort Group, is dead, and most of his followers are gone. The remaining grassroots soldiers are the ones once oppressed by the consortium and the old Commander. They may not be willing to cooperate with the consortium.”
She half-clenched her right fist, struck her left palm, producing a soft ‘pop’ sound, “That’s why we must go through the South Gate. The South Gate’s order has already collapsed. If we go through the East Gate, we might be ‘stopped’ by the East Gate Commander, who takes orders from Kewort Group.”
After organizing her thoughts, she finally looked at He Ao and sighed deeply, “You anticipated everything, you’re astonishingly good.”
Hearing her words, He Ao just shook his head slightly and whispered, “The situation won’t remain the sa.”
“Indeed,” Vigina was slightly stunned, then lowered her head, sighing, “The Federation’s focus won’t stay on Denno City, and Kewort Group won’t remain cautious for long. The power vacuum in South City, after so developnt, is likely to be filled by Kewort Group again.”
Her mouth slightly opened, “By then, Kewort Group will likely make a coback.”
At that ti, those young agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the grassroots soldiers of the South City, and even those lower-class residents who support them, might face the most brutal reckoning.
Saying this, her previously slightly raised eyebrows drooped slightly, and she turned to look at He Ao, “What about that Police Director? Will he help us?”
Upon asking this, Vigina felt she might have been sowhat foolish.
Though everything now seed to be heading in a favorable direction, it seed not much when compared to the whole situation.
Even if the Kewort Group is pressured like this, they’re rely shackled.
If Kewort Group truly wanted to tear everything apart, they still have an entire rcenary Corps they can call upon near Denno City.
Even if that police chief truly is a ‘Believer’ of ‘K’ and has ford an alliance with them, in the face of a super financial conglorate, it’s still just a drop in the ocean.
“He should be willing to cooperate with us.” He Ao said softly.
“Then,” Vigina looked at He Ao, “what can we do?”
Once she understood the current situation, she was vaguely filled with despair.
Like humble ants blocking the path of an elephant.
Yet, seeing He Ao’s face, she couldn’t help but feel a bit of extra ‘hope’.
The man before her always seed to be able to create miracles.
She paused, “The Federation’s ‘attention’ should last for a few days, during which the Kewort Group probably won’t dare make a move.”
This seed to be their only chance.
In these brief days, to completely solve all the threats brought by the Kewort Group and even the president assassination plot, only then might their efforts so far be preserved.
Only then would those who follow them have a chance to ‘survive’.
But is it really possible to achieve this?
A howling wind seed to blow across the vast wasteland, tossing the floating warplane like a storm-tossed raft.
This sudden change ca so quickly that Vigina was shaken by the sudden turbulence of the warplane, almost losing her balance.
Yet, just as she was about to fall to the ground, a broad hand grasped her wrist, helping her steady herself.
She looked up at He Ao who had caught her.
“There’s not much we can do,” He Ao said slightly, smiling, “but in this world, is there anything that’s absolutely impossible?”
“Sounds like the kind of words I’d use to comfort my subordinates,” Hearing He Ao’s words, Vigina steadied herself in the jolting warplane and seriously gazed at He Ao, smiling, “But it is indeed effective.”
Not only the man before her seed always capable of creating miracles.
Behind him, ‘K’ itself ant miracles.
Perhaps, in the human world, nothing is truly impossible.
Taking a deep breath, Vigina put her hand on the control panel, moving on from the topic, and smiled as she took a look at the vast wilderness surrounding her, “This is my first ti seeing the full view of this wasteland from the sky.”
“Mine as well.” He Ao stood beside her, speaking calmly.
Before the Dark Lizard incident, many flying exotic beasts road the wasteland south of Denno City, and back then, navigating the skies here was a challenging task. Airships entering and leaving Denno City would avoid the southern wasteland.
So even Paxiu had no mory of looking down on the wasteland from high above.
Now the ground beneath them was covered in dry rocks, reflecting a kaleidoscope of colors in the sunlight, showcasing vast and majestic allure.
As the airship moved forward, twisted mutated sand and skeletal wasteland, where so areas seed stacked up as if so invisible distortion were nurturing within them, began to appear in their field of view.
“Is this the scene left by the Dark Lizard massacre back then?” Vigina looked down at the sight, hoarsely saying, “After all these years, these scenes haven’t changed.”
This area is far from the city, no one cos to tidy up the ‘remnants’ nearby anymore.
“Yes,” He Ao’s gaze swept over the skeletally covered wasteland ahead leftward, he said softly, “Once upon a ti, this was ho to a large tribe of Wilderness Wanderers who lived by herding.”
If it were a natural cycle, soon after the earth sprouted new vegetation and trees, the old remains would be swallowed and dissolved by nature itself.
However, the forces left along this path by the Dark Lizard have lingered for so many years without completely dissipating, suppressing the vitality of nature.
Moreover, with it being naturally a barren wasteland, vitality was even weaker here, leaving nature itself incapable of dissolving these scenes.
The remains of people and animals here underwent so sort of mutation due to the eerie aura left by the Dark Lizard, producing many strange monsters.
“In the months imdiately following the massacre, in these surroundings were walking corpses and twisted mutant monsters, unwittingly stepping into an eerie terrifying scene,”
He Ao’s gaze swept over the wasteland once more, “After so many years, this place has actually beco ‘more peaceful’.
“Can this really be considered ‘peaceful’?” Vigina gazed at the stretched skeletal wasteland, sighing softly, “If Denno City last night had been successfully attacked by Dark Lizard, would it beco like this too?”
“No,” He Ao shook his head, “Not with Denno City’s population of over a million; without anyone clearing, it would be a thousand tis more terrifying than here.”
“Hoo— this world is still too dangerous,” Vigina withdrew her gaze, letting out a sigh, “Aside from nature, there’s also the human heart.”
Both Dark Lizard attacks were ‘orchestrated.’
“But in any case,” He Ao raised his head slowly, “People still need to live.”
In his field of view ahead, a massive canyon, like a scar upon the earth, slowly ca into view.
This canyon resembled a gaping, grinning maw, quietly waiting there, waiting for ‘prey’ to approach.
“It’s truly large, this canyon.” Vigina looked at the huge fissure stretching from one side of her field of view to the other, exclaiming.
“Land on that slope extending into the canyon ahead.” At this mont, He Ao suddenly spoke.
“Is sothing happening?” Vigina slightly reduced speed, lowered altitude, and drew closer to the canyon.
“Look at the ruins there,” He Ao raised his hand, pointing at a sowhat recent pile of ruins on the slope ahead, “That’s the ‘prison’ where the Kewort Group ‘detained’ the Dark Lizard.”
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