The Price of Survival

At the harbor, the garrison force arrived swiftly upon hearing the news, accompanied by several law enforcement officers. They immediately surrounded the refugees disembarking from the ship.

After clarifying the situation, the leading sergeant scanned the Dresa refugees. He then pointed to the law enforcement officers behind him and declared loudly:

“To all of you who have traveled so far from Dresa, please follow these officers. They will escort you to the designated shelter.”

“Please understand, this is Pharos’s customary way of receiving guests.”

The sergeant stood with his hands clasped behind his back, his posture as upright as a pine tree. His expression remained stern.

As his words spread, the crowd immediately erupted, a murmur of private discussions rippling through them.

“What’s going on? Are they trying to restrict our freedom of movement?”

“What else did you expect? Keep your voices down. This isn’t Dresa.”

“Alas, when one is under another’s roof…”

“…”

Meanwhile, at the edge of the harbor.

Ming Yu leaned against a shipping container, pressing a hand to her forehead. Her tightly furrowed brows relaxed slightly, and her previously rapid breaths gradually softened.

Only then did she clearly see Molly, who had been supporting her the entire way. Ming Yu offered a slight nod to the other woman, then softly inquired:

“What should I call you?”

“Ah? My name is… Molly. That’s what you can call me…”

Molly, who had been waiting beside her, quickly reacted. Realizing the woman was asking for her name, she promptly responded.

Although she rarely revealed her true name to others, the title ‘Ultimate Hunter’ was so utterly embarrassing it felt impossible to utter. It was simply too humiliating.

After silently complaining to herself for a few moments, Molly stared at the other woman’s rare, blood-red eyes. She then cautiously asked in return:

“And what should I call you?”

“…Silver Kite,” Ming Yu gave a slight shake of her head. She then met Molly’s scrutinizing gaze directly, which caused the other woman to immediately avert her eyes.

Seeing this, Ming Yu paused for a moment. Yet, upon reflection, she quickly felt a sense of understanding.

“My apologies, did I startle you? Molly, thank you for your help.”

“No, it was you who saved us. If anyone should be thanking, it should be us thanking you,” Molly waved her hand, then continued,

“Since you’re alright, I should set sail and return to Dresa…”

“Perhaps we’ll meet again someday.”

As Molly’s graceful silhouette faded from view, Ming Yu withdrew her gaze, letting it fall upon White Feather.

The white eagle that had accompanied her throughout the journey flapped its wings, lifting off her shoulder. It then hovered, flapping gently, directly before her.

Ming Yu pondered for a moment, then softly inquired:

“White Feather, are you leaving too?”

“Huh? How did you know?”

“I guessed.”

“Huh? Is that true or false?”

“False.”

“Huh? Well, whatever!”

White Feather, as spirited as ever, squawked loudly,

“Ming Yu, I don’t like it here. Places where humans gather make me uncomfortable. I want to go back and eat sea beasts!”

“Go back… to the sea?”

“Yep, yep, yep! Do you want to come with me?”

“…I’ll pass.”

“Alright then, it’s fine even without you. I’m terrifyingly strong now, and I’ll never be afraid of going hungry again!”

“Take care…”

Ming Yu reached out and gently stroked its head. This time, White Feather did not attack her, allowing Ming Yu’s delicate skin to brush against its pristine white feathers.

The White-feathered Sea Eagle belonged to the sky and the sea. Ming Yu couldn’t keep it, nor did she wish to shackle its free wings. Yet, she would remember this white eagle, met by chance, and the profound bond they had forged.

They would likely never meet again.

****

The immense volume of information provided by Jörmungaṇḍr had been fully received. However, organizing and processing it would still require considerable time and effort.

Waving goodbye to White Feather, Ming Yu felt a pang of melancholy. She slowly walked forward, leaning on a shipping container, diligently sorting through the information in her mind.

A vast amount of knowledge regarding psionic energy now filled her mind. This unprecedented supernatural power, along with the phenomena it caused, severely challenged Ming Yu’s understanding and worldview.

Although she was deeply interested and eager to experiment with it, her current physical condition was precarious. Mentally, she was utterly exhausted and desperately needed rest.

The enhancing effects of the gene serum had worn off, but the lingering side effects had not diminished with her body’s secondary changes. Instead, they had grown even more intense. Doctors had once explained that genetic diseases originated from gene sequences, and their symptoms were highly likely to mutate along with the genes themselves.

Sometimes, for humans, internal threats could be even greater than external ones. It was like an indestructible mecha; damage to its internal components could very well destroy the entire machine.

Ming Yu’s senses grew increasingly acute. She could feel that her body was more resilient than ever before, yet simultaneously closer to decay than it had ever been.

However, the situation might not be entirely without a turning point.

Jörmungaṇḍr’s unique ability to ‘win a resurrection match,’ along with its entire operational procedure, was deeply imprinted in her mind.

The first requirement for this ability was one’s cognitive level.

‘Do you believe in the existence of souls?’

The first threshold of ‘Ouroboros Rebirth’ was a question that seemed deceptively simple.

‘Souls…’

Ming Yu had always scoffed at such ethereal, mythical concepts. Yet, an undeniable truth now lay before her. Jörmungaṇḍr, who should have died, had been reborn.

‘That wondrous spiritual world, the eerie illusory serpent…’

‘Oh, and Little Nightingale…’

‘It’s beyond comprehension.’

Ming Yu sighed, then rubbed her cheeks.

‘I’ll have to ask when I get back…’

As she pondered, the garrison guards nearby suddenly noticed her. They immediately converged, their expressions unfriendly.

“You, you came off that ship, didn’t you? Lift your head. Don’t think you can just sneak past… Ho… ly… crap…”

The surrounding guards’ eyes went wide and glazed over. They forgot the words they were about to say, only able to utter a string of curses to express their utter shock.

‘What a beautiful woman.’

Once the men regained their senses, they exchanged glances, a knowing smile appearing on each face.

“If you ask me, this one is very likely a spy. We must apprehend her and interrogate her separately!”

“Exactly! We need to thoroughly inspect her body to see if she’s carrying any contraband!”

“Hehehe!”

“…”

Ming Yu was already in a foul mood due to her headache. Now, encountering a group of oblivious fools dancing wildly in her personal minefield, her blood pressure predictably soared, and her gaze turned as frigid as ice.

However, before she even made a move, she merely lifted her gaze and swept it over them. The guards suddenly felt a chill run down their spines, their hearts seized by an invisible hand. Their eyes widened, and they completely lost control of their bodies.

The next moment, the collective stench of incontinence caused Ming Yu to frown slightly, and she involuntarily held her breath.

“Thump—”

The guard closest to her blood-red eyes collapsed to the ground.

“Thump—thump—thump—”

Before long, all the guards blocking her path had collapsed, unconscious.

Seeing this, Ming Yu slowly relaxed the tension in her hands. Though the keratin on her fingertips resembled perfectly manicured nails, once revealed, their sharp edges were no less formidable than thermal cutting blades.

Since they had all fallen, she had no desire to take further action. She simply lifted her leg and departed in the direction away from the harbor.

****

A smart headset was not merely a communication device; it also functioned as a transaction wallet. Without it, Ming Yu would have no choice but to walk from District Eight to the inner city. That journey would take at least half a month.

Clearly, such an endeavor would be foolish.

Thus, Ming Yu sought out a nearby Association branch and revealed her identity. Losing items while operating in the field was common, and the process of identity verification was not designed to be overly difficult.

And so, as midnight approached, Ming Yu finally returned to her doorstep.

She was just about to press the doorbell when the large door slowly opened on its own, as if anticipating her arrival.

Behind the door, a girl in a white dress, with golden hair and blue eyes, cradled a white cat. Her vacant eyes trembled with a fractured glimmer, and a faint curve quietly formed on her delicate pink lips.

“Welcome home.”