[Primary Objective updated. Travel 30 kilometers south of the South Gate to the mutant beast gathering point.]
Following the coordinates provided by the commission, Firefly, clad in the Sam armor, arrived at the South Gate.
Unlike the East Gate where Ye Yunzhi had entered—which was bottlenecked by incoming crowds—the South Gate saw far more people leaving than entering. Groups of people clad in tactical armor and carrying firearms streamed out. Surrounding the gate were numerous shops selling protective gear, weapons, and ammunition.
Various signboards stood erected nearby. They displayed either group commissions for clearing mutant swarms or individual bounties for subjugating powerful singular beasts.
'Why does this feel like I am about to enter a dungeon raid? Is this truly a near-future setting?'
The sight caused Firefly's mind to stall momentarily. Aside from the lack of gaming jargon like "LFP Tank" or "Need Healer," the atmosphere felt identical to a coordinated MMO raid.
"Hello there, big guy. You look... well, pretty unfamiliar. I noticed you standing there like a statue. What's the matter? Did you just arrive in Greenshade Source?"
A voice interrupted Firefly's train of thought. She turned toward the source and saw a girl dressed in tomboyish attire waving as she approached.
Firefly considered whether to respond before nodding, confirming she was a recent arrival.
"That explains it then."
The girl turned toward the South Gate and gestured with her chin.
"Is this your first time seeing a scene like this? A bunch of mercenaries at the gate looking for parties to clear commissions?"
Firefly nodded again.
"Thought so!"
The girl's eyes lit up. She slammed her right fist into her left palm with a sharp smack.
"I better fill you in. About five days ago, the people over at Genesis Biotech suddenly went crazy. They decided they wanted to research something in the Forbidden Zone deep within the forest, so they sent a research team in."
"That team even had an A+ rank powerhouse backing them. Everyone figured they could make it back from the Forbidden Zone just fine."
"But as it turns out, a day after they went in, the whole team vanished into thin air. Total radio silence."
"Then, three days after they disappeared, things went sideways in the forest. The number of mutant beasts began growing exponentially. The Greenshade Source authorities couldn't clear them out alone, so the government started shelling out massive Credits for commissions at the Mercenary Association. The boards were practically exploding with requests!"
"Because of that, there's a serious shortage of mercenaries. Now, crowds of them from other regions are flooding into Greenshade Source to take on these clearing jobs. That's why you're seeing all this."
The girl spread her hands, looking helpless.
'Three days after five days ago? Isn't that exactly when I arrived in this world? Is it a coincidence, or is this the ripple effect of my appearance?'
Firefly immediately caught the suspicious timing within the girl's lengthy explanation.
"Hello? Earth to big guy? Brother? You listening?"
Seeing Sam dazing off again, the girl spoke up once more.
"Forbidden Zone?"
"You don't know?" The girl looked surprised, then reached a quick realization. "Oh, you really must be new here."
Before Firefly could nod, the girl continued:
"The Forbidden Zone is an area deep in the forest. There's some kind of powerful interference field there. Any electronic devices fail the moment they enter."
"Add to that the fact that the forest's giant trees are so lush and tall, and it becomes impossible to observe the interior from high altitude."
"Many mercenaries tried to scout that forest before, but a strange phenomenon occurred. Anyone with strength below B- rank couldn't even get in, and anyone above B- rank who entered never came back out."
"However, since the area isn't very large and no other threats emerged, the government just left it alone."
"Over time, it became known as the Forbidden Zone."
"Understood."
After listening, Firefly gained a fresh perspective on the local situation. However...
"I appreciate the explanation. But, why provide such a detailed account to a stranger you just met? What is the reason?"
Firefly frowned slightly. The cold, metallic head of the Sam armor turned slightly, "locking on" to the girl. The mechanical, synthesized voice remained flat and emotionless.
An icy pressure radiated from Sam like a physical weight, instantly shrouding the surrounding space.
"Whoa! Let's talk this out! Don't hit me! Don't hit me! If you start a fight, the City Guard will arrest you!!!"
Feeling the intense pressure, the girl reacted like a startled small animal. She lunged into a crouch, shielding her head with her arms and shouting at the top of her lungs.
Firefly froze. She only intended to ask a normal question; she never said anything about attacking. Besides, if she actually did attack... this head-shielding crouch wouldn't stop anything. Shouldn't her first instinct be to run?
"I never intended to attack. I am merely asking for your motive."
Though confused, Firefly explained herself to signal she meant no harm.
"Phew... that's a relief..."
Once the pressure vanished, the girl patted her racing heart. Her legs trembled slightly as she used the wall for support to stand back up.
"It's just that my teammates are injured. I wanted to take a commission on my own to earn some Credits for their medical treatment..."
"But because my ability is a bit... weird, nobody wants to party with me. I've been going around asking everyone to let me join, but everyone keeps rejecting me."
"You want me to take you along on a commission?"
Listening to her story, Firefly immediately understood the girl's intent. Seeing a glimmer of hope, the girl nodded vigorously.
"Exactly! I'll do my best not to be a burden!"