After she shouted, Lance raised an eyebrow and moved the Black Mamba blade back half an inch, genuinely interested.
“How do you know?”
The girl finally relaxed a bit as the blade moved away. She pouted, reluctantly saying, “I’ve been watching here for months. Every time they transport supplies or prisoners, I see it.”
“Why are you observing AGW Special Dangerous Death Row Prison?” Lance asked.
The girl clenched her fists, eyes flashing with hatred, but didn’t answer. To her, Lance and the others were terrifying strangers—blurting out her purpose could be dangerous. “None of your business.”
“Fine.” Lance didn’t bother with words. His gaze turned cold, and in a flash, the Black Mamba blade swept across her neck!
The girl instantly went pale, face drained of color. “Murder! Murder!”
She closed her eyes and howled a few times, only to realize it didn’t hurt and she wasn’t dead. She gingerly touched her neck—no wound.
She slumped weakly, opening her eyes to look at Lance in fear.
Lance flicked his wrist, the Black Mamba blade spinning in his palm, turning from back to edge. “Next time, it’ll be this side.” He threatened mercilessly.
Tears welled in the girl’s eyes and she finally broke down: “How can there be such a scary Omega? Terrifying! A devil! No Alpha would ever like you—unless they’re a masochist!”
Zhan Pingchuan had been watching with amusement, but at that he immediately put on a stern face. “Who are you calling a masochist?”
The girl instantly pouted and looked at Zhan Pingchuan with grievance.
Wow, there really is a masochist.
“Your accent—is it from Utopia?” Oliver, ever soft-hearted, couldn’t bear to see her so scared and tried to smooth things over.
The girl had already figured out that only this Omega among the three was gentle and easy to talk to. She assessed the situation and had to put away her tough act, asking, “How did you know?”
“I… have been in that prison before. There are Utopians inside. After hearing them a lot, I can tell,” Oliver explained.
To be honest, he was grateful to the Utopians. They seemed different from the other vicious criminals. When he was nearly collapsed after his miscarriage, it was a Utopian who shielded him from predatory Alphas.
That was almost impossible in such a notorious prison.
But he made it through the hardest times. Later, when similar things happened, he could protect himself.
Unfortunately, that Utopian didn’t survive a year before going completely mad.
They hanged him on the lowest level, making everyone watch.
“I’m here to rescue the Utopians who were locked up,” the girl said, dropping her exaggerated expression, eyes downcast, nervously picking at her nails. “My name is Atiya. Lots of Utopians have been imprisoned there, including my uncle. I came to save them.”
“You, by yourself?” Oliver asked gently—not mocking, just that it sounded too unrealistic.
“No one else can get out of Utopia. Only my ability can.” Atiya lifted her chin, gaze resolute. “I will save them!”
Zhan Pingchuan and Lance exchanged a glance. Lance sheathed his dagger and said, “You snuck out.”
Atiya’s face flushed, annoyed. “No, I didn’t! I’m the vanguard!”
Lance said coldly, “Go back. You can’t save them. At least not now.”
“How do you know I can’t? Why, only you can save them? I saw the news—I know you’re from the Black Lantern Society! You’re here to save that murderer!” Atiya shouted.
“Bad guys?” Zhan Pingchuan chuckled softly, but his expression grew more serious. He countered, “How do you know the Black Lantern Society are bad guys? Why do you assume the people you’re saving aren’t bad?”
Atiya reacted defensively: “We haven’t done anything wrong! My uncle and the others just offended the Tambu people of the Chieftain Nation!”
“Oh? Then how do you know the Black Lantern Society has done bad things?” Zhan Pingchuan raised an eyebrow.
Lance looked at Zhan Pingchuan in surprise. In truth, he didn’t care what Atiya said. How others viewed the Black Lantern Society, how they viewed him—none of it mattered to him.
But clearly, Zhan Pingchuan cared. He didn’t want anyone to misunderstand him.
Atiya said, “Because the news said—”
“The news said,” Zhan Pingchuan sneered, “So does your Caribbean news outright say your uncle was arrested for offending the Tambu people?”
Atiya was left speechless.
Zhan Pingchuan shrugged. “See? When it’s others, you say they got what they deserved. But when it’s you, suddenly you know there’s more to the story.”
“I…” Atiya wanted to argue, but realized it was pointless, and just bit her lip hard.
She was only sixteen, just getting to know the outside world, and still couldn’t tell if the news was true or false.
“Enough,” Lance interrupted her awkwardness bluntly. “You said you know where the prison entrance is. Tell us.”
Atiya quieted down, muttering, “I shrank and followed the Hachimo people onto the cable car, went to the other side. They were all blindfolded, but I wasn’t, so I saw it.”
“It snows there all year, there are no landmarks, it’s easy to get lost. I had to try many times to be sure of the location. You have to walk a thousand steps parallel to the cable chain, then two thousand steps diagonally at this angle,” Atiya demonstrated the angle with her hand, “and then you’re there. The entrance is nearby.”
Lance frowned. “That method is prone to error. Didn’t you use a GPS?”
Atiya said, “What GPS? I’ve tried it many times, it’s fine. I have a great sense of direction. I came all the way from Utopia with just a map.”
“But we can’t do that,” Oliver said.
In such low visibility, walking in a straight line is already hard enough—and none of them had seen the entrance themselves. They couldn’t just search the whole area by brute force.
Atiya said, “Then I can’t help. Oh, I do know a few ventilation shafts, but they’re really tiny—normal humans can’t fit.”
Prisons always guard against escapes, and ventilation shafts are a favorite escape route for prisoners, so AGW Special Dangerous Death Row Prison eliminated that risk from the start.
Oliver frowned, anxious.
Lance studied Atiya’s expression and curled his lips. “You’re not telling us everything, are you?”
Atiya was startled by Lance’s sharpness, swallowed hard, and meekly raised her hand. “How about… you take me with you? I’ll guide you, and you help me rescue the Utopians.”
Lance: “You think this is the time to bargain with me?”
He spoke calmly, but his eyes narrowed, gaze dark and dangerous.
Atiya shrank her neck.
Oliver apologized, “Sorry, we don’t have many people. We have to move fast and can’t help everyone.”
Zhan Pingchuan said, “Let me ask you, since you know the entrance, have you actually been inside the prison?”
Atiya stayed silent. She had, but didn’t dare go deep. After the Hachimo people finished unloading supplies, she left with them.
Supplies are delivered once a week. If you miss it, you have to wait another week.
She couldn’t stay shrunk for a week, and she couldn’t fight the guards—she knew her limits.
Zhan Pingchuan: “Do you know how many Utopians are inside, where they are, what their abilities are?”
Atiya was silent. She didn’t know, and after so long, she didn’t even remember what her uncle looked like.
Zhan Pingchuan smiled. “Have you thought about where they’d go after getting out? Back to Utopia, or stay here in the polar region? How could a group like that survive without being driven out?”
Atiya opened her mouth.
Go back?
They definitely couldn’t go back to Utopia, but the Polar Glacier Organization would never take in prisoners from AGW Special Dangerous Death Row Prison. It really seemed like they had nowhere to go.
Zhan Pingchuan: “See? You haven’t thought it through. How are you going to save them?”
Atiya lowered her eyes in disappointment, tears dripping down her cheeks onto her cracked, frozen hands.
“My uncle’s been imprisoned for thirteen years. Every year, my grandma pleaded with the Tambu people, but last year they thought her offerings were too meager and killed her. My neighbor’s brother was taken seven years ago. His parents both hanged themselves in the third year. Last year they took my teacher… I don’t know how long it’ll take to save them. I ran away on my own.”
Oliver’s heart ached, and he turned away.
Thirteen years, seven years… He’d only been here four years and was left with lifelong scars, but there were countless people in the world worse off than him.
Zhan Pingchuan: “We really don’t have time to save everyone. But if the Utopians can escape in the chaos, they can go to Gran City and find Hechuan International Hospital—someone there will take them in.”
Atiya suddenly looked up, her tears stopping.
“Even though you look young, since you’ve awakened, you’re probably not much younger than me. I’ll treat you as an adult,” Zhan Pingchuan said, smiling but very serious. “This is your one and only chance, but it’s very risky—people might die. It’s your choice.”
Atiya quickly said, “I want to go!”
She knew if she missed this chance, missed the Black Lantern Society, she’d never be able to save the Utopians. They and their families would never see each other again.
She looked at Zhan Pingchuan, eyes full of tears. “Tha—”
Zhan Pingchuan quickly raised his hand to stop her thanks!
Atiya froze, secretly admiring him—so he really was someone who did good without expecting anything in return!
Then Zhan Pingchuan turned to Lance, leaned in, and whispered, “Darling, I didn’t ask you first. Is it okay if I say this?”
Atiya: “………………”
So what you say doesn’t count!
Lance glanced at him and nodded lightly.
Only then did Zhan Pingchuan turn back, cross his legs, put an arm around his little fox’s waist, and smile politely at Atiya. “Alright, you can thank me now.”
Atiya had lost the mood for praise. She muttered, “You’re an Alpha, but you’re totally bossed around by an Omega. How embarrassing.”
She really didn’t get it—in Utopia, Alphas were always in charge, big and strong, while Omegas were mostly protected.
Zhan Pingchuan looked at her with some disdain. “You don’t know anything. No wonder no Omega likes you.”
Atiya puffed out her cheeks, furious but unable to retort.
She really hadn’t dated an Omega yet.
Oliver let out a quiet sigh of relief. “Let’s go back to the inn and meet up with the others.”
But Atiya suddenly said, “You can’t wait any longer. Today’s the day they extract the prisoners’ pheromones. Once they’re drained, they can’t use their abilities. Even if they escape, they’ll just be a burden.”
She’d overheard this from the guards.
The prison extracts pheromones every three days, until the prisoners bleed, to make sure there’s not a drop left. No matter how high-level they are, in front of the guards, they’re just useless.
According to her notes, today was extraction day again. If they wanted the prisoners to have any chance of defending themselves, before extraction was the best time. Otherwise, they’d have to wait another three days.
Lance: “I really don’t want to wait any longer. Mad Clown can’t take it. Once everyone’s here, let Duma start the cable car, Atiya leads the way, and we go immediately!”
He tapped his micro earpiece, signaling Duma.
But all that came through was static—Duma’s voice was completely unintelligible.
“Alright, then I—” Atiya didn’t finish her sentence before blood suddenly started running from her nose.
She stopped, wiped her face, and her hand came away covered in bright red blood.
She stared at her palm in surprise, but her nose kept bleeding, dripping steadily into her hand.
Oliver quickly pulled out a tissue and handed it to her.
Atiya pressed the tissue to her nose, tipped her head back, and mumbled, “It’s nothing, maybe the fog’s been heavy these past couple days, the air is too damp and cold, I’m just not used to it.”
Oliver stared at the blood-soaked tissue, and his stomach twisted—he immediately covered his mouth and dry heaved.
Lance frowned. “What’s wrong?”
Atiya said, “Did I scare you? Are you squeamish about blood?”
Oliver’s lips went pale from retching. “No, maybe just carsick.”
But he hadn’t felt carsick on the way here.
Lance’s frown deepened.
Zhan Pingchuan: “Darling?”
Lance asked, “Do you feel any chest tightness?”
Zhan Pingchuan checked, “No.”
Lance felt mostly fine, but Oliver’s retching made him realize, belatedly, that it was much harder to breathe now—even though the altitude here wasn’t high.
Lance pulled out his phone and saw the signal was extremely unstable—he couldn’t make a call at all.
Atiya’s nosebleed finally stopped. She wiped her hands and glanced over. “The signal’s been bad these two days, but it was fine before.”
Lance suddenly looked up.
Atiya blinked, nervously asking, “W-what’s wrong?”
Zhan Pingchuan looked at the little fox, who was reacting so strongly. “Darling, you don’t think this is a coincidence?”
Lance asked Atiya, “When did your nosebleed start?”
Atiya thought, “Th-this morning? No, maybe last night.”
Oliver also realized something, his expression growing grave as he looked out at the snow and fog. “Lance, why do you think there was no one on the streets of Samp Town at 10 a.m.?”
Lance exhaled softly. “Maybe because they weren’t feeling well either.”
Atiya looked around, confused, finally turning to Zhan Pingchuan.
Zhan Pingchuan: “Could you two translate this conversation for me?”
Lance explained to Zhan Pingchuan, “There might be poison in the fog.”
Oliver murmured, “Maybe not poison, but radiation. The other side has an awakener who can emit radiation.”
Chest tightness, dry heaving, nosebleeds, disrupted signals—these are all symptoms of a high-radiation area.
Because his body was weak, Oliver reacted first. Atiya had been here the longest, so her body had already suffered some damage, hence the nosebleed.
Zhan Pingchuan: “There’s been fog these days, bad signal, and Uncle Lu was only recently sent to AGW Special Dangerous Death Row Prison. So this radiation is targeting us?!”
Oliver: “They’re probably using the fog to spread the radiation. Luckily, the dose isn’t that high, so it hasn’t caused irreversible harm.”
Lance raised his hand, looking at his arm. “I think the radiation level is deliberately controlled. It won’t make Samp Town residents show symptoms right away and cause panic, but it will mark us with radiation. And it takes weeks or months to fully metabolize. So even if we escape from AGW Special Dangerous Death Row Prison, we’ll carry a unique marker. Then all the Federation has to do is run mass screenings in every city.”
“My uncle still has to go to the restricted zone for investigation!” Zhan Pingchuan broke out in a cold sweat.
If they hadn’t run into Atiya, and she hadn’t suddenly shown symptoms, these high-level awakeners would never have noticed the radiation’s effects. They would have rescued Lucas and assumed the crisis was over.
Lance gripped Zhan Pingchuan’s wrist, his expression grave. “Drive back right now. We can’t let Adrian enter Samp Town!”
Luckily, Adrian’s flight was delayed by six hours, and awakeners’ abilities have range limits. The radiation could at most cover Samp Town.
Vroom!
The SUV tore through the snow, racing straight for the center of Samp Town.
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(advanced chapters available on kofi)
Sam Williams On TYMIMA Chapter 152