Winter sunlight poured down as the two walked side by side, crossing the murmuring river, heading back toward the southern Border Defense Belt of Southvale Province.
Huff, huff.
Liam Lee crept forward, cautious and wary.
His yellowish down jacket was already tattered, leaking pure white feathers. His cheeks were flushed red from the cold, but his eyes burned with fierce determination.
"Escape."
"I will get out of here. I have to."
He muttered under his breath twice, while Andrew Han beside him dusted off his windbreaker, parted the withered branches, and couldn't help but shake his head with a faint smile.
After a brief exchange,
Liam Lee was a researcher, here on a measurement mission. As for the details, no matter what, Liam refused to say more.
"Up ahead is the shallow zone." Andrew Han smiled lightly as he walked through the forest. "No need to be tense. If there are any Demons or Specters, I'll let you know."
What?
Liam Lee's pupils contracted sharply.
The shallow zone extended for about ten kilometers... In short, any area more than ten kilometers from the Border Defense Belt was fraught with danger.
But there was a problem.
He had previously asked one of the Martial General escorts, and received a clear reply—the distance to the Border Defense Belt was only four kilometers!
And all the other Martial Generals were present too.
"If what Andrew Han says is true," a trace of sorrow filled Liam's eyes, "then... all eleven Martial Generals must have been possessed?"
"Eleven terrifying Specters in total!"
Just the thought made his scalp nearly explode.
Liam Lee couldn't imagine... How could Professor Victor Zhou stand among eleven terrifying Specters and not give himself away? How could he remain so calm, not betraying a single hint?
It was almost unimaginable!
For ordinary people, facing Specters was even more terrifying than death!
Especially for those in scientific organizations studying Demons and Specters—they had conducted experiments and vaguely understood: the terror of consciousness attacks was beyond imagination for those who hadn't experienced it.
Simply put,
Dying from physical wounds was far less frightening than having one's consciousness devoured by a Specter. That was the true horror.
"Impossible!"
Liam Lee couldn't help but mutter.
Andrew Han frowned and asked, "What are you mumbling about? Why do you keep glancing south? Is something hunting you?"
"Yes." Liam's expression grew more serious as he looked at Andrew Han. "Can you get me out of the border as quickly as possible? I'm worried Specters might be after me."
Specters hunting him?
Andrew Han's gaze changed slightly.
After all he'd been through, Andrew wasn't exactly experienced, but he was sharp: "Specters hunting an ordinary person? You admit you're a researcher—what's your field, your specialty?"
This barrage of questions left Liam Lee hesitant.
According to protocol, he couldn't say.
But now, facing life and death, Liam ignored protocol. He only wanted to earn Andrew Han's trust, escape alive, and fulfill his duty.
Professor Victor Zhou's sacrifice could not be wasted!
The next moment,
Andrew Han's expression shifted slightly. He looked south, Inspiration flaring: "Such a vast, bone-chilling aura—a Sect-Class Specter?"
A Sect-Class Specter—truly terrifying!
For ordinary Martial Lords, they'd rather face multiple Sect-Class Demons than encounter a single Sect-Class Specter.
Immediately, confusion and shock flashed across Andrew Han's face. "A Sect-Class Specter is moving—rushing toward us at high speed?"
"Is it you?"
"They're chasing you?"
Andrew Han glanced at Liam, who was about to speak, quickly grabbed his shoulder, and channeled a continuous stream of soft force through his palm. Lifting Liam, he sped off in the other direction like a gust of wind.
Whoosh!
One stride covered thirty meters; two strides, a hundred.
Amid the howling wind, the two flickered through the withered mountain forest like shifting phantoms.
If Liam weren't an ordinary person, and Andrew didn't have to worry about his body's limits, he could have used Daylight Ascent and moved even faster.
Hmph.
No matter what Liam was researching, if the Specters wanted him dead, then Andrew was determined to save him. His thinking was simple, not complicated.
Besides,
If Specters wanted to kill him, it was enough to show how important Liam was.
Ahead, dense thickets and brambles appeared. Andrew's eyes flashed with brilliance. Presented Liquid Internal Power swirled like a storm, radiating from his body, instantly scattering the trees and thorns. He rushed through, leaving a newly cleared path behind.
Nothing could block Andrew Han's path.
Anything in the way was violently swept aside.
Boom!
Up ahead lay a sheer cliff and rocky hillside.
"Careful!" Liam shouted, his face pale with fear, eyes squeezed shut, instinctively warning, "Be careful!"
The next moment,
The two of them leapt into the air, soaring over the edge of the cliff.