The car sped all the way to Jiang Mansion in District B.
This hospital was the best-equipped medical facility in the area, and despite its high costs, getting a bed here was still a challenging task. The hospital director had received an early notification and was waiting at the entrance. When the three of them got out of the car, they were guided through the VIP passage, effortlessly, and Katalina was settled into the intensive care unit.
"Ari." Katalina felt that it was a bit too much to be in the intensive care unit just for giving birth. She furrowed her brows and said, "The intensive care unit is for those who really need it. Let others use it."
"Don't worry too much. Just rest here peacefully." Aries spoke gently. "I'll go buy you something to eat."
Watching Aries leave, Katalina sighed, "This child."
Aries used some survival points to buy food. Just as she was about to return to Katalina's room, she received a call from Estrella. Seeing Estrella's name on the display, her heart skipped a beat. She guessed it might be a mission and took a deep breath before answering.
"Boss, any instructions?"
Estrella's business-like tone made her even more displeased. She squinted her eyes, and her voice lacked any sign of joy or anger. "See where the dog who hasn't come home in two days is running wild."
Aries' footsteps halted, and the collar around her neck seemed to tighten, making it hard to breathe. She felt uncomfortable and tugged at it slightly, her voice calm, "I'm on an external mission."
"Are your survival points not enough?" Estrella sneered. "Am I starving you? Is that why you're going outside to find food?"
Aries remained silent, but Estrella had lost patience. Coldly, she said, "I want to see you in the study in half an hour." With that, the call was abruptly ended.
Ever since she put on the collar, things had changed. The previous Estrella wouldn't have bothered with such matters. Now, she even prohibited Aries from going on missions by herself?
Without saying a word, Estrella had already run out of patience. She spoke with an icy tone, "I want to see you in the study in half an hour." With that, the call was abruptly ended.
As long as Estrella remained in the position of the Safe Zone overlord, her words were absolute commands.
From the moment the call ended, Aries had no extra thoughts. She sprinted out of the hospital. Trying to cover the distance from District B to Jiang Mansion's study within half an hour was practically impossible. Yet, Aries, familiar with Estrella's personality, knew that she wouldn't show any leniency due to a special interest.
Estrella's orders were absolute. Even though they were domineering and unreasonable, as her subordinate, Aries only had two choices: obey or die.
Aries tightened her grip on the steering wheel, eyes fixed on the road ahead. Despite the bustling activity outside, she floored the gas pedal, and the roaring engine echoed alongside the startled exclamations. The car sped out like an arrow released from its bow, but Aries felt it wasn't enough. She wished she could equip the car with wings and make it fly.
In the last minute of the life-and-death race, Aries, with a loud crash, smashed through the gates of the Jiang Mansion. The car skidded to a stop in front of the mansion, leaving a deep tire mark on the ground.
The mansion's guards were shocked by the appearance of the beaten-up car emitting smoke. This was the stronghold of the Estrella family, and they had never seen anyone so audacious and fearless to barge in like this.
Their momentary shock, however, was just a blink. In the next second, the well-trained guards aimed countless infrared beams at the gathering around the car. If anyone inside made the slightest suspicious move, they would be riddled with bullets.
Then, with a loud bang, the driver's side door of the car was sent flying off. Immediately after, a figure wearing a hooded jumpsuit catapulted out.
It was Aries. Although her speed was so fast that it was challenging to see clearly, the captain of the guards recognized her at a glance. However, even if they could confirm her identity, it didn't prove that Aries' actions wouldn't pose a threat to the Estrella family.
After all, in the post-apocalyptic world, loyalty could change in the blink of an eye.
Without any hesitation, the captain of the guards issued a command, and the numerous red dots that had been focused on the car instantly converged on the person who had just emerged. He shouted, "Don't move! Otherwise, we'll open fire!"
However, Aries ignored his warning, as if she didn't care at all about the dense red dots on her body. Fearlessly, she rushed toward the gates of the Jiang Mansion.
Several shots rang out at that moment, but the rushing figure suddenly disappeared from view. The erratic gunfire echoed in the courtyard, hitting the exquisite fountain at its center and leaving deep marks on the intricate carvings.
The captain of the guards cursed under his breath, then turned abruptly to look at the closed gates.
Yet, the gates remained firmly shut, showing no signs of opening. His pupils contracted, and he shouted, "Get inside!"
"Never mind," a deep voice said. Despite the calm tone, it carried an overwhelming pressure, a power unique to high-level mutants.
The captain of the guards turned around and saw an elderly man, standing with hands behind his back. His hair was graying, but he still stood tall and imposing.
"Mr. Cyrus, but..." The captain hesitated.
In the Estrella family's headquarters, there were more than twenty high-level mutants. Aries' commotion was significant, but the other mutants seemed uninterested, indicating that they did not see Aries as a threat. It was only the armed ordinary people who were making a fuss.
The man called Mr. Cyrus wore a faint smile. "Young people always love to cause trouble. Let her be."
Upstairs, a gentle breeze wafted through the open window in the study. The curtains on both sides swayed gently.
Estrella sat with crossed arms, leaning against the soft chair, expressionless as she stared at the empty floor in front of the desk.
Her gaze was fixed straight at Aries. Even though Aries still maintained her powers, it felt as if she was standing brazenly right in front of Estrella. Even with Estrella being an ordinary person without any abilities.
In this post-apocalyptic world, where emotions were unpredictable and countless ruthless people lurked, Estrella's terrifying aspect lay in her ability to stand at the pinnacle of power as an ordinary person.
Aries reached the study in half an hour and eight seconds, exceeding the allotted time. Even though she pushed herself to the limit, she had surpassed the stipulated time. She knew that Estrella was watching her. At this moment, whether she maintained her powers or not was no longer important. Her heart was pounding violently in her chest from the recent exertion. She desperately calmed her ragged breath and quietly awaited the queen's final judgment.
Estrella squinted her eyes in the almost solid atmosphere and finally spoke, "Aries, don't you have anything to say?"
What to say? Last words, perhaps? Aries didn't expect Estrella to say something like that; it seemed she was in a relatively good mood.
Aries lifted her abilities to meet Estrella's gaze, the slightly oversized one-piece cap casting shadows on her face. Her dark, shiny eyes curved beneath the shadows, with a hint of an unknown smile passing through. "Boss, I've returned according to your instructions. Is there something you want from me?"
Estrella's snow-white neck lifted elegantly, her demeanor quite arrogant, as if questioning her, 'Is that so?'
"Is your mission complete?" Estrella asked from her high and mighty position.
This really surprised Aries, but since the other party was willing to overlook her eight-second delay, she naturally wouldn't remind her. Feeling a sense of relief as if she had escaped a disaster, Aries nodded, "It ended when Boss called."
Estrella sneered, "How many survival points?"
"… Thirty thousand." Aries moved her eyebrows, feeling some pressure for some reason. Was Estrella's concern a bit too much?
"Give me three hundred." Estrella raised her chin slightly, looking down at her, leisurely uttering the word "thousand."
"..."
A task completion followed by a hundredfold fine was unheard of. Clearly, Estrella was playing with her. Maintaining a smile on her face, Aries didn't say much, "Yes."
At this point, Aries thought the matter should be over. Based on her understanding of Estrella, the latter wouldn't waste time on such meaningless things, as it would be foolish for Estrella.
Indeed, Estrella didn't continue this topic but also didn't let Aries leave. She lazily leaned against the backrest, lifting her chin, "Your new target."
After speaking, a photo was tossed to Aries' feet.
Aries picked it up, looking at the person in the photo with an indifferent expression. The man had a handsome face, not completely rid of the youthfulness. Aries knew this person, or rather, there was no one in Zone A who didn't know him.
Marcellus, the young scion of the Turner family, had been the much-favored and highly regarded heir of the Turner clan. A few months ago, the family had meticulously organized a coming-of-age ceremony for him in Zone A, and Estrella had been invited to attend.
The three major powerhouses in the former safe zone were the Estrella family, the Lily family, and the Turner family, which had joined later and was slightly inferior to the other two. The Turner family was known for their diplomatic approach. During the power struggle between the Estrella and Lily families, the Turners chose not to intervene. When Estrella's family emerged victorious, the Turners did not raise any objections to Estrella's ascension.
Moreover, the Turner family had been financially supporting the supplies for Zones C and D for many years. Based on this alone, the Turners were more popular than the authoritarian Estrella family, making them less likely to be seen as intrusive.
After a long period of calm in the safe zone, Estrella was finally making a move against the Turner family. Without explaining anything to Aries, she simply said, "One day, I want results."
Despite Marcellus being the second-largest family's heir in the safe zone, eliminating him wouldn't be much easier than dealing with Estrella herself. However, Aries was accustomed to Estrella's demanding requests and didn't have any particular thoughts about her decisions. In the end, Aries was just a tool in her hands, a weapon that needed to be sharp enough. If this weapon became dull and ineffective, it would be discarded, nothing more.
Aries tucked the photo into her pocket, lowered her head, and smiled, "Understood."
Returning to her room, Aries opened her wardrobe, pushed aside the hanging clothes, and revealed a multitude of photos on the inside of the door. With the dim light streaming in as the wardrobe opened, a layer of lingering darkness covered the unique faces captured in the photographs.
The photos depicted men and women, old and young, some looking fresh, while others had yellowed with time. Each face was unique, representing a target she had once pursued. These people held varying degrees of importance, from high-ranking figures to nameless pawns.
Aries had developed this habit unknowingly, perhaps starting from the first day she moved into the Jiang mansion. She would casually stick the photos of her targets on the wardrobe, and it had become a routine.
In the dim light, the originally colored photos appeared black and white. Aries gazed at the faces she had personally taken the lives of, some too distant to remember due to the passage of time, while others she could vividly recall, down to the details of their demise.
The terrified gaze of her targets, the sound of their breath being cut off before they could scream—all memories that stood out, but the most prominent of all was the blood. Splattering blood, flowing rivers of blood, exploding blood droplets...
But it didn't matter. These memories would eventually be overwritten by new bloodshed.
Aries remained composed, her face appearing indifferent and cold under the shadow of her hood. She took out Marcellus's photo, randomly found a spot, and pasted it. Afterward, she pulled back her clothes, neatly arranged them with a methodical precision, and finally, with a creak, closed the wardrobe.
The deceased and the soon-to-be-deceased were all buried in darkness, like being sealed in a cold coffin by the hands of the Grim Reaper.