The old man still thought Sorren was joking. With a chuckle, he said, "Save that crap. Just tell me a number. You're one of my oldest business partners. Have I ever ripped you off?"
He glanced at the young woman again. She looked good but seemed so frail. 'Can she handle the buyers?'
"Hey, I'm warning you, don't get yourself into trouble. She really is my boss," Sorren said, eyeing the old man nervously. 'Oh no, oh no,' he thought. 'I should've taken Lyra straight to a fancy hotel!'
But as an Alliance fugitive, he couldn't risk showing his face in such places.
He couldn't believe how disrespectful these guys were after he'd been away for just a while.
"I don't care who your boss is. Taking your goods is me doing you a favor. Just accept the favor. Or I don't think you'll be able to walk out of there intact." The old man shoved Sorren aside and took a few steps toward the young woman to inspect her.
The goons in the bar kept their eyes on Sorren, ready to stop him if he tried anything. The old man's grimy hand reached for Lyra's face, but suddenly, a tan hand grabbed his wrist.
A crisp, bold laugh echoed. "So, this really is a den of thieves! I've caught you all red-handed today!"
The newcomer had big eyes, thick eyebrows, and a short, explosive hairstyle held back with an orange headband. She wore a blue sleeveless jacket and black shorts, with a deep cleavage showing off her nearly six-foot frame. She looked like a sleek, wild leopard, full of raw charm.
Behind her was a bruised and battered trafficker who had clearly tried to deceive her and ended up beaten into revealing their hideout.
The old man was stunned for a moment, glancing behind her. Seeing no backup, he burst into laughter. "I've hit the jackpot today, another prime catch!"
"Pah! Try me!" The girl was ferocious, raising her fists without another word.
Lyra noticed her skin changing, taking on a metallic sheen. It was a rare and powerful enhancement ability.
The old man, oblivious, tried to block her punch. Big mistake. The impact shattered his bones from fingers to arm, splintering like shards.
Blood spurted as his artery was punctured.
"Level-four power of enhancement?!" The old man staggered back, clutching his arm, his expression changing. "Get her! Take that chik down!"
A group immediately dropped their bottles and surrounded her.
Realizing they were outnumbered, the girl wasn't dumb enough to fight head-on. She grabbed Lyra and ran.
Lyra was momentarily stunned, feeling like a kettle being lifted off the ground. She managed to adjust her breathing just in time, avoiding being winded by the sudden rush.
The entire 27th street was a hub for human trafficking.
The two women hadn't run far before the once-empty, narrow street was filled with people.
Armed with sticks and even guns, they blocked every possible escape route.
"Damn that old punk White Pubes! He almost got us killed!" A chubby woman with a cigarette dangling from her lips emerged from the crowd. Her fluffy curls made her look like a lion.
If these two young women got away, all their effort to dodge the police over the years would be wasted. She squinted at the girl. "Young women like you have come here before, but in the end, their bones were all picked clean by snow wolves. You're so young, what a pity."
With that, she waved her hand, and over sixty people charged at them with wild cries.
Lyra was shoved against the wall.
"Hold your head and protect yourself. When I say run, you run!" the girl ordered, tapping a metal ring on her hand—a Space Button.
A two-meter-tall basic mecha appeared, enveloping the girl securely.
The sticks bounced back off the mecha's surface, and bullets shot at it without leaving a mark.
Lyra's eyes gleamed. A level six mecha, and a military model at that. She wondered which rich family this young lady was from, and why she had decided to go on such an adventure.
But a level six mecha alone wasn't enough.
The chubby woman realized this young woman must have a significant background and hesitated. The rules of the underworld were clear: never mess with someone with connections. But the situation had already escalated. If they let this young woman escape and bring back reinforcements, it would be even worse.
"Everyone, fall back!" she commanded. The reluctant thugs retreated like a tide. The chubby woman tossed her cigarette and glanced around. "What are you all standing around for? We can't let this young woman leave."
At her signal, two men appeared from the ends of the street.
"White Pubes owes us a huge favor now."
The girl inside the mecha scanned her surroundings warily.
There were so many thugs.
As she considered how to escape, a thick smoke suddenly spread, even blocking psychokinesis—it was a level six ability, apparently.
This was trouble. With the last bit of visibility, the girl rushed to Lyra and shouted, "We need to run, now!"
Lyra didn't know what to say. 'Why isn't she using the mecha to escape alone? Why is she insisting on saving me?'
This wasn't the time to ask those questions. Lyra could only point over and tell the girl, "Behind you."
A powerful fist struck the side of the mecha's head, sending the girl and her mecha flying.
This man also had the power of enhancement. While not as special as the girl's, his level six strength was enough to overpower her.
More blows landed with loud thuds. The smoke-blinded girl was completely on the defensive, taking hit after hit.
Lyra thought for a moment and decided to step in.
Suddenly, however, a fat hand reached for her. The woman, the source of the dense fog enveloping the area, was grinning wickedly. "I'll use you as my reward. Just as White Pubes said, a top-notch catch!"
"You're wrong about that."
"Hmm?"
Lyra's eyes flashed with a fierce light.
The fat woman felt a pang of fear as a sudden, sharp blow struck her abdomen.
'She's a tough one!' In a split second, the fat woman tried to flee. "Help me!" she cried. She was only there to assist, with no real offensive power. She conjured more fog to try to create confusion.
The fog was so thick that she couldn't see the hand in front of her face. But before she could turn around, Lyra's slender hand grabbed her hair.
'How is this possible?!' The fat woman was slammed into a crumbling wall, which collapsed under the impact.
Realizing the fat woman was in trouble, one of the attackers turned to help her, but before they could get close, the fog cleared.
She had already been dealt with!
With sudden clarity in her vision, the girl in the mecha's eyes lit up. "Go to hell!" she shouted. The mecha's palm gathered blue ions—an electromagnetic cannon fired swiftly!
The powerful beam scorched through the street, frying several thugs to a crisp. Even a few level-six Peculiars couldn't evade it, ending up charred and battered.
The beam pierced through buildings, extending beyond 27th Street.
Military troops, who had been scouring the area, noticed the disturbance. They began evacuating civilians and hurried towards the commotion.
"Zinna!" A middle-aged man who arrived at the scene stared in shock at the carnage.
Zinnia is the girl piloting a mecha. Her face was still bleeding, yet she waved happily. "Uncle Rowie, I've made a huge contribution!"
Rowie's expression was complex. "Yeah, let's see about that, but you'll have to talk to your brother Zarek. He's here for you."