Prometheus said to Bisi,
"Miss Bisi, you should conserve your unique abilities. Each person you heal consumes a great deal of energy.
This fellow is just a subordinate; his presence or absence doesn't affect our combat strength. Your precious abilities shouldn't be wasted on someone like him.
Besides, his hand is already gone. Even if you heal him, a new hand won't grow."
Bisi nodded in agreement, "Alright, I will do as Lord Prometheus arranges."
After the two injured individuals had their wounds treated, they were carried away. Bisi also went to rest, while Prometheus stood with his arms crossed, lost in thought.
Just then, Arthur approached.
"What's wrong, Lord Prometheus? You look troubled."
"Didn't those people from the Chinese hinterland proactively contact us about cooperation?
Why are their people now entangled with those detestable Chinese, and even injuring our people!
I knew those Chinese couldn't be trusted!" Prometheus was a typical redneck, harboring the most intense hatred for Chinese people.
"I don't think it's that complicated. This was just an accident. We should still try to gain more allies..." Arthur tried to placate him.
"No, that won't be necessary. In a few more days, Lange will arrive.
As long as we control Mario Kuiet, all the armed forces on the island will be at our disposal.
Those rabble will only become a burden to us!"
"Ah, alright."
The wise Arthur disliked Prometheus's discriminatory view of people, but there was nothing he could do, as Prometheus was the leader of the American team.
"Also, Arthur, increase the bounty. Double the reward. We must eliminate that Chinese person named Ling Tian, no matter what!"
...
Ling Tian walked along the coast for several kilometers, and a lighthouse-like structure appeared before him. The lower half of this structure was submerged in the sea, while the other half was connected to a wall.
This wall was precisely the barrier separating the orderly zone and the free zone on Icefire Island.
Ling Tian entered the lighthouse-like building and found several guards inside.
A burly man with a full beard saw Ling Tian and walked out of the room.
"Halt!"
Ling Tian stopped and observed the burly man. He was about 1.8 meters tall but weighed over 300 jin.
The bearded man held a large axe, over a meter long and shaped like a wagon wheel. Ling Tian could tell that the axe weighed around 100 jin!
This fellow was like a dwarf from a game, albeit an enhanced version.
It was clear that the bearded man was a strength-type ability user, the most common type.
Their abilities awakened in strength or speed, with a sudden increase in one aspect. However, this increase was limited, only two to three times that of an ordinary person.
"My name is Hart. You must be that Chinese kid, Ling Tian, right? Haha, good. I watched the arena that day, and your fight was exhilarating!
I've disliked that guy Pat for a long time. If it weren't for the island's rules, I would have beaten him to death..."
Ling Tian hadn't expected this fellow to be such an ardent fan. The two of them chatted without any hindrance.
"Hart, I want to go and see the free zone over there. Do you know if there are any regulations on the time of entry into the free zone?" Ling Tian asked.
"There are no regulations. In fact, everyone on the island has unrestricted access in and out of the free zone and the orderly zone.
The reason we have checkpoints here is to prevent wild beasts from invading from the free zone.
You must know that this island is quite peculiar; many animals on the island undergo mutations..."
Ling Tian nodded in understanding. It was normal for plants and animals to evolve in places with abundant spiritual energy.
Especially in places like Icefire Island, where spiritual energy was concentrated but irregular in its flow, biological evolution could go awry.
"Also, the purpose of our guard post is to prevent people from being coerced from the orderly zone into the free zone.
This has happened before, where people were coerced into the free zone and killed.
Mr. Mario Kuiet believes this is a serious violation of the island's rules, which is why these checkpoints were established.
We have checkpoints every few hundred meters. If someone wants to cross a checkpoint into the free zone, we need to interrogate everyone to confirm their voluntary entry into the free zone."
"I see!" Ling Tian understood after Hart's explanation.
"Hart, I'm just going out for a stroll and will be back."
Unexpectedly, Hart's expression turned serious.
"Mr. Ling Tian, I don't recommend you do that. There are many mutated plants and animals on this island, especially at night, when they become very dangerous!
Take venomous snakes, for example. In the forest not far from the wall, there is a Golden Pit Viper. This snake originally lived in the Amazon rainforest. After being introduced to the island, its population has continuously expanded, and on this island, the venom of the Golden Pit Viper is more than ten times that of its native counterpart.
Once bitten, there's no need to wait for antivenom. Within minutes, you'll bleed all over, your body will rot, and you'll die!"
"It's alright, I'm not afraid. I often deal with venomous snakes..."
"But it's night now, and visibility is very poor. Even with the most advanced night vision equipment, it's difficult to see those dangerous reptiles."
"It's fine, my eyesight is good.
Hart, I know you mean well, but as a martial artist, I must constantly enter harsh environments and temper myself to become stronger.
Even if something happens to me after I go out, it will be my choice, my fate!"
"Alright, good luck, and be very careful!"
Hart led Ling Tian to an iron gate beneath the wall. He opened three thick iron gates. Ling Tian looked at the dark night beyond the gates and walked out without hesitation!
Outside the wall was a buffer zone about ten meters wide. Ling Tian crossed the buffer zone and entered the forest.
The forest at night was indeed different from the daytime. Ling Tian focused his gaze and saw a large number of animals and insects.
However, neither Ling Tian nor Hart noticed that as Ling Tian passed through the wall and entered the free zone, a guard in the lighthouse took out a small satellite phone and sent out several messages.
Suddenly, all directions were in motion, and all eyes were focused on the free zone.
Ling Tian walked into the dark, gloomy forest and reconfirmed that there were no cameras around. Ling Tian then released the mutated leopard he had previously subdued from his spiritual realm.
The leopard, named Shadow Leopard, was even comparable in size to a cougar.