Bogner was clearly familiar with the federation's geography . "There are quite a few routes, Boss . No—" He suddenly looked at the pile of people behind him and said in a low voice, "I'm afraid some of the Federation Comprehensive Academy people are following us . I've already discovered quite a few . "

"So, what's your idea?" Chen Mu didn't believe the experienced Bogner would be helpless regarding the matter .

Sure enough, Bogner had something in mind . Laughing, he said, "It's not so hard, Boss . If we want to shake off the ones following us, there are quite a few ways to do it . One way would be to kill them, though that would be better not to use unless we had to . We might be tweaking the Federation Comprehensive Academy . Another way would be to mess with their nerves to cause them to make bad judgments . That would also be better not to use . There are too many of us, and we're too striking . If we were to advance normally, we would have to constantly make transfers . Given the power of the Federation Comprehensive Academy, it would be trivial to find us . We might as well give ourselves up to them . "

"Oh . So, what do you think?"

"From our current position, we could enter the Outer Reaches . I know a route . It was opened by some smugglers, and the wild beasts along the way aren't so fierce . It's a long distance along that private route, and there are a lot of bases along the way . Many of those active there are card artisans who don't belong to any power . They are called jungle card artisans, who are normally based in the Outer Reaches, from where they hunt for wild animals or seek raw materials to sell . If they encounter a lone card artisan, they are likely to do a little killing for loot . Even if it were a small team of card artisans, this gang would eat them up . "

Chen Mu said in surprise, "Aren't they just local bandits?"

Bogner laughed . "They sure are bandits . It's quite easy to kill someone in the Outer Reaches . n.o.body is likely to pay any attention . No one can investigate it, and if they did, they wouldn't find anything . The Outer Reaches are heaven for criminals . Those guys are halfway professional criminals . Relax, Boss; we have a lot of people, and they certainly won't make any wild moves . But those little tails behind us are miserable . Those people don't even care if you're from the Big Six, ha ha . To repeat what everyone knows, there are a lot of fat takes from card artisans from the Big Six . " Bogner was sneering .

Chen Mu thought it over and actually found it to be a pretty good idea . Those 400 card artisans had never gone through a battle . They could use the real-world training .

Since it was decided, everyone immediately mobilized . They arrived at a store, where they bought some things they needed to enter the jungle . Only then did Chen Mu discover that Bogner was a specialist in the jungle all along . While he didn't have the experience living in the jungle that Wei-ah did, he doubtlessly knew more about using tools . He bought a pile of strange things Chen Mu had never heard of .

They directly entered the jungle once their purchasing was complete .

By that time, their team was completely different from before . Right in the middle of the troops were five transport shuttles, which were packed with things like food and medicine .

In a flash, the entire team disappeared into the jungle .

* * *

Pa! He slapped a mosquito . But the ring of blood in his palm reminded him that he'd been bitten and how much blood he'd lost .

"d.a.m.n! Is that gang nuts? Drilling into the Outer Reaches?" One of the card artisans couldn't help but complain . "I know now that the jungle is no place for people to hang out . I really don't know if these guys took some bad drugs!"

He was full of resentment . They had suddenly entered the Outer Reaches from Hammond while following the team . It was unexpected to everyone . Some of them had to report up to the top while following closely behind .

He was full of resentment . They had suddenly entered the Outer Reaches from Hammond while following the team . It was unexpected to everyone . Some of them had to report up to the top while following closely behind .

Those people were subordinate agencies of the Federation Comprehensive Academy, who ordinarily trained how to track in the city and had basically never entered the Outer Reaches . In order to not lose them, they had had to brace themselves and follow . Once they did, they knew what a nightmare really was .

The sting was from a swarm of gra.s.s mosquitoes, which were more awesome than any card artisan . They could suck your blood right through your clothes . There were also locusts and ants . Once that kind of creature touched your skin, they would desperately drill into your flesh without your feeling it .

There was also danger underfoot covered in dead leaves, which looked identical to the swamps all around . Extremely poisonous snakes were as thick as a finger and incredibly lively . If you stepped on the nests of the gray ants under the leaves, your disaster would have just begun…

Of course, an energy cloak could solve a lot of issues, but the power cards they carried weren't sufficient to maintain the energy cloaks all the time while they followed . Once the energy was used up, they would be on the road to death .

"Stop complaining . Those on top have already dispatched people used to the jungle . If they don't get here this evening, I reckon they'll be here in the morning and catch up with us . We can return as soon as we finish our job . It's a life-and-death order from above; no matter what, we can't lose them . " The card artisan had furrowed his brow to remind his comrade . He hadn't thought the job would be so tricky, and a nameless feeling arose from his heart .

* * *

Ru Qiu was carefully stepping over the dead leaves, and she was full of curiosity as she looked around . It was her first time to enter the Outer Reaches . She had always heard how dangerous it was, but she now discovered it wasn't as terrifying as she'd thought .

On the contrary, her eyes were filled with greenery you never saw in the city . The birds calling from time to time were like a happy tune, full of the wildness of nature . There were bright flowers everywhere, along with all kinds of unfamiliar fruits, which caused her curious eyes to widen .

On the contrary, her eyes were filled with greenery you never saw in the city . The birds calling from time to time were like a happy tune, full of the wildness of nature . There were bright flowers everywhere, along with all kinds of unfamiliar fruits, which caused her curious eyes to widen .

Just like her, it was Sue Lochiro's first time in the jungle, and she also looked full of curiosity . But she was a lot more restrained than Ru Qiu as she carefully stuck to Lu Xiaoru .

The card artisans on the edges had their apparatuses lit up . They were all using a kind of card called the bug repellant card . The bug repellant card had no lethal power, but it could emit a kind of infrasonic wave that was a powerful repellent for insects and snakes . Experienced card artisans entering the jungle would always carry a bug repellant card . It used little energy and could be deployed for a long time .

The card artisans out in front had a palm-sized screen floating in front of them, slanting downward, on which numbers were incessantly jumping around . The screen was always maintained at a set distance from the card artisan . To someone from outside, the screen looked like it was moving ahead of the card artisan .

What they were using was the air a.s.sessment card . It could detect the concentration of harmful gases in the air and provide the danger index of the current air . Once that crossed a tipping point, it would sound an alarm . That kind of card was quite unorthodox, and most of those who used it weren't battle card artisans but were mining card artisans .

However, it was extremely effective for use in the jungle . Apart from the terrifying beasts, there were also toxic, invisible miasmas in the jungle . Once you breathed those in, you could die right away . Especially while entering strange jungles, the air a.s.sessment card was irreplaceable .

Bogner's endless cards made Chen Mu gape-mouthed and speechless . He had never thought there would be so many auxiliary cards to use . Those cards could really increase the rate of survival for a card artisan in the jungle .

Seeing Bogner tooling along as though he knew the way reminded him of the so-called jungle card artisans he had been talking about, and Chen Mu really wondered if Bogner had been one of them .

Xi Ping was also thinking along the lines of Chen Mu, though he and Bogner normally dealt with one another a lot more; they spoke more casually . "Were you once a bandit, old Bogs? Uh, then there's that jungle card artisan something-or-other . Very skilled in the profession!"

Bogner shook his head . "No, I don't like halfway professional guys . "

Xi Ping was also thinking along the lines of Chen Mu, though he and Bogner normally dealt with one another a lot more; they spoke more casually . "Were you once a bandit, old Bogs? Uh, then there's that jungle card artisan something-or-other . Very skilled in the profession!"

Bogner shook his head . "No, I don't like halfway professional guys . "

Just then, Bogner saw the time and said to Chen Mu, "Let's rest a bit, Boss . "

Chen Mu nodded . "Ok . " Bogner's command was professional along their way, precisely grasping the pace of their march . Chen Mu didn't feel he could have done it any better, so he'd simply let Bogner lead .

The troops immediately stopped, and a few of the card artisans consciously scattered to stand guard . Each of the small groups pulled out a strangely shaped card appliance, which was also something Bogner must have purchased in Hammond . The card appliance was composed of two parts: On top was a soft, horn-shaped opening, which was stretched out to 20 centimeters in diameter, and the bottom was a flexible water sack that could hold three liters of water .

Pressing the b.u.t.ton made the surrounding air quickly concentrate on the horn, and you could clearly see the misty water vapor . It was a condensing card appliance, the core card of which was a high-efficiency, suction-based refrigeration card . It could absorb and concentrate the water vapor in the air, turning it into pure water . It had a limited use in ordinary places . However, if you were in the jungle, where the density of the water vapor was several orders of magnitude higher than in other places, its utility was perfectly obvious . The condenser didn't have very advanced technology, but when used properly, it was an efficient and convenient card appliance .

Whether it was the bug repellant card, the air a.s.sessment card, or the condenser, the prices were all quite low . Their utility, however, went far beyond their prices .

A card artisan suddenly came over quietly to report, "We've found some guys following us, Boss . There are seven of them, and they don't seem to be in good condition . "

Take care of them! That was the first thought that popped into Chen Mu's head . The feeling of being followed was like someone constantly staring at your back, which would always be unsettling .

"It's easy to take care of, Boss . " Bogner was showing his signature bunch of white teeth .

Bogner was clearly familiar with the federations geography . There are quite a few routes, Boss . No— He suddenly looked at the pile of people behind him and said in a low voice, Im afraid some of the Federation Comprehensive Academy people are following us . Ive already discovered quite a few . So, whats your idea? Chen Mu didnt believe the experienced Bogner would be helpless regarding the matter . Sure enough, Bogner had something in mind . Laughing, he said, Its not so hard, Boss . If we want to shake off the ones following us, there are quite a few ways to do it . One way would be to kill them, though that would be better not to use unless we had to . We might be tweaking the Federation Comprehensive Academy . Another way would be to mess with their nerves to cause them to make bad judgments . That would also be better not to use . There are too many of us, and were too striking . If we were to advance normally, we would have to constantly make transfers . Given the power of the Federation Comprehensive Academy, it would be trivial to find us . We might as well give ourselves up to them . Oh . So, what do you think? From our current position, we could enter the Outer Reaches . I know a route . It was opened by some smugglers, and the wild beasts along the way arent so fierce . Its a long distance along that private route, and there are a lot of bases along the way . Many of those active there are card artisans who dont belong to any power . They are called jungle card artisans, who are normally based in the Outer Reaches, from where they hunt for wild animals or seek raw materials to sell . If they encounter a lone card artisan, they are likely to do a little killing for loot . Even if it were a small team of card artisans, this gang would eat them up . Chen Mu said in surprise, Arent they just local bandits? Bogner laughed . They sure are bandits . Its quite easy to kill someone in the Outer Reaches . n.o.body is likely to pay any attention . No one can investigate it, and if they did, they wouldnt find anything . The Outer Reaches are heaven for criminals . Those guys are halfway professional criminals . Relax, Boss; we have a lot of people, and they certainly wont make any wild moves . But those little tails behind us are miserable . Those people dont even care if youre from the Big Six, ha ha . To repeat what everyone knows, there are a lot of fat takes from card artisans from the Big Six . Bogner was sneering . Chen Mu thought it over and actually found it to be a pretty good idea . Those 400 card artisans had never gone through a battle . They could use the real-world training . Since it was decided, everyone immediately mobilized . They arrived at a store, where they bought some things they needed to enter the jungle . Only then did Chen Mu discover that Bogner was a specialist in the jungle all along . While he didnt have the experience living in the jungle that Wei-ah did, he doubtlessly knew more about using tools . He bought a pile of strange things Chen Mu had never heard of . They directly entered the jungle once their purchasing was complete . By that time, their team was completely different from before . Right in the middle of the troops were five transport shuttles, which were packed with things like food and medicine . In a flash, the entire team disappeared into the jungle . * * * Pa! He slapped a mosquito . But the ring of blood in his palm reminded him that hed been bitten and how much blood hed lost . d.a.m.n! Is that gang nuts? Drilling into the Outer Reaches? One of the card artisans couldnt help but complain . I know now that the jungle is no place for people to hang out . I really dont know if these guys took some bad drugs! He was full of resentment . They had suddenly entered the Outer Reaches from Hammond while following the team . It was unexpected to everyone . Some of them had to report up to the top while following closely behind . Those people were subordinate agencies of the Federation Comprehensive Academy, who ordinarily trained how to track in the city and had basically never entered the Outer Reaches . In order to not lose them, they had had to brace themselves and follow . Once they did, they knew what a nightmare really was . The sting was from a swarm of gra.s.s mosquitoes, which were more awesome than any card artisan . They could suck your blood right through your clothes . There were also locusts and ants . Once that kind of creature touched your skin, they would desperately drill into your flesh without your feeling it . There was also danger underfoot covered in dead leaves, which looked identical to the swamps all around . Extremely poisonous snakes were as thick as a finger and incredibly lively . If you stepped on the nests of the gray ants under the leaves, your disaster would have just begun… Of course, an energy cloak could solve a lot of issues, but the power cards they carried werent sufficient to maintain the energy cloaks all the time while they followed . Once the energy was used up, they would be on the road to death . Stop complaining . Those on top have already dispatched people used to the jungle . If they dont get here this evening, I reckon theyll be here in the morning and catch up with us . We can return as soon as we finish our job . Its a life-and-death order from above; no matter what, we cant lose them . The card artisan had furrowed his brow to remind his comrade . He hadnt thought the job would be so tricky, and a nameless feeling arose from his heart . * * * Ru Qiu was carefully stepping over the dead leaves, and she was full of curiosity as she looked around . It was her first time to enter the Outer Reaches . She had always heard how dangerous it was, but she now discovered it wasnt as terrifying as shed thought . On the contrary, her eyes were filled with greenery you never saw in the city . The birds calling from time to time were like a happy tune, full of the wildness of nature . There were bright flowers everywhere, along with all kinds of unfamiliar fruits, which caused her curious eyes to widen . Just like her, it was Sue Lochiros first time in the jungle, and she also looked full of curiosity . But she was a lot more restrained than Ru Qiu as she carefully stuck to Lu Xiaoru . The card artisans on the edges had their apparatuses lit up . They were all using a kind of card called the bug repellant card . The bug repellant card had no lethal power, but it could emit a kind of infrasonic wave that was a powerful repellent for insects and snakes . Experienced card artisans entering the jungle would always carry a bug repellant card . It used little energy and could be deployed for a long time . The card artisans out in front had a palm-sized screen floating in front of them, slanting downward, on which numbers were incessantly jumping around . The screen was always maintained at a set distance from the card artisan . To someone from outside, the screen looked like it was moving ahead of the card artisan . What they were using was the air a.s.sessment card . It could detect the concentration of harmful gases in the air and provide the danger index of the current air . Once that crossed a tipping point, it would sound an alarm . That kind of card was quite unorthodox, and most of those who used it werent battle card artisans but were mining card artisans . However, it was extremely effective for use in the jungle . Apart from the terrifying beasts, there were also toxic, invisible miasmas in the jungle . Once you breathed those in, you could die right away . Especially while entering strange jungles, the air a.s.sessment card was irreplaceable . Bogners endless cards made Chen Mu gape-mouthed and speechless . He had never thought there would be so many auxiliary cards to use . Those cards could really increase the rate of survival for a card artisan in the jungle . Seeing Bogner tooling along as though he knew the way reminded him of the so-called jungle card artisans he had been talking about, and Chen Mu really wondered if Bogner had been one of them . Xi Ping was also thinking along the lines of Chen Mu, though he and Bogner normally dealt with one another a lot more; they spoke more casually . Were you once a bandit, old Bogs? Uh, then theres that jungle card artisan something-or-other . Very skilled in the profession! Bogner shook his head . No, I dont like halfway professional guys . Just then, Bogner saw the time and said to Chen Mu, Lets rest a bit, Boss . Chen Mu nodded . Ok . Bogners command was professional along their way, precisely grasping the pace of their march . Chen Mu didnt feel he could have done it any better, so hed simply let Bogner lead . The troops immediately stopped, and a few of the card artisans consciously scattered to stand guard . Each of the small groups pulled out a strangely shaped card appliance, which was also something Bogner must have purchased in Hammond . The card appliance was composed of two parts: On top was a soft, horn-shaped opening, which was stretched out to 20 centimeters in diameter, and the bottom was a flexible water sack that could hold three liters of water . Pressing the b.u.t.ton made the surrounding air quickly concentrate on the horn, and you could clearly see the misty water vapor . It was a condensing card appliance, the core card of which was a high-efficiency, suction-based refrigeration card . It could absorb and concentrate the water vapor in the air, turning it into pure water . It had a limited use in ordinary places . However, if you were in the jungle, where the density of the water vapor was several orders of magnitude higher than in other places, its utility was perfectly obvious . The condenser didnt have very advanced technology, but when used properly, it was an efficient and convenient card appliance . Whether it was the bug repellant card, the air a.s.sessment card, or the condenser, the prices were all quite low . Their utility, however, went far beyond their prices . A card artisan suddenly came over quietly to report, Weve found some guys following us, Boss . There are seven of them, and they dont seem to be in good condition . Take care of them! That was the first thought that popped into Chen Mus head . The feeling of being followed was like someone constantly staring at your back, which would always be unsettling . Its easy to take care of, Boss . Bogner was showing his signature bunch of white teeth .