Hazel went to exercise again the next morning.
This time, she simply ran on the track before moving to the punching bags.
After punching for a while, she moved to another exercise machine.
By the time she was done, her body ached thoroughly, but she had come prepared today.
She brought out a green vial similar to the one Simon had given her yesterday.
After pulling out its cork, she gulped it down.
Almost immediately, a familiar warm feeling passed through her body, washing all the aches away.
She sighed.
If such advanced medicine had been available in her previous life, how much more enjoyable would missions have been…
With the pain gone, she continued exercising until her body ached seriously again.
Then she would take the pain reliever and continue.
She finally left the place once it was noon, her stomach growling fiercely.
Upon returning home, she took a shower.
Afterward, she ate before returning to bed to take a nap.
An hour later, she woke up and opened her brain terminal.
She entered the Star Net, where people were still discussing the Contamination Zone that had disappeared.
She was about to watch a funny skit when she accidentally clicked on the video and was redirected to a forum page.
The video had been posted there, and various discussions were going on underneath it.
“Contamination Zone 009 has dissipated.
Has everyone heard about it?
It is simply astonishing.”
1L: Seriously, I was so surprised, and I am still shocked.
If it weren’t confirmed by a very legitimate source, I would never believe it…
2L: Is this for real?
Or are you spreading another fake news story?
A Contamination Zone dissipated, and it is even Contamination Zone 009 in the Eastern Region?
That is a very old Contamination Zone.
3L: Being a Sentinel for years, I have only heard of Contamination Zones shrinking, but this… The fact that a Contamination Zone disappeared is just… I can’t even put it into words.
4L: I agree with 2L.
They are trying to clickbait us.
5L: I still feel there is something they are not telling us, though.
And when it finally dissipated, why did it happen at this particular time?
Something is really fishy.
6L: 1L, 3L, and 5L, why do I feel like you three are in cahoots, planning to attract followers?
What do you mean a Contamination Zone dissipated?
7L: You all think this is something you should spread around like other fake news?
You are all despicable.
8L: For your information, the news is accurate and completely legitimate.
Contamination Zone 009 has dissipated.
It is not fake.
9L: @5L, fishy or not, at least we know that a Contamination Zone can dissipate.
That is a lot already, and if everyone is like me, I am sure they have not recovered from the news.
10L: I agree with 4L.
But 3L still has a point.
Maybe there is a crazy reason why it occurred.
11L: Okay, I think the conversation should end here.
Please, everyone, let’s leave it at that.
Hazel clicked on the forum’s homepage and, just as she had thought, it was an anonymous forum where missions could be posted, similar to a bounty hunter’s forum.
She scrolled downward and happened to see a pinned mission.
“A rare dragon fruit tree needed from Contamination Zone 032.”
Attached underneath it was an image of the tree.
The fruits were nothing like the dragon fruits Hazel knew.
These ones looked like actual dragons.
And the price was the most shocking part.
Five hundred star credits.
Hazel counted the zeros to confirm the amount and wondered if she should accept the mission or not.
Under the reward was a message:
“If interested, leave a message.”
“Mmhh… Contamination Zone 032,” Hazel muttered.
And just as if what she had said were a key, something unlocked within her spirit domain.
She went straight to the sand map, and just as she had thought, another place on the map was covered with black sand, just like the last one.
And this one seemed to be in the Northern Region.
To confirm, Hazel returned to her room and clicked on the map at the corner of her brain terminal.
Just as she had thought.
It was indeed in the Northern Region.
Contamination Zone 032 ; the Land of No Man’s Return.
A place where people went but never returned.
Hazel closed the map and finally sat up.
She began to wonder.
“What exactly is this map about?”
“Where is it taking me?”
Whatever was happening, she felt like she was currently trapped in a foggy maze.
She didn’t know where she was or where she was going, but something was driving her forward.
Not that she wanted to stop, but the feeling of not being in control was something she did not like.
From what had happened previously, Hazel knew she was holding a huge secret.
What exactly was she?
Why could she devour a pollution source?
And what was the hidden spirit body, that shadow in the mist she had seen when she first entered her spirit domain?
What exactly was it?
And Hope Biotechnology and Pharmaceuticals, what exactly were they doing with the Contamination Zones they were creating?
And why exactly were they doing this?
All of this was becoming a tangled web the more she thought about it.
She had always been someone who took her destiny into her own hands, but currently, she was not in control, and that was starting to become worrisome.
Hazel sighed tiredly.
She had really thought she could finally have some peace in this second lifetime, but she was no longer sure that was possible.
So Hazel made a mental note.
First, she had to explore Contamination Zone 032.
Because of the mist.
And most especially, because of the money.
She had always been a money-grubber anyway.
After all, she believed there was nothing wrong with having more money.