Saiyan stowaways on the Ark

So it's no wonder that the atrocities couldn't immediately comprehend this turn of events.

"In any case, just focus on what's at hand."

The cleaners, on the other hand, seemed much calmer.

She didn't really care why these troubles occurred or who caused them.

She only needs to worry about how to deal with trouble when it comes to her.

“So, if someone wants to isolate us, why send me this incomprehensible message? Don’t tell me it was sent to the wrong person.” Tomat steered the conversation back to the cryptic text message, this time showing Zoya his screen. “And the name ‘Patriot’ sounds familiar.”

"I...I haven't received formal Ursus military training yet, and I don't understand this kind of tactical language. If it were Dad..."

Zoya glanced at the brown bear father, who was still talking to others a little further away and hadn't noticed what was happening here, and then explained to Tomat:

"However, I've heard that there's a traitorous general in Ursus... the legendary pure-blooded Wendigo, who seems to still be leading other traitorous Legion members on the frozen ground."

“Ah…!” At this moment, Brutality whispered in Tommat’s ear, “That ‘old stubborn man’ that Miss Frostnova often mentions, her adoptive father.”

It was only then that Tomat remembered the elderly general whose entire meeting with him lasted less than half an hour.

Since the sender signed it "Patriot's Throat," it's highly likely that they are related to Patriot himself.

But how did they manage to obtain their contact information?

Then Tomat suddenly remembered Frostnova, whom he hadn't been able to contact for a long time.

Frostnova said that if she found her father and could have a talk with him, she hoped Tomat would be there as well.

At least assuming no other problems arise, Frostnova will do this.

However, Frostnova was clearly in the same predicament as Rhodes Island, unable to communicate using their communication devices, which is why she used Patriot's system.

Under these circumstances, Frostnova's contact with Tomat may not necessarily be solely for the purpose of talking to Patriot.

—More likely, they are seeking support.

"Could your dad understand it? Could you have him come over and take a look?"

Thomas dismissed Zoya with a single sentence, and only after watching her walk a distance away did he inform her of the atrocities and the possible current situation of the Scavengers.

"Miss Frostnova is using Ursus's communication methods to bypass the obstruction and request support? Wait, I don't remember her being part of this operation?"

The tyranny was initially surprised by the urgency of the situation, before realizing that Frostnova was also involved in the event.

"Be careful. Who knows if she's trying to get help from someone who can, or if she's trying to lure someone into a trap to kill. Don't forget she was originally a member of the Reunion Movement."

Having been betrayed by her mercenary "partners" several times before, the Cleaner wouldn't easily change her mindset now that she's on Rhodes Island, especially since her target is a former member of a highly unpredictable enemy organization.

“I know this is a precautionary reminder, but based on experience…” Tomat recalled Frostnova’s initial “luring and killing” experience, “She shouldn’t set a trap for me.”

However, these are all inferences based on limited information. Whether the sender is Frostnova or whether the message is a distress call is anyone's guess.

After all, it's hard to imagine that Frostnova, with her stubborn and unyielding nature, would take the initiative to ask for her help—or why she thinks Tomat can understand Ursus's tactical language.

Just in case, Tomat proactively enhanced his perception of auras, attempting to search the vicinity for any strong signs of battle.

Although he often couldn't pinpoint the location of heavily infected individuals like Frostnova because their aura was very weak.

"Hmm? There are two people outside. I'll go check it out."

Just as he was sensing, Tomat noticed that on the ground not far from the vertical passage, there were two faint auras slowly approaching their location.

They seem to be heading towards the entrance.

Other survivors?

Originium Biology?

In any case, it couldn't be a professional army that came to deal with them after isolating them—that's what Tomat judged.

Based on his understanding of Terra, although there are some individuals with extreme combat abilities in this world, in military terms, it is still a matter of quantity over quality. Instructor Dobermann often used the example of "three hundred new recruits crushing Originium Arts masters" to emphasize the importance and powerful role of standardized armies.

Ursus isn't stupid either, since both Lungmen and Rhodes Island guessed that they would fight each other in the ruins because of Talulah or something else.

Ursus, too, wouldn't assign just two or three people to fight against a prepared adversary.

"I've heard rumors about your keen senses... Let's take a look together."

As soon as the cleaner offered to go along, Tomat refused:

"It's nothing, just two people. They're not some kind of unparalleled Ursus master."

Thomas walked down to the bottom of the passage and leaped away from the underground platform.

No sooner had Tomat left than Zoya, who was on her way to find her father with Tomat's communicator, rushed over to Violence and Scavenger with a strange sense of panic.

"What's going on with this message!?"

Zoya's father's bear-like face was so contorted with emotion that he grimaced and bared his teeth, like a bear that had been disturbed from hibernation and was now enraged.

"What happened? What did the message say?"

The violence surprised them and a bad feeling crept into their hearts.

“Most of the terminology is too old for me to understand, but I can still recognize some of the technical terms…” Zoya’s father’s voice trembled slightly, while Zoya herself wore an incredulous expression as she watched her father so panicked.

"It says that the Ursus Emperor's inner guard...the legendary masked saber has appeared!"

[Main Text] Chernobog, Above the Ruins: Chapter Ten: The Masked Saber Man

Ursus is a martial monarchy where people take pride in becoming soldiers or other professions that contribute to the nation's military strength.

But they are completely different from the military police or soldiers who often appear in people's sight.

Ursus Emperor's Guard, Masked Saber-wielding Men, Monsters of the Frozen Ground, "The Emperor's Blade"...

There are countless legends about them, and their various names have varied with the times and regions.

But all they spread and proclaimed was terror, and it lived only in legends; no one had ever actually seen it.

Or perhaps those who witnessed it are all dead, or perhaps they can only frantically spread their distorted yet terrifying experiences.

Even the stories fabricated in their name are often used by some Ursus parents to get some disobedient children to go to sleep—"The Masked Saber Man has a list of disobedient bad kids. Every year at the end of the year, they will come down the chimney, grab the disobedient kids, put them in bags, and send them to the mines, where they will never come out."

Of course, even if such masked saber men don't exist, many Ursus residents have seen military police simply break down doors and take people to the mines instead of through the chimneys—whether they actually have a list or not is unknown.

However, no Ursus people ever scoffed at the legend of the masked saber-wielding man; they were well aware that the saying "The Emperor is watching you" was not just empty words.

Do they... really exist?

Zoya grew up listening to these stories. Although she was a well-behaved child, a sense of inexplicable fear remained in her heart due to the influence of these stories.

Zoya's father remained silent, clutching Tomat's communicator in his hand, his eyes fixed on the terrifying word.

He didn't want to believe it was real, and he couldn't understand why something like this would happen that would warrant the appearance of these legendary, terrifying forces.

"So, why did you receive Ursus tactical radio messages?"

He suddenly turned his attention to the violence and asked a question. From their previous conversation, he already knew that the other party was the captain of the squad. After these events, he immediately questioned the violence, his tone filled with hostility and doubt.

"Dad... I don't think it has much to do with this woman, and besides, only that boy received the message..."

Seeing her father confront the violence, which had been relatively mild so far, Zoya stepped forward and defended him in a timid yet firm tone.

"Zoya! If you want to be a military or police officer, don't let your first impression influence your judgment."

Seeing Zoya blocking his way, he immediately stepped forward to shield her behind him, and then continued to ask:

"And what about that guy? He's gone!"

The scene of falling from the sky earlier still left a deep impression on Zoya's father, but now that he realized his situation was becoming increasingly dangerous, he took the initiative to adopt a more confrontational attitude and questioned her one after another.

“Calm down, Officer Boris. We mean no harm and have no intention of doing anything to hurt you. We don’t know the situation either.” Brutality held out her hand, slightly flustered as she dealt with the Ursus man in front of her. She didn’t want him to get so agitated that he started shouting battle cries.

"Keep your voice down. You don't want everyone who's finally calmed down to panic again, do you?" The cleaner seized on his weakness, pointing to a group of people some distance away who didn't know what they were talking about. "As for where he is..."

"Hey, I'm back. What are you all doing?"

Before the cleaner could finish speaking, Tomat's figure disappeared down the passageway again.

When everyone turned to look in his direction, they were all stunned.

Because at this moment, Tomat's clothes were covered in blood.

However, he didn't show any special behavior as usual, only slightly raising his hand to look at the stains on his clothes and occasionally sniffing them.

"Where...where did you go?"

No one answered Tomat's question; instead, Violence turned the question around and asked it back.

"Me? Just now, two lunatics in black trench coats wearing gas masks and with tubes in the back of their heads saw me, muttered a few words, and then attacked me."

"...Then what?"

"Then?"

Thomas flicked the still-wet blood off his hands in front of everyone and replied with a matter-of-fact attitude:

"And then that's it? By the way, what were you guys talking about? Did you crack the code?"

Descriptions of the masked saber-wielding men were mostly based on rumors, and no one knew their exact appearance, so none of those present could confirm whether Tomat was referring to them.

But they all thought of the same thing—

He killed the legendary monster.

What he just dealt with was something terrifying.

He did it as casually as going to the toilet.

However, the doubts in people's hearts—especially Zoya's father's—were not so easily dispelled. To him, it was just that he had seen someone from an unfamiliar faction go out and come back covered in blood.

"How...is this possible?"

"What? How is that possible? I went out for a while and now I can't understand anything."

The other party's inexplicable words and actions left Tomat somewhat bewildered.

Regardless of the circumstances, Tomat's experience already indicates that someone in the area intends to launch an attack.

It's unclear whether there will be any further attacks after the alleged masked man with the sword from the legend is dealt with.

Even Zoya realized that the so-called "rescue from Ursus" might be a long way off.

The atrocities were explained to Tomat in a simple way, and Tomat understood that the current situation had deviated from his original expectations.