Chapter 363:Restrictions.

Chapter 363: 363:Restrictions.

Three days earlier, while Silver was still buried somewhere beneath Death Row Valley with no signal, Dillian’s journey toward Alpha Three had brought him to Border Checkpoint Five on the Yellow Zone side of Delta Two.

The trip since leaving Delta Two had been surprisingly peaceful, especially compared to the chaos that seemed to follow him whenever Cruella was around.

They had encountered several low-ranked beasts along the road and one damaged transport vehicle that needed help getting back onto the reinforced route, but there had been nothing remotely dangerous enough to slow the group for long.

Dillian had expected the journey toward Alpha Three to become more troublesome once they reached the busier Yellow Zone routes, yet until Border Checkpoint Five appeared ahead of them, things had gone smoothly enough that he had started wondering whether he should be suspicious of the silence.

The checkpoint quickly answered that question. Traffic stretched far beyond the reinforced gates.

Contractor vehicles occupied two lanes while commercial transports filled another, and several groups had pulled onto the roadside after apparently being refused passage through one of the routes branching away from the main checkpoint.

Association officers moved between vehicles, checking Contractor identifications and directing arguments away from the inspection lanes before they blocked traffic completely.

Dillian slowed their car.

Selena leaned forward from the back seat and stared through the windshield.

"Something definitely happened. It’s rare for checkpoints to be this crowded even during peak seasons. They’re arguing about one of the side routes."

Iris beside her lowered the window slightly. Voices immediately became clearer.

"...already accepted the mission!"

"...restrictions changed this morning!"

"...we’re Rank Two, not civilians!"

"...Death Row Valley remains restricted until further notice!"

Dillian’s attention sharpened.

"Death Row Valley?"

Maya sitting beside him glanced over. "Do you know it?"

"I know it. It’s around the Yellow and Red Zone boundary, and people hunt there occasionally when the conditions are stable."

He slowed as the line moved forward by several meters. A Contractor standing beside a parked vehicle was arguing loudly enough that everyone nearby could hear him.

"We spent money preparing for this expedition, bought supplies for four days and already paid for information about the migration routes. Now you’re telling us we can’t even approach the valley because somebody else’s expedition went wrong?"

The Association officer facing him looked thoroughly exhausted.

"I’m telling you that all low-ranked Contractors below the current authorization threshold are prohibited from entering the restricted Death Row Valley sector until the investigation concludes. I don’t care how much money you spent preparing. If you cross a restricted boundary after being informed of the order, your Contractor license can be suspended."

The man spread his arms. "What happened that suddenly makes the entire area too dangerous? Death Row Valley has always been dangerous. That’s why Contractors go there."

The officer’s expression hardened. "There was a serious subterranean incident involving an expedition, a major tunnel collapse and a parasitic beast colony whose threat level was incorrectly assessed. There are also ongoing investigations concerning the expedition itself. That’s everything I’m authorized to tell you, and standing here arguing with me isn’t going to change the restriction."

Dillian’s fingers tightened slightly around the steering wheel. Something about those words bothered him.

It wasn’t fear but more of a morbid curiosity. The feeling had followed him for years.

Before awakening, he’d learned to survive by paying attention to small things other people ignored.

A strange animal trail. A damaged wall. A rumor that didn’t quite fit. A place everyone else considered worthless. More than once, following an inexplicable feeling had led him toward something valuable.

After awakening, that strange pattern had only become more noticeable. There were better beast cores, hidden resources, the black Awakener stone that had changed his life and people worth meeting.

Dangerous places that somehow rewarded him if he survived them.

He had never called it luck because he’d nearly died far too many times for that word to feel appropriate, but he had learned not to dismiss curiosity when it appeared without explanation.

And right now, Death Row Valley interested him far more than it should.

The traffic moved again but Dillian didn’t.

Maya looked over. "You’re holding the line."

He blinked out of his reverie after a horn sounded behind them.

He moved forward.

"Sorry. I was thinking."

"About Death Row Valley?"

He nodded.

Selena leaned between the seats. "Please tell me you’re not thinking about going there. We finally have a straightforward road to Alpha Three, admissions are getting close, and I’d rather not discover another abandoned research facility because you suddenly decide some dangerous place feels interesting."

He smiled slightly. "You say that as if the research station was my fault."

"You were the one who wanted to investigate."

"And we found useful things."

"We also nearly died."

"Those two facts aren’t mutually exclusive."

She stared blankly at him. Dillian laughed.

"Relax. I didn’t say we’re going."

Iris shook her head. "You didn’t need to say it. You have that look."

"What look?"

"The one you get whenever someone says a place is dangerous and everyone should stay away from it. Normal people hear that and decide to stay away. You hear it and immediately start wondering what everyone else hasn’t discovered yet."

Dillian couldn’t completely deny that. He looked toward the side road.

A temporary barrier had been placed across it and two Association vehicles stood nearby. Contractors were being turned around.

Something inside him pulled again. He wanted to know what happened. He wanted to know what was inside Death Row Valley.

The feeling was irrational enough that it bothered him.

"Let me ask someone."

Maya sighed. "I knew you were going to say that."

Dillian pulled into the inspection area when their turn came. An Association officer approached.

"Contractor identification."

He handed it over.

The officer scanned the card, his expression changing slightly.

"Rank Two."

"Recently."

"Congratulations."

"Thank you."

The officer checked the passengers’ information before returning the card.

"Destination?"

"Alpha Three."

"Main route remains open. There may be additional delays closer to the sanctuary because academy traffic is increasing."

Dillian took the card.

Before the officer could step away, he asked, "Can I ask what happened around Death Row Valley? We’ve been hearing people arguing about the restrictions since we arrived."