Chapter 346 - 308

Chapter 346: Chapter 308

"We’re at the station entrance."

Gu Ning heard Alex speak and drew her gaze away from the patrolling Beast Police.

"It’s Barto," Alex whispered, looking down at her.

Gu Ning immediately turned to look for Barto and the others.

This station was immense, several times larger than any high-speed rail station in the human world.

Perhaps because it was winter, the foot traffic wasn’t too heavy, and the station felt rather empty.

Gu Ning scanned the area, but she couldn’t see Barto or any other member of their team.

"Let’s go inside first." Alex exchanged a few brief words with Barto before ending the call, then took Gu Ning by the wrist and led her to the security checkpoint queue.

Gu Ning squeezed Alex’s hand, her eyes asking what was going on.

Alex scanned their surroundings, pulling her closer as they walked. "Security is tight here, so it’s not a good place to meet up with the team," he murmured. "Don’t worry, Barto and the others are on the same train as us."

Hearing this, Gu Ning looked back at the neatly formed ranks of well-equipped, patrolling Beastmen.

These Beastmen wore stern expressions and had an intimidating aura. Nearly every one of them was armed with a submachine gun.

Judging by their uniforms and gear, they looked more like soldiers from the Military Department.

But they were even more tense than any soldiers she had seen before. Their gazes swept back and forth like the muzzles of their guns, as if ready to open fire on any unstable creature at a moment’s notice.

Gu Ning didn’t dare to meet the eyes of these Beast Police. She could only steal glances or watch them from the corner of her eye.

Before they entered the station, Alex had already explained the internal layout and the ticketing process to her in detail.

Security for entering and exiting any zone, regardless of whether it was an Upper, Middle, or Lower District, was extremely strict. This was especially true for stations connecting the Lower Districts to the Upper Middle Districts, where security and defense were several levels higher.

And Mixed Breeds were objects of intense scrutiny.

It was easy for a Mixed Breed to travel from a higher-tiered zone to a lower one, but the reverse was much more difficult.

Barto had told her this back when she was still in Zone 19. That was why it was crucial for a Mixed Breed to maintain a clean personal record—unless they never wanted to live in a better zone.

Gu Ning clutched Kaper’s pass in her hand, the rope tied to her wrist taut as she followed closely behind Alex.

As they approached the genetic scanning gate at the entrance, Alex had to let go of her so she could go through the check first.

"Stand still. Don’t move."

A staff member with a cold tone raised a hand, gesturing for Alex and Gu Ning to separate. He held a long electric baton, using it to block Gu Ning and halt her steps.

Gu Ning stood nervously in the middle of the detection channel. The instrument’s green light scanned her from head to toe, and soon, a crisp BEEP! rang out.

She turned toward the sound and saw a word pop up on the adjacent electronic display: "PASS."

Each zone had different standards for Mixed Breed passage. Degeneration values and the quality of one’s personal record were essential reference points. A different set of standards applied to those with special statuses before their degeneration or other unique circumstances.

The prerequisite was that all of this had to be prepared in advance on one’s pass or terminal; otherwise, being stopped would involve a lot of troublesome procedures.

Although it was difficult for Mixed Breeds to travel between zones, the good thing was that the station’s genetic scan didn’t display their degeneration value. As long as a Mixed Breed’s emotional state was stable and they didn’t exceed the degeneration threshold set by the train station, they were fine.

Back in Zone 15, Alex had already used the train station’s detection system to test Gu Ning, Barto, and the others in advance. Gu Ning’s degeneration value had remained stable at 25%, a level that allowed her to pass as a Mixed Breed and travel to any major zone except the Central Green Area.

As for Barto and Cook, they had to use special means to pass the inspection.

Their degeneration values should have made it impossible for them to even leave Zone 15, but they had female household registrations, which could guarantee them passage all the way through.

It’s just that they couldn’t reveal that here.

This was still Zone 15’s territory. The Special Security Team... or rather, the people behind the scenes who truly wanted to stop them, were still watching.

"Go on."

The staff member at the first checkpoint glanced at the results, his eyes sweeping over the short Mixed Breed and the Beastman behind it before moving the electric baton that was blocking its path.

Gu Ning stepped to the side, waiting for Alex to finish his check.

He walked straight through without being stopped.

’It seems this check is only for Mixed Breeds,’ she thought. ’After all, the difference between a Mixed Breed and a normal Beastman is obvious at a glance.’

Alex strode over, took Gu Ning’s hand, and led her toward the second checkpoint.

Only then were the two of them considered to be inside the station.

The second checkpoint was for verifying personal information and was some distance away. As they walked, Gu Ning took in the station’s interior.

Along the edges, several thick, silver-white steel pillars rose like giant trees to support the ceiling.

The interior was incredibly spartan. There were no seats or vending machines, no greenery or decorations, and certainly no shops, elevators, or a second floor.

In the center, a few more silver-white pillars, also shaped like giant trees, supported the roof. These were encircled by activated weapons and monitoring devices.

The entire station interior seemed to be just one massive detection channel. Crowds of tall Beastmen were methodically funneled through the various checkpoints, woven into a tight net of patrolling Beast Police.

It was almost impossible for any traveler to escape their line of sight.

Even after several months in this world, the architecture of the Beastmen still managed to surprise and amaze Gu Ning.

But her curious gaze was quickly cut short by the sharp eyes of a patrolling Beast Police officer sweeping in her direction.

Probably because she was a Mixed Breed in their eyes, the two closest patrols of Beast Police drew nearer after she entered the station, and their inspecting gazes lingered on her longer.

Gu Ning’s heart hammered in her chest. She immediately averted her eyes, lowered her head, and pressed closer to Alex.

’This is even more nerve-wracking than when I was pretending to be a Mixed Breed in Zone 19.’

Alex gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. Under the almost-escorting steps and gazes of the Beast Police, he unhurriedly led her to the second checkpoint.

"Please present your terminal, pass, and ticket."

The staff member standing by the gate addressed Gu Ning. Like the employee at the first checkpoint, his tone was cold, and his gaze lingered for a moment on the rope connecting her to Alex.

Gu Ning handed over the pass.

The staff member took it, placed it on the scanner, and stared at the display for a few seconds. He looked up at Gu Ning, then back down at the screen.

"Is there a problem?"

Alex stepped forward and asked.

The moment they stopped, the two patrols of Beast Police who had been watching them closed in.

Gu Ning’s breath hitched, and her palms began to sweat.

"Military Department?" the staff member asked, ignoring Alex and addressing Gu Ning directly.

Gu Ning nodded immediately.

The staff member stared at her face. "Take off the hat, glasses, and mask."