Namkhai, Delilah, Phobos, and Number 1991 walked across an endless степpe. Grass stretched to the horizon in every direction. As he walked beside the squad, Namkhai started a conversation.

  “I really don’t like this mission. It feels inhuman.”

  Phobos, walking ahead, did not even turn around.

  “I don’t care what you think. This is our last chance. We cannot fail this mission, so the three of you get yourselves together.”

  “And you’re fine with taking the leader of an entire settlement hostage? You’re supposed to be a killer.”

  “I just want to close the contract and get my freedom. For that, I’ll do whatever I’m told. If you, long legs, don’t want to rot in prison for the rest of your life, I suggest you listen to me,” Phobos replied coldly, continuing forward.

  “Ahem… I don’t need your advice. But about getting ourselves together, I agree. A third failed mission in a row won’t look good on my record,” Namkhai answered.

  Phobos smirked.

  Delilah and Number 1991 walked behind them in silence. Number 1991 was struck by the beauty of the steppe.

  “Hey! Look!” he called out to the girl.

  Delilah stopped and turned toward him.

  “It’s so beautiful here… like a painting,” he said in awe.

  She looked at him in confusion, said nothing, and continued walking.

  Number 1991 followed, unable to take his eyes off the endless landscape.

  At last, the four crossed a hill, and beyond it a village came into view a small town surrounded by a metal fence.

  “So we finally made it. This is the Wanderers’ Village?” Namkhai asked.

  _____

  Several hours earlier, Andok had gathered Squad Thirteen to brief them on the third mission. The four of them sat in chairs opposite him.

  “How’s your spirit, my squad? Today you are to carry out a very important task in the Wanderers’ Village. Do you all know what kind of place it is?”

  Phobos and Dalila nodded, while Number 1991 and Namkhai shook their heads in confusion.

  “First time I’ve heard of it. What kind of village is it?” Namkhai said.

  “Are we supposed to destroy it?” Number 1991 asked.

  Andok exhaled and addressed them all.

  “In short, it’s an autonomous settlement that lives on its own. Outsiders who refuse to live under our government’s laws leave the sectors and move into the wilderness, where this village is located.”

  “That sounds like a good thing, doesn’t it? They don’t interact with the state, so we could just leave them alone. Especially if it’s a small village,” Namkhai objected.

  “The higher ups think otherwise. The village is expanding too quickly. Last year there were barely a thousand outsiders there. Now there are nearly five thousand. It’s considered a threat, and it must be stopped. Besides, it was built illegally on state territory.”

  “Why didn’t anyone deal with it earlier?”

  “At the time, it wasn’t seen as necessary… Now the village borders my sector, so I’ll have to handle it. To be honest, I don’t like this plan either. I already have enough problems.”

  “What exactly is our mission, Andok?” Phobos asked.

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  “You are to enter the Wanderers’ Village, infiltrate their community, identify the leader, take him hostage, and bring him back to base.”

  “No, that’s nonsense,” Namkhai said.

  A pause settled over the room.

  “What do you mean?” Andok asked.

  “What exactly have these outsiders done to deserve such drastic measures?”

  Phobos and Delilah exchanged glances, then stared at him as if he had said something strange.

  “The village could become a threat in the future. The situation in the country is unstable. We don’t need another center of tension,” Andok said.

  “So,” Namkhai leaned forward, “they haven’t actually done anything yet?”

  “They have already broken the law,” Andok replied. “Illegal construction on state territory. An unregistered autonomous zone. That is enough.”

  “And diplomacy? Negotiations? Legal pressure?” Namkhai pressed. “Do we really have to jump straight to kidnapping their leader?”

  Andok shook his head.

  “The villagers are hostile. They hate humans. Any delegation would be seen as a threat. And because of the strict border controls, we can’t properly monitor what’s happening there.”

  “So it’s easier to send us,” Phobos said.

  “Yes,” Andok nodded. “You will enter as ordinary wanderers. Find the leader. Take him quietly. No noise.”

  “And if they don’t let us in?” Number 1991 asked.

  “If they see military vehicles, they definitely won’t,” Andok answered. “That’s why I’ll drop you off several dozen kilometers from the village. You’ll walk the rest of the way.”

  _____

  Back to the present.

  Squad Thirteen approached the massive gates of the village. The metal doors creaked in the wind, and two guards were already waiting in front of them tall, broad shouldered, with rough features and strange, almost beastlike eyes.

  “Who are you? Outsiders?” one of them asked in a low voice.

  Phobos stepped forward, slightly bowing his head.

  “Good afternoon. Yes, we are outsiders. We came because we want to join your village. My friends and I are tired of living under the government’s pressure.”

  The guard narrowed his eyes.

  “Hm… Are you really outsiders? You look too much like humans. Show us what you can do. Then you’ll move on to the next stage.”

  “The next stage?” Namkhai frowned.

  “You think we let in every random passerby?” the second guard smirked. “Prove you’re not ordinary humans. Show your strength.”

  Phobos silently raised his hand. The air in front of him distorted, space cracked open, and from a dark rift long black writhing tentacles slowly emerged.

  One of the guards grimaced.

  “Ugh… disgusting.”

  Phobos calmly lowered his hand.

  “My name is Phobos. I can summon that whenever I want. That’s my power.”

  “Wait, isn’t that--” Number 1991 began, but Delilah instantly smacked him on the back of the head.

  “Ow! That hurt!” he grabbed his head.

  Several dozen kilometers away, inside a surveillance vehicle, Andok listened through a transmitter. A faint smirk crossed his face.

  “Smart… Good job hiding your main ability, Phobos.”

  At the gate, the second guard looked at the others.

  “And what about you?”

  Without a word, Number 1991 cracked his fingers and pointed toward the hill behind them.

  A second later, the hill trembled with an explosion. When the smoke cleared, only a smoldering crater remained.

  The guards stepped back.

  “I can blow things up,” Number 1991 said calmly.

  “I... see…” one of them muttered, exchanging a glance with his partner.

  Namkhai took a stance and began concentrating power into his fist.

  “What are you doing? Taking a dump?” one of the guards asked.

  “What dump? I’m gathering aura to show you my power.”

  “Right. And when will it be ready?”

  “Give me a moment…”

  “Fine. Then you’re next,” the guard said, pointing at Delilah.

  Delilah froze, unsure how to demonstrate her ability. Her power was death itself. If she touched someone, unbearable pain would follow, and the creature would die.

  Phobos noticed a rabbit running across the steppe. With his tentacles, he caught it, grabbed it by the ears, and held it out to Delilah.

  “Go on. Show them with this,” he said.

  Delilah looked at the helpless rabbit struggling in his grip, then at Phobos with disgust.

  “What?” he frowned at her expression. “You feel sorry for a rabbit? You use your power on people without hesitation.”

  He released the rabbit.

  “Fine. Forget it. Find something yourself.”

  Suddenly something darted near their feet.

  “Oh?”

  In one swift motion, Phobos struck the ground with his katana, pinning a lizard by its tail.

  Delilah stared at it in surprise.

  “Hope you won’t feel so bad about this one,” Phobos said, holding the lizard out to her.

  She held it carefully in her gloved hands.

  “What’s going on? Why are you catching animals?” one of the guards asked.

  “Watch. This girl kills anything she touches,” Phobos replied.

  “Seriously? That’s a dangerous ability…”

  Delilah looked at the writhing lizard. Instead of removing her gloves and touching it with her hand, she gently brought it to her lips and softly kissed it.

  Phobos and the guards froze in surprise.

  The lizard writhed for a moment longer, then went still.

  “What a monstrous and yet charming ability,” one of the guards said.

  All eyes immediately turned to Namkhai.

  “Well? Are you just going to stand there?”

  Namkhai took a deep breath, then suddenly punched the air toward the steppe. A powerful shockwave surged forward, and the grass flattened in a wide radius.

  The guards exchanged glances and nodded approvingly.

  “You truly have impressive abilities. Alright, follow me. I’ll show you the next stage,” one of them said.

  “What next stage?” Namkhai perked up. “Do we have to prove our strength in combat? Retrieve some secret artifact? Capture a dangerous mutant?”

  The guard shrugged indifferently.

  “Just ordinary bureaucracy.”