Upon returning to Su Xiaoxiao's location, Firefly found her staring blankly toward the direction they had come from.
"Mission complete. Let us go."
Firefly stepped in front of her, grabbed her arm, and took to the sky. In her other hand, she clutched the Mutant Chicken. The bird spent the journey squawking—"Cluck, cluck! Gawk~"—noises that were technically unintelligible, yet somehow carried a distinct sense of grievance. After Firefly stared it down for a moment, however, the creature fell silent.
"Um, Big Brother Sam... did you do all that?"
Dangling from Sam's grip in mid-air, Su Xiaoxiao pointed with a trembling finger toward the vast, charred expanse below.
She had been waiting patiently, even playing with the Mutant Chicken for a bit, only for a terrifying inferno to erupt in the forest barely a minute later. Though the fire had stayed several kilometers away from her, it had turned the sky a vivid, alarming red. It was impossible to miss.
At first, she thought it was just a forest fire, but the scale was staggering. A massive swathe of land had been reduced to cinders. How could that possibly be natural?
Connecting the dots with Sam's flame-venting armor and S- rank status, Su Xiaoxiao felt certain he was the culprit.
"Yes." Firefly saw no reason to hide it. "I ran into a group of lunatics, so I initiated Scorched Earth."
"So powerful... I wish I had strength like that," Su Xiaoxiao said with a trace of envy. "At least then I wouldn't be left behind whenever my teammates go out for revenge because I am too weak..."
"I told you, your potential exceeds what you have shown on the surface."
'After all, you could even influence me. Though it was slight, it was quite incredible.' Firefly thought to herself while responding.
Su Xiaoxiao clenched her fist, looking down at the blackened forest. She whispered, "...Thank you, Big Brother Sam. Since my potential hasn't fully awakened yet, there must be a way to trigger it! I have to get stronger!"
Firefly gave her a silent glance before continuing her flight toward the city.
Soon, they were less than three kilometers from the South Gate. Firefly controlled Sam to land, allowing Su Xiaoxiao to finally set foot on solid ground again.
"We are here. We will walk the rest of the way."
Firefly took the lead toward the South Gate, Su Xiaoxiao following close behind.
"How much does it cost to treat a dislocated arm?"
Halfway there, Firefly suddenly remembered the girl's injury. She turned around to ask.
"About three hundred Credits. Dislocated limbs are common for mercenaries, so it isn't very expensive."
"Three hundred Credits..."
The number wasn't large, yet it momentarily pulled Firefly back to her early days in the Pit Bottom District. Back then, Luo Lin and the others could only earn fifty Credits for a high-risk mission involving firearms. Here, a simple medical fix cost three hundred—and that was considered cheap.
The gap in purchasing power between the Pit Bottom District and these major cities was truly vast. Firefly sighed and transferred five hundred Credits to Su Xiaoxiao's terminal.
"I transferred the Credits to you."
Su Xiaoxiao checked her device immediately. "Big Brother Sam, you sent two hundred extra. Let me send it back."
"No need." Firefly shook her head. "I do not lack those two hundred Credits. Keep it for yourself."
"Thank you..."
They reached the city gates, paid the ten-credit entry fee each, and entered Greenshade Source.
A crowd had gathered at the gate. They weren't planning to leave; instead, they were huddled in groups, discussing something animatedly. Firefly began to eavesdrop.
"How did such a massive fire break out in the forest? Did someone set it on fire?"
"That doesn't make sense. Wasn't the fire near the border of the deep forest? There's so much moisture and vapor there—how did they pull it off?"
"Maybe they used an accelerant?"
"Unlikely. Even with accelerants, a fire that big? Besides, that cult of lunatics definitely would have tried to stop them, right?"
"That group... maybe they're the ones who put the fire out?"
After listening for a bit, Firefly realized they were talking about her setting the forest ablaze. Losing interest, she continued leading Su Xiaoxiao toward the Mercenary Association.
Once they arrived, Firefly stopped and turned to the girl.
"I am going to turn in the mission. We can discuss the guide duties tomorrow." Firefly looked up at the sky, which had turned almost completely dark. "It is late. There isn't much to see tonight anyway."
"Understood, Big Brother Sam. Just message me on the terminal when you need me."
Su Xiaoxiao nodded, not finding the suggestion strange. They exchanged contact details and parted ways at the entrance. She needed to get her arm treated.
Firefly entered the association and presented her platinum card. The receptionist led her to the eleventh floor.
Stepping out of the elevator, she found Lu Jianyi waiting.
"I have finished the commission. You may verify it at any time."
Firefly addressed her, then casually dropped the Mutant Chicken onto the floor. "Also, I would like to sell some beast remains while I am here."
"There is no need for verification," Lu Jianyi said, shaking her head. "News of the great fire in the forest has already spread throughout Greenshade Source. It just so happens the fire occurred right near your target coordinates. That is too much for a coincidence."
"That fire was your doing, wasn't it?"
"Correct." Firefly nodded. "I did not originally intend to clear the beasts in such a violent manner. It was primarily because I ran into a group of lunatics."
"A group of lunatics?"