At night, the wind kept blowing.

Threads of cool air twined around the firelight, then were engulfed together moments later.

Hannah looked up at him, at his eyes.

They were as dark as the night, yet as tender as the night too, with all the fluctuating emotions surging toward her.

"Arnold, do you think we might have known each other a long time ago?"

She leaned into his embrace, listening to his heartbeat, her hand slipping inside his coat, hugging his waist.

Arnold gazed down and gently stroked her long hair. "Why would you think of that?"

Hannah shook her head, moving closer. "I don’t know, it’s just a random thought."

As she spoke, her lips unintentionally brushed his chin.

A warm, soft touch.

Like winter-frizzy hair sticking to a fuzzy coat, slightly ticklish.

Arnold caught her mischievous hand and pinched it lightly. "You should sleep now."

Hannah obediently closed her eyes. "Okay, I’ll sleep, good night, Arnold."

Arnold shook his head, somewhat helplessly, yet his eyes were full of laughter.

"Good night, Hannah."

The last two words, he uttered very softly.

Falling on Hannah’s ear, she couldn’t help but reveal a smile.

Good night.

*

Border.

The yellow sand filled the sky.

The horizon featured a glaring red sun scorching the entire desert, with heat rolling in the air.

Occasionally a cool breeze brought bone-chilling cold.

Two extremes of weather met on the same land.

Over time, even the well-trained mech squads began to suffer. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

Two squads, nearly a thousand people.

Apart from them, the rest were just regular soldiers, whose psychic power was mostly at grade B.

In such weather, a B-level psychic power made them only slightly better off than ordinary people.

Soon, another person collapsed.

"This is the fifty-seventh today."

Soldiers shook their heads, sweat from the heat on their heads, yet still wrapped in heavy coats.

It couldn’t be helped.

The border weather was too capricious, one second scorching sun, the next second could bring snow.

But looking at the wanderers on the other side, they were all faring well.

As if they were already accustomed to such an environment.

They ate as usual, drank as usual, and when in a good mood, they even came over for a few laps to infuriate and mock others.

Several times, the mech squad members couldn’t help but want to charge over and duel with them, but each time Sheffield Benedict stopped them.

"Are we just going to endure this?"

The speaker was Willy Lynch, captain of the second mech squad.

Sheffield shook his head, his expression calm, his voice mild. "Do you think you have a chance to win against them now?"

Willy clenched his fist, unable to utter any argument, only frustrated at his own impotence.

Even Wayne Lane couldn’t get any advantage from those wanderers, let alone him.

"These damn wanderers," Willy said harshly.

In his eyes, there was no shortage of loathing and hatred.

Sheffield did not respond, just lowering his head seriously flipping through the data in his hands. "Have there been any other unusual movements from the wanderers recently?"

Willy said no, "Just like before, they only stay on the wasteland just beyond the border."

Aside from daily provocations, the wanderers did not cross that border line.

It was as if someone had commanded them just to wait there.

Sheffield said, "I see, you can go now."

Willy nodded and turned to leave.

After he left, Sheffield pulled up the geographical map of the border.

The border was mostly wasteland and desert, except for a mountain range to the east.