1257 Auto-translated

"A very strange assignment. Well, whatever." - Wenling listened to Jonathan without saying a word. "Here's my first assignment. I wonder how Zedong is doing? Did he reach the empire? Did he really decide to take revenge on the leaders of the experiment? Probably, his life will be in greater danger than mine." - Wenling didn't even notice how she found herself in her room, which was assigned as her living quarters. There, the girl carefully checked her equipment and, making sure that everything was in order, headed to the launch pad.

Unhappy with the new debt, Ayren began preparing for the operation.
READY, SIR

Wishing his new acquaintance good luck, Ernst managed to visit the 322nd floor before the meeting and purchase a teleportation device and a new one-handed sword with all the modifications. After the meeting, he managed to say a few words to Irene, while fiddling with the teleportation device he had bought:
-- You look a little upset, -- he noticed
"Yes, it's old technology. But effective. If I connect it to the neuro-interface from my implant, it will be unbeatable."
-----
Oh yes, I also bought 12 rounds for the assault rifle.

did they give me a discount on weapons? and can I pay off part of the debt now, since I have the money.

- You seem a little upset, - he noted.

- I don't like being in debt, - murmured Ayren, examining the newly acquired device.

– You won’t leave here anyway. Pay your debt either by completing the mission or with your life.

"Yeah, even these devices offer loans. Why? If we die, they'll lose the money anyway, as we won't be able to repay the loan."
Putting the device on her arm, Mara decided to practice using the jetpack, as she didn't have much experience with it. At the same time, she kept an eye on the time to return in time for the mission launch.

- Either way, you won't be leaving. You'll pay either by completing the mission or with your life.

- I already left, buddy, - said Ayren, looking at her interlocutor with interest. - I don't like paying for the past.

-- Is that how it is? You are right to some extent, but I wouldn't pay attention to this _abstract_ concept if I were you.

- Is that so? You're right in some ways, but I wouldn't focus on this _abstract_ concept if I were you.

- Yeah, I'm not worried about it.

– And you are right to do so, – Zuthar headed to his room to calmly finish the small upgrade of the equipment, if, of course, there are no conflicts between the components.

as well as studying and downloading all sorts of information about the Northern Frontier from the internet.

The Northern Frontier experiences winter year-round, with an average temperature of -50°C across the continent, and around -35°C in the cities. Night lasts for 18 out of 24 hours. Giants and snow serpents roam the uninhabited lands, sea monsters swim in the waters, and cannibals inhabit the icy caves. The regular army consists mainly of men, and the queen's elite guard is composed exclusively of women. They are primarily equipped with technology and weapons purchased from Theria during the reign of the previous queen.

At the appointed time, the special forces unit "Mglа" gathered at the landing pad of Tant Technologies headquarters and immediately boarded the plane piloted by John, who was already known to many soldiers in this unit. Operation "Under the Moon" had begun.
As soon as the transport left the borders of Nevermore, John immediately activated stealth mode and flew over the radar of the Northern Frontier without any problems. Finding a suitable place for landing, he lowered the plane to the ground and allowed the new recruits from TT and Boris to get out.
- I will be waiting for you here, but if you need another takeoff location, let me know the coordinates.

The new device of the members of "Mglа" showed the following information:
Time: 01:22
Temperature: —48 °C
Distance to Frostgarden: 98 km.
Perhaps, if the participants of this operation did not have the necessary equipment, they would have turned into ice long ago. The journey ahead was long, and there were several ways to proceed. They could go straight along the road or head through the forest towards the mountains; that way it would be much closer. Whether there were enemies nearby remained unknown.

"It's freezing, it's amazing anyone still lives here."
Shivering from the cold, Mara looked around.
"The path through the forest will not only be shorter but, as I think, we will have a better chance of approaching unnoticed. However, I'm willing to bet that in the forests, the chance of encountering unfriendly local fauna will be much higher. And yet... I would still go through the forest, that way we'll reach the city faster, where it should be at least a little warmer. At least, I hope so."

Just in case, I left two old sets of armor at the base. I don't need them with me.

- What a sight, - Basil said excitedly, - It's beautiful, but at the same time, it's so... frightening.

- Maybe we should go along the forest? - Laurent suggested. - That way, we won't be as visible as on the road, but we'll also have a chance to avoid the dangers lurking in the forest.