"Who is it?" Juniper asked, her voice hoarse as she gripped her phone tighter.


    "The Lord of Liberty Ind," Shanley answered, his voiceced with aplicated emotion.


    The words made Juniper''s brow furrow deeply. She finally understood why Shanley was in a foul mood.


    His Sigma Network and Liberty Ind had a history. She couldn''t recall all the details, but it was something about a dispute over the nearby maritime trade routes years ago. Both sides had been aggressive and refused to back down. They were fiercely protective of their own, and after a couple ofmands were issued, a full- blown conflict erupted.


    From what she''d heard, the Lord of Liberty Ind had suffered heavy losses and it took him a long time to recover. Sigma Network didn''t fare much better either; all of their businesses near Liberty Ind werepletely wiped out by the Lord. Since then, the two sides had been bitter enemies, cutting off all contact.


    There was another reason for Juniper''s silence. Subterra Vanguard had also had some friction with Liberty Ind, though it was strictly business.


    A few years back, Subterra Vanguard was expanding its medical research and needed to procure arge quantity of rare medicinal herbs. Unexpectedly, Liberty Ind needed them too. Subterra Vanguard had invested too much in the research to let someone else snatch the materials away. On top of that, the Lord had been incredibly abrasive and even threatened her life. She hated being threatened. In a fit of anger, she used a few tricks and took all the herbs. That same day, the Lord of Liberty Ind dered Subterra Vanguard his "sworn enemy."


    If the "A-NO" herb was truly in the hands of the Lord of Liberty Ind, this was going to be a very difficult situation.


    The two power yers sat facing each other in the living room, the atmosphere thick with tension.


    "How could you have bombarded him with cannons?" Juniper asked, clutching her milkshake as her face scrunched up. "The Lord of Liberty Ind is already pettier than a shrew. Aren''t you just asking for trouble now?"


    Shanley nearly choked on his water, his gaze turning to her. "You''re no angel either, Specter," he said softly. "I heard that when you stole those herbs, the Lord of Liberty Ind nearly died of rage."


    Juniper bit down on her straw, sneaking a nce at him. He knew about that too?


    "The mess I made wasn''t as big as yours," she huffed, feigningposure. "How about we just throw money at the problem?"


    The identities of the heads of Subterra Vanguard and Sigma Network were a trump card almost anywhere. Except, it seemed, on Liberty Ind...


    "We can try," Shanley nodded, his expression grave.


    Whatever happened, they couldn''t let their true identities be exposed.


    Damn it, how had they managed to make such a colossal mess in the first ce?!


    ---


    The next day, Juniper and Shanley prepared to head to Liberty Ind. To avoid any unnecessary "misunderstandings," they only brought Felton and Flint with them.


    Ten hourster, their nended on Liberty Ind. Due to the ind''s unique status, the four of them had to undergo a strict inspection.


    Liberty Ind existed in awless gray area. Most of its inhabitants were the world''s exiled "monsters"-violent and cruel individuals beyond the reach of thew. Those who couldn''t be O punished by legal means were thrown here to suffer under the sun and from starvation, These "sinners," would always be saved at the brink of death, only to repeat the same agony.


    Of course, they were under constant surveince and had no opportunity to end their own lives. They were forced to reflect on their misdeeds in torment and regret until they died of natural causes.


    That''s why Liberty Ind was known as "Hell on Earth." It was a paradise celebrated by the righteous and a dreaded hell for the wicked. Alk


    major powers kept their distance, never interfering.


    "Inspection passed," a staff member said after checking them, waving them through.


    Outsiders were generally forbidden from entering Liberty Ind. Unless they had money. A lot of money!


    "We request a meeting with the Lord of Liberty Ind," Felton said, cing a check in the staff member''s hand. "We''vee to ask him for something."