Chapter 40

The mining area was the most crucial area on the border. Controlling the mining zone meant having a grip on the border's lifeline, controlling the movement and possible control of energy blocks on top of making your organization the top player. They just couldn't accept losing it.

Ajax and Bomen were unaware of what the Hell's League was planning, however, they had made preparations and had recalled all of the operatives who were on missions outside of the camp.

When all of the members of the Lazoole Society had returned, a quick count was made. With the addition of the members who joined from the former Four Tribes, the Lazoole Society now boasted over a thousand operators as personnel.

Bach, the leader of the Hell's League, analyzed and compared the combat capabilities of both sides, ultimately choosing not to attack but to confront the Lazoole Society with ample pressure.

This course of action pleased Lazoole Society since they needed time to recover. Now that they held control over the two major economic regions in the border—the mining area and the business district—they were not short of eddies.

If they were given some time for development and recruited more people and pilots, they would easily be able to stand toe-to-toe against the Hell's League. Thus, after the battle, the entire triangular border underwent a reshuffling. The Four Tribes now existed only in name, merging with the Lazoole Society.

To carve up the territory, various small and medium-sized organizations joined the Hell's League, and the original Triple Frontier now only had two of its major organizations left. The small and medium-sized organizations that remained neutral and observed were not worth mentioning. Officially, the Hell's League still held the top spot due to their numbers, but they only occupied the most barren planting area, and their economy which was solely reliant on the Mining area collapsed.

The Lazoole Society lacked troops but they had unlimited potential, matter of fact both factions had the potential to dominate the border.

*****

In Boirdale, within the Ashlin Group's office building, Leonard Heyoun rested on the table in the meeting room. He hadn't left the company for two days since Charles's accident, deploying personnel to search for traces of Ajax and Tanaka.

His clothes and leather shoes were disheveled, his hair uncombed, and visible dark circles were under his eyes. Despite nearly exhausting himself, there were still no good news. The door suddenly opened and a staff member rushed in, "Sir! Something has happened..."

He was startled awake and quickly put on his glasses as he stood up, "What happened?!"

"We just got word from the border that the Hell's League failed in their attack on the Lazoole Society. They ended up losing the mining area instead and couldn't even take the business district from them. The two sides have stopped fighting for now..." The young staff handed a report to Huang Hai.

"They fucking failed?! Are you fucking shitting me?! Even after we invested so many eddies and provided them with numerous mechs? How could this happen?!" Leonard angrily smacked a glass of water off the table.

The Hell's League's rapid development was largely due to Leonard's secret support. The Ashlin Group, though primarily a business-oriented enterprise, also used questionable methods. Leonard had cooperated with Bach, the leader of the Hell's League, supporting them with eddies and mechs to exploit the mining area for ore materials.

However, with the rise of the Lazoole Society and the Four Tribes on the border, the Hell's League's dominance was being threatened. Leonard had recently invested heavily in the Hell's League, urging them to eliminate the two organizations and monopolize the border. However, Bach's repeated failures and the loss of the mining area were disastrous.

"Yes, according to the report from Bach, all their plans against the Lazoole Society failed. They were only able to eliminate the Four Tribes." The staff replied cautiously.

"Is Bomen still alive?" Leonard asked as he picked up the report.

"Someone rescued him. Bach mentioned that it was because of this person that all of their plans against the Lazoole Society failed." The staff's voice was low.

"Who?" Leonard inquired with interest.

"Ajax." The staff took a deep breath bringing up a picture of him, "Ajax arrived at the border recently, saved Bomen, joined the Lazoole Society, and thwarted all of the Hell's League's plans."

"Ajax? As in THE Ajax that we're looking for? He's currently at the border?!" Leonard's eyes widened in relief.

"Yes, there is no doubt that he is the person we are looking for." The staff nodded.

"Okay, so the little shit ran to the border, good!" Leonard exclaimed excitedly, planning to use his influence over the Hell's League to capture Ajax. But then he paused, as he realized something, "Wait, he went to the border, saved people, and fought a war?"

"Yes, sir. From our reports, it seems like he was piloting a Warlock-Level mech. He became an ace within a day as he single-handedly destroyed over a dozen mechs and killed hundreds of people. He's becoming a pretty big figure as the news spreads across the border." The staff member nodded as he opened a video file that displayed a recording of the battle on the virtual screen.

"This is....is this really him?" Leonard was in disbelief. As far as he knew, Ajax had no background or eddies. But now, not only was he piloting a Warlock-Level mech but he also engaging in combat on the border. This seemed more like something out of a novel than the brutal reality it was.