The Heiress They Lost Came Back Overpowered

The demonic wailing felt like it was in 3D surround sound. Jasper Hayes and another teammate exchanged a glance, both feeling a headache coming on. The waterworks had started again.

All they could do was try to calm him down first. "Stop wailing and tell us what happened," he asked softly. "Weren’t you just out here to take a dump? How did you end up on the ground?"

"It was Snow Phoenix! The Snow Phoenix Squad are a bunch of devils..." Miles Doyle explained the whole story in detail.

"Captain, they didn’t win honorably! They’re insidious and cunning! Inhuman! Who gangs up on someone twelve-to-one? Especially against a weak man like me! My sterling reputation is ruined! If word of this gets out, what’ll happen to my name?!"

Jasper Hayes was speechless after hearing the story. ’He just got mugged, didn’t he? Why is he acting like he was violated or something?’

’Besides, the kid was all by himself, brazenly walking around with a flag. If they didn’t rob him, who would they rob? If I’d seen him, I’d have robbed him too.’

But Miles Doyle was the youngest on their team and usually the sharpest—their resident strategist. So, the entire Dragon’s Ascent Squad was happy to spoil him.

The squeaky wheel gets the grease. What else could they do? They had to coax him into a better mood.

"Alright, alright. If we run into them later, I’ll get it back for you and get your revenge, okay? If you keep wailing, the hibernating animals in the mountains are going to file a noise complaint."

"Really? You’re not just messing with me?" Miles Doyle pouted, unconvinced.

Jasper Hayes smacked him on the head in exasperation. "Why the hell would I mess with you? Are you coming or not? Our guys caught two pheasants, and they’ll be all gone if we don’t hurry back."

Miles Doyle immediately snapped his mouth shut, his expression doing a complete one-eighty. "Let’s go, let’s go! I saw the Snow Phoenix girls carrying a few big rabbits earlier. It made my mouth water. I knew you were the best to me, bro."

"Mouth-watering, huh? Then why don’t you apply for a transfer to their squad?" Jasper Hayes said, pulling the kid to his feet.

"No way! I live and die with Dragon’s Ascent. I only want to be with you guys, hehe."

Miles Doyle trotted happily behind his two "big brothers," all traces of his earlier tearful display gone.

...

On the other side of the forest, the Anomalous Abilities Unit ran into the Gray Wolf Squad.

The expressions on both teams’ faces were complicated. ’Weren’t we supposed to be ten kilometers apart?! Ugh! The two teams farthest from each other ran into each other first?!’

Both sides eyed each other warily, afraid their opponents would lunge at any moment.

Ryan Ford tried to laugh it off. "Bros, we’ve only got eight flags. You wouldn’t be interested in such small potatoes. How about we just let each other go?"

Stanley Sutton clasped his hands behind his back. "Fine. You go first."

Ryan Ford pondered for a moment, then looked at the fork in the path. "Deal. We’ll take the path on the right. This is a gentleman’s agreement. No backing out."

Stanley Sutton gave a casual nod. "Okay."

The Gray Wolf Squad started down the right path first, with two of their members walking backward to keep a wary eye on the other team.

The Anomalous Abilities Unit stood their ground, feigning nonchalance. The moment the Gray Wolf Squad let their guard down, a Wood Ability User summoned several vines that shot out and bound their hands and feet.

"Damn it! You cheated!"

The members of Gray Wolf Squad tried to struggle, but the vines only tightened their grip.

The Wood Ability User, Mason Miller, spoke up. "Hey guys, I wouldn’t struggle if I were you. My old buddies here are a bit rebellious. I’d feel terrible if they hurt you."

The Anomalous Abilities Unit moved right in, some patting them down while others rummaged through their packs.

"Holy fuck! You bastards!"

"Get your hands off me! I’ll scream harassment!"

"Theodore Zane, I’ll never forgive you for this!"

"What about our gentleman’s agreement?!"

Stanley Sutton glanced calmly at the speaker. "Who honors a gentleman’s agreement on the battlefield? Haven’t you ever heard that all’s fair in war?"

"Chief, we only found six. No idea where the other two are." Theodore Zane said, looking up after searching the last pack.

A sharp glint flashed in Blake Paxton’s eyes. "Search their pants!"

"Oh, right! I almost forgot you guys never play fair." Theodore Zane smacked his own forehead and reached his vile hands toward Ryan Ford.

"Whoa, whoa! Where do you think you’re touching?! Don’t you touch your Papa Wallace!" Ryan Ford struggled.

"Hehe, found ’em. Thanks, bro!" Theodore Zane pulled out the discovered flags, wiped them on Ryan Ford’s clothes, and then stuffed them into his own pack.

"I found the other one!" Mason Miller announced, having copied the move and found the last flag on Hawkeye.

Having made a great haul, the Anomalous Abilities Unit stowed the flags and quickly retreated, leaving Harvey Lawson and Mason Miller behind to clean up.

Once he saw his teammates had retreated a safe distance, Mason Miller released the vines binding their hands. "Thanks, bros. I know you all have daggers, so I’ll leave you to deal with the ones on your feet."

With that, Harvey Lawson grabbed him and teleported back to the main group.

The Anomalous Abilities Unit fled without a backward glance, leaving the miserable Gray Wolf Squad to cut themselves free from the vines.

"Damn it! Those hooligans! Perverts! Psychos!"

"Goddammit. We’re back to square one. Completely cleaned out."

"Devils! Everyone in the Anomalous Abilities Unit is a devil! I knew they were up to no good!"

How could the drone possibly miss such a precious moment of humiliation? And right on cue, it came buzzing over gleefully.

"Current flag counts for each squad are as follows: Dragon’s Ascent Squad, 10 flags. Gray Wolf Squad, 0 flags. Snow Phoenix Squad, 14 flags. Anomalous Abilities Unit, 20 flags."

"Dragon’s Ascent Squad, 10 flags. Gray Wolf Squad, 0 flags. Snow Phoenix Squad, 14 flags. Anomalous Abilities Unit, 20 flags."

"Dragon’s Ascent Squad, 10 flags. Gray Wolf Squad, 0 flags. Snow Phoenix Squad, 14 flags. Anomalous Abilities Unit, 20 flags."

"Gray Wolf Squad, you guys are falling behind. How did you let yourselves get stripped clean like that?"

"Also, you looked so pathetic cutting those vines. I’ll print out a few pictures for you later, ’kay? You gotta keep trying harder~"

After its announcement, it buzzed away gleefully.

Ryan Ford put his dagger away and collapsed dejectedly on the ground. "It’s over... My reputation is shot. I don’t care about losing the flags, but not my reputation! Let’s just change our squad’s name when we get out of here. Let’s call ourselves... the Old Wolves..."

...

「In the control room.」

After steering the drone away, Zachary Jacobs burst into shameless laughter.

"BWAHAHAHAHA... See? What did I tell you? Stuffing them in their pants? These guys are absolutely shameless."

A small smile played on Nina Jennings’s lips. "It hasn’t even been half a day, and it looks like the Anomalous Abilities Unit has a huge advantage."

Yvonne Lowell raised an eyebrow. "I wouldn’t be so sure. Like you said, it’s just the beginning."

"Are you betting on another team? That doesn’t make sense," Nina Jennings said, turning to look at her. "Never mind the fact that they have the most flags right now, they also have superpowers."

"Who knows? You can’t be sure until the very end," Yvonne Lowell said lightly.

Nina Jennings rolled her eyes at her. "You’re impossible. Always so mysterious."