Free Web NovelChapter 388: Chapter 388: Reconnaissance
Chen Yuan moved like a phantom, weaving between the rocky hills.
His Stealth Heart Image, "Shadow Crow," was operating at full capacity. His figure merged with the shadows, his steps so light they didn’t even disturb the loose gravel.
The two short blades at his waist were coated to mask their scent, and the gear in his backpack had been sound-proofed.
Fifteen minutes later, he reached the designated location.
It was a sunken valley, surrounded by mountains on all sides, with a flat floor.
Chen Yuan crouched down and used a special tool to dig a shallow pit. He buried an energy-disruption bomb, set its delayed detonation device to activate in three hours.
He carefully concealed his tracks, retreated to high ground three hundred meters away, and set up a miniature observation device.
The lens focused on the valley. Thermal imaging, energy sensing, vibration monitoring... all data was transmitted in real-time back to the workstation in the rock cave.
"Bomb is planted," Chen Yuan’s voice came over the communicator, hushed and low. "No anomalies in the vicinity. I can pull back."
"Roger," Hong Nianyi replied. "Withdraw to the observation point three kilometers out, as planned. Stay hidden."
"Understood."
Chen Yuan packed up the observation device, his figure once again melting into the darkness.
Inside the rock cave.
Lin Jue stared intently at the screen on the workstation.
Five separate panes displayed the bomb’s location, Chen Yuan’s movement trajectory, energy monitoring, heat source distribution, and real-time environmental data.
Her fingers flew across the keyboard as she adjusted the parameters.
You Sicheng stood behind her, his gaze heavy. Though the old soldier’s cultivation had fallen, his battlefield experience remained. He could read a great deal from the fluctuations in the data.
"The cloud cover is thickening. Lower visibility is to our advantage," You Sicheng said.
Xu Wuyi and Hong Nianyi sat to the side, meditating with their eyes closed to regulate their breathing.
Both were adjusting their condition, bringing their Qi and Blood and their Spirit to their peak. Even though it was just reconnaissance, no one could guarantee that there wouldn’t be an accident.
Time ticked by, second by second.
The three-hour mark was approaching.
Lin Jue brought up the bomb’s detonation countdown—the final ten seconds.
Nine, eight, seven...
She held her breath.
Three, two, one.
BOOM—!
On the screen, the icon representing the bomb’s location suddenly erupted in a blinding red light.
The energy waveform spiked instantly. A violent energy pulse spread out from the center of the valley, forming ripples on the monitor.
Though they couldn’t hear the sound, everyone could imagine the muffled explosion.
"Energy intensity is equivalent to a full-power strike from an early-stage Innate Martial Artist," Lin Jue said, rapidly recording the data. "Waveform characteristics captured. Analyzing now..."
Before she could finish, a new change appeared on the screen.
From the direction of the base, a high-energy signature suddenly flared to life, moving toward the explosion site at an astonishing speed!
"It’s coming!" Lin Jue exclaimed in a low voice. "It’s a Priest! Movement speed... two hundred thirty meters per second! ETA to the blast site is seventy seconds!"
Hong Nianyi and Xu Wuyi opened their eyes at the same time.
"Chen Yuan, pull back to a safe distance and maintain observation," Hong Nianyi ordered.
"Already falling back," Chen Yuan replied, his voice still steady.
On the screen, the light point representing Chen Yuan was rapidly moving away from the blast site, while the one representing the Priest was closing in at high speed.
Fifty seconds later, the Priest’s light signature reached the blast site.
"The Priest has arrived," Lin Jue said, her eyes glued to the screen. "He’s inspecting the blast traces... He’s making a move!"
On the energy waveform graph, an even more violent fluctuation erupted.
That was the Wolfman Priest attacking the blast crater to test the residual energy.
Lin Jue’s fingers danced across the keyboard as she frantically recorded the data. "Energy properties are dark and corrosive... Attack method is similar to a claw strike, but carries a suppressive effect on the level of Rules... Estimated strength... equivalent to 71% of a normal Innate Martial Artist! Suppression rate is 29%! Higher than we estimated!"
Line after line of data scrolled across the screen. freeωebnovēl.c૦m
Xu Wuyi and Hong Nianyi exchanged a look, each seeing the determination in the other’s eyes.
A 29% suppression rate.
This meant that if they could isolate a single Priest, their chances of victory had just gone up.
"The Priest is starting to expand his search area," Lin Jue warned. "Chen Yuan, fall back another kilometer."
"Understood."
On the screen, the Priest’s light point began a spiral search pattern outward from the blast site. He was fast, and his search radius expanded rapidly.
But Chen Yuan retreated even faster.
Five minutes later, the Priest stopped his search. He lingered near the blast site for a few minutes, then turned and headed back toward the base.
"He’s heading back," Lin Jue said with a sigh of relief. "Search radius of three kilometers, no anomalies found. He’s likely assessed it as an ’unidentified energy leak or experimental accident.’" ƒree𝑤ebnσvel.com
You Sicheng stared at the Priest’s return trajectory and suddenly spoke up. "His return route passes by the perimeter of Mining Area One."
Hong Nianyi immediately pulled up the map.
Indeed, the most direct route for the Priest from the base to the blast site and back again clipped the edge of Mining Area One.
"This is an opportunity," You Sicheng said. "If we set an ambush along the Priest’s return path..."
"Too risky," Hong Nianyi said, shaking her head. "It’s too close to the base. If the fight drags on, the other Priest could come as reinforcement. Besides, we still don’t have a clear grasp of his specific combat capabilities or fighting habits."
She paused, then looked at Xu Wuyi. "But we have enough data. With a 29% suppression, his actual combat power is thirty percent weaker than a normal Innate Martial Artist. Add to that this plane’s crude level of technology and the Werewolf Race’s combat habits... The plan is feasible."
Xu Wuyi nodded.
Lin Jue compiled all the collected data into a report and projected it onto the screen.
"Comprehensive conclusion: a Wolfman Priest’s actual combat power on this plane is roughly 1.5 times that of a Heart Image Master. If Xu Wuyi and Hong Nianyi engage him head-on, Chen Yuan harasses from the flanks, I use rune traps to restrict his movement, and Old You delivers the killing blow... the probability of a kill is 68%."
68%.
Not low, but not high either.
The cave fell silent once more.
Hong Nianyi looked at the data on the screen, then at the five red light points on the map marking the mining areas.
"Starting tomorrow, we’ll begin on-site reconnaissance of Mining Areas One and Two," she decided. "We’ll take two days to get a clear picture of the guard deployment, patrol routes, and terrain features. On the third day, we’ll formulate a detailed battle plan. On the fourth day... we make our move."
The mining areas were not close to the base. As long as they could lure a Priest to one of them, their chances of success were high.
Besides, while operating behind enemy lines, an action that seemed risky was, in fact, the option with the highest probability of success.
If they couldn’t eliminate a Wolfman Priest beforehand, the squad would be in even greater danger once the enemy regained their senses and maintained a defensive, grouped-up posture.
Her gaze swept over the other four. "Any questions?"
"None," said Xu Wuyi.
Chen Yuan, Lin Jue, and You Sicheng also shook their heads.
"Good." Hong Nianyi stood up. "Tonight, we’ll take turns on watch. Stay alert. Starting tomorrow, we’re going to show the Celestial Wolf Civilization that the blood of Federation Martial Artists is not shed for nothing."
Outside the cave, the wind moaned.
Under a dark red sky, the five figures stood silently in the rock cave, like blades waiting to be unsheathed.
Revenge was beginning.
