Free Web NovelChapter 244: Chapter 244: Exploring the Dark Forest
"How is this making an enemy? If you ask me, this is just how we’re getting acquainted," Mo Yu said to Ning Xuan, mentally calculating when his other subordinates would wake up.
Following Zhao Wu, a few more subordinates regained consciousness. Mo Yu gestured with his hands behind his back. ’As long as more than three of us break free and we engage her in a direct fight, this woman will lose her advantage.’
Just as another man managed to untie his ropes, the Little Fox suddenly grew larger, leaped into the air, and with a loud THUD, knocked him unconscious. Then, with a rapid THUD, THUD, THUD, the Little Fox went down the line, hitting every single person lying on the ground.
Mo Yu watched this scene, dumbfounded. Just as he was about to speak—THUD!—he went down too.
Ning Xuan looked at the Little Fox, now back to its normal size, and gave it a good scratch with a wide smile. "You’re pretty incredible."
She was waiting here for Yun Han and the others to arrive. In the meantime, she couldn’t kill Mo Yu, nor could she let him be killed by an Exotic Beast. That was manageable during the day, but it would be a struggle at night. Yun Han’s group was worried about her and didn’t fully approve of her plan. However, Ning Xuan’s authority had been steadily growing. Once she made a decision, not even the most rebellious of them, Di Youlin, dared to disobey.
Finally, on the evening of the second day—after Mo Yu and his men had been knocked out and regained consciousness three separate times—Yun Han and the others returned.
After reuniting with Yun Han and the rest of her team, Ning Xuan prepared to leave the area. ƒгeeweɓn૦vel.com
Mo Yu had just regained consciousness. Seeing that Ning Xuan’s group had grown, his heart began to pound as he wondered what they would do with him. When he saw Ning Xuan preparing to leave, he couldn’t help but call out, "Miss, since you’re not going to kill me, could you return my Bloodthirsty Flying Knife? You can have all the other treasures, but that knife is special to me. If you truly don’t want to make an enemy of me, please give it back."
Mo Yu pleaded.
"Young Master Mo, what I have are my spoils of war, not gifts from you. You want your knife back? Fine. If you can find an opportunity to capture me, I’ll return it. See you next time." Ning Xuan waved dismissively, hopped into a mechanical vehicle, and sped away.
As Mo Yu watched Ning Xuan’s group depart, he breathed a sigh of relief. But at the same time, a wave of humiliation washed over him. He had never suffered such a defeat in his entire life. This long ordeal, lasting two days and one night, had forced him to accept one fact: this woman had the strength to kill him. If not for the powerful Mo Family at his back, his chances of survival this time would have been slim to none.
In the Federation Interstellar, admiration for the strong was practically instinctual. Although Mo Yu was indignant about being captured so inexplicably, the fact that Ning Xuan could have killed him but chose not to stirred complicated feelings within him toward her.
Zhao Wu and the others gradually woke up. After struggling free of their bonds, they all approached Mo Yu to atone for their failure. "Young Master, we failed to protect you. It was our dereliction of duty. Please, punish us."
Mo Yu touched the deep welts left on his body by the steel wire rope, a faint smile gracing his lips. "I was the one who drew up the plan for this operation; it has nothing to do with you all. Send a message to Lu Jiu. Tell him to get that mercenary squad—the one who gave us the lead—under control. I want to interrogate them when we get back to the safety zone."
"Also, take half our men and have Mo Li dispatch a battalion. Follow their vehicle’s tracks."
Mo Yu needed to investigate the identities of Ning Xuan and her group. ’One moment, I think she’s the one I’m looking for. The next, I feel she doesn’t quite fit the criteria. But who else besides someone with a Divine Bloodline could possess such strength?’
Ning Xuan paid no mind to the commotion back in Zone 13. To throw Mo Yu off their trail, they drove the mechanical vehicle for just over ten kilometers before abandoning it.
They didn’t start driving again until after they had crossed a river.
After driving for an hour and dealing with more than a dozen nocturnal Exotic Beasts along the way, they reached the optimal range for Min Wu’s Flash Skill. Within this area, Min Wu could teleport with three people at once and could use the Skill three times a day—just enough to get everyone back.
On the first Flash, he took Ning Xuan, Yun Han, and Lan Xin. On the second, he took Qinghe, Di Youlin, and the Little Fox.
Once Ning Xuan was safely back at the treehouse, she proceeded with the original plan. They would continue to explore the surrounding area, gather mutated plants, hunt Exotic Beasts, search for valuable ore and other supplies, and map the local terrain, gradually extending their reach toward the Dark Forest.
「More than ten days later」
After dinner, Lan Xin produced a hand-drawn map. "Master, I scouted to the northwest today and discovered traces of a reconnaissance team from Zone 13. They’re only 300 kilometers from our position."
Although Lan Xin already shared a spiritual connection with Ning Xuan, she seemed to have no intention of making him a Contractor or a Contracted Slave, never allowing him to serve her in close quarters. Because of this, Lan Xin always addressed her as "Master," not "Contractor."
"They found us this quickly? The Mo Family has some capable people, it seems." Though she said this, her expression remained calm.
"It’s a waste of his time. We’ve already finished exploring everything around here," Di Youlin said casually.
"Have you planned the route to the Dark Forest?" Ning Xuan asked, turning to Zhang Nan and Di Youlin.
"We’ve mapped out three potential routes. After scouting for the last two days, we’ve identified the best one. We can depart tomorrow," Zhang Nan answered, holding up a map.
"Excellent. We’ll leave tomorrow. Take the treehouse with us. Everyone get a good night’s rest," Ning Xuan instructed.
Ning Xuan wasn’t afraid of the people from Zone 13 finding them, but their work here was done. With the end of the graduation assessment drawing near, she didn’t want to waste any more time.
By the time Mo Yu led his men to the nine large banyan trees, Ning Xuan and her group had already reached the Dark Forest.
Ning Xuan gazed at the forest before them, shrouded in darkness, and a strange feeling washed over her.
’I’d always assumed it was called the Dark Forest because it was fraught with danger, or because the trees were so dense that sunlight could barely penetrate the canopy.’
But from where she stood at its edge, she could only make out vague, shadowy silhouettes of trees; it was impossible to see anything of the forest’s interior.
Ning Xuan took out a powerful, high-penetration flashlight and aimed it at the woods. But as the intense beam hit the edge of the forest, the light seemed to be swallowed whole. It remained utterly dark, not a single glimmer breaking through. ƒrēewebnoѵёl.cσm
Ning Xuan pulled out the thermal imager she had acquired back in Zone 13. After a few adjustments, thirteen probe beams of varying wavelengths shot past the forest’s edge and into its depths.
Ning Xuan’s eyes were glued to the device’s screen. Red dots flickered across it, but instead of forming an image, they simply blinked for a moment and vanished.
