"Don’t wind him up," Li Chang’an said with a smile. "If he’s late again, he’ll have to face the consequences!"
"Aw, Captain, you’re so heartless!" Sun Yang said, feigning a pitiful expression.
Just as they were joking around, a communicator suddenly rang. Li Chang’an picked it up and saw it was a message from Commander Liu Na.
"Li Chang’an, get your squad ready. The command center has an urgent mission. Assemble immediately!"
Li Chang’an’s expression darkened. He immediately stood up. "We’ve got a mission. Everyone, get ready and assemble now!"
Han Ruoxi and Shen Qiuyue immediately dropped their playful expressions, stood up, and began to organize their gear.
"Captain, what’s going on?" Sun Yang hurried to catch up, clearly not having fully processed the situation.
"An urgent mission!" Li Chang’an said grimly. "We’ll get the details when we reach the command center!"
The group hurried to the command center. Liu Na was already waiting for them, her expression even colder than usual.
"This mission is extremely urgent!" Liu Na began. "We just received intel that the Insect Race is launching a surprise attack in the Southern Mountain Area. A sizable Insect Race unit is attacking our supply line."
"If we don’t intercept them in time, our supply line could be completely cut off!"
"The supply line?" Li Chang’an frowned. "That’s our lifeline. We can’t let anything happen to it!"
"Correct!" Liu Na nodded. "Your squad has been assigned as the vanguard. Head to the location of the attack, harass and delay the enemy’s advance, and buy time for the support troops that will follow!"
Sun Yang immediately perked up. "Captain, looks like we’ve finally got a tough fight on our hands, huh?"
"It is a tough fight, but the mission requires you to focus on containment!" Liu Na said coldly. "Remember, don’t engage in a head-on battle. Your job is to buy time. Don’t be reckless!"
"Understood!" Li Chang’an nodded, a cool light flashing in his eyes.
"We will complete the mission to the best of our ability!"
"Your equipment is ready. Depart immediately!" Liu Na said with a wave of her hand.
The Insect Hunter Squad quickly entered the armory, changed into their combat gear, and grabbed their weapons.
Sun Yang inspected the Pulse Gun in his hands, an excited smile finally breaking across his face. "Finally, some real action! Don’t worry, Captain, I definitely won’t hold you guys back!"
"Less talk!" Li Chang’an shot him a glance. "This mission is dangerous. Be careful!"
"Don’t worry, I know my limits!" Sun Yang said with a grin.
Han Ruoxi was off to the side, carefully checking her own gear. She said softly, "Everyone stay alert. The Insect Race numbers are significant this time. We can’t afford any slip-ups!"
Shen Qiuyue said nothing, merely tightening her grip on her Longsword, her gaze calm.
The group quickly boarded the dropship and headed for the ambush point in the Southern Mountain Area.
The dropship streaked across the sky, a tense atmosphere filling the air inside.
"Captain, how many troops do you think the Insect Race sent this time?" Sun Yang couldn’t help but ask.
"It won’t be a small number," Li Chang’an said grimly. "If the Insect Race wants to cut our supply line, they wouldn’t make a move lightly. I expect these enemies will be tough to handle."
"So, can we hold them off?" Sun Yang asked, a little worried.
"We just need to stall them. The support troops will arrive soon," Li Chang’an said calmly. "As long as we stick to the plan and don’t get into a slugfest, it shouldn’t be a problem."
"Got it!" Sun Yang nodded, adjusting his Pulse Gun.
The dropship gradually approached the attack site. Li Chang’an glanced out the viewport and could already make out the faint figures of the Insect Race among the distant mountains.
"Prepare for landing!" Li Chang’an said to his teammates. "The mission is starting. Everyone, stay sharp!"
The dropship slowly descended. The Insect Hunter Squad leaped out and immediately assumed combat readiness.
"The Insect Race forces are closing in on our supply line. We need to find a suitable defensive position as quickly as possible!" Li Chang’an said in a low voice.
"Captain, there’s a natural canyon over there. The terrain is narrow. We can use it to hold back the enemy!" Han Ruoxi said, pointing into the distance.
"Good, let’s go there!" Li Chang’an nodded and led the team quickly toward the canyon.
A few minutes later, the Insect Hunter Squad was in position within the canyon, ready to meet the enemy.
"The Insect Race vanguard is approaching!" Han Ruoxi said softly, sensing the Energy fluctuations up ahead.
"Everyone get ready. Wait until the enemy enters the canyon before we make our move!" Li Chang’an said in a low voice.
Sun Yang raised his Pulse Gun, staring ahead with a face full of anticipation.
Soon after, the Insect Race’s advance force appeared at the canyon entrance. They clearly hadn’t expected to meet resistance here, and their movements became hesitant.
"Engage!" At Li Chang’an’s command, Sun Yang immediately opened fire. His Pulse Gun spewed a series of Energy Bullets, accurately striking the front ranks of the Insect Race.
"Nice!" Sun Yang shouted with a laugh, continuing his heavy barrage.
At the same time, Han Ruoxi released a powerful electrical current. Arcs of lightning flashed through the air, striking a group of the Insect Race and paralyzing them instantly.
"Keep up the suppressive fire! Don’t let them break through!" Li Chang’an yelled, his Saw Chain Sword cleaving an Insect that had charged too close.
Shen Qiuyue’s Longsword flashed like a cold gleam of light in the air, precisely cutting down several members of the Insect Race.
"There are more and more of them!" Sun Yang said while firing, clearly starting to struggle.
"Hold on! Reinforcements are almost here!" Li Chang’an shouted.
The Insect Race’s assault grew more ferocious. The Insect Hunter Squad was locked in a fierce battle with them inside the canyon. Although the four fought with all their might, the enemy’s numbers were simply overwhelming.
"Captain, we can’t hold on much longer!" Sun Yang yelled, his face covered in sweat.
"Don’t panic! Keep fighting!" Li Chang’an said through gritted teeth, his Saw Chain Sword once again slicing apart another charging Insect.
Just then, Liu Na’s voice came through the communicator: "Reinforcements are approaching your position. Prepare to fall back!"
"Reinforcements are here! Prepare to fall back!" Li Chang’an shouted, leading the squad in a slow retreat.
A few minutes later, the support troops finally arrived, their superior firepower instantly suppressing the Insect Race’s offensive.
The Insect Hunter Squad took the opportunity to quickly withdraw to a safe area.
Back at the base, Sun Yang collapsed onto the floor, panting heavily. "That was a close call, Captain. I seriously thought we were done for!"
Li Chang’an clapped him on the shoulder and said with a laugh, "You did well. You didn’t hold us back."
Han Ruoxi walked over, also smiling. "You really fought for your life this time, Sun Yang. I thought you were going to hide!"
"Hide? Why would I hide?" Sun Yang retorted. "I’m the team’s most reliable fire support. I’d never chicken out!"
Shen Qiuyue said coolly, "You performed acceptably this time."
"Thanks for the praise, Lady Qiuyue!" Sun Yang replied with a grin, looking especially happy.
"Alright, you’ve all worked hard. Go get some rest," Li Chang’an said, standing up and stretching.
"We’ll probably have even tougher missions ahead of us."
"Don’t worry, Captain. No matter how tough the mission, we can handle it!" Sun Yang said, full of confidence.
"Let’s hope so," Li Chang’an said with a smile, then led the team out of the command center.
Li Chang’an led the team back to their dorm, and everyone was silent.
"Captain, are we going to have more of these interception missions?" Han Ruoxi asked, leaning against the doorframe, a hint of exhaustion in her voice.
Li Chang’an glanced at her and nodded. "Probably. The Insect Race wouldn’t send just one unit to raid us. It’s very likely there will be larger-scale attacks to follow."
"Still, we barely held on this time. It was a real close shave!" Sun Yang muttered while sitting on his bed.
"Captain, you think the Insect Race will come at us with something even nastier? We should be prepared!"
"They definitely will," Shen Qiuyue said from a corner, calmly looking at her sword. "This is just the beginning. It’s only going to get harder from here."