Chapter 339: Chapter 114: Lair Encounter
Why didn’t he feel this kind of fear and sorrow when faced with death himself?
While Mu Fan was pondering, he suddenly stopped and furrowed his brows, pointing to a tuft of grass about three hundred meters away that was shaking and said, “There’s something going on over there!”
Everyone’s gaze shifted there, only to see that the squad on the outermost perimeter was very close to that spot.
A student from Dingchuan Academy seemed to notice the rustling nearby and walked over with his gun without consulting his teammates.
Suddenly, a line began to be drawn in the distance along with the shaking of the grass.
“Situation!”
Finally, Wolf spoke up, his tone certain and serious.
At the same time, the red undergrowth behind the student lowered, and a dark shadow shot out instantly.
Thwack!
The sharp forelimb suddenly appeared in front of the student’s chest.
The student’s eyes glazed over as he looked down at the reddish-brown exoskeleton protruding from his chest and foam of blood bubbled from his mouth. His finger pulled the trigger, but it was too late to raise his gun, and then he drooped his head powerlessly.
Bang! The sound of a bullet hitting the ground drew everyone’s attention.
Thud, the body fell to the ground, and the shadow vanished into the grass.
“Enemy attack!”
“Tactical formation!”
“Covering fire!”
Ratatat! Ratatat!
Compared to the students’ chaotic shooting, the Special Combat Team’s gunfire almost formed a fan shape, completely sealing off every escape route in that area.
Thump thump thump!
“Squeak!” A sharp cry arose as the grass started shaking rapidly.
But the covering fire was much faster than the movement.
After a full minute, the grass had been shortened by over twenty centimeters.
Dark green fluid splattered out continuously.
Until no other sound remained, people stopped firing one after another.
Lin Hao said coldly, “Who was just attacked?”
“Reporting to the officer, Snow Scorpion Team, a special recruit of this term—Jiang Ke.”
Upon hearing this name, the students holding their guns stared blankly at the body on the ground.
This was a teammate with whom they had fought together for half a month, who had just set foot on this land and now had left his life here forever.
Many felt a chill in their hearts because the death was too sudden, and they still hadn’t seen what exactly had attacked Jiang Ke.
The captain of Snow Scorpion Team looked at Lin Hao, clenched his teeth, and saluted, “Reporting to the officer, Snow Scorpion Team was negligent, requesting punishment!”
Lin Hao stared at him intently and finally relented, “Go check what’s in that patch of grass. All units, stand by with full firepower!”
“Yes, officer.”
The captain, holding a pulse rifle, carefully pushed the grass apart with his foot and moved forward step by step.
After just over three minutes, the entire area was fully exposed to everyone’s view.
A large number of limb shells were scattered about, smashed to pieces, with viscous fluid sticking to the bottom of the grass, still dripping down steadily.
He took out a biological scanner and scanned a relatively intact shell, then turned back and said, “Major, it’s a Zeg Clan burrow beetle.”
Upon hearing this, an outraged Lin Hao took out his military Sky Communication and directly called Major Zheng Rui’s number. As soon as the connection was made, Lin Hao burst into a tirade, “Didn’t you say that a 35-square-kilometer area was cleared? If it’s a safe zone, why were we still attacked?”
“Attacked? Where are you?”
“6 kilometers from the Base Three.”
“We have already secured a safety area of fifty square kilometers, but this is not absolute, because the invasion methods of the Zeg Clan are very cunning. We can’t guarantee 100 percent safety.” Zheng Rui’s voice was rapidly transmitted, “Also, your area is no longer inside the safe zone.”
“My students are dead! And now you’re telling me there’s a problem with the map.”
“I regret this. The map isn’t the problem; it’s our Expeditionary Army’s reconnaissance map, marked as a pending safe area, distinguished by color from the base. Moreover, we evacuated Base Three and haven’t continued routine clearing in the neighboring areas.”
“You…”
“Report to Major, the remaining shell thickness is 9 millimeters, and it has an excellent effect on radar filtration.”
Damn it, Lin Hao, looking at the yellow-brown shell presented to him, yelled at the Sky Communication again, “Where’s your Exoskeleton Armor? We need twenty units! Hurry up!”
“I’m sorry, Major Lin Hao, but I can’t give those to you. They’re like a second life to my warriors, and the Expeditionary Army can’t afford such rapid reduction in personnel anymore.”
Snap!
Lin Hao slammed the Sky Communication down on the ground, steam shooting from his nostrils like an enraged bull.
“What’s wrong, Major Lin?” asked someone nearby.
“Nothing! All personnel, be on full alert, form a dense array, return to base.”
“Why?”
“What happened, Major?”
…
“Quiet!” Lin Hao looked at the group of questioning students and said, “Our situation is probably worse than imagined. The Expeditionary Army is now refusing to supply Exoskeleton Armors and other corresponding exorbitant exploration equipment! And their supposed safe area markings are not open to us, so from now on, we’re on our own!”
Everyone returned according to Lin Hao’s arrangements.
On the way back, everyone felt dejected.
A failed first strike, retreating midway, and the innocent death of a comrade.
Fortunately, upon their return to the base, they didn’t encounter any more of the Zeg Clan.
As soon as they entered, all team leaders of the Special Combat Team were called away by Lin Hao.
Black’s voice echoed in Mu Fan’s ears: “I’ve seen everything from the video feed on your helmets. These are just the lowest-tier Zeg Beetles, far from the true combat Zegs. I bet pretty soon, you’ll have to re-equip and revise tactics.”
“Mu Fan, I’m about to infiltrate the main control system of this base. During combat with the Zeg Clan, sometimes your sense of smell and hearing are more useful than sight.” After speaking, Black went silent, presumably ready to infiltrate the base’s central control system. Mu Fan didn’t think more about why Black would make such a proactive infiltration, assuming it must be an automatic instinct.
Shaking his head, Mu Fan didn’t ponder further, as he saw Luo Jianjin approaching and signaling to him.
“What’s wrong, Captain Luo?”
“Come here, there’s been a rearrangement of the mission. There’s a batch of supplies on the Starship we arrived on, but they were originally specific to the Ship and have been unloaded by Young Master Lin’s authorization.”
“What’s included?” Curious, Deer and Yin Shuai asked simultaneously.
“20 load-bearing Exoskeletons, 25 Single Soldier Combat Exoskeletons, 60 Single Soldier Light Armors with built-in life support systems, 2 Spider Chariots, 10 Type B Explorer Mechas. There’s also a shipside small robotic repair workshop.”
Had they emptied the Starship?
Was there nothing left but an empty shell?
Seeing the confusion on everyone’s faces, Luo Jianjin, with a solemn expression, explained, “The sudden death of the students has put a lot of pressure on Young Master Lin, and the Expeditionary Army on planet 131 is very hostile to us. The Major means to set up basic wartime devices within Base Three in a short amount of time.”
“Biological Repair Chamber, ore smelting device, Solar Energy Collector, Freshwater Purification Collector, a small mechanical manufacturing workshop…” The list of terms made the two dizzy.
Mu Fan, on the other hand, was feeling sleepy, as he couldn’t understand these technical terms.
However, the first to lose patience was the fiery Tracy, who yawned and lazily said, “Chimpanzee, just tell us what we need to do.”
“Major said our combat scenarios will be faithfully recorded through tactical helmets and shipborne detectors. Since we’ve come, we must accomplish something. The Expeditionary Army will expand from Bases One and Two, and we will expand northward from Base Three.”
“What are our expansion range and goals?”
“To conduct terrain surveys, verify mineral reserves, and then eliminate the Zeg Clan near the Crystal Ore.”
“Understood. What’s the sequence for deployment?” asked Mu Fan.
“We’re Team One, so we need to start the first round of area reconnaissance immediately. Deer, you’ll be driving later. The Spider Car is a battle vehicle with excellent off-road capabilities. We’ll use onboard drones to scout the nearby environment first. It’s equipped with the latest SRA radar that combines electromagnetic waves and heat source sensing for detection. This is high-end gear from the Starship.”
Captain Luo Jianjin pointed to an automatic transport robot that was slowly approaching. “That’s the detection equipment I just mentioned. Make your own choice. Mechas won’t be equipped for now due to energy supply issues, they’ll stay at the base ready for rapid support and will be the main force for assault missions.”
Tracy picked up a set of light gray Single Soldier Light Armor and carried a sniper rifle toward the Spider Chariot that had already stopped, while Yin Shuai chose a Single Soldier Combat Exoskeleton. The armor encircled by mechanics looked quite imposing.
The remaining members like Wolf and Deer just replenished their ammunition before heading to the vehicle.
“Captain, why aren’t they choosing any gear?”
“Rookie, all these equipments require energy to operate. For me and Deer, one scouting and one driving, we need more flexible limbs.”
“Don’t worry about them, Mu Fan, you make a choice,” said Captain Luo Jianjin.
“I don’t need it, thank you Captain Luo.” If he could choose, Mu Fan would only choose a Mecha.
But as for the equipment that would slow him down and hinder his coordination, Mu Fan could only refuse.
“Alright, then follow me to select some weapons. You must choose something this time,” Captain Luo Jianjin compromised, but he made a mandatory demand.
Mu Fan looked at the equipment on the giant tray of the transport robot and his eyes lit up when he saw an alloy stick over one meter long.
“I’ll take this.”
Captain Luo Jianjin glanced at it, frowning, “You want the laser long spear? What about a thermal weapon?”
It turned out to be a laser long spear. Mu Fan almost blurted out that he wanted that stick. Hearing Captain Luo’s words, he shook his head, “I’m not good at shooting, so I’m not planning to choose a thermal weapon.”
“That reason doesn’t fly. With good body coordination and your physical quality, your stability while holding firearms would far exceed others. Never mind, you’re indeed good at close combat, and Captain Ruan expressly instructed me to give you some ‘extra’ training, so let’s consider this as special training.”
Mu Fan touched his nose helplessly. So the talk had been easy, with a layer of Bald Ruan’s influence involved. Anyway, he really didn’t have a good feeling about firearms; the first time he was introduced to them was nearly his last.
From Loga Star to Purple Jade Star, he had nearly died at the barrel of a gun, and that innate aversion was still hard to shake.
If they insisted on making him use a gun, Mu Fan would definitely not hesitate and strip the Fire God Cannon directly from the combat vehicle.
After Captain Luo Jianjin got into the Spider Chariot, he synced the tactical map in his hand with everyone’s military Sky Communication devices.
As Deer stomped fiercely on the pedal, the giant wheels of the Spider Chariot spun rapidly, and the Tiger Hunting Team vanished from everyone’s sight.
“That poor kid left, hopefully, he dies out there,” someone beside Zhang Shaotang flattered.
However, all he received from Zhang Shaotang was a snort of disdain.
“Shut up. If anything really happens, none of us will be able to escape.”
…
By the time the drones overhead had swept by, the Spider Chariot rolling in a crushing manner, Captain Luo Jianjin had already used the Fire God Cannon to level more than a dozen hiding spots of Zeg Beetles.
Excited, Deer shouted, “Hahaha, that’s freaking awesome. There’s nothing like driving a Spider Car! Boss, your coordination with the drones is perfect!”
“Hehe~” Captain Luo Jianjin smiled goofily, but his grip on the Fire God Cannon didn’t loosen at all.
Yin Shuai, sitting next to Mu Fan, was intently cleaning a pair of goggles.
The combat exoskeleton armor was temporarily stacked at the back seat of the car.
With no power source to extend its range, every bit of energy had to be conserved for combat.
“This is a real fifteen-kilometer reconnaissance, hey, I wonder if I’ll get a chance to shoot some bugs later.”
“Stop blathering, White Hair. Remember to insert an environmental sensor every 300 meters with that detector in your hand. Our team’s pioneering score all depends on that thing.”
“Alright, alright, I got it,” said Yin Shuai, waving his hand and attaching a string of metal spheres to his belt.
“The region is close; our drone radar has trouble scanning the jungle ahead, so everyone, please be very careful. Once we reach the destination, split up into pairs. Wolf will scout ahead alone, and we’ll share the data in real time.”
“Understood,” replied Wolf as he pulled down his combat mask, a unique piece of equipment for a recon troop.
“Tracy, find a sniper position, Deer, lay mines around the vehicle, Mu Fan you come with me, Yin Shuai you can assist with mine laying or follow us.”
“I’ll go with Mu Fan.”
Upon hearing that he was not grouped with Tracy, Yin Shuai decisively chose to advance with Mu Fan.
Da-da-da-da-da!
Boom!
Suddenly, distant and dense gunfire rang out, even the explosions of portable rocket grenades could be heard.
The people in the vehicle exchanged glances.
What happened?
At that moment, Wolf, who was looking at the electronic map, suddenly changed his tone, “A large number of… allies? They’re people from the Expeditionary Army! They seem to be retreating.”
On his tactical tablet, fourteen green markers emerged three kilometers ahead.
Luo Jianjin looked toward Wolf and asked, “Is there any video feed from the drones?”
“No, Captain, there’s a river ahead, and beyond that is the jungle area! The drones can’t capture any imagery. What do we do now?”
The bearded man’s frown seemed even darker as he continued, “How far are we from our combat zone?”
“Six hundred meters!”
“Then let’s head over first, see what’s going on, and if they need support, we’ll give them some firepower assistance.”
“Yes, Boss.”
Seeing that everyone else in the vehicle had no reaction, White Hair, unable to comprehend, sneered to himself. Why bother helping those lousy Expeditionary Forces? Anyway, he didn’t plan to exert any effort; one less wouldn’t make a difference.
The Spider Car ferociously bounded and sped through the red plains, the lush underbrush crushed and torn apart rapidly.
As the vehicle swiftly rounded a gently rising hill, the tranquil river and the verdant, layered jungle finally came into view.
Hiss! ~~~
With a fierce tail swing, the Spider Car steadied itself.
“Tiger Hunting Team!”
“Present!”
“—Move out!”
Tracy’s athletic legs stretched out as she leaped down, and in a few strides towards the river, she lifted her left hand.
A black hook lock shot out, spanning over thirty meters, hitting the tree canopy on the opposite side, and then, using the retracting force of the hook, she disappeared into the jungle on the other bank.
Deer had already donned a specialized electronic assistance helmet and jumped down from the Spider Car, laying mines around.
Luo Jianjin took the lead in controlling his Exoskeleton Armor as he stepped into the river.
As for Wolf, he had already vanished.
Mu Fan unsheathed his inert laser long spear, touched the combat dagger strapped to his leg, exchanged a glance with Yin Shuai, “Let’s go.”
As the two saw Luo Jianjin’s silhouette disappear behind a slope, suddenly Wolf’s voice reached their ears, “Fourteen from the Expeditionary Army, engaging in fire with the Zeg Clan!”
“Numerous Zeg Clan members, preliminary estimates greater than 200, identified species include Beetles about half a meter in diameter, Guards about two meters in size. And… five Tiger Worms!?”
Wolf’s voice hastened, “The appearance of Tiger Worms and Low Tier Beetles together means there has to be a Zeg Clan nest nearby!!”
“These Expeditionary Forces stumbled upon a Zeg Clan nest!”
“An encounter battle! All units find firing positions, Mu Fan, Yin Shuai, get away from the battlefield!” In the end, Luo Jianjin issued the order for the two to withdraw.
But Mu Fan and Yin Shuai, lying atop a fallen massive log, exchanged a look, their eyes ablaze with flames.
“We’re not retreating!”
“Only fools would retreat!”
*******
PS: Thanks to book friends “With Poop to the End,” “Ran Family Dam,” “Autumn Rain’s Fallen Leaves,” “DGcyc,” “Star Dust” for the 100 coin reward!
Thanks to the book friend “Pingping (1)” for the 20 coin reward!
(4800-character mega chapter, a lot needed to be explained in this chapter, so I’m not going to split it and will publish it combined~)