The Iron Demon

Half an hour later, Chen Chuan, Yuan Qiuyuan, and Qin Qingque boarded a train together, accompanied by a twenty-two-person tactical squad assigned to them. These personnel were responsible for coordinated strikes as well as auxiliary support duties such as logistics, communications, and transport. Also traveling with them was a tactical advisor surnamed Rao, who was well acquainted with the local situation. Considering that they had just arrived and were not yet familiar with their surroundings, Ding Mou had specifically arranged for him to help formulate their tactical plans. Because their departure had been rather hurried, Advisor Rao waited until the train was in motion before briefing them on the mission. "The Iron Demon—this is the target of our operation." He placed a dossier in front of the three of them. Unfolding it, the first thing they saw was a large, color-printed photograph. Chen Chuan looked at it. The so-called "Iron Demon" was a figure clad in archaic armor and helmet, wearing a ferocious crimson iron mask. In his hand, he held a lance adorned with white tassels and feathers, and beneath him was a massive horse with a black coat mottled with blood-red patches. The steed was likewise clad in armor of the old era, its eyes completely blood-red. Judging by reference objects beside it in the photograph, its shoulder height was at least two meters. Its frame was exceedingly robust, yet it somehow gave the impression of fierce, agile swiftness. Advisor Rao said, "We received intelligence from the front line. This individual is leading a fifty-man squad, preparing to harass and sabotage our rear lines while the bulk of our forces have been redeployed to the vanguard." Yuan Qiuyuan looked back and forth at the photo, stroking his chin. "I assumed this was some Confluence monster. But hearing you describe it, Advisor Rao, and looking at the guy's appearance, isn't he just a human? And harassing us—what hostile faction is he from?" Advisor Rao replied, "He is indeed a native of the Confluence." He raised his head. "However, you should all be aware that historically, whenever the two worlds drew close, there were multiple Periods of Flux. When two worlds approach each other, contact, communication, and even collisions are inevitable. "Thus, back in the old era, the Confluence had already appeared. "In the past, understanding of the Confluence was shallow, and fissures between the two worlds were scattered across various regions. Many fled here as refugees, and at one point, it was even used as a place of exile for demoted officials and political failures. "Most recently, when the world's major empires were overthrown, numerous imperial family members, former nobility, and high-ranking officials fled here to establish independent dynasties one after another. They harbor deep hostility toward us. "Furthermore, through secret fissures and networks formerly held by the imperial houses, they have maintained ongoing contact with our world, collaborating with corporations and acquiring various relics. As a result, they aren't technologically backward, and because they've resided in the Confluence for so long, they have absorbed some unique methods. "Currently, apart from the entities behind the Ring of the World, the remnants of these old dynasties are our primary enemies here." Chen Chuan asked a follow-up question and learned that the base they had established sat right on the border self-proclaimed by the old dynasty. As the military fortress expanded, it naturally compressed their territory. From their perspective, this was clearly an attempt to wipe them out once again, resulting in intense ongoing conflict between both sides. Advisor Rao pointed at the photo. "The leader, this 'Iron Demon,' is an elite commissioned warrior of the former imperial house, commanding a band of cavalry warriors. They frequently raid and harass us when our vanguard defensive operations are strained." Chen Chuan picked up the accompanying documents. "Warrior" was essentially the title for fighters in the old era. A "commissioned warrior," however, was different—it referred to a fighter who served the imperial court and held an official rank or title of nobility. And anyone granted nobility by the imperial court was definitely someone who had reached the third limit. According to the dossier, because the Confluence was vast and sparsely populated, these commissioned warriors all possessed their own official lands or fiefs, which generally existed in the form of fortified manors. Under each commissioned warrior's command was a contingent of cavalry warriors at their disposal to wage war. He pondered it briefly. It was a rather archaic system, yet it seemed quite suited to this land. Advisor Rao continued, "In the past, this 'Iron Demon' has repeatedly sabotaged railways, dismantled and damaged our communications stations, ambushed outgoing patrols everywhere, and even has a record of attacking garrisons. "They do use vehicles, but usually ride specially bred dragon-snout horses, some of which have even undergone implant modifications—just like the one he's riding in the photograph. "This breed is powerfully built, fearless, and possesses extraordinary endurance and load-bearing capacity. Roving through the wilderness at a normal trot, they can match the speed of an off-road vehicle, and they can run for an entire day without food. "Relying on these mounts, their raids cover a wide range, swift and sudden. As soon as we mobilize a large force, they quickly withdraw and relocate elsewhere." Qin Qingque found this somewhat puzzling and asked, "Advisor Rao, even if their mobility is superior, we have more advanced tools, convenient communications, and high-powered weaponry. How can we be helpless against them?" This was no longer the old era. No matter how mobile the dragon-snout horses were, off-road vehicles carrying extra fuel could always catch up. Besides, fighting on interior lines meant convenient logistics and communications in every aspect, not to mention airships in the sky. If leadership set their minds to it and temporarily pulled together capable personnel, they could surely eradicate them. Advisor Rao said, "These people aren't ignorant of technology. They understand our advantages very well, and they even have undercover informants within our ranks. Every time, they only strike when our personnel are redeployed to the front line. Before making a move, they probe repeatedly to ensure we lack sufficient strength to pursue them deep into the wild. "Furthermore, they possess an advantage we lack: the anomalies of the wilderness... Well, the instructor probably hasn't had time to tell you yet, but one must avoid spending the night in the wild at all costs." His expression turned exceedingly grave. "Night is when anomalies occur with high frequency. All kinds of inexplicable circumstances and bizarre phenomena arise. "Inside the fortress, complete fortifications and protective barriers ensure safety, but that is not the case out in the wilderness. We suffered far too many losses in that regard during the early days. "Yet the Iron Demon and his men possess some method that allows them to operate at night. Many of their raids are launched during nighttime, and when day breaks, they either lie low or completely pull out of the targeted zone. This makes it very difficult for us to make targeted deployments against them." Hearing him mention this, Chen Chuan checked their respective activation indices. Perhaps due to being out in the field, both teammates' readings were drifting upward, reaching around seven or eight, and the numbers continued to climb as time passed. At this rate, they would inevitably need to use the breathing technique to regulate themselves. After looking, he asked, "Since those people operate outdoors for extended periods, how do they counter and overcome activation?" The advisor said, "Currently, there are several possibilities. It may be that because they have lived here for so long, through natural selection, those who survived developed a degree of resistance; or they worship certain entities that grant them a level of resistance. "There are also those who use the same methods as us, relying on medicine and breathing techniques to resist. And finally, some of them..." He said grimly, "They are already fully activated complete organisms." Hearing this, Yuan Qiuyuan couldn't help but be shocked. "They aren't even human anymore, and they still dare use them?" Advisor Rao said, "Though not human, their minds aren't necessarily non-human. The old imperial house seems to possess methods to identify and utilize them, so there are quite a few such entities within this old dynasty. "We've encountered this before: after an enemy is killed, their brain or some limb scuttles away, and it might seize the chance to possess the person inspecting the body. When you encounter them, you must completely eradicate every trace of them. They are a faction composed of old-era aristocratic warriors, Confluence specters, and monsters!" He warned, "This 'Iron Demon' is said to originally be named Qumohu. When he goes out, he likes to wear a demon mask, so many suspect he might be a specter himself!" Yuan Qiuyuan mulled it over and seemed to realize something. He asked, "Right, Advisor Rao, you mentioned worship earlier, didn't you? Can faith prevent activation too?" Advisor Rao seemed reluctant to discuss the subject. Hesitating briefly, he said vaguely, "What they revere might be trans-limit entities within the Confluence. "Those entities are all gathered in the front half of the Confluence, and supposedly they stand in opposition to certain beings on the other side. I don't know much about this, and regulations forbid us from speaking casually about such things. In the future, try not to bring it up." "Understood," Yuan Qiuyuan said. He clenched his fists, knuckles cracking. "In short, all we're doing this time is dealing with this fellow called the Iron Demon, right?" Advisor Rao replied, "Yes. The mission given to us is to expel this unit if possible, or at least keep them pinned down so they can't cause further destruction." Chen Chuan said, "Only expel or pin down?" Advisor Rao looked at them and chose his words carefully before speaking: "Frankly, accomplishing that would already be quite an achievement. You are a newly formed team and don't yet understand the situation. This man Qumohu is not just a commissioned warrior—he was also granted the rank of Commandant by the imperial house." Yuan Qiuyuan gave an exclamation of surprise. "That's an old-era military rank, isn't it? I heard my grandfather say that back in the day, he would've been granted some rank or other." Advisor Rao said, "Correct. In theory, commissioned warriors are all personal troops of the emperor, but they are merely soldiers. Being granted an official rank is different—that makes him a military officer capable of leading troops." He emphasized, "And those officially granted military rank are all genuine elite warriors. You might not fully grasp what that means, so to put it another way: according to higher-up assessments, this man is very likely a fighter on the verge of honing both spirit and flesh to perfection."