Harassment

After departing from the settlement, the three enforcement captains led their team deep into the forest under the guidance of several settlement guides. Because there were quite a few of them, their earlier movements through this region had constantly startled local creatures, slowing their pace and leaving behind a heavy trail. This time, however, they encountered no real danger along the way, and the few minor issues that arose were easily resolved. They moved several times faster than usual, even finding the leisure to sweep away their tracks as they went. Such was the value of having skilled guides; had they secured their help a few days earlier, they might well have located the relic already. Even so, the three captains remained wary of the settlement locals. They had reasoned, however, that even if these people harbored ill intent, it could only be for the relic. Thus, until the relic was found, they were essentially safe. After trekking for half a day, the guides looked ahead at a riverbed. Seeming to notice something, they conferred among themselves and recommended resting where they were. Although the team's stamina was far from exhausted, the guides surely had their reasons, so Captain Hai promptly called a halt. Captain Hai took a sip of water, then glanced over at Captain Lü, who sat nearby with a furrowed brow. "Captain Lü, still worrying about Captain Xu? Honestly, I don't think you need to." Captain Lü looked over in surprise. Captain Hai took another swallow, slowly twisted the cap back onto his canteen, and stowed it before continuing. "Captain Xu is formidable and has always been cautious. Even if something went wrong for us, it wouldn't necessarily happen to him." Captain Lü frowned. "No matter how good a fighter Old Xu is, he's still just one man." "We haven't sent word back for so many days," Captain Hai said. "The Defense Department won't just sit on its hands. If you ask me, they've most likely dispatched reinforcements." Captain Lü considered this, though he remained pessimistic. Currently, the main forces of the Defense Department were tied down at the breach in the Ring of the World. While there were still skilled operatives in Center City, they were assigned to protect high-ranking officials. How could anyone be spared? Still... A certain person suddenly crossed his mind. But even if that person came to assist, the formidable enemies pursuing them were far too numerous. Arriving might not be enough to break the encirclement, let alone the difficulty of locating them accurately in the first place. Still, some hope was better than none. Exhaling softly, he said, "Let's hope so." Captain Hai pressed no further, trusting Captain Lü to manage his own mood. His own perspective, however, differed somewhat. "Captain Lü, Captain Hu, let's do our best to find the item. That way, Old Xu's burden will be lighter." Both Lü and Hu nodded. They had agreed in advance that the moment they found the object, they would immediately fire a signal flare and leave coded markers in key locations to alert Xu Chan. In theory, the faster they found it, the safer Xu Chan would be. The last time they had felt the remnant resonance of the relic was four days ago. They had pursued that trace forward, though the connection was intermittent along the way. They had already confirmed that the relic had likely been swallowed by some creature. Therefore, beyond relying on the relic's resonance, they also had to track the spoor of specific beasts. The guides proved even more invaluable here, as only the local natives could identify which creature it was. Just then, a rumbling thud echoed from ahead. A multitude of horse-sized, four-legged creatures galloped past along the riverbank. Though not exceptionally large, their bodies seemed extraordinarily dense and heavy, gouging deep craters into the ground and pulverizing the stones in their path. Only after waiting for over fifteen minutes did the creatures finally move on. Yet the terrain before them had noticeably altered, with swathes of trees flattened along both riverbanks. Only then did everyone realize why the guides had called for a rest. Had they crossed earlier, they would have run straight into the stampede, and hardly anyone would have survived. The guides signaled that it was safe to move out. Captain Hai stepped forward to exchange a few words with them. After confirming the situation, he did not immediately march the team forward. Instead, he stepped out of the woods alone, crossed to the opposite bank, and scouted back and forth. Right then, he suddenly felt a faint quiver against his chest. He froze instantly, turned slightly to reorient himself, and, relying on his keen senses, locked onto a specific direction. He advanced a dozen paces; the sensation remained, unbroken. He looked toward where he faced, his eyes brightening. No mistake—it was here. After several days of intermittent signals, they had picked up the relic's trail once more. *** After staying another night at the Consortium's encampment, Chen Chuan set off again at daybreak. Without the motorized two-wheeler, he had to travel on foot. Yet running at a normal pace, he was hardly any slower than the motorized two-wheeler. Even if he expended energy along the way, stopping to consume a few tubes of nutrition paste replenished it easily. Identifying the surrounding tracks proved more tedious. Soon, however, he noticed that the deeper he advanced, the clearer the tracks became—a sign that he was closing in on them. After roughly a morning's travel, he came upon the third encampment along the route. To his surprise, this one was manned: roughly seven or eight armed personnel. They appeared to be waiting for someone, spending most of their time watching their rear. Of course, they might also have been guarding against enemies approaching from behind. But that seemed less likely; otherwise, their vigilance would not have been so overt, and they would have concealed themselves instead. After a brief observation, Chen Chuan put down his travel pack, drew the Xuejun Saber, and walked toward the encampment. The sentries' gunfire quickly erupted, only to fall silent moments later. In just half a minute, he wiped out every armed fighter in the camp. Searching the area, simple log documents confirmed that the camps and movement tracks along the way had indeed been left deliberately to guide rear elements joining up with them. Those arriving from behind had presumably been briefed beforehand on how to bypass the creatures guarding the camps. Reaching this point meant he was getting relatively close to the Consortium's main force. Since it was still early, he lingered no longer than necessary. Taking a sip of water, he resumed his journey. Around three or four in the afternoon, he located another encampment, likewise guarded by several armed fighters. After easily dealing with them, he discovered a new development. Beyond this camp, the trail split into two, each heading in a different direction. He deduced that the Consortium and the Linakes Federation had advanced together before parting ways here. After all, the two factions were not one entity, and dividing their search was undeniably more efficient—a sensible move. From the confessions of the captured personnel combined with the physical tracks, he confirmed that the targets were only about two to three days ahead. If he sped up and encountered no unexpected hitches, he might catch up in just a day or two. Having verified the direction taken by the Consortium branch, he decided to follow their trail tomorrow. According to his intelligence, most of the powerful fighters belonged to the Consortium. As long as he eliminated them, the bulk of the problem would be solved. *** Outside the settlement, half a day after Captain Hai and his group departed, the Consortium's advance tracking unit discovered the place. It was already deserted, however; everyone had evacuated ahead of time. After inspecting the camp, the most experienced squad leader took men outside to scout in person, only to find several sets of tracks leading away, leaving them unsure which one belonged to their target. Just as they prepared to investigate further, a blast echoed from the direction of the camp behind them. The squad leader rushed back immediately and found that the explosion had not occurred inside the camp, but outside. Inspecting the blast site, he saw it was a remotely detonated explosive. Fortunately, it had caused no casualties. Yet before he could breathe a sigh of relief, his gaze fell upon light brown fragments scattered across the ground, and he stiffened in horror. Was this... a hive?! "Hive" did not refer to actual honeybees; in the Confluence, it was a general term for the nests of most colonial flying insects. And judging from the fragments, the destroyed nest had been extraordinarily massive. Tense and frantic, he shouted, "Quick! Light bonfires all around! As many as you can! Hurry, move now!" Urged by his panicked voice, the surrounding team members realized the danger and immediately threw together makeshift bonfires. Sure enough, before long, a deafening drone of countless beating wings arose. A dense cloud of insects surged in from an unknown quarter, resembling a sky-blotting tempest cloud clearly visible from several kilometers away. Active plants and various creatures throughout the forest seemed to stir to life at once, preying upon the passing swarm. The insects swiftly retaliated. Given the sheer scale of the swarm, the active plants in their path held out for mere moments before being stripped bare and devoured. The sandstorm-like swarm reached the bonfires in moments. The newly lit flames and black smoke were smothered under the press, opening a breach that allowed a torrent of insects to pour inside. Just as the swarm seemed poised to overwhelm everyone, Heros, who had stood motionless until now, stepped forward. Light spilled from his azure eyes, and an invisible force erupted around him. In an instant, across three to four hundred meters around him, the surging insects plummeted to the ground like rain. Yet this shockwave made no distinction between friend and foe. Aside from the formidable third limit fighters, everyone present—even those equipped with protective gear—succumbed if they were weaker, collapsing to the ground one after another.