Radiance

Heros's mental shockwave checked the swarm's momentum, allowing the bonfires to surge back to life. As dense smoke grew thicker, the situation began to improve. Before long, heavy smoke blanketed the camp, turning it into a virtually sealed perimeter, and the insects finally ceased their headlong rush inside. They still raged outside, however. With no one able to leave, the expedition could only hunker down and wait—making any immediate pursuit impossible. About four or five hours later, the clamor outside finally died away. The bonfires had gradually burned down, leaving only lingering wisps of smoke curling through the air. Those knocked unconscious by the psychic blast gradually came around. A quick check revealed heavy casualties; quite a few had been killed on the spot. The support staff and technicians in particular possessed little personal strength to begin with, and having been so close to the blast when it erupted, they had virtually no defense against it even with protective gear dampening the impact. When Heros unleashed his mental power, he had shown no regard for these people—nor, in such a critical moment, could he have spared them even if he wanted to. Though losing them did not diminish their overall fighting power, it made many tasks terribly inconvenient. Daily necessities like pitching camp, telegraph communications, medical treatment, and routine logistical maintenance would now consume a considerable amount of the vanguard fighters' time if left to them, drastically reducing their efficiency. This was precisely what Xu Chan had set out to achieve. Once the casualties were tallied, the operations captain approached Heros and reported helplessly, "Mr. Heros, three-fifths of our technicians are dead. Those who survived are suffering from severe aftereffects and barely have the strength to move. "Unless we abandon them, we won't be able to set out today. But I must remind you: if we leave our logistical technicians and support staff behind entirely, and fail to locate those Great Shun people tomorrow, our search efficiency will only deteriorate over time." Heros replied with composure, "This time, the enemy outmaneuvered us with cunning. But they have merely delayed us by a single day; nothing fundamental will change. Have the medical team do their best to treat the injured, and record the names of those who were lost. I hope their families will not grieve too deeply." "Yes, sir." The operations captain gave a Consortium salute. Heros was indisputably the strongest person here, and the benevolence and leadership he displayed were beyond compare. With those words from him, the rest of the team at least did not have to fear being callously cast aside for no reason. Heros then asked, "Is our telegrapher still alive?" "He's here, he survived. He just finished throwing up and has regained some strength." Heros said, "Then have him send a wire to our partners. Inform them that we have run into some difficulty, and that we now require our partners' assistance." "Right away, sir," the operations captain said. Meanwhile, immediately after pressing the detonator, Xu Chan had ducked into a nearby hollow tree he had scouted beforehand. In truth, this hollow was also the predatory trap of an active plant. Unsuspecting prey would typically mistake it for a nest or a refuge, only for the tree's hollow belly to snap shut and digest them whole. Yet that cocoon-like encasement was exactly what he needed to shelter himself from the impending insect swarm. An ordinary person would have been dissolved immediately, but he had prepared in advance by slathering a thick, crusting layer of ointment over his body, effectively resisting the digestive fluids secreted inside the plant. Moreover, his personal strength ensured he would not be crushed by the violent constriction of the hollow trunk. At this moment, he braced his limbs outward against the immense contracting pressure. Under normal circumstances, unless he burst free in a single surge, he would have had to endure for several days and nights just to exhaust the active plant's stamina. Now, however, he had no reason to worry about that—once the swarm arrived, the plant would be unable to exert much pressure on him. Sure enough, after only two or three minutes, the constricting force eased noticeably. At the same time, the active plant began to heave and shudder violently, as if locked in a desperate struggle against some outside force. This continued for several hours before finally subsiding. Not only was the binding pressure gone, but the entire active plant seemed to have collapsed, and it had even stopped secreting digestive fluid. After waiting a bit longer until he sensed no movement outside, he exerted his strength. With a loud tearing sound, he ripped a fissure through the thick trunk wall, and daylight instantly spilled in. Peering out through the opening for a moment and confirming that the coast was clear, he gripped both sides of the tear and hauled them apart. Amid a harsh screech of groaning wood, he wrenched open an opening wide enough to pass through and squeezed his way out. Taking a few steps forward, he saw the surrounding forest riddled with scars. Most of the visible tree trunks had fallen, reduced to bare, thick boughs, and the once-dense jungle looked as though it had been struck by a violent tempest, stripped entirely of foliage. He patted himself down, and chunks of the dried, crusted ointment fell away. With a sudden burst of force, he shattered the rest, sending fragments scattering across the ground. He looked toward the direction of the camp. Even setting aside whatever damage such a massive swarm had inflicted on the Consortium's people, it had certainly obliterated any tracks left behind. He glanced at the sky. It was already around two or three in the afternoon. Even if they resumed their pursuit now, they stood virtually no chance, because in another hour or two, they would have to begin preparations for nightfall. In this way, he had successfully bought a full day. Xu Chan needed to find a place to rest as well, something he had planned for in advance. Leaving the area, he ran for about ten minutes before lifting a hatch woven from vines and descending into a dugout that had been excavated and reinforced with timber supports beforehand. Tapping a woven cage suspended above, he stirred the firefly-like insects inside, which flitted about and shed a faint glow. Sitting down, he ate a few tubes of nutrition paste and unfolded the map provided by the settlement. The map had proven invaluable; if used properly, the terrain was more than enough to tie down and harass the enemy. Having used the insect nest today, the enemy would surely be on high alert tomorrow. He could therefore stage several minor explosions, mixing truth and deception just enough to keep them from advancing at full speed. His true lethal trap... was here. His gaze settled on a cavern marked on the map, situated directly along the route toward Captain Hai and the others. If they did not pursue in that direction, he would hold his hand; if they did, he would spring that trap. *** At the Linakes Federation camp, Major General Therbil took the telegram sent by the Consortium from the radio operator. After reading it through, he instructed the adjutant beside him: "The Consortium requires reinforcements. Under our agreement, we are obligated to comply. In a little while, I will personally lead a team to rendezvous with them. You stay here and continue perfecting the apparatus." The adjutant saluted immediately and answered, "Understood." Major General Therbil intended to take all the mercenaries along this time. In his eyes, they were scum and trash—every one of them recalcitrant and unruly. Without him leading in person, they would never follow orders obediently. But trash was trash; it was best if they were all spent on this outing, as there was no need to bring them back anyway. Recalling something, he asked, "Where is Serafina?" The adjutant turned sideways and gestured toward a corner. "Over there." Major General Therbil looked over. There sat a petite, black-haired girl wearing eyeshadow, her hair tied in twintails, squatting beneath a massive tree. Casually snatching up a passing winged insect, she plucked off its wings and tossed it to the ground, watching it crawl. After a moment, she caught another, tore off its wings, and dropped it as well. A small pile of such insects had already accumulated at her feet, yet she seemed never to tire of the game. Major General Therbil watched her for a few seconds, then said, "Her talents are critical to us; whether our plan succeeds hinges entirely on her. Keep a tight watch on her. Don't let her wander off, and make sure nothing happens to her." The adjutant gave a solemn affirmation. Twenty minutes later, Major General Therbil set out from the camp with a detachment, arriving at the Consortium's encampment before nightfall. The vanguard fighters from both sides gathered together to discuss their tactical plan for the following day. Before long, darkness fell, and all parties lapsed into quiet stillness, awaiting the next day's contest. Another night passed, and daylight broke bright and clear. Barring unforeseen events, the confrontation between the factions was set to unfold further today. It might drag on for several days or even longer before an outcome was reached; each side knew this well, and both had formulated counters and strategies for the struggle ahead. Yet an unexpected occurrence shattered everyone's original plans. Just past ten in the morning, an extraordinarily magnificent glow surged upward in a certain direction. Like polar aurorae drifting from the ground into the heavens, it seemed as if a stroke of brilliant paint had splashed across the vault of the sky, its colors breathtaking and dazzling. Heros abruptly stopped in his tracks, looking up at the majestic, radiant glow. Not just him—the Thunder Twins, Gray Whale, Blood Diamond who had yet to fully recover, and the other fighters all looked in that direction in unison, their eyes filled with disbelief and pleasant surprise. Was that... the light of the relic? How could this thing have manifested again? Heros gazed at the brilliant light for a moment, then turned to Major General Therbil, who was also looking on: "General Therbil, there is interference from others here. As our partners, I expect you to honor our prior agreement and cover us while we make our move." General Therbil said expressionlessly, "I will honor our commitment." "Good." Heros looked ahead once more, expanding his chest as he roared, "Everyone! I order you to shed all dead weight! Take only your essential weapons, and advance at top speed toward the source of that light!"