Chapter 118: Within the Darkness (Part 1/2)
Translator: Strivon
This was probably the most clear-cut order He Yueyin had given out tonight in this operation. She had even stickied her orders as written words within the encrypted channel.
Current mission objective: Dispose of all gunmen of the Order. Prioritize non-ability users. The area spans Frost River Reality and its surrounding connected buildings. Luo Nan is executor number one. Cat Eyes is executor number two. Everyone else, guard and safely transport Luo Nan and Cat Eyes to ensure that their mental senses cover the entirety of the area spanning Frost River Reality and its surrounding connected buildings. Leave no stone unturned.
The heck was this?
It was an extremely clear objective but not many people understood He Yueyin’s intentions. If she wanted to dispose of the enemy, what about the Order’s Oblatum Knights? What about An Weng and the other First Oblatums of the secular side? Those were the big shots. It was true that the secular side currently had their full attention on Fairchild but He Yueyin could not truly believe that the Order would let them easily take out their gunmen like in a target practice, right?
It was really impossible to tell what He Yueyin was thinking! Papercut turned to look at Bamboo Pole. “You’ve been on a mission with the Secretary before. Was her style the same?”
Papercut had spoken quite tactfully. There was a hidden meaning behind his words. He Yueyin was the commander of an elite military Deep Blue Walker squad, but suddenly she became quite unreasonable?
Bamboo Pole did not speak. He just laughed and wriggled his ears and reminded Papercut that He Yueyin’s orders were already in effect. All communications must be done through the encrypted channel as established by the HexaEar.
As the commander, He Yueyin had cleared the content within the encrypted channel upon issuing these official orders. Only feedback regarding the situation with the execution of the mission could be made. The meaning was clear: From now on, everyone just work on the mission at hand. Do not whine blindly.
Next, He Yueyin issued orders that were even more concrete in detail. “Luo Nan, Cat Eyes, and Xue Lei will form the inner circle. Xue Weilun and the other special forces will execute a closed-ring defense in accordance with their standard mobilization procedures. White Salt, Yingying, and I will be in the outer circle as mutual support. We will advance in this protective formation in the ten o’clock direction… Refer to the newest marked map for the latest information in real-time!”
Outside of Frost River Reality, Papercut, who possessed some basic tactical experience, felt as if his scalp was frying when He Yueyin’s orders were issued.
There was nothing much to be said about their travel route. The ‘river’ dividing the battlefield, also know as the boundary between the private room area and the public arena, was at a sixty degree angle from their current position, the ten o-clock direction. Their objective was extremely clear. Luo Nan was to display his all-encompassing perception to his utmost and cover all the enemies of Area A. This would allow them to pull a distance to react. This was quite the proper choice.
However, there was a problem with their formation. The special forces’ closed-ring defense was a tactical formation used in close-combat riot control. Its appropriate application was in situations where numerous thugs were attacking from all sides without long-range weapons. The objective was to protect those within the closed-ring.
Yet He Yueyin and the others were facing cold-blooded gunmen of the Order. There was also the pressure from the big shot Ghost Thunder. The Order possessed many methods of long-ranged attacks. What if a high-incendiary exploded at the dead center of their group? How would they deal with that?
T-T-This… What the heck was He Yueyin thinking?
While Papercut was dumbstruck, Bamboo Pole gestured toward him somewhat impatiently, alluding to Red Fox. Bamboo Pole was hinting that even Red Fox was able to restrain himself, so you should be able to as well.
Currently, Bamboo Pole was the one who provided basic technical support of the marked map. This was his area of expertise. After he appeased Papercut in order to avoid any mishaps, he took the initiative to ask within the encrypted channel, “Boss Nan, can you confirm whether or not the information conversion of the marked map is operating as normal?”
Perhaps Luo Nan was not used to it since he took three seconds to respond, “…normal.”
Papercut scratched his head. The assumption could be made that quite a few of his companions participating in this operation had the same sentiments toward Luo Nan right now. Although no one doubted Luo Nan’s sensing ability, Luo Nan was certainly far too crappy at doing purely practical work!
Bamboo Pole was quite patient. He explained one step at a time. “I’ve already sent out control privileges in order to ensure a prompt refreshing. Right now, you are the first controller. The Secretary and Kitty can mark the route and place flags. Have you played the classic minesweeper game? It’s like that. Let’s have you refresh the marked map into the encrypted channel using telepathic control mode.”
“Oh, sure.”
It took a full two seconds but the marked map was finally reset within the encrypted channel. The foundation of the image was still the elevation map of Frost River Reality and red and green dots still densely covered the map. Those who were part of the contention before noticed that the previous location of the fat corpse no longer had a red dot in its place. It appeared that the map’s content and details had been refreshed.
Bamboo Pole gestured with an OK sign toward Papercut and Red Fox and winked. His intentions were that this little fellow was still redeemable.
Red Fox responded with indifference and Papercut just smiled wryly. Papercut felt that he was perfectly substituting for the role that Red Fox had previously played. No matter how one looked at it, no matter how awkward it was, he was being far too neurotic, right?
Papercut tried to return to his calm state from earlier but before Bamboo Pole could even finish his gesture, half of the sixteen or so enemies marked with red dots on the map were wiped away in the span of a single breath!
“What the heck?” It was a miracle that Papercut did not pass out. “Did he make a mistake?”
He Yueyin was marking their travel route on the map at this time but then the extending blue arrow clearly stopped. It seemed that she too was stunned by this sudden scene.
The encrypted channel was silent for a time but Luo Nan soon broke the silence with his voice. He sounded clearly a bit shaky but he was doing his best to sound confident and experienced, kind of like a soldier making a report.
“Seven gunmen have been wiped out completely.”
He Yueyin: “…”
Cat Eyes: “?”
Bamboo Pole: “!”
Papercut shouted, “What the hell?”
As for Red Fox, he smashed his fists together to create a crisp bang.
Zhang Yingying, who was hopping around full of life for the fierce battle ahead, nearly sprained her ankle when Luo Nan provided them with this information. She hurriedly leaned against Bai Xinyan for support, turned around, and blurted,
“Are you joking?”
By now, numerous people had varied reactions. The motionless dots on the marked maps suddenly burst with activity.
Luo Nan continued to provide new information and Cat Eyes supplemented for him with a hoarse voice. “An Oblatum Knight is charging towards us from the three o’clock direction… He’s gone! It’s very likely to be Ghost Thunder! There are more behind us! Three, no, four in total!”
An incorporeal rhythm seemed to explode in the atmosphere. What had once been a stagnant situation suddenly become like a plane stalling at high altitudes. Practically everyone felt dizzy to the point of absurdity.
He Yueyin displayed her first class mental fortitude at this time. She did not speak any nonsense and just issued orders. “Yingying, go in stealth toward the ten o’clock direction. White Salt and I will protect our right flank. Move!”
Yet the instant her words dropped down, everyone’s vision darkened.
The crowd standing around and watching outside of Frost River Reality let out startled cries at the same time. At this very moment, the focus of the crowd’s gaze, the triangular spaceship that was Frost River Reality, had its power supply completely cut off. The instant darkness contrasted with the spotlights outside and made the inside of the amusement center appear even darker.
It only took two seconds for the startled cries to grow even more chaotic. The darkness no longer covered just Frost River Reality. It spread to its three conjoined buildings at inconceivable speeds like an infection.
The radiance of a myriad of camera flashes had never been as deathly white and as harsh as it was now.
