Chapter 342: Hidden Thoughts
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
In the late night, in the forest two hundred miles away from Forest City, a wild scouting team was on the run. They had looks of panic and kept looking back, like something terrifying was chasing behind them. The sound of leaves rubbing each other came from the forest behind. It seems like the sound kept getting closer, and the pitch-black darkness was constantly encroaching upon them.
This team was made of three people, all Sunil Supers. The captain, Fumay, said while shivering, “Don’t stop no matter what. The Night Moth is right behind!”
According to the different beasts appearing at different times, the Catastrophe was divided into stages. The appearance of Night Moths was a sign of the Catastrophe entering the mid-stage. These were beasts that were active during the night, and when they appeared in a pack, it meant the start of the dangerous night battle.
The psychic wave made all the beasts on the planet rampage, and Forest City was just one part of it. There were countless beasts killing each other in different areas; nowhere was safe. One of the reasons causing the wave of beasts was that weaker beasts instinctively felt the pressure from beasts at the top of the food chain, so they actively left the territory of the strong beasts in groups and were directed toward Forest City. As the beasts were killed on a large scale, it attracted stronger beasts.
The aim of scouting the wild was to discover the species of the attacking beasts and warn Forest City. This was a very dangerous task as meeting the beast herd in the wild meant almost certain death. This wild scouting team had already sent the message back, and now, they were running for their lives.
Feeling the cold and darkness that was inches away, the three of them were horrified.
Fumay clenched his teeth, his heart filled with regret.
“Turned out this way again… this is not the first time!”
He had experienced three Catastrophes, and all three times, he had been chosen for the wild scouting team. He had wandered near the gate of death countless times, and the scars on his body still hurt sometimes.
As he sprinted, he could not help but think that he was just about done with such a life.
Back when the Catastrophe first came, Supers came back from the galaxy willingly to protect the race, and Fumay did too. However, now, he only felt tired of the resistance; boiling blood would cool down sooner or later. He kept giving but never received anything in return. After all those years, Fumay’s patience had long worn out. He did indeed love his home, but it did not mean that his race could use him however they wanted to and see them as tools. Their reasoning of ‘for the continuation of race’ had long become a tired excuse in Fumay’s ears.
It was way too unfair! Fumay’s patience had reached its limit. He had to give up his reward as a mercenary to the race, and he had to give his life in times of danger. What gave his race the right to ask so much of him?
Just because it was his own race, could he not ask for anything in return‽
What gave them the right to make someone strong like him take so much responsibility!
Fumay’s mercenary career in the galaxy had broadened his knowledge, and he felt more and more against giving his life for his race. Life was precious; he had only one.
Many warriors had firm beliefs, but there were also many warriors that had the same thoughts as him. After giving so much to the race, he felt that he had given enough.
If I can stay alive this time, I will never return or bother about this Catastrophe anymore! thought Fumay as he clenched his teeth.
Suddenly, a tail shot out from the forest like a whip, ensnaring a scout. The end of the tail was a sharp bone sting. It punctured into the scout’s abdomen. The scout snarled, and Pugilist flames appeared all over his body. He tore the tail apart, and black liquid splashed on his face.
The counter-attack caused this person to lag behind for a moment, and that moment decided his life.
Swoosh!
Dozens of tails shot out from the darkness and tangled up this pugilist, dragging him into the forest in an instant. Fumay turned around immediately and saw an even stronger pugilist flame light up in the forest, displaying his grade C Pugilist strength.
However, this flame only lasted for half a second before it exploded and shattered, just like the person’s body.
Fumay felt a sense of warmth on his face. After touching it, he confirmed that it was the warm blood of his comrade.
In less than one second, a grade C Pugilist had been torn to shreds!
The Night Moth’s frightening growl echoed in the forest, not just from behind, but from ahead as well, surrounding the two of remaining scouts. Thousands of wobbling whip-like shadows appeared in the dark forest, all Night Moths’ tails.
…
Tuk-tuk-tuk!
The long-lasting explosions from the cannons lit up the night sky. This beast wave lasted for five hours. The battle had reached the heated stage, and the third defense circle was filled with the carcass of the burrowing beasts. The Iron Defense Team had been battling for way too long and had to change shift—everyone’s armor was more or less damaged.
It was night, and Han Xiao carried a large box of repair tools and moved around the back of the tired defense circle, repairing the defense team’s armor one after another. Time was scarce, and the mission was crucial—they had to go back to battle right after the repairs were finished.
There were also other Battlefield Repairs Teams, but Han Xiao’s skill was the best. His name had already spread to everyone in the defense teams, and every team hoped to meet Han Xiao during their repairs. Only then would their safety have the best guarantee.
Welding steel plates, fixing circuits, resetting systems, Han Xiao’s repairs flowed like water. The Battlefield Repairs Team gave him the internal communicator to make giving him missions easier. Just as he was finished with the repairs of one team, a new command came from the headset. “B12 Defense Team is requesting in-battle emergency repairs!”
B12 was Neville’s team, so Han Xiao rushed to the location. Neville’s team did not change shift to rest—they were still battling, and repairing during battle had the highest risk. One soldier saw Han Xiao and said hastily, “Quickly, this way!”
Han Xiao rushed over to find Neville lying on the floor. A beast claw mark had penetrated the armor between his chest and abdomen, giving off electric sparks. The broken pipes were showing, and the energy device had shut down. Neville could not get up from the ground, so a group of soldiers guarded his surroundings.
“F*ck, all of you new recruits, get away from here! You’re not allowed to leave your positions!” Neville shouted furiously, but the soldiers did not listen, determined to protect him.
Due to them contracting their formation, a gap had shown up at this camp, and a small wave of burrowing beasts had broken through. Such a situation required the standby Quick Reaction Team to backup. The backup was already on the way, so it was not be a huge problem—it was a normal process.
However, in Neville’s eyes, this was an absolute dereliction of duty, so he struggled to stand up in a fit of rage.
“Don’t move.” Han Xiao pressed Neville down, took out materials and tools, and started his work.
Neville felt that Han Xiao’s hand was like a mountain pressing on his body; he could not move no matter how he struggled. In the end, he could only clench his teeth and give in. “Quickly!”
“Shut up,” Han Xiao said expressionlessly.
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[Sunil—Defensive NCO Class Armor] Derivation Progress: 27%
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He had mostly repaired Enlistee Class Armor during his few days on the team, and he had already spent millions of experience to derive the blueprint. However, there had been very few chances to repair NCO Class Armors. Thus, he was only at 27%. He also guessed that the NCO Class Armor required [Heavy Machine Modification] as a prerequisite, so the progress might be stuck.
Other than armor, he had also been fortunate enough to repair some vehicles and batteries, and he had gotten the Hovering Turret blueprint.
Although Neville was in a hurry to get back to the battlefield, he could only wait for the repair, and although he hurried Han Xiao, Han Xiao’s speed made him feel relieved. It would not take long before he could get back in the battle.