Han Xiao coughed out the blood from his throat. He’d suffered from injuries due to the shockwave of the blast. Almost 200 HP had been lost due to the blast. The second blast had sent him crashing into the hard wall of the container, costing him another 50 HP. Han Xiao was still feeling giddy from the aftershock of the blast.
After the nitro boost, the engine was overheating, but it still managed move forward till it reached the Hesla soldiers.
After seeing countless bullet holes on the container, the soldiers of Hesla could feel the chills up their spines.
What a tough battle they’d had.
“What a pity. They managed to survive.” Carl frowned in disappointment.
After Han Xiao alighted from the truck, the agents from Division 13 started to crowd before him. Qi Bai Jia, who broke out into cold sweat, heaved a sigh of relief upon seeing that Han Xiao was alive and well.
Carl walked toward the agents.
Instantly, the agents from Division 13 glowered furiously at him. Zhang Wei, clad in his armor, gritted his teeth and moved toward Carl. The soldiers at the side immediately raised their weapon and pointed at the agents. The assistant officer bellowed, “What do you want? Back off!”
“I want an explanation!” Zhang Wei yelled.
Explanation? How childish.
Carl ignored Zhang Wei and glanced at Han Xiao. He asked flippantly, “Where are the captured enemies?”
“…Dead.”
Carl’s order to strike ahead of the stipulated time had caused immense danger for them. The two captured enemies had also been killed. More importantly, Carl had tried to kill them. It was obvious that he had done these things on purpose.
Han Xiao shut his eyes to conceal the ice-cold chill in them.
“No more evidence, I suppose?” Carl frowned with a look of discontent. His poor attitude angered the agents from Division 13 even more. However, they were rational enough to keep their cool as they were, ultimately, in a foreign land surrounded by soldiers from Hesla.
Qi Bai Jia could not contain his anger and lashed out, “Prepare to be questioned by Division 13!”
Carl couldn’t care less. Division 13 had no jurisdiction over him. Moreover, what happened just was an ‘accident’; there was no evidence to justify that he had done it on purpose. At most, he would be reprimanded by the foreign diplomats. He would not have to face any real punishment.
If he managed to destroy the Dark Crow Valley base, it would truly be a great achievement. With the help of his backers, he was highly likely to be promoted to the leading figure for the radicals in the government. No matter how Division 13 complained about him, the higher-ups in Hesla would be there to fend off these complaints.
Carl thought to himself. After which he pointed at Han Xiao and said, “Take him to the medic. Let them check his injuries.”
Han Xiao had no expression on his face. He followed the medic to the logistics vehicle. All his injuries were due to the shock on his soft body. With his endurance, he would recover quickly with a sufficient amount of rest. Therefore, he dismissed the medic.
The logistics vehicle started its engine. Hesla’s troops continued their advance.
Han Xiao shook his head, closed his eyes, and then proceeded to lie on his bed.
He had not slept since yesterday. Now was the right time for him to catch up on his sleep.
…
The sounds of gunshots could be heard. Han Xiao was a light sleeper, and he opened his eyes. He alighted from the vehicle and realized it was midnight, around 3 to 4 am.
At this point of time, Hesla’s troops had arrived at the border of the high-alert sectors of the Dark Crow Valley base. The six high-alert sectors comprised not only of sentry guards and patrolling troopers, there were also large defense mechanisms put in place like ramparts and guardhouses that were fortified with enemy troops. In the event of war, Hesla’s army would have to go past the six high-alert sectors before they closed in on the actual base itself.
Han Xiao, who was now with the logistics division, was far from the battlefront.
Han Xiao asked the two soldiers guarding by his side, “What’s the situation of the battlefront?”
One of the soldiers replied, “Everything is proceeding smoothly. Our troops have successfully reached the fourth sector.”
Han Xiao nodded, and just when he was about to proceed out, the two soldiers blocked his path.
“The Colonel wants you to rest and recover from your injuries here.”
Upon hearing that, Han Xiao realized that he had been intentionally imprisoned here by the Colonel. Han Xiao frowned and asked, “Where are my friends?”
“Your officer also tasked us to look after you and ensure that you have sufficient rest.”
Han Xiao understood the intentions of Qi Bai Jia. He did not want Han Xiao to risk his life anymore. Ultimately, Han Xiao had almost been killed by the flaming missiles. Qi Bai Jia wanted to keep Han Xiao away from the battlefront.
Such a move is better for my plan, Han Xiao thought.
Han Xiao turned his head and saw the truck being towed away. The escape mission had almost destroyed the entire truck. Without a full repair, the truck would surely be not usable.
Han Xiao’s eyes suddenly lit up before he proceeded toward the heavy-duty truck.
The two soldiers guarding him allowed him to do so. Han Xiao was free to go anywhere as long as he stayed away from the battlefront in the logistics zone.
He entered the container and discovered that all the important equipment was still around. Only the bodies of the two captured soldiers had been disposed of. Han Xiao took out the communication set from the box and adjusted it to Lin Yao’s frequency.
“Lin Yao, are you still alive?”
“Of course, I am, but don’t jinx it! ” Lin Yao’s unfriendly voice blared out from the earpiece.
“What’s the situation now?”
“We are preparing for the retreat. Apparently, according to the higher-ups in the base, the troops stationed around the base were all deployed to fight Hesla’s army. I have yet to discover their path of retreat. Seems like I’ll have to follow the order to locate the exact route. Oh, I also managed to find out the false information that Ye Fan collected. The defense mechanism and deployment between the third and sixth sectors were true. However, the first and second sectors were different. If Hesla’s troops attack according to the information Ye Fan provided, they are bound to suffer heavy losses.”
“Have you told them yet?”
“Nope, you are the first guy that contacted me.”
“That’s good. Don’t tell that to Hesla’s people.”
Lin Yao was confused and asked, “Why so?”
Han Xiao told him the series of events that had happened previously. Upon hearing the incident of the misfire of the missiles, Lin Yao’s blood started boiling with rage. “That is just too much!”
Carl revealed his intention to wipe out his allies, so it was no longer logical for Division 13 to continue assisting him in the operation and minimize his losses.
The intelligence that Han Xiao provided was all aimed at eliminating Pan Kuang and Ji Jie, who were high-value members of the Germinal Organization. Only the successful elimination of them would ensure the mission’s success. Carl treated them like they were merely tools. Now it was time for Han Xiao to reciprocate. They wanted his intelligence reports, and he wanted their troops. Both parties were merely using each other to their advantage.
As long as Hesla’s army accomplished the mission using his intelligence, he could not have cared less about the number of troops they lost.
What Han Xiao had not expected was Carl’s intention to kill them.
“It is time for a change of plan.”
Han Xiao’s eyes sparkled brightly.
Chapter 83 - The Superhumans of Aquamarine
Translator: Chocolion Editor: Millman97
Morning was always the best time of the day. Likewise, morning was also the best time to
fight a battle.
The previous night, the Hesla troops had managed to clear the fourth high-alert sector. Carl had ordered his troops to rest for an hour before continuing their advancement at first light. They wanted to reach the base in one final attack.
As the sun rose, the Hesla troops were fighting the enemies at the third high-alert sector.
Boom, boom, boom!
The endless blasts were thunderous, and the enshrouded the battleground in smoke. The entire forest was wrecked by the hail of bullets and artillery strikes, the used shells of which were littered everywhere.
The soldiers from Hesla, coupled with the armored vehicles, managed to take down the defense mechanisms in place. One after another, fortresses, sentry-posts, and trenches were destroyed. The information Ye Fan had obtained was of great use. The enemy’s defense mechanisms were practically useless against the attacks. The troops managed to secure their objectives with minimal losses. The soldiers were elated because their victories had never been so comfortable before.
“Continue to advance. Let’s take down the two remaining high alert sectors in one shot!”
Carl was overwhelmed with excitement.
Once the confident troops entered the second high-alert sector, the favorable situation started to turn around.
Not long after stepping foot into the second high-alert sector, the Hesla troops faced their first enemy ambush. Two armored vehicles and dozens of soldiers were wiped out by well-hidden mines. And that was, in fact, just an appetizer. The Hesla soldiers were soon completely devastated. The death toll was rising steadily, and there were traps and ambushes everywhere.
Ye Fan’s intelligence was practically useless at this stage. Following the false information provided led to even greater losses. The various platoons were at a complete loss.
The intelligence about the first four high-alert selectors had allowed Hesla’s military to successfully penetrate deep and eventually enter the ambush zone that Ji Jie had marked out.
The casualties were increasing exponentially.
Carl experienced a mix of shock and fury.
The expression on Winna’s face changed. Indeed, the information they had obtained was only bait; Han Xiao’s predictions were right. They were indeed responsible for the huge losses.
Ye Fan shook his head and said, “The enemies are too cunning and ruthless. They were willing to sacrifice the lives of their own comrades to lure us in. It was almost impossible to see through their plot. Perhaps, that’s the advantage of being on the defensive side. The Germinal Organization is not afraid to go all out. However, such a measure is not feasible for our side. Carl’s moves were too radical; he should have listened to Han Xiao and been less brash with his deployments.”
He looked at his remorseful teammates and sighed.
At this point, Carl saw his soldiers falling one after another. He had an uncomfortable expression. What was supposed to be a smooth-sailing situation had flipped around. The ‘easy-win’ had reversed, becoming a complete disaster. Even if they managed to prevail in the battle, it was going to be a costly victory.
The Hesla troops, who were facing head-on defeats, were suffering heavy losses, and their advancement proceeded at a snail’s pace.
Suddenly, a grim-looking man who held a long machete in his hand emerged from the enemy side. He was surrounded by cold and transparent waves of energy that bore similarity to flames. The air beside him distorted as he dashed toward Hesla’s army. The soldiers immediately started firing their rifles, but the man span as he ran and speedily slashed his machete. The approaching bullets were disintegrated by the slashes and fell to the ground.
“Pugilist!”
While the soldiers were still in shock, the man barged into the crowd. Within seconds, the combo of powerful slashes from the shiny machete diced numerous Hesla soldiers into many bits. Blood sprayed everywhere, and broken limbs, heads, and torsos could be seen all over the ground.
The man stood with conviction amid the sea of red.
“Pan Kuang!”
The agents were all astonished.
Pan Kuang was the man in charge of the Dark Crow Valley base and the executive officer of the Germinal Organization. In addition, he had managed to kill many powerful individuals and had a glorious battle record on the Dark Net.
Based on his battle record on the Dark Net, Pan Kuang was highly adept with his machete. His fighting style originated from that of Rui Lan, and he was becoming known as the ‘Soul of the Blade’.
The light reflected by his shiny blade was usually the last thing his slain enemies saw.
The armored vehicle adjusted its position. Larger bullets were fired out from the re-adjusted barrel at Pan Kuang. Pan Kuang started leaping with unbelievably fast movements and dodged the incoming shots by ducking behind the trees. It was impossible for ordinary solider to accurately trace the position of Pan Kuang. More often than not, in the blink of an eye, Pan Kuang would disappear without any trace, and the fired shots would all miss.
Pan Kuang was able to move around the battleground with ease and without any substantial obstruction.
Like a life-claiming reaper, Pan Kuang slew one soldier after another. He even managed to slashed open a couple of heavily armored trucks and kill the soldiers inside the vehicles.
As long as there were shelters that offered protection against the bullets, a Superhuman could unleash his extensive power and cause immense damage. The energy he possessed protected his body, and ordinary gunpowder and bullets were unable to cause any significant harm.
A D-class Superhuman could battle a platoon on their own and escape with ease after the fight.
A C-class Superhuman had colossal strength and an iron body that could withstand the attacks of guns and canons. They could cause substantial damage on all terrains and could tear down a building with their bare hands easily. A C-class Superhuman was of the lowest-level in the galaxy. It also had the title of ‘Basic Cosmic Warrior’. Different planets in the galaxy had different gravitational fields and atmospheric conditions. A C-class Superhuman would be able to set foot on most planets. It was normal for certain species that lived in harsher galactic conditions to possess C-class Superhuman bodies from birth.
However, there were very few C-class Superhumans on Aquamarine. The Superhumans on this planet were low-ranked ones.
Pan Kuang’s Superhuman class was E+, one level away from becoming D-class. He was able to easily defeat groups of Hesla soldiers in the complicated forested terrain. A Superhuman possessed a powerful solo-fighting capability, and they would often swipe in to kill the highest-ranking commander of the troops or infiltrate the enemy to sabotage operations.
Soldiers in the way were being killed by the advancing Pan Kuang. It was obvious that Pan Kuang was travelling in the direction of Carl!
Carl had made it onto the radar of Pan Kuang’s killer instincts, which made Carl feel very uneasy. He had no sense of security even when he was protected tightly by his troops, so he immediately commanded, “Launch the thermo-tracing rockets!”
An armored vehicle equipped with missile launchers arrived, and multiple rockets that were locked onto Pan Kuang were fired.
Pan Kuang was circling the forest speedily, and the rockets crashed into the trees. The last rocket managed to go through the gaps between the tree trunks and headed for Pan Kuang.
With a tight frown, Pan Kuang halted in his steps. He scooped up some soil and held the machete with both of his hands. There was an invisible wave of energy surrounding the blade. He slashed the machete at the rocket.
The quick slash managed to hit the side of the rocket at the right time. The force from the strike changed the course of the rocket, and its path was altered. The rocket crashed into a large tree that was twenty meters away and burst into flames. Pan Kuang was slightly disorientated by the shockwave of the explosion. If Han Xiao were there, he would have seen that the damage was more than twenty health points.
After realizing that even
the rockets were useless against Pan Kuang, Carl looked at his agents. Carl’s intention of deploying the agents to protect himself was clear.
“Let’s go!” Winna yelled, and Hesla’s agents moved forward together with her.
The agents from Division 13 were observing from one side. The joint operation no longer made sense after what Carl had done; therefore, they were not going to help.
After finding out that the agents from Hesla had entered the battle, Pan Kuang immediately sheathed his machete and retreated. He did not want to be held up by the agents.
Gunshots echoed through the forest as bullets were fired out of the agents’ guns.
The shiny blade slashed past. Light was reflected off the surface of the blade. A bullet fired at Pan Kuang was cut in half. Although Pan Kuang operated at a lower speed than the flying bullet, he had managed to anticipate the path of the bullet and position his machete at the perfect spot. His reflexes were rapid.
Pan Kuang remained expressionless as he turned away and disappeared into the forest.
In this attack, Pan Kuang had managed to kill hundreds of enemy soldiers and destroy a couple of armored vehicles. The morale of Hesla’s soldiers was at its lowest. They had suffered heavy casualties, and the initial fatigue accumulated from the attacks on the previous four sectors was beginning to take its toll. The situation forced Carl to slow down the attack even though he was unwilling to do so.
Ji Jie was observing the situation at the frontline from his monitor. The second high-alert sector was down, and Hesla’s troops were moving toward the final sector. Even if Hesla’s army suffered great losses, they still had an upper hand over the armed security guards of the base.
However, everything was under control.
After Pan Kuang returned, Ji Jie locked the doors leading to the base. Even if the enemy managed to take down the external base, they would be unable to locate the internal base. Furthermore, Ji Jie was also preparing to give a ‘big gift’ to the Hesla soldiers outside the internal base.
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