69 Days of Scavenging

The area had been thoroughly searched by his own men, and he was sure he would soon reach the target location where someone would meet him. Lamb Barzel wiped his gun barrel, feeling quite pleased.

Although he couldn't find out who created the powerful new weapon in Beiyan, he didn't leave empty-handed this time. He was lucky enough to capture two renowned talents in weapons research.

As for these two guys being unwilling to contribute to their respective countries? Bah, that's not up to them. There are plenty of ways to make them "willing" to do so.

I heard that kid Hera also got his hands on some physicist. Yeah, these smart guys are better off working for our country. Why do they all have to go back home?

Once these guys are all sent back, the nation will become stronger and stronger.

Hahahaha!

Lamb Barzel felt a sense of relief just thinking about it, so much so that it seemed as if the entire environment was laughing along with him... Hmm?!

No, that's not right!!!

There was real laughter!!!

Lamb Bazel stood up abruptly, and after taking in his surroundings, he gritted his teeth, his face filled with shock and fear.

Oh my God! What are all these?!

He was originally sitting at the entrance of a tent, with the tent behind him and a pot of noodles in front of him. All around him were soldiers' tents, and further away were parking areas for vehicles.

These places should be bustling with soldiers on patrol.

But now there's not a single person to be seen around!

If that's not enough, then the sudden burst of flames—a towering bonfire over a meter high, with the flames splitting open into a gaping maw and a shrill laugh emanating from it—would be enough to make anyone's eyes widen!

And that pot, which was originally bubbling away, suddenly flew up out of thin air and turned into an iron head, with steam as its hair shooting skyward, crackling and popping as it swirled around!

Oh, and tents too!

The tents near and far all seemed to suddenly open their mouths, and a series of loud, raucous laughs erupted from them!

Lamb Bazel had never seen such a bizarre scene before!

He even thought he was dreaming!

However, the next moment, his thigh was stabbed hard, and pain and blood gushed out.

Turning around, he saw that the tent behind him had transformed into a two- or three-meter-tall human figure, holding a bayonet from who-knows-where, and was coming straight at him!

"Aaaaaah!!—"

Lamb Barzel could no longer control himself and screamed as he scrambled backward.

However, after taking only a few steps back, the gun he had thrown aside somehow grew eyes and a mouth and attacked him.

Immediately afterwards, the fires, the tents, the scattered items, and even the trees by the roadside all seemed like demons and monsters, laughing and brandishing weapons, teasing their prey, surrounding him.

Lamb Barzel was terrified and was desperately hiding.

"No, no, come any closer... Ahhh, get away!... Help! Help! Soldiers! Where are all the soldiers?! There's a ghost!!... God, save me!... Ahhh, no, no, no..."

Lamb Barzel was utterly desperate.

And what about the soldiers he was calling out to?

If someone's eyes could see into everyone's mental world, they would surely see this place filled with countless illusions, one after another, so crowded that it's even more packed than a tourist attraction during peak season.

This is one of the reasons why Lamb Barzel couldn't get anyone to come; all the support he was hoping for was now trapped in a bizarre and surreal illusion, just like him!

Ren Wenhan and Zuo Sheng stared at the scene before them, their minds buzzing.

I can't believe it.

Just moments ago, before they could even be surprised by what the snow-haired boy had taken out—something that looked very similar to the bullets of the Song of Radiance—they saw him open the car door, tear the object apart, and throw it away.

The movements were swift and fluid, and they didn't even have time to react.

Immediately afterwards, they felt something caressing their entire bodies.

Before they could even notice, the two saw the snow-haired boy lift his foot to get off the bus!

Wait, we haven't finished discussing this yet! We haven't talked about how to find a chance to escape, how to coordinate our actions, or what signals to use! We finally have a chance to speak, and maybe there won't be a next time... huh?

The two hurriedly got out of the car, only to be surprised to find that the enemy on guard around them made no move at all.

Upon closer inspection.

Wow. They all had blank stares and dazed expressions. Some were even flailing their arms and legs, rolling and crawling, shouting and yelling, completely absorbed in their own world. They didn't even react when they bumped into the bayonets in someone's hand.

Ren Wenhan and Zuo Sheng were stunned.

In a flash, the two remembered what the little robot had just thrown out, and seeing the scene so similar to the Song of Radiance, they immediately understood what it was all about.

"This, this..."

For a moment, neither of them knew what to say.

The little robot was completely oblivious to the dilemma of the two humans beside him. Seeing that the enemies were all immersed in the illusion of "Phantom Impact," he swaggered towards the car where the guards were being held.

The guards had already noticed something was wrong.

Suddenly, the soldiers guarding them screamed as if they had seen something terrifying. They threw down their weapons, flailed their arms and legs, trembled and huddled together, their eyes vacant. They paid no attention to the prisoners.

The guards were taken aback, but that didn't stop them from seizing the opportunity. They threw aside the ropes they had secretly untied earlier and picked up the guns the enemy had discarded.

When the little robot opened the carriage door, it was immediately shot in the head by one of its own.

The guards, realizing they had stopped the wrong person, quickly holstered their guns and surrounded him: "Mr. Naji, are you alright? What happened outside?!"

Seeing the little robot's undisguised behavior, the guards already guessed what was going on.

Sure enough, they heard the little robot say that the enemy had been dealt with.

The guards emerged from the carriage one after another, following in the footsteps of Ren Wenhan and Zuo Sheng, and were also shocked by the bizarre state of the enemy's chaotic rampage.

Even though they had a mountain of questions and exclamation marks in their minds, they still knew what the most important task was right now.

Soon, the guards surrounded Ren Wenhan, Zuo Sheng, and the little robot, cleared the car out, and looted the enemy's armory, putting everything into the vehicle.

Lamb Barzel, along with his three adjutants and the South China interpreter, were bound tightly by the guards and stuffed into the trunk of the car.

As for the other soldiers, given the principle of "no killing upon surrender" in the Northern Extension Army, the guards did not kill them. They simply knocked them unconscious, tied them up, and left them in place to wait for someone to come and take them over.

However, what led these guards to make this decision was the little robot's question about the effectiveness of "Phantom Impact".

Unlike Radiant Song, Phantom Impact is a higher-level spell, and its power is naturally greater. Its coverage area is several times larger, meaning it can completely encompass the entire Lamb Bazel's team without requiring the enemy to gather together.

What's even more different is that while Radiant Song has a time limit, Phantom Impact will keep an enemy trapped in the illusion indefinitely unless dispelled by light magic!

And in this world, besides the little robots, who else can use light magic on them?

Therefore, there is absolutely no need to worry about these people escaping by keeping them tied up here.

If there's anything to worry about, perhaps we should worry about the enemy's mind.

Spending too much time in a terrifying illusion can easily turn someone with a weak constitution into a fool, even if the magic is dispelled.

However, no one present cared about this.

After all, they are enemies; it's already a favor to spare their lives.

As for Lamb Bazel and the others who were taken away, they were, after all, people of some standing in the enemy army, and perhaps some information could be extracted from them when they were taken back.

The group, having reaped a bountiful harvest, embarked on their journey back to Beiyan.

Throughout the journey, not a single guard asked a single question about the Phantom Impact.

Even the three assistants seemed not to see anything and didn't ask any questions.

In their view, this should be a new weapon like the Song of Radiance. They had never seen it before, so it must still be in the experimental stage. This was a top secret, and since they were all in this line of work, they naturally wouldn't say a word.

Only Ren Wenhan and Zuo Sheng hesitated to speak.

Because they saw it with their own eyes, it wasn't a gun or bullet, it wasn't the effect of a drug, it was just a scroll the size of a palm!

What exactly is that thing?

The two felt that their worldview as scientists was crumbling.