Chapter 732 Hidden Characters
With an almost inaudible hissing sound, the pen-like object, as if it had a life of its own, quickly burrowed into the ground.
As it is completely submerged, the built-in micro-mechanism guides the surrounding loose soil to perfectly cover the hole, leaving almost no visible trace.
With focused concentration, Chen Zhen quickly buried the "death pens" one by one behind the earthen slope.
In a short while, a dense minefield, irregularly fan-shaped and covering most of the area behind the earthen slope, had taken shape.
The thorns of death are quietly woven into the seemingly peaceful soil.
After the deployment was completed, Chen Zhen operated the tactical goggles again and switched to the "minefield management" mode.
In the field of vision, the location of each newly buried "poison needle" was clearly marked. The processor in the eyepiece automatically calculated and generated a curved "safe passage" that was just wide enough for one person to pass through, based on the distribution of the mines, and marked it with a green dotted line.
Of course, relying solely on this minefield is not enough for a complete defense; the margin for error is too low. We need to make some other arrangements, so we'll have to wait for a team to come and set them up.
One of them was carrying some big toys on their backs.
Chen Zhen squatted down again, raised his wrist, and glanced at the time.
The numbers were ticking silently, well past half a minute.
Logically, Group 1 should have already appeared in his field of vision, but he still hasn't spotted them.
Chen Zhen frowned and pressed the communication button again:
"Group One, this is Chen Zhen, report your location."
The communication channel was completely silent this time, with no response and only the hissing background noise.
Chen Zhen's heart sank, and an ominous premonition instantly intensified.
He called twice more, his tone becoming more urgent each time, but the earpiece remained eerily silent.
He hurriedly said to the AI, Xiaoyou:
"Xiao You, immediately access the drone's viewpoint to check the real-time situation and exact location of Group 1!"
The swarm of stealthy drones overhead has its main monitoring resources and computing power concentrated on the main battlefield at the front and the core area where Feng Mu is located.
Taking a longer route around the back of the bungalows was considered a "safe zone" and did not receive much attention.
The emotionless, synthesized voice of the AI, Xiaoyou, quickly filled the channel:
"Instructions received. Reconnaissance units are being dispatched..."
In the sky, a stealth drone immediately broke away from the formation and swooped down at high speed toward a marked route.
Soon, Xiaoyou's voice came through the communication channel again:
"Scan complete. One group of three members found; vital signs absent. Confirmed dead."
...Unknown energy residue and physical damage were detected, indicating the presence of unknown hostile entities. Threat level assessment: Extremely high.
"Comparing with the database, performing feature search..."
An unknown enemy!
Not on the front lines of the battlefield, but in their supposedly safe flank and rear?!
Chen Zhen's pupils contracted sharply, and he almost doubted that there was something wrong with his ears.
Immediately afterwards, a chilling sensation, as if he were being targeted by a venomous snake, shot through his entire back like an electric current, making every hair on his body stand on end.
He suddenly turned his head to look behind him, and in that instant his gaze turned—a figure seemed to emerge silently from the shadows of the grass.
Its figure was extremely short, its height just level with the top of the dense grass.
A simple white mask covered his face, revealing only a pair of clear, mercury-like eyes.
Another white mask!
The fifth white mask!
Chen Zhen's scalp instantly tingled, and a chill ran from the soles of his feet straight to the top of his head.
He screamed into the headset in horror:
"Captain! There aren't four white masks! There are five! Repeat, there's a fifth white mask, a fifth white mask has appeared at point B!"
As he roared, Chen Zhen's body reacted before his consciousness could react.
He swiftly raised his assault rifle, the muzzle instantly pointing at the petite white figure less than ten meters away.
However, he moved quickly, but the white figure was even faster.
In the blink of an eye, the petite woman in the white mask zigzag with each step, her movements both strange and precise as she dodged the hidden lightning bolts, transforming into a white zigzag line.
The deadly "death pens" became mere accompaniments to his dance moves; not a single one was triggered.
They appeared in front of Chen Zhen in an instant, their two small feet stepping on Chen Zhen's shoes.
In the blink of an eye, the white zigzag line had crossed the minefield, and two small feet wearing white exoskeletons landed precisely on the surface of Chen Zhen's combat boots.
"You got it right, but there's no reward."
Then a slender hand lightly patted the gun.
"Crack—Boom!!"
An unimaginable, overwhelming, and terrifying force instantly traveled through the gun.
Chen Zhen's hand was torn open, and the gun body, made of sturdy alloy and composite materials, exploded like a fragile plastic toy, with countless metal fragments flying in all directions and slamming into Chen Zhen's chest.
"puff--!"
Chen Zhen's chest shrunk visibly, his combat uniform tore as if it were made of paper, and excruciating pain instantly swept through his body. He felt as if his internal organs had been shattered by that palm strike.
A clear, small handprint was deeply imprinted on his sunken chest.
He felt a sweet taste in his throat, and a large mouthful of foamy blood gushed out uncontrollably.
The force was so great that he was about to be thrown backward into the air, but the white combat boots on his feet were as if welded to the ground, and he didn't move an inch.
"Bang!"
Chen Zhen's heels had just left the ground when he was pulled back down with a heavy thud, his bones dislocating again and his thigh ligaments tearing.
Just one strike, one exchange!
Chen Zhen was already in a state of severe injury and death, and had completely lost the ability to resist.
"What terrifying power! This white mask... is much stronger than the previous four! Much stronger!!"
He knew in his heart that he had no chance of survival today and was certain to die.
At this moment, his only thought was to send back as much information and warnings as possible about the fifth white mask to his teammates who were still fighting in the final moments of his life.
The communication channel was already filled with anxious calls, with most voices repeating the same thing:
"Chen Zhen! Chen Zhen! What happened to you?! Report the situation! What hit you?!"
"Xiao You! Immediately check the situation at point B and scan for all possible cloaked units!!"
The AI, Xiaoyou, continued to respond with its cold, electronic voice, but the content sent a chill down Chen Zhen's spine, making him feel both absurd and utterly cold:
"Xiaoyou is performing a full scan... Scanning in progress... No abnormal life units or cloaked unit signals detected in area B..."
Chen Zhen stared in horror at the white mask that was so close to him and clearly visible to the naked eye.
There's clearly someone here, I can see them, but Xiaoyou can't see them?
Yes, through the tactical goggles switched by the other team members, all they could see was Chen Zhen suddenly and inexplicably being thrown back to his feet and then coughing up blood.
Why...can't the drone see you?
Chen Zhen, suppressing the rising blood in his throat, asked hoarsely,
"You clearly... weren't invisible!!!"
The man in the white mask looked up and glanced at the sky, but did not answer directly.
"Even on your deathbed, you were thinking of passing on information to your comrades. Your courage is commendable. In recognition of that courage, I can grant you a quick death."
Seeing that the other party was avoiding the question, Chen Zhen knew he probably wouldn't get an answer, but he still wouldn't give up and asked again:
"You killed one group too?"
To this question, the white-masked man surprisingly answered truthfully:
"It wasn't me. I've been following you without making a move, just to see how many people you had hidden. Unfortunately, your companions didn't show up."
I'm also very curious about who killed them, and I'm sure you are too.
So, before you die, could you tell me which way they were traveling?
He paused, seemingly thinking very seriously, and then suggested:
“I can go and take a look for you. Maybe… if I’m in a good mood, I can even take the opportunity to ‘avenge’ your dead comrades?”
Anyway, they're already dead. Tell me, it's no loss for you or for them, is it?
It must be said that White Mask's proposal was both reasonable and tempting.
Chen Zhen did indeed feel a slight wavering and consideration, but he quickly suppressed it; he would never compromise with the enemy.
He coughed up a mouthful of thick, bloody foam, and with the last of his strength, he roared into his earpiece, trying to transmit crucial information:
"The fifth white-faced, delicate type..."
"Crack!"
A crisp sound of breaking throat bones rang out abruptly, interrupting Chen Zhen's dying words.
Chen Zhen's subsequent words turned into a series of meaningless "hoho" sounds, and the light in his eyes quickly went out.
The white-masked man seemed to sigh, his voice tinged with regret:
"I'm sorry, the answer is incorrect!"
With a casual flick of his wrist, as if discarding a piece of trash, he sent Chen Zhen's body flying dozens of meters away, landing far outside the area of hidden mines laid by the other side.
Then, without even glancing at the falling corpses, he lightly tapped his foot, and his figure once again transformed into an elusive white ghost, drawing several precise zigzag lines as he effortlessly traversed the dense minefield of death.
Then his gaze turned cold as he looked towards the distant area of bungalows.
Chen Zhen refused to answer his question until his death, but the hesitation that the other person unconsciously revealed in his eyes the moment he heard the question had silently pointed him in the right direction.
He didn't kill that group of people, nor did the White Mask, nor Feng Mu, so...
"Is there an even more deeply hidden figure in this chaotic battlefield?"
A cold light flashed in the eyes of the man in the white mask.
He wanted to go and see for himself who this final, mysterious hidden figure was.
In his mind, it all started with the sudden attack on the White Mask Studio by the Relief Studio, followed by Feng Mu's bizarre and overwhelming appearance that completely disrupted the situation.
He had already come to a complete understanding that the battle for Feng Mu had completely spiraled out of control, turning into a chaotic mess of unknown origins.
The reason he delayed showing himself and remained hidden in the shadows was that he was prepared to abandon the mission at any time and make a swift retreat.
However, the mission could fail, but he couldn't have come all this way for nothing.
At the very least, he needs to figure out who is behind this sudden chaotic battle.
How many unseen eyes are secretly watching Feng Mu, this seemingly simple "mission objective"?
Only by figuring out all of this can he lead his team to make a comeback next time...
…………
The complete loss of the entire team at the Relief Studio was a truly unexpected event for Raven of the Night's Watch.
In fact, it wasn't just one group that was wiped out. Everything that happened in the bushes today was an unexpected series of events, as if an unseen hand was frantically plucking the strings of fate, playing a chaotic melody.
Raven's true intention in rising up this time was simply to secretly protect Feng Mu and ensure his safety.
He arrived at the perfect time, just as the bloody battle in the bushes was beginning.
So what first caught his eye was Feng Mu's bizarre and shocking entrance, and the clean and decisive "Double Kill" scene.
The manipulation of illusions and the shifting between reality and illusion caused the raven lurking in the shadows to twitch.
To be honest, Feng Mu's performance far exceeded his expectations.
"It's a little bit strong, and the way it manipulates illusions and switches between reality and illusion... it seems vaguely familiar? Where have I seen it before?"
The raven immediately began to have doubts.
A vague sense of déjà vu lingered in his mind, like a fine thorn stuck in a corner of his memory.
Before he could even pluck out the thorns in his memory, he saw Zhang Shenyi unleash a terrifying aura like an enraged Vajra, his already bald head becoming even more conspicuous due to the surge of power.
Punch after punch, accompanied by a shrill sound that tore through the air, completely suppressed Feng Mu, leaving him only able to parry and utterly powerless to retaliate, making the situation extremely precarious.
"It seems that although Feng Mu is strong, he still needs my protection in the end."
The raven's initial surprise at Feng Mu's strength was somewhat overshadowed by the overwhelming pressure he was facing.
Raven was forced to interrupt his thoughts, took a deep breath, and adjusted the flow of energy within his body. Cold air began to quietly gather at his fingertips.
At this critical moment.
"Shh...cha..."
Extremely faint, hurried footsteps came from around the corner, and there was more than one.
The raven abruptly stopped its preparatory movement. It turned around sharply, peered out from the corner behind the bungalow, and bumped head-on into a group of three people who were rushing out and turning right.
It's like finding love around the corner!
Face to face, eye to eye, lips to lips, they could even clearly see the same astonished look in each other's eyes behind their masks or goggles.
Time seemed to freeze in that second.
Raven recognized the other party—three people, fully armed, carrying guns and ammunition, wearing matching combat uniforms, and carrying a bunch of things in their hands.
Raven immediately recognized the shapes of those things as modified, dangerous, and explosive materials.
And the other party also saw him clearly.
……..
(End of this chapter)
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