Chapter 434: Transformation
Chapter 434: Transformation
The team consisted entirely of fighters, with Iron Demon and his two deputies being Imperial Samurai, while the rest were Cavalry, making them Second-Limit Combat Solvers.
Each member was protected by three layers of defense. The innermost layer was a defense vest, followed by a defense armor, and on top of that, a blue anti-stab cloak draped over their bodies, rendering gun and stab attacks almost useless against them.
On their backs, each carried five linked spears, useful for both offense and climbing over obstacles.
These fighters easily crossed the barbed wire and trenches, and with the help of their spear ropes, they could effortlessly traverse the wider moats.
Once they reached the fortress wall, they needed only to hook their spears onto the wall and climb up, a process that took very little time.
They had thoroughly scouted the fortress's interior long ago, familiarizing themselves with its structure and personnel distribution. Each fighter knew their entry point and the task they had to accomplish once inside.
At this moment, Chen Chuan sat in a room, meditating and gathering Essence Blood Divine Mind. Suddenly, he sensed something, and his eyes snapped open. It was 4:30 am.
He picked up his sword and stepped out of the room.
Peering through the observation window, he saw the same pitch-black night sky outside, with searchlights sweeping across the outer grounds and walls. Beyond that, everything was shrouded in darkness, invisible.
Chen Chuan continued forward and pushed open a passage door, stepping onto a narrow platform where he stood quietly.
About half an hour passed, and the sky gradually brightened, but there was still no movement below, as if everything was normal.
Suddenly, an alarm sounded from the Boundary Vessel, indicating a situation.
Chen Chuan immediately moved, following the corridor to the source of the alarm. Upon arrival, he saw Hai Cheng already there, speaking with two sentries. One soldier pointed at the spears on the wall, some of which had reached the upper end. If a fighter, they could easily flip into the fortress.
Footsteps approached, and the rest of the team arrived, alerted by the alarm. Rao Consultant, feeling both anxious and excited, exclaimed, "They're here!"
"Are they?" Chen Chuan asked.
Hai Cheng affirmed, "Yes, I recognize the spears, but they won't find it easy to breach the defenses and enter. They must be coming from behind."
"From behind..." Rao Consultant's mind raced, connecting the dots and understanding their strategy. His battle plan had been correct; they were indeed targeting Fort Seventy-Three.
But Chen Chuan frowned, looking at the spearheads, "But why, when they've reached here..."
At that moment, the Cavalry had retreated to their original positions in the distance.
A robust Imperial Samurai approached the Iron Masked Knight, puzzled, "Commander, why did we retreat? Our brothers have reached the wall; we can take this fortress if we just flip over!"
The Iron Masked Knight remained silent, gazing at the top of the fortress as the sky brightened further, revealing the distant landscape.
Chen Chuan, sensing something, moved away from the group to the edge of the passage, looking down.
About two kilometers away, a Crimson Iron Masked Knight sat on horseback, a spear with white tassels lying across the saddle. He was alone, a solitary figure.
"That must be Iron Demon," Yuan Qiuyuan observed, stepping forward for a better look. "At this distance... our machine guns might not reach..." He turned to Hai Cheng, "Hai Defense, can you take a shot?"
Hai Cheng, arms folded, shook his head, "Don't bother. We've tried before, but Iron Demon seems to have a unique ability. He always moves to avoid our attacks before we can even fire."
"Indeed, he's a tough one. We've never had an Imperial Samurai as elusive as him," Yuan Qiuyuan sighed.
Just then, Iron Demon tilted his head, and a loud gunshot echoed in the distance.
Qin Qingque held a spear rifle, puzzled as to why her target had evaded her shot.
Chen Chuan, sword in hand, stared at the figure, who glanced back at him before pulling on the reins and riding off into the distant forest.
Rao Consultant approached, his brow furrowed, "Last night, Iron Demon should have taken this place, but I don't understand why he didn't come. Did he sense our presence?"
"Chen Chuan contemplated for a moment before asking, "Did the Operations Room have any intelligence on his precognitive abilities?"
Consultant Rao replied, "Yes, but we don't have an accurate understanding of the extent of his abilities. We can't afford to make any plans based solely on this information."
His expression turned solemn as he continued, "However, based on the situation this time, his precognitive abilities seem even stronger than I initially estimated, and he's acting with greater caution."
He sighed, "This time, we failed to ambush him. With his caution, it's unlikely he'll return so easily."
Chen Chuan shook his head, "That's not necessarily true. I've reviewed the materials Consultant Rao provided, and he often takes pleasure in attacking difficult locations. He even proactively ventures into potentially dangerous areas, likely relying on his ability to anticipate danger. I believe he won't give up so easily."
In that moment of eye contact, he discerned something in the other's eyes—a mix of provocation and determination. The attack wasn't over yet.
Consultant Rao spoke with caution, "Even so, we might still struggle to deal with him. As long as he doesn't come to the fortress, we have no way to handle him in the wild."
Chen Chuan said, "Not necessarily. Right now, he probably hasn't figured out our strengths and weaknesses. If he realizes that only our small squad is stationed here, he might go to great lengths to lure us out."
After regaining his composure, Consultant Rao quickly assessed the situation.
"The simplest thing he could do is attack nearby patrols or even the outpost, causing chaos and destruction to pressure us into pursuing them outside the fortress."
"If we leave the fortress and he successfully kills us in the wild, he'll return to attack Fort Seventy-Three.
"Yes, that's highly possible. Fort 104 should be sealed off again by now, effectively trapping him inside. To get out, he'll have to find a breakthrough point.
"The longer we delay, the greater the risk. He's focusing on us, so the likelihood of him breaking through here is the highest!"
Chen Chuan suddenly looked up and said to Chen Chuan, "In two days, at most two days, he can confirm the situation. If there's backup, they'll respond in about two days."
Chen Chuan pondered for a moment and said, "Since he wants us to leave, let's follow his lead."
"Captain Chen, what do you plan to do?"
Chen Chuan turned to him and said, "I'll lead a team to pursue him and give him a chance."
Consultant Rao was about to object, but Chen Chuan quickly interjected, "Captain Chen, I don't recommend that. Here in the fortress, we have support and the advantage of personnel and weapons. But once we're outside, you'll have no backup."
Hai Cheng walked over and spoke in a low voice, "Captain Chen, I admire your courage, but we've tried ambushing him in the wild before. The result was that several squads were wiped out, and we couldn't even recover the bodies." His voice grew heavy as he finished.
Chen Chuan sincerely replied, "Thank you for the reminder, Hai Cheng. But if we don't take this approach, he won't initiate an attack on the fortress. He'll only harass us from the outside, and we'll be left helpless."
He turned to Consultant Rao and said, "Previously, choosing to hold our ground was the right decision. But now, holding our ground is useless, so we have to take the initiative. As for backup..."
He continued slowly, "As fighters, we have ourselves, and that's enough."
"Captain, you're right. As fighters, we have ourselves, and that's enough! Captain, I'll go with you," Yuan Qiuyuan declared loudly from the side.
Qin Qingque stepped forward, straightened her back, and said, "Captain, I'll go too."
Seeing that he couldn't stop them, Consultant Rao sighed inwardly. After some thought, he solemnly advised, "Since you're determined, I won't stop you. But the three of you, please don't go too far. It's best to return before nightfall."
After half an hour of preparation, Chen Chuan gathered his things, and the three of them drove off in an off-road vehicle, leaving behind the complex and worried gazes of the crowd.
This time, Chen Chuan didn't bring any other team members because, once the fighting started, it would be challenging for these ordinary team members to handle multiple tasks. Qin Qingque, however, was skilled in both driving and vehicle maintenance, as well as operating the radio, so her presence was sufficient.
Yuan Qiuyuan was particularly pleased with Chen Chuan's decision. Staying cooped up in the fortress, waiting for the enemy to come to them, was too passive for his taste. Taking the initiative was the way to go.
Qin Qingque drove the vehicle with both stability and speed. She asked, "Captain, there's no road ahead. Where are we going?"
Sitting in the back seat, Chen Chuan glanced outside and replied, "Just follow the trail left by their large group. Even if we can't catch up to them, as long as we get far enough from the fortress, they'll come looking for us."
(End of Chapter)
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