Chapter 435: Midnight
Chapter 435: Midnight
Chen Chuan and his team had been chasing the cavalry unit since morning, but even by noon, they still hadn't caught up.
It was evident that the cavalry was intentionally leading them away from their base.
If they continued the pursuit, they might not make it to the nearest base before nightfall.
Chen Chuan spoke up, "If we turn back now, it's as if we never left. I plan to keep chasing and put pressure on them."
He looked at his two teammates, "If we do this, we'll have to spend the night outdoors. You know the dangers of the night, and if you're not prepared, I'll allow you to return."
Yuan Qiuyuan leaned back in his seat and smiled nonchalantly, "Captain, what are you saying? You're underestimating me. In my book, there's no such thing as deserting in the face of battle."
Qin Qingque spoke seriously, "Captain, I won't leave the team."
Chen Chuan nodded, "Since you've made your decision, don't think about backing out later. Qin Executor, send a telegram to Consultant Rao later to inform him of our decision. For now, we'll continue the pursuit."
"Yes!"
The off-road vehicle continued the chase, and during this time, they received a telegram from Fort Seventy-Three inquiring about their situation. They replied that they were still in pursuit, hadn't encountered the enemy yet, and reported their current location.
Fort Seventy-Three immediately responded, warning them that they had strayed too far. Even if they headed for the nearest base now, it would take them five to six hours to get there, and they advised against continuing the pursuit.
However, Chen Chuan had Qin Qingque send a reply, stating that they intended to keep chasing and, after careful consideration, had decided to spend the night outdoors to avoid losing the enemy.
"What? Spend the night outdoors?"
Inside Fort Seventy-Three, Consultant Rao received the message and immediately started pacing in worry. He wanted to send another telegram to persuade Chen Chuan's team to return.
But then he thought that Chen Chuan might have already considered this, and perhaps they had a plan to deal with it.
However, he had to consider one thing: Chen Chuan's team was the only squad capable of confronting the Iron Demon in this area. If they were eliminated, the rear would be left vulnerable until more capable forces could be assembled.
At this point, he decided to report the situation to the operations command center.
He asked the telegraph operator to step aside and put on the headphones himself to send the report, briefly describing the situation.
Regarding Chen Chuan's team's decision to continue, he took a deep breath and added a postscript, indicating that this was a decision made by the entire team, including himself.
In the dense forest, Qin Qingque looked up and said, "Captain, it's done."
Chen Chuan said, "We'll continue the pursuit. At four o'clock, we'll stop and set up camp." The enemy cavalry could keep moving, but it would be challenging to erase their tracks.
Even if the enemy moved at night, they would need to consider the distance to Fort Seventy-Three. They would likely travel at night and rest during the day, even if it meant pushing their horses to the limit.
After a night without rest and a day of pursuit, the enemy would undoubtedly seek a chance to recuperate during the night. So, there was no worry about them getting too far ahead.
As long as they kept up the chase, the enemy wouldn't have time for other activities, unless they turned back to eliminate Chen Chuan's team, which was precisely what he was hoping for.
A few more hours passed, and the sky gradually darkened.
Chen Chuan looked outside and said, "Let's set up camp here."
"Yes!"
Yuan Qiuyuan and Qin Qingque had bravely followed the chase, not blindly, but with some preparation.
Through their interactions, they sensed that their captain, though seemingly young, had a certain grasp of the situation.
Even so, they remained cautious about the unpredictable Fusion Zone.
Chen Chuan instructed his teammates to retrieve tools and equipment from the vehicle and set up simple defenses and warning signals around the area. He took out the Secret Sect Materials he had prepared earlier and began to apply them on the interior and exterior walls of the vehicle.
In this area, protection and protective coatings were typically used as precautions against anomalies, and the base forts employed such measures. The Secret Sect Materials could also serve the same purpose.
However, most people might not possess this knowledge, and the materials were strictly regulated and sensitive. The materials themselves were not meant for long-term use, which might explain their limited adoption.
But for their small team and a single night's use, it was just right.
Yuan Qiuyuan watched Chen Chuan's ritual markings and couldn't help but speak up, "Captain, you..." But before he could finish his sentence, he stopped, knowing that some things were better left unasked.
Qin Qingque, on the other hand, remained silent, faithfully fulfilling her role as a subordinate without asking unnecessary questions.
Chen Chuan had already decided on the ritual he would use, so this time, without any reference, he began the markings directly, and within an hour, the vehicle was prepared.
But he wasn't done yet; he had his teammates remove the outermost anti-stab cloaks and applied ritual markings to them as well.
At that moment, just thirty-some li away, the Iron Demon's large force was taking a break.
At this moment, a rider approached and saluted from atop their horse, "Commander, they've been following us all along. They didn't rush back, but are camping out here. They're probably planning to spend the night here. What should we do now, Commander?"
The Iron Demon only responded after a moment, his voice muffled behind the mask as he gazed into the distance.
Meanwhile, after Chen Chuan finished his arrangements, the three of them returned to the vehicle. Nightfall arrived swiftly, enveloping the surroundings in darkness like a heavy curtain dropping.
Yuan Qiuyuan watched vigilantly out the car window, but after a long while, he didn't sense anything unusual. Just as he thought the night in the Convergence Zone was no different, a rustling sound suddenly caught his attention from very nearby.
It was as if a massive snake was slithering across the vehicle's surface, and the sound of its scales rubbing against the metal was crystal clear, along with the sensation of the car sinking under the weight of some heavy object.
After a long while, the creature seemed to have slithered past, but just then, a loud bang reverberated, and the car wall was struck hard by something, causing the entire vehicle to shake. After a few breaths, the impact sound returned, and this time, it felt like the whole car was about to flip over.
Both Yuan Qiuyuan and Qin Qingque tensed up, gripping their weapons with solemn expressions.
However, Chen Chuan remained remarkably calm. He noticed a faint dematerialization sign on his second self, but it wasn't too intense. Correspondingly, the material smeared on the inner wall of the car was darkening, indicating the same for the exterior coating.
Given the situation, it seemed unlikely that the car would last the entire night. However, Chen Chuan had intentionally left some gaps, and when the material was nearly depleted, he planned to reinforce it.
The banging sounds ceased after a few rounds, as if the attack on the vehicle had been abandoned.
But then, a heavy thudding sound approached, like an enormous creature. Each step shook the ground, and the intervals between steps were long, suggesting an immense stride.
Not only that, but they could sense the creature drawing closer.
It seemed their vehicle was blocking the creature's path.
Yuan Qiuyuan and Qin Qingque couldn't help but wonder if, when the creature arrived, it would trample their car and them along with it. Should they quickly drive to a different spot?
As night fell, Chen Chuan continuously monitored the activation indices of the two. In a short while, their indices soared past twenty and continued to rise.
If it exceeded thirty, they would enter the danger zone.
"Yuan Executor and Qin Executor, immediately use breathing techniques to suppress your activation. If that doesn't work, take the medication. As for the rest, don't overthink or interfere."
"Yes, Captain!" Yuan Qiuyuan and Qin Qingque responded, their tension eased by Chen Chuan's composure.
They quickly shook off distractions and focused on their breathing techniques, gradually lowering their rising indices, though the descent was slow.
Before long, their minds settled, and when they stopped, they realized the long night had passed. Light filled the car window, making the previous night's experiences seem like illusions.
Yuan Qiuyuan exhaled in relief, opening the car door and stepping out. But he soon realized something was amiss; their current location was at least a few hundred meters away from the previous day's stop. The car's surface bore signs of impact and friction, leaving behind traces.
He spotted a massive pit near the car, extending outward and stretching into the distance. This reminded him of the enormous disturbance from the night before.
The encounter last night was definitely not just a simple illusion!
Qin Qingque, without getting out of the car, turned on the radio and sent a report to Fort Seventy-Three, then began receiving messages from other outposts.
Yuan Qiuyuan approached and said, "Captain, those things last night were truly bizarre. But how does Iron Demon manage to stay out there for so long? Faith? Drugs? Surely not all of them are Plague Gang, right?"
"Some kind of special method, something we can't replicate. Otherwise, after working with the indigenous people for so long, it doesn't make sense that we wouldn't have figured it out."
"That's true," Yuan Qiuyuan pondered, then said with lingering fear, "But what if they had attacked us last night? Would we have faced those anomalies directly?"
"It's not that simple," Chen Chuan explained. "Although Iron Demon can move at night, all the attacks have occurred close to dawn, just like the other night when I sensed something strange, it was almost dawn.
If they could attack at any time during the night, there's no need to wait until then. So, we just need to be prepared during this time frame."
Yuan Qiuyuan let out a 'hey', "Looks like Iron Demon isn't invincible after all."
Chen Chuan glanced at his watch and said, "Let's get ready and set out. Today, we'll continue the pursuit and see when they can't hold out any longer."
...
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(End of Chapter)
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