Chapter 435: Midnight
Chapter 435: Midnight
Chen Chuan and his team set out in the morning, but despite their pursuit, they couldn't catch up with the cavalry unit until noon.
It was evident that the cavalry was intentionally leading them away from their base camp.
If they continued the chase, they might not have enough time to reach the nearest camp before nightfall.
Chen Chuan made a decision, "If we turn back now, it's as if we never left. I plan to keep pursuing and put pressure on them."
He turned to his teammates, "This means we'll have to spend the night in the wild. You're aware of the dangers at night. If you're not prepared, I'll allow you to return."
Yuan Qiuyuan, leaning against his seat, smiled nonchalantly, "Captain, what are you saying? You underestimate me. I, Yuan Qiuyuan, never retreat 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, there's no turning back. Qin Executor, send a telegram to Advisor Rao later to inform him of our decision. For now, we'll continue the pursuit."
"Yes, sir!"
The off-road vehicle continued the chase. During the pursuit, the fortress sent a telegram inquiring about the situation. Chen Chuan's team replied that they were still in pursuit, had not encountered the enemy yet, and reported their current location.
The fortress immediately responded, warning them that they had ventured too far. Even if they headed for the nearest camp, it would take at least five to six hours. They advised against continuing the pursuit.
However, Chen Chuan had Qin Qingque send another reply, insisting on continuing the chase. To avoid losing track of their target, they had carefully weighed the risks and decided to spend the night in the wild.
"What? Spend the night in the wild?"
Inside the Seventy-Third Fortress, Advisor Rao received the message and immediately started pacing in circles, wanting to send another telegram to persuade Chen Chuan's team to return.
But considering Chen Chuan's attitude before leaving, he might have already anticipated this. Perhaps he had a plan to deal with the situation.
However, Advisor Rao couldn't ignore one crucial fact: Chen Chuan's team was the only squad capable of confronting the Iron Demon in this region. If they were eliminated, the rear would be left vulnerable until more powerful squads could be assembled.
It was time to report this situation to the combat command center.
Advisor Rao asked the telegraph operator to leave and put on the headphones himself to send the report, briefly describing the situation.
Regarding Chen Chuan's decision to take action, Advisor Rao took a deep breath and appended his name to the report, indicating that it was a unanimous decision made by the squad, including himself.
In the dense forest, Qin Qingque looked up and said, "Captain, it's done."
Chen Chuan instructed, "Continue the pursuit. We'll set up camp at 4 p.m. The cavalry unit can keep moving, but it's not easy to erase their tracks."
Even though the enemy could move at night, they would need to consider that to reach the Seventy-Third Fortress, they would likely travel at night and rest during the day, pushing their horses to the limit for several consecutive days.
After a night without rest and facing a day of pursuit, the enemy would surely seek to recuperate during the night. There was no need to worry about them getting too far ahead.
As long as they kept up the chase, the enemy would be too busy to do anything else unless they turned back to eliminate Chen Chuan's team, which was precisely what he was hoping for.
After a few more hours, the sky gradually darkened.
Chen Chuan looked outside and said, "Let's set up camp here."
"Yes, sir!"
Yuan Qiuyuan and Qin Qingque's decision to follow the pursuit wasn't made lightly. They had both prepared beforehand.
Through their interactions, they sensed that despite Chen Chuan's youth, he possessed a certain confidence and made accurate judgments. They believed he had some kind of assurance about the situation.
Even so, the unpredictable nature of the convergence zone at night still made them nervous.
Chen Chuan instructed the two to retrieve tools and equipment from the vehicle and set up some simple defensive measures and alerts around the area. He then took out the mystical teachings materials he had prepared earlier and began applying them to the interior and exterior walls of the vehicle.
In this region, protection against anomalies usually involved protective gear and coatings, which the fortress also used. However, mystical teachings materials could serve the same purpose.
Most people might not have this knowledge, and these materials were highly regulated and sensitive. They weren't meant for long-term use, which might explain why they weren't commonly employed.
But for a small group like theirs, needing protection for just one night, it was perfect.
As Yuan Qiuyuan watched Chen Chuan perform the ritual, he couldn't help but speak up, "Captain, you're..." But he stopped mid-sentence, sensing something and choosing to remain silent.
He understood that some things were better left unasked, and Chen Chuan's capabilities were evident.
Qin Qingque, on the other hand, remained silent throughout, faithfully fulfilling her duties as a subordinate without asking unnecessary questions.
Chen Chuan had decided on the ritual to use before their departure, so he didn't need any references. He began applying the ritual patterns directly, and within an hour, the setup was complete.
But they weren't done yet. Chen Chuan had the two remove the outermost spike-resistant cloaks and brought them over, applying the ritual patterns to these as well.
At that moment, just thirty-odd miles away, a large group of Iron Demons was taking a break.
As night fell, Chen Chuan had been closely monitoring the Vitality Index of Yuan Qiuyuan and Qin Qingque. He noticed that within a short time, their indices soared past twenty and continued to rise.
"Executor Yuan, Executor Qin," Chen Chuan said calmly, "immediately use the breathing technique to suppress your vitality. If that doesn't work, take the medication. Don't worry about anything else."
"Yes, Captain!" both Yuan Qiuyuan and Qin Qingque replied promptly.
Chen Chuan's composure rubbed off on them, and they quickly focused on maintaining the breathing technique. Their rising indices gradually stabilized and began to decrease, albeit slowly.
Before long, they had immersed themselves in the practice, and when they stopped, they realized the long night had passed. The outside was bright, making the previous night's experiences feel surreal.
Yuan Qiuyuan exhaled in relief and stepped out of the vehicle. However, he quickly noticed something amiss. Their current position was at least a few hundred meters away from where they had stopped the day before. Marks of impact and friction were evident on the vehicle.
Just a few meters away, a massive pit extended outward, gradually fading into the distance. This reminded him of the loud noise they had heard the previous night.
"What we encountered last night was definitely not just an illusion!" Qin Qingque, who remained in the vehicle, sent a report to the Seventy-Third Fortress and then began receiving messages from other bases.
Yuan Qiuyuan approached and asked, "Captain, those things last night were truly bizarre. But how did Iron Demon's team manage to stay out there for so long? Faith? Drugs? Surely not all of them are demonic spirits?"
"Some special means, perhaps, that we can't replicate," Chen Chuan replied. "Otherwise, after working with the natives for so long, it doesn't make sense that we wouldn't have figured it out."
"That's true," Yuan Qiuyuan said, still shaken. "But 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 operate at night, all the attacks we've encountered so far occurred close to dawn. Like the night before last, when I sensed something unusual, 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 vigilant during that time frame."
Yuan Qiuyuan let out a sound of realization. "So, Iron Demon and his team aren't fearless after all."
Chen Chuan glanced at his watch. "Let's get ready and set out. We'll continue the pursuit today and see how long they can hold out."
...
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(End of Chapter)
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