Chapter 718: The Situation
Chapter 718: The Situation
As the creature approached from the sky, its appearance was revealed to Chen Chuan and his companions.
It was a bird unique to the Convergence Zone, with a sharp, curved beak and a head encased in a sturdy exoskeleton, its eyes hidden within. Its feathers were a grayish-white hue, with sharp spines along the edges, giving it the appearance of being covered in a layer of delicate, slender feathers.
Upon seeing this creature, Chen Chuan's Boundary Token immediately displayed its origins.
This was a "Skeleton Bird," a common and highly aggressive bird in the Convergence Zone, with over a hundred known classifications. The Boundary Token also displayed its weaknesses and methods to counter it.
Dai Shaowei, the Second Lieutenant driving the vehicle, did not turn back. Instead, he glanced at the creature through the rearview mirror, showing no signs of tension. In a calm tone, he said, "Please fasten your seatbelts, sirs. I'm going to speed up. We often encounter these Convergence Zone creatures, but we can ensure your safety."
After speaking, he stepped on the accelerator, instantly increasing the vehicle's speed. They were only three to four minutes away from the fort, and as long as they were within the fort's firing range, there would be no danger.
At this moment, one of the train's carriage covers suddenly opened, revealing a fixed-turret machine gun that was raised and aimed at the sky.
However, the Skeleton Bird seemed to be aware of the machine gun's power and did not dare to approach the train. Instead, it turned in mid-air and flew towards a simple guard post.
As it flew over the guard post, its claws, which were surprisingly holding a thick tree branch, released it, creating a loud crash as the branch smashed the wooden roof of the guard post.
After this action, the Skeleton Bird let out a shrill scream, its speed suddenly increased, and it charged forward, seemingly intending to pass through the gap between the fort and the train.
From their perspective, it was clear that the bird would fly directly above Chen Chuan and his companions.
Chen Chuan was initially concerned about Chao Ming, but seeing him quickly ascend into the sky and the Skeleton Bird showing no interest in Chao Ming, it seemed that the bird's sole purpose was to destroy the guard post.
In a moment, the bird was above them, and they could see the hard, sharp claws beneath its abdomen and sense its oppressive aura. Councillor Pei immediately drew his gun, released the safety, and aimed it at the sky with both hands.
The Skeleton Bird, which had intended to pass through directly, suddenly slowed down and lowered its altitude when it noticed the military uniforms on Councillor Pei and Dai Shaowei. The eyes embedded in its skull turned red, and a shadow swiftly approached them.
Chen Chuan, seeing the massive wings blocking the light, had a mental power surge, and a spiritual imprint instantly shot out from his eyes, flashing slightly.
This mental attack directly struck the Skeleton Bird's mind, causing the red glow in its eyes to disappear, and it seemed to lose consciousness in an instant.
At that moment, a black shadow descended from the sky. It was Chao Ming, diving from the sky, his sharp, transformed claws aimed at the bird's neck in a slashing motion, creating a huge gash with a swift swipe!
Almost simultaneously, a gunshot rang out from the fort. The Skeleton Bird's wings and abdomen simultaneously exploded, and blood and flesh sprayed out from its body.
Chen Chuan's gaze shifted, and he saw a Major standing on an open platform at the fort, carrying a large-caliber double-barreled shoulder gun, smoke curling from its muzzle.
The Skeleton Bird seemed to regain some consciousness due to the pain of its injuries, but it was already too late. Without even a struggle, it fell from the sky, crashing heavily onto the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.
Immediately, a prepared vehicle from the fort sped out, passing by Chen Chuan and his companions. When they reached the vicinity of the Skeleton Bird, the soldiers quickly disembarked and began firing their large-caliber guns at the bird, causing its body to tremble uncontrollably. After a full half-minute of continuous fire, they finally stopped.
It was no wonder they were so cautious. Creatures from the Convergence Zone possessed altered organisms, making them extremely resilient. If not killed on the spot, they might recover and pose a threat again.
A shrill cry echoed through the sky, and Chao Ming circled above a few times before landing, perching on the side of Chen Chuan's vehicle.
Chen Chuan stroked Chao Ming's smooth feathers, sensing the bird's excitement. After all, this was the first time Chao Ming had encountered a creature larger than himself, and he had successfully injured it.
However, it was indeed praiseworthy. This sudden attack, decisive and fierce, came right after Chen Chuan's mental assault, and they had coordinated perfectly.
In fact, if not for the sturdy exoskeleton protecting the Skeleton Bird's head, this attack would have directly lifted its skull.
With the altered organism, Chao Ming became more agile, faster in flight, and sharper in attack, showcasing the advantages of a smaller body type.
However, Chen Chuan estimated that Chao Ming's size would likely continue to grow. Previously, external environmental factors had restricted the development of his altered organism and body, but now, within the Convergence Zone, he might receive further stimulation.
The open-top jeep had already driven into the fort, and the captain who had fired the shot earlier descended from above, saluting them respectfully.
"I'm Major Bao Heng Heng, in charge of security for this passage. Welcome, and apologies for the earlier scare," he addressed Councillor Pei and Chen Chuan.
Councillor Pei acknowledged, "Major Bao, your timely shot earlier was crucial."
Major Bao's expression turned serious, "Councillor Pei, rest assured. I can certainly take down that skeleton bird before it attacks you."
Chen Chuan nodded in agreement, for he had noticed the captain's focus and determination since the appearance of the large bird. He had been aiming, waiting for the perfect moment to fire, a sign of extreme confidence in his abilities.
Major Bao then turned to Chen Chuan, "So, you must be Supervisor Chen. We've received the highest directive from the Defense Department to cooperate with your mission. Some preliminary preparations have already been made."
Glancing at Councillor Pei, he continued, "Feel free to let us know if there's anything else you need. Our garrison troops will do their best to accommodate your requests."
"In that case, we're grateful for your help," Chen Chuan replied.
After some polite exchanges, Major Bao led the two towards the main officer's area. Along the way, Chen Chuan inquired about the situation, learning that attacks like the one they experienced outside were common. The reason was that the area ahead of Fort Three was largely unexplored, and the Convergence Zone within it was a frequent migration route.
Migrating creatures often considered this area their territory and would attack the garrison troops. When one creature in a group was killed, the attacks would continue relentlessly. However, the garrison troops were well-accustomed to this.
Councillor Pei went to meet with the highest-ranking officer, then visited the intelligence room. Upon returning, he said, "Supervisor Chen, it'll take some time to consolidate the information from the front. It's getting late, so let's go for dinner first."
Chen Chuan agreed, and they headed to the garrison's dining hall for a meal.
The food in the Convergence Zone was nothing special, but as senior officers, they at least had some consideration for taste.
After dinner, Councillor Pei arrived at the combat intelligence room. Unrelated personnel had already left, and a map hung on the wall with key locations and routes marked.
Councillor Pei spoke, "The communication room hasn't received any intelligence from Captain Xu, but there's no other news either."
He sighed, "No news is good news, I suppose."
Chen Chuan said, "Captain Xu is very experienced and skilled in self-preservation. We can trust him."
Councillor Pei nodded and said, "There's something I'd like to show you, Supervisor Chen."
He stepped in front of the map, picked up a command baton, and began, "Based on the intelligence we've gathered and our analysis team's assessment..." He tapped a specific spot on the map with the baton.
"The Coalition, or the Linax Federation, has likely established a camp here. The communication station has observed airships heading in that direction daily, on average. These airships originate from various company branches within the Convergence Zone, so we can almost certainly conclude that the camp is their rear base for exploring this unknown region."
Chen Chuan examined the map. The location was in the lower-right corner of the unexplored area, marked with a symbol of intersecting lightning bolts.
From a broader perspective, this spot was on a direct route to the rear. From this position, one could enter the unknown region just over ten kilometers ahead.
It seemed that the Coalition and the Linax Federation were taking a cautious approach, establishing a base and securing supply lines instead of rushing in.
This was understandable. Without pre-arranged evacuation routes and backup, even if they obtained the relic, success wasn't guaranteed. A base would provide continuous support and supplies to the front lines.
Conversely, if they could destroy that base, it would be a severe blow to the Coalition and the Federation, at least cutting off their support to the front lines.
Chen Chuan's gaze shifted to another blue marker on the map, and he asked, "Isn't that our garrison?"
Councillor Pei replied, "It was, but..."
He shook his head, "Five days ago, it was raided by elite cavalry of the Former Imperial Court. The camp suffered severe damage, and they've been under constant attack since then."
"We haven't given up on it. We're trying to maintain it, but we can't dispatch troops to support and reinforce Captain Xu's team, let alone deter the Coalition and Federation on the other side."
His expression turned grave, "Higher-ups suspect that the Former Imperial Court may have reached a limited cooperation with the Coalition to expel us first."
...
...
(End of Chapter)
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