Chapter 749: The Anomaly
Chapter 749: The Anomaly
In the Linaksys Federation's camp, the sound of machine guns echoed outside, deterring the insect swarms driven by the bug sand from approaching.
Major Zefiro, the aide of General Seraph, was seated outside his tent, swiftly flipping through documents under the natural light.
Suddenly, an officer hurried over and reported, "Sir, the bug sand is approaching. Our soldiers are asking when we can evacuate."
Without looking up, Major Zefiro replied, "We can't leave. The General has ordered us to hold our position."
"But most of the people in the camp don't want to stay here any longer..."
As they spoke, chaos erupted outside the camp. Several workers constructing the ritual objects dropped their shovels and fled.
Two shots rang out from behind, hitting the two lead runners in the back, causing them to fall to the ground without a sound.
The crowd was startled, and those who had followed the runners halted. They saw Major Zefiro standing coldly, his handgun aimed at them.
Major Zefiro gestured with his pistol, indicating for them to return. They glanced at each other, not daring to disobey, and cautiously turned back to continue their work.
Major Zefiro knew that if one person successfully escaped, everyone would follow, and it would be impossible to stop them. This situation required a firm response.
Fortunately, most of the workers were military personnel, accustomed to strict discipline and obedience. As long as their superior's will remained strong, they could maintain order. Moreover, the heavily augmented giant warriors stationed at the outer perimeter were unwaveringly dedicated to their duties.
Glancing at his watch, Major Zefiro summoned the person in charge of the ritual construction and asked, "How much longer until activation?"
The person in charge replied cautiously, "Another day."
"Can't you make it any faster?"
The person in charge sighed, "This is already the fastest we can go. We initially estimated three days, but the General demanded we do it in two. One day is the shortest and minimum requirement... The longer the preparation time, the higher the chances of success..."
Major Zefiring understood the implication—further reducing the time might result in a failed activation, even if the device was successfully started.
Major Zefiro said, "Then I'll give you one more day." He waved his hand, dismissing the person in charge. Turning to the officer beside him, he calmly instructed, "Take a team and dig trenches around the camp. Leave fuel for two days, and move the rest outside. I want a continuous 24-hour fire and smoke barrier from now on."
The officer immediately understood the plan—to create a large isolation barrier using fire and smoke. If they didn't leave, this might be the only correct order.
After a brief acknowledgment, the officer whistled outside, gathering enough people before rushing out.
The team he mobilized consisted of martial artists, ensuring swift action. Within half an hour, smoke and fire enveloped the area.
As the thick smoke rose, the workers put on their protective masks, finding some solace in the equipment's psychological reassurance, easing their anxiety.
However, they had underestimated the force of the bug sand. An hour later, a dense swarm of insects poured in, quickly filling the deep trenches. They surged into the fire, and many managed to slip through, biting anyone they encountered.
From a distance, these insects seemed small, but up close, they were at least the size of a human head. Their pincers were open, and their limbs and bodies were covered in sharp hooks, appearing extremely vicious.
Major Zefiro sensed something amiss. He immediately located the person in charge and asked, "Is the basic framework complete?"
The person in charge was drenched in sweat, panting heavily. "Y-Yesterday... it was completed yesterday."
"I'm ordering you to activate it now," Major Zefiro said.
The person in charge was taken aback. "B-But that might lead to failure..."
Major Zefiro said, "If we don't activate it now, we may never get another chance. There's a risk of failure, but isn't there also a chance of success?"
The person in charge hesitated, "Are we waiting for the General to return...?"
Major Zefiro's voice turned cold. "In the General's absence, I'm in command here. Execute the order immediately."
"Y-Yes, sir..." The person in charge had no choice but to salute hastily and hurry away.
Major Zefiro's expression darkened. The situation with the bug sand was far worse than he had anticipated. The original plan to wait another day was no longer feasible. Now, they could only hope for the plan's success, which might be their only chance to escape the imminent danger.
Meanwhile, at the other end, Xu Chan and his team worked frantically to set up a large perimeter before nightfall, lighting bonfires at each corner.
By then, the leading insects of the bug sand were already approaching the bottom, and the creatures in their path were quickly swallowed by the swarm, disappearing in the blink of an eye.
As they reached the edge, they began to climb up the body of the silk worm, and immediately, a dense black carpet-like substance could be seen spreading upwards along the thick abdominal legs.
However, a change occurred on the silk worm's body; layers of secreted liquid emerged, binding any insects that came into contact with it together, causing them to fall in clumps.
At the junction of the silk worm's abdominal legs and abdomen, countless thin, gray, leaf-like moth-like parasites were fluttering their wings, ready to take flight and prey on the insects. The sky was filled with gray shadows in motion.
Suddenly, a rumbling sound came from beneath them, and the silk worm slowly moved forward. Its head extended, antennae sweeping and coiling, and with a slight tilt of its head, it devoured all the beetles within a large area in front of it, swallowing them into its massive mouth.
In that instant, a large gap appeared in the insect swarm, as if a chunk had been carved out.
Captain Hu witnessed this astonishing sight and exclaimed, "Truly, one thing counteracts another."
Seeing this, everyone felt reassured, just as Chen Chuan had predicted; this creature was a natural barrier against the insect sand.
Chen Chuan looked up at the sky and said, "Night is approaching. Everyone, don't stay here. Return to your tents. Old Xu, stay for a moment."
"Yes!"
After the previous events, everyone had an innate respect and admiration for Chen Chuan, and they followed his orders without hesitation. After a respectful salute, they dispersed to their respective tents.
Once only Xu Chan remained, Chen Chuan said, "It seems we'll need to stay here for a while. The supplies reported earlier will suffice for our stay.
We don't have to worry about the ground for now, but the sky is unpredictable. Tomorrow, we should dig deeper; it's best to hide underground."
Xu Chan replied, "I'll take care of it tomorrow, Chen Supervisor."
Chen Chuan acknowledged and continued, "The radiance of the relic hasn't dispersed. This entire Jinbei Dao Convergence Zone is illuminated by it. Although we don't have to worry about the Union and Linaksis Federation for now, our greatest enemy in the Convergence Zone is the Old Imperial House.
When I came here, they were attacking our rear camp. I'm not sure what the situation is now.
Regardless of whether the camp is breached or not, if they want the relic, they will find a way to come after us, especially if there's no activity around the relic for several days. They will definitely come, and they know the Convergence Zone better than we do. The insect sand might not be enough to block them, so we must prepare."
Xu Chan nodded solemnly.
As the time approached 6:00 pm, Chen Chuan and Xu Chan stopped their conversation and returned to their respective tents.
The tent, provided by the Linaksis Federation, was spacious enough to accommodate over ten people. Inside, Chen Chuan turned on the fluorescent lights and sat on the carpet, inspecting himself.
The greatest gain from defeating powerful enemies was the growth of his inner self, which had now become closer to his current self.
He had a feeling that when both sides became completely aligned, and when he deemed it appropriate, he could achieve the second fusion.
At that moment, he might be able to break through to even higher limits with an unprecedented foundation.
Just then, the sky outside darkened, indicating that night had fallen in the Convergence Zone.
Chen Chuan immediately picked up the Snow Queen Saber and slashed, creating a narrow, elongated opening. He began his evening cultivation.
However, something unusual happened; nothing came through the opening, not even a trace. This was highly abnormal in the Convergence Zone, and even in Central City, such a situation was rare.
Moreover, the tent remained quiet, which was unusual given the previous commotion.
After some thought, Chen Chuan seemed to realize something. He stood up, went to the tent entrance, and placed his hand on it, sensing for a while before flinging it open.
He looked outside and saw the night in the Convergence Zone, but it was still as bright as day, only slightly dimmer.
The radiance of the relic still hung in the sky, and the area beneath it seemed unaffected by the Convergence Zone's anomalies.
After a glance, Chen Chuan turned back inside. He didn't linger outside, returning to his tent.
He didn't need to know the reason; he only knew that the abnormal influences were gone, allowing him to focus more intently on his cultivation. He had to make the most of this time.
...
...
(End of Chapter)
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