nashuaworldcup Chapter 629 The Catastrophe Arrives 5
Chapter 629 The Catastrophe Arrives 5
Chapter 629 The Catastrophe Approaches (Part 5)
The group packed their backpacks, donned tactical vests, and finally took out a set of mechanical components to attach to their waists and lower limbs. This would help increase marching speed and conserve energy; it could be considered part of a wearable mech.
With a "click," a bald man with a fierce face pushed the energy box in and then released the safety bolt on the laser gun.
"It should have been like this a long time ago, that would have been interesting."
"Be careful not to let your guard down," the mercenary leader warned.
"Let's move together first, then split up as needed when we reach the furthest detection range. Let's go!"
A dozen or so people disappeared into the forest in the blink of an eye.
They moved swiftly, their sharp blades swiftly cutting down obstructing weeds and branches, which fell to the ground.
A sharp-eyed mercenary even discovered footprints on the riverbank that didn't belong to them. Soon after, more and more traces of life were found.
Ashes from burnt charcoal, fruit pits crawling with flies, and excrement...
Even if some were concealed, they were nothing compared to the mercenaries whose reconnaissance awareness was several levels higher.
These clues stimulated their brains like a stimulant.
The rat's tail has finally been revealed! They're heading in the right direction! The locals are right here!
Although night was approaching, the intruders' search showed no signs of stopping. After all, time was money. Especially since their competitors weren't resting either.
A drone, whose name I don't know, was buzzing overhead, its searchlights, some several kilowatts high, sweeping across the area. When it got impatient, it randomly dropped a grenade down – just in case it exploded.
After comparing them, it turned out that the mercenaries Lin Yaozong had found had the worst equipment.
They themselves discovered this.
For the first time, the ninth-ranked guild was utterly humiliated. The mercenary leader was already cursing Lin Yaozong's ancestors in his mind. Had he known it was this level, he would never have made such meager preparations.
It's too late to regret it now.
"Pay attention while you're searching. Look for anything unusual about the machines overhead. If anything seems off, follow them immediately, understand?"
If you use your opponent's things well, they can become yours.
“Am...those lights...I’m scared…”
"Don't be afraid, go to sleep."
Inside the cave, the woman turned slightly to block out the occasional flashes of light from outside. Then she gently patted the child's back, coaxing him to sleep.
This is the heart of the swamp, the deepest part of the forest, and also where the vegetation is most lush. There are also some naturally formed caves that can provide shelter. The caves are quite spacious, but still not enough for the number of Goodell people.
The chief prioritized keeping children and women inside, while he led the able-bodied men to set up tents outside.
"You have dried ginger and realgar powder, right...? Okay, okay, what about lime...? Alright..."
The swamp was hot and humid, breeding many poisonous insects and snakes. They hadn't paid attention at first and suffered greatly as a result. Two young children were even found dead when they woke up in the morning. The greedy insects were still clinging to them, a thick layer covering them from head to toe—a pitiful and horrifying sight.
The mother, overwhelmed with emotion, drew her knife and charged at the chief, tearfully accusing him and questioning his decisions.
The next day, spaceships appeared in the sky, and the sound of explosions could be heard from afar.
Only then did everyone realize that this was not a momentary lapse of the chief's mind, but rather the priest's last divination before his death.
Some people began to sob and cry, while others angrily tried to rush out and fight them. They were all stopped at the chief's signal.
"I know you're all fearless, and even if there's only the slightest chance, I won't lead you all to hide and frantically go into hiding. But do we have a chance of winning? How do we fight?"
The tribesmen gradually quieted down, each one gritting their teeth, the veins on the back of their hands bulging.
"Is there no other way?"
"Yes. We have no choice but to hide. At least let the children live one more day."
A man forcefully wiped his tears on his arm: "Chief! Where do you say we should go!"
From the outskirts to the heartland, they dared not stop for a moment. Their feet were blistered and bleeding. Only then did they finally find a shelter that looked decent.
But after only one night, the man who went out to fetch water returned covered in blood on one side of his body, panting heavily as he said:
"I've met someone! They're on the other side of the river, very close! Run!"
The chief grabbed his arm: "Don't speak yet! Peach Blossom! Come and take a look at him!"
Fortunately, it was an external injury and not fatal, but the bleeding was a bit frightening.
They were bandaging him up, and the chief stood up, urging everyone to pack their belongings and prepare to move. This place was no longer safe.
Fear, exhaustion from days of hiding, and a sense of aimless confusion... all sorts of emotions hung over everyone like dark clouds. But they all tried their best to suppress the tension in their hearts and not let themselves break down. Because once a crack appeared, the spirit of the entire tribe would dissipate.
Just as everyone was frantically busy, one person suddenly stood up straight and motionless.
His companion nudged him: "What are you standing there for...?"
With a thud, the other person fell straight to the ground, and the words his companion hadn't finished saying were stuck in his throat as he stared blankly at the scene.
Before he could react, a second and a third person fell down. They didn't even have time to make a sound.
The tribe realized what had happened and panicked instantly, scattering in all directions. But death was ever-present.
A living, breathing person suddenly stopped breathing right next to you.
Everything happened so quickly, so easily. It was as if their deaths were as simple as snapping a blade of grass. If it weren't for the small, bloody hole in their foreheads, they would have thought it was a curse from some evil spirit.
In just over ten seconds, a group of people had already collapsed on the ground.
The mother struggled to return to her son's side, and the child cried as he reached out towards his father, but in the end, he could only watch helplessly as his beloved grew further and further away.
The tribesmen forcibly took them away.
Before they could even swallow their pain, they were already on another journey to escape.
From the other direction, a blond man clapped his hands.
"That's enough. Keep some alive, lest they get lost. Hurry up and chase after them; we need to catch them alive."
"How could I not know? I just specifically aimed at a few and shot them in the legs. They can't have gone far," one of them said smugly.
"Stop showing off, we need to get ahead of the empire."
"I thought they weren't interested, they're only coming a few days late."
The group chatted as they chased each other, without affecting their speed at all.
"So what if we're a few days late? Our progress is still on par with ours."
"Damn it! Which idiot dropped the bomb? As if he was afraid those guys wouldn't be able to find it! He was supposed to take a longer route, but now he came right after smelling it... If I find out, I'll kill him!"
"A bunch of weaklings, what military skills can you expect from them? Stop complaining, speed up, or they'll be far ahead."
When the group of mercenaries hired by Lin Yaozong, whom the blond man and others called "idiots," arrived at the scene, they only found corpses all over the ground.
They understood what had happened at a glance.
"See if there are any survivors."
"Finally, I've seen real people! So this is what the local natives look like?"
"What kind of weird tattoo is this on my face?... I can't get it off?"
"Wow, this looks pretty good! Look, it's still warm, just right for me to enjoy..."
Just as the man was unbuckling his belt, the mercenary leader squatted down and carefully examined the fatal wound on the corpse's head.
The aperture size, the neatness of the edges, and the signs of erosion in the internal structure... only military models PY800 and WJ2000 and above can achieve this.
Imperial ships are on their way, so...
Has the Federation joined as well?
The leader stood up and said coldly to his men, "I'll give you three seconds: either put it back, or I'll cut it off for you."
The man froze, his face turning ashen.
His companions gloated.
This feeling is the worst, as any man knows, but who told him to be so inconsiderate?
Ultimately, not daring to delay important matters, the man cursed angrily, pulled up his pants, and left.