Chapter 54: The Ambush in the Rock Crevice
The lightweight reconnaissance vehicle bounced along the uneven, scorched wasteland.
Withered, charred shrubs were sparsely scattered across the surface. The wind carried sand and dust past the vehicle, emitting a muffled rustling sound. On the distant horizon, a long, pitch-black fissure lay across the earth like a wound slashed open by a blade. That was the Green Rock Rift.
"Three kilometers to the target area," the driver slowed down and turned on the vehicle's psychic monitoring instrument. The screen displayed gently undulating, weak ripples. "Monitoring readings are normal. No psychic signals from large-scale scaled beast swarms."
Old Chen gripped the short knife at his waist, his gaze fixed tightly on the direction of the rift. "The Green Rock Rift isn't large. In previous years, there were mostly only sporadic, low-level scaled beasts active here. It's suitable for setting up warning beacons. But don't forget, that thing underground already knows we're coming."
Su Qing adjusted the portable Sea of Consciousness detector in her hand, her fingertips swiping across the screen. "I will continuously capture psychic fluctuations. The moment an anomalous synchronized signal appears, I'll issue an immediate warning."
Lin Yan leaned against the car window, his mental tentacles extending outward with extreme fineness.
He did not spread his perception over a wide area; doing so would easily allow the hidden Lizardmen priests underground to capture and locate him. He only released a few psychic threads as fine as silk, slowly extending them along the ground and rock layers.
On the surface of the wasteland, there were only scattered, faint biological signatures. But as he probed deeper into the rock layers of the rift, a faint, cold psychic aura lay dormant, deliberately suppressing all fluctuations and disguising itself as the dead silence of the rock strata itself.
It was hiding.
Lin Yan calmly retracted his mental tentacles and whispered a warning to the other two, "There is something inside deliberately suppressing its signal. Don't let your guard down. We will proceed according to standard protocol. Let's set up the first warning beacon on the high ground on the outer perimeter first; do not venture directly into the rift entrance."
The vehicle stopped at a highland two kilometers from the rift. The three got out, donned their full gear, and left the driver in the vehicle to maintain a defensive watch.
The high ground offered a broad field of vision, allowing them to overlook the entire entrance of the Green Rock Rift. The ground was covered with gravel, and a familiar stench of rotting earth gradually drifted through the air. It was much fainter than at the Black Mountain rift, yet it still carried the unique chill of subterranean creatures.
The three divided their tasks. Su Qing set up the beacon base, Old Chen guarded the perimeter, and Lin Yan continuously monitored the hidden psychic aura beneath the rock layers.
"Beacon base secured," Su Qing said, tightening the mounting bolts and activating the device. The instrument emitted a soft hum as an invisible psychic sensing network spread outward. "Beacon is online and has successfully connected to the Panshi City war zone server."
"First one complete. The next point is on the rock terrace to the left of the rift entrance," Old Chen said, consulting the mission map. "It's eight hundred meters from here."
Maintaining a triangular alert formation, the three moved slowly toward the rift entrance. Their footsteps made faint scraping sounds as they stepped on the gravel. The closer they got to the rift, the dimmer the surrounding light became. The rock walls were covered with uneven holes, which were exactly the hiding places for the scaled beasts.
The screen of the portable detector remained steady, with no alarms sounding.
The ambushing Lizardmen priest had suppressed the psychic signals of all the scaled beasts, relying on its own psychic power to isolate the beast swarm's aura, perfectly deceiving the instruments. This was a meticulously laid trap, designed not to be exposed prematurely, waiting for the squad to step into the optimal killing zone.
Every few steps Lin Yan took, he would quietly release a trace of mental tentacles to probe.
He could already sense the number of scaled beasts inside the rock caves: over a dozen low-level scaled beasts, and one second-tier scaled beast serving as the main attacker. They were all lying still in the shadows of the caves, motionless, awaiting commands.
"The rock terrace is just ahead," Su Qing said, pointing to the protruding rock platform in front. "The second beacon deployment point is right there."
The three stepped onto the rock terrace, and Su Qing crouched down, preparing to take out the second beacon.
At that exact moment, Lin Yan's brows suddenly furrowed.
That cold psychic power from underground abruptly lifted its suppression!
"Careful! Ambush!"
Almost simultaneously, over a dozen low-level scaled beasts burst out from the rock caves on both sides of the rift. Their pitch-black scales gleamed coldly in the dim environment as they roared, flanking them from the left and right. Close behind, a second-tier scaled beast, much larger than the ordinary ones, slowly stepped out from the depths of the cave, its murky vertical pupils locking dead onto the three people on the rock terrace.
The second-tier scaled beast simultaneously released a psychic impact that was not extremely powerful, but precisely ranged, striking directly at the three's Seas of Consciousness.
"Hold your Seas of Consciousness!" Old Chen roared, holding his knife horizontally to block the left flank, intercepting the two lunging low-level scaled beasts. His blade chopped down heavily onto the scales, sending tiny sparks flying.
Su Qing quickly put away the beacon, holding her short knife to guard the right flank while keeping a close eye on the detector. "Their psychic signals were triggered synchronously! It's exactly the same as on the Black Mountain battlefield!"
Lin Yan stood in the middle, his ancient martial arts stance firmly planted on the gravel. He contracted his Sea of Consciousness, guarding his core, while his outer barrier absorbed the psychic impact from the second-tier scaled beast, rippling in layers.
He split off a mental tentacle, probing deep into the rock layers, and instantly captured the psychic thread of the Lizardmen priest orchestrating the ambush. Unlike the all-out explosion at Black Mountain, the opponent was only controlling this small beast swarm within a limited range, aiming to kill the squad silently and without leaving too much commotion, to avoid drawing the main forces of the war zone.
The opponent's target was clear: prioritize killing him, and incidentally deal with Old Chen and Su Qing.
The second-tier scaled beast pushed off with its four limbs, its massive body leaping directly toward Lin Yan. A foul-smelling gust of wind rushed toward his face as its huge jaws opened wide, its sharp fangs gleaming with icy light.
Unhurried, Lin Yan slid sideways to dodge the pounce, his short blade thrusting backward in a reverse grip, aiming precisely at the scaled beast's eye socket.
Metal pierced soft tissue, and a miserable shriek exploded.
In intense pain, the second-tier scaled beast frantically shook its head, its massive skull sweeping horizontally. Using the momentum, Lin Yan rolled backward, dodging the head sweep and deliberately putting distance between them.
"This batch of scaled beasts is moving with extreme unity; they are completely controlled!" Lin Yan shouted a warning. "The controller is hidden deep within the rock layers of the rift. Watch out, it could adjust the offensive rhythm at any time!"
The dozen or so low-level scaled beasts continued to surge onto the rock terrace, surrounding them from three sides. Old Chen and Su Qing stood back-to-back, desperately slaying the approaching monsters. But there were too many scaled beasts, and in the ensuing melee, the two were gradually forced to the edge of the rock terrace, their retreat path growing narrower and narrower.
Deep underground, the Lizardmen priest calmly observed the battlefield.
It had originally thought this ambush would easily take care of Lin Yan, but it hadn't expected this human's psychic perception and close-quarters combat abilities to far exceed its estimates. It immediately adjusted its commands, ordering the second-tier scaled beast to entangle Lin Yan, while splitting off four low-level scaled beasts to assassinate the other two, dividing the squad.
The situation instantly turned perilous.
End of Chapter.
Withered, charred shrubs were sparsely scattered across the surface. The wind carried sand and dust past the vehicle, emitting a muffled rustling sound. On the distant horizon, a long, pitch-black fissure lay across the earth like a wound slashed open by a blade. That was the Green Rock Rift.
"Three kilometers to the target area," the driver slowed down and turned on the vehicle's psychic monitoring instrument. The screen displayed gently undulating, weak ripples. "Monitoring readings are normal. No psychic signals from large-scale scaled beast swarms."
Old Chen gripped the short knife at his waist, his gaze fixed tightly on the direction of the rift. "The Green Rock Rift isn't large. In previous years, there were mostly only sporadic, low-level scaled beasts active here. It's suitable for setting up warning beacons. But don't forget, that thing underground already knows we're coming."
Su Qing adjusted the portable Sea of Consciousness detector in her hand, her fingertips swiping across the screen. "I will continuously capture psychic fluctuations. The moment an anomalous synchronized signal appears, I'll issue an immediate warning."
Lin Yan leaned against the car window, his mental tentacles extending outward with extreme fineness.
He did not spread his perception over a wide area; doing so would easily allow the hidden Lizardmen priests underground to capture and locate him. He only released a few psychic threads as fine as silk, slowly extending them along the ground and rock layers.
On the surface of the wasteland, there were only scattered, faint biological signatures. But as he probed deeper into the rock layers of the rift, a faint, cold psychic aura lay dormant, deliberately suppressing all fluctuations and disguising itself as the dead silence of the rock strata itself.
It was hiding.
Lin Yan calmly retracted his mental tentacles and whispered a warning to the other two, "There is something inside deliberately suppressing its signal. Don't let your guard down. We will proceed according to standard protocol. Let's set up the first warning beacon on the high ground on the outer perimeter first; do not venture directly into the rift entrance."
The vehicle stopped at a highland two kilometers from the rift. The three got out, donned their full gear, and left the driver in the vehicle to maintain a defensive watch.
The high ground offered a broad field of vision, allowing them to overlook the entire entrance of the Green Rock Rift. The ground was covered with gravel, and a familiar stench of rotting earth gradually drifted through the air. It was much fainter than at the Black Mountain rift, yet it still carried the unique chill of subterranean creatures.
The three divided their tasks. Su Qing set up the beacon base, Old Chen guarded the perimeter, and Lin Yan continuously monitored the hidden psychic aura beneath the rock layers.
"Beacon base secured," Su Qing said, tightening the mounting bolts and activating the device. The instrument emitted a soft hum as an invisible psychic sensing network spread outward. "Beacon is online and has successfully connected to the Panshi City war zone server."
"First one complete. The next point is on the rock terrace to the left of the rift entrance," Old Chen said, consulting the mission map. "It's eight hundred meters from here."
Maintaining a triangular alert formation, the three moved slowly toward the rift entrance. Their footsteps made faint scraping sounds as they stepped on the gravel. The closer they got to the rift, the dimmer the surrounding light became. The rock walls were covered with uneven holes, which were exactly the hiding places for the scaled beasts.
The screen of the portable detector remained steady, with no alarms sounding.
The ambushing Lizardmen priest had suppressed the psychic signals of all the scaled beasts, relying on its own psychic power to isolate the beast swarm's aura, perfectly deceiving the instruments. This was a meticulously laid trap, designed not to be exposed prematurely, waiting for the squad to step into the optimal killing zone.
Every few steps Lin Yan took, he would quietly release a trace of mental tentacles to probe.
He could already sense the number of scaled beasts inside the rock caves: over a dozen low-level scaled beasts, and one second-tier scaled beast serving as the main attacker. They were all lying still in the shadows of the caves, motionless, awaiting commands.
"The rock terrace is just ahead," Su Qing said, pointing to the protruding rock platform in front. "The second beacon deployment point is right there."
The three stepped onto the rock terrace, and Su Qing crouched down, preparing to take out the second beacon.
At that exact moment, Lin Yan's brows suddenly furrowed.
That cold psychic power from underground abruptly lifted its suppression!
"Careful! Ambush!"
Almost simultaneously, over a dozen low-level scaled beasts burst out from the rock caves on both sides of the rift. Their pitch-black scales gleamed coldly in the dim environment as they roared, flanking them from the left and right. Close behind, a second-tier scaled beast, much larger than the ordinary ones, slowly stepped out from the depths of the cave, its murky vertical pupils locking dead onto the three people on the rock terrace.
The second-tier scaled beast simultaneously released a psychic impact that was not extremely powerful, but precisely ranged, striking directly at the three's Seas of Consciousness.
"Hold your Seas of Consciousness!" Old Chen roared, holding his knife horizontally to block the left flank, intercepting the two lunging low-level scaled beasts. His blade chopped down heavily onto the scales, sending tiny sparks flying.
Su Qing quickly put away the beacon, holding her short knife to guard the right flank while keeping a close eye on the detector. "Their psychic signals were triggered synchronously! It's exactly the same as on the Black Mountain battlefield!"
Lin Yan stood in the middle, his ancient martial arts stance firmly planted on the gravel. He contracted his Sea of Consciousness, guarding his core, while his outer barrier absorbed the psychic impact from the second-tier scaled beast, rippling in layers.
He split off a mental tentacle, probing deep into the rock layers, and instantly captured the psychic thread of the Lizardmen priest orchestrating the ambush. Unlike the all-out explosion at Black Mountain, the opponent was only controlling this small beast swarm within a limited range, aiming to kill the squad silently and without leaving too much commotion, to avoid drawing the main forces of the war zone.
The opponent's target was clear: prioritize killing him, and incidentally deal with Old Chen and Su Qing.
The second-tier scaled beast pushed off with its four limbs, its massive body leaping directly toward Lin Yan. A foul-smelling gust of wind rushed toward his face as its huge jaws opened wide, its sharp fangs gleaming with icy light.
Unhurried, Lin Yan slid sideways to dodge the pounce, his short blade thrusting backward in a reverse grip, aiming precisely at the scaled beast's eye socket.
Metal pierced soft tissue, and a miserable shriek exploded.
In intense pain, the second-tier scaled beast frantically shook its head, its massive skull sweeping horizontally. Using the momentum, Lin Yan rolled backward, dodging the head sweep and deliberately putting distance between them.
"This batch of scaled beasts is moving with extreme unity; they are completely controlled!" Lin Yan shouted a warning. "The controller is hidden deep within the rock layers of the rift. Watch out, it could adjust the offensive rhythm at any time!"
The dozen or so low-level scaled beasts continued to surge onto the rock terrace, surrounding them from three sides. Old Chen and Su Qing stood back-to-back, desperately slaying the approaching monsters. But there were too many scaled beasts, and in the ensuing melee, the two were gradually forced to the edge of the rock terrace, their retreat path growing narrower and narrower.
Deep underground, the Lizardmen priest calmly observed the battlefield.
It had originally thought this ambush would easily take care of Lin Yan, but it hadn't expected this human's psychic perception and close-quarters combat abilities to far exceed its estimates. It immediately adjusted its commands, ordering the second-tier scaled beast to entangle Lin Yan, while splitting off four low-level scaled beasts to assassinate the other two, dividing the squad.
The situation instantly turned perilous.
End of Chapter.