Chapter 158: Before Departure
The lingering echoes of the slaughter still drifted across the wasteland as the frontline squads finished clearing out the few stray, wounded scaled beasts.
The defense line temporarily entered a relatively stable lull, yet no one dared to relax. The city walls were covered in bloodstains. Broken shell casings and severed limbs of the scaled beasts were quickly cleared away by the soldiers. Stretchers were continuously transported to the rear, and the shouts from the first-aid station never ceased.
Lin Yan followed Lu Heng, Instructor Wen, and the other five members of the squad into a sealed war preparation deduction room behind the command center. The heavy alloy door closed, shutting out the clamor of the battlefield outside, leaving only the eerie, cold glow of the light screen.
Chen Ye brought four assault team members, all veteran soldiers who had survived the battles along the defense line. Their hands were crisscrossed with scars, and their expressions were calm, devoid of any unnecessary restlessness. They had long heard of the horrors deep within the curtain and understood that this reconnaissance was not a surprise assault, but a stealthy passage through the gaps of a blade's edge. One wrong step, and the entire squad would be trapped to death in the endless illusion.
The light screen displayed a topographical map of the wasteland outside the Western Front. Vast areas were covered in gray shadows—the extent of the curtain's shroud. All the terrain had been altered by the illusion web, rendering the map's markings completely useless. Only a few coordinates where node signals had previously been detected were marked with red dots.
"There is no fixed route," Zhao Kai said, standing beside the light screen, his finger sliding across the image, his voice lowered. "We can only wait for the frequency vacuum window. The moment a window appears, you push forward a segment. When the window disappears, immediately find a crevice in the rocks or a ruin to lie dormant. Turn off most of your Sea of Consciousness fluctuations and do not actively resonate with the illusion web."
He brought up the spectrum samples he had recorded previously, displaying them one by one to the group. "The duration of the blank windows is unstable. The shortest is three seconds, and the longest will not exceed ten seconds. The interval between two windows has no pattern; it could be a few minutes, or we might have to wait two to three hours. I will monitor in real-time on the city walls. Communications will use encrypted shortwave. Once the signal is swallowed by the illusion web, do not attempt to re-establish contact. Prioritize self-preservation."
An assault team member with a knife scar on his face spoke up: "What if we encounter a secondary priest midway?"
"Avoid them," Lu Heng said resolutely. "Our objective is not to slay the priests, but only to scout the layout of the mother nest outside Rift No. 79, the location of the scaled beast incubation chambers, and where their psychic core is hidden. If we can avoid fighting, we absolutely must. Once locked onto by a priest, the illusion web in the entire area will converge on you. Even Lin Yan cannot withstand the wash of a multi-layered phantom array."
Instructor Wen looked at Lin Yan, her gaze solemn: "You are the only Sea of Consciousness fulcrum for the entire squad. Remember the agreement: when the pain touches the critical threshold, immediately cease all Sea of Consciousness exploration. Use only your naked eyes to observe, and let Chen Ye handle the vigilance. You have three strong-dose stabilization agents. Use them sparingly. The side effect of the agent is a temporary numbness of perception. After injection, your ability to distinguish illusions will decrease. Unless the fissure is on the verge of rupturing, absolutely do not use them."
Lin Yan nodded gently, raising a hand to press his brow. The hidden pain of the fissure was still continuous. He knew the price better than anyone else. When other Sea of Consciousness cultivators infiltrated, it was a continuous consumption of psychic power. But for him, every fraction of perception he released was a continuous tearing of his origin wound. On this journey, he was moving forward dragging an unhealing injury, with no retreat and no hope to pin on "the injury getting better."
"I have one more question," Chen Ye said. "If we reach the outer perimeter of the rift and see the true body of a high-tier ancient progeny, what should we do?"
"Retreat immediately," Lu Heng replied without hesitation. "All our intelligence is currently just speculation. The psychic abilities of the high-tier ancient lizard progeny are far beyond those of secondary priests. Once exposed, let alone reconnaissance, the illusion web assault across the entire Western Front will suddenly escalate. We cannot afford to gamble."
The deduction lasted for nearly an hour. Retreat plans, emergency codes, and supply distribution were finalized one by one. Each person was issued high-explosive shock grenades, short-barreled shock pistols, emergency hemostatic agents, and a small box of anti-corrosive breath lozenges. Lin Yan had no extra protection. His greatest reliance was the sensitivity to the illusion web's frequency, honed through countless narrow escapes from death, and the ancient martial arts breathing technique left by his master, used to steady his consciousness amidst agonizing pain.
Stepping out of the deduction room, the sky outside had already tilted toward evening. The gray fog had completely swallowed the setting sun, leaving the world in a murky, heavy gloom.
Gu Shen was waiting for him in the corridor.
The two stood in a quiet corner, gazing at each other from a short distance.
"I'm leaving the Western Front to you," Lin Yan spoke first.
"Rest assured," Gu Shen said, his expression grave. "I will strictly enforce the shifts to ensure the defense line's Sea of Consciousness barrier doesn't drop. But you must also remember: just because I am holding the defense line here does not mean you can take risks. If you lose contact for more than twelve hours, we will assume the squad has fallen, and we will not send anyone in for a rescue."
Lin Yan understood the cruelty of this statement. The curtain was a natural prison. Once inside, losing contact basically equated to a death sentence. There would be no rescue, no reinforcements; everything could only rely on the six members of the squad themselves.
"I understand."
"And," Gu Shen paused, his voice dropping to a whisper, "I don't expect you to find some earth-shattering flaw. I only hope you can come back alive. Your injury... cannot withstand a deep backlash."
Lin Yan did not respond, merely giving a slight nod. He himself didn't know if he could survive this journey. In human cognition, the ninth tier was the pinnacle of Sea of Consciousness cultivation. He was currently only at the third tier, separated from that realm by countless ravines of life and death. And this fissure would become the sharpest blade hanging over his head in every desperate situation.
Next came the wait.
The six members of the squad rested at the temporary assembly point, checking their equipment and closing their eyes to regulate their breath. All detection equipment on the city walls was pushed to maximum power. Zhao Kai sat in front of the instruments, his eyes死死 fixed on the constantly jumping spectrum curves, not daring to look away for a moment.
The defense line maintained its vigilance. The low-frequency oppression of the illusion web had not disappeared; it was just that no beast tide charge had been launched for the time being. The soldiers vaguely knew that a squad was about to infiltrate deep into the curtain. The gazes directed toward the assembly point held complex emotions: admiration, and an undeniable, lingering sorrow.
No one knew how much time passed before Zhao Kai's urgent, suppressed voice suddenly rang out in the earpiece:
"It's here! A blank window! Coordinates A7, estimated duration six seconds! Prepare!"
Lin Yan instantly opened his eyes, and the slightest trace of miscellaneous thoughts in his heart was instantly cleared. He stood up and looked at the five team members beside him.
"Follow the plan. Stay close to me. Do not stare at the surrounding illusions. All perception will be based on my judgment. When the window disappears, lie dormant in place. No moving around."
"Understood!" the five replied in low voices.
The alloy side door slowly slid open. The cold, bloody wind of the wasteland rushed against their faces, carrying the sticky psychic pressure unique to the illusion web. In the distance, the curtain lay dormant quietly within the gray fog, countless nodes flowing and resonating in the dark. It was the net woven by the alien race over twenty-five years.
Lin Yan took the lead in stepping out of the bastion. He released only an extremely faint wisp of perception from his Sea of Consciousness, carefully probing forward along the gaps in the frequency band.
The fissure trembled slightly, and the familiar, stabbing pain arrived as expected.
He took a step, entering that boundless, dark illusion screen.
End of Chapter.
The defense line temporarily entered a relatively stable lull, yet no one dared to relax. The city walls were covered in bloodstains. Broken shell casings and severed limbs of the scaled beasts were quickly cleared away by the soldiers. Stretchers were continuously transported to the rear, and the shouts from the first-aid station never ceased.
Lin Yan followed Lu Heng, Instructor Wen, and the other five members of the squad into a sealed war preparation deduction room behind the command center. The heavy alloy door closed, shutting out the clamor of the battlefield outside, leaving only the eerie, cold glow of the light screen.
Chen Ye brought four assault team members, all veteran soldiers who had survived the battles along the defense line. Their hands were crisscrossed with scars, and their expressions were calm, devoid of any unnecessary restlessness. They had long heard of the horrors deep within the curtain and understood that this reconnaissance was not a surprise assault, but a stealthy passage through the gaps of a blade's edge. One wrong step, and the entire squad would be trapped to death in the endless illusion.
The light screen displayed a topographical map of the wasteland outside the Western Front. Vast areas were covered in gray shadows—the extent of the curtain's shroud. All the terrain had been altered by the illusion web, rendering the map's markings completely useless. Only a few coordinates where node signals had previously been detected were marked with red dots.
"There is no fixed route," Zhao Kai said, standing beside the light screen, his finger sliding across the image, his voice lowered. "We can only wait for the frequency vacuum window. The moment a window appears, you push forward a segment. When the window disappears, immediately find a crevice in the rocks or a ruin to lie dormant. Turn off most of your Sea of Consciousness fluctuations and do not actively resonate with the illusion web."
He brought up the spectrum samples he had recorded previously, displaying them one by one to the group. "The duration of the blank windows is unstable. The shortest is three seconds, and the longest will not exceed ten seconds. The interval between two windows has no pattern; it could be a few minutes, or we might have to wait two to three hours. I will monitor in real-time on the city walls. Communications will use encrypted shortwave. Once the signal is swallowed by the illusion web, do not attempt to re-establish contact. Prioritize self-preservation."
An assault team member with a knife scar on his face spoke up: "What if we encounter a secondary priest midway?"
"Avoid them," Lu Heng said resolutely. "Our objective is not to slay the priests, but only to scout the layout of the mother nest outside Rift No. 79, the location of the scaled beast incubation chambers, and where their psychic core is hidden. If we can avoid fighting, we absolutely must. Once locked onto by a priest, the illusion web in the entire area will converge on you. Even Lin Yan cannot withstand the wash of a multi-layered phantom array."
Instructor Wen looked at Lin Yan, her gaze solemn: "You are the only Sea of Consciousness fulcrum for the entire squad. Remember the agreement: when the pain touches the critical threshold, immediately cease all Sea of Consciousness exploration. Use only your naked eyes to observe, and let Chen Ye handle the vigilance. You have three strong-dose stabilization agents. Use them sparingly. The side effect of the agent is a temporary numbness of perception. After injection, your ability to distinguish illusions will decrease. Unless the fissure is on the verge of rupturing, absolutely do not use them."
Lin Yan nodded gently, raising a hand to press his brow. The hidden pain of the fissure was still continuous. He knew the price better than anyone else. When other Sea of Consciousness cultivators infiltrated, it was a continuous consumption of psychic power. But for him, every fraction of perception he released was a continuous tearing of his origin wound. On this journey, he was moving forward dragging an unhealing injury, with no retreat and no hope to pin on "the injury getting better."
"I have one more question," Chen Ye said. "If we reach the outer perimeter of the rift and see the true body of a high-tier ancient progeny, what should we do?"
"Retreat immediately," Lu Heng replied without hesitation. "All our intelligence is currently just speculation. The psychic abilities of the high-tier ancient lizard progeny are far beyond those of secondary priests. Once exposed, let alone reconnaissance, the illusion web assault across the entire Western Front will suddenly escalate. We cannot afford to gamble."
The deduction lasted for nearly an hour. Retreat plans, emergency codes, and supply distribution were finalized one by one. Each person was issued high-explosive shock grenades, short-barreled shock pistols, emergency hemostatic agents, and a small box of anti-corrosive breath lozenges. Lin Yan had no extra protection. His greatest reliance was the sensitivity to the illusion web's frequency, honed through countless narrow escapes from death, and the ancient martial arts breathing technique left by his master, used to steady his consciousness amidst agonizing pain.
Stepping out of the deduction room, the sky outside had already tilted toward evening. The gray fog had completely swallowed the setting sun, leaving the world in a murky, heavy gloom.
Gu Shen was waiting for him in the corridor.
The two stood in a quiet corner, gazing at each other from a short distance.
"I'm leaving the Western Front to you," Lin Yan spoke first.
"Rest assured," Gu Shen said, his expression grave. "I will strictly enforce the shifts to ensure the defense line's Sea of Consciousness barrier doesn't drop. But you must also remember: just because I am holding the defense line here does not mean you can take risks. If you lose contact for more than twelve hours, we will assume the squad has fallen, and we will not send anyone in for a rescue."
Lin Yan understood the cruelty of this statement. The curtain was a natural prison. Once inside, losing contact basically equated to a death sentence. There would be no rescue, no reinforcements; everything could only rely on the six members of the squad themselves.
"I understand."
"And," Gu Shen paused, his voice dropping to a whisper, "I don't expect you to find some earth-shattering flaw. I only hope you can come back alive. Your injury... cannot withstand a deep backlash."
Lin Yan did not respond, merely giving a slight nod. He himself didn't know if he could survive this journey. In human cognition, the ninth tier was the pinnacle of Sea of Consciousness cultivation. He was currently only at the third tier, separated from that realm by countless ravines of life and death. And this fissure would become the sharpest blade hanging over his head in every desperate situation.
Next came the wait.
The six members of the squad rested at the temporary assembly point, checking their equipment and closing their eyes to regulate their breath. All detection equipment on the city walls was pushed to maximum power. Zhao Kai sat in front of the instruments, his eyes死死 fixed on the constantly jumping spectrum curves, not daring to look away for a moment.
The defense line maintained its vigilance. The low-frequency oppression of the illusion web had not disappeared; it was just that no beast tide charge had been launched for the time being. The soldiers vaguely knew that a squad was about to infiltrate deep into the curtain. The gazes directed toward the assembly point held complex emotions: admiration, and an undeniable, lingering sorrow.
No one knew how much time passed before Zhao Kai's urgent, suppressed voice suddenly rang out in the earpiece:
"It's here! A blank window! Coordinates A7, estimated duration six seconds! Prepare!"
Lin Yan instantly opened his eyes, and the slightest trace of miscellaneous thoughts in his heart was instantly cleared. He stood up and looked at the five team members beside him.
"Follow the plan. Stay close to me. Do not stare at the surrounding illusions. All perception will be based on my judgment. When the window disappears, lie dormant in place. No moving around."
"Understood!" the five replied in low voices.
The alloy side door slowly slid open. The cold, bloody wind of the wasteland rushed against their faces, carrying the sticky psychic pressure unique to the illusion web. In the distance, the curtain lay dormant quietly within the gray fog, countless nodes flowing and resonating in the dark. It was the net woven by the alien race over twenty-five years.
Lin Yan took the lead in stepping out of the bastion. He released only an extremely faint wisp of perception from his Sea of Consciousness, carefully probing forward along the gaps in the frequency band.
The fissure trembled slightly, and the familiar, stabbing pain arrived as expected.
He took a step, entering that boundless, dark illusion screen.
End of Chapter.