Chapter 19: The Psychic Tide
The third-tier scaled beast stood atop the pile of rubble, its massive three-meter-tall body casting a heavy shadow. It was in no rush to charge; instead, it merely raised its head slightly as gray-black mist slowly seeped from its snout. Invisible mental power, like a rising tide, pressed against the entire trench in slow, heavy waves.
This was entirely different from the fragmented, needle-like psychic stings of the low-level scaled beasts.
This was pure, brute-force will crushing down.
Lin Yan crouched behind the cover, his hands gripping the energy rifle so tightly his knuckles turned white. Under this immense force, his second-tier peak Sea of Consciousness barrier trembled continuously. His brain throbbed with a dull pressure, as if a wet cotton pad was forcefully wedged into his skull, and the ringing in his ears grew louder. Instinctively, he circulated the internal energy of his ancient martial arts, trying to steady his mind, but the physical aura was fundamentally powerless to completely resist this erosion that pierced straight into his consciousness.
He could do nothing.
He could only press himself tightly against the inner wall of the trench, watching helplessly as the people around him were battered by the psychic tidal wave.
Beside him, Su Qing suddenly collapsed to her knees, clutching her head tightly in both hands, her teeth chattering uncontrollably. Her Sea of Consciousness was only at the first tier, barely supported by the Sea of Consciousness stabilizer patch on her forehead. The thin patch emitted a faint, pale light that visibly continued to dim.
"Hold on! Don't let your consciousness go blank! Guard your Sea of Consciousness!" Instructor Zhou's hoarse roar came from the front. Standing near the edge of the trench, he bore the brunt of the psychic pressure. The veins on his forehead bulged, and his face was deathly pale, yet he still held his energy rifle, locking his sights firmly on the third-tier scaled beast high above.
Two stationed veterans at the front line had already taken the initiative to move forward, preparing to seize an opportunity to restrain the giant beast. They were the only ones on the entire defense line capable of briefly withstanding the psychic impact of the third-tier scaled beast, as their Seas of Consciousness had both reached the third tier.
"It's gathering energy for the next wave of impact. Get ready!" one of the veterans whispered a warning to his companion, raising his hand to signal the others to hold the formation.
Before his words had even faded, the second, even more violent psychic tidal wave crashed down.
A new recruit on the right side of the trench let out a miserable scream, his body suddenly convulsing. The patch on his forehead failed instantly, and his mental defenses were torn apart in a flash. His eyes quickly became vacant and unfocused. Dropping his rifle, he began frantically scratching at his own scalp with both hands, letting out incoherent whimpers.
"His Sea of Consciousness collapsed! Drag him down!" Instructor Zhou ordered through gritted teeth. Two medics waiting in the rear immediately rushed forward, forcibly dragging the out-of-control recruit back to the temporary medical station behind the trench.
Lin Yan's heart sank heavily, a chill crawling up his spine. The casualties he had witnessed in the previous chapter were still branded in his mind, but only at this moment did he truly experience the sheer terror of a high-level scaled beast's psychic attack. Physical wounds could be stopped and stitched, but once the Sea of Consciousness shattered, a person was reduced to an empty shell, with no hope of recovery.
The third-tier scaled beast on the high ground let out a low hiss, still not descending from the pile of rubble. It was intelligent enough to use its mental power to continuously drain the minds of everyone in the trench, waiting for the defense line to collapse on a massive scale before calmly stepping in to harvest the prey.
"Left flank! Three low-level scaled beasts are flanking around!" someone shouted.
Everyone's pressure was already stretched to the absolute limit by the psychic impact of the third-tier scaled beast. Hearing the warning, the remaining soldiers capable of fighting immediately split their focus to redirect their gunfire. Three gray-black low-level scaled beasts, using the rocks as cover, sprinted rapidly toward the trench, their hisses accompanied by a synchronized barrage of fragmented psychic needles.
"Four-man squad, form up!" the veteran roared.
Four veterans quickly formed an encirclement formation. Two held their guns to disrupt the enemy from a distance, one looked for an opening in the scaled beast's pounce, and the last wielded a short blade, targeting the soft flesh around the eye sockets and lower jaw. The low-level scaled beasts were ferociously strong and heavily armored; even with seamless teamwork, the situation remained extremely perilous.
One scaled beast suddenly leaped into the air, pouncing toward the veteran on the outermost edge of the formation. The veteran hastily raised his armor to block, but the massive impact knocked him to the ground. The scaled beast's sharp fangs snapped viciously toward his neck. The other three risked their lives to strike simultaneously; energy bullets blasted into the beast's eye, and a short blade plunged deeply into the gap of its lower jaw.
The scaled beast struggled violently, spraying black blood that splashed across the fallen veteran's armor. This fierce struggle lasted nearly a minute. Paying the price of one man's arm being torn open to the bone by the beast's claws, they finally managed to slay the low-level scaled beast.
Inside the trench, the metallic stench of blood mingled with the putrid, rotting odor of the scaled beasts.
Gripping his rifle, Lin Yan kept his gaze firmly locked on the battlefield, not daring to make a reckless move the entire time. He knew clearly that, with his current abilities, charging forward would only disrupt the veterans' formation and become a burden to his teammates. The only thing he could do was spread out his Sea of Consciousness perception, continuously capturing the psychic signals across the entire area to provide early warnings for the squad.
"Two more low-level scaled beasts on the right, circling to the rear. Their speed isn't fast." Suppressing the dizziness in his brain, Lin Yan steadily reported his perception results to the entire team.
Instructor Zhou nodded and immediately arranged for two new recruits who could still stabilize their Seas of Consciousness to redirect their fire and guard the gap on the flank. The new recruits' shooting accuracy was lacking, and they could only barely provide suppression; it still required a veteran to step in and cover their blind spots.
Atop the pile of rubble, the third-tier scaled beast unleashed another psychic impact.
The intensity of this wave was even greater than before. Another new recruit couldn't withstand it and collapsed on the spot, his consciousness plunging into chaos. The two third-tier veterans at the front line restraining the third-tier scaled beast were also severely affected; their footing staggered, and cold sweat continuously beaded on their foreheads.
"Comms! Call for backup again! The pressure on our defense line is too high, request immediate reinforcement!" Instructor Zhou roared into his earpiece.
The anxious and helpless reply of a support squad member came through the communicator: "Team Zhou, a massive number of low-level scaled beasts are blocking the path. Our advance is slow; we need more time! The beast tide at the main rift entrance is still pouring out, and the main forces can't spare any manpower!"
Instructor Zhou's hand tightened slightly around his rifle, his eyes filled with a heavy weight.
Lin Yan silently observed everything on the battlefield. He was memorizing the veterans' positioning in their formation, the physical precursors to the low-level scaled beasts' pounces, and the state of a person once their Sea of Consciousness stabilizer patch was depleted. He was also feeling the subtle changes in the psychic fluctuations right before the third-tier scaled beast released each tidal wave.
These were things that the training grounds and textbook knowledge could never teach him.
Fear still lingered in his heart. With his ancient martial arts combat skills, he was adept at dealing with physical opponents, but facing this invisible psychic crushing, he was just as fragile as the rest of the new recruits. He had no ability to charge forward and slay the third-tier scaled beast, nor could he even save his dying comrades. He could only hold his ground behind the cover, doing what little he could to provide warnings.
From deep within the distant rift, continuous roars still echoed, and the ground trembled slightly from time to time. This tug-of-war was far from seeing its end.
The third-tier scaled beast looked down at the trench below, a cold, murderous intent flowing in its dark green vertical pupils. It slowly adjusted its stance, preparing to brew the next, even more terrifying psychic suppression. Everyone remaining in the trench was enduring the continuous drain, struggling desperately to hold on.
End of Chapter
This was entirely different from the fragmented, needle-like psychic stings of the low-level scaled beasts.
This was pure, brute-force will crushing down.
Lin Yan crouched behind the cover, his hands gripping the energy rifle so tightly his knuckles turned white. Under this immense force, his second-tier peak Sea of Consciousness barrier trembled continuously. His brain throbbed with a dull pressure, as if a wet cotton pad was forcefully wedged into his skull, and the ringing in his ears grew louder. Instinctively, he circulated the internal energy of his ancient martial arts, trying to steady his mind, but the physical aura was fundamentally powerless to completely resist this erosion that pierced straight into his consciousness.
He could do nothing.
He could only press himself tightly against the inner wall of the trench, watching helplessly as the people around him were battered by the psychic tidal wave.
Beside him, Su Qing suddenly collapsed to her knees, clutching her head tightly in both hands, her teeth chattering uncontrollably. Her Sea of Consciousness was only at the first tier, barely supported by the Sea of Consciousness stabilizer patch on her forehead. The thin patch emitted a faint, pale light that visibly continued to dim.
"Hold on! Don't let your consciousness go blank! Guard your Sea of Consciousness!" Instructor Zhou's hoarse roar came from the front. Standing near the edge of the trench, he bore the brunt of the psychic pressure. The veins on his forehead bulged, and his face was deathly pale, yet he still held his energy rifle, locking his sights firmly on the third-tier scaled beast high above.
Two stationed veterans at the front line had already taken the initiative to move forward, preparing to seize an opportunity to restrain the giant beast. They were the only ones on the entire defense line capable of briefly withstanding the psychic impact of the third-tier scaled beast, as their Seas of Consciousness had both reached the third tier.
"It's gathering energy for the next wave of impact. Get ready!" one of the veterans whispered a warning to his companion, raising his hand to signal the others to hold the formation.
Before his words had even faded, the second, even more violent psychic tidal wave crashed down.
A new recruit on the right side of the trench let out a miserable scream, his body suddenly convulsing. The patch on his forehead failed instantly, and his mental defenses were torn apart in a flash. His eyes quickly became vacant and unfocused. Dropping his rifle, he began frantically scratching at his own scalp with both hands, letting out incoherent whimpers.
"His Sea of Consciousness collapsed! Drag him down!" Instructor Zhou ordered through gritted teeth. Two medics waiting in the rear immediately rushed forward, forcibly dragging the out-of-control recruit back to the temporary medical station behind the trench.
Lin Yan's heart sank heavily, a chill crawling up his spine. The casualties he had witnessed in the previous chapter were still branded in his mind, but only at this moment did he truly experience the sheer terror of a high-level scaled beast's psychic attack. Physical wounds could be stopped and stitched, but once the Sea of Consciousness shattered, a person was reduced to an empty shell, with no hope of recovery.
The third-tier scaled beast on the high ground let out a low hiss, still not descending from the pile of rubble. It was intelligent enough to use its mental power to continuously drain the minds of everyone in the trench, waiting for the defense line to collapse on a massive scale before calmly stepping in to harvest the prey.
"Left flank! Three low-level scaled beasts are flanking around!" someone shouted.
Everyone's pressure was already stretched to the absolute limit by the psychic impact of the third-tier scaled beast. Hearing the warning, the remaining soldiers capable of fighting immediately split their focus to redirect their gunfire. Three gray-black low-level scaled beasts, using the rocks as cover, sprinted rapidly toward the trench, their hisses accompanied by a synchronized barrage of fragmented psychic needles.
"Four-man squad, form up!" the veteran roared.
Four veterans quickly formed an encirclement formation. Two held their guns to disrupt the enemy from a distance, one looked for an opening in the scaled beast's pounce, and the last wielded a short blade, targeting the soft flesh around the eye sockets and lower jaw. The low-level scaled beasts were ferociously strong and heavily armored; even with seamless teamwork, the situation remained extremely perilous.
One scaled beast suddenly leaped into the air, pouncing toward the veteran on the outermost edge of the formation. The veteran hastily raised his armor to block, but the massive impact knocked him to the ground. The scaled beast's sharp fangs snapped viciously toward his neck. The other three risked their lives to strike simultaneously; energy bullets blasted into the beast's eye, and a short blade plunged deeply into the gap of its lower jaw.
The scaled beast struggled violently, spraying black blood that splashed across the fallen veteran's armor. This fierce struggle lasted nearly a minute. Paying the price of one man's arm being torn open to the bone by the beast's claws, they finally managed to slay the low-level scaled beast.
Inside the trench, the metallic stench of blood mingled with the putrid, rotting odor of the scaled beasts.
Gripping his rifle, Lin Yan kept his gaze firmly locked on the battlefield, not daring to make a reckless move the entire time. He knew clearly that, with his current abilities, charging forward would only disrupt the veterans' formation and become a burden to his teammates. The only thing he could do was spread out his Sea of Consciousness perception, continuously capturing the psychic signals across the entire area to provide early warnings for the squad.
"Two more low-level scaled beasts on the right, circling to the rear. Their speed isn't fast." Suppressing the dizziness in his brain, Lin Yan steadily reported his perception results to the entire team.
Instructor Zhou nodded and immediately arranged for two new recruits who could still stabilize their Seas of Consciousness to redirect their fire and guard the gap on the flank. The new recruits' shooting accuracy was lacking, and they could only barely provide suppression; it still required a veteran to step in and cover their blind spots.
Atop the pile of rubble, the third-tier scaled beast unleashed another psychic impact.
The intensity of this wave was even greater than before. Another new recruit couldn't withstand it and collapsed on the spot, his consciousness plunging into chaos. The two third-tier veterans at the front line restraining the third-tier scaled beast were also severely affected; their footing staggered, and cold sweat continuously beaded on their foreheads.
"Comms! Call for backup again! The pressure on our defense line is too high, request immediate reinforcement!" Instructor Zhou roared into his earpiece.
The anxious and helpless reply of a support squad member came through the communicator: "Team Zhou, a massive number of low-level scaled beasts are blocking the path. Our advance is slow; we need more time! The beast tide at the main rift entrance is still pouring out, and the main forces can't spare any manpower!"
Instructor Zhou's hand tightened slightly around his rifle, his eyes filled with a heavy weight.
Lin Yan silently observed everything on the battlefield. He was memorizing the veterans' positioning in their formation, the physical precursors to the low-level scaled beasts' pounces, and the state of a person once their Sea of Consciousness stabilizer patch was depleted. He was also feeling the subtle changes in the psychic fluctuations right before the third-tier scaled beast released each tidal wave.
These were things that the training grounds and textbook knowledge could never teach him.
Fear still lingered in his heart. With his ancient martial arts combat skills, he was adept at dealing with physical opponents, but facing this invisible psychic crushing, he was just as fragile as the rest of the new recruits. He had no ability to charge forward and slay the third-tier scaled beast, nor could he even save his dying comrades. He could only hold his ground behind the cover, doing what little he could to provide warnings.
From deep within the distant rift, continuous roars still echoed, and the ground trembled slightly from time to time. This tug-of-war was far from seeing its end.
The third-tier scaled beast looked down at the trench below, a cold, murderous intent flowing in its dark green vertical pupils. It slowly adjusted its stance, preparing to brew the next, even more terrifying psychic suppression. Everyone remaining in the trench was enduring the continuous drain, struggling desperately to hold on.
End of Chapter