Chapter 83: Encountering the Barrier
Half an hour later, all preparations were complete. Klei and the Third Squad Vice-Captain each shouldered two bulging backpacks. Healthy Sentinels supported the wounded; though the injured were bloodied, their eyes were exceptionally determined.
“Do a final check of your communicators. Stay with the group. If you accidentally fall behind, maintain contact at all costs. Once we depart, no matter what happens, no one is allowed to act on their own.”
Mo Xiao gave his final instructions, then looked at Su Tang—or more accurately, at the little black cat in her arms.
“We’ll have to trouble Xiao Yu again.”
The little fellow stood up from Su Tang’s arms, climbed onto her shoulder, and sat down steadily. It slightly raised its chin, signaling everyone to depart.
Su Tang smiled, walking at the front of the group with Zhan Ye following closely by her side to protect her.
The protective light membrane in the camp was completely shut down. Xiao Yu tilted its head to the right, and Su Tang followed the cue, heading in that direction.
Mo Xiao stayed vigilantly on the outer flank of the group, monitoring the perimeter. It turned out Xiao Yu had indeed chosen an excellent route. Soon, they reached the canyon area Xiao Yu had pointed out. The rock walls on both sides were very high. They advanced cautiously; they occasionally encountered a few extremely low-level pollutants, which Zhan Ye and Mo Xiao dealt with quickly without causing a scene. The journey was relatively peaceful.
“Three more kilometers and we reach the edge of the mountains,” Klei said, unable to hide the excitement in his voice as he looked at the GPS on his wristband.
Su Tang breathed a sigh of relief and smiled down at Xiao Yu. “It’s all thanks to you~”
She reached out her finger to scratch the little black cat’s chin. She really owed Ya Suo a big favor this time; she would have to thank him properly once they returned.
Xiao Yu rubbed comfortably against her fingertip, letting out a satisfied purr. Both human and cat were enjoying the affectionate moment when suddenly, the black cat snapped its head up. Its emerald eyes, which had been squinting in pleasure, flew open with terror. It let out a roar toward the path ahead.
Zhan Ye’s face changed instantly. He stepped forward, shielding Su Tang behind him.
“Something’s wrong,” Zhan Ye whispered. The group immediately halted. He reached for the dagger at his waist. “The energy field around us has suddenly become very strange.”
Mo Xiao walked to Su Tang’s other side, frowning as he watched the fluctuating readings on his wristband.
Su Tang felt it too. An invisible pressure was surging from all directions, like a massive net enveloping them. She tried to release her spirit power to investigate, but as soon as she did, the pressure surrounding them became tangible.
An incredibly thick barrier had appeared out of thin air, trapping them all inside. Su Tang controlled her spirit power to probe the barrier, but the moment she touched it, she was repelled. Feeling the pain radiating from her spirit power, Su Tang let out a gasp.
“Are you okay?”
Su Tang shook her head at Zhan Ye and pointed about fifty meters ahead. “There… there’s a barrier blocking our way…”
As soon as she spoke, the area she was pointing to erupted in white light. The light even shrunk toward their position until it stopped right at their feet.
“What is this?” Klei reached out to touch the white light. As soon as his hand made contact, it felt like hitting an invisible wall; he couldn’t pass through at all.
“We… we’re trapped.”
Zhan Ye pulled his dagger and stabbed forcefully at the invisible barrier. The tip of the dagger let out a piercing hum. The veins on the man’s hand bulged, showing the force he had used, yet not even a scratch was left on the faint white surface.
His expression grew grave. “It should be an energy barrier. It feels very similar to the Bai Ta’s protective shield.”
“It’s the Cocoon.” “It doesn’t want us to leave.”
This conclusion was like a bucket of cold water, extinguishing everyone’s hope.
“It knows we want to escape the bombing range, so it set a trap in advance.”
The realization was terrifying. Just how high was the intelligence of this Cocoon?
“I don’t believe this. It’s just a pollutant; what’s it doing building barriers?” Zhan Ye manifested the Golden Eagle. Its sharp claws struck the white light, its flapping wings kicking up dust from the ground. Su Tang closed her eyes and covered her nose.
Damn it, Zhan Ye’s hot temper—couldn’t he have warned them before acting?
When the dust settled, Su Tang opened her eyes. Zhan Ye was panting heavily, his fists clenched tight. The Golden Eagle returned to his shoulder, irritably preening its feathers. Its sharp eyes stared at the glowing barrier, but it could only let out a helpless screech.
Clearly, even the Golden Eagle’s attack was useless.
“Don’t waste your energy.” Mo Xiao’s palm rested lightly against the white surface. The stain on his left shoulder had turned even darker. His voice was hoarse but carried his usual stability. “The energy fluctuations of this barrier are dynamic. It’s likely connected to the Cocoon and adjusts its defense according to the strength of our attacks.”
The Vice-Captain slumped to the ground. The black mist was slowly spreading from the wound on his wrist. The physical discomfort was being amplified by the environment, and waves of unease washed over him.
“Then what do we do? Are we really going to wait for the Bai Ta to bomb us and be buried with this thing?”
The Sentinels’ morale hit rock bottom; even their breathing was heavy with depression. Zhan Ye kicked a nearby rock, sending fragments flying.
“Fuck the Bai Ta! Fuck the mission! We risk our lives, and in the end, we’re just abandoned?” His eyes swirled with violent rage, and he didn’t dare look back at the expressions of the other Sentinels.
“Guide Su, I knew you would join us on this mission. Before we left, I specifically used my points to exchange for this Guide-exclusive supplementary agent. I was going to give it to you after the mission, but take it now.”
The tall Sentinel handed a tube of transparent medicine to her. Su Tang looked up, a trace of emotion in her eyes.
“We Sentinels realized the Bai Ta’s attitude toward us long ago. Aside from being heartbroken, there’s nothing left to fear. But you… you’re a precious Guide, yet you’ve been abandoned by those dogs at the Bai Ta just like us. It’s truly unforgivable.”
The tall Sentinel’s words were filled with anger toward the Bai Ta’s decision. Su Tang took the supplement and thanked him politely.
She wasn’t angry. In this world, those without value don’t deserve respect; this rule was displayed most vividly by the cold-blooded officials at the Bai Ta.
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