Cosmic Demon

Chapter 251 Search and Retreat, The Tide of the Black Moon!

The heavy alloy manganese steel gate, weighing tens of tons, was pulled up, and a jeep bearing the flag of the Yellow Springs Training Camp sped out.

The evening breeze unfurled the flag, revealing the symbol of a leaping serpent.

The sentry spotted three young faces in the jeep and gave a salute.

Every member of the Poplar Fortress should respect the new recruits who are on exploration missions.

Driving in the wilderness is so exhilarating!

Of the three, Gao Pao volunteered to be the driver. As soon as they left Baiyang Fortress City, he stepped on the gas and sped forward.

The turquoise dust billowed, and the potholed road tossed the jeep up and down as if it were about to take flight.

Zhao Su, in the passenger seat, gripped the seatbelt tightly, fearing he would be thrown out of the car.

Qin Shi, sitting in the back, remained as steady as a mountain, his arms outstretched as he leaned back in his seat, the strong wind blowing through the car window ruffling his hair.

He admired the vast wilderness, like scorched earth after a war, barren and infertile, with even weeds scarce.

Occasionally, you can see low hills and slopes with decaying organisms.

"It's about three kilometers away from the contaminated area."

After enjoying the ride, Gao Pao finally slowed down.

"We need to stop in an abandoned town ahead; the electronic equipment, including the vehicles, will have to be left there."

Zhao Su nodded. The two of them thoroughly studied the combat manual, keeping in mind all potentially dangerous actions such as crossing the line.

The spatial structure of the contaminated area is extremely unstable, and the clustering of related organisms creates energy turbulence that breaks through the electronic blockade.

Even small gadgets like radios can be affected, suddenly mutating and activating.

"The journey here has been smooth."

Qin Shi held a perfect-grade electric shock saber in his left hand and raised a tactical telescope in his right hand, vaguely seeing the outline of the destination.

"The operations manual says that the wilderness is full of dangers, especially for new recruits like us, who can easily become the 'prey' of the corrupt."

He pulled up his trousers and circled back from behind the small earthen mound.

"I'm a little nervous, and I drank too much water. Sorry, Brother Qin, we'll follow your lead this time."

Zhao Su nodded. According to the operational manual, a leader must be established for team operations; otherwise, the mission is likely to fail.

"Ah."

Qin Shi did not refuse and accepted the position of leader.

"The tactical essence of exploration missions is nothing more than 'search, attack, and withdraw'."

Search the contaminated area for valuable items to bring back for testing and to determine the depth of the Netherworld.

If you encounter any allied creatures, you can choose to fight them and then retreat.

It's not difficult at all.

Qin Shi unfolded a paper map, laid it on the hood of the chariot, and drew several red circles on it with an oil-based pen.

"Substations, outposts, administrative buildings... these are all key targets."

If possible, I would like to search all three locations; it will help improve the task evaluation.

Qin Shi looked at the two of them, as if seeking their consent.

After all, the deeper you go into the contaminated area, the higher the danger becomes.

"I have no objection, I'll do whatever Brother Qin says."

"Sure, it's not worth it to come out here all the time, just to go through the motions and grab some resources. It's really not interesting."

Gao Pao and Zhao Su both nodded and said they would try their best not to hold them back.

"Xiao Gao will be in charge of guarding and keeping watch, Xiao Zhao will provide cover from the side, and I will lead the attack."

During the Qin Dynasty, tasks were assigned simply and responsibilities were clearly defined.

In fact, based on the intelligence information provided in the combat manual, the elite monsters in the entire contaminated area are only close to the professional level.

If he were alone, he could easily make calls 24/7.

But this is a battlefield, and fighting alone will not change the situation. You must get used to your teammates and the team.

On their own, they couldn't bring out too many "polluting items".

Qin Shi sorted out his thoughts and continued forward. He frowned slightly, his mind seemed to ripple, and his gaze suddenly turned to the black hills in the distance that stretched out in an undulating curve.

"Captain. It seems the boss has spotted me? That doesn't make sense, I'm over a kilometer away from him..."

The tall woman with a ponytail pressed her earpiece, somewhat incredulous.

"I wanted you to take a good look at the boss's 'resume'! You've been slacking off again!"

Amidst the crackling electrical current, the captain's voice was somewhat muffled, only revealing a gentle tone:
"Our boss operates through both martial arts and psionic paths, and he can easily detect it even if you try to spy through tactical goggles."

Moreover, the boss's martial arts path is still the old martial arts route, and they are most sensitive to the flow of qi.

"You were careless."

The tall woman with the ponytail pursed her lips, not surprised by the boss's captivating charm.

In fact, many of the "clients" who have the means to hire such support teams are direct members of the nine major clans, or "promising talents" from certain academic cliques or noble families.

In the words of the tall woman, she's a purebred dog!

"Captain, the trash has been cleared. The boss and the others have headed towards the contaminated area."

"I understand. 'Ama' and I will provide backup from now on. You just need to provide support outside."

After the conversation ended, the tall woman took off her headset, hugged the large gun, and gazed at the blood-red setting sun that had completely sunk below the horizon.

A deep darkness will envelop the wilderness, and in the coming period, the creatures will enter a "riot cycle," with their aggression increasing exponentially.

The tall woman sat quietly, her eyes like a swarm of bees, densely packed with electronic eyes, like dandelion seeds flying in the air.

These mechanically manufactured "water birds," adorned with the "Divine Machine" emblem and inscriptions of blessings, are designed to withstand the erosion of the wilderness.

The tall woman's consciousness linked with countless electronic eyes of water birds, displaying numerous images in her mind. These different perspectives converged to form a complete three-dimensional map.

"We are currently in a period of calm. The western front has not yet seen a full-scale advance, so it is unlikely to cause any unrest."

The tall woman pressed a large gun against her shoulder; the area within 800 meters was her restricted zone.

Any corrupted creature that dares to trespass will be harvested by a single bullet.

The "beyond visual range" field characteristics, combined with the ability to master firearms.

It makes the tall woman seem like the Grim Reaper, invincible.

……

……

When Qin Shi stepped into the abandoned town, it was clear that it had once been a human settlement.

Later, as the pollution level gradually increased, everyone was evacuated to the fortified city.

Most of the wilderness areas of Hengzhou Xinxing were formed in this way.

Human "cultivation" and the "pollution" caused by the stars are like a tug-of-war, constantly pulling and sawing.

That's why every now and then, a vigorous pioneering movement needs to be launched.

To reclaim those lost territories and rebuild them until the next wave of pollution arrives.

"Someone has lived here."

Qin Shi walked into the wooden bar. It was empty, but a faint smell of blood lingered in the air, and there were black and red stains on the floor.

"It looks like a gunfight."

Zhao Su keenly noticed the bullet holes in the wall. He reached out and touched them, and concluded:
"There's a sniper. This is an armor-piercing round with a tungsten alloy warhead; it can even penetrate armored vehicles."

Gao Pao tensed up upon hearing this, glancing around warily for any dangerous targets that might leap out from the shadows.

"Whether they were enemies or friends, they have already left."

Qin Shi roughly guessed that this was the "masterpiece" of the support team.

He smiled. Yinghuang was indeed reliable; that unreliable team actually had a sniper.

Such elite-level tactical units are rare even in the city of Poplar Fortress.

"Rest for twenty minutes, wait for the moon to rise, and then enter the contaminated area."

"Qin Shi said softly. According to the safety guidelines in the combat manual, they should set up camp on the spot and wait until dawn, when the pollution radiation is weakest and the aggressiveness of the dependent creatures is greatly reduced."

This is the best way to begin the exploration!

However, Qin Shi chose to "clear the entire map," which required going deep into the extreme range. Rather than avoiding the peak of pollution, it was better to face the challenge head-on.

"An eight-hour forced march should get you to the administration building."

Qin Shi pondered, his mind wandering, and he activated the Body Cultivation Furnace.

Standing in the vast wilderness, energy factors surge in like a tide, flowing into the body through the open pores.

To be honest, the feeling of progress with every breath was intoxicating to him, like drinking fine wine, making him tipsy.

"One vial of black medicine isn't enough. If Instructor Lin can get 100% pure medicine, I should be able to fully unlock the fifth limit."

Qin Shi looked inward and saw that his perfect core was rotating steadily like a star, releasing light and heat.

The four limits, as if shackles had been broken, caused a faint rumbling to emanate from within, like muffled thunder rolling in one after another.

Those mixed and chaotic energy factors were refined by the Body Refinement Furnace, then absorbed and fused by the Hundred Phases Refinement Technique, and finally merged into the Perfect Core.

This series of processes is like a complete production line, efficient and rapid.

Even at the professional level, where increasing vitality is incredibly difficult, Qin Shi still maintained an astonishingly rapid cultivation progress thanks to the power of his perfect core.

"One hundred and thirty-nine points is roughly equivalent to the third stage of a professional level, but considering the purity of my life force, it should be close to the combat power of the fifth stage of a professional level."

Qin Shi made an assessment.

Of course, he didn't take into account the bonus of a tenfold increase.

Because he was making progress every day, he himself was unaware of just how terrifying the fully evolved third stage was.

"It's time to set off."

Qin Shi grabbed the perfect-grade electric shock saber, a weapon he never parted with, and with the approval of the Yellow Springs Training Camp, he could use it at will.

This is also one of the reasons why Qin Shi chose the Yellow Springs Training Camp.

The rules here are relatively lenient. As long as you perform well enough and win the approval of the instructors, you will be granted many privileges that are not typical for new recruits.

"Brother Qin, tonight is the night of the Black Moon!"

The tall robe pointed towards the dark sky, which seemed to cover the vast expanse like a curtain.

Dim stars surrounded an eerily black moon.

"Black Moon..."

Qin Shi raised his eyebrows.

"What incredible luck! We actually stumbled upon a Black Moon night."

The polluted area has long been enveloped and permeated by the Netherworld Rift, where dense energy turbulence has accumulated and eventually condensed into the "Black Moon".

This black moon is not a physical entity, but rather an "image" projected onto the material world due to its energy level reaching a certain high level.

It's like a large-scale buff that can improve various attributes of your companion creatures.

"Let's continue. The energy tide of the Black Moon has not yet reached its peak."

After a moment's thought, Qin Shi still chose to carry out the exploration mission.

"You don't need to follow me closely. If the danger level is too high, you should get out first."

Gao Pao and Zhao Su looked grave, understanding the seriousness of the situation.

On dark moon nights when they appear in polluted areas, they often gather a large number of their companion creatures to form a "terrifying beast tide".

……

……

"Captain, the boss seems a bit too ambitious."

To insist on taking action even on a dark moon night shows a complete disregard for one's own life.

A slender figure in a tight-fitting combat suit pressed the earpiece to receive messages from her teammates.

They did not fully enter the contaminated area, but only lingered at the "doorway," so they were still able to use communication devices.

"We are laborers, working like oxen and horses, do you understand?"

The boss's decision is not our place to question.

The slender figure had short, ear-length hair and very even curves, resembling a female leopard with extremely powerful explosive force, exuding a healthy and beautiful aura.

"Then... Captain, should we go in too? This is the night of the Black Moon! The familiars will hold a ceremony to build a 'nest' and breed leaders."

In other words, if the bosses are unlucky, they're very likely to encounter several newly minted leader-level monsters.

The team member in the headset asked hesitantly.

"Our Ox and Horse Team has an excellent reputation; we can't ruin it."

The short-haired woman had two swords stuck in her back, like a warrior from ancient times.

"Give me a spell to ensure your mental link with me. We can't communicate once we step into the contaminated area; we need to maintain a 'communication range' of about 200 meters."

"Ok."

The petite girl with the watermelon-shaped haircut hopped and skipped quietly behind the short-haired woman.

She is likely a psionic pathway, a spiritual force that condenses mental symbols.

One after another, mysterious and ancient spiritual symbols, imbued with symbolic meaning, intertwine to form a stable pattern.

It was firmly "branded" on the short-haired woman's neck, resembling an exquisite lock-shaped tattoo.

At the same time, a key-shaped pattern the size of a grain of rice appeared on the ring finger of the petite watermelon-headed man's right hand.

"All done, Captain!"

Watermelon Head's sweet voice, combined with the astonishing proportions of her slender branches and large fruit, unconsciously led males to label her as a "cute, childlike girl."

"I hope the boss won't make us pay too heavy a price."

The short-haired woman took off her headset and stepped out, as if passing through a thin film and stepping into a polluted area.

As expected, the distorted and chaotic energy fluctuations instantly encroached upon it.

The short-haired woman creates a specialized domain to resist the "contamination" from the Netherworld.

She, who was keeping a close eye on Qin Shi, began to have doubts.

"The boss seems... unaffected? As a psionic pathway, shouldn't he be better able to sense the distorted aura of the contaminated area?"

……

……

"What are you babbling about? Refine it instantly!"

As they delved deeper into the Qin Dynasty, they indeed discovered that something was amiss.

For example, strange sights occasionally flash before his eyes, with all sorts of bizarre creatures passing by, as if afterimages lingering on his retina.

Or he might hear murmurs, like a woman asking and answering herself, or like a baby babbling, which sent chills down his spine and made him shudder.

He could even sense that in the dark, deep space, there were pairs of invisible eyes, filled with great malice, staring intently at him.

But Qin Shi remained fearless, silently activating the "Void Meditation Method," and the ancient mirror reflected back to reveal pale, lifeless figures.

Then, in the interior location, Super He swung his pickaxe, like playing whack-a-mole, picking them off one by one.

After "eliminating" about seven or eight, you can obtain a tiny essence that looks like a black crystal.

"It takes one hundred to forge one Void Coin."

Qin Shi shook his head, then drew his perfect-grade electric shock military knife and instructed Gao Pao and Zhao Su to stay where they were and not move.

They then climbed over into the substation!
The long-silent monument panel suddenly flickered twice.

It seems a new achievement has been activated.

[A gift from heaven and man]

[Transformation...]

[Beginner Achievement - Insight]

(End of this chapter)