Doctor will never die in a hellish situation.

As expected, these tacticians are not to be trifled with. No one wants to be targeted by a LYB (a derogatory term for someone who is secretly plotted against) and end up being schemed against to death without even knowing it. Fortunately, apart from that night when they tried to kidnap someone, they got along relatively well during this period.

"There's no other way, we have to survive. Alright, let's take a rest now, we'll set off again later tonight," Qin Duanyu said with a smile, finding a spot near the fire to lie down.

Vika only saw the second floor.

In fact, they really were outsmarted by Qin Duanyu.

He made the illusion of fleeing towards Ursus, not only to lure away Patriot, whom he didn't know well and had never fought, but also to discourage Vika from taking him back to Ursus.

Given the current situation, lacking transportation and sufficient supplies, even if they escape the Reunion Movement's encirclement, Vika and her group will have to return to Lungmen to replenish their resources. They absolutely cannot pull off another daring maneuver of dragging the two of them along the way.

As for Qin Duanyu, who has returned to Lungmen with all her subordinates and Kal'tsit's protection, she won't be so easy to kidnap. On the way back, she can use them as free bodyguards.

After all, it would be too dangerous for just him and Lin Guang to walk back to Lungmen. Having five more shield guards would greatly increase their safety.

……

Two o'clock in the morning, at the Reunion Movement's temporary camp near the altar.

“Lord Mephisto, Mr. Patriot, it has just been confirmed that Harold has indeed lost a radio, and after questioning, it was confirmed that the initial distress signal was indeed sent by his squad,” one of Mephisto’s men said tremblingly as he entered.

"Looks like these rats have indeed infiltrated my ranks. Hmph, interesting, cunning prey," Mephisto said with a laugh, though his cane groaned under the force of an external blow. "Order all sentries to report every half hour from now on!"

“Not enough, we need to send more people to continue patrolling the area!” Patriot said gravely. After searching the road to Ursus for half a day, he suddenly realized something was wrong and rushed to Mephisto that night.

No matter how much they clashed, Talulah's orders still had to be carried out. Especially after discovering the suspicious circumstances surrounding the infighting, Mephisto agreed to let Patriot's men assist in the investigation.

Not only that, Patriots also forced all of Mephisto's subordinates to use encrypted channels, completely eliminating the possibility of being eavesdropped on. Mephisto originally thought it was unnecessary, but now he has been thoroughly humiliated.

A moment later, the subordinate ran in again and told them that a checkpoint had just lost contact.

"As expected, they are heading to Lungmen!" Patriot looked at the map, straightened his cloak, picked up his halberd and shield, and prepared to set off.

“No need for you to intervene, sir. I will handle my mistakes myself. The herd will find them.” Mephisto waved his hand, and a slightly gaunt monster stepped forward. Judging from his attire, he must have been a sorcerer before the transformation. “You will lead them. I hope you can make amends and tear open the throats of those rats!”

Qin Duanyu underestimated his opponent's reaction speed.

Chapter 197, Section Nineteen: Favorable Wind and Rain for Qin Duanyu

In the midst of the storm, the outermost outpost was filled with horrified corpses lying on the ground. Bloodstains were washed away by the rain and flowed into the nearby stream, quickly mixing with the murky water.

By the dim firelight, Qin Duanyu examined the defense map hanging in the tent. The various markings on it were exactly the same as those in their hands, indicating that things were progressing as smoothly as planned.

After cleanly and efficiently eliminating the enemies at the outpost, they will have about an hour to escape. By the time Mephisto discovers the anomaly, it will be impossible to organize a capture operation.

But he had a vague sense of unease, a feeling of impending crisis.

Could it be that I've overexerted my rationality?

Feeling a bit dizzy again, Qin Duanyu rubbed her temples hard, took out a vial of emergency sedative and poured it into her mouth.

hiss!

A pungent smell quickly spread through his mouth, filling it completely. Then the spiciness attacked his nasal cavity and eyes, finally penetrating his brain. The indescribable sourness made him gasp for breath.

Since the Reunion Movement's attack the night before last, he hadn't really turned off his God's-eye view. Even if his sanity was depleted slowly, it would eventually run out. The little bit of sanity booster he brought with him when he left home had long been used up, and this was the last one.

To command high-intensity battles again, he would have to use the Pure Originium.

"Doctor, have some water." Seeing that Qin Duanyu was feeling unwell, Lin Guang quickly handed her a water bottle and said in a low voice.

"It's okay, just drink sparingly. We don't have enough drinking water anyway." Qin Duanyu shook her head, indicating that she was fine.

Besides the pursuing enemies, resupply was also a major problem. How could carrying supplies on one's shoulders or by hand compare to an off-road jeep? Even if they carried as many supplies as possible without affecting the battle, the road back to Longmen was difficult to travel, so they had to use them sparingly.

Perhaps due to the heavy rain, the water in the rivers and streams had become murky, making it very difficult to obtain drinking water. The water in everyone's water bottles was rainwater that they had collected while sleeping last night.

Once the rain stops, replenishing water could become a major problem. Worse still, without the rain washing away footprints and scents, it would be difficult to guarantee that the Reunion Movement's skilled trackers wouldn't discover their tracks.

"Doctor, the supplies have been collected, we can set off now," Oleg said to Qin Duanyu, patting the food in his bag.

The attack on this outpost was motivated by two reasons: it blocked the only way to pass and it was also to obtain some supplies.

"Then let's hurry up and leave along the river." Qin Duanyu checked the map and chose a relatively safe path.

Half an hour later, the group arrived near a river valley. Qin Duanyu was considering whether to take a detour up the valley slope or save time by walking directly along the riverbed when a clear barking sound rang out not far behind them.

"Wang Woo!"

Qin Duanyu sensed several rapidly moving red dots. Without needing to give any further instructions, Oleg and the others entered combat mode. Before long, low-lying shadows appeared in their field of vision, making muffled noises.

The enemy consisted of more than a dozen Originium Hounds.

Unlike the types I've encountered before, which have surveillance cameras on their backs and can provide intelligence in addition to disrupting formations, these hounds are covered in conspicuous Originium crystals, making them look a bit like giant hedgehogs at first glance.

Mephistopheles' herds!

Its unique design makes it instantly recognizable. Although it possesses extremely strong regenerative abilities and is fearless, making it a formidable opponent, it is no match for five fully armed shield guards.

Even with several teeth broken, they couldn't harm Oleg and the others in the slightest. Instead, their heads were smashed open one by one, leaving them utterly dead.

Seeing the bloody scene that was enough to provoke strong protests from dog lovers, Qin Duanyu frowned. It wasn't that she suddenly felt a pang of sympathy, but rather that the enemy had arrived too quickly, and they hadn't been able to evacuate to a safe place yet.

Mephistopheles' herds were tireless, marching at a speed far exceeding that of Qin Duanyu and his men. Once their location was confirmed, a large number of enemies would soon swarm in, like sharks smelling blood.

Seemingly to verify his conjecture, a series of rapid footsteps followed closely behind, and the Reunification Movement, whose bodies were covered in crystals, charged forward aggressively. Qin Duanyu immediately ordered the Shield Guards to deploy and prepare to eliminate them at the mouth of the valley.

Although he knew that doing so would play right into Mephisto's hands, letting them chase after him was not a solution. Rather than running until he was exhausted and died in the end from the herd's attack, it was better to fight them head-on.

Moreover, they were positioned with their backs to the valley entrance, with steep slopes on the left and a rushing river on the right. They only needed to deal with enemies coming from one side, avoiding being attacked from both sides, making it an excellent battlefield.

"Valentin, 10 o'clock, watch out for enemy magic!"

"Raise your shields quickly! The enemy crossbowmen have fired!"

"Oleg, find a way to take care of that leader of the sorcerers!"

Fortunately, because the search required splitting up the forces, the number of enemies that caught up was not large, and they were all lightly armed and had very weak defenses. Their fearless charge became their death warrant.

With each thrust of the energy halberd, several crystallized monsters would be sent flying, with the first one to be struck having its head pierced through, leaving it no chance of ever getting up again.

The five people at the front formed a solid steel defense line, efficiently killing the charging enemies. Occasionally, a few managed to slip through, but they were quickly dealt with by Nearl and Vika.

Qin Duanyu was certain that he had never fought such a rich battle since he climbed out of the stone coffin. It felt even more satisfying than when he was commanding ACE, SCOUT and their elite squads.

If the Shield Guards had a few more men, he would have dared to carry out a decapitation strike and kill that little pervert.

……

"Ha, found those rats. Did you think you could escape like that? How naive!" Mephistopheles suddenly opened his eyes and sneered amidst the rapidly marching herd.

Although the distance was too great to control precisely, and the herd could only understand simple commands such as "kill all living things" and "search in this direction," he could naturally sense the rapid disappearance of his subordinates.

It was obvious that the reconnaissance team had encountered the enemy.

Perhaps he was tricked before due to carelessness, but this time the pursuers were basically his herd, a small number of infected, and the Patriots' guerrillas. He would never give the enemy such an opportunity to sow discord.

While ordering the scouting herds to immediately regroup towards the valley, he urged the monster beneath him to speed up, eager to toy with these cunning rats.

Chapter 20, Section 198: Against the Wind, Someone

A dream of returning to Chernobog!

Seeing the herds gathering and closing in, Qin Duanyu couldn't help but smile bitterly. He could only order the shield guards to retreat to a narrow pass and try to consolidate their defenses.

Just like when he encountered Mephisto before, he was once again crushed by the pay-to-win player because he didn't have enough pieces, and this time he couldn't wait for any teammates.

Well, after all, the person who made a great contribution last time is in the team.

As if things weren't bad enough, a portion of the Patriots' vanguard arrived as well. Most of them were snipers armed with guns, and they seemed to have plenty of experience fighting heavily armored enemies. Once they were in sniper positions, they began firing at the shield guards' weak joints.

Even though the joints of the shield guards' heavy armor were covered with puncture-resistant material, they couldn't withstand the powerful impact of the bullets, which greatly limited the shield guards' performance. Many opportunities to kill the enemy were wasted, and the front line became precarious.

"Watch out, back up three meters!" Qin Duanyu suddenly warned.

The shield guards were somewhat confused, but out of their respect for his previous command and their military instinct to obey orders, they still took a few steps back as he instructed.

Boom!

Just as they moved, a shell landed where they had been standing. Although it did not cause any casualties, it blasted a crystal monster into dust. However, the huge impact still made it difficult for the shield guards to maintain their position, and the herd almost broke through.

"Damn it, they also have mortars!" Oleg roared.

Having grown accustomed to advancing under heavy armor and artillery cover, he was now in a completely different position. Even with only a single mortar for support, he began to question who the Reunion Movement was and who the real regular army was.

Moreover, the opponent was more than 100 meters away, far beyond the range of the javelin, and there was a surging herd in between, making it wishful thinking to try to eliminate them.

Invincible Doctor, think of a solution quickly!

Vika swung her sword and beheaded the enemy, then turned back to look at him anxiously.

Qin Duanyu sighed, her gaze falling on the murky river water. If they didn't come soon, everyone would probably have to jump into the river and see who would be lucky enough to survive.

He decided to follow the river because he considered it as his last escape route. However, the swift current was punctuated by occasional broken logs several meters long, making it dangerous to even take a boat and risk capsizing, let alone swim in it.

Could things get any more painful?

[Warning! Host's sanity has dropped to a dangerous level and will be depleted in 1 minute.]

The long-awaited system notification rang in her ears, but instead of feeling warm and familiar, it made Qin Duanyu's heart skip a beat.

Damn it, why did it have to happen at this time!

Now that command and control have been lost, the consequences will be unimaginable. While directing the defense, Qin Duanyu frantically pulled out the iron box he kept close to his body. Ignoring the pain and the suspicion of others, he picked up a pure source stone and stuffed it into his mouth.

Let's hold on for at least a few more minutes, just keep dragging it out!

boom!

"Doctor, watch out!" Upon seeing this, Lin Guang tackled Qin Duanyu to the ground.

Although he successfully dodged the mortar bombardment, the crystal-clear orange-yellow stone in his hand rolled away and was crushed to pieces by a monster under the impact of the violent blast wave.

Finished!

Qin Duanyu reached out to take out another pill, but the drowsy feeling became more and more obvious, to the point that she couldn't even control her body. She lost consciousness with a look of despair on her face.

Even if Bo is very good at scheming, he would probably be helpless against a herd of sheep that has no mind.

……