Chapter 84: Self-Detonation

While the battle at the frontlines was still ongoing, Han Xiao, who was at the logistics zone away from the battlefront, was observing the situation attentively.

Han Xiao had seen many high-level battles that involved the destruction of entire planets in the game. Compared to those battles, the current one, a low-level battle fought on the ground, gave Han Xiao a greater adrenaline rush. The sound of gunshots and scent of gunpowder gave a better display of the brutality and the atmosphere of war compared to those battles Han Xiao had previously witnessed, which had only involved silent energy beams and plasma canons.

Han Xiao sat in the container of the truck, while the two sentry guards were still guarding the vehicle tightly. They were highly suspicious that Han Xiao was intending to escape.

Lin Yao’s voice could be heard from Han Xiao’s earpiece.

“Brother Xiao, we are going to retreat together with the core team of the enemy. I have planted the virus in their system, so we can now jam their communications any time.”

“Good job.”

“Oh, Uncle Lambert made a new discovery. The internal structure of the base is very strong, and it is probably explosion-proof.”

Han Xiao frowned, and after piecing together the bits of information, he suddenly realized that the external base was disguised as the bait, or more accurately, a graveyard. There were probably heaps of explosives hidden, and once the invaders stepped into it, the explosives would be triggered to kill all of them. Also, the explosions would be strong enough to demolish the external base and bury everything in it, thereby making the internal base more discrete.”

“What an ingenious plan.” Han Xiao sighed. Even if he were to report the situation now, it would be too late. Also, Han Xiao did not have any intention of doing so.

He had finally reached the final stage of his plan.

Han Xiao rose up and began to pack his belongings. He transferred all the accessories and important mechanical components from the container into his bag. The bag was completely filled. Han Xiao then said to the two sentry guards, “Could you guys help me carry some of these items? They are pretty heavy.”

The two troops went up the truck unknowingly to help Han Xiao carry his bag.

The moment they bent their bodies, Han Xiao took action. With two solid punches to the necks of the soldiers, both of them collapsed to the ground without making a sound.

Han Xiao closed the door of the container, and he secretly changed into the trooper’s attire and removed the mask he was wearing. After which, he activated the mask and used it to change his appearance. He carried the bag and walked out confidently. He was able to blend into the logistics team without anyone noticing.

...

Carl’s assistant soon rushed back.

“Everyone from Division 13, except for Han Xiao, was present,” he said.

Carl was shocked. “He disappeared‽”

“The two sentry guards that were supposed to look after him were found unconscious. I asked the logistics team, and nobody saw Han Xiao around.”

Carl wanted to continue the conversation, but there a thunderous boom in the air, which made him jump up on reflex. He immediately started scouting for the source of the sound.

The mountain was moving, and it was as if an earthquake had struck. Everyone was terrified!

The Dark Crow Valley base had detonated!

The entire base crumbled, and the main entrance was completed sealed by the falling rocks. Hundreds of elite soldiers were buried!

The turn of events obviously infuriated Carl.

The troops had fallen into the enemy’s trap just as victory was in sight. Countless lives were claimed, and the base was also destroyed. This greatly depreciated the value of the victory.

Carl knew that, as the commander of the forces, he would face a lot of backlash.

Carl had a gloomy look, and he thought of Han Xiao’s advice. If he had heeded the advice, he could have prevented the heavy losses. But even if he had the opportunity to choose again, Carl felt that he would still make the same choice. He was completely frustrated and vented that frustration on the wall of the commander’s vehicle.

The army had suffered heavy losses, and Carl could feel the pain in his heart. He then gave several orders to raise the morale of the dejected troops.

After the agents from Division 13 arrived, Carl said with a gloomy face, “Your teammate disappeared. What is going on exactly?”

“Han Xiao vanished again‽” One could clearly see the change in expression on the agents’ faces.

Why the word ‘again’?

Qi Bai Jia felt a blank in his mind.

Goddammit, Han Xiao always did such things.

Zhang Wei and Li Ya Lin were very calm. It was as if they had gotten used to it.

It was really the norm for Han Xiao to carry out tasks at his own will without seeking any approval. One just had to get used to it. He was probably on his way to create some new trouble.

“If Han Xiao did not obtain the critical intelligence, you would have foolishly thought that you have successfully destroyed the base, when in actual fact, you have only managed to destroy the outer region. You would not even be aware that the enemies have escaped!”

Carl pondered, and indeed, he would have thought that his operation was a complete success, and if the Dark Crow Valley base managed to reinstate itself in the future, he would the first to be held responsible.

“What other information can you guys offer?” Carl asked anxiously.

Zhang Wei, who was trying hard to suppress his detest for Carl, bellowed, “Two of our companions retreated together with the enemy. Once they confirm the enemy’s path of retreat, they will send it to us.”

Carl’s eyes lit up and said immediately, “Inform me as soon as you receive any news.”

He had not expected that Han Xiao would accomplish so much in his operation. His troops had suffered way too many losses in the previous battle, so he needed to atone for his mistakes by successfully eliminating the core of the enemy’s retreating force.

...

There was a region away from everyone’s attention at the outskirts ten kilometers away from the Dark Crow Valley base. Pan Kuang, Ji Jie, and over two hundred core members were exiting the secret passageway via their vehicles. The vehicles carried huge amounts of logistical items and also contained precious information about the base.

“I suppose Hesla think that they have won the battle?” Ji Jie let out uncontrollable laughter.

Pan Kuang looked and him and said, “Don’t let your guard down.”

Ji Jie nodded and ordered the teams to advance faster.

They needed to travel for another two hours to reach a secret hangar that housed several Black Harrier helicopters and a small cargo-plane.

Lin Yao and Lambert received Zhang Wei’s orders from their earpieces. They looked at each other and knew it was time for them to strike.

Lin Yao took out a tablet and activated the dormant virus planted in the enemy communication network.

Sheela!

Everyone was shocked by the piercing shrieks in their earpieces. They immediately removed them from their ears.

Ji Jie was disgruntled. Just as he was about the order the vehicle-fleet to stop and inspect on the communication set, he heard a series of engine-hums approaching from all directions.

“Prone!” Pan Kuang expression immediately changed. He pushed Ji Jie, who had yet to react, to the ground. After Pan Kuang completed these actions, there was a wave of gunshots.

Bullets rained on the fleet from all directions. The exploding grenades overturned the vehicles of the fleet. Flames and glaring light could be seen.

Lambert dragged Lin Yao off the vehicle. They rolled toward the vegetation at the side to avoid the direct attack.

Ji Jie could not believe that his trap had been discovered by the invaders. Who had leaked the information?

“Run!”

There was no time for any disappointment. Ji Jie was dragged toward the forest swiftly by Pan Kuang.

...

Carl, who was commanding his troops from the forest, felt a great sense of excitement. His troops had encircled the core of the retreating enemy, and he knew it was a golden opportunity for him to turn things around.

A distance away, Han Xiao, who had changed his appearance, was driving the jeep alone. He held a thermo-sensor in his hand and was searching the battle zone. He quickly discovered his targets: Pan Kuang and Ji Jie, who had managed to escape the heavy encirclements. Troops who managed to catch up with Pan Kuang were mercilessly destroyed by his powerful fighting abilities.

Han Xiao was tailing both of them from a hundred meters away with the help of with his thermo-sensor.

“A jeep is approaching.” Pan Kuang looked behind. He could barely see the jeep that was following them in the dense forest, and the faint sound of the jeep’s engine could be heard.

Pan Kuang wanted to destroy the jeep. However, every time his distance from the jeep shortened, Han Xiao would change course and increase the distance between them again. The jeep was just like an irritant.

Pan Kuang thought Han Xiao was operating a reconnaissance jeep that reported their location back to the enemy. Also, they expected the entire army to be following them, and therefore, they were afraid to stop moving. Pan Kuang, who was dragging Ji Jie in his escape, could feel the quick depletion of his energy.

“We just need to reach the hangar. The helicopter will help us with the escape.” Pan Kuang knew that was his only way to escape. Although Pan Kuang was a Superhuman himself, his fear of being surrounded by a gargantuan enemy force prompted him to increase his speed. He failed to realize that Ji Jie was deeply fatigued.

After chasing for about twenty minutes, both parties were far from the frontline.

“The time is right.” Han Xiao could feel a sense of determination. He changed his course and went in front of his targets with the help of a map he had stolen from the logistics department. The jeep travelled at a very high speed, and Han Xiao drove up a ten-meter high cliff that was two kilometers away, which his targets were sure to pass by. The engine stopped, and Han Xiao took out all his gear.

He slotted his left arm into the modified light-weight mechanical arm and attached the box housing the magnetically-controlled retractable armor to his waist. He stuck his Berserk Eagle into its case and then buried ten delayed-explosion explosives in the shape of a circle with a radius of five meters. A thin thread was lined through the safety rings of the delayed-explosion explosives, so a slight pull would activate them all.

Han Xiao grabbed a sniper rifle he had sourced from the logistics team and lay prone on a rock. He had a clear view of the valley and aimed his rifle in the direction his targets were expected to arrive in. He held his breath and focused hard.

...

Ji Jie was panting heavily. His face was all pale from the running. He was not a Superhuman, so he had limited stamina. If it wasn’t for Pan Kuang, he would have collapsed long ago.

Pan Kuang shouted emotionlessly, “Don’t stop, the enemy could approach at any moment. We need to reach the hangar as soon as possible.”

The two of them came out of the forest quickly. The mountains lay ahead of them.

Ji Jie felt his legs wobble before he fell to the ground. Breathlessly, he said, “I can’t run anymore.”

Pan Kuang frowned. He was slightly irritated, but he knew he could not leave Ji Jie behind. Ji Jie’s sister was the in-charge of the entire intelligence network of the Germinal Organization.

“Carry me on your back, it is...”

Ji Jie was halfway through his sentence when a gun shot rang in the air.

Pan Kuang reacted quickly and ducked backwards.

However, he was not the target of the shot.

Ji Jie’s head was thrust backwards as if a punch had been thrown at him. There was a bloody hole on his left cheek. The hole was so big that it allowed the bullet to tumble in Ji Jie’s skull, crushing his left cheek. Blood and flesh splattered everywhere. Ji Jie’s expression froze as he collapsed to the ground. He showed no signs of life anymore.

[Assassination 2 completed. 100% of energy expended. You gained 4,000 EXP!]

Pan Kuang’s pupils constricted. He drew out his machete and dashed toward the source of the shot.