Tracking

Inside a house in County 0201, three people rushed in, their faces filled with grief and indignation.

"Damn it! That brat actually killed Sakurako. Unforgivable!"

"Tanaka-kun, we can't act recklessly anymore. This mission is tied to the great cause of restoring our nation."

"But our whereabouts have already been exposed. That brat will definitely come looking for us."

"No buts. As long as we find the target this time, that brat will be nothing to worry about. We'll all become beings like War Gods. When the time comes, killing him will be as easy as crushing an ant."

"Get ready to move. The mission takes priority above all else."

As they spoke, the four of them quickly left the house and headed north beneath the cover of night.

Meanwhile, after losing his target, Qin Hao went over to the woman he had killed and took stock of the spoils. Several Beast General materials, a communicator, a Backpack, and a strange machine.

He put the materials into his Backpack. Although the communicator was powered on, he didn't know the password, making it completely useless, so he tossed it aside. He switched on the strange machine, but there were no clues on it—only a location marker he couldn't identify.

He checked the location marked on it. It was not far from County 0201, only several dozen kilometers away.

"This should be their target, right? I wonder what those Japanese are up to again. But no matter what they're planning, I can't let them succeed."

Though he wasn't sure what the Japanese were after, Qin Hao still decided to check out the marked location. Judging from the earlier battle, these people posed little threat to him. As long as he was careful, it would not be difficult to leave them all behind.

Having made his decision, Qin Hao did not linger. He memorized the location, tossed the machine aside, and walked straight out of the building to begin his pursuit.

By dawn, Qin Hao had arrived in a small town not far from the marked location. Looking toward the marker, he saw that it was a small mountain. The peak was not especially tall, only around a thousand meters. Before the Great Nirvana, it had not been a famous mountain either.

But after the Great Nirvana, even a small mountain like this had to be treated with caution. Powerful Monsters often emerged from such mountains and valleys, having evolved from ordinary wild animals.

Along the way, Qin Hao had already discovered the three people who had attacked him earlier. There were now four of them, and one carried a sniper rifle. He was the Sniper who had been hiding in the shadows. The four moved with great caution, frequently looking around warily.

Qin Hao followed behind them to his current position, hiding inside a house in the small town. He ate while watching the four in the distance. All four were only in their twenties, yet they possessed War General-level strength. They could be considered fairly talented.

Looks like they're a talented squad cultivated by the Japanese. I wonder what they're plotting this time. Qin Hao was deeply puzzled. From their attack on him to their current actions, there did not seem to be much connection. But Qin Hao was certain that these people had no good intentions.

"Lord Yanagawa, what exactly is our target this time?"

"Hmph. We'll be at our destination soon, so I can tell you about the mission now. The target is a Spirit of Plants discovered by our family ten years ago. Every year, the family has monitored its growth, and this year, it is about to mature."

"As long as we bring this Spirit of Plants back, we can create another War God-level expert—perhaps even an Invincible War God or a Beyond War God. Then our chances of restoring our nation will be even greater."

As he spoke, all four of their eyes lit up.

"So this time, we absolutely cannot create any unnecessary trouble. As for that Huaguo genius from before, let him go this time. Once we return, we'll report it, and someone will naturally take care of him."

"No matter how gifted a genius is, if he hasn't grown into a true powerhouse, he is still only a genius."

Qin Hao did not know about their conversation. However, he kept his attention fixed on the four in the distance, waiting for their next move.

As the sun gradually rose, the four, having rested for a while, began moving toward the nearby mountain. Qin Hao did not immediately follow. He waited half an hour before setting out. Now that he knew the direction they were heading, the destination was clear enough.

After entering the mountain, Qin Hao could not help looking around. He had climbed plenty of mountains in his previous life, but he had never truly ventured into the mountains in this life. The surrounding flowers, grass, and trees had completely concealed all traces of humanity, and the air was filled with the breath of nature.

He had often seen how the world changed after humanity disappeared in his previous life, but now he was seeing it for real. Nature's ability to recover truly exceeded imagination.

"Life goes on without end. That is nature's strength." Qin Hao sighed inwardly. However, his feet did not stop as he continued following the tracks left by the four Japanese.

As he advanced, Qin Hao remained extremely careful, constantly watching for traps or Alarm devices the Japanese might have set up. After avoiding five or six Alarm devices and traps, he finally stopped.

"My lord, we've reached the destination."

Hearing the voice nearby, Qin Hao hid himself among the vegetation. His breathing became even fainter as he peered through gaps in the plants and saw the four people stop in the distance.

They were standing at the entrance to a cave. After stopping, one of them stepped forward and lightly knocked on the nearby stone wall several times before leading the others into the cave.

Seeing the four disappear, Qin Hao stopped hiding and quickly arrived at the cave entrance. After imitating their light knocks against the rock wall, he followed them inside.

The moment he entered the cave, the surrounding light dimmed and the air grew damp. Qin Hao paid it no mind. His keen five senses monitored his surroundings as he continued rapidly forward through the cave.

After walking roughly five hundred meters through the cave, Qin Hao noticed a faint glow ahead. It should have been the cave exit. He did not rashly speed up, instead carefully approaching the opening.

Before he even emerged, Qin Hao saw a broad, open stretch of ground ahead.

"I didn't expect this cave to conceal such a hidden world. Looks like the Japanese have hidden quite a few things here." Qin Hao reached the cave entrance, then instantly accelerated and rushed out.

The instant Qin Hao burst in, two flashes of blade light slashed at him from both sides. At the same time, a gunshot echoed through the cave directly ahead, and a bullet shot rapidly toward him.