New Talent: Space Bag

"Yunlong, Zhaozhao, Qin Tian—are you all alright?"

Qin Dadi quickly scrambled to his feet and breathed a sigh of relief when he saw his teammates safe and sound.

"I'm fine."

"Me too."

The few of them cautiously gathered around, their gazes falling on the arrow embedded in the ground.

The arrow shaft was thick and long, the fletching a vivid crimson red. Cracks like a spiderweb spread outward for ten meters around the arrow, and nearby Special Forces Squad members had also been caught in the blast.

Fortunately, they hadn't been at the epicenter—just thrown back by the shockwave, dusty and disheveled.

"That was close. Qin Tian, we really owe you for the warning back there."

Xiao Yunlong wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, still shaken.

"How did you sense it in advance?" Liu Zhaozhao asked, her chest heaving, still rattled.

Qin Tian said slowly, "Just a feeling."

To be precise, it was the green talent [Danger Sense] that let him detect the threat ahead of time, combined with [Shadow of the Spirit Cat] granting him superhuman reflexes and explosive speed, allowing him to dodge before danger struck.

A feeling?

Qin Dadi fell into thought. On the battlefield, there were indeed people who always managed to evade fatal crises and survive to the end.

And that couldn't always be chalked up to luck. More likely, they had an extremely keen perception of their surroundings—almost like battlefield prophets.

Clearly, Qin Tian was that kind of person.

Exceptional shooting talent, outstanding physical ability, sharp battlefield instincts...

If the military could mass-produce clones like Qin Tian, the Empire's army would be unstoppable on low-level battlefields.

Of course, that was just wishful thinking.

Qin Tian was a special product of genetic mutation. The vast majority of clones were mediocre in talent, only fit to be used as cannon fodder.

"Qin Dadi, you nearly got us killed!"

"Same here. Good thing I dodged fast."

The nearby Special Forces members, still terrified, grumbled complaints but kept their distance, afraid of being caught in the crossfire again.

Qin Dadi clasped his fists apologetically. "My apologies, everyone. We didn't expect that to happen. After the war ends, I'll treat you all to drinks to make up for it."

Seeing Qin Dadi's sincere attitude, the others said nothing more.

After all, this was a battlefield. Even without the Earth Dragon Squad, they'd have to fight the enemy to the death sooner or later.

Qin Tian gripped his rifle tightly and peered in the direction the arrow had come from. He soon spotted the culprit.

It was an unusually massive Four-armed Orc, with a broad face, a wide nose, and golden lion-like mane on his cheeks. His arms were several times thicker than an adult's thigh. One hand held a blade, one a shield, one drew a bow, and one nocked an arrow. The fletching was as red as blazing fire, strikingly vivid.

Beneath the orc was a silver-white beast, carrying him across the battlefield as if it were empty ground.

"That's a Royal Court Warrior—a Sphinx Orc."

Xiao Yunlong stood beside Qin Tian, his expression grave. "They're born psychic warriors. Trained from childhood, they almost always awaken psychic powers by adulthood. From that arrow just now, his psychic rank is at least Third Order, maybe even approaching Fourth Order."

"The beast he's riding is called a Sky Camel Beast. It's agile, has great stamina, tough scales, and most importantly, it carries a storage space for the rider's weapons and supplies."

Qin Tian focused his observation. Sure enough, the Sphinx Orc only had three or four arrows on hand. When he fired one, he'd pat the Sky Camel Beast's head, and a new arrow would appear in his hand.

The Sphinx Orc's arrows were fast and fierce. Anyone hit was like being struck by a cannonball—flesh and blood flying everywhere, a gruesome sight.

Seeing this, Xiao Yunlong, Qin Dadi, and Liu Zhaozhao all felt a chill run down their necks, a lingering dread.

"Qin Tian, looks like you killed too many Green-skinned Orcs earlier. The Sphinx Orc spotted you."

Xiao Yunlong swallowed hard and whispered, "Maybe we should lie low. If he fires another arrow, I'm afraid none of us will make it."

"Mm."

Qin Tian nodded. Though he was annoyed at nearly being shot dead, he knew [Danger Sense] wasn't foolproof. If his reaction was even a split second slow, he'd lose his own life and his teammates'.

He'd already earned plenty of Evolution Points anyway. From now on, survival was the priority. He'd look for new talents when the chance came.

Just as Qin Tian lowered his gun, the situation suddenly shifted.

Two Military Psionic Users charged in from the rear, flanking the Sphinx Orc from left and right.

Blades clashed against blades, long swords struck shields. A psychic storm swept outward, instantly clearing a patch of open ground on the battlefield.

"Haha, the military's elites have finally stepped in."

Xiao Yunlong clapped in approval. The orcs had their Royal Court Warriors, but we had our bloodline warriors too. No way they'd keep dominating.

Qin Tian observed closely. The Sphinx Orc and the two Military Psionic Users were far stronger than Xiao Yunlong. Their movements were as fast as a gale—even with his current dynamic vision, he could barely track them.

In raw power, the Sphinx Orc outmatched the Military Psionic Users. With four arms working in unison, he held his own against two opponents without faltering. His Sky Camel Beast was also highly intelligent, running and stopping, often using its tail or claws to help its master break free from encirclement.

Clang!

The Sphinx Orc raised his blade high, a bright yellow psychic energy coating the edge. His Sky Camel Beast reared up on its front hooves, and with a mighty, mountain-splitting strike, he drove one of the psychic warriors to his knees.

The warrior gripped the blade with both hands, bracing the longsword firmly, an unnatural flush spreading across his face.

The psionic user beside him thrust out a Long Sword, lightning coiling around it, striking straight at the orc's back.

The orc swung his shield backhand, blocking the sword thrust, his body steady as a mountain.

"Tch... I feel like they can't beat this Sphinx Orc."

Xiao Yunlong sucked in a cold breath, unable to help worrying for his warriors.

Qin Tian's eyes flickered as he pulled a new magazine from his combat pack.

"That's... an Armor-piercing High-Explosive Round. Qin Tian, you..."

All three members of the Earth Dragon Squad noticed Qin Tian's move and instantly understood what he intended.

"Captain, is it okay?"

Qin Tian swapped the magazine, squinting one eye as he aimed the muzzle at the target.

Qin Dadi gave a wry smile: "You're already in position. What's there to ask about 'okay'? Do it!"

With that, a hint of ruthlessness surfaced in his eyes. Orcs were the empire's great enemy; many of his friends had died at their hands. If killing a Royal Court Warrior meant taking some risks, what did it matter?

"Qin Tian, that Sphinx Orc is a Fourth-Order Psionic User. Even with high-explosive rounds, you won't hurt him," Xiao Yunlong warned.

Qin Tian's index finger rested on the trigger, his voice low:

"I know. That's why he's not my target."

Not him... then...

Xiao Yunlong immediately turned, his gaze landing on the Silver White Giant Beast, his eyes widening.

Hoo...

Qin Tian held his breath, focusing his mind. The world seemed to fall silent; his eyes locked onto a single target.

The Sky Camel Beast.

The Sky Camel Beast was clearly no ordinary beast. With its hard scales and formidable strength, it could even trade a few blows with the two psionic users.

Its reactions were sharp, too. Whenever the psionic users tried to strike a vital spot, it would dodge by instinct or use its toughest parts to tank the hit.

So Qin Tian had only one chance.

He had to seize that fleeting moment.

Through the scope, the Sky Camel Beast was full of fight—lifting a hoof, swiping a claw, lashing its tail—causing no small trouble for the two Military Psionic Users.

Roar!!

Just as the Sphinx Orc swung his war blade down at the psionic user's head, the beast thrust out its massive claw, aiming for the enemy's chest.

Now!

Qin Tian's eyes flashed. He pulled the trigger decisively.

Bang~

The gunshot rang out abruptly.

In an instant, the Sky Camel Beast's eyelids twitched wildly. It shut its eyes on reflex, the scales on its lids shielding them like iron plates.

But this time, Qin Tian used an Armor-Piercing High-Burn Bullet, even more penetrating than an armor-piercing round.

The armor-piercing warhead struck the eyelid, rippling the surface like a stone hitting a lake. Then it tore through the scales, pierced the eyeball, bored into the brain, and the high-burn gas exploded, destroying every nerve.

In that split second, the Sphinx Orc felt his mount go soft beneath him, most of his strength draining away. Shocked and furious, he twisted his head toward a certain direction, meeting a pair of cold, calm eyes.

"Nice shot!"

A loud shout came from the side as a sword thrust forward. The Sphinx Orc snapped back to reality, twisting his body instinctively.

Pfft~

The blade struck his shoulder, sinking into flesh.

The Sphinx Orc grunted, swinging his shield in a wide arc toward the side, but the Military Psionic User dodged nimbly.

Clang clang clang~~

The clash of weapons rang out. Without the Sky Camel Beast's support, the Sphinx Orc's strength dropped by a full twenty percent. Facing the two Military Psionic Users, he was hard-pressed, flustered, and utterly disheveled.

"Qin Tian, you did it!!!"

Xiao Yunlong pumped his fist in excitement. Watching the Sphinx Orc that had nearly killed him struggle and take wounds, his mood couldn't have been more elated.

Qin Tian's lips curled slightly. In his mind, a deep blue light orb shimmered.

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[Name] Space Bag (Lan)
[Type] Active Talent
[Description] Actively draw and store items in the Space Bag. Current Space Bag size: 41.6m³