Ember Critical Strike

"Qin Tian, Qin Tian!"

An anxious, worried voice called out beside his ear.

Qin Tian shook his head, and his blurry vision gradually cleared.

"I'm fine."

Qin Tian waved a hand. His nose felt damp, so he wiped it with his hand, only to find the back of it covered in blood.

"Your nose is bleeding."

Xiao Yunlong tore off a strip of gauze from his tactical belt pouch, rolled it up, and shoved it straight into Qin Tian's nostril, nearly punching through his nose.

Qin Tian tilted his head back. The veins on his forehead throbbed, and his fists clenched without him realizing it. He stared at Xiao Yunlong expressionlessly and said in a low voice,

"Let go~"

Only then did Xiao Yunlong realize how rough he'd been. He quickly let go, scratching his head awkwardly.

Pfft~~

Liu Zhaozhao couldn't help laughing.

Qin Dadi looked both helpless and amused.

"Ahem, sorry. I was too worried."

Xiao Yunlong touched his nose tactically, then immediately said excitedly, "Qin Tian, you were so damn cool just now! Your reactions and movements were so fast, the Spirit Cat couldn't even touch you."

"Mm."

Qin Tian pulled out the gauze and tossed it on the ground. He had the green talent [Rapid Recovery], so his nosebleed had already stopped. He didn't need this thing at all.

"Hey, that was a second-order Spirit Cat. Even I couldn't keep up with its speed. How did you do it?" Xiao Yunlong's eyes widened, a thousand questions swirling in his mind.

"Just... dodged a little."

Qin Tian crouched to pick up the rifle on the ground, then casually touched the Spirit Cat's corpse. A green orb flew into his body, only to be quickly covered by [Shadow Muscle and Bone].

Unfortunately, there were no other talents.

Qin Tian stood up and tilted his head, dodging a stray bullet that whizzed past his ear.

He'd have to pick up another Tactical Helmet later.

A helmet was essential equipment on the battlefield.

Even though his reactions were extremely quick and he could dodge stray bullets, there was no harm in having an extra layer of protection.

Besides, Tactical Helmets didn't just protect the head. They also offered a wide-angle view, magnification, analysis, and communications. Even Psionic Users wore them; theirs were simply more advanced.

"Just... dodged a little?"

Xiao Yunlong was speechless, but he knew that was just the sort of person Qin Tian was. There was nothing he could do, so he could only suppress his curiosity and stop asking.

"Yunlong, cut the chatter. Stop the bleeding first, then give him a shot of Adrenaline."

Qin Dadi took out a hemostatic patch and stuck it on Xiao Yunlong's wound. Then he gave him an injection.

"Whew, I feel a lot better."

Xiao Yunlong stamped his feet a couple of times. His legs had felt a little weak before, but now they were full of strength.

Beep, beep~~

Just then, Qin Dadi's wristwatch sounded.

A new mission had come in.

"Move out. We're going to rescue someone."

Qin Dadi waved them on, and the squad headed for the target area.

"Captain, who are we rescuing?" Xiao Yunlong asked as he ran.

Qin Dadi replied, "Star Squad. But only Li Lai is left in their squad now."

Star Squad.

Xiao Yunlong fell silent. Star Squad's quarters were nearby, right next to theirs. They often visited each other, and they'd gotten along very well.

Yet the comrades who had encouraged one another before the battle and promised to share drinks afterward had been separated by life and death in the blink of an eye, never to meet again.

"Let's move faster!"

Xiao Yunlong quickened his pace and ran ahead of Qin Dadi.

Unfortunately, by the time they reached the location Command Center had given them, even the last surviving member, Li Lai, had died. He lay face down on the ground, his back bristling with arrows.

"Li Lai."

Qin Dadi lowered his eyes and sighed inwardly.

That was war. People always died in war.

If Qin Tian hadn't miraculously come through just now, Earth Dragon Squad would have been wiped out just like Star Squad.

Xiao Yunlong and Liu Zhaozhao pressed their lips together, their eyes red. They were more than a decade younger than Qin Dadi and hadn't experienced much loss. First Huang Xun, and now the familiar members of Star Squad.

The cruelty of the battlefield had given the two young people a harsh lesson.

Just then, Qin Tian crouched down, took Li Lai's Tactical Helmet, and put it on.

The other three supported his decision.

However, somewhere no one could see, a blue orb flew out of Li Lai's body and merged into Qin Tian.

[Name] Ember Critical Strike (Blue)

[Type] Active Talent

[Description] Burn up to 5% of your willpower, stamina, and energy. Your next attack has a high probability of dealing 150%–170% damage, a low probability of dealing 180%–200% damage, a very low probability of dealing 250%–300% damage, and a negligible probability of dealing up to 500% damage.

Damn, he'd hit the jackpot!

Qin Tian's eyes lit up, and a surge of delight welled up inside him.

Ember Critical Strike was a perfect match for his sniping skills. Once activated, it could deal at least 150% damage. If his luck kicked in and it dealt 300% or even 500% damage, not even a third-order Psionic User could withstand one of his shots.

What's more, this talent gave Psionic Users a huge boost, too. Master an explosive martial technique and add Ember Critical Strike's bonus, and challenging opponents of a higher order would be a breeze.

Qin Tian lowered his eyes to the dead Li Lai. [Ember Critical Strike] had been Li Lai's ability. Honestly, a plain Ability User couldn't bring out the full power of this talent.

After all, both stamina and energy were limited, and they had no energy within them. Once they used it more than five times, they would clearly start to feel tired.

If Li Lai had been good with guns, that would have been one thing—he could have used [Ember Critical Strike] to amplify a firearm's power. But...

Qin Tian glanced at the bloodstained War Blade beside Li Lai. He could only think that Li Lai had taken the wrong path~

Qin Dadi reported Star Squad's situation to Command Center and waited for further orders.

Meanwhile, Qin Tian kept busy, taking down every Orc in sight with shot after shot and racking up Evolution Points.

But before Earth Dragon Squad could receive new orders, a sudden change took place.

Boom~ Boom~

Across the Golan Heights, streaks of red light shot high into the air, traced arcs overhead, then slammed down on the rear Command Center position like a meteor shower.

Vmmm~~~

The Command Center's defensive system activated instantly. Missiles shot out to intercept the incoming projectiles, while a gigantic blue energy shield dropped over the Command Center like an inverted bowl.

"Regiment Commander, it's Flame Crystal! They've reached the Flame Crystal Ore."

The adjutant came to the commander's side, his expression grave.

"I see."

The commander nodded and ordered, "Prepare to withdraw."

They had attacked the Golan Heights for the Flame Crystal Ore beneath it. Now that the Orcs had taken control of the mine, if there was any Flame Crystal Marrow, the Orcs had surely already taken it.

Continuing to fight would only mean more casualties, with no point to it.

"We've just received the message. Everyone, withdraw."

Qin Dadi lowered his wristwatch and said excitedly.

"We can pull out?"

Everyone was thrilled. The Golan Heights had resisted their attacks, and there was no sign of any chance of victory. They'd wanted to withdraw for a long time, and the order had come at just the right moment.

"Move!"

Qin Dadi waved them on, and they followed the route Command Center had given them as they made a swift retreat.

Retreating was a skill in itself. Poor command could turn it into a rout in an instant.

Fortunately, Command Center had planned ahead. Under the cover of aircraft, missiles, and the Elite Troops, the frontline forces withdrew to the rear in relatively good order.

Golan Heights

On a hillside, a mighty, imposing Tiger-headed Man clad in black armor gazed into the distance. When he saw the human forces vanish over the horizon, the corner of his mouth curled into a chilling smile.

"Heh, you sure ran fast. But I won't let you off so easily."

"The night is my domain."

Behind him, dozens of tall Shadow Catmen with pitch-black fur wore cruel smiles.