Ember Critical Strike

"Qin Tian, Qin Tian!"

A tense, worried voice called out by his ear.

Qin Tian shook his head, his blurry vision gradually clearing.

"I'm fine."

Qin Tian waved his hand. He felt his nose was wet. He wiped it with his hand, and his back of the hand was covered in blood.

"You're bleeding from the nose."

Xiao Yunlong tore off a strip of gauze from his tactical waist pack, rolled it up casually, and shoved it into Qin Tian's nostril, nearly piercing his nose.

Qin Tian tilted his head back, veins throbbing on his forehead. His fists clenched unconsciously. He looked at Xiao Yunlong expressionlessly and said slowly, "Let go~"

Only then did Xiao Yunlong realize how rough his actions had been. He quickly let go and scratched his head awkwardly.

Pfft~~

Liu Zhaozhao couldn't help but chuckle.

Qin Dadi looked both helpless and amused.

"Ahem, sorry, I was just too anxious."

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

"Mm."

Qin Tian took out the gauze and threw it on the ground. He had the [Rapid Recovery] talent, so the slight nosebleed stopped quickly. He didn't need this thing at all.

"Hey, that was a Tier 2 Psionic Cat! Even I couldn't keep up with its speed. How did you do it?" Xiao Yunlong's eyes widened, a million questions swirling in his mind.

"Just... dodged a bit."

Qin Tian squatted down to pick up the rifle from the ground. He then casually wiped the body of the Psionic Cat. The green light sphere flew into his body and was quickly covered by [Shadow Muscle and Bone].

Pity, no other talents.

Qin Tian stood up, tilting his head to dodge a stray bullet that grazed his ear.

I'll have to pick up a tactical helmet later.

On the battlefield, a helmet was an essential piece of equipment.

Even though his reaction speed was now extremely fast, allowing him to dodge stray bullets, having an extra layer of protection wouldn't hurt.

Moreover, tactical helmets not only protected the head but also had functions like wide-angle vision, magnification, analysis, and information exchange. Even Psionic Users wore tactical helmets, though theirs were more advanced.

"Just... dodged a bit."

Xiao Yunlong was speechless, but he knew that was just Qin Tian's personality. There was nothing he could do but suppress his curiosity and not ask further questions.

"Yunlong, stop the nonsense. Stop the bleeding first, then get an adrenaline shot."

Qin Dadi took out a hemostatic patch and applied it to Xiao Yunlong's wound. Then, he injected Xiao Yunlong with a needle.

"Hoo, I feel much better."

Xiao Yunlong stomped his feet a couple of times. His legs, which had been a bit weak moments ago, were now full of strength.

Beep beep~~

At this moment, Qin Dadi's wristband beeped.

A new mission had arrived.

"Let's go, we need to save someone..."

Qin Dadi beckoned, leading the squad towards the target area.

"Captain, who are we saving?" Xiao Yunlong asked as they ran.

Qin Dadi: "The Star Squad, but only Li Lai is left from their team right now."

Star Squad.

Xiao Yunlong fell silent. The Star Squad's barracks were not far from theirs, and they often visited each other. They had a good relationship.

Yet, the comrades who had encouraged each other and promised to drink together after the battle before the fight had now been separated by death, never to meet again.

"Let's go faster!"

Xiao Yunlong quickened his pace, running ahead of Qin Dadi.

Unfortunately, by the time they reached the location designated by the command, the sole survivor, Li Lai, had also perished, lying on the ground with arrows stuck all over his back.

"Li Lai."

Qin Dadi lowered his eyes and sighed inwardly.

This is war. War always claims lives.

If Qin Tian hadn't had that miraculous outburst just now, the Earth Dragon Squad would have suffered the same fate as the Star Squad – annihilation.

Xiao Yunlong and Liu Zhaozhao pursed their lips, their eyes red. They were more than ten years younger than Qin Dadi and hadn't experienced much life and death. First Huang Xun, and now their familiar comrades in the Star Squad.

The brutality of the battlefield was a harsh lesson for the two young men.

At this moment, Qin Tian crouched down, removed Li Lai's tactical helmet, and put it on his own head.

Seeing this, the other two also supported Qin Tian's decision.

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

[Name] Ember Critical Strike (Blue)

[Type] Active Talent

[Description] Burns 5% of Max Willpower, Stamina, and Energy. The next attack has a high probability of dealing 150%-170% damage, a small probability of dealing 180%-200% damage, a very small probability of dealing 250%-300% damage, and an infinitesimal probability of dealing up to 500% damage.

Hiss, I hit the jackpot!

Qin Tian's eyes lit up, a strong sense of surprise surging within him.

Ember Critical Strike was a perfect match for his sniping ability. After activating it, he could deal at least 150% damage, and if he got lucky and dealt 300% or 500% damage, even a Tier 3 Psionic User wouldn't be able to withstand a single shot from him.

Furthermore, this talent also provided a significant boost to Psionic Users. Mastering a burst-type martial skill and adding the Ember Critical Strike bonus would make challenging opponents of higher tiers effortless.

Qin Tian looked down at the deceased Li Lai. [Ember Critical Strike] was Li Lai's ability. To be honest, a pure Ability User couldn't fully unleash the power of this talent.

After all, their mental energy and stamina were limited, and they had no internal energy. Once they used it more than five times, they would feel noticeably fatigued.

It would have been better if Li Lai was skilled with a gun and could use [Ember Critical Strike] to amplify its power. However...

Qin Tian glanced at the blood-stained saber next to Li Lai and could only sigh, He chose the wrong path~

Qin Dadi reported the situation of the Star Squad to his superiors, awaiting further orders.

During this time, Qin Tian was not idle. He eliminated the orcs within sight, one shot at a time, collecting Evolution Points.

However, before the Earth Dragon Squad could receive new orders, an unexpected event occurred.

Boom~ Boom~

On the Golan Heights, streaks of red light shot high into the sky, tracing arcs before crashing down like a meteor shower onto the command post positions behind them.

Vwoom~~~

The command post's defense system instantly activated. Missiles were launched to intercept the incoming projectiles, and at the same time, a massive, deep blue energy shield enveloped the command post like an overturned bowl.

"Commander, it's Flame Crystal. They've already found the Flame Crystal mine."

The adjutant arrived beside the commander, his face grave.

"I see it."

The commander nodded and gave the order, "Prepare to withdraw."

Their objective in attacking the Golan Heights was the Flame Crystal mine located below. Now that the mine was occupied by orcs, if there was any Flame Crystal Jade Marrow, the orcs would have surely taken it already.

Continuing the fight would only result in pointless casualties.

"Just received the message. All personnel are to retreat."

Qin Dadi put down his wrist communicator, his voice filled with surprise.

"We can retreat?"

Everyone was excited. The Golan Heights had been a tough nut to crack, and there was no sign of victory. They had long wanted to withdraw, and this order came at the perfect time.

"Let's go!"

Qin Dadi waved his hand and led them in a rapid retreat following the command post's designated route.

Retreating was also a skillful endeavor. If not managed properly, it could quickly devolve into a complete rout.

Fortunately, the command post had a contingency plan. Under the cover of fighter jets, missiles, and elite troops, the frontline forces retreated relatively smoothly to the rear.

Golan Heights

On a hilltop, a majestic and imposing Tiger-headed Man, clad in black armor, gazed into the distance. When he saw the human forces disappear at the horizon, a cold smile curved his lips.

"Heh, they're quite fast to run, but I won't let you go that easily."

"The night is my domain."

Behind him, dozens of Shadow Catmen, with jet-black fur and tall physiques, bared their cruel smiles.