As night fell, the lights in the barracks began to come on one by one, like stars appearing in the sky, illuminating the area around them.
A small transport vehicle drove out from inside and stopped at the barracks entrance. Four fully armed special forces soldiers jumped out and quickly disappeared into the vast darkness.
"Qin Tian, our mission this time is to eliminate the Shadow Cat Squad lurking near the camp."
As Qin Dadi ran, he quickly briefed him:
"The Shadow Cat clan is a low-ranking race in the Orc Empire. They're agile, have sharp claws, and are especially skilled at fighting at night."
"When the fighting starts, quickly put some distance between yourself and the enemy. Find a safe spot and observe the situation first. Don't shoot recklessly."
Although Qin Tian had passed the Agile Bird test and earned a very high score, he had never taken part in actual combat. Qin Dadi still wasn't entirely confident in his shooting ability.
"Okay."
Qin Tian held the Dragon Falcon Rifle under one arm, his expression calm.
He could hear the doubt in Qin Dadi's words, but that was understandable.
Next, he'd prove himself with his skills, and while he was at it—
Feel up a catgirl corpse~
"Haha, Qin Tian, don't worry. We've got plenty of experience dealing with Shadow Cats."
Xiao Yunlong held a Black-patterned Battle Saber in one hand and spoke casually. "Just watch us in action. You'll see how impressive Psionic Users and Ability Users are."
Psionic Users, Ability Users...
A flicker of anticipation appeared in Qin Tian's eyes.
The Earth Dragon Squad ran a long way. Throughout the journey, Qin Dadi kept his eyes on the combat radar on his wristwatch. Several red dots moved across the screen, and they were drawing closer to them.
Qin Dadi glanced back at Qin Tian. He'd initially worried Qin Tian wouldn't be able to keep up and would run out of stamina, leaving him unfit to fight.
But Qin Tian wasn't even breathing hard, and he kept pace with the rest of them. It was quite surprising.
Could all the Replicants in this batch have been given enhanced templates?
But that wouldn't be good for Qin Tian...
"One kilometer left. Get ready."
Qin Dadi raised a fist and slowed his pace, speaking softly. "Qin Tian, find a good position for yourself. Stay safe."
"Okay."
Qin Tian nodded.
A dozen seconds later, several shadowy figures appeared in the distance.
Qin Tian focused on them. His excellent eyesight, enhanced by the Multifunctional Helmet, let him make out their features clearly.
The Shadow Cat clan.
They looked nothing like the catgirls he'd imagined.
The Shadow Cats were tall, about the same size as adult men. Their bodies were covered in pitch-black fur, and their heads resembled those of felines, but were grotesquely oversized. Their ears stood tall and pointed. Their faces were sunken, and their eyes resembled deep pools lit by eerie green flames, their narrow pupils flickering with an uncanny light.
It was Qin Tian's first time seeing such a bizarre creature, and a chill ran through him.
"There are four Shadow Cats in all. You two, be careful."
Qin Dadi warned them in a low voice as he ran ahead of Xiao Yunlong and Liu Zhaozhao. Under Qin Tian's astonished gaze, his body began to change.
Crack, crack, crack!
Dark brown layers of rock surfaced across his skin. In the blink of an eye, Qin Dadi had become a Stone Man over two meters tall, his entire body covered in stone except for his eyes.
Thud, thud, thud...
As the Stone Man ran, he sounded like a rumbling tank, unstoppable.
At the sight of him, the Shadow Cats shrieked and scattered in all directions.
"Trying to run?"
Xiao Yunlong sneered. Azure Light flashed beneath his feet, and he suddenly accelerated, moving even more nimbly than the Shadow Cats. The saber in his hand whistled down toward one of their heads.
"Meow!!!"
The Shadow Cat's fur bristled, each strand standing straight like a steel needle. But it reacted quickly, lowering its body so the saber skimmed over its scalp, then thrusting its sharp claws at Xiao Yunlong's throat.
Xiao Yunlong didn't panic. He tilted his head to the side, evading the vital spot, then struck out with a lightning-fast low sweep, kicking the Shadow Cat in the knee.
Crack—
The sound of bone breaking rang out clearly.
The Shadow Cat let out a pained shriek. In the next moment, the saber swept across its neck and severed its head.
"One down!" Xiao Yunlong shouted.
On the other side, three Shadow Cats ran around the lumbering Qin Dadi. They kicked off with their hind legs and swooped toward Liu Zhaozhao like three enormous black bats.
Liu Zhaozhao stood her ground, her beautiful eyes calm.
These low-ranking Shadow Cats had neither Psionic Energy nor awakened talents. To her, they were nothing more than oversized wildcats. She could kill them with a flick of her hand.
Whoosh—
Just as the Shadow Cats came within two meters of Liu Zhaozhao, three pillars of fire suddenly surged up from the ground. The flames roared, turning the Shadow Cats into living torches.
"Ahhh!"
The Shadow Cats rolled across the ground, their piercing screams echoing across the plains.
Bang!
A gunshot rang out without warning.
One Shadow Cat jerked as a bowl-sized hole appeared in its chest.
Bang!
Another gunshot rang out.
The second Shadow Cat was shot in the head.
A few seconds later, no more gunshots sounded. The last Shadow Cat burned to death, leaving behind a charred corpse.
Liu Zhaozhao looked back. A vague figure emerged from the darkness and walked toward them, his steps steady. Each one carried an indescribable sense of calm and strength.
"Heh, he's got quite the presence."
Liu Zhaozhao's lips curved into a slight smile.
"Haha, Qin Tian, you really do live up to the title of Sharpshooter. You've nailed it with the Dragon Falcon Rifle on your very first try."
Xiao Yunlong walked over to Qin Tian with a broad smile, clearly impressed by his marksmanship.
The Dragon Falcon Rifle had a long range and great stopping power, but it was also difficult to master. Even the military's top snipers needed at least half a month to get used to it.
Yet Qin Tian had hit one Shadow Cat in the chest and blown another's head off on his very first try. His shooting talent was extraordinary.
Qin Tian gave a slight nod. His gaze flickered as he glanced at the Shadow Cat corpses on the ground.
Just then, his cheat had brought him another surprise.
After he killed two Shadow Cats, two white light orbs flew toward him. Once they entered his body, the brighter white orb remained, while the paler one vanished.
Not only that, but another section of information appeared in his mind.
[Host] Qin Tian [Talents] Absolute Gun Sense (Green), Advanced Strength (Green), Rapid Recovery (Green), Danger Sense (Green), Basic Knife Sense (White), Cat's Agility (White) [Evolution Points] 15 ... [Name] Cat's Agility (White) [Type] Passive Talent [Description] Those with this talent move with feline agility, significantly increasing their reflexes, evasion, and movement speed. ...
From what had just happened, Qin Tian deduced that talent orbs from killing enemies of the same type couldn't stack. Only the stronger one remained.
However, killing enemies earned him Evolution Points, and Evolution Points were surely used to evolve talents.
"Qin Tian, the three of us have shown you what we can do. Zhaozhao and I are second-tier Ability Users. My ability is Stone Transformation, and hers is Crimson Fire. Yunlong is a second-tier Psionic Warrior, skilled in footwork and saber techniques."
Qin Dadi walked over, and the layers of stone covering his body receded.
Normally, when facing agile enemies like Shadow Cats, he only turned parts of his body to stone so he could stay nimble.
But to make his abilities easier to see, he'd turned entirely to stone during the fight.
Of course, just as he'd expected, he'd been as clumsy as a stone block and hadn't even managed to touch a single Shadow Cat.
"Welcome to the Earth Dragon Squad."
Qin Dadi held out his hand, his expression solemn and sincere.
Qin Tian raised his eyes slightly. He understood that only after killing two Shadow Cats had he truly passed the Earth Dragon Squad's test and become a member of the team.
Smack—
Qin Tian shook Qin Dadi's hand and said quietly,
"Captain."
Seeing this, Xiao Yunlong and Liu Zhaozhao exchanged glances, smiles appearing on their faces.
Before you continue