Mission Attendant III

Foreword:

God always brings good fortune slowly; I want immediate benefits.

[Part ① - The Absolute Core]

"From the banks of the Nie Dun River to Bhikkh on the southern coast of East Horse Port, the terrain gradually rises from south to north."

"The high-pressure system will gradually approach the Magpie Mountains in the summer, which is our main battlefield, and a low-pressure trough will form from Huacheng Bay to Yongkang Industrial Zone."

"The cold front that formed on the west side of the low-pressure trough is moving south at a speed of 60 kilometers per hour and will reach the coastline of the East Horse Port area at 11:00 a. m. on the 27th."

"This weather pattern can trigger strong wind shear and atmospheric turbulence—as was the case with the hail and snow that occurred on the evening of the 26th, where high pressure and cold fronts formed almost within minutes."

In the floating dock on the south bank of East Horse Port, used for ship repairs, another team arrived at the front lines along with Wood Plark.

They were second-level combat personnel who had been relegated from various corps in Guangling Zhixi. Their combat strength was far inferior to that of the elite troops incorporated into Kuai Dao. They also served as a temporary fire brigade responsible for various security and escort missions. Wood Plark was an advisor to Ming De's think tank. Regarding the rescue operation of the Homesick Ship, the WHO issued regulations on the treatment and management of Black Serpents. This newly formed force was to be fully responsible.

It is always necessary to prepare for both possibilities. When the Nostalgia ferry ran aground on the shoals of East Horse Port due to an "unexpected storm," the gears of fate began to turn, and the saturation rescue plan formulated for this incident had already begun to be implemented.

At this moment, the floating dock was crowded with people, men and women, a total of sixteen.

They lacked the combat experience of veterans from the expeditionary period, and had never truly encountered steel and fire. They were all graduates of the Galahad Military Academy, civilian personnel trained in the Moon God Cup exercises and remote frontiers—unqualified to participate in the subsequent Zhutai battle. It was only thanks to Wood Plark's mission that these young men had the opportunity to come to the Shambhala Southeast.

Without exception, they were all students of the gunsmith.

"What is the status of the Spirit Elementals in each department's Summoning Bell?"

"We received a reply from the war zone; General of Tears has taken down the Flash Butterfly."

"Can you get in touch with Silver Bay?"

"The Beggars' Sect brothers only recognize the insignia of the anonymous members; these intelligence agents have done a very good job of keeping secrets."

"We've gathered enough information during General of Tears's confinement; now it's up to us to rely on ourselves."

The floating dock has been requisitioned by these little guys, who used two bright red cat coins to appease the fishery owner.

The one who posed this question was the missing piece of the Spirit Cloud Squad's puzzle: Qi Ji, a young talent who had been recruited into the Nameless Reserve Force early on, and the captain of the Fairy Tale Kingdom, who was only nineteen years old at the time.

At this moment, he was biting an electronic drawing pen, holding several mobile phones as memo pads, and continuing to ask his old classmate, who worked part-time at the weather station, "What's the weather like?"

"The same old story," replied the bear observing the climate change from the platform atop the floating dock. "I've never seen this kind of weather before. It's just like that girl from Alice's Port in Zula City, who grew up growing chili peppers—fickle-tempered and prone to slapping people."

A burst of laughter came from the command post downstairs; the team was full of energy, as if nothing could happen to them.

The data clerk downstairs, who was collecting and organizing street maps and population distribution data, looked up, brushed aside the stray feathers near his beak, and tossed two pieces of chewing gum into the bird's beak. He was a crow-man, and casually replied, "That's your problem."

"It must be a Soul Might attack." The short mole sister, who was also a mixed race and was standing next to Qi Ji, spoke up, "That's the enemy's Wings of Light. She can control the weather. The hailstorm the day before damaged the power distribution system of the East City Hospital, killing many patients, smashing the weather vane in the church district to pieces, and even shattering the Goddess Aio on the top of the clock tower."

If your memory is good enough, you should remember where these three bastards came from.

They were Hao Bro's old classmates, from the eighth grade group of Galahad, Class 78. All three hybrid monsters had just graduated and joined the battle group. During the six-year expedition, in addition to the fierce battles in the big cities, there were many remote villages and towns controlled by the Guiyi Sect —these areas became the whetstones for the second-level combat readiness corps and reserves.

"Where are the vanguard of the Dragon Cavalry?" a voice asked from the staff of the command post.

Qi Ji sat in front of a row of Summoning Bell and replied without turning his head, "The deployment is complete. The latest news indicates that General of Tears has just finished dealing with the 'Flash Butterfly' and is fleeing to the city's civilian district with VIP Jason Megan."

Some people say, "That's called a strategic shift."

Qi Ji corrected, "He was surrounded and intercepted by several Wings of Light, and he also had wounded soldiers. Our scouts couldn't help—in a battle of this level, trying to effectively kill Wings of Light empowered by [Sing For Me] with light weapons is a subject our gunsmith teacher never taught us."

The sixteen soldiers present did not possess advanced psychic abilities, as did the scout team accompanying them. Apart from the most basic psychic vision, almost all of them were still in the pupa stage. Forty-three of the vanguard scouts came from the Dragon Cavalry Legion, and the few soldiers trained by Mr. Hasben were still in the nymph stage, the youngest being no more than eighteen years old.

They weren't originally qualified to join the power struggle among the Flash Butterflies, but the gunsmiths and generals from various departments of the Transportation Bureau had a very sophisticated and modern information warfare system that allowed these quick-witted and sharp-minded young people to fully display their talents.

"Oh!"

The Summoning Bell received a new message, and Qi Ji immediately brought up the phone's compiler while simultaneously starting to mentally decipher the ringtone code by handwriting on his notebook.

"Da Chun's three-person team is relatively close to the main war zone. He received information that the Grand Patriarch of the Church of Dionysus and the High Pope of the Wings of Light are crucial and high-value targets within the Immortals Alliance. Intelligence gathered from the war zone indicates that Gloria Sebastian is Judas's protector."

Upon hearing this, the young people in the temporary command post did not show much emotion.

This time, they've caught a big fish. For the assault teams in the main southeastern theater, if they can crush Judas's backbone at East Horse Port and kill Gloria Sebastian —every one of their names will be recorded in Galahad's school history. On a grander scale, their family tree will begin with their own names.

The fact that these kids could remain so calm after realizing the truth was also related to the gunsmith—no matter what the situation, the game wasn't over until a winner was decided, and they had to maintain 100% concentration.

"Should we support Mr. Plark? His Summoning Bell has been silent for far too long," someone asked.

"Let's check the Lingyun team first." The four-person command team put together several city topographic maps, while another table was busy sending telegrams to the vanguard team using a Summoning Bell: "Change route to Exit 3, yes, change route."

"Can Group Six remember this?"

"The map of Huacheng Bay is easy to read. The governor is a shrewd man. The urban planning is clean and transparent. Except for the old town of Guanyao Cape, which has not yet been renovated, the buildings in the new town have been renovated, and the roads are all wide and open."

"They'll rush out of the Luo family pawnshop courtyard in just fifteen seconds. Group Six will run into General of Tears. Prepare to resist the spiritual pressure. Hold your breath, concentrate, and hide in the shadows to remain quiet—follow them only after they've seen more than eighty feet ahead. Don't worry about losing them."

"Don't fire, be patient, and leave the kill to the Spirit Cloud Squad."

There was no time to care about the skirmish between Wood and Fret. The mission that the Redstone Train Commander had assigned to the Level 2 Combat Readiness Group was to do everything in its power to help General of Tears —Wood—as a surprise attack, to directly participate in every battlefield.

Guided by the deployment of various command units, the scouts of the Dragon Cavalry Corps, acting as eyes hidden in the shadows, helped the VIP quickly locate Katusha, prevent Katusha from using Origin Magic, and retrieve the medium that held the Origin Magic.

Then came a 3,700-meter-long forced trek on horseback. Without these "eyes" to guide the way, and without the command team led by Qi Ji to plan the route, Wood alone simply could not have done these things— Jason Megan would probably have suffered a delay in recovering from her injuries and been tormented to death by the Flash Butterfly.

Like the gunsmith, Jason Megan's Lapis Lazuli Guards and some of the combined arms brigades of the warbands were also the mentors of these reserve intelligence trainees. Long before Meteor entered the Arcane Library for supplementary studies, 3301 was the instructor in charge of security and combat readiness related content at the school.

Rather than saying Wood saved Jason's life, it was more accurate to say that the hidden assets left behind by the Nameless One at the Magic Institute played a crucial role.

Deciphering the coded message of the Summoning Bell takes time. The translation forms corresponding to the coded message of the bell have been constantly evolving in the long-term hot war environment. No matter how delayed the information is, it is only a few seconds' error for the scouts and vanguards who are lying in wait at the front.

The number of times a single bell rings can be used to directly read out the specific command from the table, and teams in different urban areas will also prepare translation forms in advance based on the topographic map.

The commanders of each scout group often carried three Summoning Bell —these three bells could generate a hundred-digit number of information within ten seconds, which could be translated into simple and easy-to-understand instructions.

The deployed squad, currently carrying out its mission, rings the bell nine times for the tenth digit and nine times for the ones digit. In the common translation table of the local militia system, this is what Code 99 means. "Emergency requiring support."

For scouts truly on the front lines, this ringtone-based translation system is far more complex, conveying a greater range of information, including tactical commands such as attack, retreat, movement, and encampment, as well as complex statements and specific numbers. It also serves as a warning by activating the status signals of the police system.

This was almost a devastating blow to the Wings of Light under Gloria Sebastian's command. Once these superhumans were more than fifty meters apart, their ability to transmit information was almost like that of primitive people; they had to run themselves ragged to relay orders and rely entirely on verbal communication to give them commands.

In Qi Ji's eyes, the wisest course of action was for General of Tears not to fight to the death on the beachhead.

Apart from the spiritual pressure interference from the Flash Butterfly, after the Summoning Bell's battle report system returned to normal, it was Qi Ji's turn.

"We're about to enter District B24 and get back to Huacheng Bay Morning Market. Is General of Tears still like a headless fly?" Mole Sister listened to the chaotic ringing of the bell with a worried expression, resting her chubby cheeks on her hand.

"He only has one Summoning Bell," Qi Ji explained. "And the corresponding Summoning Bell is with Aunt 3301. All the other tactical equipment is with the Spirit Cloud Squad; they'll be joining up soon."

"Reorganize tactical resources; how many B24 units are available?"

Area B24 is a tactical terrain map designation centered on the Church of Dionysus, and it is also the coastal street near the Siyao Fire Station, which is close to the entrance of the Demon Pool Dam. The terrain here rises from south to north, and the buildings are relatively complex. Bu Liuxing carried Jason's incomplete half-grown body and escaped for more than twenty minutes before circling back.

Once outside B24, the unfamiliar streets, buildings, and main roads offered no hiding place. Gloria and the other six Wings of Light had already chased the nimble rabbit for five or six rounds—without drinking the Holy Blood, Meteor was simply unable to counter the power of [Sing For Me].

Simply put, even with the psionic weaponry and Jason Megan's weakened body, it would be incredibly difficult for Meteor to unleash the powerful White Wolf Sword to instantly kill these high-value targets—once the dice roll, he would lose all his advantages.

"Ring the bell!" Qi Ji quickly distributed the tactical terrain map of area B24 to the four groups in the temporary command post, wanting to focus all tactical attention on this area. "We've already made contact with the Spirit Cloud Squad."

The second command team responded, "Kaycee Gerrard's communication channel is clear."

"The team is 360 meters away from General of Tears. Commander, your troop resources are as follows."

"Dragon Cavalry unit of twenty-six dragoons can complete the deployment of Sector B24 within three hundred seconds; the fastest group will take sixty-four seconds."

"The Lingyun team of four, plus one attendant, can complete the deployment of Sector B24 within 124 seconds."

"All firepower is effective; there are no casualties."

"The window of opportunity has arrived." Xiong Ge's report came from the rooftop, "The enemy's Soul Might attack will have at least four minutes of channeling time. The layered clouds coming from the northwest tell me that the street area of B24 is relatively safe before the next hailstorm arrives."

Qi Ji stretched out his fingers, and tentacle-like spirits emerged from his arms. They picked up a calculator and paper and pen, and in the blink of an eye, marked dozens of red dots on the tactical terrain map—and slowly changed the position of the red dots over time.

"Waiters, begin ringing the bells to give the order."

The personnel who made up the temporary command team were almost all servants at the station.

--In the golden age of Ming De, the paired Summoning Bell for passengers and waiters no longer represented weak distress signals, but rather a closer connection.

[Part ②: The Decapitating Sword]

Like a thunderbolt from the sky, like a mighty man descending from heaven.

The White Wolf Knight smashed through the window on the second floor of the archway and landed on the streets of Huacheng Bay Market. He still held Jason Megan tightly in his arms, without any intention of stopping, staying behind, or turning back to check the enemy's situation. He found a complicated alleyway and slipped inside.

The constant ringing of bells invigorated him, as if he had returned to a familiar combat environment.

But the relentlessly pursuing Wings of Light had no intention of giving him a moment's respite; several sharp, cold blades pierced the air—

--The pitch-black bird-shaped spirit splashed out feather-shaped blades that looked like ink stains. They scraped against the General of Tears's spirit armor, cracked the shop signs at the alley entrance, and left sharp sword marks on the brick roadside and walls.

Meteor was only focused on escaping and had no intention of fighting back. The results of the first few rounds of combat were unsatisfactory. These Wings of Light were blessed by dice, and he used the speed advantage of his half-wolf form to separate the enemies one by one. The six high-value targets that were originally clustered together also took a first-come, first-served approach - which gave him a one-on-one duel opportunity. However, once the dice rang, the invincible Berloberg became uncontrollable.

He rushed into the pharmacy next to the archway, followed the sound of the bell to the backyard, and saw the scouts of the Dragon Cavalry Corps. Three young men had changed into a set of Xiabang local clothes and were waiting by the herbal tea stall at the street corner.

Without a word, Meteor tossed Jason over from his arms. The soldiers exchanged a few quick glances with the General of Tears, took the VIP who was making his triumphant return, tossed General of Tears a set of explosives, and then left as quickly as possible.

The Wings of Light, following closely behind, possessed exceptional speed; he seemed to be the most skilled and agile warrior under Gloria's command. He relentlessly pursued Meteor, scaling walls, traversing alleys, and leaping onto rooftops, continuously harassing Meteor with his Soul Might. However, his speed advantage couldn't be shared with his companions—the damage he inflicted on the spirit-armored creatures was ultimately limited.

As soon as Meteor received the tactical equipment delivered by the Dragon Cavalry scouts, he heard a jumble of bells coming from the ammunition pouches of his carrying gear.

The first cheer finally rang out from the temporary command post.

"The General of Tears's prayers are answered."

"He's back in combat; he can give orders."

In the blink of an eye, an explosive device bounced off the narrow alley wall—

--It first smashed into the low wall on one side of the irrigation canal, then hit the second-floor window frame of the pharmacy, flew towards the path the meteor had taken, and exploded in mid-air. The fireball almost engulfed the ogre, but did not completely kill it.

The projectiles gave the meteor a speed advantage, allowing it to leave the Wings of Light behind.

Following the bell's instructions, Meteor and the Dragon Cavalry split up. Without Jason clinging to him, he finally had a free hand to take out a tactical terrain map from his gear and glance at it briefly. Even a muscle -General of Tears like him could recognize the basic combat environment marked B24 at a glance.

"Really?"

"You expect me to run to the teahouse at the east end of the market in one minute and forty seconds?"

The order from Qi Ji sounded like a brutal physical fitness test. Given Meteor's previous physical abilities, traversing this complex terrain with its 1,200-meter elevation differences was truly a challenge for him.

But now he is lapis lazuli, and in Qi Ji's eyes, lapis lazuli's mobility is far superior to that of Homo sapiens.

The General of Tears did not question the bell. He ran wildly while putting on his carrying gear, then crouched low, paddled on all fours, and took off, rushing out of the main street of the market. The bell that led the way could still be heard.

The streets were wide and empty, suggesting that the scouts and vanguard had long ago evacuated the civilians and completed their work in advance.

The mahjong parlor and teahouse at the east end of the city were close at hand. Meteor, panting heavily, climbed the stairs and scaled the railings, while the Wings of Light behind him, propelled by that eerie, unpredictable, pitch-black spirit, flew low overhead.

The Spirit Cloud Squad had been waiting there for a long time. The General of Tears and the enemies behind him had been chasing him all the way, which once again widened the distance between the Wings of Light and his companions, leaving him isolated and helpless.

"-- Maintain crossfire! Keep your head down!" A Hao pulled Teacher Meteor into the teahouse, pressed the teacher's head under the table, and unleashed a barrage of fire at the railing.

At the same time, Daniel, who had been crouching under the fish stall in the market, also peeked out from the store on the first floor of the long street where grain was collected, the side door of the conservation agency, and the vegetable market.

Five guns simultaneously emerged from five directions around the Wings of Light. After regaining her senses, Katusha, holding a Phantom sniper rifle, positioned herself on a high point at the east archway, ready to fire.

The bullets struck the Wings of Light, the scorching steel tearing through the spirit body, leaving bloody wounds.

Even if the dice for [Sing For Me] rolled wildly, it couldn't stop the sudden, intense barrage. The crossfire, with no blind spots, delivered 121 deadly bullets, causing this soaring deity to plummet to the ground, crashing headfirst into the muddy vegetable garden! He was drenched in a hail of bullets and turned into a bloody pulp!

Daniel had just finished reciting the gun god's prayer when he followed the falling target into the fence. His view was blocked by the wooden fence. He emptied an entire magazine, threw two fragmentation grenades, added an incendiary grenade, watched as the vegetable garden burst into flames, and finally gently rang the bell.

"Safe?"

The sound of a bell signifies [a safe situation], and also means re-secured weapons.

Kaycee Gerrard came running and grabbed Daniel as they ran outside.

"Safe! Safe! Safe! Safe!"

On the second floor of the card room, before Meteor could react, Hao Bro had just pressed his head down, didn't linger.

"I'll go first, teacher! I'll take some!"

The boy took nine Universal Elixir from the White Wolf Knight's bag, all of which were Wood's stock that he had given to Meteor. Then, he leaped over the courtyard wall and ran away, stepping on the roof tiles.

Inside the temporary command post, the various groups continued to exchange information.

Which location to choose?

"Is it safe now? B24 clearing the area? Can we head to Tianjiatun intersection to the next war zone? Or are we still using the original two? Which one should we choose?"

"No, it's too cramped there. Explosives and crisscrossing firing lines could cause friendly fire. A Hao just got the Universal Elixir; they need time to reallocate and manage the drug resources."

"How is the General of Tears's condition?"

"He maintained his spirit power outward for nearly an hour, and he didn't have much mental energy left. The weather was getting worse, and it could snow at any moment. The ogre's strong body was not afraid of such natural disasters."

"We have a speed advantage, can we create another opportunity for a coordinated attack? To avoid the [Sing For Me] dice, we must launch an attack outside their line of sight—to prevent these cannibalistic monsters from reacting, to utilize the three-dimensional terrain, and to find a way to break another of Gloria's fingers."

"Check the dam entrance first, take a look at Director Si Yao, Brother Qi Ji! Help me! I can't figure out what Group One is doing, what exactly are they shaking?"

Based solely on the simple sound of a bell, it's difficult for this commander to imagine the specific combat environment.

"May your Ming De be blessed."

"This is Shambhala! God always brings good fortune slowly, but I want immediate benefits!"

The air in the temporary command post was thick with tension, but it didn't slow down the efficiency of information exchange. After brief communication, these young people always managed to reach a consensus and find the best outcome.

Qi Ji glanced at the terrain map and casually replied, "The first and second groups of the Dragon Cavalry Corps are watching them. White Snake used Shali Knight's Night Veil to hold back the Horcrux, but there's no chance to break through. The scouts can't get into the underground waterways, so we have to find another way—and they can't understand the bells, so they can't cooperate."

"Jason Megan has withdrawn from B24. Are they following her?"

"No, no, no, no."

"Quiet! I'm thinking!"

"Wood Plark's Summoning Bell is back online; his channel is working."

Upon hearing the autopsy report from the Dragon Cavalry, Qi Ji drew an X on the terrain map.

This means the enemy with the highest mobility is completely dead.