The gravel beneath his feet made a slight crunching sound, but Ye Mo didn't turn around. The door to the safe house behind him closed silently after Emma Frost entered, completely shutting out any remaining warmth. The wind of the Africa plateau carried a rough, gritty feel, stinging his face, but this coldness only made Ye Mo's mind clearer. He pulled his hat brim down, tucking the hood tighter, leaving only his eyes exposed, his gaze fixed like a hawk on the dark rock wall to the north.
"Stop dawdling." Ye Mo's voice came through the bone conduction headphones, deep and brief, "Twenty minutes. If you're late, I'll carry you back."
A soft hum came from the other end of the earpiece, Emma Frost's unique, slightly arrogant response. Then, their figures quickly diverged in the night, stealthily moving in opposite directions. Ye Mo moved along the rock wall, each step landing precisely on the most stable point of the rock, trying to make as little noise as possible. His body was taut like a bowstring, his consciousness sinking into the Gene Spiral Tower in his mind, his fingertips lightly touching the pale blue halo representing the " Regenerative Phasing " ability.
The inspection port of the north ventilation duct was hidden beneath a patch of withered vines, its location so concealed that even satellite maps could hardly capture its details. Ye Mo crouched down, his fingers expertly probing into the gap, feeling for the vibration sensor's sleep cycle. This was the data he had recorded at the observation post: a brief self-check interval every forty-five seconds, lasting three seconds. These three seconds were his window of opportunity to battle death.
The sound of his heartbeat amplified in his ears, like the pounding of war drums. Ye Mo held his breath, staring at the tactical watch on his wrist. The second hand ticked, tick-tock. Just as the hand crossed a certain mark, the sensor emitted a barely perceptible low-frequency hum, then fell silent. Now!
Ye Mo took a deep breath and slammed his right hand onto the cold metal wall. Deep within his consciousness, the genetic fragments began to vibrate violently, and a strange warmth spread from his palm throughout his body. His body outline began to blur, as if melting away, his once hard form instantly transforming into a semi-liquid state. There was no intense light, no exaggerated special effects, only a chilling stillness. His entire body, like a pool of mercury, slid into the gap in the access panel, passed through the thick metal barrier, and silently entered the interior of the cavern.
Meanwhile, on the east side plaza.
The open space under the cover of night was empty and deathly silent, with only a few dim streetlights swaying in the wind. Suddenly, a loud bang shattered the silence. Amidst the rising dust, a figure appeared out of thin air. It was no ordinary intruder, but a dazzling white Crystal statue. Emma Frost Thaddeus Ross was covered in a dazzling diamond luster, every inch of her skin transformed into an indestructible crystal, reflecting a blinding light in the sunlight.
"Hey, over there!" Emma Frost's clear, magnetic voice echoed across the empty square. "Your boss asked me to pick up something. Hurry up, I'm in a rush."
These provocative words were like a boulder thrown into a lake, instantly creating ripples. In the surrounding darkness, countless gun barrels simultaneously flashed red, pointing at the glowing target in the center of the square. The guards clearly hadn't expected such a high-profile intruder, and Emma Frost perfectly exploited their momentary surprise. She didn't rush to attack, but deliberately moved at high speed across the square, her Diamond Form body scraping against the ground with a screeching sound, kicking up clouds of dust.
"Fire! Don't let her get away!" The commander's roar echoed throughout the camp through the loudspeakers.
A hail of bullets rained down on Emma Frost, ripples spreading across the diamond's surface but failing to cause any damage. A cold smile played on Emma Frost's lips as she continued running, deliberately creating openings to lure more fire upon herself. She was like a giant magnet, drawing all attention firmly to herself.
Deep within the underground passage, Ye Mo sensed the commotion above. Gunshots, shouts, and alarms mingled together, forming a massive noise network. This was exactly the cover he needed. The chaos outside masked the subtle movements he made as he infiltrated, and the guards' attention was entirely drawn to the "target" on the east side, leaving them no time to notice the seemingly peaceful ground beneath their feet.
Ye Mo advanced rapidly along the pre-planned route, navigating through a complex network of pipes and maintenance passages. His speed was exceptional, and each Wall Phasing was precise, avoiding any mechanisms that might trigger alarms. However, as he drew closer to the Vibranium processing equipment, the atmosphere grew increasingly tense.
Through the semi-transparent wall, Ye Mo sensed the dense killing intent surrounding him. This wasn't just the aura of mercenaries, but a ruthless, professional killing intent honed through rigorous training. He stopped, pressed himself against the wall, and cautiously peered out. The scene before him made him frown—the core area wasn't at the ordinary security level described in the intelligence reports, but was filled with heavily armed personnel. These people wore black tactical uniforms, carried weapons specifically designed to suppress Mutants, and their eyes were wary and fierce.
"That guy Klaue, he really did have a backup plan." Ye Mo cursed inwardly, but his face remained calm. He had originally planned to destroy the core of the device directly, but now it seemed that a direct assault would only alert the enemy. He needed a more covert route, or to wait for a better opportunity.
Ye Mo adjusted his breathing, trying to minimize his presence. He activated " Regenerative Phasing," embedding himself into the wall and becoming one with the surrounding metal. As long as he didn't actively release energy fluctuations, the guards would have a hard time detecting his presence. But even so, the feeling of being watched by countless eyes still made him uncomfortable. The troop deployment here was far greater than expected, and every corner could hide a deadly trap.
At the same time, the situation on the east plaza also took a sharp turn for the worse.
Emma Frost realized that the enemy's attack was not aimed at killing her, but at trapping her. A large number of reinforcements came from the flanks, forming a tight encirclement. They did not rush into close combat, but used various non-lethal weapons, such as high-voltage electric nets and sonic jammers, to try to limit her ability to move.
"These guys are really disciplined," Emma Frost thought to herself in surprise. She had originally thought that with the defensive power of her Diamond Form, she could withstand a wave of firepower and then find a breakthrough. But in reality, the enemy had a clear tactical intention: to wear down her mental energy and slow down her pace.
More guards joined the battle, their weapons gleaming coldly. Emma Frost felt the frost power within her being suppressed; those special suppressive weapons were interfering with her mental connection. Although her Diamond Form remained indestructible, her range of movement was being gradually compressed. The originally planned "quick victory in twenty minutes" now seemed a distant dream.
"Damn it, the intelligence was wrong." Emma Frost gritted her teeth, forcibly maintaining the stability of her Diamond Form. She tried to release a mental Shockwave to interfere with the commander's judgment, but found that the surrounding interference sources were too strong, causing her mental output to be greatly reduced.
Inside the underground passage, Ye Mo also found himself in a predicament.
He originally planned to use his Wall Phasing Technique to directly penetrate the core of the device, but as he approached, he discovered that the device was surrounded by multiple layers of sensory barriers. These barriers were not traditional electronic locks, but special devices based on biometric recognition. Once someone got close, they would trigger a high-intensity electromagnetic pulse, enough to paralyze any electronic device and even cause severe damage to the Mutants's nervous system.
"Trying to play dirty tricks?" Ye Mo sneered, but he knew he couldn't take the risk. If he rashly triggered the alarm, not only would the mission fail, but he and Emma Frost would also be in Extremis. He had to find a way to break the deadlock without resorting to violence.
Ye Mo closed his eyes, mobilizing all his senses to carefully analyze his surroundings. He noticed a significant weakness in the equipment's power supply line: an old cable connected to the main power source. If that cable could be cut, the equipment's operating system could be temporarily paralyzed, thus buying precious time.
However, to reach that location, one must cross an open area. There are no shelters there, and once spotted, one would be an easy target.
Ye Mo opened his eyes and glanced at the time on his wrist. Ten minutes had passed since the operation began. They didn't have much time left.
"I have no choice but to take a gamble," Ye Mo muttered to himself. He took a deep breath, preparing to unleash his final Wall Phasing Technique and rush toward the weak point in the power line.
At that very moment, a violent tremor shook the ground above. Something seemed to have happened on Emma Frost's side; a cacophony of explosions and shouts echoed from underground. Ye Mo's heart tightened; he immediately realized the situation had changed. Emma Frost's defenses might have been breached, or the enemy might have discovered a new way to deal with her.
We can't wait any longer.
Without further hesitation, Ye Mo flashed into a streak of light and rushed towards the open area. He knew that from this moment on, there was no turning back in this game. The arrow had left the bowstring; it would either hit the bullseye or be shattered to pieces.
On the east plaza, Emma Frost looked at the growing number of enemies around her, a resolute glint in her eyes. She knew she had to make a sacrifice to buy Ye Mo more time. Even if it meant enduring greater pain, she had to hold this line of defense.
Although the two had not yet joined forces, they fought independently yet were closely linked within the same battlefield system. An atmosphere of impending danger permeated the entire camp; a fierce battle had only just begun.