Making a Lake of It

The operation was upgraded in scale, and all members immediately began changing their uniforms.

The ground team members fastened their tactical wristbands. The observers riding on the dragon's back wore heads-up displays, allowing them to observe their surroundings while simultaneously gathering real-time information.

During this period, the tactical equipment of the Bone Machine Battalion was upgraded again.

Above the rain clouds, the Rainbow Drone had been hovering and waiting for some time. Its synthetic aperture radar penetrated the caravan's canvas tents and wooden wagons, clearly displaying the outlines of the people inside and the stacked cargo boxes on the screen.

"A total of 237 targets were detected at the target camp," Miao Xin reported. Due to the real-time translation by the Electricity-Swallowing Beast, the rhythm of his voice sounded somewhat stiff.

"Of these, 92 are identified as high-combat-power targets and marked in red. 25 Naga Clan targets have been confirmed. All real-time data and coordinates have been synchronized to your tactical interfaces."

"Thanks, Red Pig!" Bowers said, checking his tactical bracelet. "Enemy information received."

"While these devices are convenient, we shouldn't blindly trust the data," Su Ming said. "Maintain basic vigilance and tactical awareness."

"Understood!" came a chorus of responses from the channel.

"Rupert," Su Ming commanded, "You're in charge of the operation."

"Don't worry!" Rupert's voice radiated an air of nonchalant confidence. "I'm no good at fighting large-scale wars, but dealing with caravans and mercenaries will be a piece of cake!"

****

The silhouette of a giant dragon appeared on the gloomy horizon, its enormous wings beating against the rain as it swept past not far from the caravan camp.

The guild's sentries noticed it immediately, but remained vigilant. This was Dragon Valley, and it was common for dragons to fly by, especially since the dragon's shadow did not head towards the camp.

He skillfully Eagle Eye on his eyes, and through the continuous rain, he discerned that it was a young female dragon with a slightly slender build. She seemed to be flying somewhat aimlessly, and soon, a more robust male dragon, accompanied by the sound of rapid airflow, struggled to catch up from behind.

"Darling, wait for me!" The dragon's enormous voice cut through the pouring rain, instantly drawing the attention of the rest of the camp.

"Get lost!" The female dragon not only didn't stop, but accelerated in an attempt to shake off the pursuer. "Go find your past lover, I'm not playing along!"

"No, honey!" The male dragon's voice was filled with anxiety. "She and I are just ordinary acquaintances who work together in the workshop!"

"You've already laid your eggs!" the female dragon exclaimed angrily. "Are you telling me it's just a normal working-class relationship?"

Since they were traveling to and from Dragon Valley for business, many people in the caravan had a basic understanding of dragon language and translated for their companions. More and more people emerged from under the canopy of the wagons that provided shelter from the rain, or lifted a corner of the tent, craning their necks to watch with great interest this family drama unfolding in the sky.

"It's not what you think! It's her partner—he's impotent, that's why he asked me to help him have a child!" Xionglong protested forcefully through the rain, his voice filled with grievance. "I only had a purely physical relationship with her; I had no feelings for her whatsoever!"

"Pah, you scumbag dragon!" A caravan member squeezed onto the edge of the carriage couldn't help but spit.

The sentinel was unconsciously drawn to an elderly elf wearing a waterproof cloak who appeared beside him, holding a white staff wrapped in gold thread.

"What's so interesting about a couple arguing?" Xiwo asked, puzzled.

"It's beautiful!" the sentry exclaimed instinctively. "I've never seen a dragon couple argue before!"

He had just finished speaking when he suddenly realized something was wrong and immediately reached for the weapon at his waist. But Xiwo only slightly raised his bone staff, and a dark blue electric snake shot out, causing the sentry to collapse limply into the mud.

At the same time, extremely brief Magic Power fluctuations emanated from the damp, dense forest surrounding the camp. The other five sentries, who had also been distracted, were silently eliminated.

The mercenary captain turned around with a start, catching a few sudden ripples of Magic Power. But the sound of heavy rain drowned out any movement in the jungle, and none of the sentries scattered around gave any warning.

This caused the captain to hesitate for a moment. After weighing his options, he called upon a few of his most trusted men and decided to go and investigate personally.

But he stopped after taking only a few steps, because this time the mercenary captain clearly sensed more fluctuations, which were closing in from all directions and firmly pinning the team against the riverbank.

The level of power he displayed was such that only he himself could barely withstand a few moves; no one else could match him.

The mercenary captain reacted with lightning speed. He threw down his weapon, raised his hands high, bent his knees, and knelt on the ground—a swift and decisive move!

Sure enough, a few seconds later, eleven giant dragons tore through the rain and descended from the sky, crashing to the ground, causing the camp ground to tremble. Among them was a powerful dragon elder.

On the left, the Grand Magus Mentor Xiwo, his body crackling with terrifying electricity, floated in; on the right, Bowers, his body shrouded in dark Magic Power, resembled a demon god from hell.

Only then did the mercenaries, who had been engrossed in watching the drama unfold, snap out of their daze. They were stunned for less than a second before throwing their weapons to the ground and rushing to imitate their captain's posture, kneeling down and burying their heads in their hands.

The caravan members were thrown into chaos. Some, seeing the situation was dire, immediately knelt down and surrendered. Others fled towards the White River without a care in the world.

Accompanying them were more than twenty Naga Clan. Their smooth tails writhed violently on the slippery, muddy riverbank, splashing up large amounts of mud, and they were just as fast.

These people encountered little hindrance and arrived at the riverbank without difficulty. One by one, they stumbled and jumped into the murky river water.

****

On a nearby hillside with a good view, a member of the Final Bone Mad Machines was quickly making notes on the tactics panel.

"Experiment targets confirmed: 12 humans, 25 Naga, 13 halflings, and 21 goblins." He quickly completed the count.

"A perfect target for cooperation," Rupert said. "Aim, fire!" he quickly ordered.

Behind them, three Bone Model had already deployed their supports, and the barrels were raised to the appropriate angle. As the order to fire was given, a series of impacts rang out, and 120mm mortar shells tore through the rain curtain, leaving short trails of smoke as they rose into the air, swooping down in an arc towards the churning surface of the White River.

These shells did not sink directly into the water; instead, they exploded as soon as they entered the water.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The dull thud was mostly absorbed by the river water, and the surface of the water seemed to be struck by an invisible giant fist, exploding into rings of turbid water.

This is a stun grenade specifically developed for underwater targets, and today is its first live-fire test.

Four rapid volleys of fire followed, and all twenty stun grenades exploded on the water's surface. Rupert raised his hand, signaling for a halt to the firing.

On the murky river surface, dozens of humans, Naga, and halflings floated helplessly, belly to belly, like boiled fish and shrimp.

Other figures were struggling and writhing in the water, with red or green lines of blood oozing from the corners of their mouths.

Several giant dragons, skilled swimmers, leaped into the river. Their Dragon Claw, like scooping nets, pulled out the unconscious or severely disabled victims and dumped them on the muddy riverbank.

The results were quickly tallied: 17 people died, 51 people were rendered incapacitated due to the violent shock or serious injuries, and only 3 Naga escaped.

Xiwo flew to the center of the experimental targets, carefully examining their injuries and assessing the effectiveness of the attack.

"It's not powerful enough," he said to Su Ming. "If it were used in the vast ocean, the distance between the explosion point and the enemy would only be greater."

"Then let's switch to 300mm caliber bombs," Su Ming readily agreed, "And then deploy them in arrays!"

****

The remaining three Naga did not escape far. Xiwo raised his hand and cast a light blue Underwater Detection, locking onto their figures hiding among the crevices of the reef.

The giant dragons plunged into the river, using the massive currents to knock them unconscious, then dragged them out and dumped them on the bank.

Xiwo's lips curled up. Using a dragon as a cormorant was a unique experience, a first for him even in his long adventuring career.

With the help of the merchant's tent, the team members were finally able to take off their rain cloaks and greedily inhale a few breaths of less humid air.

The interrogation began on the spot.

The details are not complicated: these merchants were hired to transport a batch of special "goods" to this location.

Part of the "goods" consisted of the Naga, while the other part was the heavy wooden crates carried on the wagons. To avoid suspicion, they split into several small teams, disguising themselves as ordinary merchants and sneaking in from different ports, but they never expected to be closely watched.

"You businessmen, you really will take on any job, won't you?" Rupert said sarcastically, standing with his arms crossed.

The caravan's accomplices would be arrested and sent to labor camps, but the leaders would certainly be executed without mercy.

"To whom should the goods be delivered?" Bowers asked bluntly, his voice cold and hard.

The leading merchant shook his head frantically, his face filled with fear. "We were only responsible for transporting them here, and then sinking the boxes to the bottom of the river as instructed. The rest is none of our business—I really don't know what they're planning!"

Xiwo walked to a pried-open wooden crate containing dozens of long, cylindrical objects made of dark alchemical material, etched with dense runes and radiating considerable energy fluctuations.

He took out the reading glasses that Su Yan had given him, put them on, and brought one of the glasses close to his eyes to carefully examine its function.

Bowers wasn't idle either; he dragged the surviving Naga over to continue the interrogation.

Because of their hatred, these Naga captives were indeed a bit tougher, but that was all. With Bowers ' persuasive skills, their fragmented confessions were eventually pried out.

As these testimonies were being pieced together, Xiwo also completed the analysis of the runes, and they quickly re-established communication with Su Ming.

"They are powerful earthquake rune pillars," Xiwo reported. "These Naga plan to place them on the nearby riverbed to trigger small-scale landslides!"

It is currently the rainy season, and both the upstream water level and the reservoir capacity in Tianqingshi are at an extremely high level.

Su Ming quickly opened the White River hydrological map and discovered that the location the Naga Clan was planning to place would damage the steep mountains on both sides, triggering a large-scale landslide and thus blocking the river channel to form a huge barrier lake!

He gasped, realizing the consequences would be dire. First, the landslide dam would cause upstream flooding; then, when the dammed body could no longer withstand the pressure and collapsed, the accumulated floodwaters would carry rocks and mud, forming a devastating mudslide far exceeding the natural flood peak, heading straight for the Celestite Hydropower Station downstream!

Because Su Ming adopted an extremely aggressive construction plan in pursuit of construction speed, the Celestite Hydropower Station has not yet completed the bottom flood discharge tunnel, making it impossible to quickly reduce the reservoir capacity.

In this way, the main body of the hydropower station might be able to withstand the impact, but huge losses are inevitable.

"We must repair this flood discharge channel this winter," Su Ming sighed. Among the enemy were many shrewd individuals who would always find a way to exploit his weaknesses.

"I have a theory," Xiwo pushed up his glasses. "The enemy's scale is so large; their target is definitely not just a landslide dam. This team is likely only playing a supporting role; the main attack is elsewhere."

"Very likely." Rupert agreed with this conjecture, glancing at the captured Naga and the merchant. "The enemy may have split up and advanced in parallel, with one group completely unaware of the other's operational details."

After a moment's thought, Su Ming realized that if another infiltration team did exist, their target wouldn't be hard to guess.

"They're aiming for our dam," Su Ming asserted. "They're using the landslide dam to create chaos, attracting and hindering our forces while simultaneously disrupting the water's surface, giving them an opportunity to approach and destroy the hydroelectric power station!"

Everyone agreed that there was no more valuable target on the White River than the Celestite Dam.

****

Su Ming pulled the security manager of the Celestite Hydropower Station into the communication channel.

"Currently, all areas of the dam are operating normally, and no abnormal intrusion signals have been detected at any of the outer perimeter guard posts, underwater sonar arrays, and defense facilities," the person in charge quickly reported.

"Maintain the highest level of alert and increase the frequency of patrols and reconnaissance," Su Ming ordered.

"Yes!" the security manager replied.

For such an important facility as the Celestite Hydropower Station, Su Ming had already deployed a dense underwater sonar monitoring network and set up a large number of defensive weapon systems.

The enemy clearly anticipated this, which is why they meticulously planned this sabotage upstream, intending to take advantage of the chaos and create an opportunity for their operation. If this small-scale earthquake plan succeeds, our side will be eager to destroy the landslide dam. In this situation, the defenses of Tianqingshi may indeed be compromised.

Su Ming couldn't help but rub his temples, inwardly chuckling bitterly: When will I ever meet an opponent who's easy to deal with and suitable for a relaxing retirement?

"Rupert, the near-shore surveillance of the White River basin is now in your hands until the flood season ends." Su Ming quickly made the arrangements, "Intercept any suspicious activity at all costs!"

"Understood!" Rupert straightened his back and said.

"Mr. Xiwo, I'll need you to remain at Red Luo Port and continue to closely monitor any potential movements by the Naga Clan." Su Ming turned to the old elf, "I will plan a targeted strike as soon as possible to give them a good beating and keep them preoccupied!"

Xiwo nodded slightly, a cold glint in his eyes. "It's time to teach them a lesson."

"So, what about this potentially lurking Naga sabotage squad?" the security manager of the Celestite Hydropower Station pressed. "Can we take the initiative and organize a search along the river?"

The terrain along the White River is complex, with numerous entry points into the water. The Naga are also extremely mobile underwater, making their potential hiding places vast.

A thought flashed through Su Ming's mind, "Bowers, can we deploy those captured earthquake rune stakes underwater?"

Bowers was slightly surprised, but quickly responded, "I have several excellent swimmers in my team; underwater operations won't be a problem. If we're in a hurry, we can send a few more over."

Su Ming circled another section of the river on the electronic map. "You act immediately. Deploy these rune stakes here, then blast open this section of the riverbank!"

Bowers did the math in his head, "It can be finished by tomorrow morning!"

Su Ming then turned to the security chief at Azure Stone, "Once the explosion at Bowers's location occurs, the huge commotion and abnormal water flow will inevitably attract the attention of that lurking Naga squad. Don't let a single one of them escape if they show themselves!"

"Understood!" the person in charge replied loudly.

****

"You're going to blow up the riverbank?" Zijin raised an eyebrow, a hint of surprise in her eyes.

She glanced at the topographic map and noticed that Su Ming had chosen to blast open a low-lying area. "I see, you're trying to create a lake?"

"There's not much population there," Su Ming said. "Building a lake would increase the flood control and drought resistance capacity of the entire water area."

He didn't mention the dragons; those were the easiest to deal with—just flap their wings and they could take off and move. The real challenge was tidying up the river channels and related lake embankments, which required some labor, but a hundred dragons could manage that.

"The recent rainfall has indeed been excessive; this will immediately lower the water level." Zijin rested her chin on her hand, her hair swaying gently with the tilt of her head. "Is this what's called—flood diversion?"

"That's right." Su Ming's lips curled into a smile. "See, killing two birds with one stone."

Her Zijin- brown eyes narrowed slightly. "I have a feeling you have another reason?"

"Alright," Su Ming admitted helplessly, "Actually, I want to create a large lake, raise some particularly picky freshwater fish, and also some hairy crabs." His speech quickened, "Plant water chestnuts and lotus leaves on the surface, some water shield in the shallows, and also release a flock of mallard ducks—"

He slurped his words, "Damn, the more I talk, the hungrier I get."

"You're homesick!" Zijin chuckled.

"Maybe he's just craving something sweet." Su Ming touched the tip of his nose.

Zijin suddenly leaned closer, Su Ming instinctively wanted to raise his hand to stop her, but he was a step too slow. The girl's soft lips, slightly cool, gently pressed against his cheek, leaving a moist touch.

"Stop thinking about home all the time," Zijin said in a sweet, cloying tone, "Think about me more!"

Su Ming pointed to the side, indicating to Zijin, "I haven't hung up the communication yet—"

"Su Ming!" Xiwo said angrily, "Your proposal gift to me last time was clearly premeditated!"

Zijin's cheeks instantly turned as red as a sunset. She cut off the communication and slammed her clenched fist into Su Ming's shoulder.