<h4>Chapter 97: Swoop In</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>As Studios <strong>Editor: </strong>As Studios


    Antonio alighted from his vehicle and stood beside Han Xiao as he watched the explosion. He lit a cigar and took a puff before he chuckled heartily. “It has been a while since Ist saw such beautiful scenery. I almost forgot what an explosion looks like after sitting in the office for so long.”


    “Go ahead and enjoy the scenery.”


    Han Xiao stretched his neck to relieve some of the fatigue as a result of the pursuit.


    The mes eventually diminished. Antonio and Han Xiao cautiously approached the scene of explosion. A pungent stench, created by the mixture of smells from burning bodies and toxic gas, blew toward them.


    <i>Crap. I forgot that there is some toxic gas remaining!</i>


    Han Xiao was dumbfounded as he watched his HP drop on the Interface. He had no choice but to retreat the ce, and he could only go back to sweep the battlefield after the toxic gas dispersed.


    “Ugh...” A faint moan was heard on the battlefield. It came from Code 3, who was already half-dead. His four limbs had been shattered in the explosion, and his body was covered in red and dark burn marks. He raised his headboriously and leveled Han Xiao a deadly gaze.


    “You... Why....”


    Han Xiao gave him a nce and used his Berserk Eagle to silence him before he could even finish his sentence.


    Good guys could win battles with their words, and bad guys would always lose and die because they talked too much. There were countless simr lessons in the past. Han Xiao had wanted to try and talk to Code 3, but he believed that he did not belong to the good-guy category, so he had killed Code 3 without saying a word.


    <i>This kill has given me quite a lot of EXP. Code 3... what kind of lousy name is that?</i>


    Han Xiao looked at his interface while insulting the enemy’s name.


    <i>Hold on. There seems to be an enemy missing from my kill history.</i>


    Han Xiao’s eyes shed and immediately surveyed his surroundings. He suddenly fired at the ground twenty meters away.


    Fwoosh.


    A shadow jumped out from beneath the sand—Ghostly Fox. She dashed rapidly and stabbed her dagger swiftly toward the nearest person, Antonio.


    Her Pugilist training had taught her simple ground tunneling techniques. She had escaped the devastating explosion by tunneling into the sand the instant before the explosion. She had intended to continue hiding until all the enemies were gone, but since she had been spotted by Han Xiao, she had to fight for her life.


    Sunlight was reflected off the surface of the dagger, emitting an icy re. Antonio’s eyes narrowed, and he mmed his massive arms rapidly toward Ghostly Fox. His palms were almost asrge as those of bears.


    Ghostly Fox ducked as her petite build allowed her to do so easily. She circled to the back of Antonio and stabbed her dagger toward his heart. Suddenly, a dark shadow zoomed in before her eyes, and a bear-like palm followed and grabbed her head. The palm was sorge that it almost wrapped around her entire skull.


    Antonio threw her more than ten meters away as if he was shot-putting. The sheer amount of force created wave-like tracks around her on the ground. She was badly injured from the throw. However, she gritted her teeth hard and dived toward Antonio again. With Han Xiao watching on the side, she would be sniped down if she attempted to run away. She had no choice but to continue the fight.


    Poomb. Poomb. Poomb.


    Antonio was about to strike back when Han Xiao fired a few rounds with his double pistols, which turned her into a sieve.


    [You killed Ghostly Fox (LV29). You have gained 9,400 EXP.]


    <i>Eh. Her level was quite high. Why was she so weak? </i>Han Xiao looked at the battle info and realized the reason: Ghostly Fox’s main job was only Lv.8, and the rest of her levels were in her secondary jobs, which were mostly useless.


    “You should have given me the opportunity to exercise my rusty body,” Antonio groused.


    “The body is still warm. You can use it for some exercise.” Han Xiao nonchntly picked his nose.


    “You really are a jerk.”


    Once the toxic gas dispersed, Han Xiao stepped into the explosion site to retrieve his EMP Disruptor.


    Han Xiao had been unaware that Code 3 knew his whereabouts, but he was used to making multiple ns at once. He had nted not just one but four traps that night, each on a different position of the road that he was circling. Unless the enemy did not pursue him, they would have fallen into at least one of the traps.


    <i>As long as you dare chase me, I will eventually kill you.</i>


    After collecting his EMP Disruptor, Han Xiao started scavenging loot from the bodies. He found a substantial number of firearms and ammunition, which could be sold for a handsome amount of money. However, his greatest loot was the modified battle vehicle—Thorns. He would be able to use it after he fixed its internal electronicponents.


    <i>Next, it is time to borrow some help.</i>


    ...


    “Ghostly Fox lost contact?”


    They had three assassins ambushing and better intelligence, yet they fell into the enemy’s trap!


    Luo was heavy-hearted. She had just lost two teams and the modified battle vehicle, Thorns. Now, the base was void of any defense, which was another huge loss.


    She contacted her secret sponsor again and exined the situation.


    “You guys retreat first,” the person said slowly over the phone.


    “... Understood.”


    After hanging up the phone, Luo immediately organized her troops to load all the valuable assets onto vehicles in preparation of discarding the base and retreating temporarily. It was not the first time Rose Militant had faced a crisis of this magnitude. All they needed to do was seek shelter somewhere else for a few days before their secret sponsor sent down more personnel. They would gain a firm foothold again by then.


    However, only half of the assets were loaded up when a ring rm was heard all over the base.


    “Enemy attack!”


    The sentry was shouting as loud as she could. Luo was astounded. She quickly climbed up the sentry post and looked far ahead, and that was when he saw a wave of sand inching closer. It was a motorcade of the Coutons approaching menacingly.


    “Damn it. They are here too soon!”


    Rose Militant had suffered great losses, so they were bound to fall prey to other powerful factions at this opportune time, and the Coutons were the prime candidate. The primary purpose of discarding the base was to avoid the hostility from other factions. However, the Coutons came too quickly. Someone must had had tipped them off.


    Luo was enraged. Those Coutonian mercenaries were attacking the base from the frontline. If they were to brashly attempt to escape with their vehicles, it would surely be a battle in pursuit, which would make it all the more dangerous for them.


    They were in a dilemma!


    “Commander, what should we do now?”


    “Let’s strike back. Strike them hard!” Luo said unyieldingly.


    The militants dropped the supplies in their hand and quickly got back into their defense positions. They began bombarding the Coutonian motorcade with machine guns and grenadeunchers. However, the mercenaries were undeterred and struck back.


    One could only see rounds flying back and forth between the two sides, forming a curtain of death.


    Countless cartridges fell into the yellow sand, and the grenades left numerous darkened sand craters on the ground, making the ce resemble the surface of the Moon. Rose Militant had excellent defenses in the base; they shouldered the attack even with insufficient manpower.


    Behind the four walls of the base, Luo was seenmanding the militants tirelessly. Su Li walked over and whispered into her ears, “Due to insufficient manpower, one-quarter of our defense system is unmanned. Furthermore, as we are walled inside the base, we will face serious danger if other factions decide to butt in.”


    As soon as she finished her sentence, a roaring engine sound was heard from a distance. Luo and Su Li’s hearts both jolted. They recognized that distinct engine hum.


    On the other side of the battlefield, Han Xiao was driving the ferocious Thorns. The car jumped down from the sand-hill like a fearsome tiger, drawing a parabolic path on the sky. The repaired exterior reflected a ring beam of sunlight, and the vehicle’s tires sped furiously.


    The vehicle smashed onto the ground, sshing heaps of sand to the side before it charged furious toward the base. It was unstoppable.


    <i>Don’t the Thorns only belong to Rose Militant?</i>


    Couton’s eyes narrowed, and he quickly ordered his subordinates to pull back their positions. He thought that the Thorns operator was from the enemy side, and he was well aware of the firepower of the vehicle. Thus, he wanted to prepare his defense before the enemy was able to destroy them from their nks.


    He did not know that Rose Militant was even more anxious than him. They were even clearer about the real firing capability of Thorns.


    “Quickly stop him. We cannot let Thorns near the base!” Su Li screamed.


    Luo was wailing in her heart. Thorns used to be their trump card, and now, it had been taken and was being used against them. What a despicable act!


    It was like having your girl snatched by another guy, and he still dared to bring your girl... ex-girlfriend... to show off in front of you. How could anyone endure such humiliation?


    Luo could never tolerate such an act. She hated the killer so much that she wished that she could grind him into sand!