Chapter 1009: A Stealthy Approach


    ?


    <Can you see anything from up there?> Erik asked the Chimaeric Demons through his Instability brain crystal power.


    The group was already out by a lot, as they were searching for the enemy base.


    Things were much easier now that they had a clearer idea of the situation and what to search for.


    Erik and the others were searching from the ground, while the Chimaeric Demons turned into flying thaids and were scouring the area through the sky.


    <Master, the trees are hiding a rock pinnacle. From the ground, it''s impossible to spot, but from up here, it''s clearly visible.>


    <Where?> Erik asked.


    <Northwest, Master. But be careful, because I spotted something moving in the area.> Erik nodded, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. He turned to June, Emily, Amber, and Mira. "The Chimaeric Demons have found something. A rock pinnacle, hidden by the trees. It''s to the northwest."


    The group exchanged nces. "How far?"


    "Not that much, I guess. The clones didn''t say it, but based on the situation, it mustn''t be far."


    "Couldn''t you ask?" Mira said.


    Erik didn''t reply. The group set off northwest, but they tried to be as careful as possible since the Chimaeric Demons saw movement in that direction.


    If they were lucky or unlucky, in a sense, it might be because of human presence.


    "So, how''s your neural link training going?" June asked. There wasn''t much to do while they moved, so it was better to make things livelier by talking a little.


    Amber was the first to speak. "Well, considering we were learning Erik''s technique around the time we left for New Alexandria, we learned it during our time there, and we were able to make a lot of progress. I can''t still believe how effective it is."


    Mira chimed in, and a yful smirk appeared on her face. "Yeah, it''s amazing. I can''t understand how Erik still has so few neural links, considering he''s the one who developed the technique to begin with."


    Erik, feigning offense, ced a hand over his heart. "Hey, I''d be further along if I had just one brain crystal power to focus on. You try developing neural links for multiple brain crystal powers, then let''s see if you will have this smug look!"


    The othersughed.


    "Speaking of which, how many neural links have you developed?" Erik asked.


    "Not as many as I''d like, that''s for sure," Mira said.


    "Right. I got to 40 neural links," Amber said with a sad look on her face.


    Erik got the shock of his life. He knew the technique the biological supeputer made was amazing, but he didn''t know how effective it would be if used for just one brain crystal power.


    "40 neural links? That means you are almost as strong as Zakir!"n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "That guy? He had this many? I thought he had more."


    "40 neural links is not a joke."


    "It is, if you consider what you told us, that there is no limit to the number of neural links one can have."


    "That hasn''t been proven for humans. It might be that only thaids have this ability."


    There was a pause. "What about you?" Erik asked Emily and Mira.


    "Around the same."


    "Yeah. I got 40 too," Mira said.


    Silence fell once again.


    That was indeed incredible. The three reached the ckguards'' levels, essentially, and that in what three years of training?


    Besides, Amber, with her brain crystal power, had the potential to be a weapon of mass destruction, capable of causing unprecedented damage and altering the course of conflicts. Mira, with her ability to control trajectories, could rise to be one of the most elite assassins in the world. Her skill set would not only make her a formidable opponent in any scenario but also establish her as the best archer known to mankind, able to hit targets with unmatched uracy and lethal efficiency.


    And Emily, although her power of future sight wasn''t as immediately impactful in directbat situations, it remained an invaluable asset.


    Her ability to foresee events provided advantages that could turn the tide in any kind of situation. Her foresight allowed for advanced nning and pre-emptive actions, which ensured sess and safety in various situations.


    As they continued their trek through the dense and shadowy forest, the sound of distant voices gradually grew louder, catching their attention and piquing their curiosity.


    They exchanged nces and decided to investigate the source of the noise, but it was clear at that point who these voices belonged to.


    Moving stealthily, they crept closer, navigating through the underbrush and peering through the thick foliage of the trees.


    In the end, they spotted a group of five soldiers loading heavy wooden crates in front of a cave


    entrance.


    It was clear they had finally found the right ce. June''s intuition had been right. The five men tried to be as silent as possible, but ultimately failed.


    Mira turned to Erik. "Do you think that''s the cargo the Chimaeric Demons were talking about?"


    Erik''s brow furrowed, and he shook his head. "I''m not sure, but there''s only one way to find out. We need to get closer. We might need to enter the base to see if they brought more crates, but that is a likely scenario."


    The group exchanged nces. However, it was clear who would be the one to enter inside and search around the base.


    With silent nods of agreement, they approached the cave. At some point, Erik got a question to ask Amber.


    "Amber, does your fog also corrode non-organic materials?"


    "Not if I want."


    "Good, because we might be able to deal with these guys easily if you y it well."


    If the woman had 40 neural links, it meant that her mana consumption decreased, and that meant she could make much more fog than she previously could. Taking care of the entire base was feasible.


    Amber grimaced, her expression twisting into a look of difort. She took a deep breath.


    "What?"


    "Well... It''s not like I''m that eager tomit a mass murder, Erik. I honestly don''t understand how you can do it. I get we are in a war, but..."


    "We have no choice, Amber. Keep that in mind. This is not mass murder. This is doing our


    duty."