Chapter 189: The Guy Who Took Advantage of the Opening

Chapter 189: Chapter 189: The Guy Who Took Advantage of the Opening

Before Yun Sheng could respond, Si Jin’s figure had already vanished into the shadows of the trees, as fast as a black bolt of lightning.

She took a deep breath, suppressing the unease surging within her, and focused her senses.

Sure enough, a faint but familiar presence was nearby, like a warm shadow lying dormant in the darkness.

’The little wolf really is near me.’

Just then, Zhao Heng’s urgent voice sounded in her ear. "Everyone, move toward me! Quickly!"

Yun Sheng quickly stepped out from the shadows of the trees.

The team regrouped, and Zhao Heng stood in the middle, looking at the crowd.

"The contaminants over here are mostly dealt with. That huge noise from before might have come from Major General Qi’s direction. No one knows what the situation is over there, so I plan to go check it out. What do you all think?"

The ground beneath their feet was still trembling slightly. The blinding light in the distance had faded, but the oppressive feeling lingering in the air was growing heavier.

Everything indicated that the source of the loud noise was extremely dangerous.

Everyone looked at each other in dismay.

The few A-level Sentinels with Zhao Heng were the first to declare their position. They were all members of Qi Yao’s squad, so of course they had to go find their Major General.

Guo Kai and Ma Yu exchanged a glance but didn’t speak immediately.

They were the Sentinels assigned to the third squad, and their primary duty was to protect the cadets. Before the cadets stated their opinions, it wasn’t their place to make a decision.

Zhao Qian was the first to speak, her voice sharp and frantic. "I don’t want to go! It’s definitely dangerous over there. If we run into some High Order contaminant, who’s going to protect us?"

"It’s not necessarily safe on the way back to the base camp now, either."

A low voice suddenly spoke up.

Everyone was stunned.

It was He Yi. He usually spoke the least and had the weakest presence, yet he had stepped forward now.

"The situation with Major General Qi is unclear, and his Sentinels won’t abandon him. If our third squad heads back to the base camp alone and we happen to run into another High Order contaminant, there’s no guarantee of our safety. It’s better for the main group to stick together."

Zhao Heng was silent for a few seconds, then looked at the others. "What do you all think?"

No one spoke, but Yun Sheng and a few others had already moved to He Yi’s side in a show of unspoken agreement, making it clear they sided with him.

Ma Yu and Guo Kai exchanged a look and also nodded.

Zhao Heng’s gaze fell on Zhao Qian again. "If you insist on returning to the base camp, I can only send one Sentinel to escort and protect you."

Zhao Qian grew anxious. "What if we run into a High Order contaminant on the way? How can one person protect me?"

"The ones who stay here also need protection. I can’t assign several people just for you," Zhao Heng said, his tone flat but unyielding.

The color drained from Zhao Qian’s face, then flushed red, then went pale again. She gritted her teeth. "I... I’ll go with you."

Zhao Heng glanced at her but said nothing more.

The team quickly formed up. Zhao Heng took the lead, Guo Kai and Ma Yu protected the cadets in the middle, and the remaining A-level Sentinels brought up the rear.

Everyone held their weapons, warily scanning their surroundings.

The further they walked, the thicker the smell of blood in the air became.

Signs of a battle began to appear on the ground: broken branches, overturned earth, large patches of black, foul blood, and the corpses of slain contaminants.

After walking a bit further, Zhao Heng suddenly cried out.

"Major General!"

Yun Sheng looked up and saw Qi Yao leaning against a broken tree through a gap in the crowd.

His face was so pale it was almost translucent, and his lips were completely colorless. He looked even more battered than he had at the mine entrance.

Several contaminant corpses lay scattered around him. A little further away, Old Zhou was being supported by two Sentinels, his chest heaving violently. He was clearly badly injured.

Qi Yao looked up, and his expression darkened instantly when he saw them.

"Who told you to come here? Get out of here, now!"

He used his sword to push himself up, his body swaying for a moment.

Zhao Heng rushed forward to support him, but Qi Yao stopped him with a raised hand.

"It’s dangerous here! A High Level contaminant has appeared over there, possibly SSS-level. Before that thing heads this way, take Old Zhou and the others and leave! Go back to the base camp!"

Yun Sheng’s heart clenched the moment she heard "SSS-level."

’Si Jin went in that direction. Could he be in danger?’

"Major General, what about you?" Zhao Heng asked.

"I’ll cover the rear. You go first."

Zhao Heng grew desperate. "Major General, your spiritual power is still unstable! Why don’t we all retreat to the base camp together?"

"I said, I’ll cover the rear." Qi Yao’s voice grew even colder. "Enough talk. Go!"

Everyone looked at each other, but before they could move, a low, muffled roar suddenly echoed from not far away.

The ground trembled noticeably, and leaves rustled down from the trees.

The color drained from everyone’s faces.

"Go!" Qi Yao commanded sharply.

Zhao Heng gritted his teeth, turned, and waved his arm. "Everyone, retreat with me!"

Just then, several dark figures suddenly darted out from both sides of the dense woods.

They were several heavily armored contaminants shaped like giant scorpions. Their bodies were pitch-black, and their stingers were raised high, glinting with a sinister, cold light.

Their eyes glowed with an unnatural crimson, and their screeches were sharp and ear-piercing, as if they had been driven into a frenzy.

"They’re Rock Armor Scorpions!" Zhao Heng’s expression changed. "Watch out for their stingers—they’re poisonous!"

Qi Yao slashed at the head of the largest scorpion at the front. The blade struck its carapace, leaving only a shallow white mark.

He frowned. His spiritual power flared, and a cold light coated his blade as he slashed down again.

This time, a crack split open in the carapace, and black blood gushed out.

The Rock Armor Scorpion shrieked in pain and struggled wildly, its stinger sweeping sideways and forcing Qi Yao to take half a step back.

"I’ll handle this one! You go take care of the others!" he barked.

Zhao Heng turned and led the remaining Sentinels to surround the other two Rock Armor Scorpions.

One remained—the smallest of the lot. It bypassed them and lunged at the others from the side.

"Zhao Qian, look out!"

Zhao Qian was cowering behind the group. When she saw the Rock Armor Scorpion charging at her, she screamed and turned to run.

But her legs were too weak. She only managed two steps before falling to the ground, scrambling backward while screaming, "Help me!"

The Rock Armor Scorpion’s stinger rose high, its venomous, glowing barb plunging straight toward Zhao Qian.

"Zhao Qian!"

Guo Kai lunged forward with all his might, slashing his sword at the stinger.

The Rock Armor Scorpion recoiled in pain and its stinger went wide, but its other pincer slammed viciously onto Guo Kai’s shoulder.

Guo Kai grunted, the impact sending him flying into a tree. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.

His shoulder hung at an unnatural angle, a clear sign of a serious injury.

"Brother Guo!"

Ma Yu’s eyes turned red as he swung his sword at the Rock Armor Scorpion’s head. He Yi and Zhou Ying also rushed forward to help.

The three of them desperately engaged the Rock Armor Scorpion, barely managing to force it back a few steps.

Just as Yun Sheng was about to rush in to help, she caught a glimpse of another Rock Armor Scorpion appearing from nowhere, suddenly lunging toward Li Wen.

Li Wen had her back to it, completely unaware.

"Li Wen!"

Without a second thought, Yun Sheng charged over and pushed Li Wen aside.

At that moment, she felt a ripple of the little wolf’s spiritual power. The Rock Armor Scorpion seemed to have been slammed by something, its massive body lurching to the side. Its pincer grazed past Yun Sheng’s shoulder, narrowly missing her.

Yun Sheng fell to the ground, her back slamming against a tree root. The pain made her vision go black.

She had no time to think. The Rock Armor Scorpion’s crimson eyes were fixed on her as it lunged again.

Just then, a hand reached out from behind, wrapped around her waist, and pulled her back.

She collided with a cool embrace.

The person held her waist with one arm and casually waved the other. An invisible force sent the lunging Rock Armor Scorpion flying, and it only stopped after crashing through two trees.

Yun Sheng snapped her head up and met a pair of familiar eyes.

An amber-gold light swirled in their depths, tinged with a hint of casual amusement.