The residents within a ten-mile radius felt as if they had walked through the gates of hell, waking up in a cold sweat from the pain.
Xia Chujian was oblivious, only finding the roar from behind the rectangular moon gate unbearably grating.
She had previously thought the screams of the tentacle monsters in the six-story building were the worst, but compared to this, those were like distant ancestors.
She twitched her lips and silently activated the sound-dampening system in her helmet.
Her world went silent.
But then a clear, phoenix-like dragon's cry echoed, piercing even the helmet's soundproofing.
Xia Chujian was secretly astonished.
In the night sky outside, after the earth-shattering roar, the rectangular moon gate in the sky actually wriggled, wriggled, and turned back into a silvery-white, perfectly round moon.
The black fog also gradually churned, beginning to dissipate wave after wave into the heavens and earth.
Through her sniper scope, Xia Chujian saw the gray figure skewered on the tip of the tentacle, losing support as the tentacle vanished, plummeting downwards.
The man holding the silver longbow not far away took a step back.
The two men behind him quickly stepped forward, catching the gray figure that had been pierced through the chest.
The man was already dead, and even from that distance, Xia Chujian could see the large hole in his chest through the scope.
Although the tentacles had vanished into thin air, the damage they caused was very real.
Boom! As the black fog dissipated, Xia Chujian's aircraft lost its support and plummeted downwards.
Snapping back to reality, Xia Chujian quickly took manual control again, drastically pulling up her aircraft to avoid falling further.
At that moment, the man who shot the golden arrow glanced in Xia Chujian's direction.
Xia Chujian was certain her aircraft was cloaked, and the other party shouldn't be able to see it.
But then she thought about the hole pierced in the top of the aircraft, and her confidence wavered.
Alright, time to go…
Xia Chujian quickly manually accelerated the aircraft, speeding away from the southern district and flying north.
The silver longbow in Huo Yushen's hand quietly disappeared. He retracted his gaze, walking freely in mid-air, cutting through the dissipating black fog, and heading towards the Bat-style Fighter Jet hovering in the air outside.
His two adjutants, Kang Shanxing and Meng Guanghui, had witnessed everything and were still a little shaken.
"...That was close! Luckily, those weren't actual Remnant Species! Just illusions!"
They carried the man who had jumped out of the rectangular moon gate, following Huo Yushen out of the black fog.
The man had a large hole in his chest and was already dead.
Entering the Bat-style Fighter Jet, Huo Yushen stopped and turned back, his gaze icy and stern as he looked at the man being carried by the adjutants: "...He's dead. The mission failed."
The two adjutants' expressions tightened, and a layer of cold sweat crept down their backs.
They both knew what this man's death meant.
Meng Guanghui sighed and asked uneasily, "Commander Huo, should we send him for an autopsy?"
Huo Yushen glanced at him and turned to leave.
Meng Guanghui scratched his head awkwardly and ordered, "Send this man to the medical team for an autopsy."
Kang Shanxing was also arranging for his subordinates: "Once the black fog inside dissipates, you can go in. The Investigation Department will send people down to clean up the scene, don't let go of any clues. Also, see if the Special Security Bureau's Action Department team was completely wiped out."
"Yes!"
A person in a white protective suit walked over and said cautiously, "Chief, the instruments detected ultra-high frequencies belonging to Remnant Species in the outer airspace. Please accept an inspection."
Huo Yushen didn't even look at him, turning and leaving directly.
Leaving Kang Shanxing at the door to explain to the person in the white protective suit, "Those things in the black fog weren't Remnant Species, no need to check."
"They weren't? But the frequency detected by the instrument is the same..."
"Are you teaching me how to do my job?"
"I'm sorry, Colonel Kang, it was my fault."
The person in the white protective suit looked terrified and hurriedly bowed and left with the equipment.
...
Five minutes later, all traces on the ground were cleaned up, all the evidence left at the scene was collected, and all the sacrificed Special Security Bureau members were sent to another Kun-style Transport Aircraft.
Kang Shanxing came to Huo Yushen and reported with a serious expression, "Marshal Huo, of the team sent by the Action Department this time, all but Lieutenant Yi Nanping, the leader of the 12th team of the 3rd branch, were killed in action."
"After inspection, they were all killed by laser standard weapons reflected back."
"According to our rules of engagement, when encountering a Remnant Species, a Mental Strength expert should take action, and Space-Based Weapons should not be used."
"For this failed operation, Lieutenant Yi Nanping of the 3rd branch, 12th team, bears inescapable responsibility."
Huo Yushen looked up, his expression extremely indifferent, and said coldly, "Did Yi Nanping order the firing?"
"Yes, we just questioned him. But he said that he only gave the order to use Space-Based Weapons after witnessing a case where a Remnant Species was killed by conventional weapons."
"A Remnant Species killed by conventional weapons? When did that happen?" Huo Yushen paused. "Is there a video of the operation? Was it uploaded to headquarters?"
Kang Shanxing understood Huo Yushen's meaning and immediately said, "Lieutenant Yi said it was uploaded."
Huo Yushen gave a faint "hm" and looked away, ignoring him.
But Kang Shanxing was still standing in front of him, showing no sign of leaving.
Huo Yushen looked up again, giving him a cold stare.
"...Some sniper bullet casings were found at the scene." Kang Shanxing bit the bullet and presented the casings in a transparent evidence bag to Huo Yushen with both hands. "Team Leader Yi said someone saved his life with a sniper rifle."
Huo Yushen slowly sat up straight. "...Sniper bullet casings? Found at the scene?"
"Yes, found at the scene."
Huo Yushen's eyes narrowed slightly.
Kang Shanxing instantly understood Huo Yushen's meaning.
He had personally witnessed Huo Yushen fighting those tentacles in the black mist earlier, giving him firsthand experience.
Because the Remnant Species in the black mist was not a physical entity, but a phantasm created by energy.
According to their experience, let alone phantasms, even physical Remnant Species cannot be dealt with by Space-Based Weapons.
Who is so talented? To be able to fire a gun at the air in that situation? Huo Yushen's gaze swept over the bronze bullet casings in the transparent evidence bag, and he asked casually, "Where is Yi Nanping?"
"His Mental Strength was severely damaged, and he only just woke up to be questioned."
Huo Yushen suddenly stood up and walked out of his private office.
The space inside this Bat-style Fighter Jet was very spacious, and there was also a dedicated treatment room.
Huo Yushen came to the treatment room and saw Yi Nanping lying in the medical pod. Several military doctors were staring at the instruments, reading data, and judging the extent of his injuries while preparing a treatment plan.
Seeing Huo Yushen enter, the people in the treatment room raised their hands in salute. "Greetings, Chief!"
Huo Yushen didn't respond, and silently walked to the medical pod, standing in the backlit position behind it.
Kang Shanxing, who followed him in, hurriedly said to the communicator on the medical pod, "Lieutenant Yi Nanping, 12th team of the 3rd branch of the Special Security Bureau Mulan City branch, this is Kang Shanxing, Director of the Intelligence Division of the Special Security Bureau Headquarters."
Yi Nanping was lying in the medical pod, completely relaxed. Having just woken up, he had undergone a round of questioning, and his mind was still dizzy and his reactions were slow.
However, when he heard the words "Director of the Intelligence Division," he immediately woke up as if by conditioned reflex.
He was no stranger to the name "Kang Shanxing." He was one of the most capable adjutants of the Special Security Bureau big shot, and he was already a colonel at a young age.
Yi Nanping hurriedly said weakly to the communication device on the top of the medical pod, "Greetings, Chief! I am Yi Nanping, Lieutenant of the 12th team of the 3rd branch of the Special Security Bureau Mulan City branch. Chief, I did not complete the mission, and I did not receive... our target. The 12th team of the 3rd branch of the Special Security Bureau Mulan City branch was completely wiped out, and it is all my responsibility."
"I request to go to military court and take full responsibility for my dereliction of duty."
At this time, all the memories in Yi Nanping's mind returned.
He remembered the thick black mist that reflected all attacks, and the team members who died tragically because of the reflected attacks. His heart was filled with shame and guilt, and he wished he could die with them.
Yi Nanping slammed his fist on the switch of the medical pod.
The door of the medical pod opened neatly to both sides.
Yi Nanping, supporting himself against the wall of the cabin, struggled to sit up, his emotions agitated: "Chief! I don't deserve to lie here receiving treatment! I want to be with my team members!"
Kang Shanxing, without any emotional inflection, said matter-of-factly, "I'm not here to listen to your confession."
Yi Nanping: "..."
His face instantly turned red and then purple.
Fortunately, his skin was naturally dark brown, so even if he blushed, it wasn't obvious.
Kang Shanxing held up the bag of sniper rifle shell casings in front of Yi Nanping and calmly asked him, "You said you were saved by a sniper rifle?"
Yi Nanping was taken aback for a moment before hurriedly nodding, "Yes! It was indeed a sniper rifle bullet that knocked away the reflected Black Gold Dagger. Otherwise, that dagger would have pierced directly into my brow."
He touched the space between his eyebrows with lingering fear.
"How do you know it was a sniper rifle bullet? Did you have instruments to measure it at the time?"
Yi Nanping shook his head, "I didn't have instruments to measure it, but it just so happened that I awakened today at the critical moment of life and death, and realized the materialization of Mental Strength."
Huo Yushen was standing behind the medical cabin, where Yi Nanping couldn't see him.
He remained silent and took a step back, concealing himself in the shadows.
Kang Shanxing understood the meaning of every move Huo Yushen made. He knew that he found Yi Nanping's rambling annoying.
Kang Shanxing quickly coughed lightly to cover it up, saying, "Team Leader Yi, there's no need to talk about things unrelated to today's events."
Yi Nanping understood that he hadn't expressed himself clearly, and with red eyes, he added, "It's like this, today, facing the Remnant Species, we were supposed to use Mental Strength to fight them."
"But along with those Remnant Species, there was also a black fog, particularly strange. It was not only very viscous, with enormous resistance, but it could also reflect all attacks."
"Our team members' Mental Strength was completely ineffective, so I ordered them to use Space-Based Weapons."
"As a result, they were all killed by the lasers reflected back after firing miniature laser rocket launchers."
"I then realized that Space-Based Weapons were also ineffective, so I made one last effort and actually awakened, realizing the materialization of Mental Strength, which was a Black Gold Dagger. I wanted to use this materialized dagger to save the target."
"Unexpectedly, it was the same result. The Black Gold Dagger materialized with Mental Strength was still reflected back by the black fog, piercing straight towards my brow."
"Then I clearly saw a bronze-colored sniper rifle bullet fly over and knock away the Black Gold Dagger that I had materialized with Mental Strength."
Kang Shanxing found it unbelievable, frowning as he said, "Yi Nanping, would you like me to give you more time to organize your thoughts? Think about what you're saying!"
"Organize my thoughts? You don't believe me?!—I'm telling the truth!" Yi Nanping clutched his chest, trying to shout.
Kang Shanxing took a step forward, explaining on behalf of Huo Yushen, "Team Leader Yi, think carefully about what you just said. You said that Space-Based Weapons were ineffective, and then you said that a sniper rifle bullet knocked away the Black Gold Dagger you materialized with Mental Strength. Your Black Gold Dagger is materialized from Mental Strength, it's an illusion created by energy. Tell me, how can a conventional weapon's sniper rifle bullet knock away your Mental Strength?"
Yi Nanping was dumbfounded.
He was just stating the facts and hadn't considered whether the facts were "reasonable."
Moreover, he also realized at this moment that since the black fog could deflect all physical attacks, why was the person who fired the shot in the fog able to shoot a bullet to save his life without being deflected by the fog? He opened his mouth, making unintelligible sounds in his throat, but couldn't say anything meaningful.
Kang Shanxing didn't think he was lying, his expression softened slightly, and he continued to ask, "...What kind of bullet was it?"
Since Yi Nanping had just awakened at that time, his five senses, that is, sight, smell, taste, hearing, and touch, would be elevated to another level. The difference between a B-grade Mental Strength peak that had awakened and one that hadn't was like heaven and earth.
From a scientific point of view, his vision and hearing after awakening could keep up with a super high-speed camera.
Yi Nanping came back to his senses and said without hesitation, "I saw it clearly before I passed out. It was a bronze-colored sniper rifle bullet, about twenty-nine millimeters in diameter and one hundred and fifty millimeters in length. It should be the No. 150 sniper rifle bullet, the latest product of Zong's Military Industries this year."
Kang Shanxing: "..."
He had only hoped that Yi Nanping would say the color, shape, and approximate size of the bullet, and didn't expect him to even say the manufacturer.
Yi Nanping noticed Kang Shanxing's disbelief and hurriedly said, "Really! Also, I happened to handle a case today where someone used a gun! They used conventional weapons to kill a Remnant Species!"
"There were 100,000 shell casings left at the scene, all of which were Zong's Military Industries' No. 085 and No. 093 fully automatic machine gun and submachine gun bullets!"
"To investigate this case, I had just pulled up the catalog of all bullets produced by Zong's Military Industries this year from the optical brain half an hour ago, and I happened to see the No. 150 sniper rifle bullet!"
"That's why I ordered my team members to use Space-Based Weapons! I thought they were all thermal weapons, and if conventional weapons could work, Space-Based Weapons would only be more powerful!—I didn't expect... I didn't expect..."
Yi Nanping covered his face, tears streaming down.
He didn't expect that a single wrong thought would lead to the tragic death of his entire team.
Kang Shanxing asked again, "Did someone really kill a Remnant Species with conventional weapons?"
"Absolutely true! Besides the uploaded operation video, I also handed over those Remnant Species' limbs to the Special Security Bureau's Mulan City branch. You can check!"
During the new book period, please remember to vote for recommendations, monthly tickets, and XiaoXiang tickets!
Also, please add this book to your bookshelf, my dear readers! And please, don't hoard chapters! Don't hoard chapters! Don't hoard chapters! (#^.^#)
-----------
This high quality machine translation is powered by: https:// randomtranslator.com/
To read the full translation, as well as more than 180+ fanfic and original translations or request new translations, check out: https:// randomtranslator.com/
You can also join the RandomTranslator community on Discord to connect with other readers: https:// discord.gg/NSWvfN7vua
-----------