Chapter 801: Proactive

Midnight.

The outer perimeter of Point No. 7.

The light of the energy-stabilizing tower was as conspicuous as a lighthouse in the night.

At the tower's base, a unit of sixty had gathered.

This was the first special task force of the 'Breaching Edge Sharp'.

Thirty veterans of the Northward Aspiration army.

Thirty elite troops of the Ming army.

All were equipped with the latest fusion armor and weapons.

Xu Da stood at the front of the unit.

By his side was Chang Yuchun.

Behind them stood Zhao Si, the Northward Aspiration army commander personally selected by Yue Fei.

"Clarify the mission once more."

Xu Da's voice was low.

"Penetrate the rift; the target is the Qing outpost's energy node fifteen li to the northwest."

"The node should appear as a conical tower about five zhang high, its surface pulsing with greenish light."

"Mission One: Destroy the node's outer defenses."

"Mission Two: Retrieve the node's core data crystal."

"Mission Three: If conditions permit, capture a shaman or technical officer."

"Mission Four: All personnel withdraw."

He looked at the group.

"This operation is not for seizing territory, not for annihilating the enemy."

"Its sole purpose is to test our ability to fight across the rift and to obtain vital intelligence."

"Remember, you are the Alliance's first drawn blade."

"The blade must be sharp, and more importantly, steady."

The members nodded silently.

Chang Yuchun added, "The Qing forces react extremely fast; if the node is attacked, reinforcements will arrive within at most two quarter-hours."

"We must end the battle and withdraw within one quarter-hour."

"If we exceed that time, we break out on our own."

This was a harsh order.

But everyone understood its necessity.

Zhao Si checked the new energy burst grenade at his waist.

"General Xu, General Chang, the time has come."

Xu Da lifted his head.

On the light screen, the dim area began to undulate.

Crimson light flickered between bright and dim.

The rift was about to open.

"Ready."

The sixty were divided into six teams of ten each, arrayed in a wedge formation.

Xu Da led the first team at the forefront.

Chang Yuchun led the second team on the left flank.

Zhao Si led the third team on the right flank.

The remaining three teams stayed behind, responsible for covering and rearguard.

The energy-array patterns on the ground lit up.

Blue-white light enveloped the unit, providing a temporary energy barrier.

Hum—

A low rumble came from the light curtain.

At the center of the dim area, an irregular gap tore open.

It was about three zhang wide, with turbulent energy at the edges dancing like electric snakes.

"Go!"

Xu Da was the first to charge out.

The energy shield collided with the turbulence, erupting in blinding sparks.

But his speed did not falter; he forced his way in.

Chang Yuchun followed closely behind.

Then came Zhao Si.

The whole unit shot into the rift like an arrow released from a bow.

Passing through the turbulent zone took only three breaths.

Yet it felt eternally long.

The shields were being rapidly depleted.

One member's shield overloaded, grazed by the turbulence, and his arm instantly blackened.

Yet no one stopped.

Charge out!

Fourth breath.

The scene before their eyes changed suddenly.

A dark red sky.

A purplish-black earth.

The air was filled with a pungent smell mixing rot and metal.

In the distance, ghostly green lights floated like will-o'-the-wisps.

They stepped onto the land west of the light curtain.

"Maintain formation!"

Xu Da barked low.

He quickly observed his surroundings.

The terrain basically matched the intelligence returned by the scout team.

The wasteland, twisted dead forest, and……

In the northwest direction, a conical tower stood on the horizon.

The tower emitted a regular greenish pulse.

Around the tower, shadowy figures of patrolling yuan-energy transformed beings could be seen.

"Act according to the plan."

Xu Da made a hand signal.

Six teams split up and moved forward.

Teams one, two, and three approached from the front and both flanks.

Teams four, five, and six spread out, guarding the perimeter and establishing blocking positions.

Xu Da personally led team one, using terrain cover to quickly approach.

When they were eight hundred steps from the node.

The greenish crystal atop the tower suddenly turned toward their direction.

"Exposed!"

Chang Yuchun let out a low roar.

"Strong attack!"

There was no time to hesitate.

"Charge!"

Sixty people erupted simultaneously.

The energy shield fully opened.

Weapons charged.

The first wave of attack came from the node itself.

The greenish patterns on the tower's surface brightened, shooting out dozens of fine yuan-energy rays.

The rays struck the energy shield, emitting a piercing corrosive sound.

The shield fluctuated violently but held.

"Suppressive fire!"

The Ming army elites raised the improved energy crossbow.

The crossbow bolts were coated with a yuan-energy suppressing layer.

A rain of arrows splashed toward the tower of the node.

The greenish shield lit up, intercepting the arrows.

But the coating took effect.

The shield showed unstable fluctuations in parts.

"Armor-breaking team, go!"

Northward Aspiration army veterans charged out.

They wielded specially made energy armor-breaking hammers.

The hammer heads were heavy, their surfaces engraved with conductive patterns.

They rushed to the base of the tower.

They swung the hammers.

Heavy strike!

The yuan-energy shield finally cracked under the continuous bombardment of the armor-breaking hammers.

"Widen the gap!"

More armor-breaking hammers joined.

The crack spread.

An alarm sounded shrilly from within the tower.

The surrounding yuan-energy transformed beings surged forward madly.

But they were firmly blocked by the outer teams four, five, and six.

The collision of energy weapons and yuan-energy armor burst into dense energy flashes on the wasteland.

Xu Da glanced at the battle situation.

"Chang Yuchun, you lead people to keep smashing."

"Zhao Si, follow me inside."

The crack in the tower base's shield has widened enough for one person to pass through.

Xu Da was the first to dive in.

The sight inside the tower was nauseating.

The walls were not stone, but writhing biomass.

The surface was covered with vessel-like conduits of nether energy.

Purple-black spores floated in the air.

At the center, a human-head-sized eerie green crystal hovered.

Below the crystal, dozens of pipes connected, extending throughout the tower.

A shaman knelt before the crystal, frantically praying.

He sensed the intruders and snapped his head around.

His face was already half-transformed, his eyes pure eerie green.

"Profaner..."

The shaman screamed, raising his bone staff.

Xu Da gave him no time to cast a spell.

The kinetic energy blade was drawn.

The blade's light flashed like lightning.

The shaman's bone staff was cut off.

Along with half his shoulder.

Zhao Si rushed forward, locking the shaman with specially-made kinetic energy handcuffs.

Xu Da lunged for the eerie green crystal.

The crystal seemed to have a will of its own.

Its surface light surged, attempting to release a mental shock.

The "Clear Mind-Stabilize Spirit" composite talisman hanging on Xu Da's chest lit up.

Blue-white ripples spread, neutralizing the shock.

He reached out and gripped a main pipe beneath the crystal.

Kinetic energy flowed into his palm.

The pipe shuddered violently.

The eerie green light began to destabilize.

"The data crystal is inside the core!"

Zhao Si shouted.

He pointed to the crystal's base, where an embedded hidden compartment lay.

Xu Da swung his blade.

He cut the pipe connecting to the hidden compartment.

He pried open the hidden compartment.

Inside lay a fist-sized multi-faceted crystal.

Within the crystal, countless tiny eerie green points flowed.

"Got it!"

Xu Da snatched up the data crystal and stuffed it into a specially-made shielding container.

"Withdraw!"

The two dragged the captured shaman out of the tower base.

Outside, the battle had become white-hot.

The node tower's shield collapsed completely.

Cracks began to appear on the tower.

The eerie green light flickered erratically.

But the Pure State's reinforcements had already appeared on the horizon.

Masses of nether energy cavalry surged forward like a tide.

"All units, retreat!"

Chang Yuchun roared.

"According to the preset route, alternate cover!"

The unit began to retreat.

But the nether energy cavalry's speed was too great.

"Fourth Group, hold the rear!"

Zhao Si gave the order.

"Buy time for the main force!"

The ten members of the Fourth Group turned without hesitation, facing the cavalry torrent.

The kinetic energy mines were activated and thrown.

Boom.

The nether energy cavalry were thrown from their mounts.

But more cavalry surged forward.

The rearguard fought while retreating.

People kept falling.

Xu Da gritted his teeth.

"Quick!"

He personally hoisted the injured squad member and rushed toward the gap in the light curtain.

The gap still existed.

But it had already begun to contract.

"Quick, go in!"

The squad members entered in single file.

Chang Yuchun was the third from the last.

Zhao Si was the second from the last.

Xu Da was the last to turn back.

He saw that the last three members of the rearguard unit were engulfed by the phantom-energy cavalry.

There were no tragic cries.

Only the flash of the self-destructing energy weapons.

"Go!"

Zhao Si pushed Xu Da into the gap.

The turbulence surged again.

After ten breaths.

They fell back onto the land east of the light curtain.

The glow of the energy-stabilizing tower was warm and familiar.

Xu Da knelt on the ground, gasping violently.

He looked at the shielded container clenched in his hand.

The ghostly green data crystal inside still pulsed slowly.

Success.

But it also came at a cost.

Sixty set out.

Forty-one returned.

Nineteen remained there forever.

Chang Yuchun counted the heads, his face ashen.

Zhao Si's arm was injured, simply bandaged.

The captured shaman fell into a coma and was kept under strict control.

"Clear the battlefield."

Xu Da rose to his feet.

"Escort the data and the prisoners back to the city."

"For the fallen… record their names and grant them generous pensions."

The unit silently sorted their equipment, preparing to withdraw.

Xu Da finally glanced one last time at the closing gap.

Through the final opening.

He saw that the Qing's phantom-energy cavalry had already charged to the front of the light curtain.

They snarled at the barrier, their ghostly green eyes filled with cold killing intent.

The gap sealed completely.

But Xu Da knew.

This was only the beginning.

They extended their hands.

They grabbed a piece of the enemy's scale armor.

Next.

They would then follow that scale, tear through flesh, and pick out the bone.

Until they found that dark heart.

Gazing at Beicheng.

Command Tower.

Chen Wen and Zhu Yuanzhang almost simultaneously received the battle report.

"The data crystal has been obtained."

"One shaman prisoner."

"The cost…… nineteen people."

Zhu Yuanzhang closed his eyes.

After a moment, he opened them.

"Issue the order: bury the fallen officers with the rites due to nobles."

"Provide triple compensation."

"Record their names in the Hall of Heroes, to receive eternal sacrifices."

Chen Wen looks toward Zhang Cheng.

"Immediately organize the best analysis team."

"I want to see the preliminary analysis report of that data within twelve double-hours."

"Meanwhile, summon the shaman for interrogation."

"Use any means to pry open his mouth."

"Yes!"

The orders are carried out swiftly.

The first proactive strike of the Wall-Breaking Alliance.

At the cost of fresh blood.

Opened the first gap leading to the enemy's core.

It is not a physical gap.

It is an information gap.

And information will be the deadliest weapon in the next phase of the war.

The night is still deep.

But the lights of Hope North City shine as bright as day.

Analysis has begun.

Interrogation has begun.

The gears of counterattack have officially turned.