Inside The Black Mist

| Huanggu Town, Command Center, Temporary Strategy Hall. |

Although it was called a strategy hall, it was actually just a tent made from special materials that could block the spread of the black mist. In addition, the spectral purification gate at the entrance allowed even ordinary people inside to be free from the need for cumbersome protective suits.

In the middle of the tent was a holographic tactical sand table. Ling Feng stood next to it with his hands behind his back, observing the real-time dynamics displayed on the sand table.

From the sand table, it was clear that the fortress troops were fighting dark creatures in every inch of land in the Huanggu town.

The resistance from the dark creatures was fiercer than expected, and the number of monsters involved was two to three times higher than predicted. This was less than a month since the Raven Squad had explored the town.

Could it be the new king?

Ling Feng’s eyes narrowed slightly behind his glasses. Even though he was in the rear of the battlefield, the roar of cannons could still be heard from outside the tent, and the ground occasionally trembled.

In such a short time, the dark creatures had assembled a dark army capable of standing against the fortress troops. It was clear how desperate they were to drive humans out.

Or perhaps, they were protecting something.

Ling Feng’s interest was piqued by Lin Yang’s excited expression. "What’s the good news?"

Lin Yang rubbed his hands together. "I just got in touch with Tianyang. The kid’s not dead. It turns out there’s a river beneath the abyss. They were swept onto a rocky shore and, after many twists and turns, finally made their way back to the surface!"

This news was a testament to how intense the battle had been.

Suddenly, someone walked in from the purification gate. It was Ling Feng’s adjutant. Though Lin Yang was over forty, he moved with the energy of a young man, quickly approaching. "Good news!"

"General Ling, that kid’s luck is unbelievable."

Ling Feng didn’t respond, keeping his focus on the holographic sand table. Defeating the dark creatures was the top priority right now. After observing for a moment, he summoned a few tactical advisors and issued several strategic commands.

Ling Feng nodded slightly. "We need to arrange a vehicle to pick him up."

"It’s already been sent," Lin Yang replied with a sigh of relief. "After he fell, the transmission signal from the electronic eye went offline. But just recently, I noticed the signal reappeared, and I contacted him immediately. Sure enough, I got through!"

Soon after, Tianyang entered the tent, greeted Ling Feng with a military salute, and said, "Sir, Second Lieutenant Tianyang of the Raven Squad reporting. I have an intelligence report."

Ling Feng finally shifted his gaze from the sand table. "What’s the report?"

The tactical advisors were in the process of refining the orders before transmitting them to the next command units. These units would then disseminate the orders down the chain, ultimately ensuring the entire army operated according to Ling Feng’s strategy.

Moments later, several figures entered through the spectral purification gate, and among them was Tianyang.

Tianyang saluted again. "Yes, sir!"

After the young man left the tent, Lin Yang cleared his throat and looked at Ling Feng. "That girl beside Tianyang just now, wasn’t she…"

"We discovered the dark creature underneath Huanggu Town!" Tianyang explained, briefly recounting how the strange, pregnant-like entity, along with the sorcerer using Mad dogs as bait, had lured a plant root to connect with the bizarre pregnant object.

"I see." Ling Feng nodded. "You’ve been missing for more than a day. Go to the medical team for a check-up. After that, return to the camp to rest. You’ll rejoin the fight tomorrow."

As they exited the strategy tent, Xiaoniao stretched and said, "I’m going to skip the check-up. These minor injuries aren’t a big deal. You guys go ahead. I’ll head back to camp first."

She waved goodbye, flagged down a vehicle, and headed straight back to camp.

Ling Feng waved his hand dismissively. "No need to concern yourself with the young ones. What I’m more interested in is what Tianyang just said. The fact that the dark creatures are active underground is highly unusual. I’m going to discuss this with General Feimei. In the meantime, send a few squads to scout the underground area."

Lin Yang immediately straightened up. "Yes, sir!"

In such an atmosphere, it was easy for people to become sullen and quiet. Yet Xiaoniao seemed completely unaffected. Just like her name, she chirped away nonstop throughout the journey.

Thanks to her, the trip wasn’t as dull. In fact, the group even erupted into laughter several times, and before they knew it, they had emerged from the underground.

"Second Lieutenant Xiaoniao is really lively," Yan Bing said with a laugh. "It’s a good thing she was with us, or we would have been bored out of our minds."

Tianyang thought back to when they had left the empty underground hall and followed the tracks left by the Mad dogs, navigating through the dark and oppressive cavern tunnels.

There were countless wounded being brought down from the battlefield, and they were continuously transported here. The medical personnel from the fortress were doing everything they could to save each and every life.

Even so, one body bag after another was carried out of the medical camp, destined for some unknown resting place outside the camp.

Now that Xiaoniao had returned to camp, the sudden quiet around Tianyang felt strange.

Upon arriving at the medical team’s camp, the sight before Tianyang deeply shocked him. Temporary medical stations had been set up all over, yet there still weren’t enough to meet the demand.

Some of the injured were missing limbs, while others bore bite marks on their bodies.

The entire medical camp was filled with an atmosphere of sorrow and despair. As Tianyang followed a doctor to the battlefield medical vehicle reserved for Ascenders, he saw a young doctor in the corner, sobbing uncontrollably after failing to save a patient.

This is war!