Chapter 142: 141 Prepare to meet the enemy!

"We do the dull and exhausting work, yet we're given the worst possible gear... Sigh!"The vehicle wobbled along, the noise of the tires crushing gravel was quite loud, and an excessively good noise-cancellation feature could render everyone too insensitive to their surroundings, so even a bit of activity was easily heard clearly by everyone inside the not-so-large cabin.

There were a total of 20 elite soldiers selected, plus one leading officer, one Spiritual Energy user, Minister Likok and his assistant Miss Aryan, adding up to two, and then there was Bai E, who didn't replace anyone but was simply added to the team.

In all, there were 25 people, in three vehicles; two vehicles seated eight each, and one vehicle sat nine.

Minister Likok and Miss Aryan both rode in the other two vehicles. As each of them had the independent command ability to restart the Root Server, they were separated to ride in different vehicles in preparation for any sudden incidents, following the principle of not putting all eggs in one basket.

As for Bai E's vehicle, which wasn't carrying anyone of significant importance, it naturally took on the responsibility of leading the way and scouting ahead.

Without a doubt, this was a dangerous task, and a dangerous task naturally required more reliable teammates.

Some soldiers, who wouldn't say anything in front of their superior officers but couldn't control their tongues in private, felt somewhat unbalanced about having a "useless" person who had connections placed in their vehicle.

The harsh words of the irritable soldier didn't receive any agreement, but neither did they prompt any objections.

The atmosphere sank into a weird silence, paradoxically making the noise of the vehicle even more jarring.

It was as if everyone was waiting for Bai E's response.

Silence was the greatest contempt, and all the pressure bore down like a mountain on the so-called "dead weight." Your next read awaits at M-V-L

Looking at everyone's somber expressions, the Asian soldier with a mature and honest face gave Bai E a comforting smile to break the silence, "Stop it, Brother B27 is quite capable, he just had bad luck and ran into the Blood God before."

"Heh~" The man who had spoken earlier sneered sarcastically, not even glancing at Bai E but just peering out the window, "I'm not naming anyone, just hoping no one holds us back in a fight."

"This..." The Asian soldier gave Bai E an apologetic look, feeling his own clumsy words had unwittingly put Bai E in the spotlight, and fearing to speak again.

The mood was rife with undercurrents, and once again, silence prevailed.

It felt as though all eyes were pointedly focused on him, making the atmosphere tense.

The unnamed ridicule and scoffing made it even harder for one to stay composed, but Bai E remained expressionless, his body leaning against the vehicle's wall as it swayed with the motion.

If a few sharp comments could easily breach his defenses, then he didn't deserve to live in this world.

The corruption of the high-dimensional demons was far more soul-piercing than these verbal snippets.

What he cared more about was observing his surroundings and utilizing the resources at hand. This was his first time embarking on an outdoor mission, and he needed to familiarize himself with the team's setup.

The space inside the off-road vehicle was quite large, so even with eight people, it didn't feel cramped.

In the front cab, one soldier was in charge of driving, while another assisted with observing the outdoor conditions and guiding the driving route. With rapid off-road driving, both people were constantly on edge, unable to spare any attention for what was happening in the rear cabin.

As for the rear half of the cabin, it was semi-enclosed and stored various survival and combat supplies needed by the group.

The middle part of the cabin was the space where the remaining six sat, with each person having welded, fixed storage compartments at their feet, housing the weapons and ammunition that might be needed at the first sign of combat.

The roof hatch could be opened at any time, and like a Multi-function Infantry Vehicle, it was equipped with a heavy machine gun and a flamethrower.

The sides of the vehicle also had firing ports that could be opened from the inside, providing sufficient firepower to keep the vehicle moving unrestrictedly, which was the greatest responsibility of the six people inside the cabin.

Bai E strove to memorize the layout inside the carriage, ensuring that he could react swiftly and accurately during the most chaotic skirmishes.

"Hey, kid, you know how to shoot?" seaʀᴄh thё nôvel_Fire.ηet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

The veteran Caucasian warrior sitting closest to Bai E glanced at the battle blade machine gun hanging on Bai E's chest and suddenly asked him.

Bai E nodded in response. "I do."

"You passed the advanced shooting test?"

"Yes."

"Pfft," a dismissive sneer sounded from the front.

The Caucasian warrior smiled, glancing around at everyone. Having participated in the advanced shooting test and having seen Bai E before, he initiated the conversation to comfort the soldiers who still harbored misgivings about the arrangement.

With his rich experience in field missions, he understood that unity was the most crucial element in a team. Everyone selected was an elite, and pride was common, but for the sake of the mission's success rate, even the most elite warriors needed support and cooperation from their teammates.

Perhaps his calm demeanor and rich experience were the reasons why his superiors had assigned him to this specific vehicle.

"As long as you passed, that's good. Only four of us on this vehicle have passed the advanced firepower test. If we run into tough enemies, the old one and I will need to operate the weapons on top of the vehicle at critical moments. Inside the carriage, only you and AB can help us intercept any stragglers that get too close."

AB was a taciturn synthetic warrior, holding a machine gun in his embrace. Hearing the old soldier's plan, he didn't say a word, just silently leaned in the corner and nodded.

The team leader indeed had meticulous plans for encountering the enemy and also had the capability to command in real-time through radio headsets, but when it came to each of the three vehicles fighting on their own, accurate and timely decisions from the people inside the vehicle were still necessary.

There were a total of eight warriors on this vehicle, with the front two responsible for driving. The co-driver might also have some fighting capability, but he could not be relied upon as the main force.

Among the six in the back, two were masters in close-quarters combat. Although they could also shoot, their accuracy was significantly reduced, and there was no way to provide them with a stage for melee combat during the drive. If they encountered enemies on the road, they could almost only watch helplessly.

There might seem to be many warriors in the vehicle, but in actual combat, only four could effectively fight, making each one of them extremely precious.

Bai E nodded and agreed with the arrangement, "Okay."

As they spoke, Bai E began disassembling the battle blade from his machine gun.

After observing the inside of the vehicle and mentally rehearsing possible battle scenarios since boarding, he had fully planned for combat conditions.

Under normal circumstances, the two components of the battle blade machine gun are combined, but given the limited conditions for attack through the firing ports on the vehicle, there would be no use for the battle blade. The cumbersome blade would only hinder agility in combat. What was once a multifunctional attachment now just became cumbersome, so it was better to take it off.

"Prepare for alert!"

The soldier in the driver's cab leading the way suddenly issued a reminder.

"We will be passing by the edge of the Blood Raven Forest ahead, which could disturb them and lead to an attack. Be ready to defend against a sudden strike."

It would be safer to completely bypass the forest, but it would take at least an extra three hours.

Besides, there were no completely safe places in the wilderness in this era. Taking a longer route could increase the chances of encountering other dangers. A flock of Blood Ravens was not an especially dangerous enemy, so taking a certain risk and passing by their territory was the best planned route.

"Understood," the Caucasian warrior responded first, and then with a "click" sound, he unlocked the safety on his machine gun, the noise rising eagerly like boiling oil, "Ready for enemy contact!"