Sky-cracking Rider

"I am Adr..."

Just after confirming the incoming call, Adrian was about to speak when he heard Liaison Officer Rossi cut in, "Wait, don't start talking yet. I'll ask, you answer!"

"Oh, okay, okay!"

Adrian was bewildered, not quite understanding what the other person meant.

"How many survived? Half? Three? Two? Or is it just you left?"

Rossi's voice gradually turned to a crying tone, suggesting that if Adrian were the only one left, Squad 04 might as well disband, as their bonuses were all gone. They might even face demotion. It seemed better to be all dead.

"Uh! Officer Rossi, you're thinking too much, actually..."

Before Adrian could finish, Rossi's voice became sadder and sadder.

"Really, that many? I knew it, I knew it..."

"...Actually, it's not just Squad 04, but also Squad 18. Everyone is here, no casualties, not a single one!"

The two were clearly not on the same wavelength, completely talking past each other. A First Rank Fire Mage like Adrian was really at a loss here.

"Not a single one? Sss..."

Adrian could hear the sound of Rossi inhaling sharply on the other end of the phone and hurriedly said, "That's right, Officer Rossi, both teams are safe, and we have escaped from the mutant's lair!"

"But I saw you guys being..."

Rossi recalled the footage captured by the reconnaissance drone: the Mobile Base Vehicle being swallowed whole by the massive mutant and then disappearing into the desert without a trace of people or vehicle –no sign of life or death.

The Blue Star Global United Defense Committee's Bear Hunting Special Operations Division was even prepared to issue another death notice, having already drafted the document.

Adrian said with a laugh, "Well, maybe we're just lucky!"

He heard a ringtone emanating from his phone, with Squad 18's captain, Moron, likely picking up his phone as well. Most likely, he was receiving a call from the liaison officer, and the content of the conversation was roughly similar to his own.

"It's good you're coming back!"

Rossi was breathing heavily.

It was really tough for him! This job was like a roller coaster—now in Heaven, now in Hell, utterly tormenting.

"When we return, I'll report to you in detail."

Adrian was overwhelmed—the report would be exceedingly difficult to write.

It involved the Supreme Council of the Third Era Civilization, and it was unknown how the Neanderthal tribe scattered across Blue Star and even on Cangqiong Star might react if the news got out.

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"Good, the more detailed, the better, and also, if you encounter any situation, don't hesitate, call for help immediately. Habulav will dispatch Sky Knights to support you!"

Officer Rossi also reported the latest situation.

The one-month evaluation period had ended, and due to the unexpected incident during the return journey, even Squad 04's Mobile Base Vehicle was swallowed whole. Not willing to let other teams, accustomed to facing numerous mutants, encounter such overwhelming threats again, Habulav's Blue Star Global United Defense Committee headquarters authorized the use of Crystal Jets.

After all, these teams trained by the Bear Hunting Special Operations Division were aimed at the Water Bear organization and the mutants it spawned.

If the Water Bear organization could reproduce monsters capable of devouring a Mobile Base Vehicle at that rate, it's beyond what the Bear Hunting Special Operations Division could handle—a challenge almost tantamount to a sovereignty war, only manageable through active-duty military forces and a vast array of tactical weapons.

"Thank you, Officer Rossi, I'll be careful."

Adrian secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, it was him; anyone else would struggle to cope with this weirdly temperamental liaison officer, even if he wasn't looking for faults, his mere panic alone was enough to make one feel helpless.

Call ended!

Just then, on the other end, Moron from Squad 18 ended his conversation with the corresponding liaison officer.

"Are the Sky Knights deploying?"

"Yes, it was a close call!"

Adrian recalled the remains of the Crystal Jet Chen Fei had tinkered with in the scrapyard of old machinery. This was no joking matter. Even the Sky Knights might fall in the Central Great Desert, and without the direct involvement of the Global United Defense Committee, no military contractor alone could handle it.

Even combining the top ten military contractors wouldn't be enough.

A lapse in attention might result in the total annihilation of the forces, leaving no one to bury the dead.

-

A group of people managed to revive the big black guy foaming at the mouth and clumsily carried him onto the Mobile Base Vehicle, tossing him back onto his own soggy bed, indifferent to whether he would catch a cold or not.

The desert was hot, and the air dry; he would dry off on his own soon enough.

The spells of that Water Series Magician might have been toxic, as the pitch-black big guy had been washed until he began to fade, with his whole body inexplicably turning a yellowish hue.

04 Squad's captain, a First Rank Fire Mage named Adrian Benjamin, threw a powerful Fire Spell that incinerated the mutant's scattered flesh and blood into ash, melting even the sand into a glass state under the extreme heat.

The fragmented remains were burned to such an extent that there was finally no need to worry about them coming back to life.

The mobile base vehicle continued on its journey. With the unexpectedly found high-capacity crystalline block, its battery life was significantly extended, and Chen Fei decided to simply travel day and night for 24 hours, rushing back to Habulav non-stop.

The closer they got to Habulav, the fewer the incidents they encountered along the way, and the relative safety increased. No one wanted to be swallowed again and then have that thing come out.

Compared to the horrible smell in the lair of the mutant Tsar Worm BTS-0001, the mere discomfort caused by motion sickness was nothing at all—human adaptability is just that strong.

Three days later, the dusty mobile base vehicle left the desert and entered a gravel-covered Gobi.

Soon after, the people from Team 04 and Team 18 finally saw the towering city walls spanning the horizon.

Behind the high walls and a certain distance from the weapon platforms was the headquarters of the Blue Star Global United Defense Committee, Habulav.

Even though they were delayed by two days on the road, the two teams were among the first to return.

After all, other teams had to rely on their own legs for the journey back, and no one else had a second mobile base vehicle.

Even those who returned first did so by catching rides on small transport airships, not because they could walk faster than a vehicle with five pairs of heavy wheels.

As soon as they entered the gates of Habulav, the captains of Teams 04 and 18 simultaneously announced the teams were disbanded on the spot.

The mobile base vehicle dropped everyone off in Zone B, and everyone chose to return to their dormitories to get a good sleep first, to relieve the fatigue.

...

"...Ding dong! Ding dong! Ding dong! Ding..."

Lying in bed, Chen Fei was woken by the sound of the doorbell, groggily opening his eyes.

Who the hell is it?

Disturbing my sleep!

Whoever it is, wait until I get up, and I'll smack you!

With sleepiness still hanging over him, he yanked the door open.

"Who?"

He saw three strangers standing outside, the leader of whom looked somewhat familiar.

The man eyed Chen Fei up and down, and said in a rather unfriendly tone, "Chen Fei, is it just you here?"

"Jiu!"

A crisp chirping came from the balcony.

Xiao Jiu sometimes liked to fly around the small garden in Zone B, but it quickly returned.

Habulav's radar simply couldn't lock onto it.

"There's also a bird!" Chen Fei turned to look, then faced the man and asked, "May I ask who you are? What brings you here?"

His first impression of these uninvited guests was not particularly favorable.

"Heh, my name is Franco. We've met before... don't remember? No matter, you don't need to recognize me, I'll be leaving soon!"

The lead man tried to walk into the house, but Chen Fei stopped him with a hand on the door frame, effectively blocking him outside.

"Are you sure you're ready to face the consequences of barging in here?"

Franco grinned insincerely and said, "Hehe! Won't you invite us in to sit for a moment?"

"Let's talk here at the door!"

Chen Fei stood his ground, sensing the ill intent of the visitors—bad guests do not come bearing good news.

The two men behind the leader both showed anger and glared at Chen Fei, one of them shouted, "What a rude guy..."

However, Franco raised his hand to stop his companion, seemingly unoffended and said, "It's fine! It's just a few words. Chen Fei, I heard you found a crystalline block, is that so?"

"Of course... not!"

How could Chen Fei admit it!

The purpose of the visitor was fully revealed with that question.

Franco, looking entirely at ease, said, "You know, for someone like me to come here, I must have evidence. A friendly reminder for you: a crystalline block isn't something a commoner has the right to possess. Or rather, even the most formidable military contractors aren't allowed to just meddle with crystalline blocks ... do you understand?"

The posture seemed to suggest he held all the aces.

"Of course I understand, and I fully support your position, but I don't have it!"

Chen Fei spread his arms and shrugged.

Why should he hand over the crystalline block he found by his own efforts to you, wishful thinking!