Inside The Black Mist

A few minutes later, a Wanderer triggered a proximity mine set by the soldiers at the front of the camp, and a burst of flames erupted. The explosion obliterated a small group of Wanderers.

Explosions like this continued to occur in front of the camp. The Sun Spear Squad, even the soldiers, were experienced fighters, and the mines they set were carefully designed.

With limited ammunition, they precisely calculated the explosive power of the proximity mines and cleverly designed their placement to maximize the damage.

However, despite the sight of Wanderers being blown to pieces, no one, including Adam, could find joy in it.

This attack was composed solely of Wanderers, with no other dark creatures in sight.

It was clear that the dark creature’s commander intended to use the Wanderers to deplete human ammunition, but knowing this, the camp couldn’t just ignore the threat.

After all, if Wanderers breached the defense line, they wouldn’t give up on the "delicacies" right in front of them!

Reluctantly, Adam signaled for an attack. Thus, apart from the two snipers, everyone else continued to fire at the incoming black tide.

The number of Wanderers was even greater than before. Fortunately, Adam had ordered the demolition of buildings, blocking several streets and alleys. This prevented the Wanderers from advancing in large numbers and quickly, forcing them to scatter and crawl through windows and gaps in the buildings before converging on the camp.

This significantly reduced the pressure on the defense line.

It allowed the defense fire to be conducted in an alternating manner, saving ammunition as much as possible.

Since the camp was unaware of when the truly dangerous units like Mysterious Archers and Shadow Attendants would appear, Adam instructed the Elemental Heart Ascenders to stay put. These powerful Ascenders capable of creating battlefield storms couldn’t afford to waste their Star Essence on Wanderers.

Even Tianyang, who was stationed on the wall to prevent Wanderers from getting too close, was encouraged to avoid using Star Essence if possible. Instead, he used his rifle or weapons to destroy any approaching enemies.

The battle continued for nearly six hours, and when the streets outside the camp were almost submerged in the black, rotting sludge of Wanderer corpses, the attack finally ceased, with the remaining Wanderers staggering away.

Some Wanderers that still lingered on the streets were cleared out by the soldiers.

Despite driving back the dark creatures with a decisive victory, no one could smile.

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Ammo reserves were now less than thirty percent.

During the lull as the dar creatures withdrew, soldiers replenished proximity mines, repaired temporary barricades, and reinforced defense structures.

Tianyang sat on the wall, quietly drinking water from his canteen.

He accidentally saw Yun Ze jump down from the family’s vehicle to find Wang Liangyi, who seemed to be discussing something.

But seeing Yun Ze’s dejected profile, it was clear that the prominent family member was not in a good mood, likely because of some problem.

The two then went to consult with Adam. Tianyang withdrew his gaze, checked his rations, which could last for two or three more days, and closed his eyes to rest.

After a while, he felt a slight movement and woke up to see Adam’s bulky form clumsily climbing over the wall.

The blonde giant sat down beside Tianyang, his heavy armor uncomfortable but seemingly not removed. His thick legs hung over the edge of the wall.

“Lost contact.”

Adam shook his head and threw a stone.

Although his words seemed disjointed, Tianyang could infer a bi. “So, the Ascenders sent to eliminate the interference haven’t returned?”

“Yeah.” The burly man’s voice was heavy with concern. “The Yun family has lost contact with them, but Yun Ze is confident in his people, claiming it’s only a temporary issue.”

Tianyang’s lips curled slightly. “But it seems you don’t have much faith in them.”

Adam smiled, his expression tinged with helplessness. “What can I do? After all, it’s the Yun family. I can’t openly criticize them. I have to give them some face.”

Tianyang looked at the buildings faintly visible through the swirling black mist. “If it weren’t for the Shadow Knights, Mr. Wang Liangyi could be sent out, and we might be able to contact the base now.”

Adam nodded heavily. “That’s the troubling part. There are three Shadow Knights outside. If we risk sending Wang Liangyi out and they launch a full-scale attack, our defenses might not hold for even a minute.”

“Are Shadow Knights very powerful? Aren’t you a level 4 Ascender? Can’t you handle them?”

“I could manage to hold off one at most, but without team support, it’s hard to take down the opponent quickly. With three Shadow Knights outside, we need Wang Liangyi to stay put.”

Tianyang reminded him, “Even if you want to maintain Yun’s family’s reputation, if the interference isn’t resolved soon, it’s uncertain how long we can hold out.”

“I understand that.” Adam crossed his arms, “And I also know that if we can’t contact the base for a long time, even if we hold the camp, people will lose confidence. So I have a plan…”

Tianyang looked at him.

Eight hours later, dark creatures attacked again. This time, in addition to the large number of Wanderers serving as cannon fodder, there were agile Mad Dogs and Mysterious Archers providing fire support.

Yun Ze also joined the battlefield, along with several Elemental Heart Ascenders responsible for suppressing the enemy’s fire.

The Shadow Knights and their Attendants still hadn’t shown up, keeping Wang Liangyi firmly in the camp. To prevent a Shadow Knight raid, Wang Liangyi couldn’t take action throughout the battle.

After the battle ended, Yun Ze’s lips were cracked, and the bloodshot veins in his eyes were much more pronounced than before.

If he was in such a state, the other soldiers were even worse off.

The Sun Spear Squad fared better, having been seasoned by the battlefield. Despite their disheveled appearance, their eyes still held a glimmer of determination.

The Frost Cloud Guards were in worse shape. As Adam had previously assessed, their situation was now proving his evaluation correct.

Accustomed to cleanliness and convenient tools, they were now covered in grime due to the battle. Some equipment had been damaged by the Mysterious Archers, and their ingrained habits made them ill-suited to the current environment.

Their morale was severely affected, and their frequent glances at the gates indicated their anxiety compared to the Sun Spear Squad.

All signs pointed to the Frost Cloud Guards reaching their psychological and physical limits.

At this time, there was still no news from the Ascender sent to eliminate the interference.

Three hours later, Yun Ze could no longer sit still and approached Wang Liangyi.

“Mr. Wang, it might be time for you to take action.”

Yun Ze looked resigned. He knew that Wang Liangyi was a key asset of the family. His father, Yun Sheng, had made significant sacrifices to bring this asset to his side.

It was meant to protect him and provide a strong ally to quickly accumulate merit.

Now was the time to use this key asset, even though Yun Ze was reluctant. He had no other choice.

Wang Liangyi seemed to have been waiting for Yun Ze’s words. “Indeed, we can’t delay any longer. Our ammunition is almost depleted, and the temporary fortifications are beyond repair. This defense line is no longer solid. If we can’t contact the base, I’ll have to do what’s necessary.”

Yun Ze knew what he meant. If the situation worsened, Wang Liangyi would abandon everyone else and focus on taking Yun Ze back to the base.

While this would likely ensure their return to the base, it would tarnish the Yun family’s reputation and affect Yun Ze’s future.

If the Yun family patriarch developed a poor opinion of him, it could even impact his inheritance rights. Therefore, Yun Ze would avoid this course of action unless absolutely necessary.

As they were discussing, footsteps approached, clearly coming their way.

Yun Ze had to stop speaking and turned to see Adam and Tianyang approaching.

“Sorry to interrupt, Mr. Yun.” Adam got straight to the point. “If I’m not mistaken, your people haven’t returned yet. We need to consider alternative plans.”

Yun Ze forced a smile. “Don’t worry, Captain Adam; I’m already discussing this with Mr. Wang Liangyi.”

Adam wasn’t surprised and said plainly, “If you want Mr. Wang to deal with the interference, I wouldn’t recommend it. Once Mr. Wang leaves, if the Shadow Knights attack, we’ll be in serious trouble.”

Wang Liangyi said gravely, “I’ll return before the Shadow Knights arrive.”

“But that would deplete Mr. Wang’s Star Essence significantly. Moreover, with the number of Shadow Knights, Mr. Wang might end up in a tough fight.”

Wang Liangyi frowned. “But staying here won’t help either. It’s better to take a risk.”

Adam smiled and pushed Tianyang forward. “Let Tianyang handle the interference. I know Mr. Yun has concerns, but I trust him. He won’t drag everyone down at this critical moment.”

Tianyang quickly drew a dagger, causing Wang Liangyi to step forward and slightly block Yun Ze.

Unexpectedly, Tianyang reversed the dagger and handed it to Yun Ze. “This is my mother’s heirloom. I’m leaving it with you for now. Make sure to return it to me when I come back.”

Yun Ze took it, glanced at it, and, after a moment of silence, returned the dagger to Tianyang. “Since it’s your mother’s heirloom, I can’t accept such an important item. You keep it. I trust you.”

This outcome surprised Tianyang.

At this moment, Yun Ze displayed some of the demeanor expected of a prominent family member.

Wang Liangyi was still concerned. “Even if you let him handle the interference, he’s only a level 1 Ascender, right? The person Mr. Yun sent out was a level 2 swordsman, and he went missing. Sending this young man might be just as dangerous.”

Adam agreed with a nod but shifted the topic. “That’s why we need to make some arrangements, such as...”