Sky-cracking Rider

Chen Fei noticed the thick and colorful stalactites hanging down were surprisingly embedded with blocks of crystal-clear crystals. He couldn't help but use his White Steel Crowbar to knock off a small piece of stalactite, picked up a fist-sized crystal from it, and examined it closely before his eyes.

"A gemstone?"

Chen Fei had always been desperately poor, so anything valuable could catch his attention.

The female electronics expert Cecilia Danbers also noticed the various sized crystals embedded on the surfaces of the stalactites and speculated, "Probably not!"

The formation of stalactites is related to water, but most gemstones are formed only by fire, or more accurately, by lava.

Water dripping into gemstones, that's almost an impossible affair.

Hanna Gagel glanced at the crystal in Chen Fei's hand and said calmly, "Calcite crystals, composed of calcium carbonate, originating from the same source as stalactites. The pure ones are also called Iceland Spar, which exhibit a double refraction effect, commonly used as industrial raw materials in toothpaste and paper-making. Artificial Iceland Spar can be used to make optical equipment.

In ancient times, it was used by Viking Pirates as an optical compass for navigation known as Sunstone. Even on cloudy days, you could use it to find the direction of the sun."

"That useful? Is it valuable?"

What Chen Fei cared about most was whether it was valuable or not.

Manager Hanna said disdainfully, "It's not valuable. Its Mohs hardness is only 3, which does not meet the requirements of a gemstone."

Raw calcite isn't worth much, not even a hundred Star Yuan per ton.

Even the piece in Chen Fei's hand, which is pure and almost flawless, is at most worth ten Star Yuan, barely a collectible or a mineral specimen.

"Right, calcite is not valuable."

The female electronics expert Cecilia Danbers also nodded in agreement.

Some electronic devices use synthetic Iceland Spar, but they can't be sold at the price of gemstones, and they are even worth less than the equally common obsidian.

"Not valuable!"

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Chen Fei looked at the crystal-clear stone in his hand and felt rather regretful. He had thought he had found a treasure, only to realize it was just an ordinary mineral deposit.

He was just about to throw it away when he finally held back and put the fist-sized piece of calcite crystal into his backpack, considering it a souvenir of this reconnaissance mission.

He then took out his phone and furiously snapped pictures of the dense forest of stalactites nearby as a keepsake, to make the trip worthwhile.

Seeing Chen Fei taking photos, everyone else also stopped in their tracks and took out their phones or professional cameras to snap away. Even team leader Blake, who was leading the way up front, specifically stopped to wait for everyone to finish taking photos before setting off again.

The underground space was dark and oppressive, and no one would refuse an opportunity to relax.

The duration of the reconnaissance operation deep into the cave was not fixed and depended on the supplies carried by the squad. They would return to the surface before they ran out completely.

The Space System Alchemy Storage Devices carried by each team leader contained enough supplies for the whole squad to last a very long time.

About ten hours into the trek, the 13th Reconnaissance Squad finally stopped. Although everyone still had plenty of physical energy to continue, they needed to reserve strength for unexpected situations to avoid overexertion and potential peril.

Team leader Blake chose a high rocky platform that was easy to defend and difficult to attack as a temporary campsite for everyone. The full metal tactical supply boxes everyone carried were set out neatly.

The ground was slightly modified with Earth Magic, moisture-proof mats were laid out, and then tents were set up, sleeping bags were unfurled, and a small pile of charcoal fire was lit to dispel the dampness in the air while drying shoes and socks and heating water.

Three Illumination Technique Light Orbs from the Pure Light Sparrow Xiao Jiu were floating above the temporary camp, illuminating the tens of thousands of square feet of space surrounding the granite platform.

The hard granite replaced the previous cave formations encountered, with trickling groundwater seeping through some of the rock crevices. However, the water tasted bitter and salty, clearly containing rock salt, contaminating the water. The saline water crystallized into large and small, stalactite-like white salt blossoms as it seeped out.

This precipitated rock salt was not edible as it often contained mineral toxins.

After choosing the campsite, team leader Blake and the Great Swordsman Sahar Ignatius set up some early warning sensors and anti-infantry directional mines around the area as an outer defense line.

It never hurts to be careful—an old adage that is never wrong, and these arrangements could buy everyone some time in case the camp was attacked, preventing them from being caught off guard and disorganized.

The first day's journey penetrated 20 kilometers—a negligible distance for the entire reconnaissance area. The journey of the 13th Reconnaissance Squad was just beginning.

Owing to his racial talents, Chen Fei assumed the role of Leading Soldier and was engrossed in the pots and pans, busily preoccupied.

The food and drinking water that everyone carried on their persons were for emergencies. The normal supplies were stored in team leader Blake's Space System Alchemy Storage Device.

"Jiu!"

Little Bird was hungry again and kept pecking at Chen Fei's earlobe as if to remind him to start the meal quickly.

It couldn't eat like humans did, three meals a day—if it was hungry, it had to eat, requiring at least five or six meals a day, especially since it had just advanced in rank and its appetite had become particularly strong.

Grain-based food was far from satisfying its needs; the best was high-protein food.

Most of the contents of Chen Fei's backpack were Xiao Jiu's rations, the all-purpose chicken feed pellets, and small pellets made mainly of dried mealworms.

"Hungry again? Don't worry; I'll get you something to eat."

Chen Fei, who was preparing dinner for everyone, took out a can of bird food from his backpack, poured some into a small bowl, and the Little Bird immediately flapped its wings and settled on the rim of the bowl, sticking its head in and pecking away cheerfully.

Dinner was very simple, not requiring much effort and time—a self-heating rice dish, slices of toast, a few canned vegetables, and a pot of vegetable soup. Protein, carbohydrates, dietary fiber, vitamins, and calories were all in good supply, and everyone enjoyed the meal thoroughly.

At this critical moment, there really wasn't any reason to be picky; being able to eat and fill one's stomach was already cause for gratitude.

If you want a feast, that would have to wait until we get out and return to human civilization.

Being finicky now would just be unreasonable.

After dinner, the female electronics expert Cecilia Danbers checked the time, then asked the Earth Mage Andy Brian to use magic to open up a suitably-sized deep hole on the surface of the granite and inserted a cylindrical device into it.

A moment later, the device embedded in the granite emitted one muffled sound after another, as if even the rock itself was vibrating.

Captain Blake of the 13th Reconnaissance Squad explained to the others, "This is seismic communication, sending coded information according to predetermined messages, reporting our situation, and at the same time, it can detect the conditions at the camp and other reconnaissance teams."

The thick layers of rock complex in composition make it difficult for electromagnetic waves to penetrate, so using vibration to transmit signals is an effective method.

The efficiency with which the earth transmits seismic waves is not much less than that of the oceans. Although the amount of information they can carry isn't large, it's more than enough to send and receive some simple messages, with important ones sent three times.

Before long, as if a giant stethoscope was pressed against the surface of the rock, another device displayed a string of codes on its screen.

"We have penetrated 20 kilometers deep, and like us, all other reconnaissance squads are resting. Squad 37 has found some unexplained traces and is currently identifying and verifying them. No traces of Mutant BC-2325 have been found on the surface for the time being," Cecilia Danbers read from the newly received information.

Though not a combatant, her role in the reconnaissance squad is incredibly important and irreplaceable.

On the first day, all the reconnaissance squads didn't achieve much. Suspicions do not equate to confirmation; the mutants' hiding places still hadn't been discovered, but this was within expectations—nothing in this world is accomplished overnight.

Noticing Chen Fei, who was lounging on a moisture-proof mat with a crowbar in hand, eyeing the nearby granite with a covetous look, Hanna Gagar reminded him unhappily, "Rookie, stop staring and get some rest."

Under the bright light of the illumination technique, the pyrite particles on the rock surface reflected spots of gold like gold itself, making the granite cavern glitter with golden light.

Unfortunately, although they twinkled like stars, not a single one of them was of any value.

The tiny pyrite particles were even less valuable than the large feldspar grains that made up the granite, or the quartz crystal clusters that bloomed like flowers.

Chen Fei's vitality and spirit seemed to deflate, and he said dispiritedly, "If only it were real gold."

He had once touched those glittering spots out of curiosity, but the system immediately identified them as pyrite, not even amounting to one gram. If he were to be serious, it would be like absorbing loneliness; to gather enough for an energy point, he would probably have to scour the whole granite cavern area.

"Haha, what are you dreaming about, wishful thinking, a drink maybe!" Hanna, the manager, took out a bottle of alcohol from her heavy backpack.

It had been a while since she and Chen Fei had a toast together.

"Drink!"

Chen Fei sat up in one swoop from his moisture-proof mat as if to drown his sorrows with alcohol.

He could still feel the faint vibrations from the ground while sitting there; the other reconnaissance teams were transmitting information through seismic waves, making the area underneath a vast expanse of ground quite lively.

Cecilia Danbers, who was monitoring the seismic receiver, diligently jotted everything down in a notebook as her source of intelligence.

"Can I have one too?" asked the Great Swordsman Sahar Ignatius, eyes glued to the bottle of alcohol in the executive manager's hand. Just from the label, he knew it was an expensive treasure not to be missed.

Hanna Gagar looked at Chen Fei, who nodded and said, "You're very welcome!"

Without looking up, the female electronics expert said, "Could I have one as well?" her hands still scribbling away, surrounded by six or seven devices.

"And me!" the portly Earth Mage Andy Brian joined in the excitement.

Captain Blake said with a smile, "Count me in."

One, two, three, four, five, six—all of the 13th Reconnaissance Squad were present.

Hanna, the manager, looked at Chen Fei irritatedly, one drink each, and then no more!

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