Novelink Chapter 331: Arrival
Chapter 331: Arrival
"Unless Milo isn’t in this area at all," Liu Yue said, wiping her short blade, its edge reflecting her cold eyes. "Or, he simply thinks nothing of an attack of this caliber."
Zhou Ming leaned against the rock face, the lens of his tactical scope glinting faintly.
He didn’t speak, but his finger remained on the trigger guard of his sniper rifle.
Xu Wuyi sat cross-legged deep inside the cave, his eyes slightly closed. His Spiritual Perception spread out like a great, formless net, expanding from the cave in all directions.
Powered by the *Hundred Refinements Melting Furnace*, his perception was far keener than that of other Martial Artists at his level, allowing him to capture many subtle fluctuations imperceptible to ordinary people.
The gurgle of the underground river at the canyon floor, the skittering of insects in rock crevices, the mournful whistle of the wind through distant deadwood...all these sounds wove together, forming the land’s unique "pulse."
And beneath these natural sounds, Xu Wuyi heard something else.
"There’s movement." He suddenly opened his eyes.
The cave instantly fell silent.
Shi Gang gripped his shield, Liu Yue had her twin blades in hand, Zhou Ming adjusted his sniper rifle’s angle, and Lin Zhaowen’s fingers hovered above his data pad.
Xu Wuyi tilted his head to listen, focusing his Spiritual Perception to the southeast.
"A Werewolf Squad. Six of them, all warrior-class." He lowered his voice. "Two kilometers out, moving along the edge of the canyon. Their path... isn’t heading for us. They’ll pass by about five hundred meters in front of our position."
Lin Zhaowen immediately brought up the scanner. After a few seconds’ delay, the thermal imaging screen showed six faint dots of light, their position almost exactly matching Xu Wuyi’s description.
"Your perception range is even greater than the scanner’s," Lin Zhaowen glanced at Xu Wuyi, a trace of surprise in his tone.
"Should we make our move?" Shi Gang licked his lips. "Six warriors. We could take them out fast."
"No," Liu Yue said at once. "There’s no point in killing them. It would just expose our position."
Zhou Ming nodded. "Let them pass."
All five fell silent, holding their breath in concentration.
On the canyon rim outside the cave, the figures of the Werewolf Squad were faintly visible.
They moved in single file along the rugged ridgeline, their pace unhurried, as if on a routine patrol.
The lead Werewolf Warrior would occasionally stop to sniff the air, its crimson eyes scanning the surroundings.
But they were too far away, and thanks to the interference device Lin Zhaowen had set up, it detected nothing unusual.
About ten minutes later, the squad disappeared over the other side of the ridge.
Shi Gang sighed in relief, but his frown deepened. "The patrols are this sparse... Is Milo really coming?"
Lin Zhaowen checked the time. "The interference device is only effective for another seven hours. If Milo doesn’t show up in that time, we have to pull back and move to the next ambush point."
"I recommend we relocate now," he said, pushing up his glasses, his tone logical. "The interference here is about to fail. It’s too risky to stay."
"The decoy team has likely failed already, or Milo simply isn’t nearby. We should conserve our strength and proceed to the designated location to continue waiting."
Shi Gang was hesitant. Liu Yue looked toward Zhou Ming.
Zhou Ming was silent for a few seconds, then said slowly, "The plan says we relocate after three days with no contact."
All eyes fell on Xu Wuyi.
He was the core of this operation and the key to killing Milo. His opinion was critical.
Xu Wuyi didn’t answer immediately.
He closed his eyes again, and his Spiritual Perception spread out once more.
This time, he didn’t focus on a single direction but pushed his Perception Power to its limit, spreading like spilled quicksilver to cover every inch of land within a ten-kilometer radius.
The mountain wind, the flowing water, the plants and trees, the rocks...everything appeared with clarity in his perception.
And amidst these natural elements, Xu Wuyi detected something more.
"The presence of nearby Wolfman War Generals is increasing." He suddenly spoke. His voice was soft, but every word was crystal clear.
Lin Zhaowen was taken aback and immediately checked the scanner. "The thermal image isn’t showing..."
"Not in this direction." Xu Wuyi opened his eyes, a faint, dark-golden light swirling deep in his pupils. "To the northwest, eight to nine kilometers out. There are three... no, four War General-level presences, moving slowly. Their movement patterns are strange, like they’re setting up some kind of encirclement."
"Encirclement?" Liu Yue’s gaze sharpened.
"The density is beyond that of a normal patrol." Xu Wuyi stood and walked to the mouth of the cave to gaze northwest. "Even though they aren’t moving toward us, a troop deployment of this scale means something big is about to happen."
He turned his head and looked at the other four. "We’ll wait another half a day. If there’s still no movement by noon, we withdraw."
Lin Zhaowen looked at his data pad, then at Xu Wuyi, and finally nodded. "All right. We’ll wait another half a day."
Shi Gang grinned. "I agree."
Liu Yue sheathed her short blade and sat back down in her spot, but her body remained poised, ready to spring into action at a moment’s notice.
Zhou Ming said nothing. He just flicked the safety off his sniper rifle and slightly adjusted the muzzle.
Time ticked by.
The pale sun in the deep violet sky crept upward. The light grew stronger, and the temperature in the canyon began to rise.
It was quiet inside the cave, with only the sound of light breathing and the occasional rustle of clothing as someone shifted their position.
Xu Wuyi remained at the mouth of the cave, his Spiritual Perception continuously sweeping the area like radar.
Those four Wolfman War General presences were still active to the northwest. They weren’t getting any closer, but they weren’t retreating either, as if waiting for something.
"We’ve got a situation."
Xu Wuyi’s voice broke the silence.
This time, he didn’t need to say anything; everyone felt it.
A faint but discernible ripple from an Energy explosion came from the distance, followed by the faint sound of howling—not from a single wolf, but a pack.
Lin Zhaowen’s data pad started beeping. On the screen, a cluster of heat signatures had suddenly appeared to the northeast.
"The decoy team!" Lin Zhaowen hissed. "Six human heat signatures, moving fast! Behind them... pursuers! One high-energy reading... Life Energy Level... around 35! It’s Milo!"
Shi Gang shot to his feet, shield already in hand. "He’s here!"
Like a panther, Liu Yue sprang to the edge of the cave mouth, her twin blades drawn. "Distance?"
"Eight kilometers out and heading straight for us!" Lin Zhaowen said, his words coming in a rush. "The decoy team is moving fast, but Milo’s faster. The gap is closing... ETA to canyon entry is four minutes!"
Zhou Ming already had his sniper rifle in position, various parameters like distance, wind speed, and humidity flickering across his tactical scope.
His breathing grew exceptionally steady, as if he and the rifle had become one.