Chapter 48: Chapter 48 Second Mission (3)
Just because Awakeners earn a lot, doesn’t mean they don’t also spend a TMD lot.
Ye Nai was no longer concerned about how to replenish her superpower if it ran out, as long as this remained a carbon-based world with organic matter, her fungus would continuously provide her with energy.
As for whether it would be needed in the future, that was a problem for the future.
So her desire for Heart Cores was genuine, wanting them as collectibles, curious to see how many she could accumulate in her lifetime.
After sleeping in the living room for so many years, all her possessions could fit into a few boxes, as if she had no desire for material things, but the moment she got some space, the urge to hoard arose, wishing to collect things, a drive that was completely instinctual and came from within, with no one teaching her.
The convoy had been on the move for most of the day and reached the second frontline camp before dark.
...
They unloaded the goods, rested for a night, and set off again.
After driving for over three hours, Ye Nai glanced at the time and estimated how much longer it would be until they stopped for lunch, when suddenly she heard the driver’s urgent cry.
“Brace yourselves! Enemy attack!”
Ye Nai wanted to grab the handrail beside her, but a warrior next to her pushed her down onto the floor of the carriage even faster.
As she was pushed down, Ye Nai managed to cushion her hands in time to prevent her forehead from hitting the floor too hard.
She had just stabilized herself when the vehicle swerved sharply, and had she not been pinned down, she would have definitely rolled to the other end of the carriage.
“Fuck, is it the rapists or the Cult?”
Ye Nai heard Squad Leader Lu curse.
No one answered him, the car was still snaking along, twisting and turning dramatically. Ye Nai could even hear the sound of gunfire from the back. If not for the driver’s superb skills, those shells would have landed on their vehicle.
Although Ye Nai couldn’t move, she wasn’t idle, either. The ventilation port at the top of the carriage was still open, and she threw out spores with all her might, chasing the damned enemies outside through the vent.
Whether they were rapists or Cult Members, just die already, no collecting corpses.
Ye Nai didn’t know how far they had driven in one go, but when the swaying lessened, someone quickly pulled her up and pushed her back into her seat.
“Okay, we should be out of range of the gunfire now.”
Squad Leader Lu and a few warriors wiped their sweat and smiled at Ye Nai as they stepped back from the various observation ports in the carriage.
“You weren’t scared, were you?”
Read latest chapters at freёweɓnovel.com Only.
Ye Nai shook her head, “No worries, I was prepared for this when I took on the mission.”
“Good, fearlessness is good.”
“Are we still headed to our destination?”
“Don’t know whether it’s straight to camp or circling back to deal with the enemies who fired on us; we follow the lead vehicle’s orders.”
“If we’re being attacked, the camp up ahead may be in battle too.”
“Very likely, but they have more people; we’re fewer. Chances are we’ll turn back to fight.”
“Okay.”
Ye Nai didn’t ask how this tactic would be executed. She even worried that because of her previous spore attack, by the time their convoy circled back, the enemies who ambushed them might not have any survivors left.
Because it was very likely that they’d make this run for nothing, Ye Nai felt very calm inside, and naturally, her expression was serene, showing no sign of fear or worry.
Taking advantage of this travel break, everyone checked their equipment, tightened their helmets and bulletproof vests, and counted their ammunition.
They sped along for more than ten minutes in this manner before finally slowing down, but not stopping, just enough to perform visual observations.
Squad Leader Lu and others peered outside through the observation ports, and since Ye Nai couldn’t squeeze over to look as well, she just sat patiently, even casually taking out snacks to eat.
As she ate her snacks, appearing to be lost in thought, she was in fact communicating with the fungus, searching for the corpses of enemies and instructing them not to attack our own warriors.
After searching, she found only two bodies; per her orders, having been killed, they were left where they were, with no signs of decomposition.
Ye Nai felt somewhat regretful, but considering the short time she had thrown out the spores, which were still in the process of reproducing and spreading out, eliminating two was not bad at all; they were just unlucky enough to step right into the attack zone. If they didn’t die, who would?
The loudspeaker in the carriage announced the discovery of two enemy corpses.
A while later, Ye Nai heard the sound of gunfire; it seemed they had encountered other enemies and engaged in battle.
Her vehicle was also hit by bullets, and she could hear the dull “ding-dong” sound, but the steel plates of the vehicle were thick. As long as it wasn’t shelling, taking a few bullets was neither painful nor itchy.
The vehicle kept starting and stopping, and Squad Leader Lu and his men took the opportunity to fire a few shots, but most of the time they were on guard with their weapons ready.
Every now and then, the loudspeaker reported the killing of a few more enemy fighters.
Her large bag of snacks was almost finished when she finally heard the broadcast announcing the end of the battle.
Just as the voice on the broadcast stopped, the vehicle suddenly accelerated, then after two or three minutes, it came to a stop.
“Everyone get off, clean up the battlefield, replenish ammunition,”
the broadcast instructed, and a warrior seated near the rear door of the vehicle was the first to open the door and jump down.
Ye Nai followed to get some fresh air, but didn’t go far, just stood by the door drinking water and watching from a distance as the warriors spread out the body bags to pack the bullet-riddled enemy bodies, while the logistics team members first took ammunition out of the Space, and then stored the corpses inside.
After collecting the bodies, only part of the extracted ammunition could be put back in; the excess was distributed among the various squads on the spot.
“We’re collecting the enemies’ bodies?” Ye Nai approached a soldier guarding the vehicle and asked curiously.
“Well, officially it’s a humanitarian act, to prevent leaving human bodies in the Secret Realm to become food for mutant plants and mutant beasts,”
he replied disdainfully.
“Really?”
“Actually, just because they’re dead doesn’t mean it’s over. Their genes and faces are taken back to be logged into the database and to establish a family tree.”
“Family tree? Is there something familial about this?”
“Oh yes, we’ve always believed that family ties are the most solid relationships, haven’t we? It’s like a pyramid scheme, if one person in a family goes astray, give it a few years and they could drag the whole clan in.”
“Don’t the other family members have a mind of their own?”
“Money.”
“Got it.”
Squad Leader Lu and his men returned with the ammunition. They carried a portion on them, and Ye Nai helped to store the rest in her own Space.
If they were to leave it on the floor of the carriage, there would be no place to even put their feet. They’d have to rest their feet on the ammunition boxes and sit all curled up, which would be terribly uncomfortable and completely unbalanced. With any movement of the vehicle, people would sway back and forth like wobbly dolls.
Just as they were preparing to board the vehicle and set off, the captain of the lead vehicle came over.
“Ye Nai.”
“Yes, Captain. What are your instructions?”
“How much space do you have left in your Space? Can you fit a few vehicles like ours in there?”
“Yes,” Ye Nai answered without hesitation.
“Good. Our actions have alerted the enemy at the camp, and they are retreating. We’re now going to pursue and intercept. We might disembark and proceed on foot en route. When that happens, store the vehicles. Otherwise, if they’re damaged, it’s going to be difficult to get back. Stick close to Captain Lu and make sure you don’t fall behind,”
the captain ordered.
“Understood.”
The entire team reboarded and sped off toward their destination.
The vehicle flew down the road, no one speaking; Squad Leader Lu and his men were checking their guns over and over.
Ye Nai felt envious and wanted a gun as well.
She took out her mobile phone, opened her shooting class grades, and showed them to Squad Leader Lu.
“Can I have a handgun?”
Her handgun shooting score was that consistent seven or eight marks out of ten. This stability was also a plus. Without a second thought, Squad Leader Lu removed a handgun and two magazines from his person and handed them to her.
“There are more magazines in the ammunition box. Take a few extra; there’s no need for paperwork when shooting in the Secret Realm.”