Wow! The item-dropping rate is really high!

[... Progress 85/300.]

...

[... Progress 143/300.]

In the dead of night, a figure reeking of blood roamed alone through the Black Forest. The thick scent of blood carried far on the wind, drawing wolf packs without the need for him to seek them out actively. Their numbers steadily increased.

[... Progress 229/300.]

[Successful close-quarters attack rendered the target incapable of moving, Combat Mastery Experience +21.] (Accumulated)

[Successfully struck vital points on the target, Light Weapon Mastery Experience +18.] (Accumulated)

But the experience points were diminishing.

"Hurrhurr~"

Perhaps the scent of their own kind's blood alerted the newly arrived wolves to danger, and this batch didn't attack directly.

With one leg stretched out and one bent at the knee, Bai E sat on a fallen dry log, the cloth that covered his eyes never once removed. At the approach of another wolf pack, he merely twitched his ears.

One... two... three...

The rustle of footsteps, the panting of the chase... every unnatural sound was a variation.

At least... twenty of them.

"Click~" Bai E gently undid the leather buckle at his waist.

He planned to make it quick.

The last wave, even if each one only provided an average of 4 points of experience, would be more than enough. After this fight, he would go back and rest.

It wasn't that Bai E was content with just reaching level 2 in Blind Fighting; it was simply that the wolves here were not enough to train his Blind Fighting skill to a higher level.

Not to mention whether he could easily find another wolf pack afterwards was debatable, there wasn't much time left this evening, and he had to set out early the next day...

The largest of the wolves, resembling a Wolf King, approached Bai E aggressively, its eyes filled with a lethal glint as they fixed on the figure bathed in the blood of their kin.

It had a scar slicing through its right eye, a wound left by a human, and it remembered forever.

"Bang!"

[Gun Fighting Skill, activated!]

Bai E fired the first shot.

[... Progress 342/300, you have successfully leveled up your specialty—Blind Fighting to level 2.]

[Blind Fighting (Level 2): "Dark Environment" Insight (Auditory) +2, Insight (Tactile) +1.]

The effects were straightforward. Bai E took off the bandage, his gaze sweeping over the chaotic scene before him.

Bullet-pierced branches and leaves scattered all around, mixed with splashes of torn flesh.

The hit rate set a new low for Gun Fighting Skill, as relying solely on his ears to gather information made accuracy terrifyingly low in a complex environment.

He particularly surveyed the body of the largest wolf... an elite monster—Wolf King.

The experience from the Wolf King was outrageously high, one exceeded a gang of others combined.

50 combat experience points! If it weren't for the Wolf King's sacrificial demise, he might have had to look for something else to kill.

But fortunately, it wasn't necessary.

Taking advantage of the moon's cover, Bai E slipped away lightly.

After a night of slaughtering wolves, the thick scent of blood was almost indelible.

Before going back to the tent, Bai E entered the communal washroom to clean himself thoroughly inside and out.

It took the slickest soap and the hardest wire ball to finally lessen the smell.

He tiptoed into the tent and lay down on the bed.

It seemed that You, who was in deep sleep, suddenly turned over, mumbling words like those in a dream.

"Get some sleep, we need to get up early tomorrow."

"... Mhmm."

...

[From the quest reward, your Insight +0.1.]

[From the quest reward, Ranged Weapon Mastery Experience +42.]

[From the quest reward, Light Weapon Mastery Experience +30.]

...

[From the quest reward, your Reflexes +0.1.]

[From the quest reward, Combat Mastery Experience +22.]

...

[From the quest reward, Tech - Basic Electrical Manufacturing and Processing Experience +152.]

Bai E stretched himself and put on his full equipment.

The two hundred arrows he requested for a covert mission last time were largely reusable after collection and patching; he didn't need to prepare anything else.

Sixteen people, two vehicles, Bai E's junior squad was sadly scattered.

Only junior squads can take in equally green recruits, a point that was considered during allocation, but sometimes this inexperience could be inconvenient.

Song Ying and You took Bai E in one vehicle while Tiger and Big Mountain turned to enter the other.

"Let's go!"

The road is long and obstructed.

```

The target location was about a ten-hour drive from the base, requiring passage through the city.

As they brushed past the edge of the city, Bai E could see the towering city walls and the occasional human settlements beyond them.

In the gloomy world, this black city stood miraculously, its longevity unknown.

The three team leaders were in another vehicle, seemingly discussing the details. Someone in Bai E's shaky carriage leaned in close and patted his shoulder, "Kid, a piece of advice, keep your mouth shut during missions. We're all battle-hardened, nobody's less thoughtful than you."

Another soldier sitting up front chuckled and looked over, "Even if you do have important suggestions, it's better to discuss them privately and let your team leader convey them. Blurting them out during planning is like slapping our team leaders in the face. It's not that our team leaders are petty; it's about maintaining the necessary authority for leading a team. You better be careful about that."

None of these men wore badges on their chests, indicating that they were all of natural human status.

Bai E's gaze swept across their faces, and he nodded in acknowledgment, "Understood."

"In any case, we follow our team leader's orders. Even if there's a failure, it's not on you, got it?" The soldier who had first reached out to Bai E patted his shoulder again, "Even if there's a slip-up, we've got your back, little brother."

"Thank you."

Naturals varied, some were hostile towards artificial humans, while others didn't care about that status—or rather, it was more about a sense of natural nobility and superiority.

Morals made them feel obliged to protect the weak.

Good and bad people always existed in equal measure within any group.

Bai E felt introspective but was still somewhat apprehensive about the unknowns of the mission ahead.

The carriage rattled on. Blood God sat diagonally opposite, staring absentmindedly at the floor of the carriage, silent.

...

The journey was unusually smooth. Enjoy new adventures from empire

It was five thirty-six in the afternoon.

The setting sun cast a sallow light, as misty as fog.

It slanted across the caves, casting bizarre, elongated shadows on the ground.

The boundless wilderness was swept by fierce winds that howled through the oddly shaped caves like wild beasts, and the sand carried by the wind felt slightly abrasive against the skin.

Desolation, silence.

That was the overwhelming sensation at the target location.

The photos had hinted at it, but being at the site made one even more aware of the primitive unease brought on by the environment.

"They live in a place like this?" A soldier getting out of the vehicle surveyed the surroundings, trying to find traces of human habitation.

"This area's far from those major threats; it really is a good hiding spot."

Using the city as a barrier and resting behind it did indeed seem like a good development area.

But the soil was too barren to support many people; it might be a paradise for a few settlers... relatively speaking, compared to other parts of this world.

The three team leaders seemed to have reached a decision on the strategy and their respective areas of responsibility and disembarked together from the side of the vehicle.

Experienced soldiers effortlessly took some equipment out of the rear storage compartment.

"Here, night vision goggles. You know how to use them, right?"

[No.]

But he could ask You and the others.

Bai E took them and nodded, "No problem."

"Kid, don't be scared. If you run into danger, just shout. We're here for you."

A soldier laughed heartily, apparently not taking the potential dangers of the mission too seriously.

What haven't these veterans seen? A bit of relaxation helped when it counted most.

Experienced soldiers quickly identified several cave entrances that seemed to be hideouts for the vagabonds through traces left in the environment.

"Make sure to keep communication open. Report any issue immediately!"

The three teams spread out to act. Tiger, taking the lead with a blast shield, stepped into a downward-sloping cave mouth.

The twilight glow watched over them as they gradually disappeared into the darkness and sank with it.

Within his own team, Bai E voiced his question, "Aren't we waiting for daylight to move?"

Tiger shook his head slightly, "We've discussed it; there's no need. You've seen the photos— even during the day, it's pitch-black inside. There's no difference with night vision. Move quickly, we can handle the vagabonds tonight and set off early tomorrow morning."

The return trip wouldn't be as quick as the journey here. Moving two hundred people would surely be slower, and even without considering their physical condition, it would likely take two to three days on the road.

Not encountering danger on the way didn't mean it was safe on the way back. In this era, there was never a guarantee of absolute safety outdoors, so the less time spent out there, the safer it was.

"Oh~"

Bai E responded somberly.

The world looked strange under night vision, everything enveloped in a layer of dim green light.

He needed to adapt.

Thinking Bai E was nervous because it was his first time with them on such a mission, Big Mountain cheerfully comforted him, "Don't worry; You is here. She'll spot any traps the vagabonds have set up."

You, leading the way in risk assessment, was as vigilant as a little cat.

The delicate touch unique to female artificial humans showed in various aspects and complemented male templates.

The group moved deeper into the cave, the path became winding and descended underground. The light from the outside world could not penetrate the bends, leaving vision beyond the night goggles in utter darkness.

The complete darkness dampened the mood for conversation.

Amidst the silent sound of footsteps, the howls of the wild winds above the wasteland seemed especially eerie.

"No traps..."

You took the lead, her clear, cold voice echoing with confusion.

```