Translator: CinderTL
But just as the fusion was nearing completion, a sudden burst of energy transformed into a black hole. The resulting shockwave cracked the specially reinforced glass of the experimental area.
Without hesitation, the boy expertly pressed the "pause" button.
The ongoing fusion abruptly halted, and the countless black light particles flew back into the metal container.
The experiment failed again, and the little boy shook his head in frustration.
After hopping down from the control console, he walked straight toward another experimental area a hundred meters away.
North of Star City, the Dawn Army had already crossed the dense forest region and now faced a continuous mountain range.
Feng Qi immediately ordered the troops to rest and prepare meals on the spot.
At that moment, a large convoy of transport vehicles appeared ahead.
As the vehicles came to a halt, massive piles of supplies were unloaded.
These resources had been sourced from one of the supply zones along the route to Future City.
For this military campaign, Feng Qi had prepared two logistical strategies.
In addition to Star City serving as the rear supply depot, the supply zones along the way would also serve as replenishment points during the march.
During the rest period, Feng Qi pulled out his tablet from his backpack and used a drone to access the map.
While viewing the real-time map, the upper left corner of the screen displayed energy monitoring data, wind direction, air humidity, and other environmental indicators.
The map revealed numerous Domain Fields of varying colors clustered near their planned route.
The path they were taking had only recently been cleared; otherwise, reaching Future City would have required traversing multiple Domain Fields.
Even so, they still had to constantly detour, unable to proceed directly.
In the post-cataclysmic era, the routes between Future City and Star City had been opened multiple times, as both cities sought closer ties and trade.
However, history proved that these connections were only temporary.
Domain Fields were not static entities; they expanded and contracted over time, influenced by the thoughts and actions of their controllers.
While the newly opened route between Star City and Future City initially flourished, it was eventually swallowed by the encroaching Domain Fields.
In the shortest instance, the road connecting the two cities was covered by other Domain Fields within just six months of its opening.
The planned high-speed route was thus abandoned.
This was one of the reasons Feng Qi had chosen to launch his attack on Future City as quickly as possible.
External unfavorable factors were only part of the equation; the fear that the painstakingly cleared route would be re-covered by Domain Fields was another critical consideration.
"Brother Qi, dinner's ready!" Lin Ran called out from a distance.
Feng Qi was about to stand up when he noticed several red dots suddenly appear on his tablet.
This was a common occurrence during their march.
The red dots indicated detected life signatures, typically animals inhabiting the area.
While a large number of red dots had appeared this time, it could simply be a group of social animals.
What puzzled him was that after appearing on the screen, the red dots suddenly vanished.
This abrupt change aroused his suspicion.
He immediately pulled up historical footage and began to rewind and zoom in.
The real-time map, viewed from high above, magnified steadily until he could clearly discern the blurry figures beneath the red dots.
They were a group of humanoid figures clad in green attire.
Their clothing seemed to have the effect of shielding them from drone detection, appearing as pixelated and indistinct shapes in the real-time footage.
Upon seeing this, Feng Qi immediately realized that the Technology Research Institute had dispatched a team to investigate.
However, a question arose in his mind.
Given the Technology Research Institute's capabilities, equipping a reconnaissance team with advanced anti-drone detection gear should have been trivial.
Even if such specialized equipment couldn't be deployed to the entire army, equipping a small investigation team would pose no problem.
Why, then, had they suddenly become visible to the reconnaissance drone?
He refused to believe that a battle group affiliated with the Technology Research Institute would make such a basic mistake.
Any battle group recognized by the Institute must possess exceptional capabilities, making them top-tier even on the front lines.
Their professional standards were beyond reproach; they would never commit such a rookie error.
Filled with suspicion, he immediately went to the area where a fire was being lit for cooking and summoned Mu Qing and Liu Yue.
He intended to personally investigate the location where the red dot had appeared.
If they confirmed the target was an Institute spy, he would execute them on the spot.
In times of war, he would show no hesitation, even if the enemy was human.
He had a duty to his comrades, to all the warriors who followed the Dawn Organization.
Advancing this battle line was the primary objective, and he would eliminate any force obstructing its progress, no matter the cost.
After hearing his orders, Mu Qing cast a reluctant glance at the bubbling meat stew in the large pot before nodding solemnly.
Moments later, Feng Qi, Mu Qing, and Liu Yue set out.
With no need to worry about the rear guard keeping up, they quickened their pace.
Throughout the journey, Feng Qi repeatedly checked his tablet to confirm their location.
Finally, after three hours, they arrived at the spot identified by the drone reconnaissance.
The area was a cliff face overgrown with shrubs. The ground was littered with fallen, rotting fruit, and the air hung heavy with the mingled scents of ripe fruit and decay.
The moment they arrived, Mu Qing's gaze snapped to the left.
"Found them!"
Realizing they had been discovered, hundreds of figures rose in unison and began to encircle them.
Seeing these warriors clad in specialized green cloaking suits, a smile spread across Feng Qi's face.
Just as he had predicted, this was a reconnaissance team sent by the Technology Research Institute.
He now understood why this elite squad had suddenly appeared within surveillance range.
He recognized a familiar face among them.
"Kill them all?" Feng Qi asked.
In response, Li Xingchen, wearing a distinctive metal helmet, plunged a dagger into the neck of the warrior beside him and coldly replied:
"Not all. There are friendlies here."
(End of the Chapter)
---------------------------
📖 You are reading [718] Chapters behind with [166] Free Chapters available on site.
🔥 Read up to Chapter [1180] now, only on ᴄɪɴᴅᴇʀᴛʟ.ᴄᴏᴍ.
📊 [17] Novels, [14.4K+] Chapters with [11.2K+] Free Chapters!, [23M] Words on ℂ𝕚𝕟𝕕𝕖𝕣𝕋𝕃.𝕔𝕠𝕞
---------------------------