"Even if we decide to handle this matter ourselves, without going through the Federation’s top level, we must maintain a balance. A balance that... does not exceed the Abyss Hunting Team’s authority by too much."
"For example, if the team is attacked by unidentified ’Raiders’ while on a mission and is forced to defend itself and wipe them out... that would be reasonable. But if we were to proactively attack the Ji Family’s stronghold, that would be an entirely different matter."
Chu Kuanglan listened to Lu Jiuyuan’s lengthy analysis, suddenly understanding, and said with a thoughtful "Oh," his anxious look finally calming down, he replied in a muffled voice: "So that’s how it is... You guys are the quick thinkers, got it! Relax, relax..."
...
As night once again shrouded the Arctic Great Wall.
The living room of the small courtyard felt warm, filled with the rich aroma of hot pot.
The red oil bubbled, ingredients floated in the broth, and Fang Qingyu and the others sat around the table, the atmosphere rarely relaxed.
However, this relaxation did not last long.
"Buzz... Buzz... Buzz..."
Fang Qingyu’s phone, placed by the table, suddenly vibrated violently.
The screen lit up, displaying an encrypted mission notification from the Abyss Hunting Command Headquarters.
Fang Qingyu put down his chopsticks, picked up the phone for a quick glance, then looked up, his casual smile turning into excitent as he uttered two words: "It’s here."
Just two simple words, like a stone tossed into a calm lake.
Instantly disrupted the tranquility of the dining table.
Chu Kuanglan abruptly put down his bowl and chopsticks, his eyes wide open: "The mission is here?!"
There was a hint of eager excitent in his voice, clearly this "here" referred to more than just the mission.
Wei Banng and Jiang Wei also set down their utensils simultaneously, looking at Fang Qingyu.
"Yes."
Fang Qingyu nodded, stood up with decisive and swift movents, "Pack up, prepare for action."
Without any extra words, the four quickly stood up, checked their equipnt, and donned their dark blue Arctic combat suits.
In just a few short minutes, the living room filled with the aroma of hot pot.
Had been replaced by an atmosphere of cold determination and murderous intent.
The group quickly exited the small courtyard, their figures instantly swallowed by the howling wind and snow.
The mission briefing indicated that about 150 kiloters north of the Great Wall Defense Line, in the Wind-Split Ice Ridge area.
A Life Ghost guerrilla unit was active.
This unit wasn’t the typical large cluster but was instead composed of an elite group of creatures known as "Shadow Erosion Ice-toothed Beasts."
The Shadow Erosion Ice-toothed Beast, resembling a magnified snow leopard, was fully covered with a flowing shadow-like black fur, adorned with sharp, pale white spikes at the joints.
These creatures possessed exceptional synergy and astonishing concealnt and mobility.
They never engaged the main forces of the Garrison Army directly, but acted like ghostly assassins on the ice plains.
Whenever the Destiny Ghost Army engaged in fierce skirmishes with human forces on the front lines.
This Life Ghost unit would erge like phantoms from the flanks or rear.
Targeting human army command nodes, fire support points, or logistics lines directly.
They moved as swiftly as the wind, striking and withdrawing with no intention to linger.
Utilizing their shadow stealth abilities and familiarity with the ice plain terrain, they had successfully breached the defense lines several tis, causing severe casualties, then retreated intact, becoming a thorn in the side of the front line.
The mission for Fang Qingyu’s team this ti.
Was to locate and completely eliminate this guerilla unit of approximately twenty to thirty Shadow Erosion Ice-toothed Beasts, all Tier Two.
The challenges of the mission were mainly twofold.
The first was how to find them?
Intelligence only provided the approximate region of their recent attacks, but the Wind-Split Ice Ridge was vast, with complex terrain, ravines crisscrossing, and nurous ice caves.
The second was how to annihilate them completely?
Not only were these Shadow Erosion Ice-toothed Beasts individually powerful, generally mid to high Tier Two, but they were also adept at coordination.
They excelled at the tactic of retreating when outmatched.
Once they realized they were outnumbered, they would without hesitation use the shadows and snow to disperse and escape, making a full capture exceedingly difficult.
And for Fang Qingyu’s team, this mission had an additional difficulty.
Guarding against the Ji Family’s ambush.
However, this point was not a concern for Wei Banng and the others.
Because of the presence of Fang Qingyu.
Until now, they hadn’t encountered an ambush they couldn’t respond to in ti.
Every ti, Fang Qingyu or Jiang Wei would issue an early warning.
This was an absolute trust built from countless life-and-death struggles.
Soon, the team arrived at the Wind-Split Ice Ridge.
The wind and snow here were more violent than in Spine City.
Visibility was less than five ters, the snow whipped up by the wind pelting against the masks of their combat suits.
Fang Qingyu’s five n reached the area marked by the task coordinates, where the Shadow Erosion Ice-toothed Beasts had last attacked a supply squad from the Garrison Army.
Even though it had been seven or eight hours since then.
The raging wind and snow had not completely covered the ghastly remnants of battle.
On the ground, large patches of snow were stained dark brown, evidence of frozen blood not yet fully covered.
The ground bore various pits and trenches of differing depths.
Scattered fragnts of weapons, frozen cloth scraps, and several spots where ice rocks had been shattered by trendous force, all indicated that a brief but extrely fierce encounter had taken place here.
"The fight was intense, and very brief."
Wei Banng crouched down, examining a mark left by claws tearing through frozen earth, his voice coming through the communicator, filled with gravity, "Judging from these marks, the Garrison Army resisted staunchly, but the Ice-toothed Beasts’ attacks were faster, more lethal, almost a crushing breakthrough. The supply squad... likely faced little chance."
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