Every Sentinel I Dreamed of Came Looking for Me

Yun Sheng’s stomach was in knots, and she was exceptionally anxious.

She knew that if she showed any more desperation to go to the riverbed, more than just Zhao Qian would be questioning her this time.

She closed her eyes for a moment.

When she opened them again, the impulsive urge in her eyes had been mostly suppressed.

"I’ll go check the situation at the riverbed in a bit," Guo Kai said suddenly, his voice low. "Ma Yu, try to contact the camp again. Everyone else, stay here on high alert, ready to retreat or provide support at a moment’s notice."

Ma Yu immediately picked up the communicator, frowning as he began to adjust it, searching for a faint signal.

"This way... Hello? Camp? Can you hear me?" He turned, his voice cutting in and out. "Team Six reporting... encountered a contaminant swarm... there is a Dark Sentinel... requesting..."

The signal cut out again.

Ma Yu sighed and continued to adjust the device.

Time ticked by, second by second.

「Ten minutes later.」

The riverbed remained deathly still. There was no screeching, no roaring, no sound at all.

Guo Kai stood up and nodded to Ma Yu. "I’m going to take a look. You guys hold the fort."

"Be careful, Brother Guo," Ma Yu cautioned.

Without another word, Guo Kai’s figure quickly vanished behind the rolling hills.

Yun Sheng stood rooted to the spot, her gaze following his back until he was out of sight.

She looked toward the riverbed, forcing herself not to glance over too often or act too anxious, lest Zhao Qian and the others notice anything more unusual about her behavior.

Another ten-odd minutes passed.

Zhao Qian was the first to lose her patience.

"How long are we going to wait?" She stood up and paced back and forth anxiously. "What if more contaminants show up? Are we just supposed to wait here to die?"

No one paid her any mind.

This only spurred her on. "Guo Kai went off by himself and left us here. Who’s going to be responsible if something happens? Ma Yu, say something!"

Ma Yu shot her a sideways glance, his tone flat. "I trust Guo Kai’s judgment. If you’re scared, you can leave on your own."

Zhao Qian’s face stiffened, and she said nothing.

"Besides," Ma Yu said, continuing to adjust the communicator without looking up, "with all that commotion from earlier, any nearby contaminants would have fled long ago. This area is probably at its safest right now."

"But we can’t just sit around and wait, can we?"

Zhou Ying shot Zhao Qian a cold glare. "Wait quietly. Make another sound, and we’ll throw you out."

Zhao Qian’s face flushed red, but she finally shut her mouth.

Yun Sheng paid no attention to any of this.

Her clenched fists were slick with cold sweat.

Time dripped by in a haze of anxiety.

She didn’t know how long she had been standing there, only that her legs had gone stiff.

The riverbed remained silent.

There was no movement, no sound. Even the wind had died down, as if the entire world had been put on mute.

Cheng Nian walked over and gently tugged on Yun Sheng’s sleeve. "Yun Sheng," she whispered, "your hands are so cold... Why don’t you sit down and rest for a bit?"

Yun Sheng shook her head but didn’t speak.

She was afraid that if she so much as moved, she wouldn’t be able to stop herself from rushing over there.

"It’s through! It’s through!" Ma Yu suddenly shouted in delight. "I’ve made contact!"

Everyone whipped their heads around to look at him.

Ma Yu held the communicator, his voice tinged with excitement.

"Camp, this is Team Six. We were attacked by a contaminant swarm and request backup... Also, we discovered a Dark Sentinel fighting an A-level contaminant at the riverbed. The situation is currently unknown. Guo Kai has gone to investigate..."

The sound of static crackled from the communicator, followed by a faint response.

"Acknowledged... await orders on site... dispatching support immediately..."

The signal died again.

Ma Yu lowered the communicator and let out a long breath. "Finally got through. Everyone can relax a little. Support should be here soon."

Yun Sheng’s fists clenched even tighter.

She stared in the direction of the riverbed, every second stretching into an eternity.

Finally, the sound of footsteps echoed in the distance.

Everyone tensed, looking toward the source of the sound.

A familiar figure emerged from behind the hills.

It was Guo Kai.

His expression was grave and his steps were heavy. He was covered in dust and blood, but he didn’t seem to have any new injuries.

"Brother Guo!" Cheng Nian was the first to rush forward. "What’s the situation over there? What about the Dark Sentinel? How is he?"

Yun Sheng remained where she was, staring intently at Guo Kai.

She, too, had wanted to be the first one to rush up and ask. She had wanted to, desperately.

But all she could do was suppress her burning anxiety and follow Guo Kai with her eyes.

Guo Kai glanced at Cheng Nian, then his gaze swept over the others.

"By the time I got there, only traces of the battle remained," he said slowly. "The ground was littered with contaminant remains. That A-level one is dead. Completely obliterated."

"What about the Dark Sentinel? And wasn’t there an S-Class contaminant?" Cheng Nian pressed.

Guo Kai was silent for two seconds.

"They were both gone."

Cheng Nian froze.

"What do you mean, ’gone’?" Ma Yu frowned. "Dead? Or did they run away?"

Guo Kai shook his head. "There were no bodies at the scene, nor any blood trails leading away. There was just a deep drag mark. I followed it for a bit; it seemed to lead toward the abandoned mine... but it was too far, and I didn’t dare follow it any further."

"Toward the abandoned mine?" Ma Yu’s expression changed. "Hasn’t that place already collapsed?"

"It collapsed, but that doesn’t mean you can’t get in," Guo Kai said gravely. "I have a rough idea of the terrain over there, but it’s too dangerous now. I couldn’t leave you all behind to give chase. I’ll file a detailed report once we’re back at camp."

Cheng Nian opened her mouth, about to ask something else, but Li Wen gave her a gentle tug.

She turned and saw Li Wen give her a look, then glance in Yun Sheng’s direction.

Cheng Nian took the hint and closed her mouth.

"By the way," Ma Yu suddenly said, "I got in touch with the camp just now. They’ve already dispatched support and told us to hold our position."

Guo Kai pondered for a moment. "Alright. This area is temporarily safe. Moving out rashly might just lead us into scattered contaminants. We’ll hold our position and wait for backup."

The group found places to sit down and rest.

Yun Sheng leaned against a rock, her eyelids lowered, her gaze fixed on the gravel at her feet, lost in thought.

Cheng Nian and Li Wen exchanged a glance and quietly sidled over to her.

"Yun Sheng," Cheng Nian began cautiously, lowering her voice, "do you... do you really know that Dark Sentinel?"

When Yun Sheng didn’t answer, she quickly added, "It’s okay if you don’t want to talk about it. Just... don’t worry too much. Since he wasn’t at the riverbed, it at least proves he wasn’t seriously injured, or else he wouldn’t have been able to leave. He’s so powerful, he’ll definitely be fine."

Li Wen also sat down beside her and patted her on the shoulder. She said nothing, but the silent comfort was enough.

Yun Sheng looked up and glanced at them.

The memories of fighting side-by-side over the past few days flashed through her mind: Cheng Nian’s loyalty, Li Wen’s thoughtfulness, and the way they had stood by her side time and again without hesitation.

She knew she could trust these two.

’But Si Jin’s identity is too sensitive.’

An SSS-level Dark Sentinel, a fugitive wanted by the Star Alliance...

She couldn’t tell them too much.

"Mm," Yun Sheng murmured, the corner of her mouth twitching into a faint smile. "I’m fine. Just a little tired. I think I’ll rest my eyes for a bit."

"Then get some rest!" Cheng Nian said immediately. "We’ll keep watch. We’ll wake you if anything happens!"

Li Wen nodded in agreement, shifting to the side to give her a more comfortable spot.

Yun Sheng nodded, leaned back against the stone, and gently closed her eyes.

The moment her eyelids fell shut, all her anxiety and worry surged up, only to be ruthlessly suppressed deep in her heart.

She desperately wanted to know Si Jin’s condition.

No sign of him alive, no body if he were dead—it left her heart in turmoil, unable to find any peace.

’The only thing she could do now was enter a dream and find Si Jin!’