Chapter 105: Hold On for 5 Minutes, I’m Almost There
Yun Sheng didn’t have time to get up.
Almost instinctively, she gathered her spiritual power again. In an instant, two thin needles of spiritual power materialized and shot out once more!
One thin needle pierced the ganglion an inch below the worm’s mouthparts, while the second followed close behind, striking the center of its forehead.
"Run! Run toward the truck!"
Yun Sheng’s voice was hoarse as she forcefully shoved the girl.
The short-haired female cadet finally snapped out of her terror. She scrambled to her feet, but after taking two steps, she abruptly turned back.
She saw Yun Sheng struggling to push herself up from the ground, while not far away, a Bone-piercing Vine was slithering toward her feet.
Yun Sheng snatched a fist-sized rock from the ground beside her and, with all her strength, smashed it against the metal running board of the transport truck!
"CLANG!"
The ear-piercing sound of metal striking metal exploded outwards.
The tip of the Bone-piercing Vine recoiled as if seared by a branding iron. Its path of movement instantly fell into disarray, and it began to writhe madly in place, even unconsciously lashing its own body.
Yun Sheng didn’t stop.
Gritting her teeth, she picked up the rock again and slammed it against a metal panel.
"What are you all standing around for?! Hit the worms an inch below their mouths! It’ll paralyze them for three seconds. Use those three seconds to hit the center of their foreheads! The Bone-piercing Vines are afraid of high-frequency noise! Bang on the metal! Bang on anything you can!"
Yun Sheng’s voice wasn’t loud, but it cut through the chaotic crowd like a blade of ice.
The cadets froze.
Some stared at her blankly, while others were still trembling.
The short-haired female cadet who Yun Sheng had just saved from having her ankle bitten by a worm was the first to react.
She snatched the metal water bottle hanging from her waist and began smashing it furiously against the truck door beside her.
"CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!"
"Listen to her! Hit the panels!"
She practically shrieked the words.
The other cadets, as if waking from a dream, grabbed any metal objects at hand—water bottles, mess tins, equipment buckles—and desperately smashed them against the truck’s body, the guardrails, any metal surface that could produce a loud noise.
In an instant, a storm of ear-piercing metallic clashes thundered across the wilderness!
The swarm of Bone-piercing Vines was thrown into complete chaos. They spun in place like headless flies, and a few even began to frantically attack their own kind.
With the cover of the vines gone, the few corrosive worms at the forefront were exposed and within the firing range of the two assistant guides.
"Focus fire on the worms! Now!"
The guide seized the opportunity, gathering his spiritual power and striking an inch below a worm’s mouth.
The two assistant guides then opened fire on the worms’ foreheads the moment they were paralyzed.
Green slime splattered everywhere as a scorched, foul smell filled the air.
The first wave of pollutants finally began to retreat.
They weren’t all dead, but their assault had been forcibly broken.
The remaining worms dragged their injured bodies back toward the hillside, and the Bone-piercing Vines receded like an ebbing tide, disappearing into the cracks between the rocks.
"Hah... hah..."
Heavy gasps and pants echoed through the crowd.
Yun Sheng leaned back against the truck, her fingertips still trembling slightly.
A sharp, needle-like pain pricked at her spiritual landscape—a warning of overexertion.
’Time was so tight, I could only use my own spiritual power. I still haven’t managed to effectively utilize the other two immense sources of spiritual power within my spiritual landscape.’
"Who... who was that just now?" someone asked in a low voice.
"It’s her, the one from the back..."
Scattered glances, complex and hard to read, converged on Yun Sheng.
"How did she know that hitting a worm an inch below its mouth would paralyze it for exactly three seconds? Even the guide didn’t give us a timeframe that precise!"
"She’s just lucky. She has an S-Class guide for a sister. Maybe Guide Yue Yao told her, or maybe it was Major General Qi..."
The whispers were like a low hum, filled with astonishment, suspicion, and sour jealousy.
The short-haired female cadet Yun Sheng had saved opened her mouth, as if to say something, but someone next to her pulled her back. In the end, she only gave Yun Sheng a deep look before silently lowering her head.
Yun Sheng paid no mind to the stares, nor did she have any desire to explain herself.
She lowered her gaze, her fingertip once again tapping open the chat window.
F-3: They’ve retreated. But they’ve only pulled back, not withdrawn completely. What’s the next move?
S-1: Well done.
This was the first time the other party hadn’t answered her question directly, instead offering a line of praise.
Yun Sheng’s finger paused for a moment.
Immediately after, the next message popped up.
S-1: That was a probing attack. The next wave will be stronger, and it will likely be accompanied by Spiritual Interference. Your current position is too exposed. Try to move southeast. There are rocks over there that can serve as natural cover, making it easier to attack and defend.
Yun Sheng’s gaze swept over the group of cadets, who were still whispering amongst themselves, their nerves frayed. Then she glanced at the massive, dark gray rocks about twenty meters away.
’Concealed position, wide field of view... it really is a perfect natural defensive position.’
But she knew that, given her status, no one would listen if she told them to move to the rocks.
She took a deep breath and walked straight toward the guide, who was communicating with his superiors.
"...Yes, we encountered the first wave of the pollutant attack and have successfully repelled it. Our current position is..."
The guide kept his voice low, his expression grave.
He glanced over and saw Yun Sheng approaching, frowning slightly and motioning for her to wait.
A moment later, he ended the communication and turned to her. "What is it?"
Yun Sheng didn’t beat around the bush, pointing to the massive rocks to the southeast.
"There’s natural cover over there. The position is higher, and the field of view is wider. Guide, shouldn’t we move over there? We’re too exposed here."
The guide glanced in the direction she was pointing, his brow furrowing even deeper.
"I just contacted command. Their orders are that the situation is unclear and the rescue team is still en route. Everyone is to stay put and not move without authorization. What if we’re attacked while moving, or a cadet falls behind... who would take responsibility for that?"
Yun Sheng opened her mouth, about to say more.
"Well, well, if it isn’t our great hero from before."
A mocking female voice sounded from nearby.
Yun Sheng turned her head and recognized the female cadet who had tried to trip her on the truck earlier.
She stood with her arms crossed, her expression full of disdain as she looked at Yun Sheng.
"What, you repelled one worm and now you think you’re smarter than the guide and the leaders at command? Command has access to big-picture intelligence from the rear, and the guide has actual combat experience. Are you so desperate to show off that you want us all to die with you?"
Someone beside her immediately chimed in, "Exactly! That was probably just a lucky shot earlier... Look how pale she is. Her spiritual power must be completely drained, and now she’s trying to order everyone around?"
"Staying put is a direct order from command. She’s just an F-level, what does she know..."
More and more voices joined in, dripping with sarcasm and opposition.
Yun Sheng didn’t argue.
She simply lowered her gaze, absorbing all the skeptical, mocking, and gloating stares. Then, she turned, picked up her gear bag, and started walking southeast.
’I’ve said what I needed to say. If they don’t believe me, the consequences have nothing to do with me!’
"Stop."
The guide’s voice came from behind her, laced with impatience and severity.
Yun Sheng’s steps faltered.
"Where do you think you’re going?" The guide caught up in a few strides and blocked her path, his brows knitted tightly together. "Command’s order was to stay put! If you leave the group on your own and something happens, who’s responsible?"
Yun Sheng looked up, meeting his gaze.
"If we stay in a place this open and exposed, we might not be able to repel the next attack. It’s not far to those rocks, and there’s cover..."
"No! Command gave an order, and we must obey it!" the guide cut her off sharply.
Just then, the terminal on her wrist lit up again, vibrating more urgently than ever before.
S-1: Have you made it behind the rocks?
S-1: Energy fluctuations are spiking on your end. The next attack will be even more dangerous. Move immediately!
S-1: I’m almost there. Hold on for five minutes!