Chapter 581.1: Into The Net

The Spirit Interference Device’s disruption of long-range communications affected both sides equally. As its output reached peak levels, the entire manor felt like a swamp. Every signal was trapped inside.

Only at very short distances could their communication equipment barely function.

However, such interference meant little to players. Those who had died earlier had already reported the situation on the official forums, and after Ample Time logged off, he quickly learned from the mission page that reinforcements were on their way.

Meanwhile, the Executioner squad inside the manor had no idea that the Heart of Steel was en route to the Brocade River Province, or that the Apostles had already handed the settlement place over to Mutant Humans for cleanup.

If they had known, they would have cursed.

Getting blood-crazed Mutant Humans to distinguish friend from foe was harder than teaching a pig to talk. Sharing a trench with such beasts was extremely dangerous.

So, even though the Torch Church and the Qi Tribe were allies, they rarely fought side by side. Each handled its own battlefield.

Watching the New Alliance plane depart the villa, a flash of irritation crossed Li Jie’s eyes. Just then, however, a crimson flare rose from the direction of the Guesthouse, hanging in the black sky.

"It’s from over there," muttered an Executioner behind him. "Wu Zhe must be in trouble!"

At that, the Executioners exchanged startled looks. It was supposed to be nothing more than dealing with a rat sneaking into the lab.

With Wu Zhe’s skill and equipment, there should have been no chance of mishap.

At that moment, the New Alliance plane, which had been flying away from the settlement, suddenly banked, turned, and headed toward the side.

Seeing it return, Li Jie first looked surprised, then his lips curled into a cold smile.

"Heh, they’re tired of living." Tapping the side of his helmet, his tone went icy. "All units, listen up. The enemy is moving toward the Guesthouse. Teams A will take down that aircraft. Teams B, C, D, and E with me. We’ll attack the Guesthouse. Leave none alive!"

Static crackled, followed by loud responses.

"Received!"

With the order given, the Executioner squad hidden in the forest moved swiftly.

25 soldiers in exoskeletons split into five teams, armed with light and heavy weapons as they advanced on the Guesthouse from three directions.

The first team reached the garden before the gates ahead of the New Alliance’s plane.

The square-shaped Guesthouse resembled a prison, with gates in each cardinal direction opening onto empty lawns. To the north, a fountain garden was the nearest cover.

However, it was still 100 meters to the door.

For exoskeleton troops with optical camouflage, that was no obstacle.

Their camo modules sampled the environment and adjusted armor coating color and brightness, blending them seamlessly with surroundings.

If they remained motionless, they could appear invisible.

"Team B has reached position."

"Prepare to enter."

Half crouched by the fountain, the squad leader gave a hand signal. He and his four men blended into the scene like chameleons.

They broke cover and advanced on the hall, gun barrels like five unseen knives sliding toward their prey’s throat.

According to the Archbishop’s intelligence, the target was only one man.

They had no idea how Wu Zhe had failed.

Now that five of them were going to take him down... There was no way they could lose.

Just then, the squad leader heard a sharp whistle of something slicing through the air, like a cold gust rushing in from afar.

He had no time to think.

A burst of pain shattered his skull and his consciousness was cut off brutally. He crumpled backward without even a groan.

Bang!

By the time the others heard the shot, the second man was already down.

"Two."

From the rooftop of the side hall.

Prone by the railing, Night Ten’s sniper rifle rested against his shoulder. His finger remained on the trigger, right eye against the scope, and he lined up the next shot.

That flare he had fired earlier hadn’t been for aid. It was bait, to draw Wu Zhe’s comrades over.

Rather than duel in the dark with unseen killers, he preferred to be the one ambushing the enemy.

He could sense killing intent in the dark.

The moment he sensed a direction, finding hidden targets wasn’t difficult.

Optical camouflage was never perfect, especially when moving.

Two men went down in an instant. The remaining three Executioners panicked. Exposed, they abandoned stealth and sprinted toward the building.

With an exoskeleton, 100 meters was nothing.

But to them now, that 100 meters was an uncrossable gulf.

As they moved, their camouflage failed.

A third and fourth shot cracked out in succession. One man’s chest burst and another’s skull shattered. In moments, they were down to one.

Almost at the doorway, the survivor’s face flashed with wild joy. The only thing was... The instant his boot crossed the north gate, he felt the faintest tug on them, as if he had brushed a kite string.

Boom!

He had no chance to react. A swarm of plastic submunitions, each bead-sized, erupted across him, detonating with crackling bursts.

Ordinary mines were useless against exoskeletons and Mutant Humans. Those charges were different. Packed with X-4 fibers and N10 azide, they worked wonders.

Each carried 100 grams of TNT equivalent. 50 went off in that narrow space, enough to trouble even an exoframe.

Designed for Mutant Humans, they were merciless against ordinary humans.

When the smoke cleared, the Executioner was shredded. His armor and flesh were tangled, and he barely looked human in shape any longer.

On the rooftop, Night Ten clicked his tongue at the plume of dust by the north gate, gave half a second to mourn their death, then slipped back downstairs.

Meanwhile, static hissed on the communication channel across the northern lawn.

"Team B! Respond, over! Repeat, respond!"

𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺

"Fuck!"

No reply came. Li Jie cursed, cut the channel, and glared murderously at the building so close before him.

Team B was lost.

From the first gunshot, he had known something was wrong. The last explosion caused his heart to sink further.

The enemy had found them far too quickly, as if waiting for them to walk into the trap.

The windows were all dark and the curtains were drawn. From the shots they could guess the sniper’s position, but the rooftop was empty.

Their scouts’ thermal optics were near useless against exoskeletons. Their cooling systems vented through the legs and soles, leaving no heat difference for their torso.

What was meant to be a cat-and-mouse game had become hunter vs wolf pack.

In a single clash, a team was wiped out. Li Jie grew cautious, ordering drones into the air.

Two disc-shaped drones launched from a pack and glided toward the hall, but as they neared, interference fried them into blind flies. The operator’s monitor was filled with static.

"Electromagnetic interference is too strong, can’t get closer..." Sweating, the operator looked to his grim-faced captain.

Li Jie gritted his teeth and waved forward. "Smoke cover!"

"Roger!"

At once, support troopers deployed the Annihilator Type I exoskeleton’s cannons, bracing the 120mm tubes.

From the treeline, four squads waited in ambush.

Three sharp thumps sounded as white smoke shells burst overhead, spreading walls of mist across the open lawn.

Another salvo fell, smoke rolling right up to the edge of the building.

"The fuck? Really?!" Seeing the thick fog, Night Ten muttered in his third floor hideout, cold sweat pricking against his skin.

At 300 to 500 meters, with limited sight, sensing killing intent grew faint. However, he could feel at least a dozen men in those trees.

Another team was flanking his side.

In this situation, a sniper rifle was no longer useful.

He set it aside, inhaled deeply, and chambered his LD-50 carbine, ready for close combat.

Suddenly, his earpiece crackled with a familiar voice. "... Night Ten, do you copy?"

The sound was faint, mixed with static like sandpaper scraping walls, but it was clear enough. Night Ten’s face lit up with surprise.

"Ample Time?!"

"It’s me... We’ve pulled out from the manor and we aren’t far from you. I need your position."

Night Ten cut him off quickly. "Wait, listen first... The Torch Church has a lab under the side hall. The Spirit Interference Device is inside! That’s what drove the survivors mad!"

Static hissed again.

Uncertain if Ample Time had heard, Night Ten was about to repeat when Ample Time’s voice returned. "... That matches what I suspected. Any way to shut it down or blow it?"

Night Ten swallowed, speaking fast. "Won’t work. I read the logs. The brainwashing’s done. Now the device just maintains their trance state. Shut it off and they won’t wake all at once, they’ll come to over 24 hours, relapse unpredictably... It will be worse than now."

Ample Time’s voice rang in his mind again. "Tsk! This is tricky. Did the logs mention a solution?"

Night Ten answered immediately. "Yes... Input another signal band to overwrite the brainwashing. But I’ve got trouble here. A squad is on me and their gear is nasty strong."

From the channel came hearty laughter.

"Perfect, then!"

It was Old White’s voice.

Of course, it wasn’t just Old White, others joined in as well.

"Brothers, bust their ass! Grab the gold coins they drop!"

"Weewooweewooweewoo!"

...