"Phew! That was close just now! Almost got busted!" After Eva left, Haoyun finally breathed a sigh of relief.
"It seems Eva has been keeping an eye on us. But that's understandable. Since our appearance, they've encountered strange situations one after another. The good news is, I feel Eva is just suspicious of us and still in a wait-and-see attitude," Dao Lao said, stroking his white beard.
"I actually think if it's just Eva finding out our true identities, it wouldn't be too troublesome. What I'm worried about is if they find out our real identities before we figure out who Elsie and the others are. That would definitely be very troublesome," Haoyun analyzed.
"Don't forget, Eva is Elsie's appointed talent. Their relationship is very close! So once she knows our true identities, she will definitely tell Elsie," Dream Jia said after giving Haoyun a glance.
"I know they're close, but I think Eva is actually easy to get along with, and her moral compass is upright. So even if she discovers our true identities, we can definitely persuade her to keep our secret," Haoyun explained his view, which Dao Lao nodded in agreement with.
Dream Jia responded with an unfriendly tone, "How will you persuade her? Are you planning to seduce her? Then have her bear your child, physically and biologically making her one of us? Haoyun! I knew it! You are indeed a big bad wolf! You are completely untrustworthy, utterly unreliable scum!"
"No, what nonsense are you thinking in that little head of yours?! I was having a normal discussion with you, why do you have to think so crookedly?!" Haoyun looked at Dream Jia in exasperation, silently reprimanding her in his mind. Of course, Haoyun could only silently scold Dream Jia in his mind. After Dream Jia finished scolding Haoyun, her angry expression turned into a dangerous and murderous aura.
Thus, Haoyun could only turn into a sycophant, smiling ingratiatingly, "Hey! Look at what you're saying! Am I really like that? It's always others betraying and abandoning me, how could I possibly do such outrageous things? If I could meet a girl who is devoted to me, I would definitely cherish her like a treasure! Besides, you should know my intentions!"
As Haoyun felt he was being too explicit and straightforward, he found himself blushing and entering an awkward situation. After all, this should be considered the first time Haoyun had openly expressed his true feelings to Dream Jia, and nervousness was naturally unavoidable. Of course, besides nervousness, Haoyun was also filled with anxiety. Because he knew, Dream Jia wasn't just some ordinary person; she was a genuine priestess. Moreover, Dream Jia had been alive for who knows how many years. If she had to be calculated by generations, Haoyun's ancestors' ancestors' ancestors would have to respectfully call Dream Jia an ancestor, right?!
"Smooth talker! Clearly not a good person!" Dream Jia didn't expect Haoyun to suddenly say that, so she didn't know how to respond for a while. Therefore, Dream Jia could only try to remain serious and continue driving the armored vehicle. Seeing this, Dao Lao, who had been observing quietly on the side, also silently breathed a sigh of relief. Because he knew, once Dream Jia's fierce temper erupted, she would definitely not only brandish weapons and deal with Haoyun, but also unjustly berate him in the process.
Traveling day and night, Skull Squad soon arrived at their destination - Treleh City. It happened to be a sunny afternoon, bathing everything in the city in a bright and warm light, making the chilliness of the city even more pronounced. On the streets of Treleh City, the bodies of Mastanians killed by Skull Squad in the last battle still lay scattered. Even on some destroyed warplanes, electrical sparks occasionally flickered, giving the impression that the fighting here had never ceased even after Skull Squad had left.
Apart from the corpses littering the ground, Skull Squad also spotted scattered patrols of Mastanian units in semi-dormant states on the main street. Skull Squad could tell at a glance that these Mastanian patrols had only appeared in Treleh City after the last major battle. This meant these Mastanians hadn't released the pheromones from the Skull Squad members as previous Mastanians had. As long as they weren't discovered by these Mastanians, Skull Squad wouldn't be attacked even at night.
Upon entering Treleh City, Skull Squad drove directly to the Gladiator Stadium, which they had used as a temporary base before. After careful searching, Skull Squad found that no Mastanians had occupied the stadium. Therefore, Eva once again decided to set up Skull Squad's temporary base here. She instructed the team members to quickly build defensive fortifications here before nightfall, taking advantage of their familiarity with the environment inside and outside the stadium.
During the reconstruction of the temporary defenses, Karl also took Haoyun and the others to visit the secret chamber where the bodies of their fallen comrades had been placed last time. Then, to their surprise, Haoyun and the others discovered that, just as Karl had said, the eighteen bodies placed in the secret chamber had indeed disappeared without a trace, leaving only eighteen shrouds stained with blood and eighteen sets of military uniforms similarly stained with blood.
What was even more peculiar was that in this tightly sealed secret chamber, there was not even a hint of the stench of decay at this time. Instead, it was filled with a faint fragrance. After carefully sniffing the fragrance in the secret chamber, Karl remarked that in such a tightly sealed room, the bodies of those soldiers wouldn't decay into dust so quickly. Moreover, since this faint fragrance remained after their bodies disappeared, it indicated that these eighteen soldiers had returned to the cycle of rebirth after their deaths in battle. Before long, they would return to Earth NX in the form of newborns or young Caucasians.
Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
After inspecting the situation of the fallen soldiers, Karl suggested that Haoyun and the other two also experience the aroma in the secret room. According to Karl, these fragrances symbolize the taste of rebirth and can bring fortune to oneself. Moreover, even if these scents cannot extend one's lifespan, they can at least help one reincarnate more swiftly and smoothly after death. Watching Karl fervently inhale the aroma with devotion, Haoyun and the others could only shake their heads helplessly, warning Karl to cover his mouth when speaking from now on, as they did not want to smell the "fragrance" of corpses emanating from him.
The veteran Skeleton Squad had impeccable control over time, allowing them to complete the fortification around the stadium smoothly before nightfall. Throughout the entire night, the Skeleton Squad remained stationed inside the stadium, vigilant against the possibility of Westbore patrols entering the stadium during their rounds. Fortunately, there were not many Westbore patrols near the stadium that night, and those patrols merely circled the blocks around the stadium without coming close. As a result, although the Skeleton Squad remained on high alert all night, they safely passed their first night in Terilei City with relative ease.
"Ah—! These Westbores are indeed acting strangely!" Karl yawned after finally making it through until morning.
"In what way are they acting strangely? They seemed to be patrolling non-stop around here last night, didn't they?" Haoyun asked.
"Yes, they were patrolling last night, but judging from their patrol last night, it seemed more symbolic than thorough. Also, didn't you notice? They were very cautious during their patrols last night and seemed afraid of being attacked, patrolling in tight groups all night long. Could it be that they, too, were affected by the attack on the Westbore mothership by the Lerata City side? Is that why they are so timid?" Karl pondered with seriousness.
Since Haoyun and the others had actually attacked the Westbore mothership, they knew Karl's guess was entirely correct. However, to avoid exposure and maintain their innocent personas, they looked at Karl with expressions full of doubt and skepticism, expressing uncertainty about Karl's speculation.
Karl wasn't surprised by Haoyun's response and just shrugged, saying, "After all, you guys were just born not long ago and haven't seen what a normal Westbore patrol looks like, so it's normal that you don't understand what I mean. Anyway, the Westbores here are really behaving strangely."
As they discussed the events of last night and sorted out their equipment, Haoyun and the others returned to the center of the stadium to join the rest of the troops. After the Skeleton Squad assembled, Ewawanda smiled and said, "Comrades, good morning! Everyone worked hard last night! I believe everyone saw the situation last night. The number of Westbore patrols in the city has noticeably decreased, and they have become much more cautious during their patrols. This is both good and bad for us. The bad part is that their increased vigilance during patrols is a good thing, so we must be more careful when carrying out our mission. The good part is that with the reduced number and range of patrols by the Westbores at night, we have more room to maneuver. Therefore, as long as we remain cautious and avoid provoking the Westbores, we can safely complete this observation mission!"
Ewawanda cleared her throat and pointed to a large brick lighthouse in the distance, saying, "If our speculations are correct, there's a possibility that lighthouse could be lit up on any night in the coming days. So from now on, everyone must stay alert and be prepared to respond to any changes that may occur after the lighthouse is lit up. Remember, if we see a pattern with hidden codes from the observed light columns, we will start deciphering them. If the Westbores show any signs of movement at that time, everyone must do their utmost to distract the enemy and buy us more time to crack the code. Even if we can only unlock one lock on that door with the deciphered password, it will be enough to repel the invasion of the human capital city and resolve this crisis!"
"Of course, if something unexpected happens, everyone must find a way to evacuate from Terilei City as soon as possible. I know everyone is determined to participate in this mission at all costs, but we cannot blindly waste our lives. With the green hills left behind, there will always be firewood to burn. Regardless of whether this operation is successful or not, we must preserve enough strength to continue fighting the Westbores in future battles! Does everyone understand?" Ewawanda commanded in an unquestionable tone.
"Yes, ma'am! Great Savior Lady! We will strictly follow the Great Savior Lady's instructions!" the soldiers replied in unison, respectfully.
Ewawanda nodded in satisfaction and then said, "After our deliberation, we, the saviors, will go to the front line to participate in this beacon observation mission. Captain Eva and Dr. Chu will accompany us, while the rest of the team will stay here."
Upon hearing Ewawanda's command, the soldiers of the Skeleton Squad couldn't help but look at Eva in puzzlement. Because Eva, Dr. Chu, and Wang Defa were the absolute core forces of the Skeleton Special Operations Squad. Among them, Eva was the strongest in combat and the absolute leader with excellent on-the-spot command ability; Dr. Chu was skilled in calculations and adept at analyzing the situation on the spot, a top strategist who was indispensable during the mapping of light columns.
As for Wang Defa, although his character was somewhat sleazy and dark, his temperament was somewhat unpredictable. However, he was the most outstanding scout in the Skeleton Squad. Therefore, whenever there was a need to go deep into enemy territory to observe light columns, Wang Defa had to be involved. Because only he could ensure Eva and Dr. Chu safely evaded Westbore patrols and reached the best observation point for the lighthouse without being detected by the enemy.
It was precisely for this reason that Wang Defa, Eva, and Dr. Chu were collectively known as the golden trio of the Skeleton Special Operations Squad. Therefore, when the soldiers of the Skeleton Squad heard that Ewawanda was separating the golden trio for this observation mission, they all showed expressions of confusion. They whispered to each other, suggesting that it must be because Wang Defa had committed some serious mistake, leading Lady Ewawanda to exclude him from the list for this observation mission.