225: Chapter 225: Preparations Before the Decisive Battle

Shen Xiaochuan leaned against a broken wall, panting. His right arm was injured, and the pain was intense. The pack of exotic beasts had retreated twenty meters away, still growling low.

"I'm still alive," he said, his voice very raspy.

No one responded. Three lightly injured team members sat on the ground resting, flamethrowers resting on their laps, their fuel nearly gone. Two heavily injured men had faces turned purple, their breathing rapid. The Anti-Toxin Gel could only temporarily suppress the toxins; it wouldn't hold for long.

Shen Xiaochuan looked down at his palm. His faith points were rising—3,956, 3,957... adding three points every second. He hadn't gone to the mall to exchange for items, as it was too late to use them now. But he knew that if he held on for another thirty seconds, he would have enough for a bottle of High-Grade Restoration Fluid.

"Red of the East!" he shouted.

"Here," a cool female voice came from the right.

Red of the East stood up from behind a rock, black moss debris on her cloak. She held a bluestone slab covered in runes; as she walked over, her face showed no panic, only a hint of fatigue at the corners of her eyes.

"Can the formation be set up?" Shen Xiaochuan asked.

"Yes," she set down the bluestone slab, "but it will take time. I need three stabilization sources, preferably with the aura of ancient jade."

Shen Xiaochuan reached into his shirt and pulled out three dark red jade fragments: "The Evil Sheep Priest gave these to me, said they're Seal fragments."

Red of the East took them; she felt the fluctuations of spiritual power the moment her fingers touched them and nodded, "These will do."

"How long until the first layer rises?"

"It will take shape within thirty seconds and be fully active in sixty. But it can only defend against ranged attacks; you'll have to handle close combat yourselves."

"That's enough." Shen Xiaochuan turned to look to the left, "Zhang Xiaohu!"

"Right here!" a gravelly voice rang out.

Zhang Xiaohu crawled out from a pile of rubble, his heavy armor clanking. A crack had formed in his shoulder plate, but he still seemed spirited. He held a double-handled Shock Hammer and grinned: "I've been waiting for you to call me for ages."

"Is the assault team ready?"

"Twelve brothers are all here, gear is ready, just waiting for your command."

"It's not just a command." Shen Xiaochuan stared at him, "It's a suicide mission."

"Believe in Brother Hu for eternal life, forgot already?"

Someone laughed.

Shen Xiaochuan didn't laugh. He took a step forward and lowered his voice: "I want you to rush in, smash into the center, create chaos, and draw their fire. Don't think about killing; coming back alive is the real skill."

"Understood," Zhang Xiaohu nodded, "Crashing parties is what I do best."

"If you fall," Shen Xiaochuan looked into his eyes, "I'll personally bring you back."

Zhang Xiaohu was stunned for a moment, then pounded his breastplate hard: "Then you'd better keep up."

Shen Xiaochuan turned to everyone and said, "Listen up! We're having a meeting now. Five minutes, gather around."

The team members slowly gathered, forming a semi-circle.

Red of the East crouched on the ground, inserting the three jade fragments into the gaps of the bluestone slab as the runes began to glow. Zhang Xiaohu stood to the side, leaning on his hammer with both hands.

Shen Xiaochuan stood in the center, his voice not loud, but clear to everyone.

"You all know our current situation without me saying it," he began. "Fuel is under twenty percent, the serum is gone, the two heavily wounded can't suppress the toxins anymore, and the flamethrowers can only fire twice more before they're just iron clubs. There are over a hundred of those exotic beasts outside, all staring at us."

He paused, looking at each person's face.

"Retreat? Behind us is a collapse zone; the path is gone. Flee? They're faster than us. Wait? We'll just be worn down to death. So there's only one choice—fight our way out."

"How do we fight?" someone asked.

"Divide into three groups." Shen Xiaochuan held up his fingers. "Group one, the defense group, led by Red of the East. The task is to set up three layers of defensive formations in front, focusing on blocking energy attacks and mental shocks. She controls the field; if anyone acts out of line, she has the authority to deal with it."

Red of the East said nothing, pressing her hand onto the bluestone slab as a golden light seeped from her palm into the ground.

"Group two, the assault group, led by Zhang Xiaohu. Twelve men in heavy armor, armed with Shock Hammers and Explosive Chain Blades, will act as the vanguard to penetrate the center of the beasts, creating chaos and drawing fire. You are the bait; you must survive long enough so they can't focus on other directions."

Zhang Xiaohu smiled: "Don't worry, I won't die."

"Group three, the decapitation group." Shen Xiaochuan pointed to himself. "I'll lead it personally, with six Heroic Spirit Possession Warriors plus three Evil God Guards. We'll sneak around the flank and find a chance to eliminate the leader. The goal isn't to kill many, but to find the command point—that skeleton on the high slope."

"How can you be sure that's the command point?" someone asked.

"It's been watching us," Shen Xiaochuan said. "From the moment we entered, its eye sockets haven't moved away. These beasts move with rhythm; they flank and avoid traps, which means someone is commanding them. And that position has the best view and can relay orders."

No one objected.

"As for supplies," he continued, "I know you're worried about that. I'm gaining +3 faith points per second now, and the mall is open. As long as the defense line doesn't break, I can keep pulling resources. Medkits, anti-toxins, fuel tanks—all can be exchanged. But I can't pull them out now because once we start, I won't have time to operate. So what you need to do is hold your positions and hold out until I can free up my hands to support you."

He pulled out a terminal, the screen lighting up to show the real-time growth of faith points: 4012, 4015, 4018... the numbers rose steadily.

"See? I'm not just making empty promises. As long as I'm still standing, the supplies won't stop."

The atmosphere of the team changed. The desperate silence from before was gone, replaced by tension, but with a sense of direction.

"Now, groups, move out." Shen Xiaochuan ordered, "In position within thirty seconds."

Red of the East immediately got up, carrying the bluestone slab toward the front edge of the platform. Two assistants followed her, holding Rune Stones and Formation Flags. As she walked, she whispered an incantation, and the black moss beneath her feet automatically parted, revealing the rock layer.

Shen Xiaochuan accompanied her to the Formation Eye. She crouched down, inserting the three jade fragments into the cracks in the ground, then arranged the Rune Stones to form a triangle.

"The first light screen will rise within thirty seconds," she said. "You don't need to stay; go handle your business."

"I'll watch you activate it," Shen Xiaochuan said. "I'll leave once I'm sure it's safe."

She looked up at him, said nothing more, and pressed her hands to the ground, chanting an ancient passage. The ground shook slightly, and three golden beams shot out from the jade fragments, converging in the air to form a semi-transparent light screen that rippled out like water, blocking thirty meters ahead.

"It's done." She breathed a sigh of relief.

"How many rounds of attacks can it hold?"

"Against direct energy impacts, three to five times. Any more and it will need reinforcement."

"That's enough." Shen Xiaochuan patted her shoulder. "I'm going to check on Zhang Xiaohu."

He turned and walked toward the center of the battlefield. Zhang Xiaohu had already donned his heavy armor, his helmet covering his face, leaving only his eyes visible. Twelve assault team members stood in a row, everyone armored and holding heavy weapons, their bodies trembling slightly.

It wasn't fear, but tension.

"Has everyone been checked?" Shen Xiaochuan asked.

"Armor Seals are intact, oxygen supply is normal, and weapons are charged above eighty percent," Zhang Xiaohu replied. "Just waiting for your word."

Shen Xiaochuan walked up to him and patted his shoulder plate; the metal made a dull thud as he said again: "If you fall, I'll personally bring you back."

"Then you'd better run fast."

"Believe in Brother Hu for eternal life?" Shen Xiaochuan asked.

"That line won't do," Zhang Xiaohu shook his head. "Too flashy. Change it to 'Follow Captain Shen, live to the end'."

The people nearby heard and laughed. The laughter wasn't loud, but at a time like this, it was already a recovery of morale.

"Go then." Shen Xiaochuan took a step back. "Maintain a fifty-meter distance, don't rush too hard, wait for my signal."

"Understood."

Zhang Xiaohu raised his war hammer and turned to order: "Form up! Advance!"

The twelve men marched forward, their heavy armor crunching on the black moss as they advanced to about fifty meters from the beast pack and stopped, forming a thick defensive line.

Shen Xiaochuan looked to the left. Six Heroic Spirit Possession Warriors had gathered, Seal script light patterns on their bodies, their gazes sharp. Three Evil God Guards stood behind them, tall and wielding halberds, their faces obscured.

He walked over and checked them one by one.

"Weapon status?" he asked.

"Stable," a warrior replied. "Possession marks are fine."

"And the Evil God Guards?"

"Ready to fight at any time," the guard leader said in a low voice.

"Remember," Shen Xiaochuan lowered his voice, "we don't move until the fire starts. When the light screen shines and the hammers fall, that's the signal. We'll circle behind the broken pillars, stick to the shadows, and find a chance to approach the high slope. Don't be greedy for kills; there is only one target—the command point."

Everyone nodded.

He led the group to the rear of the broken pillars on the left and crouched down. Looking through the collapsed pillars, he could clearly see the entire open ground. The beast pack was still static, but more and more red eyes appeared, and the low growling hadn't stopped.

Red of the East's light screen was already fully deployed, and the second layer of runes was forming, golden light flowing like a woven net.

Zhang Xiaohu stood at the very front, war hammer resting on the ground, his breathing steady.

Shen Xiaochuan gripped his short blade. The blade was very short, modified from an engineering kit; its only advantage was speed. He wasn't going to use it against ordinary beasts, saving it only for the most critical moment.

He looked down at the terminal. faith points: 4,127.

He didn't exchange for anything.

He knew the real battle hadn't even begun.

But now, they had a plan, a division of labor, and hope.

He looked up at the giant skeleton on the high slope. The wind blew over, carrying a foul stench. The copper gear in his pocket was growing hot.

It was as if it were responding to something.

"Wait for the fire," he whispered, "then we move."

His hand rested on the edge of a broken pillar, his fingertips touching the cold, damp moss. In the distance, Zhang Xiaohu slowly raised his war hammer.

The final rune of the light screen began to glow.