258: Empire Tracker

The wuling type 100 hovered two meters above the Stasis Zone.

Its flight system was still warming up and had not fully engaged.

Inside the cockpit, a red dot on the bottom right corner of the kindling system interface pulsed continuously, like a heartbeat.

Lin Wei's hands slid across the main control console.

White smoke billowed from the mechanical arm interface.

She cut power to the spatial expansion and weapon systems, downgrading control permissions to "Combat Standby."

As soon as the steering wheel was restored, Chen Wang gripped it tightly.

The radar sounded.

Three energy signatures were approaching the Stasis Zone from the north, east, and west at high speed.

Amy opened the probability model, inputting Star Pupil's brainwave frequency from before she fell unconscious to reverse-trace the source of the signal.

"It's not the black tide," she said. "It's a manually sent instruction packet originating from 63 degrees north latitude."

Su Ling stood in the co-pilot position, her gun already checked.

She stared at the rear radar and discovered that one of the energy signatures possessed biological characteristics.

After zooming in on the feed, she saw a blurry humanoid figure.

Its head had been modified, its neck was connected to metal pipes, and its eyes were dark red sensors.

"It's an Annihilation Beast hybrid," she said.

Chen Wang looked at Lin Wei. "Can you turn off the marking on the vehicle?"

Lin Wei was scanning the vehicle's armor.

The engineering module's feedback showed dark red light patterns seeping from the gaps, slowly forming a design.

A few seconds later, the imperial military crest appeared on the vehicle's body as if it had been engraved there.

Su Wan immediately initiated the medical pod's diagnostic program.

She discovered that this mark emitted a faint pulse every thirty seconds, with the same frequency as a positioning beacon.

"It's sending a signal," she said. "The enemy knows where we are."

Chen Wang ordered the data disk to be isolated.

Lin Wei unplugged the connection cable and sealed the interface with electrical tape.

Chen Wang dismantled the circuit board under the dashboard, located the master control chip, bypassed the authentication module with a jumper wire, and temporarily rewrote the logic gates.

The light patterns vanished.

Ten seconds later, they reappeared, deeper and brighter in color.

"They have cross-dimensional identification technology," Amy whispered. "We've already been locked onto."

A rift opened in the distant sky, and three black airships burst out from the clouds.

Modified Annihilation Beast skulls hung from the bows of the ships, their mouths agape, spewing low-temperature mist.

That wasn't exhaust; it was marking the route.

A voice transmission suddenly came over the radio.

It was speaking German.

"Target confirmed, codename 'Kindling-0', executing elimination protocol."

Su Ling understood the keywords.

She switched to her sniper scope for long-range observation and discovered that each airship had a transparent chamber suspended beneath it, containing humanoid creatures.

Their bodies were twisted, their skin was blue, and their veins were glowing; they were clearly parasitized.

"They aren't here to capture anyone," she said. "They're here to deploy an infection source."

Su Wan turned and opened the medical pod's storage compartment, taking out six portable medicine packs.

She injected anti-radiation agents into the oxygen supply system and then gave everyone an injection of immune boosters.

As the needle pierced her arm, Star Pupil stirred on the bed.

"Don't let her wake up," Su Wan said. "Her psyche hasn't recovered yet."

Lin Wei saved a sample of the marking code, preparing to analyze it later.

Her mechanical arm was still smoking and needed to cool down.

She removed the cooling cover and sprayed the inside with a compressed air canister.

Amy recalculated the breakout route.

She pulled up a 3D map, marking the active zones of the black tide and known ambush areas.

Three paths appeared on the screen, with risk levels of 89%, 92%, and 87% respectively.

"The safest route is through the northern canyon," she said, "but the terrain is narrow. Once we're blocked, there's no way to retreat."

Chen Wang looked at the map.

That path was an ancient riverbed; the ice walls on both sides were high and could block some radar.

He remembered Old Zhou saying that this kind of place was suitable for hugging the ground while gliding.

"If we don't enter the canyon, we can't escape," he said.

He pushed the gear lever, selecting the terrain adaptation module.

The tracks began to deform, metal plates extending to become snow-gliding plates.

Short-range hovering engaged, and the engine emitted a low hum.

The vehicle body vibrated slightly.

The kindling system popped up a notification: [Stealth mode activation failed, external marking remains active]

"The mark is still there," Lin Wei said. "They will keep following us."

"Then let them follow," Chen Wang said. "We'll show them how we run."

He adjusted his direction and glided toward the entrance of the glacial canyon.

The wuling type 100's engine still had residual heat; even if the power was off, it couldn't be hidden.

The infrared signal was like a light in the dark.

Su Ling sat back in the co-pilot seat, holding her modified sniper rifle.

She stared at the rear radar and saw the three airships begin to change formation, with one suppressing from the center and two flanking from the sides.

"They're forcing us to turn," she said.

"I know," Chen Wang said, "but we can't stop."

Lin Wei finished cooling the mechanical arm and reconnected it to the main control system.

She imported the marking sample into the firewall and tried to simulate an interference signal.

The first attempt failed; the second caused the radar to cut out for a few seconds.

"It's reacting," she said. "If I can replicate this delay, maybe I can create a false target."

"How long will it take?" Chen Wang asked.

"Five minutes to prepare, but it can only fool them for ten seconds."

"That's enough," Chen Wang said. "Ten seconds is enough."

He accelerated, and the wuling type 100 glided against the ice, its underside less than twenty centimeters off the ground.

The dark red light patterns of the military crest were reflected on the ice, extending all the way out.

Amy updated the navigation route, setting the lowest-risk path as the priority.

The financial terminal in her hand showed that the survival rate kept dropping and was now only 23%.

She gripped the chips tightly, her knuckles turning white.

Su Wan stood guard by the medical pod, confirming that Star Pupil's vital signs were normal.

The girl was still asleep, but her brainwave frequency was synchronized with the stasis energy.

The remains of the mechanical parrot lay on her chest, its blue light flickering slightly as if it sensed something.

The German communication from the airships sounded again.

This time it stated an order number: 7-14-9, corresponding to "Area Purification" in the elimination protocol.

Su Ling memorized this string of numbers.

Chen Wang glanced at the still-flashing red dot but said nothing.

He pushed the throttle to the floor, and the wuling type 100 accelerated toward the canyon entrance.

The ice walls ahead were over a hundred meters high, and the passage was less than twice the width of the vehicle.

The wind blew in from both sides.

Lin Wei completed the interference program, her finger hovering over the execute key.

"It's ready," she said.

"Wait until they are a little closer," Chen Wang said.

The radar showed the first airship entering attack range.

The ship's belly opened, the pod descended, a crack appeared in the sealed door, and blue mist began to leak out.

"They're about to release it," Su Ling said.

"Now!" Chen Wang shouted.

Lin Wei pressed the button.

The interference signal was sent, and the target on the radar suddenly turned into seven false images.

The three airships slowed down simultaneously, their weapon systems momentarily disconnected.

The wuling type 100 seized the chance to charge into the canyon.

The ice walls closed in, blocking out the sky.

Explosions came from behind; it was the airships' energy projectiles hitting the rock walls.

Shattered ice fell, thudding against the roof of the vehicle.

The kindling system alarm did not clear.

The red dot was still flashing.

The light patterns of the imperial military crest on the vehicle did not disappear; they only dimmed, as if temporarily paused.

Chen Wang released the throttle, letting the vehicle glide for a distance.

He glanced back at the entrance; a red light seemed to flash in the darkness.

"They will still chase us," he said.

Su Ling checked her magazine and reloaded the sonic bullets.

She secured her sniper rifle, aiming the muzzle toward the path they had come from.

Lin Wei began to analyze the interference effect, recording the enemy's reaction time.

She discovered that the enemy recovered their lock four seconds faster than expected.

"They're upgrading their tracking algorithm," she said.

Amy pulled up a new escape model, drawing an alternate route based on the canyon terrain.

She marked three possible ambush points, all at turns.

"We must be faster," she said.

Su Wan changed the IV bag for Star Pupil with gentle movements.

She noticed that the girl's fingers had started tapping the edge of the bed again, a slow rhythm, as if transmitting something.

The blue light of the mechanical parrot remains flickered in sync.

Chen Wang gripped the steering wheel, his palms slick with sweat.

He pushed the gear lever to the lock position, and the engine RPM increased.

The wuling type 100 continued to glide forward, deep into the glacial canyon.

The light patterns on the vehicle's body suddenly brightened.