67: Chapter 67 S-Rank Rescue? No, this is bait.

East Sea War Zone · Seventh Defense Zone Command Center

Time: 03:00 AM

Although the heavy rain had stopped, the wind and waves on the sea were still intense.

"Beep—! Beep—!"

Having just returned to the camp and not yet had time to wash the blood off his body, the [Individual Tactical Communication Terminal] that Lin Yuan had just redeemed lit up with a blinding red light.

【Emergency Mission Directive (S-Class)】

【Issuer: Seventh Defense Zone Operations Command Center】

【Objective: Head to 'Energy Island No. 09', 30 nautical miles to the southeast.】

【Situation Description: As an important energy transit station on the front line, this island suddenly lost contact half an hour ago. All vital sign signals have disappeared, and radar shows high-intensity electromagnetic interference in the area.】

【Mission Requirements: The judgment squad is to depart immediately, uncover the truth, search and rescue any possible survivors, and restart the energy core.】

"Energy Island No. 09?"

Lin Yuan looked at the holographic map on his terminal. It was a drilling platform isolated at sea, not far from the main defense line. Logically, it should be in an absolutely safe zone.

"Lost contact right after repelling the beast tide? This is too much of a coincidence."

Lin Yuan narrowed his eyes; his intuition told him that this matter was not that simple.

"Let's go, work is here."

Lin Yuan patted Xiang Lie, who was dozing off, and called for Su Xiaoxiao, who was maintaining the autocannon.

Five minutes later, a "Ghost-class" stealth speedboat painted in deep-sea camouflage sailed out of the port silently under the cover of night.

A large amount of debris floated on the sea surface. The speedboat cut through the black waves like a scalpel slicing through this sea of death.

"Captain, something is wrong."

Su Xiaoxiao stared at the radar screen, her brows furrowed: "The closer we get to Island No. 09, the more severe the interference becomes. My radar is already full of static. This doesn't look like biological magnetic field interference from sea beasts; it looks more like... artificial electromagnetic shielding."

"Artificial?"

Xiang Lie gripped the alloy battle axe in his hand and looked at the pitch-black sea around them, shivering: "Are you saying... there's a mole?"

Lin Yuan sat at the bow of the boat, letting the sea breeze mess up his hair. He thought of the chip dug out of the brain of the Deep Sea Demon Octopus.

"Whether there is a mole, we'll know once we go up."

Half an hour later, the massive steel outline of Energy Island No. 09 appeared in their field of vision.

This was an artificial island built on a huge reef, with dozens of steel towers and complex pipeline facilities standing on it. Usually, this place should be brightly lit, but now, the whole island was as dead silent as a steel tomb.

"Board the island."

The speedboat docked, and the three of them leaped onto the pier like agile cats.

"Stay alert!"

Xiang Lie raised his tower shield to the front, and Su Xiaoxiao aimed her gun to guard the rear.

However, as they walked, the scenes they saw made the three of them increasingly alarmed.

It was too clean.

There were no corpses, no bloodstains, and no traces of any battle damage.

Those heavy defensive turrets deployed on the perimeter of the island were now neatly pointing at the sky, barrels gleaming, without a trace of gunpowder smoke from firing.

"Captain, look at this."

Su Xiaoxiao used her portable terminal to connect to a defensive turret control panel by the roadside. Within just a few seconds, her expression changed.

"The defense system logs show that ten minutes before losing contact, all turrets were issued a 'forced sleep' command."

Su Xiaoxiao looked up, her eyes filled with disbelief and horror:

"And it used the highest level of 'commander authority'! It wasn't a hacker intrusion; our own people turned it off!"

"If it were a sea beast raid, even a sixth-grade Beast King, these turrets would automatically counterattack, unless..."

"Unless someone opened a backdoor for the sea beasts."

Lin Yuan took over the conversation, his voice as cold as ice shards.

"Our own people turned off the defenses and let the monsters in to slaughter their comrades?"

Xiang Lie was shaking with anger and punched the wall: "Those animals! This is treason!"

"Shh."

Lin Yuan suddenly raised his finger, making a gesture for silence, and his Spiritual Telekinesis spread out like a tide, instantly covering the entire island.

"There are people."

Lin Yuan pointed toward the underground control room in the center of the island: "The life reactions are very weak, on the second basement level. Let's go, let's go meet these 'survivors'."

"Is anyone there? We are the rescue team from the Seventh Defense Zone!"

Xiang Lie shouted.

"Help! Don't kill me!"

A terrified cry for help immediately came from inside, and the three of them rushed into the main control room.

In the corner, they saw four or five men dressed in officer uniforms huddled together. They were covered in blood, their faces filled with fear and despair, clutching pistols tightly in their hands, looking like birds startled by the mere twang of a bowstring.

The leader was a middle-aged man wearing the rank of Captain. Seeing the military uniforms on Lin Yuan and the others, he immediately acted as if he had seen a savior and scrambled over to them.

"Wuwuwu... You finally came!"

Captain Li cried and poured out his grievances: "It was too miserable! Too miserable! Last night... the sea beasts suddenly rushed in! The defense system failed for some reason! The brothers were all eaten in their sleep... only a few of us were left hiding in the basement to escape the disaster!"

His performance was tearful, his body trembled, and his eyes were unfocused; he was completely the image of a survivor who had been scared out of his wits.

Xiang Lie looked at this scene, the anger in his eyes slightly subsided, and he was about to step forward to help.

"Wait."

Lin Yuan reached out to stop Xiang Lie. He stood three meters away from Captain Li, looking at these "survivors" with great interest.

【Gods Insight · Activated】

In Lin Yuan's vision, the physical data of these people had nowhere to hide.

【Target: Li XX (Captain)】

【Heart Rate: 75 beats/min (Stable)】

【Adrenaline Level: Low (Not in a stress state)】

【Micro-expression analysis: Corner of the mouth muscle twitching slightly, eyes glancing down to the left (sign of lying).】

【Spiritual Fluctuation: Malice! Extremely intense murderous intent!】

Most importantly, Lin Yuan noticed that although the bloodstains on them looked scary, they were distributed too evenly, more like... chicken blood smeared on temporarily for the sake of acting.

"Acting quite convincingly."

Lin Yuan sneered in his heart, but he didn't expose them immediately. Instead, he put on a gentle smile and slowly walked over.

"You've worked hard, Captain Li."

Lin Yuan's voice was full of concern, as if he really believed the other party's nonsense: "It's okay, it's safe here now. I am Lin Yuan, ordered to come and take you home."

"Lin Yuan?"

Hearing this name, Captain Li, who had his head lowered, saw a flash of imperceptible surprise and greed in his eyes.

Is this the S-class target who is on the Pantheon Cult's must-kill list?

That kid who just won the championship and is said to carry heavy treasures on him?

Truly, one searches high and low for something, only to find it without any effort!

"Thank you! Thank you, Captain Lin!"

Captain Li reached out his hand in tearful gratitude, seemingly wanting to shake hands, but his body inadvertently leaned toward Lin Yuan, while his other hand quietly reached for his lower back.

"We will go with you right now... as long as we can leave this damn place..."

The distance between the two was getting closer and closer.

Two meters.

One meter.

Just as Lin Yuan turned around, seemingly ready to lead the way.

"Go to hell!!!"

The dagger was revealed!

The previously terrified Captain Li's expression instantly became as ferocious as a demon. He suddenly pulled a poisoned dagger from his lower back and stabbed fiercely at Lin Yuan's heart!

At the same time, those "survivors" who were huddled in the corner also sprang up simultaneously.

"Kill!!"

They tore off their disguises, pulled out pre-prepared silenced pistols and short knives from their clothes, and fired a barrage at the vital points of Lin Yuan and the other two!

What was even more terrifying.

Boom!

From the seemingly empty ventilation ducts and the mezzanine of the ceiling all around, dozens of killers dressed in black tights and wearing masks rushed out instantly.

Pantheon Cult · Assassination Squad!

"Captain, look out!!"

Xiang Lie and Su Xiaoxiao were shocked and horrified; it was already too late to rescue him.

That poison-dipped dagger was only 0.01 centimeters away from Lin Yuan's back!

Captain Li's eyes were filled with ecstasy. As long as it pierced even a little bit of skin, the neurotoxin on it could instantly paralyze an elephant! Lin Yuan would surely die!

However.

Clang—!!!

Captain Li felt as if he had stabbed into an invisible steel plate. The huge recoil force made his hand numb, and the dagger almost slipped out of his hand.

"What?!"

He widened his eyes in horror.

He saw that at Lin Yuan's back, a faint, deep blue Spiritual Telekinesis shield had already opened at some point, steadily blocking this fatal blow.

"Are you done acting?"

Lin Yuan slowly turned around.

The gentle smile that had been on his face was now gone. He looked at Captain Li, who was frozen in place and looking dull, and shook his head lightly:

"The expression is good, and you've memorized your lines well."

"Unfortunately..."

Lin Yuan extended his finger and lightly flicked the dagger.

Ding!

The dagger snapped in response.

"In my eyes, it's full of flaws."

"Also." Lin Yuan's gaze swept over the black-clad killers rushing out from the shadows all around, and the smile at the corner of his mouth gradually turned cruel:

"You don't really think..."

"That I came here to save people, do you?"

Hum—!!!

Before he finished speaking.

Nine [cicada wing · termination] flying knives, already poised and ready, burst out from the void behind Lin Yuan!