The first ray of light barely grazed the peaks when the forty Vespers, armed and with their faces covered by the shadows of their helmets, silently surrounded the black iron mine complex. The formation was precise, each squad taking their assigned position, without noise, without hesitation.
To the north, Officer Jian Huo, designated by Ethan to secure the area, observed the operation through his helmet. One of the first to be recruited by Astralis, his gloved fingers gripped the modified Mauser 98, watching the target with predatory patience.
Beside him, an explorer handed him the latest report.
"Target confirmed. Five hostiles, possible cultivator. Refuged in the central building. On alert. No miners present. They haven't detected our presence."
Jian nodded with a slight movement. His eyes remained fixed on the center of the complex.
"Good. Prepare to neutralize the targets. I don't want any casualties."
"Team 2, secure the perimeter and block any escape routes."
"Understood."
In seconds, the Vespers split into two fronts. Team One would assault the position, while Team Two sealed the perimeter, flanking the hills and cutting off the rear.
Five against forty.
The numbers were in their favor. But Jian was not naive. The cultivators were walking anomalies,
Reaching the breaking point, the Vespers halted in pre-established positions, strategically dispersed among the hillside, rubble, and dry vegetation surrounding the complex. The sights of the Mauser aligned, one clear target at a time. Inside the central building, silhouettes were visible through the open windows, like restless shadows unaware of what was coming their way.
"Clear visual on two targets. Permission to fire."
Jian Huo observed the complex with calm analysis, each second crucial. The wind swept the dry ground, but his mind was focused.
"Fire at will. Neutralize active threats."
The first burst rang out with the precision of a well-oiled machine. Bam, bam, bam. Each shot was aimed, precise, lethal.
One of the cultivators, still adjusting his robe, had no time to react. A shot pierced his neck, dropping him instantly before he could even comprehend what was happening. The other attempted to summon a spiritual shield but was too slow. The bullets cut through the air, shattering his defense and tearing through his body just as swiftly.
"Mortals again?!" screamed one from the second floor, seeing his comrades fall. Without thinking, he threw a fireball in fury, shattering the window and hitting a Vesper's position.
An explosion erupted nearby, the roar shaking the ground where the Vespers were stationed. The air filled with debris and dust. One of the Vespers was hit by the shockwave, his black steel armor absorbing the residual force of the blast, leaving him momentarily disoriented but unharmed. The explosion had been brutal but not direct. It was as if the blow had stunned him, the world spinning around him.
The cultivator who launched the attack, however, made a critical mistake.
By exposing himself, he left his position open. A burst of bullets struck him directly, shattering his Qi shield and knocking him down immediately.
The rest of the cultivators quickly learned the lesson. With the lethal fire from the Mausers as testimony, they knew that at a distance, death was certain. They activated defensive talismans and quickly took refuge inside the building, seeking cover, their hearts racing.
"Shit, shit, shit... How can this be?" murmured one, terror evident in his voice, unable to process that the information brought by Xuan Tao was true.
"Shut up, get all the talismans, all your trump cards. Don't hold anything back!" ordered Xuan Jian, the leader of the group, with a harsh, urgent tone. His eyes, cold as steel, showed no doubt.
The attack paused momentarily, but the tension in the air was palpable. The Vespers would not rest, they would not allow any enemy to remain standing.
Inside the building, the situation grew increasingly tense. The two remaining cultivators took refuge in the shadows.
Jian Huo observed the situation coldly. He wasn't thinking about entering yet. Close combat would be fatal against a cultivator, even with the black steel armor. They couldn't risk a close confrontation.
"Surround the building, aim at every exit, don't let anything get out."
The Vespers quickly regrouped, each taking their position. "Hold position. Shoot anything that moves inside."
The Vespers surrounded the perimeter, securing all possible exits. The strategy was simple: wait. The wind softly blew through the rocks as the cultivators inside the building began to show signs of nervousness. With each passing moment, the pressure mounted.
Jian Huo watched everything with calm, his eyes fixed on the building. He didn't rush, didn't let impatience take over. "Are you going to stay inside and die like trapped rats, or will you escape?"
Inside the building, the air grew even thicker, charged with the tension of an imminent fight. Xuan Jian looked at his companion, his face tense but determined. "We can't stay like this," he murmured, activating a talisman. The paper's edge glowed for a moment before disappearing in a flash.
It was a message talisman, simple but expensive. Only a few words could be transmitted, but it was all they could use at this moment. Communication with the family was crucial, but it would take time. "I've transmitted the message, but they won't be able to arrive for hours from the city. We need to move."
Time was running out. Xuan Jian knew his chance to escape was slipping away with every passing second. The Vespers wouldn't let them rest much longer. "Ready!" he shouted, signaling to his companion. Quickly, the companion raised his hand and activated an attack talisman, summoning a fireball. The air around the window grew hot, and the cultivator, determined, was ready to launch the explosion directly at the Vespers.
But one of the Vespers' reflexes was quicker. Without hesitation, he observed the enemy's movement and, with a precise shot, struck the talisman at the exact moment it was being raised.
The explosion was violent, resonating through the structure with a wave of blinding light and scorching heat that enveloped the area. The cultivator who had invoked the fireball was thrown back, his robes charred and his body wounded by the shockwave. He fell to the ground, badly hurt and almost powerless.
"Damn mortals!" shouted Xuan Jian, furious at the failure of his attack. With controlled rage, he began to form a Qi barrier, preparing to escape. However, Jian Huo calmly ordered his troops to hold their position.
"Keep the pressure on!"
Xuan Jian knew his time was running out. He looked at his companion, who could barely stand, and, with a gesture, activated his sword strike, a powerful Qi technique. A beam of cutting energy sliced through the air, bringing down an entire wall to create an exit.
The building shook violently, and the wall collapsed, opening a gap to the outside. However, luck seemed to have run out for the cultivators. The Vespers were more than ready.
Xuan Jian saw the crack in the wall, his only chance of escape. "Quick, go!" he shouted, pointing to the path. His injured companion, crawling with difficulty, followed him as the first hail of bullets began to fill the air. The roar of the bullets hitting the walls and ground echoed, leaving a sense of impending death.
The bullets passed close by, piercing the air with a deadly hum. Xuan Jian felt pressure on his chest but couldn't stop. He leaped forward with agility, using his movement technique to gain speed and reach the gap. But his companion wasn't as fortunate. He was hit by a burst of fire, falling to the ground lifeless, unable to withstand any more.
Xuan Jian, with a swift jump, crossed the gap to the outside, where the terrain was somewhat clearer. But before he could move further, a bullet struck his Qi shield, cracking it instantly. The power of a Mauser was much greater than that of a musket, and that difference was now painfully clear. Where before it could withstand several impacts, now just one was enough to bring it close to collapse.
Quickly, he activated his defensive weapon, a protective Qi cloak, and moved forward, knowing the end was near.
At that moment, he launched desperate sword strikes, releasing the concentrated energy of a Fifth-Level Qi cultivator. The force of the attack cut through the air violently, and the energy hit one of the leading Vespers, throwing him back like a ragdoll. The man's armor dented, and his body lay motionless after hitting the ground.
"WHAT?!" thought Xuan Jian, seeing that the technique, which should have cut through iron, had merely torn the Vesper's armor instead of splitting him in two as he expected. Something was wrong. Why hadn't it worked as it should?
But before he could investigate, the other Vespers, seeing the attack, reacted quickly. A hail of bullets began firing at Xuan Jian, piercing his shield and hitting his body.
He had no time to dodge. The attack was unstoppable.
Xuan Jian fell to the ground, lifeless, as his body collapsed onto the earth. The warrior who had once been so strong and determined now lay still on the ground, his resistance finally broken by the bullets.
The fight was over.
Jian Huo watched the scene. "Collect the bodies," he ordered his men with a firm voice.
A group of Vespers began to clear the battlefield. With precision, they checked the bodies of the fallen cultivators, verifying that everyone was dead and ensuring there were no survivors who could launch a counterattack. The ground was soaked with blood, but everything indicated that no threats remained.
Meanwhile, another group approached the Vesper who had been hit by Xuan Jian's sword strike. The impact had been brutal.
The armor had absorbed most of the impact, preventing the vital organs from suffering severe damage. However, the blow had been so violent that the chest and rib areas showed a dent in the shape of a sword strike.
One of the Vespers, experienced in first aid, approached quickly to assess him. The man was unconscious. Although the armor had protected his vital organs, his ribs were fractured, and he had internal bruising. The fractures, though extremely painful, did not pose an immediate threat to his life, as his internal organs had not been perforated.
"He's injured, but alive," commented the Vesper as he placed a firm bandage around his torso.Jian Huo watched the scene silently before ordering without taking his eyes off: "Take him to the base. Get him immediate medical attention."