Chapter 53: What Should We Do Now

“But we’re not like ordinary infantry—we have maneuver cables…” Li Anqi had just finished speaking when, with two sharp whirrs, several elite trainees directly entered their Oni-Form and launched themselves from the western mountain pass using their maneuver cables.

“Maneuver cables can’t be used indiscriminately.”

Du Huaishan shook his head. “From here to the target is twenty-three kilometers. There are two resupply points along the way. Each high-pressure gas cylinder can be used for about eighteen to twenty launches, with a maximum cable reach of forty-five meters.”

“All told, that lets us cover a maximum of 5.4 kilometers. That’s nowhere near enough for us to waste, not to mention our Oni-Form can’t last five hours, and we need to reserve enough gas for hacking metal targets in the Qingshi Mountain woods.”

With everything laid out so clearly, the spirits of the Eighth Training Squad immediately deflated.

Twenty-three kilometers, armored and burdened—if they even made it by one in the afternoon, they’d likely have no strength left to attack the targets.

“Du Huaishan, what should we do now?” Lin Sizhi asked reflexively.

The others also turned their attention to Du Huaishan.

He studied the map carefully, pointing to the grassland marked with slashes and the hills marked with triangles. “Here’s my plan: we cross the plains on foot. At the first hilly terrain, we enter Oni-Form. Whenever we encounter wide ravines, we use the maneuver cables. That way, we can maximize the balance between stamina and gas consumption.”

“That’s a good plan!” Li Anqi slapped his pack against Du Huaishan’s back with a laugh. “Du Huaishan, we’ll leave everything to you! I hate memorizing things—just give the orders when the time comes!”

“I agree,” Lin Sizhi said.

Xu Yuan watched their interactions in silence. Just as Du Huaishan had analyzed yesterday, Li Anqi was brash, careless, and not much of a thinker; Lin Sizhi was timid, indecisive, and lacked initiative.

“What do you think, Xu Yuan?”

Du Huaishan’s voice interrupted her thoughts.

Xu Yuan nodded instinctively, then recalled Du Huaishan’s assessment of her. Pressing her lips together, she replied softly, “I’ll follow your lead.”

Du Huaishan’s eyelids twitched. “Alright, check your gear—let’s move!”

He tightened his pack’s drawstring and strode to the head of the line.

In an instant, all seven members of the Eighth Training Squad followed him out through the western mountain pass of the Martial Hall.

The city streets.

It was the morning rush.

On both sides, passersby at food stalls glanced at the new recruits, then went back to sipping their tofu pudding, unfazed as if such sights were routine.

“The busy district is up ahead. The streets will be crowded—should we use our cables to get across?” Chen Jun asked, spotting several trainees using maneuver cables to traverse the rooftops.

“No need,” Tan Hai replied as he ran, “Yesterday, Huaishan and I saw the 73rd Brigade dispatched to Shanlong Pass for the Northern Wall counteroffensive. The patrols have been sent outside the city to clear out nearby demons and ghosts to make sure the new recruit assessment goes smoothly. So the crowds in the city should be halved—it won’t slow us down.”

Tan Hai was always quick with such details; his mind worked as fast as his feet.

But Du Huaishan reminded him, “Save your breath while marching—conserve your energy.”

Maybe it was the effect of a good breakfast, but their energy was high. In less than half an hour, they reached the looming gray-brick wall of the western district.

The daily-use side gate beneath the great iron archway had already been opened by the soldiers on guard.

Stepping through the gate meant leaving the military settlement behind and entering the demon-haunted wilderness.

Li Anqi, Lin Sizhi, and the others’ expressions changed.

For those who’d grown up in the city, venturing outside was rare; even trips to other cities were typically by armored train.

The north wind howled across the vast white plain.

Somber black clouds brought flurries of snow, pelting Du Huaishan’s face, only to melt instantly from the warmth of his skin.

“Huff…ha…”

Tan Hai hauled his marching pack, gasping for breath. “You called it, Huaishan—looks like snow today.”

Du Huaishan had indeed predicted snow the day before.

“We’re moving too slow,” Du Huaishan said, checking the map. Over forty minutes had passed since they left the city, but they still hadn’t reached the first hilly area marked on the map.

Glancing back, he saw Tan Hai already struggling.

His endurance scores were average in training, and now, burdened with a rifle, bullets, and a full pack, his stamina was failing him.

Du Huaishan considered helping lighten his load.

But Xu Yuan beat him to it: “Tan Hai, let me carry your pack.”

Li Anqi, running at the rear, was stunned. The usually aloof Xu Yuan was offering to help?

For a moment, Tan Hai was tempted.

But soon, despite his gasping, he refused. “Thanks, but I’ll carry it myself. Huaishan said if you always shirk in training and assessments, you’ll only be a burden in real combat!”

With that, he gritted his teeth and pushed to the front. “I, Tan Hai, would rather die than be a drag on the team!”

Lin Sizhi’s eyes widened. She took a deep breath and picked up her pace as well.

Watching Tan Hai’s grimace and Lin Sizhi’s flushed face, Du Huaishan couldn’t help but laugh and shake his head. “Told you to talk less! Regulate your breathing, just a bit further!”

With everyone picking up speed, ten minutes later Du Huaishan finally spotted the branches of trees on the slope ahead. “We’re here! Fifty meters to the hill!”

Clang!

Demonic energy surged into his heart, his swelling gray muscles stretching his armor taut with power.

His grappling hook shot out, hitting the trunk of an old pine atop the slope. With a hiss of compressed gas, in a blink, Du Huaishan soared to the summit and rolled to a stop.

Bright flashes erupted as the entire Eighth Training Squad entered Oni-Form.

“Yah-ho!”

Tan Hai loosed his cable and shouted gleefully midair.

It saved them considerable energy otherwise spent climbing.

Once they landed, their speed surged another notch.

In Oni-Form, strength and stamina were greatly enhanced, and the sixty or seventy pounds of military gear no longer felt so heavy. Their energy was like a fuelled engine—power on demand.

Du Huaishan sprinted even faster; endurance was his Guardian Spirit’s specialty. Still, he reminded everyone, “Keep your fusion at just one percent! Otherwise, you’ll burn out your stamina too quickly!”

No sooner had he said this than—

A rustle.

A sudden noise from the northern forest—metallic clashes—made several of them draw their swords at once.