Chapter 463: Race Against the Poison Mist

Hu Zifeng replied, “Territory One has assembled a search team. We’re heading out now. No need for everyone to pool their credits.”

Officially, Xia Qing was Hu Zifeng’s girlfriend. Now that she was in danger, of course he’d go rescue her.

Yue Haiying, acting agent of Territory Fifteen and a member of the Lords’ Alliance, quickly joined in. “Territory Fifteen can send two evolvers armed and ready to assist—no payment required.”

Xin Yu, leader of Territory Eight, joined soon after. “Territory Eight’s Evolved Eagle Owl will join the squad for aerial reconnaissance.”

Shi Du from Territory Ten came online too. “Captain Hu, I’d like to apply to join the search squad.”

Kuang Qingwei couldn’t reach Xia Qing by phone and was so anxious he felt like his hair might catch fire. “It’s getting darker by the minute. Every extra second Xia Qing spends in the Evolved Forest means more danger. Please, I’m begging you all. I’ll steam rice and stew meat here for you—come back safe.”

Zhang San came online as well. His words were calm but carried a sharp tension. “Territory Seven is sending three advanced evolvers with heavy weapons and rescue equipment to link up with your team at Hill Fifty. Xia Qing went out to gather herbs for me. If anything happens to her, no matter who’s responsible, I’ll make each of you pay for it twenty times over.”

Tang Huai from Territory Twelve was so excited he squawked like a duck, but before he could press the walkie-talkie, his father beat him to it. “Territory Twelve can supply lighting equipment for night operations. Don’t worry too much. Xia Qing isn’t reckless. If she chose to go out, she’s got her reasons and some confidence.”

The search and rescue squad was ready to assemble and set out, but Tan Junjie called for a halt. “Hold off for now. The Inspection Team has already reported the situation and is requesting a drone. The search team will depart as soon as it’s cleared. The Evolved Forest is extremely dangerous at night. All personnel, stay put for now.”

As the sun set, purple smoke spread rapidly through the dense pine forest on the third peak of Hill Fifty. The evolved animals caught in the haze fled for their lives.

Birds that made it just ten meters past the thick fog lost balance and crashed to the ground. The cries of reptiles swallowed by the smog faded fast, while countless others at the edge of the mist scattered in panic.

“Er, run! Full speed!” Xia Qing fitted a fully enclosed protective mask onto Er Gou and ordered it to escape fast. Then she dashed straight into the purple mist, racing toward the blast’s epicenter for a rescue. Er Gou ran a few steps but saw Xia Qing charging in—and without hesitation, spun around to follow her.

“Bang!”

Another poison gas bomb exploded and the purple fog rolled out even faster.

“Queen, Broken Back—” The thick mist blurred her vision. Xia Qing shouted as she ran, finally finding the two wolves. She clipped protective masks onto their heads, tightened the straps, and fled with them at top speed.

Tangled attack vines? Chop them down!

Giant monitor lizards lying on the ground? Leap right over them!

Frenzied rats and rabbits? Run together! Wait—those little guys are even faster. Xia Qing followed their lead, barking orders to the wolves as she ran. “Queen, Broken Back, Er, get moving! Don’t worry about me—I’ve got a protective suit!”

“Whoosh—”

A fierce wind blasted through. Before Xia Qing could react, the Alpha and Broken Back wolf had already swung around to confront it. Xia Qing and Er Gou kept sprinting ahead.

“Bang!”

“Boom!”

The crash of the wolves smashing into the Trapping Team member was quickly followed by an explosion, making Xia Qing’s ears ring. The purple fog billowed forward, with small animals collapsing all around, convulsing from the gas.

Er Gou couldn’t keep running—its pace slowed sharply. Xia Qing popped her backpack open, shoved Er Gou inside, and sprinted on with it strapped to her back.

“Boom!”

“Bang!”

Explosions and crashes echoed again—this time, much closer to Xia Qing. Clearly, the two evolved wolves hadn’t managed to stop the pursuer.

Eight members of the Trapping Team had already been taken out. Only two remained. Judging by the sounds behind her, Xia Qing figured just one was chasing her now—a high-level speed evolver. The same one who’d just fought the Alpha.

With both the Alpha and Broken Back wolves masked up, their sense of smell was gone, hearing was muffled, and fog ruined their vision. Their combat ability tanked. All they could do was fight claw to body in bitter defense. The odds were against them.

She had to take down the speed evolver before the other Trapping Team member in a sealed protective suit caught up!

Xia Qing didn’t hesitate. She slid to a stop, hit the ground, held her breath, ripped off her mask, slipped on her thermal imaging glasses, then pulled the mask back on. The glasses had a bit of imaging lag, but in this choking haze, it was her only way to see and fight.

Through Xia Qing’s blurry, shifting field of vision, the shapes of two wolves and one man zipped back and forth—legs blurred, bodies distorted—but wolves ran on four legs, humans on two, easy enough to tell apart. The pursuer gripped a weapon that looked exactly like the fat-barreled gun used earlier to ambush the wolves.

So that weapon was made to fire poison gas bombs!

Stay calm. She had to keep a cool head. The pursuer was likely a level seven speed evolver. Only by staying calm could she track his movements and predict his attacks.

Keep it together…

Keep your breathing steady…

Keep your hands steady…

“Pew! Pew! Pew!”

As the pursuer dodged the Alpha’s claws and swung his fat-barreled gun to fire at the spot where Broken Back would land, Xia Qing struck—three shots flared in her sight, streaking through the haze, each bullet splitting off in a different direction.

“Boom!”

A bullet punched into the pursuer’s gut just as he squeezed his own trigger, letting loose a poison gas bomb.

The bomb, aimed squarely at Broken Back, was intercepted in mid-air by Xia Qing’s third bullet. It exploded overhead.

The wounded pursuer staggered back from the blast, only to be smashed forward by the Alpha who slammed into his spine with her mask-covered head, shoving him off balance.

In the next instant, Broken Back launched like a cannonball and smashed the pursuer aside. Xia Qing’s bullet followed close behind, drilling him right in the waist.

“Bang!”

The pursuer, already hit three times, was sent flying by Broken Back’s impact, crashing straight into a pine tree. A shower of pine needles rained down all around.

Once Xia Qing was sure the threat was gone, she rolled over and opened her backpack to check on Er Gou. Seeing its sides still rising and falling, she slung on her pack and, with the two wolves, made a break for it through the mist.

Unspoken, all three dashed uphill together—straight toward where the first poison gas bomb had exploded—intent on catching the final Trapping Team member.

Once they broke through the fog, the Alpha leaped in front of Xia Qing, signaling for her to remove its mask.

“Queen, this fog is dangerous—”

Before Xia Qing could finish, the Alpha turned to Broken Back.

Without hesitation, Broken Back lifted a paw and—swish, swish—snapped the Alpha’s mask straps in a flash. The Alpha shook off its mask and shot up the mountain.