Chapter 110: Making Full Use of Resources

Objective achieved.

Lying prone on the hillside, Chris watched the temporary camp not far below in silence. She pulled the bolt of her rifle with force, chambered a new round, and re-aimed at the silhouettes ahead. Soon, concentric circles of light manifested within Chris’s pupils, spinning rapidly to lock onto her target. She then raised her sniper rifle high, aimed into the sky, and pulled the trigger.

"!!!"

A bullet streaked from the muzzle, soaring toward the heavens. It quickly began to plummet under the influence of gravity, tracing an arc through the night sky before the spinning projectile slammed into the head of a sniper on top of a vehicle within the Caesar Legion's perimeter. It exited through his eye and, as if drawn by a magnet, ricocheted into the temple of the person standing next to him—a feat that defied all scientific logic.

Three firing points on the vehicle roofs were neutralized by Chris within a minute. However, Chris did not continue; Fahren had given her orders. Her role was to contain and distract the enemy, ensuring they remained cowering like turtles.

Thinking of this, Chris reached out to stroke her cloak. It was this very garment that kept her hidden even at such close range. While darkness was the best cover, in a place like this, any suspicious presence would immediately draw attention. Without this "Cloak of Concealment," Chris would likely have been discovered long ago. After all, both sides had chosen this vast, featureless wasteland for their trade specifically to prevent ambushes.

But now...

"The Commander really knows how to raise the stakes..."

On the other side, Eluka peered quietly through the vehicle window at the camp nearby. Neither side realized that Fahren’s vehicle, the *Harmony*, was currently only about a thousand meters away. Thanks to its optical camouflage and the silent propulsion of its mag-lev chassis, it had gone undetected. Even so, Eluka remained focused on the fog-shrouded area, her hands resting on the controls of the *Harmony’s* energy cannon. Fahren’s order was to open fire and intercept the Federation if they attempted to retreat. Unlike Chris’s silent work, Eluka’s capabilities were loud; she knew that once she fired, they would immediately draw the enemy’s attention. The situation would become much more troublesome then.

Fortunately, for now, the Federation seemed to have no intention of retreating.

"How is it, Kurona?" Eluka asked without turning her head, eyes still fixed on the target. "Have you detected the object?"

"No, Sister Eluka." Kurona, hugging her teddy bear beside her, shook her head. "That item seems to be shielded by some kind of power; I cannot probe what is inside..."

"I see..." Eluka shook her head, narrowing her eyes. "I wonder what kind of good stuff these guys are hiding..."

Both the Federation and the Caesar Legion reacted with extreme caution to the sudden incident. They quickly formed a defensive perimeter using their vehicles as cover and dispatched squads to scout the perimeter. Unfortunately, their opponent was clearly much craftier; aside from those initial strikes, no further attacks occurred. However, this did not mean the enemy had left.

"Damn it..."

The fog grew thicker, yet neither the Caesar Legion Commander nor Monks could make a move. If they could, they would have reorganized the situation—at least to leave this eerie fog and regroup—but the problem was... they couldn't leave now.

Looking at the corpses lying beside the cargo, the Caesar Legion Commander and Monks were ashen-faced. They had tried more than once to send men to transport the cargo, but every time someone attempted it, that bizarre, unseen sniper fire would blow their heads off. After several such attempts, both sides dared not act further. Monks and the Legion Commander naturally hid in the blind spots of the sniper fire, protected by their own attendants and guards, to avoid being picked off.

But... what next?

Neither the Legion Commander nor Monks would ever dream of abandoning their cargo. For now, they clearly had no other choice.

But Fahren was clearly an exception.

*Click.*

The heavy doors of the cargo truck were opened by him with ease. Fahren leaped into the truck in one bound, looking up to see a woman in a gorgeous dress staring at him with wide, astonished eyes. Just as a man might instinctively react to a beautiful woman, the appearance of such a handsome and dashing man clearly caught her off guard. She froze for a split second, the scream that should have erupted from her throat stifled. Just as she came to her senses and prepared to shriek, Fahren’s hand clamped over her mouth. A cold glint flashed as a scalpel pierced her forehead. The poor woman didn't even have time to struggle before she slumped to the floor, motionless.

After confirming there was no one else in the truck, Fahren set down his briefcase, opened it, and gazed at the energy chips inside.

"This quantity... the Federation is truly wealthy... and there are five 'Fine' grade chips..."

As he spoke, Fahren picked up the five blue chips, examining them closely. A faint smile curled at the corners of his lips.

"Well... corruption and waste are the greatest crimes, so let me be the one to put these to good use..."

Fahren clenched his fist tightly. Following his movement, the blue chips shattered instantly, transforming into dust that swirled and fused into Fahren’s arm. In Fahren’s eyes, the small parasite residing in his right arm began to tremble under the stimulation of this massive energy. It opened its eyes, which radiated a dazzling, bright luster. Simultaneously, the fog spewed from the creature’s mouth grew even thicker. The once translucent mist formed into a tangible entity in Fahren’s sight, stained with a hue like black ink. Its forelimbs, now sprouted with claws and fangs, stretched outward; the shimmering, sharp claws clawed at the air, looking as if they could tear through the very clouds and mist.

At the same time, the skill bars in Fahren’s vision, having absorbed the energy, began to advance rapidly.

[Swift Shadow: (LV4) ↑ (Host speed increased 4x, can fly for a short duration)]
[Sever: (LV5) ↑ (Host gains finisher "Blade of Ruin," damage bonus 4x, damage range +1)]
[Blade of Ruin: Can ignore special effects to deal damage to the target. Duration: 5 seconds. Uses: 4/4]
[Mist (LV3) ↑: (Host generates mist to hide form, 500-meter radius, reduces enemy perception)]

Done!

Looking at the upgraded skills, Fahren nodded with satisfaction. The gains from the "Fine" grade energy chips were indeed massive. Five chips had not only leveled up [Swift Shadow] and [Sever], but [Mist] had also reached level three.

Now, it was time to wrap things up.

Fahren glanced around, then suddenly leaped upward. His scalpel sliced quickly through the heavy roof of the truck, and the next moment, he vaulted out through the gap like a giant bird. Immediately after, the cargo truck beneath him exploded with a deafening "boom," turning into a fireball. From amidst the roar of the explosion, a voice filled with immense rage rang out:

"I am going to kill you!!!"