These Cards Are Enough

Passing the battered group from the other three squads, Squad 22 left the camp, descended the slope, and headed into the forest.

The sky had already darkened. The Endless Mountain Range was more dangerous at night than during the day, and Lu Yuan and his squadmates stayed on high alert.

Tang Ji, as always, was ranging ahead to scout the surroundings.

Before long they had pushed more than ten kilometers deep into the forest.

The squad moved slowly, observing their surroundings, tracking Feral Beast movement patterns, and holding their breath whenever they caught the scent of a powerful aura.

Then Lu Yuan's expression shifted. White light flared across his body — he stamped the ground, and his form vanished from the spot.

On a branch to the squad's left, Tang Ji crouched low, his plain face set with caution, eyes sweeping the canopy around him.

What he couldn't see was the massive jet-black python creeping silently up behind him, its blood-red eyes gleaming with a crimson light.

The python drew close to the branch of a great tree just behind Tang Ji — then its body coiled taut and launched like a striking spring, jaws gaping wide, intent on swallowing him whole.

In that instant, a streak of white light crossed the branch, and Lu Yuan's form materialized there.

His greatsword swept out in a razor arc of sword light. The python was still airborne with nowhere to dodge, and the blade caught it full across the body — blood sprayed in a geyser.

Its bulk crashed to the ground with a dull **thud**, enormous coils writhing and shrieking.

Only then did Tang Ji react.

He spun around, staring at the python below him, cold sweat pouring down his spine.

"That python — it can *hide its aura?!* I didn't sense anything!"

Ice shot through his eyes.

The others had caught on by now and crowded in.

At the sight of the python on the ground, their faces changed.

Lu Yuan and Tang Ji dropped from the branch. The wound was catastrophic — the creature had nearly been cut clean in two — and its writhing gradually stilled.

Tang Ji looked at Lu Yuan, gratitude plain on his face.

"A-Yuan, thank you. Without you, I'd already be dead."

"Brother Tang Ji, don't mention it — we're squadmates. My perception's decent, fortunately. If it weren't, I might not have gotten there in time either."

The others looked at Lu Yuan with slightly strange expressions.

They already knew he was physically powerful with an astonishing defense.

But now his perception was sharp too?

Yang Qiu's expression turned odd.

"Are you some kind of all-around warrior?! How are you incredible at everything?"

Lu Yuan paused, then laughed.

"Not really. Defense is just my strongest point — I am Guardian Type, after all. Everything else is pretty average."

The rest of them: "..."

They had a feeling that Lu Yuan's definition of "average" and theirs might not quite align.

At this point the python had died. As the group went over to examine it, Groat's brow furrowed.

"This looks like a Specter Python. They're rare in the Endless Mountain Range — they have a strong ability to conceal their aura. They should only exist outside the defensive line."

At those words, everyone's expression changed.

"That means beasts from outside the line have already reached this zone?!"

Yang Qiu couldn't help but exclaim.

"How many made it through the line? How many are out here now?"

Ding Wen's face was grave.

Groat's expression was equally serious.

"If beasts from beyond the defensive line are already here, it means we could run into leaked groups at any time — possibly even a minor Beast Tide. Everyone needs to be prepared for that."

The squad nodded.

Just then, Groat's expression shifted. He pulled out his communicator.

A red light was blinking on it.

He glanced at it, and something tightened behind his eyes.

"Distress signal. Forty kilometers southwest — Squad 1 has hit a beast swarm, with a possible Beast Tide behind it."

"Forty kilometers southwest? That's close to Camp 306's defensive perimeter, isn't it? They actually pushed that far out?"

"Captain, are we going?"

Everyone looked to Groat.

Groat thought it over and was about to speak — then a new message came through on the communicator.

"No need. Squads 45 and 66 are near Squad 1. They're already on their way. Let's keep scouting our own zone."

Everyone nodded.

After the ambush, Tang Ji stayed noticeably closer to the main group during his scouting runs — close enough for a quick rescue.

Even with Lu Yuan's strong perception, there were limits. If Tang Ji strayed too far, arriving in time would be uncertain regardless of how sharp his senses were.

Time passed. Deep in the night.

After the squad killed two Night Demon Hounds that had tried to ambush them, Groat spoke.

"Rest up. Recover your Spirit Power."

Everyone settled cross-legged to replenish what they'd spent.

Lu Yuan mimicked the others, sinking into the same meditative posture — looking for all the world like he was restoring Spirit Power. In truth, his Spirit Power hadn't dropped below full.

They'd barely settled when every one of them stiffened at once, eyes flying open.

Everyone leaped to their feet.

"That aura..." Yang Qiu's voice went strained. "There's so much of it."

Groat's brow pulled tight as he stared in the direction the aura was rolling from. "A Beast Tide?!"

"So many auras merging together — I can't even begin to count how many beasts are out there. Captain, what do we do?"

Lu Yuan gazed toward the distant pressure and felt his expression shift.

His perception was sharp enough to feel it clearly: the aura in that direction was vast as an ocean. That alone told him everything he needed to know about the scale.

Groat's jaw set.

"Tracking Beast Tide movement is exactly what the Scout Unit is for. What do we do? We go in and take a look. Carefully."

Everyone nodded, faces taut.

That many beasts — if they were spotted, it was over.

"Conceal your aura. Use your Talismans."

Groat issued the order and drew out a gray Talisman, activating it.

The moment it took effect, his aura dimmed dramatically — barely a whisper unless you were looking straight at him.

Lu Yuan and the others activated theirs as well.

These were Concealment Talismans, issued to them by the military. They were rare enough that each person only had one; after use, you had to file a report before drawing another.

With their auras suppressed, they crept silently toward the source of that oppressive pressure.

The Beast Tide wasn't moving at a breakneck pace. It didn't take long before they were drawing close.

With each step nearer, the swelling chorus of snarls and low growls grew louder. The ground shivered faintly beneath the weight of stamping paws.

The squad exchanged a glance. Groat gestured, and they climbed into a thick canopy and edged forward.

And then — through the dim starlight — they saw it.

Not far ahead, a dense, churning mass of Feral Beasts was surging through the forest.

All kinds: Black-Scale Demon Wolves they'd seen before, Night Demon Hounds, Black-Blade Panthers, and more.

Their auras were Second- and Third-rank. Lu Yuan allowed himself a small measure of relief — he sensed no Fourth-rank aura among them.

Lu Yuan swept his gaze across the surroundings. Groat and the others wore grave expressions, watching in silence.

Groat signaled, and they retreated a short distance before speaking in a low voice.

"Roughly two thousand or more — the vast majority Third-rank. Going by their direction of travel, they'll miss Camp 256, but if they hold their current course, they'll hit Camp 219."

"Captain, what do we do?"

Groat considered briefly.

"This minor tide is substantial in number but not especially powerful. We can notify the Vanguard to move in and wipe them out — our camp can handle this many."

Eyes lit up around the group. Barely-suppressed smiles broke through.

"Then what are you waiting for, Captain? Send the message!"

Yang Qiu urged.

During the Beast Tide, eliminating a minor swarm meant serious military merit, and their squad — as the ones who'd found and tracked it — would get a good share of the credit.

Lu Yuan's eyes gleamed especially bright. Military merit was the whole reason he was out here.

Patrol missions gave some, sure, but nowhere near as much as finding and monitoring a Beast Tide.

And once the Vanguard arrived, he'd get to join the fight himself.

Groat grinned. "Sending it now."

While the squad spoke in hushed voices, something in the middle of the tide suddenly halted.

A canine beast — dark crimson fur covering its body, a single horn jutting from its head, two strange black antennae — stopped in its tracks and turned toward the direction of Lu Yuan's group.

Its twin black antennae quivered.

Then cold killing intent flashed in its blood-red eyes, and it let out an enraged howl.

At that howl, the surrounding beasts erupted in answering snarls.

The canine beast wheeled around, and with the full horde at its back, changed course — driving straight toward Lu Yuan and his squad.

They felt the shift the instant the tide turned.

Every face went white.

"What's happening?! The tide just changed direction — it's heading right for us!"

Groat snapped out a decision.

"Get off the tide's path. Don't engage directly. The Concealment Talismans are still active — they shouldn't have detected us."

The squad moved to put distance between themselves and the tide.

The moment they moved, the tide adjusted again.

Yang Qiu's expression went rigid.

"Damn it! Have those animals actually found us?!"

"That's impossible. We're using Concealment Talismans."

Dread surged through the group — but no one dared stop moving. The beasts were right behind them. Stop meant being swallowed alive.

Then Lu Yuan felt it: a mass of beasts had split from the main tide and was accelerating directly toward them.

"Drink your Speed Serums!" Groat called out.

They downed their Speed Serums — and immediately realized the beasts were still gaining.

"They're fast. What do we do? We can't outrun them!"

Ding Wen glanced back, his face going pale.

At this rate, they'd be overrun in seconds — ten at most.

At that moment, Lu Yuan drew out a cyan-colored Talisman, channeled Spirit Power into it, and activated it.

A wave of gentle wind swept across the group, enveloping them.

Their speed surged — for the Second-rank Boss Grade Gene Warriors like Ding Wen and the others, it was nearly doubled.

Jaws dropped all around. Every head turned toward Lu Yuan.

"A-Yuan, where did this come from?" Groat asked. "That effect is incredible."

Lu Yuan smiled. "Not bad, right? You all know I came away from the Aier Mechanical Ruins with a few things."

*Yeah right, 'not bad' — this is a Second-rank Lord Grade group speed Talisman. Of course the effect is incredible.*

The squad nodded.

Their speed was now — barely — a match for the beasts.

At this pace, if they kept running, they'd make it back to camp.

The pursuing pack sensed the sudden speed increase. They snarled in fury, Spirit Power surging through their bodies, and they pushed faster.

The faint relief that had begun to settle over the squad vanished. Hearts hammered again.

"Those things just won't quit," Yang Qiu ground out through clenched teeth, her face tight with anger.

Then, as they tore past a cliff face, a cave opened in the rock ahead.

Lu Yuan's eyes lit up.

"Into the cave."

No one knew what he was thinking, but they trusted him enough to bolt for the opening without asking.

Once they were all inside, Lu Yuan took position at the entrance, laying his greatsword flat across the opening to seal it.

Truth be told, on his own he could have escaped at any point. But abandoning his squadmates was never a consideration.

He couldn't carry them all while fleeing either. With them sheltered in the cave, he could fight without holding back.

Groat's group had no idea what was going through his head.

They stared at Lu Yuan blocking the entrance, faces cycling through shock and alarm.

"A-Yuan!" Groat's expression darkened. "What do you think you're doing?!"

Lu Yuan turned back, grinning. "Captain, you already sent word to the Vanguard, right? I'm just holding the entrance until they get here."

"What?! If anyone holds this entrance, it should be me! You're a Talent Camp prodigy! If you die here, that's a loss the Empire can't afford — I'd rather it be me!"

Groat stepped toward him, plainly ready to shoulder him aside.

Lu Yuan gave him a flat look and rolled his eyes.

"Come on, Captain. My defense is way better than yours. I'm not going to get hurt."

"You—"

Groat opened his mouth to argue — and the aura hit them like a wall.

Lu Yuan turned away and said nothing more. His expression went calm, and then a broad, easy grin spread across his face.

He reached for his supplies.

Highest-tier Second-rank Defense Enhancement Serum. Highest-tier Second-rank Strength Serum.

Then the Talismans.

Wild Force Talisman. Iron Body Talisman.

An Electromagnetic Binding Field tossed out in front of the entrance.

One by one, each layer activated. Light after light pulsed across Lu Yuan's body, and a spread of strange pale-blue energy bloomed across the ground before him.

He stopped there.

*Let me think. No Fourth-rank beasts in this tide.* With his current state, these cards were more than enough to deal with everything here. No need to go further.

Behind him, Groat and the squad stood frozen — mouths open, faces blank.

Yang Qiu audibly swallowed.

"A-Yuan has... how does he have so many good things?!"

The others looked equally numb.

Tang Ji, who rarely spoke, broke his silence.

"Didn't A-Yuan tell us? He got them from the Aier Mechanical Ruins."

Yang Qiu nodded slowly, still a little dazed. "Oh. Right."

Groat shook himself out of it, worry still plain on his face.

"Even with all that — can A-Yuan really hold off this many beasts?"

This was a Beast Tide. Thousands of them.

The others felt the same cold knot of anxiety.

Stacie's face was grave. "I'll make sure A-Yuan is healed — whatever it takes."

The others exchanged glances, a bitter edge to their silence.

They were behind him. They couldn't even help.

Then — the first beast burst from the treeline.

A massive Black-Scale Demon Wolf came hurtling toward their cave, howling with fury.