Chapter 766: Chapter 375: We’re a Rookie Squad, After All (Part 2)

"Moving all this stuff is more tiring than training.

Brother Chang’an, you don’t think we’ll actually have a mission tonight, do you?"

"Hard to say."

Li Chang’an sat down, his gaze drifting out the window.

"The frequency of missions from the base has been increasing lately. Command could send us out at any moment."

After they finished moving the supplies, the Insect Hunter Squad’s dorm finally quieted down.

Sun Yang flopped into a chair, propped his legs up on the edge of a table, and chewed on an Energy Bar.

"Man, today was brutal. After moving that whole pile of supplies, I feel like my bones are about to fall apart."

"What are you, a mover?"

Han Ruoxi took a bite of a peach from a can of fruit wine, her words coming out muffled.

"If this little bit of physical labor has you this exhausted, are you just going to play dead on the spot if we get a combat mission?"

"Hey, don’t put it like that!"

Sun Yang rolled his eyes.

"I call this balancing work and rest.

You’re snacking too, so why don’t you say you’re slacking off?"

"This is me rewarding myself, get it?"

Han Ruoxi shook the can in her hand.

"I pulled my weight just as much as you did with the supplies!"

"Alright, alright, that’s enough, you two."

Li Chang’an took his tools from a locker in the corner and began to disassemble his Saw Chain Sword, meticulously cleaning the gears inside.

"Use this time to get yourselves ready. Command has been assigning frequent missions these past couple of days. We could get an urgent notice at any time."

"Brother Chang’an, can’t you just not be like this all the time?"

Han Ruoxi looked at him with a helpless expression.

"We finally get a little downtime. You should relax too. Aren’t you tired of being so tense all the time?"

"I’m used to it."

Li Chang’an replied without looking up.

"In the Combat Group, there’s very little time to truly relax. You only earn the right to feel at ease by seizing every opportunity to prepare."

"Well, you’ve got a point there."

Shen Qiuyue put down her High-Energy Dueling Sword, stood up, and stretched her muscles.

"But I think relaxing once in a while isn’t a bad thing. At the very least, it keeps us sharp."

"I’m not stopping you from relaxing."

Li Chang’an reassembled the Saw Chain Sword and returned it to the weapon rack by the wall.

"But don’t forget, once we get a mission notice, no one can get out of it."

"Hmph, you say that as if we’d actually slack off."

Han Ruoxi pouted.

"You, our Captain, are really a bit too impersonal!"

"If I wasn’t ’impersonal,’ you’d all be long dead on the battlefield."

Li Chang’an’s tone was calm, yet it carried an irrefutable weight.

Han Ruoxi fell silent and went back to nibbling her peach.

Just then, Bai Lin’s terminal lit up. He glanced down at it, his brow furrowing slightly.

"Chang’an, a notice just came in from Command. Tactical meeting at 20:00. The Insect Hunter Squad is required to attend."

"I knew it."

Li Chang’an stood up and looked at his squad mates.

"You all heard that. Get ready. The meeting is in two hours."

"Speak of the devil."

Sun Yang sighed.

"If I’d known, I would have lounged around a little longer. Now I don’t even feel like sitting up."

"Could you possibly be any lazier?"

Shen Qiuyue shot him a cold glance.

"In your state, I honestly don’t know how you’ve survived on the battlefield."

"Alright, alright, my mistake, okay?"

Sun Yang waved his hands with a wry smile.

"I’ll go get ready now, how’s that?"

The squad members each began to organize their gear and prepare themselves.

Though no one said it out loud, they all knew this mission briefing would be anything but easy.

The brief moment of peace was merely the calm before the storm. The upcoming mission was likely to be a tough fight.

At 20:00 sharp, the Insect Hunter Squad arrived at the command room.

Commander Liu Na and Instructor Wei were already waiting. A holographic map on the command table displayed a complex topographical structure.

"Have a seat."

Liu Na’s voice was as calm as ever.

"The mission briefing is ready."

The squad members quickly took their seats, their eyes fixed on the holographic map.

"This is the latest reconnaissance data on the core region of the Insect Hive."

Liu Na said, pointing to a marker on the map.

"According to intel we’ve intercepted, the cooperation between the Rebel Army and the Insect Race has entered a critical phase.

Their objective is to establish a temporary command base in the core of the Insect Hive to coordinate the Insect Race’s attacks."

"Are they insane?"

Sun Yang couldn’t help but blurt out.

"Building a base inside an Insect Hive? Aren’t they just serving themselves up on a platter for the bugs?"

"The Rebel Army clearly doesn’t see it that way."

Instructor Wei interjected.

"They’re trying to use the Insect Race’s power to break through the Combat Group’s defense lines. And it seems the Insect Race is willing to cooperate with them, at least for the short term."

"What’s our mission?"

Li Chang’an asked directly.

"Destroy their base."

Liu Na’s reply was curt.

"But the core objective of the mission is to retrieve the prototype of the ’Split Flame’ weapon."

"Split Flame? Didn’t we say it was a weapon before?"

Han Ruoxi frowned.

"What do you mean, ’prototype’?"

"The Rebel Army is currently testing this weapon in the Insect Hive region."

Instructor Wei explained.

"According to our intel, Split Flame is a high-energy shockwave weapon capable of annihilating all life forms within a large radius in a short amount of time.

Once testing on this weapon is complete, it will become the Combat Group’s greatest threat."

"Sounds like a ticking time bomb."

Bai Lin said coldly.

"Once it’s activated, we won’t even have a chance to escape."

"Which is why you must destroy it before they finish testing."

Liu Na looked at Li Chang’an.

"The success or failure of this mission will directly determine the course of the battle for the Combat Group."

"What are the mission details?"

Li Chang’an asked.

Liu Na pointed to the holographic map and quickly explained the mission route and tactical deployment.

Her tone was calm, but every word carried an invisible pressure.

After the meeting, the squad members returned to their dorm to begin final preparations for the mission.

The air was thick with tension. Although everyone appeared calm on the surface, they knew in their hearts that this mission was far more difficult than any they had faced before.

"Brother Chang’an, this time... do you think we can pull it off?"

Han Ruoxi asked in a low voice while checking her bracers.

"We can’t think about ’if’ we can do it."

Li Chang’an said in a heavy voice.

"We can only think that we *must* do it."

"You really don’t leave any room for retreat, do you?"

Han Ruoxi gave a wry smile, but her gaze grew more determined.

Late into the night, the lights in the Insect Hunter Squad’s dorm were still on.

No one could completely relax. Tomorrow’s mission weighed on everyone’s mind like a heavy stone.

Everyone was preparing in silence, but their movements were tinged with a slight stiffness.

"Brother Chang’an, this map looks really complicated!"

Han Ruoxi sat on the floor, her terminal resting on her lap as she stared at the screen.

"Look at these routes inside the Insect Hive. They’re as dense as a maze.

If we take a wrong turn, won’t we be walking straight to our deaths?"

"We won’t take a wrong turn."

Li Chang’an sat at a table, adjusting the gears on his Saw Chain Sword.

"The route is already planned out. All the turning points are marked.

Your terminal has the map too. Check it whenever you need to tomorrow. Don’t make any mistakes."

"I know!"

Han Ruoxi bit her lip.

"But... I just have a bad feeling about this."

"Having a bad feeling is a good thing."

Shen Qiuyue said without looking up, wiping her Dueling Sword nearby.

"The most dangerous thing in a fight is overconfidence.

A little nervousness will actually make you more careful."

"Wow, Sister Qiuyue, I didn’t know you also did psychological counseling!"

Han Ruoxi couldn’t help but chuckle.

"You’re usually so cold, but you’re actually comforting someone!"

"Don’t get the wrong idea. I’m not comforting you."

Shen Qiuyue glanced up at her.

"I’m just reminding you not to drag us down."

"..." Han Ruoxi rolled her eyes, speechless.

"Figures. I shouldn’t have expected anything from you."

"Alright, stop bickering, both of you."

Li Chang’an looked up, glancing at the two of them.

"Get some rest. Tomorrow’s mission will be more physically demanding than today’s drills."

"Fine."

Han Ruoxi grumbled, turned off her terminal, and climbed into her bunk.

Sun Yang leaned against the wall, fiddling with his Pulse Gun and humming an unidentifiable tune.

After a moment, he suddenly spoke up.

"Chang’an, you think the Rebel Army will set up an ambush for us on this mission?"

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