Rex, Jin, and Mira moved as fast as they could through the desolate wasteland, their footsteps barely making a sound on the soft, sandy ground.
Rex carried the signal jammer carefully in his arms. His eyes looked around the horizon for any signs of monster movement as he led the way.
Jin moved with the aura of a predator, his sniper rifle slung over his shoulder as he kept watch for any threats. Mira, the smallest of the trio, followed closely behind as she clutched a small, portable control unit. ƒгeewёbnovel.com
“Alright,” Rex whispered, coming to a halt near a rocky outcropping. “This should be a good spot. We’ll plant the jammer here and make sure it’s well-hidden.”
Jin nodded, crouching down beside him. “I’ll keep an eye out for any unwanted visitors,” he said, his eyes already scanning the surroundings through the scope of his rifle.
Mira gave a sharp nod, then Rex carefully set the signal jammer on the ground, and Mira quickly went to work, covering it with sand and rocks until it was nearly invisible.
“How’s it looking?” Rex asked, glancing over at Jin.
“All clear so far.”
“Good,” Rex said, turning his attention back to Mira. “Let’s make sure it’s ready to activate once the White Comets are in the area.”
Mira pressed a few buttons on the control unit, and the signal jammer’s light flickered momentarily before settling into a standby mode, ready to be activated at a moment’s notice.
“Perfect,” Mira said, a satisfied smile on her lips. “Now let’s get out of here before any drones get close.”
The trio quickly and quietly retreated from the area, their eyes constantly looking around for any signs of the White Comets or other potential threats. Once they were a safe distance away, Rex tapped a button on the side of his mask, activating the communicator.
“Kael, the jammer is in place and ready to be activated.”
“We’re moving to the next location.”
“Good work, Rex,” Kael’s voice crackled through the comms. “Proceed back to meet Kai. Make sure to keep an eye out for any movements from the White Comets.”
“Will do,” Rex replied, pocketing the device.
Meanwhile, Kael and Aria were making their way towards the designated spot to plant the sandworm bait.
“Are you sure this will work?” Aria asked, glancing over at Kael.
“Positive,” Kael replied, his eyes focused on the path ahead. “The sandworms are highly sensitive to this stuff, according to young master Liang. Once it’s in place, it will only take a couple of hours before one of them surfaces.”
“But to do that… we need some bait.”
As they neared the designated spot, close to the sector the White Comets would be raiding soon, a low growl echoed through the night.
Kael stopped, motioning for Aria to stay back. From the shadows emerged a monstrous four- legged creature, its red eyes glowing in the darkness.
“Seems we won’t have to go looking,” Kael said with a smile, slowly pulling his sword.
It was a hulking beast with razor-sharp claws and scales that glimmered under the moonlight.
The moment Kael drew his sword, its blade ignited with blue flames.
“Alright, let’s get this over with.”
With a single, powerful strike, Kael plunged his flaming sword through the chest and into the heart of the monster.
It let out a pained growl before collapsing to the ground, its body twitching before it finally lay still. Kael pulled his sword free, the blue flames extinguishing as he sheathed it.
Aria, who had been watching from a safe distance, approached. She watched as Kael pulled out the vial of glowing orange liquid, carefully spreading it over the fallen creature. The liquid seeped into the beast’s wounds, causing its body to pulse with a strange orange light. Seeing all this, Aria couldn’t help but let out a sigh. “I still don’t understand why you made me, a Healer, come out here,” she said, her voice tinged with frustration. “My skills are better suited for supporting from the backlines, not running around in the wastelands with you.”
Kael glanced at her, smiling beneath his mask. “Oh come now, don’t be such a killjoy. Outings like this will do you some good once in a while, to get those eyes of yours out of those holographic screens. Besides, having a Healer close by is never a bad idea. You never know when I might need your skills.”
“You and I both know that isn’t the case; you just like putting people in uncomfortable situations for your own amusement. It’s a messed-up habit of yours.”
“Same with this jammer, it was never part of young master Liang’s plan. But because you feel it would be more fun to make the White Comets struggle more, you decided to include it in
the plan.”
“I’m sure you were hoping to catch a shocked or slightly shaken expression on my face while we’re out here.”
Kael’s smile widened beneath his mask. “So you have me all figured out, oh sweet Aria?” Aria huffed, crossing her arms. “Your sense of humor is messed up, you know. You’re going to have to make it up to me for putting me through this unnecessary stress.”
Kael chuckled softly. “Deal,” he said, finishing his task and stepping back to admire his work. “Now, let’s get back to the others. The sandworm should be drawn to this spot soon enough.”
“Then we’ll be able to get rid of the Summoner, the White Comets, and secure the top spot all in one fell swoop.”
The two of them quickly made their way back to their rendezvous point, Kael’s mind already focused on the next steps of their plan.
And that simply involved Kai securing the Summoner and then ending him, while the remaining White Comets were devoured by a sandworm. The plan was perfect, and it seemed nothing could go wrong.
But unknown to them, to endanger ones team mates and to be looked down upon in such a way was an unfortunate method to ignite an overlord’s wrath. Forget emerging first; they would be lucky if they were able to escape with their lives.