Chapter 124 - 89: Silent Arrow

Chapter 124: Chapter 89: Silent ArrowJi Xinghuo returned to the First Level district but didn’t immediately leave the city. The Goraks of the Beiluo Shimen Clan could fly for short periods, had sharp hearing and vision, and excelled in reconnaissance. The Dagon people had also established Flying Patrol Teams, making it disadvantageous to hide during the daylight. Therefore, Bounty Hunters almost always set out at night and returned to the fortress before dawn. He followed a few Bounty Hunters to a large inn, which was one of the largest gathering places for Bounty Hunters in the Midpoint Fortress. The lobby of the inn was spacious, divided into a restaurant and a bar. Bounty Hunters sat in pairs or groups at tables or drank at the bar, exchanging information in a lively atmosphere. When Ji Xinghuo entered, he drew a few glances. seaʀᴄh thё Novelƒire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. However, most people just gave him a brief look before turning away, with someone muttering softly, "A newbie has come." "Looks like he’s got some skills." "Who that dares to be a Bounty Hunter doesn’t have a few tricks up their sleeve?" someone next to him replied, suddenly laughing, "Should we place bets on how long he’ll last?" "Three days." "Ten days." "I’ll bet fifty thousand Ya Yuan that he can make it to next month." They didn’t bother to lower their voices, and Ji Xinghuo, still at the door, heard them clearly, but he didn’t mind being the subject of their bets. He calmly walked to the bar where the waiter asked, "Would you like to check in, have a meal, or just a drink?" "Give me a beer first," Ji Xinghuo said as he handed over a bill. The bartender quickly pushed a full glass of beer toward him, which Ji Xinghuo picked up and sipped, while listening to the discussions in the hall. The topics of conversation among the Bounty Hunters revolved around three elements: bounties, points, and prey. Ji Xinghuo beckoned the waiter, "Do you sell defense maps here?" "Of course," answered the waiter, unsurprised, "But we only have the defense line maps of the Beiluo Shimen Clan, updated every ten days. They’re not always accurate, selling at two thousand Ya Yuan. Do you want one?" "Get me one." Having paid, Ji Xinghuo was promptly handed a finely-crafted map by the waiter. He unfolded and examined it carefully. This map encompassed about fifty kilometers around the Midpoint Fortress’s military defense lines, marking only the public military buildings on the Earth side. The Beiluo Shimen defenses, however, were detailed with locations of fortresses, watchtowers, bunkers, barracks, and defensive installations, stationed personnel, surrounding terrain, patrol routes and shift times, underground tunnels, and more. Ji Xinghuo studied the map earnestly for over an hour, nearly committing all the information on it to memory. Then he left the inn. Seeing that it was still early, he strolled around Midpoint Fortress, purchasing a batch of arrows. The bulk consisted of Titanium Aluminum Alloy Arrows, but he also replenished some Capacitor Arrows and Explosive Flame Arrows. The armament stores within Midpoint Fortress sold items leaning towards concealment and survival. Ji Xinghuo also saw a Stealth Ring, identical to the one on his hand, with a price tag of 13 million! However, the effect of the Stealth Ring completely justified its price. "So it’s that expensive." Many Bounty Hunters lingered longingly in front of the Stealth Ring, coveting the Superpower Ring. "Silent arrows?" Ji Xinghuo spotted a specialty arrow in an archery store that he hadn’t seen before, immediately sparking interest, so he went in to inquire. Moments later, when he walked out of the store, his quiver was fifty silent arrows heavier. These arrows were made of a sound-absorbing material that would absorb the sound waves created by friction with the air when shot, creating a silent arrow that was perfect for long-range assassination. What’s more, hitting the target with it would also silence them, ensuring they fell to the ground without a sound. However, silent arrows were made from a material of lesser quality than alloy, making their hardness and toughness slightly inferior, thus reducing their lethality in comparison to the alloy arrows. And if they hit a hard target, the arrows would be damaged, making it very unlikely to recover them. This rendered the silent arrows one-time use projectiles. Each sold for fifteen thousand Ya Yuan, more expensive than capacitors arrows, and they could only be used once, which is why not many people bought them. Ji Xinghuo, who wasn’t short on cash at the moment, bought fifty to try. If the effect of the silent arrows was good, he wouldn’t mind purchasing more in the future to incorporate them into his regular arsenal. Having purchased arrows and other necessary materials and tools, Ji Xinghuo found a casual inn, rented a room to sleep. When he awoke, the sky was growing dark, and Star Night was about to descend. He left the inn and headed towards the city gate of the First Level district. Upon arrival, there were already thousands of Bounty Hunters waiting. Despite the number of people, it was very quiet beneath the tall city walls. Everyone was fully armed, with serious and silent expressions, not in the mood to converse with others. Each excursion to hunt the enemy was a gamble with their own lives at stake; nobody knew if they would return. Perhaps, this would be their last hunt. Ji Xinghuo saw a few familiar figures he had encountered at the inn at noon. He also spotted "Red Devil" Alex. "Open the gates!" As the last vestiges of golden sunlight vanished from the horizon and the stars began to glitter in the night sky with the reflection of the Galaxy emerging, the city guards shouted loudly. Steam engines worked pulling chains to lift the alloy city gates, each over two meters thick. Bounty Hunters streamed out one after another, dispersing in different directions. One by one, figures disappeared from view. Having separated from the crowd, Ji Xinghuo too activated his Stealth Ring to conceal his presence and moved northeastward. As he crested a low ridge, he saw nothing but the barren landscape before him. The terrain undulated with elevations and depressions; forests had been cleared, vegetation destroyed, exposing rocks and soil, stretching as far as the eye could see without a hint of green. Between Earth and the Beiluo Shimen defense line was a buffer zone of five kilometers. This buffer zone had witnessed countless battles. On the surface, it seemed tranquil, but underneath lay innumerable trenches, traps, and tunnels, complex and crisscrossing, like a vast labyrinth long enough to circle Earth several times. Both sides would lay ambushes within. Simply crossing the buffer zone was extremely dangerous. Ji Xinghuo spotted a bright spot in the distance, Beiluo Shimen’s "Victory Castle," confronting Midpoint Fortress on this side from afar. At this very moment, numerous assassins and killers from the Beiluo Shimen Clan had also left their stronghold, preparing to cross the defense line and infiltrate human territory. Ji Xinghuo did not step into the buffer zone; instead, he continued heading northeast along the defense line. It was only after traveling twenty-plus kilometers that he entered an underground tunnel. The entrance to this tunnel was well-concealed, marked on the map he had purchased at the bar. When Ji Xinghuo arrived, he saw several bounty hunters. He deliberately kept his distance from the others, following them into the tunnel after they had entered. The tunnel was winding and complex, with many forks along the way. For those entering for the first time, it was easy to get lost, maybe even spending an entire night in the tunnels unable to find the way out, possibly even encountering the enemy. However, Ji Xinghuo’s magnetic field sensing easily found the correct path with a sweep. Exiting from the other end of the tunnel, he had already crossed the buffer zone. The bounty hunters scattered, some going alone and others forming small teams. Ji Xinghuo did not disturb them and proceeded in his chosen direction. Under the cover of starry night, a transparent figure moved swiftly, yet without making a sound. Stealth mode consumed Star Power. Ji Xinghuo almost always kept it activated; his Ether Affinity enabled him to recover Star Power very quickly, perfectly offsetting the consumption of the Stealth Ring. Not long after. He saw a Beiluo Shimen watchtower. From two or three kilometers away, Ji Xinghuo’s Wanxiang Star Pupil observed the watchtower as if it were at arm’s length. Entirely ruled by the Dagon people, the architectural style of the Beiluo Shimen Clan was dominated by them. Three concentric circular walls on the ground, with a cylindrical tower in the center rising over twenty meters high. The upper structure expanded outwards, resembling a giant mushroom. Right at the base of the watchtower was a military camp. Judging from its size, it housed between one hundred and two hundred people. And the commander was surely a Fourth-Rank master. Ji Xinghuo had no intention of attacking the watchtower. Even if he wanted to, he could not have defeated it, so he bypassed it from a distance and continued deeper behind the Beiluo Shimen’s defensive line. He traveled another twenty-plus kilometers, encountering watchtowers, guard posts, pillboxes, and camps along the way. Various sizes, densely arrayed, occupying strategic terrain to form a rigorous defense system. Such military buildings were not something one person could take down. For the time being, Ji Xinghuo did not consider them a target; his objective was the patrol team. Three hours into the starry night, Ji Xinghuo finally reached the predetermined area. However, he did not rush into action. Instead, he spent over two hours familiarizing himself with the terrain, defensive positions, and roads of this mountainous area, correcting the inaccuracies on his map. Then, he began to wait patiently. Like a professional hunter waiting for his prey to appear. Half an hour later. A patrol team entered his field of vision. Perched atop a tree, Ji Xinghuo’s spirits lifted. The defensive map had marked this route, which a patrol team would pass every three hours. They set out from a military camp five kilometers away, passing several watchtowers along the way before circling back via another route. Yet, almost no bounty hunters would engage them. This was because such patrol teams typically comprised twenty individuals, with members from all four tribes of Beiluo Shimen. They had logical professional combinations, were well-equipped, battle-coordinated, and led by a Third-Rank Dagon person as the captain. Even teams of two or three Super Mutants wouldn’t dare to confront the patrol team. Moreover, the patrol teams had the means to contact the military camp instantly. In case of an attack, stronger tribesmen would quickly arrive at the scene. Ji Xinghuo observed from above. Indeed, just as the information had stated, there were exactly twenty enemies. Half of them were from the Stone Lizard Clan, walking separately at the front and rear of the formation. Their towering figures clad in metal armor, carrying shields and weapons, and bearing spears, they acted as the shields and melee combatants of the team. Five Gorak took turns flying, scouting the surroundings. Four Dagon people were present, three atop Armored Warhorses, while one Dagon rode a plant leopard, a vine spirit. Clearly, the Dagon on the vine spirit was the Patrol Captain. A few minutes later, as the patrol team came within the range of magnetic field sensing, Ji Xinghuo identified the professions of the four Dagon people. Not all Dagonians were Water Masters or Bing Fengs, and these two occupations accounted for only about half. The other half, like humans, chose from many other Professional Templates. However, Dagonians’ genetic gifts skewed them towards certain fields, so their choice of Professional Templates was actually less diverse than humans. Many of their occupational abilities were similar, yet also differed from humans. Ji Xinghuo quickly decided on his tactics. Soon, as the patrol team entered his archery range, Ji Xinghuo raised the Dragon Falcon Eagle Bow. A faint light circled his right pupil as he aimed at a Dagon bearing a Hunting Bow, and he let loose an arrow.