Chapter 212: Similar Historical Trajectories (1)
Chapter 212: Similar Historical Trajectories (1)
Translator: CinderTL
North of the Winterfrost Supply Zone lay the Silent Domain Field.
A towering, gray domain barrier loomed like a celestial curtain, blocking the convoy's path. Upon closer inspection, the team noticed that this gray curtain was slowly expanding outward.
The convoy halted a kilometer from the Silent Domain Field. Mu Qing, along with members of the Snow Wolf Battle Group, disembarked and began setting up camp.
Tents of various colors rose within the temporary encampment.
Their setup was remarkably simple. In their collapsed state, the tents resembled metal briefcases. Pressing the "open" button caused four metal legs to extend from the corners, automatically driving into the ground. The folded tent then rose, completing the assembly.
This product, developed by the Future Research Institute specifically for frontline domain combat teams, had undergone several generations of updates. It was designed for easy portability and convenient use.
Meanwhile, support personnel from the battle group retrieved tools and ingredients to prepare dinner.
This would be their last proper meal before entering the domain field.
After entering the Domain Field, they could only subsist on instant meals to replenish their energy. Starting a fire for cooking would be an extremely risky and foolish endeavor.
The leaders of the six domain combat teams participating in the expedition gathered around a campfire to discuss and confirm their respective assignments for the operation.
The campfire flickered in the biting wind.
When the steaming food was served, Mu Qing couldn't help but swallow hard.
Seeing her eager expression, the woman beside her couldn't help but laugh. "Are you that hungry?"
"I can eat a lot," Mu Qing admitted honestly.
She had been suppressing her appetite for a while, but she couldn't hold back anymore.
"No one can eat more than me," Ye Niu chimed in with a laugh. "I've been a big eater since I was a child. Back at Winterfrost Academy, my classmates even nicknamed me 'Trash Can'."
"Then I must be several trash cans... or maybe a dozen," Mu Qing replied with a straight face.
Thinking she was joking, the others couldn't help but chuckle, and Ye Niu burst into laughter.
But their amusement quickly faded.
As plate after plate of food arrived, Mu Qing revealed her ferocious side.
While others ate, Mu Qing's consumption could only be described as "devouring."
Watching the food dwindle, Ye Niu immediately shouted to the still-busy staff:
"Xiao Ye! More food! Double the amount!"
"Received!" the young man, who was busy preparing food, shouted back with a grin.
The meal dragged on for a long time, and by the time everyone else was stuffed, Mu Qing was still eating.
Her insatiable appetite completely conquered the group. They couldn't understand how someone so slender could possibly consume so much food.
Xiao Ye, still processing food, watched the once-abundant supplies rapidly disappear and began to question his life choices.
He even feared the mission might have to end early due to food shortages.
Fortunately, Mu Qing finally stopped eating, setting down her plate with a blissful expression.
Ye Niu gave her a thumbs-up:
"I'm impressed. Truly impressed."
"Am I eating too much?" she asked sheepishly.
"Not at all! Our battle group is C-class. We can definitely afford to feed you," Ye Niu said with a smile.
After some casual conversation, Commander Tuo Yan approached from a distance.
After gathering the group, he began relaying the latest intelligence he had obtained from other group leaders.
The Silent Domain Field's expansion rate had recently accelerated.
Three United Battle Groups had entered the field before them, but none had returned.
Because there was no signal within the Domain Field, the outside world remained unaware of their fate. It was unclear whether they had encountered danger or were currently mining resources within the field.
Their current mission was to explore the Silent Domain Field, gather intelligence, and attempt to locate the missing members of the previous domain combat teams.
Once he finished speaking, Tuo Yan immediately said, "Pack up, get some rest, and we'll enter the Domain Field at dawn tomorrow." With that, he turned and walked toward his tent.
The group members rose to their feet, tidied their surroundings, bid each other goodnight, and retreated into their tents.
Mu Qing also entered her tent at that moment.
The tent was small, but its ceiling was made of a special transparent material. Lying down, she could clearly see the starry sky above.
Listening to the whistling of the cold wind as it swirled around her, she drifted into sleep, her mind occupied with her thoughts.
Hours later, a crystal-like sheen appeared at the corner of her mouth, and she mumbled with a foolish grin, "So delicious!"
The next morning, at seven o'clock, the far north region remained shrouded in darkness.
Except for a few sentries monitoring the expansion of the Domain Field, the rest of the personnel were still asleep.
But then, a guard standing on the vehicle roof suddenly spotted several figures emerging within the Domain Field, followed by their breakthrough of the domain barrier into the outside world.
Without hesitation, the guard immediately sounded the alarm.
The piercing siren drowned out the howling wind, jolting the sleeping warriors awake.
Like conditioned reflexes, they swiftly donned their gear and rushed out of their tents.
Searchlights now swept across the Domain Field.
Several humanoid figures stumbled out of the field, leaving bloody footprints behind them as they staggered forward.
"Our people! Support!" the guard shouted decisively after identifying the situation through his observation equipment.
Understanding the situation, the well-trained domain warriors surged toward the Domain Field.
But before they could get close, a hand formed from mist pierced the domain barrier and seized the running figures.
Before the horrified eyes of the onlookers, the bodies of the soldiers were drained of flesh and blood in an instant, transforming into desiccated corpses.
"Damn it!"
Ye Niu, who had been racing toward the Domain Field, couldn't suppress a furious roar at the sight.
"All personnel, assemble! Everyone in front, fall back and prepare for battle!" Commander Tuo Yan shouted.
Ye Niu, though reluctant to obey, quickly turned and retreated to the camp.
As they watched the slowly expanding Domain Field, the soldiers' expressions grew grave.
The fact that a misty hand had pierced the domain barrier proved this was a Domain-Transcending Creature, fully capable of leaving the Domain Field and entering the outside world.
This was undeniably bad news.
Compared to the expanding Domain Field, a Domain-Transcending Creature posed a far greater threat to humanity.
Moments later, the desiccated corpses of the domain warriors were carried into the camp.
The soldiers fell silent as they gazed at the corpses.
Even though they were accustomed to death, seeing their comrades fall before them left a stifling weight in their chests.
Today, it could be them tomorrow.
The recent events made the warriors realize that the missing battle groups had likely met with disaster, though this had always been a high probability.
The Silent Domain Field's current exploration had yielded limited data, and this incident forced them to re-evaluate its difficulty.
But since they had already arrived, they naturally wouldn't turn back.
After burying their fallen comrades, Tuo Yan and the other group leaders began preparing their teams.
Two hours later, as the sun rose,
Tuo Yan and the leaders of the remaining battle groups led their members into the Silent Domain Field from different directions.
"Prepare for battle. Don't let your guard down. This field might be more dangerous than we imagined."
Tuo Yan turned and shouted before entering the field.
At his command, the members tightened their grips on their weapons.
Mu Qing, walking behind Tuo Yan with Ye Niu and carrying a heavy pack, also clenched her fists, ready for combat.
When her body touched the domain barrier,
she felt a slight resistance, followed by a pull, and then she stepped straight into the Silent Domain Field.
As she stepped inside, she immediately sensed the difference between the Domain Field and the outside world.
The howling of the biting wind vanished instantly.
The gravity here was several times stronger than outside, making even the backpack on her back feel significantly heavier.
However, the weight was well within her capabilities, so she remained completely unaffected.
The Spirit Cultivation artificers in the team were most affected, but having undergone body cultivation training, they quickly adapted to the increased gravity after a brief adjustment.
Ahead lay a thick, persistent mist.
Fear stemmed from the unknown, and the environment before them put considerable psychological pressure on everyone.
"Stay close, keep an eye on your companions, and call out immediately if anything unusual happens."
Ye Niu, serving as the team's temporary core leader, stepped forward to Tuo Yan's side and took the first step into the Domain Field.
Seeing this, Mu Qing immediately followed beside Ye Niu.
Meanwhile, the team's analyst extended their hand to envelop a mass of mist in spiritual energy, beginning to analyze its composition. They then pulled out an electronic pen and recorded the data.
This information would be stored in the battle group headquarters' database upon their return and shared in real-time with all battle groups.
Battle groups that simultaneously gather data and resources also earn contribution points.
Contribution points are essential for a domain combat team to achieve Jinsheng, similar to experience points in a game.
Completing missions from the institute, conquering Domain Fields, and collecting data all contribute to a team's contribution value.
A team's evaluation can be promoted if they meet the standards for contribution value, personnel count, and overall strength.
This promotion also improves the welfare benefits for team members.
Furthermore, contribution values in specific Domain Fields entitle the team to a share of the resources obtained after a successful dispersal.
High risk comes with high reward.
Therefore, during exploration, analysts within battle groups continuously collect data related to the Domain Field.
Surveyors responsible for mapping along the way also pull out blank maps to chart the terrain, meticulously recording details such as trees, flowers, and grasses. As they advance, they attempt to sketch a complete map of the Silent Domain Field.
Each team's surveyors are essentially human maps.
The members of the Snow Wolf Battle Group had all graduated from Galaxy Academy, receiving specialized training that allowed them to precisely control their every step. Even though the Silent Domain Field was shrouded in mist, obscuring their vision, they were able to mentally map out the terrain they had traversed.
Terrain surveying was a key objective of the Snow Wolf Battle Group's mission.
Several other battle groups that had entered the Domain Field from different directions were undertaking similar tasks.
As their exploration deepened, they faintly heard wailing sounds in their ears.
The sound seemed to be weeping, but in an instant, it transformed into hysterical roars.
No one spoke. The group huddled together, following Ye Niu's slow, steady pace.
Suddenly, a scream came from the left flank of the team.
The mist was so thick that they could only see about a meter around them, making it impossible to discern what had happened at the source of the scream.
Tuo Yan shouted, "Hou-zi, what's going on?"
"A phantom is approaching, not a physical entity. It snatched Xiao Ye!" Hou-zi, responsible for guarding the left flank, responded urgently.
"General direction!"
"11 o'clock relative to the center of the group."
Hearing the reply, several artificers in the team simultaneously cast Illumination Art. They conjured orbs of light in their hands and hurled them toward the direction Hou-zi had indicated.
The orbs traced a crescent path through the air, dispelling the surrounding mist as they flew.
At that moment, everyone saw Xiao Ye suspended in the air, with a phantom, translucent wraith hovering above his head, its entire form a deep, ethereal blue.
(End of the Chapter)
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