The Patrol Army Captain remarked, “Maybe the sand bandits are putting on a show. Stop the vehicle.” He spoke into the comm buckle, and the entire vanguard convoy halted.
He took the monocular telescope from Xie Jianxun’s hand, glanced through it, and frowned. “…Having a seizure?”
Xie Jianxun muttered, “What did I tell you.”
The scanning instruments detected no issues either. In the end, their target locked onto the vast expanse of white fog right before their eyes.
This fog is strange, the thought flashed through everyone’s mind.
The Patrol Army Captain tossed the telescope back onto Xie Jianxun’s lap. The latter fumbled to catch it and readjusted the lens settings. But a hand reached over and gently stopped him.
Xie Jianxun turned his head in confusion. “One?”
The mechanical puppet slowly shook its head, turned off the defogging mode, and gestured for him to look. “Just look like this.”
Xie Jianxun was baffled. Without defogging, wouldn’t this telescope revert to some ancient magnifying tool from centuries ago?
But One insisted, so Xie Jianxun obliged and placed it to his eyes.
At the sight, his eyes widened, and he stammered, “What is that?!”
A pair of eyes under the Patrol Army Captain’s helmet glanced over, seemingly gauging his reaction. Moments later, he asked, “Something new?”
Xie Jianxun handed it to him in shock.
The Patrol Army Captain casually raised it to his eyes.
At first, there was only a blanket of white fog, nothing visible. But half a minute later, the lens caught a hazy gray silhouette.
Not a sand bandit, he thought to himself, shaking his head inwardly.
It seemed to wear a uniform with a standalone mask-style helmet—style unclear—its side sprayed with reflective safety markers and Federation symbols.
The next second, the helmet’s faceplate snapped open, and mosaic-like pitch-black insect limbs surged forth.
The sand bandits on the ground began crawling on all fours. Even without hearing the sounds, he could imagine the scene.
The Patrol Army Captain silently lowered the telescope and said, “Turns out I’m the crazy one.”
At the edge of the fog zone, faint gray-black silhouettes emerged. Unable to hold back, a scout ship soldier opened the landship’s glass canopy first and readied his weapon.
He shouted, “Who are you? Stop right there!”
But the silhouette kept moving, vaguely discernible.
The fog seemed to spread, enveloping their vehicles one by one. They, too, finally saw the full, clear form of the silhouette.
The same procedure: an ancient soldier launched an assault at them.
Gunfire erupted fiercely. The scout’s bullets tore through its body like a hailstorm, and it vanished into the fog.
The fog dispersed with the shots, and it dissipated along with it.
“See that? That’s an informant bug.”
One’s voice came from behind. Xie Jianxun turned to look. The mechanical puppet sat cross-legged in the back, and upon catching his gaze, its lips curved slightly.
“Infestor bugs have no defenses. They inject neurotoxins into the human body to block pain sensations, along with certain Insect Clan-specific hormones for deep parasitization. Informant bugs, however, complete shallow parasitization on the body’s surface and use their harder, thicker forelimbs for sneak attacks.”
One said coolly, “The corpses of informant bugs secrete this white fog, creating optical refraction. I just didn’t expect it to linger without fully decomposing after all this time.”
“These ghost things are buried here?” the Patrol Army Captain asked sensitively.
One offered no answer.
Xie Jianxun stared into its eyes. “Is this the place you mentioned before—the one you wanted me to see?”
One nodded gently. Xie Jianxun grinned too. “Is it dangerous here?”
The mechanical puppet shook its head docilely. “The informant bugs were completely eradicated back then. Aside from some bugs that bred nearby, it’s very safe here.”
“…”
“I only understood one thing.”
The Patrol Army Captain rested one hand on the steering wheel and turned to look at them, serious and alert. “You two plan to act alone?”
…
A gunshot cracked. Every surviving sand bandit shuddered.
Jack gripped his gun tightly. Without thinking, he raised it toward the source of the unfamiliar shot—
He knew his own weapons intimately; he’d modified them himself and was familiar with their feel, weight, and sound.
But that sound came from a strange weapon.
He held it together, but Nir beside him nearly lost his nerve.
Panting heavily, Nir stammered close to the boss, “Could it be… even that thing is real?!”
Terrorized by the monstrous horror, the sand bandits pissed themselves in fear, nearly burying their heads in the dirt and pretending they saw nothing.
They raised their guns and unleashed a wild barrage all around!
Metal casings littered the ground, and the fog seemed scattered by the bullets—no more fake figures appeared.
By comparison, as the leader, Jack stayed much calmer. He whipped his head around. “Mase people! Get to your vehicles!”
Rustling sounds followed as people moved nearby.
But before the sand bandits took two steps, vague silhouettes multiplied around them, nearly encircling them!
Fake… all fake…
It’s this weird fog playing tricks…
Jack took a deep breath, then suddenly covered his mouth and nose, coughing three times from choking. He didn’t dare inhale the fog, fearing undetected toxins.
Get in the car now—right now!
What else to think about?
Just floor it and go!
Xie Jianxun lowered the telescope—or rather, confirmed, “They’ve hidden in their vehicles. Have they spotted us?”
Patrol Army Captain: “What about the hostages?”
Xie Jianxun shook his head. “They should still be inside the vehicles—can’t see clearly… They’re running!”
Those tiny off-roaders in Xie Jianxun’s view scattered like headless flies, spinning aimlessly. Then, as if receiving orders, they charged off regardless of the fog splitting them up!
Patrol Army Captain: “Which way did they go?!”
Xie Jianxun struggled to describe it, but One spoke up: “Ten o’clock direction.”
The Patrol Army Captain commanded decisively, “Ten o’clock—pursue!”
Since the enemy had spotted them, they no longer needed to worry about the landship’s distinctive noise.
Just crank the power and intercept this nest of sand bandits!
Boom—
The throttle slammed down to max, the roar nearly shattering them!
Xie Jianxun’s whole body vibrated. He could almost hear fire burning inside the landship.
The scenery outside blurred into afterimages!
The Patrol Army Captain gripped the wheel with one hand, the comm buckle to his mouth with the other. “All units to position two—blow out their right rear tires!”
“Yes!!”
Xie Jianxun sat in the passenger seat. After a wait, he suddenly said, “I’m position two as well, right?”
The Patrol Army Captain glanced at him without a word, hearing the little repairman quickly state, “Captain, we’re pursuing the sand bandits’ left flank. I need a gun too—to suppress them from scattering left!”
A gun landed on his knee.
Xie Jianxun fumbled to grab it, recalling in his mind how others used it.
Hidden behind his helmet, the Patrol Army Captain said coolly, “You don’t need to hit the tires. Just shoot left—air, ground, whatever—as long as they don’t flee left.”
“…Yes, Captain.”
Xie Jianxun’s lips curved. The Patrol Army Captain confirmed again, “Ready?”
Xie Jianxun shouted, “Yes, Captain!”
The landship’s wind shield slowly opened, leaving a gap for his shot. In that instant, wind mixed with sand blasted toward Xie Jianxun!
But he’d prepared: goggles on, mouth and nose covered, gun barrel rested on the landship’s hood.
The fog began to thin.
They finally spotted the fleeing sand bandit vehicles ahead. A window rolled down, and a red megaphone protruded.
The megaphone blared.
“You ghost bastards, stop chasing! Chase again and we’ll shoot—blow your helmets to bits and send you to hell with the other bugs!”
Patrol Army Captain: “Fire!”
Xie Jianxun pulled the trigger first: “Bang!”
He aimed at the empty ground to the left—and this time, he didn’t miss. Just as he’d anticipated, a small sand crater appeared.
The vehicle swerved in a zigzag, spooked.
Patrol Army Captain: “Blow their tires!”
Xie Jianxun yelled indistinctly, “I don’t have the aim for that!!”
But the next second, the passenger seat buzzed and flattened. The mechanical puppet pressed in from behind.
Its chest pressed against his back; one hand steadied his gun, the other enveloped his trigger finger.
Thump, thump-thump.
Xie Jianxun and One both heard each other’s heartbeats. In that moment, they felt as one—or like comrades who’d always fought side by side.
“You’re already doing great,” One encouraged. “I’ll assist you.”
“Relax your upper arm.”
“Right hand grip.”
“Aim.”
Xie Jianxun instinctively peered through the sight but still asked, “What about your sight?”
But One had already guided his finger to pull the trigger.
Xie Jianxun heard no sound. Far ahead, the targeted tire exploded without warning.
The vehicle slumped to the ground, half its tire sunk in a sand pit, unable to rise.
“Remember that feel? Again.”
The mechanical puppet’s voice cut clearly through the wind—mechanical, flat, but now laced with a smile.
“Believe in yourself. Your aim is excellent—this weapon is just an extension of your body.”
Xie Jianxun murmured, “Excellent…?”
One’s hand wrapped his, making minute adjustments before hooking the finger tight.
“Now, watch closely.”
“Again.”
Bang.
Another shot, another blown tire.
That vehicle turned into a hulking, immobile iron lump right there, smashed in the road.
The landship sped past, still chasing the rest.
The mechanical puppet slightly loosened its fingers, brushing over Xie Jianxun’s delicate knuckles.
“Again.”
It said simply.
Xie Jianxun’s finger didn’t tremble. He pulled the trigger cleanly.
Shrrk—
The lead vehicle’s tire deflated rapidly, screeching shrilly.
Realizing they faced real people—not fog-spawned fakes—the sand bandits emergency-swerved. Vehicles with blown tires blocked the road sideways.
The rest swapped cars, ditched the hostages, traveled light, and fled selfishly.
But this fog seemed endless… God, weren’t they just circling in a daze?!
Nir clenched his teeth; throttle floored, but it still felt too slow.
Faster, faster!
“…”
Jack sat in the passenger seat, a cigarette between his fingers.
The sand bandit boss didn’t panic like his subordinates; only his heavy-lidded eyes betrayed his sinister mood.
“So not only those ghost things—Patrol Troops too!”
Nir gnashed his teeth. “I knew it the moment that gun fired. And I thought bugs couldn’t get Golden City weapons… How’d the Patrol Troops catch up so fast?”
A silhouette appeared ahead; Nir instinctively yanked the wheel, flinging everyone sideways.
Screech—
“Ma Jia screwed up,”
Jack cut him off. “He didn’t stick to our deal to hold the Patrol Troops. He just wanted to loot them. When he couldn’t win, he bolted—half a day earlier than planned.”
“Boss is right. That untrustworthy dogshit, son of a bitch…” Nir spat curses.
He ranted for a full five minutes before Jack irritably said, “Enough, shut up. We’re down to two vehicles now, one hostage. Time to plan the next move.”
Nir asked uneasily, “How long can those hostages stall them?”
His heart still pounded; he hadn’t fully recovered from the monster scare—things still doubled in his vision.
Jack said confidently, “I wounded several. They won’t ignore that.”
Nir relaxed. A sand bandit in the back praised, “Boss thought it through.”
“These few are only enough for the Fruit Grove’s outer layer,”
Jack sighed, crushing his smoke. “Forget it. Next time.”
Nir cautiously probed, “Boss, did that guy really say that a hundred pounds of golden fruits would get us off this planet?”
Jack replied bluntly, “Yes, but I don’t trust him, so we’ll wait until we’ve landed on the outer planet before handing over the goods. Enough questions—drive.”
Nir fell silent and struggled to keep the vehicle moving.
After a while, his voice trembled as he said, “Boss, Boss…”
Jack, who had just closed his eyes for a moment, irritably snapped them open. “I said no more questions!!!”
“It’s not that, Boss—look ahead!”
“Is this real or fake? Boss, isn’t this the Federal Ship you’ve always wanted to find?!”
Jack’s gaze shot forward. The thin mist parted like a living thing on either side of their vehicle.
Like a sharp prow slicing through massive waves, a gigantic ship entered their view, faintly visible in the fog.
Its tip pointed straight toward them.
The hull gleamed silver-white overall, with patches of tin-blue painted in special coatings, and the Federal Ship’s unique emblem sprayed on the side.
The sand bandits’ mouths gaped open in unison.
It was truly enormous—far too enormous. A single ship like this could deploy enough soldiers to win a planetary war.
Their vehicle seemed utterly insignificant and fragile before such a behemoth.
Jack abruptly stood up from the passenger seat, bracing himself on the hood, his eyes locked ahead, unable to look away.
He murmured, “Why has Golden City never detected it? No… it must be because of this mist. It blocks scout drone signals… Now that the fog has cleared, we can finally see it…”
As they drove closer, they realized half the ship was buried underground, with only its tip exposed.
It loomed like a towering wave crashing over humanity’s heads, pressing down with suffocating weight.
It was real—not a fog-induced illusion.
Only a genuine colossus could exert such mental and physical pressure on humans.
Nir had no interest in the ship; he was focused on shaking off the Patrol Troops behind them.
As he calculated how to yank the wheel and swerve around it, a hand reached over and gripped the steering wheel firmly.
Nir exclaimed in surprise, “Boss?”
“Keep driving.”
Jack’s voice was hoarse as he stared fixedly at the ship, like it was a sunken treasure.
“I saw it back then—the Federal Ship was loaded with incredibly advanced weapons and equipment, all used by them to kill bugs… If Mase had something like this, do you think we’d be stuck with just a tiny oasis?!”
Nir protested, “But Boss, if we go in there, never mind whatever dangers are inside—the Patrol Troops will catch up, and we’ll be like turtles in a jar!”
Jack ignored him, his mind and eyes filled with the ship.
After a moment, he pulled himself together and, as if persuading both his trailing brothers and himself, said thoughtfully, “No, actually, we’ll have the advantage.”
The sand bandit leader’s voice rasped coldly as he analyzed, “I went inside once before—there’s no danger. If they follow us in to fight, we can ambush them. We’ll know the terrain better!”
“What if the Patrol Troops just bombard us?”
“It won’t break through,” Jack said with absolute confidence. “This ship’s armor is way tougher than Golden City’s junk.”
The sand bandits behind them chimed in, “Boss, that Joint Group is still here. If we set up an ambush, no one will watch him!”
“Just one guy—where’s he gonna go?”
The sand bandit leader sneered disdainfully, glancing from top to bottom at Captain Antonio in the trunk.
The latter met his gaze calmly. Moments later, Jack flipped down the rearview mirror.
Antonio in the trunk asked, “What are you planning to do?”
Jack looked down imperiously. “Nothing much. Since we can’t head to the Golden Fruit Forest anymore, we don’t need all this dead weight. For hostages, we’ll keep only the most important one.”
The fog gradually dissipated, its encompassing range shrinking step by step.
Off-road vehicles, crowds, the cries of the wounded and doctors filled the land.
Two or three discarded sand bandits lay tightly bound on the ground, getting kicked by every passerby.
Most of the Joint Group had regained their freedom and, under the Treatment Instrument’s effects, grimaced as they stitched up their wounds.
The moment Xie Jianxun stepped off the ship, he was swept into a tight embrace.
Dazed, he was lifted up by Anong. The burly adult man looked like he wanted to plant a kiss on him. “Xie, Xie Jianxun! Y-you’re alive!”
Pure joy exploded in his eyes like fireworks.
Xie Jianxun laughed helplessly. “Alright, alright, Anong-bro, put me down first.”
Anong pulled the half-finished lime-watermelon drink from his chest pocket and tried to stuff it into Xie Jianxun’s mouth. “Yours—sweet and tasty.”
Xie Jianxun flailed in panic. “No, no, no—this was a gift for you. You drink it, you drink!”
Then another solid chest enveloped him. Someone hugged him hard, bruising Xie Jianxun’s nose.
Realizing his overexcitement, the man calmed down and released him.
Xie Jianxun rubbed his nose and smiled. “Captain.”
Magm slowly crouched down to meet his gaze at eye level, inspecting him for injuries.
Behind them, Jie Ge yelled, “These sand bandit ropes nearly rubbed my wrists raw, and these damn Shock Rings—I’m gonna smash them all!”
The captain’s blue eyes flickered as he said, “I swear, if you didn’t come back, I’d quit the caravan, become a mercenary, and wipe out every last sand bandit.”
Xie Jianxun’s nose tingled, and he softly replied, “See? I’m perfectly fine.”
Magm nodded. “Yeah. Thank goodness.”
