Sky-cracking Rider

A bottle of wine, 550ml, split among six people, each person didn't even get two ounces of wine, barely enough to taste it, and drinking to satisfaction was out of the question.

Though there was still wine left, more than one bottle, it wasn't necessary to drink it all at once. Manager Hanna clearly wasn't that generous.

Facing a stingy female executive manager, Chen Fei could only maintain a naive and honest smile, not daring to show any other superfluous expressions.

This one-eyed old woman really held a grudge; if he didn't play dumb, he'd surely be the target of her anger. With her Wind-type psionic ability activated, he would be propelled from the granite podium and then smack onto the ground, completely out cold!

Better not provoke her! Better not provoke her!

"This wine is really good! It must be Tokay's botrytized, number 73, excellent taste!"

The captain of the 13th Reconnaissance Squad, number 78 Blake, continued sipping slowly, savoring the flavor, his smile growing wider.

Botrytized?!

Having never tried botrytized wine, but having seen others enjoy it, Chen Fei looked down at his empty wine glass.

Wow! This great wine that was drained in two sips turned out to be a famous botrytized one, and he had thought it was just a sweet white wine given how delicious it was.

A single sip would probably cost hundreds of Star Yuan, right?

Definitely a loss. Like Zhu Bajie eating the Ginseng Fruit, he should have savored it like Blake did—the proper way to enjoy a botrytized wine.

"I just like to drink it,"

Hanna Gagar said in a chilly tone, and with the right person, she could get completely drunk, tear off her mask, and reveal her unguarded true nature, releasing her suppressed emotions without reservation; but with someone she didn't click with, even half a glass was too much.

As the saying goes, a thousand cups are too few when drinking with a kindred spirit, but half a word is too much with those you don't enjoy.

Blake, meeting awkwardness, gave an embarrassed smile, drank the remaining wine in his glass, and said, "Apart from number 76 Cecilia Danbers, everyone else will join me in rotating night shifts. Two people each day, responsible for the first and last five hours, starting with me!"

Having said that, he patted his buttocks, stood up, and walked towards the edge of the granite podium without looking back. As the captain, it was right for him to set an example, otherwise, how would he command respect.

The tall, black Blake was skilled not only with cold weapons like archery but also with firearms, hitting almost precisely where he aimed, never missing a shot (or arrow). Combined with his Dark System Ability, he was a dominant force in these underground spaces, providing him with a significant advantage.

"Next one is you, and the one after that, still you,"

Hanna Gagar nonchalantly pulled out a stainless-steel flask, took a small sip for herself and pointed at Chen Fei. Stay updated through empire

Tonight, he was second shift, and tomorrow night's first shift was already his, which sounded odd, but logically, it made sense.

Drink my wine, do my work.

From any perspective, Chen Fei had no choice but to obey, especially since this one-eyed old woman was paying his salary!

He likely didn't even know that she would become his creditor; anyway, maintaining a good attitude was definitely not a mistake.

Hanna Gagar commanding and acting rather haughtily was her direct response to Captain Blake using her to establish his authority.

If you want to boss this lady around, please find someone else.

Working youth Chen Fei was just right for taking over duties; after all, the work had to be done.

Rookie, huh? What about human rights?

Chen Fei, as expected, accepted quickly, without any complaints or hesitation.

After all, splitting two night shifts over two days, each reducing five hours of sleep, was hardly an issue for a young person; he always had excellent sleep quality, falling asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.

-

Leading the first night shift, Captain Blake found a spot on the edge of the granite podium and set up a 12.7mm caliber heavy machine gun, loading a belt of three hundred rounds.

Based on the monitoring footage of the Aircrew Base's encounter with an onslaught of Mutant BC-2325, conventional light weapons were practically no different from scratching an itch; to kill these thick-skinned mutants, high-caliber firearms were necessary.

Next to the heavy machine gun were several spotlights and a pair of night-vision goggles, which could switch between low-light and infrared thermal imaging views.

Blake's ring-shaped Space System alchemy storage device had a capacity not just of five cubic meters but eight,

allowing him to carry a considerable amount of supplies.

Half an hour later, the three Illumination Spell orbs hovering above the granite podium dissolved into countless light points and dissipated into the air.

Darkness swept in, leaving only the dimmest light from a few camp lamps within the entire campsite.

The whole camp, having trekked all day, swiftly fell into deep sleep; the dimly glowing embers released their remaining heat, continuing to dry everyone's shoes and socks.

Soft snores and breathing sounds filled the air, along with the occasional faint chirp from Pure Light Sparrow Xiao Jiu.

In its twig nest, the slightly shrunk Third Rank Light-element Magical Beast Crystal Core emitted a hazy white light, bright enough to rival nearby camp lights, increasingly resembling a desk lamp.

The surface of the Crystal Core occasionally released a few mischievous light points which, as if pulled by an invisible force, were drawn into the little bird's body, sparking a final shimmering glow on its sleek, glossy feathers.

During the first day's reconnaissance, apart from discovering a few native cave creatures, they found no traces of other life forms.

The 13th Reconnaissance Squad was about three hundred meters below sea level, having traversed a zigzag route. Along the way, they encountered seven forks; upon confirmation with a four-axis rotary-wing unmanned drone, "Cave Dragonfly," and sonar detection equipment, these were mostly dead ends.

There might have been narrow caves connecting to other caves, but they were not large enough for humans to pass through and not worth further exploration.

The monitoring system remained operational throughout the journey, indicating normal air composition, sometimes with minor methane levels, but no toxic gases were detected, and the air pressure remained within the normal range.

As they ventured deeper, the temperature fluctuated between -1 and +15 degrees Celsius. In the same region, these fluctuations were minimal, and the humidity ranged from 70% to 100%, rarely dropping below 70%. The overall feel was cold and damp; drying clothes and socks by burning fuel became a necessity during camping.

If one couldn't maintain a dry state, getting cold and falling ill was inevitable.

If there had been a Fire Ability User or a Mage in the squad, or even a Water Ability User, the situation would have been much improved.

The 37th Reconnaissance Squad, which had noticed suspicious traces on the first day, confirmed it was a misjudgment, so the exploration continued deeper the following day.

The 41st Reconnaissance Squad encountered a collapse that blocked the path ahead for hundreds of meters, forcing them to halt and work on digging through and reinforcing the path. Luckily, most team members were Ability Users; if they were ordinary people, the reconnaissance mission would likely have been called off, and all members withdrawn.

On their second day of camping, the 1st Reconnaissance Squad encountered a lurking Dark Monster, taking them by surprise and injuring one member.

The one that had escaped the defensive zone checks at the Aircrew Base was immediately slain, even yielding a rare Dark Monster Crystal Core.

However, the injured member was poisoned, and even with timely detoxification, the temporary weakened state required someone to care for him, forcing the 1st Reconnaissance Squad to slow their pace.

The number of accidents and dangers encountered by the reconnaissance squads gradually increased as they ventured further and as time progressed. Had they not been equipped with Space System Alchemy Storage Devices and carried ample supplies, it would have been difficult to handle the increasingly frequent emergencies.

"Hiss!~"

Hanna Gagar, who was the second in line of the team, suddenly gasped sharply.

"What's wrong?"

The team leader, Blake, turned around.

"I twisted my foot, hiss!"

The female executive manager hobbled a couple of steps and found a spot to sit down.

Blake didn't insist and went with the flow, saying, "Let's all take a short break."

Unforeseen circumstances can arise no matter how cautious one is.

"Xiao Jiu!~"

Chen Fei called out to the Pure Light Sparrow flying back and forth in the cave ceiling.

The little bird, hearing the call, landed down, tilting its head curiously at Chen Fei.

"Healing Magic!"

Chen Fei pointed at Manager Hanna who had taken off her shoe, revealing her pale, delicate foot.

It was surprising to see that the tough, one-eyed old lady had such fair feet.

"Jiu!~"

The little bird fluttered its wings and flew to Hanna Gagar's foot. It opened its tiny beak, which quickly brightened up, releasing a light orb about the size of a soybean that fell onto the swelling on the executive manager's ankle.

The slightly reddened skin of the ankle visibly returned to its normal pallor at a rapid pace.

Xiao Jiu lived up to its nickname as a "little Band-Aid." The effectiveness of its First Rank Light-based Spells was impressively immediate.

"Hmm? It doesn't hurt anymore? Xiao Jiu, you are quite impressive! Pu Aihua would probably cry himself to death."

Hanna Gagar rubbed her gradually less swollen ankle and smiled. The origin of Xiao Jiu was no secret within the Aircrew Base 911. After all, without the Light Beast Crystal Core given by the female Metallic Giant Dragon, Yilan, this little bird would probably still be just an ordinary Pure Light Sparrow, capable only of this Light Healing Technique.

The female executive manager tried to touch the little bird, but the nimble creature dodged away, chirped twice, and flew back to rest on Chen Fei's shoulder.

Thinking of the ruthless Manager Hanna who had fired the sly Old Piao, sending him back home to fend for himself, Chen Fei was not at all surprised as he said, "He's already dead from crying!"

Although the salary wasn't high in the mess hall kitchen of Aircrew Base 911, where Pu Aihua worked temporarily, he deserved the nickname "sly merchant" for his knack at making a profit in the market by buying and selling using various channels and limited resources. Despite being just a temporary worker, he earned quite a bit from side incomes, making it a relatively stable job.

After being sent home, given Pu Aihua's age and abilities, it was unlikely he would find such a cushy job again.

After witnessing the entirety of the little Band-Aid's Healing Spell, team leader Blake asked, "Can you walk now?"

"It should be fine now."

Hanna Gagar tried putting pressure on it, and indeed, it didn't hurt anymore, so she supported herself off the ground and stood up.

Upon standing, she felt something unexpectedly sticky in her hand. By the light of the Illumination Technique floating above the team, she saw a gooey white substance in the palm of her hand and made a strange face, instinctively smelling it only to detect a faint scent of mint.

"Gum? Who would be so irresponsible as to spit out gum everywhere..."

As soon as she spoke, not just Hanna Gagar, but everyone's expression began to change.

-

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