manynovel Chapter 25 The Hand of the White Eagle Begins to Encircle Squad 1
Chapter 25 The Hand of the White Eagle Begins to Encircle Squad 1
Within the White Eagle Empire, several tabloid media outlets, adept at sensationalism, immediately seized upon this explosive story, pushing out the news with highly inflammatory headlines—[The Fall of the Empire? First Battle on the Front Lines Defeated in Twelve Seconds, Elite Squad Crushed by China!]
The Global Awakeners Forum was launched at almost the same time.
"Seriously? Twelve seconds? Are you kidding me? Even against the lowest-level goblins, twelve seconds isn't enough to wipe out a whole squad!"
"There's a video replay! Go watch it yourself! That Chinese shieldbearer charged in like a mad bull, and then the mages started spamming attacks. The White Eagles didn't even have a chance to fight back!"
"That's not the point! The point is that White Eagle's assassin, a top-tier expert ranked high on the leaderboard, was killed instantly by a single arrow! Permanently dead! That's the most terrifying thing!"
Anger, doubt, and disbelief quickly took hold in the civilian communities of the White Eagle Empire.
Meanwhile, the atmosphere inside the White Eagle Empire's frontline secret realm command center was chilling.
Alan Griffin, the captain of the White Eagle Second Squad, a blond man who was full of vigor not long ago, now stood disheveled in front of the huge command light screen, covered in dust and dried blood.
"I'll say it again." His voice was hoarse, carrying the exhaustion of defeat. "The problem isn't our equipment, nor our tactics. It's that Aura Division commander, the Aura Division commander in the Chinese team."
He pointed to the frozen image of Lu Yan on the screen.
"He himself did not make any offensive moves, but just by standing there, the overall combat effectiveness of the Chinese team would increase in an unbelievable way. Our defenses were practically useless in front of his team."
Behind the command post, a White Eagle commander with three gold stars on his shoulder insignia silently pulled up Lu Yan's publicly available information.
The six outrageous suffixes of the "Eternal Scepter" were magnified on the screen in front of him.
After a long while, he finally spoke, his voice flat and emotionless.
"All frontline units, combat priority changed. Encountering China's No. 1 squad, primary objective—kill Aura Master 'Lu Yan'. Regardless of the cost."
"At the same time, recall the 'Hand of the White Eagle.' Their mission is singular: to hunt him down."
"We cannot allow the possibility of a rise in Chinese power to persist!"
"The Hand of the White Eagle"—the true trump card of the White Eagle Empire, a secret force that has never appeared in public and specializes in carrying out the highest-level hunting missions.
With the order given, the entire war machine of the White Eagle camp began to revolve around Lu Yan.
Frontline Secret Realm, China Command Center.
Li Tianshan frowned as he looked at the unusual movements of the White Eagle faction on the map.
"Something's not right." He pointed to the screen. "They've abandoned several control towers that were within easy reach, and all the teams are retreating towards the D and E towers. This isn't about seizing resources; it's about setting up a trap."
He quickly discerned the other party's intentions.
"The target is the first squad."
Xiao Qianyu also received a warning from Li Tianshan on her tactical tablet.
"Come here, everyone," she called to everyone.
The map was unfolded in front of everyone, clearly showing the troop movements of the White Eagle Empire. A huge encirclement was slowly taking shape, and the gap was directly facing Tower C where they were.
"They're leading us there," Xiao Qianyu said in a deep voice.
"What's there to be afraid of!" Zhao Lei slammed his shield on the ground. "No matter how many they come, we'll kill them all!"
"Don't be impulsive." Shen Xinglin pressed down on his shoulder. "Forced charging will be too exhausting, and there are too few of us."
Lu Yan squatted on the ground and scratched the sand with his fingers.
"We can't wait," he said. "If we stay put at Tower C, the Eagles' main force can seize other points without any worries. Once they pull ahead in points, we'll be sitting ducks."
He looked up at Xiao Qianyu: "We need to take the initiative."
He drew a straight line on the sand map with his finger, pointing directly at Tower D.
"Head this way. Tower D is where their forces are most concentrated, and it's the core of the encirclement. If we charge in and drive a thorn in their side, the entire encirclement will naturally fall apart."
"No way." Xiao Qianyu rejected the idea outright. "Eight people charging at four or more of their teams, even with your aura boost, we can't hold out in a war of attrition."
However, she did not completely reject Lu Yan's idea.
She opened her tactical tablet and drew two circles on the F and G towers of the map.
"Your idea of 'taking the initiative' is correct. But we won't charge head-on."
"We'll be the bait."
She looked at Lu Yan, then scanned the entire team.
"We'll swagger out from Tower C, making it look like we're launching a full-scale assault on Tower D. The White Eagles' encirclement will definitely tighten sooner; they're just waiting for us to charge in. Once everyone's attention is on us..."
The corner of her mouth twitched slightly.
"Their flanks were empty."
"I've coordinated with command; three elite squads will flank from the south. While we hold off the main White Eagle force, they'll steal the F and G towers."
Lu Yan looked at her and nodded. This plan was much more reliable than his simple and crude approach.
"Set off."
The team set off again.
Lu Yan walked at the back of the group and saw Wen Yue lagging behind, disassembling the magazine of the World Destroyer Thunder and checking the grenades one by one.
He walked over.
How much is left?
"Six high-explosive rounds and eleven spread rounds." Wen Yue didn't even look up as she closed the magazine again. "The burst damage is enough, but after that, this thing can only fire crossbow bolts."
Lu Yan reached out and tapped on her ammunition storage box.
"Don't worry, I'll figure something out for you when we get back."
Wen Yue paused for a moment. She looked up at Lu Yan, her eyes devoid of emotion.
"Then come back alive."
Less than ten minutes into the march, Shen Xinglin, at the very front, suddenly yanked on the reins, and his warhorse let out an uneasy low neigh.
Three hundred meters ahead, a figure appeared on a narrow rock ridge.
Twelve.
The equipment was standardized, but the flag was not the white of the White Eagle, but a deep purple.
The Japanese camp.
Two full-strength squads occupied the only way to Tower D, forming a semi-circular array at the high point. They were not menacing, but they were full of oppressive power.
Leading the group was a man dressed in dark gold kimono armor, with a samurai sword at his waist. He didn't draw his sword, but instead raised a small white flag and shouted in fluent Chinese:
"Friends from China, we mean you no harm! The White Eagles are waiting for you ahead. At least four teams have gathered in the D Tower direction; this road is blocked!"
Xiao Qianyu raised her hand, and the first squad stopped fifty meters away.
The atmosphere became subtle.
Lu Yan stood in the middle of the group, his gaze quickly sweeping over the twelve people on the rocky ridge.
There was no need to climb to a high point or set up such a semi-encircling battle formation if it was just a message.
He moved closer to Xiao Qianyu, his voice very low.
"They're stalling for time. This positioning isn't for dialogue, it's for fighting. The White Eagle's encirclement isn't completely closed yet; every minute they delay, the tighter their trap becomes."
Xiao Qianyu's judgment was completely in line with his. When did the Japanese become so kind? If there wasn't something fishy going on behind the scenes, she'd eat her own gun.
The two camps have most likely reached some kind of temporary agreement.
Without making a sound, she switched to a communication channel and sent a message to the three Chinese teams flanking her—accelerate.
Then, she turned off the channel, looked up, and gazed at the Japanese tour leader on the rocky ridge.
Her voice wasn't loud, but in the vast wilderness, every word was clearly audible.
"All team, listen up!"
"No detours, no negotiations."
"Charge!"
Zhao Leiguang slammed his twin shields together in front of him, the Earth Pulse Suit emitting a deep hum, and he grinned, revealing a set of white teeth.
The first squad instantly went from a stationary position to a charging attack.
On the rocky ridge, the Japanese leader watched as the eight people not only did not stop, but instead accelerated towards them, and the composure on his face vanished.
"Baka! We've been exposed! All troops, fight!"
Just then, the communicator on the waist of the Japanese team leader suddenly started flashing rapidly.
It is urgent intelligence of the highest priority.
He glanced down at it subconsciously.
In just one glance, all the color drained from his face.