The first day of September in the fourth year of the last calendar year.

The fire suppression team took advantage of the opening time of the front line checkpoint and drove out at six o'clock in the morning.

Due to the low number of weapons applications, the vehicle level was upgraded this time, from the original basic personnel carrier to an all-terrain vehicle, which can help the team save at least a week of travel.

The car can accommodate up to eight people. Fortunately, luggage and supplies can be stored in the storage space without taking up space in the car.

He Qin was responsible for driving, while Merrick sat in the passenger seat and watched the road.

In the middle are the two tough men Torres and Sanchez, and behind them are Neil and Somo sitting in the third row.

Captain Zhao Lei and newcomer Gao Ruoyun sat at the back to hold the line.

It can be clearly felt that everyone is still laughing when they are inside the level, and they don’t seem to be nervous about the next trip, as if they are going for a relaxing and enjoyable outing.

However, the moment he stepped out of the checkpoint, the atmosphere in the car became obviously serious.

Zhao Lei's hearty laughter that was continuing a second ago suddenly stopped. When Su Mo looked back, he saw that his jaw had tightened and his hands subconsciously clenched the weapons in his hands.

Merrick, the co-pilot, had no intention of telling bad jokes. He pursed his lips tightly and his eyes were as sharp as a falcon, constantly scanning the surrounding environment. His mind was running rapidly, analyzing various possible situations.

The two firemen, Torres and Sanchez, directly held the rifles, with their right hands on the butt and their left hands in the safety position to ensure that they could be fired at any time.

Even Neil and Gao Ruoyun were equally nervous, sharing the task of observing their surroundings.

On the contrary, Sumo was sitting among a group of mercenaries and veterans, somewhat idle and extremely relaxed.

"Aren't you nervous?"

The car drove for more than thirty kilometers without any abnormality. Neil breathed a sigh of relief, turned to look at Sumo and asked.

Generally speaking, the front section of a mercenary convoy is most vulnerable to attack. Ambushes sent by alien races will attack at this stage when humans are most likely to relax.

Although such incidents have become less and less common in recent times, no one knows whether they will be attacked in the next second.

"Why are you nervous? It hasn't been long since you left the checkpoint, isn't it?"

Sumo took out the water bottle and took a sip, "There are still 1,800 kilometers to go... We can't be nervous all the time."

"Well...what you said makes sense."

Neil was speechless.

However, the atmosphere in the car eased to a certain extent as the two started talking.

As the sun gradually rises from the horizon, the early morning sunlight shines on everyone's faces through the gaps in the car windows, bringing a hint of warmth.

The convoy was speeding along, and outside the car window was a barren landscape that was constantly receding. Occasionally, a few weeds growing tenaciously on the dry and cracked land could be seen, trembling in the wind.

"I have to say that the eastern part is indeed much more desolate than the other regions. No wonder it is used as a base by foreign races."

Sumo turned his head and looked back and forth outside the car window.

Through the teleportation provided by the game, there is a time limit of one day, and you must make a round trip within one day.

So the last time we went to the Baiduan Mountains, Somo didn't have much time to appreciate the scenery in the east.

Now, we can truly see the desolation of the eastern plate.

From the rising sun in the east to the setting sun in the west, a whole day passed. As the convoy passed through stretches of desolate mountains and ravines safely, the alien attack they were on guard against did not arrive.

"Hey, it seems that we are lucky today!" The lines on Merrick's face were no longer as grim as when he set out, and the slightly raised corners of his mouth revealed a trace of happiness, "These aliens must have slept collectively today, and they are actually really

He didn’t come to provoke us.”

The usual cold jokes caused a burst of laughter in the carriage. Everyone's tense mood for a long time was finally released a little. Even Zhao Lei, who was sitting in the last row, also joked, "Maybe it's because our team's aura is too strong.

It has passed the upper limit of what the foreign race can bear in this period."

This is the truth.

The scouts sent out by foreign races are also very particular.

The closer to the human level, the weaker the strength, and the closer to the eastern alien race, the stronger the strength.

Similar to the screening mechanism, a weak team may be attacked several times in the first half, but a strong team can go all the way to the back smoothly.

Another moment passed.

Seeing that the sky is getting late, the warm orange sunset spreads wantonly across the horizon.

Zhao Lei looked at the increasingly dark sky outside the car window, took out the map and weighed it for a moment before issuing an order: "Brothers, thirty kilometers further is Point 1. Although we didn't encounter any foreign attacks today, let's not be careless.

We’ll be on our way at night, find an open place to rest for the night, recharge our batteries, and talk about it tomorrow.”

"Okay." He Qin, who was driving, responded. The car drove through a canyon and stopped at the entrance to a relatively open plain.

Everyone got off the car immediately and started setting up a temporary camp according to the division of labor before departure.

Due to the convenience of storage space, by the time Sumo and Neil set up the second tent, Torres and Sanchez had already deployed a full circle of simple defenses around the camp using short-term construction foam to prevent emergencies at night.

.

A bonfire was burning in the center of the camp. He Qin and Gao Ruoyun were in charge of cooking. After heating the food packages that were popular on the front line, a strong aroma of rice emitted from the open pot.

After a while, captain Zhao Lei and deputy captain Merrick, who were responsible for investigating the surrounding situation, came back.

"The situation is not bad. The traces left by the surrounding alien races have basically disappeared. The only ones that can be identified are at least three to five days old. It seems that they have given up on defending this area."

"That's great. It looks like I'll have a good sleep tonight."

Everyone was sitting around the bonfire, with the orange flames jumping happily and licking the iron pot on top. As the temperature of the rice in the pot increased, it gradually emitted an alluring aroma.

Everyone's eyes glanced at the iron pot from time to time, fully looking forward to the comfort brought by a hot meal.

Zhao Lei took advantage of this gap and carefully took out a metal ball from the inner layer of his backpack. It was the mechanical mission ball he received from the mission office before leaving.

The surface of the ball shone with a faint cold light. Zhao Lei gently touched the surface of the ball, and then pressed a small button on the side. A row of numbers instantly appeared on the surface of the ball, exuding a faint green fluorescence:

12.54.09.

Just one second later, the number jumped to 7.54.08, and the countdown was advancing steadily second by second.

"According to what is shown above, it will be opened at about eight o'clock tomorrow morning, and then we will know the specific content of this A-level mission.

This rather mysterious method of task delivery is actually out of careful consideration for the safety of the mercenaries.

Going deep into the east controlled by alien races, information leakage often means disaster.

When all teams first receive a mission, they can only know the general location of the mission. As for the more critical and detailed mission content, they must leave the front line with the mission ball. After a full day of "safety isolation period",

Only then can you unlock the knowledge.

In this way, if there is an accident on the way, or if the team members judge based on the actual situation that their strength is unable to cope with the upcoming challenges, there is still room to turn back, ensuring the safety of the mercenaries to the maximum extent.

"Okay, get ready to eat."

He Qin raised the lid of the pot and took a look, calling for everyone to bring their rice bowls.

However, at this moment, a rustling sound suddenly came from the darkness not far away, which seemed particularly abrupt and harsh in the silent night.

"Don't panic, stay vigilant and see what happens!"

Zhao Lei instantly stood up and grabbed the rifle he had always kept by his side.

Torres, Sanchez, and Merrick, the three main combatants, were also very fast. They also grabbed their guns and ran quickly to the rear of the fortifications.

Neil, who was about to eat a second ago, put down his bowl, took out the pistol from his waist, and retreated into the darkness.

He Qin and Gao Ruoyun immediately put out the bonfire, and the former got on the all-terrain vehicle, ready to drive everyone away at any time.

The latter picked up the night vision device and climbed to the top of the tent to observe from a higher place.

In just five seconds, only Somo was left standing where he was.

"No, doing this makes me look like a bit of an amateur."

With the help of his strong hearing, Somo was able to determine that the sound just now was the sound of human footsteps, and listening to the shallow and deep sounds, the situation of the other party seemed not to be good.

After thinking about it, he simply walked to the tent and began to disinfect and prepare the medical environment.

Sure enough, after about two minutes, three figures were seen stumbling out of the darkness.

"Is it human?"

Zhao Lei's eyes narrowed. The three people who rushed over were in ragged clothes, covered in blood, and staggered. They looked like they might fall down at any time.

As the three of them approached, by the light of the fire, everyone could see clearly the faces that gradually lit up. They were three faces full of fear and exhaustion, and their eyes revealed the fear of surviving the disaster.

"Help us..." One of them spoke weakly, his voice so hoarse that it was almost inaudible.

"mercenary?"

Zhao Lei slightly poked his head out, narrowed his eyes and asked: "Team name, your names, and the password for the connection."

"Edgar, Uriel, Og..."

"Youxue Team."

"AC77B521."

Zhao Lei quickly entered the information into the terminal device he carried with him, and the verification passed quickly.

He then lowered his guard a little and gestured to Merrick who was squatting next to him.
To be continued...