At that moment, Colonel Hank Han’s communicator crackled with an urgent message from Sherry Shawn, the intelligence analyst all the way back in China: “Colonel Han, you need to wrap up the battle within the next hour! We just decrypted intel from the US military’s Bagram Air Base—a brand new X-47B stealth drone carrying a BLU-2 vacuum bomb will be ‘cleaning’ your location in about ten minutes! You must evacuate to a safe zone immediately!”
"Whoa—what?! A BLU-2 vacuum bomb?! Damn! Those Americans are out of their minds! Don’t they want Black Eye anymore?!" Colonel Hank Han yelped. As a seasoned veteran, Han knew just how terrifying a BLU-2 vacuum bomb could be—nicknamed the ‘Daisy Cutter,’ it’s designed to wipe out anyone hiding in caves or buildings by vaporizing fuel for a massive explosion. Sometimes, it’s even used to clear landing zones for helicopters. The BLU-2 is the world’s largest conventional bomb, weighing in at 6,400 kilograms and stretching 7.5 meters long! Its blast radius can easily outdo two ‘Scud’ missiles, killing anyone within 600 meters and obliterating enemy gear, plus creating a deadly vacuum zone. In that area, even people hiding in caves suffocate! It’s so powerful, it’s earned the nickname ‘mini nuke!’
Sherry Shawn quickly analyzed, “Based on the satellite intel we just intercepted—the bombing request came straight from Black Eye. That means he’s already slipped away in the chaos and darkness. You need to pinpoint his exact location and intercept him ASAP! I’ll keep feeding you the latest updates!”
"Damn! Black Eye’s slippery as ever! Crap, now we’ve got to waste more time hunting him down!" Colonel Hank Han cursed, hung up the communicator, and hurried over to Shawn Young to explain the situation.
After hearing this, Shawn Young said, “Alright! But I’ll need a partner to help chase down Black Eye. We don’t want too many people—might spook that crafty bastard. This time, we’ve got to catch him alive!”
“Got it! I’ll find you someone who’s good at climbing!” Colonel Hank Han nodded, then dashed out of the village gate. In less than a minute, he returned with a short, stocky, dark-skinned Dragonforce Battalion commando. Introducing him to Shawn Young, Han said, “Comrade Shawn, this kid’s name is Wei Weihua—nickname ‘Mountain Ghost.’ He’s Tujia from the mountains of Guizhou, and before enlisting, he was a well-known young hunter in his tribe. He’s got stamina and grit, and out of all hundred-plus Dragonforce guys, he’s the best at climbing and mountain ops. He’s sharp, too. Work well together!”
Colonel Hank Han shot ‘Mountain Ghost’ Wei Weihua a stern look and barked, “Kid, this mission’s extra important—don’t screw it up! Go with Comrade Shawn and catch the enemy, preferably alive! Don’t mess this up!”
“Yes, sir! Understood!” Mountain Ghost Wei Weihua straightened up and saluted.
“Time’s tight—we’re heading out now!” Shawn Young said to Mountain Ghost Wei Weihua, then turned to Colonel Hank Han. “Colonel Han, please look after Qianqian!”
“Got it!” Colonel Hank Han nodded. Shawn Young and Mountain Ghost Wei Weihua grabbed their weapons and dashed out of the village.
Once outside, Shawn Young quickly used his Clairvoyant Light Technique to track Black Eye’s movements—the master spy was already fleeing at high speed toward the rugged mountains northwest of the tribal area.
The two sprinted northwest, Mountain Ghost Wei Weihua leading the way with his assault rifle and gear—at least five kilos on his back. He ran for over ten minutes without breaking a sweat. Shawn Young kept pace only thanks to his own mystical energy, and realized just how tough the Dragonforce Battalion guys really were!
They dashed into a tangled mountain ravine, where crisscrossing rocky trails and caves surrounded them by steep cliffs. Mountain Ghost Wei Weihua stopped, studied the ground, sniffed the air, then pointed at a messy patch of rocks and said, “The target climbed up from here—just a few minutes ago!”
Shawn Young looked up—the cliff was tall and steep, definitely not an easy climb. Mountain Ghost Wei Weihua pulled out a climbing rope tipped with a flying tiger claw, aimed at a jutting rock, and launched it. The claw hooked perfectly onto the stone. Wei Weihua tugged the rope, nodded, and said, “Alright, we’re good!”
He slung his assault rifle over his back, clipped a metal D-ring onto the rope, grabbed the ring with both hands, and started climbing. His speed was incredible—within moments, he’d reached the top. He dropped the D-ring down to Shawn Young and called, “Just do what I did—climb up!”
Shawn Young answered, grabbed the D-ring, and tried to climb up just like Wei Weihua. He hadn’t trained for this and had zero experience, so it took him a while, but after a tense struggle, he finally made it up the cliff, safe but shaken.
Just as Shawn Young reached the top, he suddenly sensed danger. He shouted to Mountain Ghost Wei Weihua, “Incoming attack—get down!”
Bang! Bang! Bang!
A burst of gunfire erupted from a small cave in the cliff. Mountain Ghost Wei Weihua didn’t react in time—he dove forward at Shawn Young’s warning, but bullets tore through his right shoulder and left leg, leaving bloody holes that gushed. He collapsed, his assault rifle tumbling down the cliff.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Another burst of gunfire tore toward Shawn Young. He rolled behind a rock, barely dodging the deadly shots—though his weapon tumbled down the cliff.
Black Eye stepped out of his hiding cave, smirking and clutching his P5 submachine gun. Seeing Mountain Ghost Wei Weihua down and Shawn Young unarmed, he stalked straight toward Shawn’s cover, ready to finish them off.
Shawn Young quickly formed the Adamantine Shield Spell with his hands, channeling mystical energy and chanting, “Divine weapon blaze, wind-fire-thunder-lightning, Adamantine Shield—protect me, by law, now! Hah!” A flash of white light burst from his body.
Before Shawn’s spell was fully cast, Black Eye spun around, aiming his P5 right at Shawn’s head. In that split second, Mountain Ghost Wei Weihua lunged from the ground, grabbing Black Eye’s legs and yanking hard. Black Eye lost his balance and crashed forward, dropping the P5.
Seizing the moment, Shawn Young finished the Adamantine Shield Spell—his whole body now invulnerable, brimming with power. He lunged and grabbed Black Eye’s neck, squeezing until Black Eye nearly passed out, eyes rolling. Suddenly, Black Eye’s body shuddered, slipping free from Shawn’s grip. In a flash, Black Eye vaulted away, moving impossibly fast toward the ravine behind the cliff.
“Escape technique!” Shawn Young realized with a jolt—Black Eye was no ordinary agent, but a master with special powers. This escape skill was seriously impressive; catching Black Eye again would be a nightmare!
“Don’t worry about me, Comrade Shawn—I’ll survive! Go after him, don’t let him get away!” Mountain Ghost Wei Weihua called out urgently. Seeing Wei Weihua’s wounds weren’t immediately fatal, Shawn Young grabbed the P5 from the ground, fueled his energy, and tore after Black Eye through the maze of cliffs and rocky terrain.
Knowing Shawn Young was on his tail, Black Eye unleashed his escape technique at full throttle, while Shawn pushed his mystical energy to the max, refusing to let up. Both men raced through the treacherous mountains, chasing and dodging—no telling how long the pursuit lasted. Black Eye finally scrambled to a hilltop and, with a few leaps, vanished from sight!
Shawn Young sprinted after him, but as he reached the summit, his heart skipped a beat—a tranquil lake lay nestled in the valley below, its smooth surface surrounded by towering peaks, like a flawless gem set in black velvet.
The lake, high in the mountains, was ringed by sparse, cold-resistant moss and scattered with huge boulders. Caves dotted the cliffs around the lake. Night had fallen; Shawn Young peered down and spotted Black Eye slipping into a small cave by the water.
Shawn Young charged over and had just reached the cave entrance when a bone-chilling scream echoed from inside—“Aaaah!”
Shawn Young froze, powered up his energy, and cautiously peered into the dark cave. Another panicked scream rang out from Black Eye: “Oh crap! What the hell is that—aaah!”
Along with Black Eye’s shrieks came a flurry of frantic thumps and a rapid ‘swish—swish—swish!’—something was moving fast inside! A weird, pungent smell drifted out of the cave.
“Whoa—there’s something freaky in that cave!” Shawn Young realized, but with Black Eye inside, he steeled himself and plunged into the darkness.