PDLP Chapter 98 [The Horn of Expedition and the Tempering of Will]
Chapter 98 [The Horn of Expedition and the Tempering of Will]
On the stone table, a map made of animal hide was spread out, marked with various dangerous places and monsters.
Wang Xuan placed the scale containing information about the obsidian behemoth in the center of the map.
He tapped a bright red cross next to the scale with his knuckles.
"A bottomless pit."
"The report concludes by saying that the dwarven ancestors sealed it away using avalanches and geological collapses; but that was a thousand years ago."
Wang Xuan raised his head and looked at everyone.
"The changes in the landscape over thousands of years, coupled with the impact of avalanches, will make finding the buried entrance in the Wailing Mountains our first challenge."
Aija took a notebook out of the pocket of her gold-plated leather armor.
This notebook was made overnight by dwarf masters. The cover is made of special animal hide, and the paper is made of special tree pulp, making it waterproof and moisture-proof.
"The core of the expedition is logistics." Ai Jia opened her notebook, which had neat handwriting and listed several major items.
She drew and wrote on it with charcoal pencils.
"There are four of us, and we'll be resupplying every ten days."
"For food, each person should bring at least ten days' worth of high-calorie jerky. Considering energy consumption, it's best to bring 30% more."
"In addition to the water purification rune filter jug prepared by the dwarves, we also need at least two spare filtration devices for the water source."
She looked up at Chen Kai.
"Weight is a big problem. Especially for you, as the main combat force, you need to maintain mobility. Everything unnecessary has to be removed."
Aija crossed out a few alternative options in her notebook, then tore off a page and handed it to Commander Brenner.
"Commander, this is our supply list. Thank you for your help."
Brenner took the list and nodded solemnly.
Chen Kai's gaze never left the map and the scale report.
After listening to Ai Jia's logistics plan, he pointed to two words in the report.
"Core exposed".
"Fear of energy attacks."
"This is a big guy with a special weakness." Chen Kai pulled out a long marker pole used by the exploration team from the weapon rack next to him.
He used the end of the stick to draw a larger encirclement around the red cross on the animal hide map.
"This place is strategically important. Since a direct assault won't work, we'll have to make use of the terrain."
"My tactics are simple, consisting of three steps."
He slammed the pole tip heavily on the map.
"The first step is to lure the enemy. I will act as the main bait, drawing it out of the deep pit and into our predetermined battlefield."
His pole head moved to a narrow valley marked as a "rockfall area".
"The second step is to expose the core. Wang Xuan and Ai Jia, your task is to use the Seed of Chaos to create a controlled collapse here, restrict its movement, and use the shockwave to force it to expose the damaged core mentioned in the report."
His pole eventually pointed towards the valley's exit.
"The third step is decapitation. Our only window of opportunity is when its core is exposed and it enters a brief state of stagnation after the energy attack."
Chen Kai put down the long pole and glanced at each of his companions.
"I will use the [Fang of Wind] to pierce its core; Aija and Wang Xuan, you must, at that instant, focus the power of the Seed of Chaos—[Internal Collapse]—on the tip of my spear."
"This is a coordinated attack that requires millisecond-level coordination. We cannot afford any mistakes."
"No way!" Wang Xuan objected. "It's too risky. Chen Kai, you'll be used as bait, constantly chased and attacked by the giant beast. Your stamina will be depleted too much. By the time we reach the decapitation stage, how much strength will you have left?"
"Then let's switch," Chen Kai said without hesitation. "Wang Xuan, you'll be in charge of the final decapitation. Your [Scholar's Barrier] can withstand a direct hit."
"My combat skills are insufficient to execute that kind of precise attack," Wang Xuan shook his head in denial.
"I also think the plan needs to be revised," Aijia pushed up her glasses and joined the discussion. "The baiting phase shouldn't be done by just one person. We can take turns, using its size to our advantage and circle around it."
The three of them gathered around the map and quickly began to deduce the possibilities.
One proposal after another was put forward, and then rejected.
The sounds of debate, the scratching of pens on paper, and the crisp tapping of charcoal pencils on maps mingled in the council hall.
In the corner where they were discussing, Li Yao sat quietly.
Her eyes were closed, and the [Guardian Heart] amulet on her chest emitted a faint light, protecting her from the disturbances of the outside world.
Her mind was completely absorbed in her own mental world.
There was a turbulent, boiling, chaotic darkness there.
That is the Seed of Chaos.
In the past, Li Yao's only action towards it was suppression.
With her unwavering will to survive, she contained and limited the ever-expanding chaos.
She was always on the defensive.
Now, for the first time, Li Yao has taken the initiative to launch an attack.
Her will to survive was no longer just a passive defense, but transformed into an active force, reaching into that turbulent darkness and chaos.
It's very difficult.
It's like trying to grab scalding hot quicksand with your hands.
The forces of chaos were eroding, resisting, and repelling, but those hands did not retreat.
Li Yao recalled the days when she lay in the hospital bed, each breath feeling like being sliced by glass.
live.
Live a healthy life.
Run, jump, breathe freely.
She changed her approach, no longer fighting against the chaos.
She patiently and carefully "scooped" a tiny drop from the chaos with the power of her will.
Then, the "kneading" begins.
This is a completely new attempt: shaping.
She wanted to transform that unruly, chaotic drop into a stable form according to her own will.
A sphere is a stable structure.
Li Yao squeezed that tiny drop of chaos, shaping it into a sphere.
However, the essence of chaos is resistance against order.
When Li Yao's will exerted pressure from all directions, that tiny drop of chaos violently resisted, twisting into various irregular shapes.
Failure after failure.
But Li Yao did not give up.
Even enjoy the process.
She discovered that this power, which had once filled her with immense fear, could also be "fearful."
It feared Li Yao's pure will to "survive".
Just like darkness, there is an instinctive fear of light.
"Found it! There's more than one entrance to the valley!" Wang Xuan suddenly exclaimed in the council hall.
He pointed to a detail on the map that had been overlooked.
"There's an abandoned mine tunnel built by the dwarves! It can take us around to the back of the behemoth! We can set traps there in advance!"
"Should we lure it into the trap, or use the trap to cut off its escape route?" Chen Kai asked.
the other side.
In Li Yao's mental world.
After repeated failures and confrontations, that tiny drop of unruly chaotic power finally showed signs of fatigue for the first time under the repeated kneading of the hand of will.
Its resistance weakened.
opportunity!
Li Yao's will suddenly strengthened, and she clasped her hands together!
"Buzz—"
The buzzing echoed in Li Yao's mental world.
In the palm of her will, that drop of chaotic power was finally forcibly molded into a reluctant but relatively stable sphere.
Although it was still trembling slightly, trying to struggle, it was still shaped.
Li Yao's body trembled slightly.
The [Seed of Chaos] in the chest seemed to sense this subtle change as well, and the frequency of its surging subsided briefly.
……
The sky is bright.
The morning light streamed in through the high windows of the council chamber, illuminating the dust particles floating in the air.
The map on the stone table was covered with various colored markings and deduced routes.
After repeated discussions and simulations, a meticulous expedition plan was finally formed.
In the corner, Li Yao, who had been sitting quietly with her eyes closed, opened them.
Her gaze, no longer wavering, became firm.
Chen Kai stood up.
He walked to his weapon and casually slung the new spear, named "Fang of the Wind," over his shoulder.
The spearhead gleamed coldly in the morning light.
He looked at the faint light outside the window that dispelled the darkness, gripped the spear in his hand, and spoke calmly.
"Everyone, prepare to depart."