A look of surprise flashed across the other person’s face, but in the very next second, they slid backward along the sand surface, retracting the lasso while shouting toward Xu Huo, “Desert Fish!”

They didn’t take out an item, so Xu Huo guessed this was likely characteristic power. However, now that the two of them were face to face, under the effect of “Seeing is Believing,” the other’s characteristic failed to take effect.

Gripping the Umbrella of Justice, he instantly swapped the Desert Windmill in his hand for the Crimson Sword. Sword energy extended, forming a thin cutting plane that swept toward the opponent!

With over ten meters separating them, even if he was fast, the other player still had time to react. The moment he drew his sword, that player shrank down into the sand, and the sweeping sword energy cleanly sliced the transport vehicle in half from the middle.

Standing on the ground wasn’t safe, so Xu Huo grabbed the piano wire and rose into the air, then looked back toward the station.

Rain and the sand-manipulation characteristic countered each other. Sand was continuously falling from the glass walls of the station. Shi Youzhi and the others had already entered the station. The protective barrier from the Square Box that a team member had opened inside the station earlier was now shattered. Three people were covered in a layer of frost, frozen stiff and unable to move. Meanwhile, the station was crawling with giant Gold Sand Scorpions. These scorpions weren’t just attacking the repair device;
they were also surrounding and trapping Shi Youzhi and his team.

“Wasn’t it said those things don’t actively attack people?” Wan Tingfang, standing inside a wooden barrel not far away, floated over on the sand. She glanced at his umbrella and said, “Your item is quite impressive, perfectly countering the enemy’s characteristic. But you need to be careful.”

Of the three transport vehicles, one was stolen, one was cut in half. Now Shi Youzhi and the others were trapped in the station, and the remaining vehicle outside was slowly sinking into the sand.

Xu Huo adjusted his direction and swung his sword, cutting the last remaining transport vehicle in half.

The moment the vehicle split, the sand immediately stopped churning, then fell into complete stillness.

He stared intently at the sand surface, watching a number “6” emerge from a spot on the left sand dune. Simultaneously, a “9” emerged from a spot much farther to the right.

Friendliness values scored based on how much attention others paid to you. A value reaching 9 proved the other person wanted to kill you.

Seeing that one was heading for Wan Tingfang while the other had already entered the Crimson Sword’s attack range, Xu Huo finally took out his pen. The characteristic “The Power of Writing” began to take effect. The “6” stopped moving, but the “9” did not. Since he couldn’t see what the other looked like, he had to strike first.

Sword energy carved a five-meter-long groove into the sand surface. The spot that was hit then flipped up something like a sheet of tin foil, and someone rolled out from inside—but it wasn’t the sand-manipulating player with the severed arm from earlier.

Xu Huo’s brow furrowed. Just as he was about to move forward, a metal net appeared out of thin air about five or six meters above the sand. He retreated backward and saw the net plunge headfirst into the sand, then quickly retract like a fishing net, immediately scooping up two players hiding within the sand.

That net was Wan Tingfang’s item. She was standing inside the wooden barrel, pulling the net back. However, the two players inside clearly had no intention of surrendering without a fight. The moment they were dragged together, they vanished from the net one after the other.

“Seven down to three,” Wan Tingfang retrieved her item. “This wave is stable. Captain Shi and the others should have no problem dealing with the remaining four.”

The sand-manipulating player had already left the station area, but the remaining four players hadn’t shown themselves. These people could hide in the desert, likely by borrowing this player’s characteristic power. Now that the sand player was gone, they should have revealed themselves.

Xu Huo faintly felt something was off, but at that moment, a muffled thud suddenly came from the station. Under the protection of Shi Youzhi and the others, one of the operating repair devices toppled over. The conical object on top of the instrument cracked open, and the liquid inside flowed down the pipes connected to the repair device, injecting into the instrument. Like an overused tungsten filament light bulb, the silver instrument turned black from the inside out, visibly self-destructing.

At this point, Shi Youzhi had no choice but to abandon repairing the track. He shut down the other two repair devices, raised the machines into the air, and coordinated with his team members to evacuate the station.

The track repair devices had automatic flight functions. Black water spread across the desert, paving a straight road leading to the distant city. Two giant bubbles then protected the machines. Leaving a few people to cover the rear, Shi Youzhi exited the station with the others.

They didn’t need to say anything;
Xu Huo and Wan Tingfang naturally followed the retreat. Along the way, Gold Sand Scorpions continuously lunged out, but their density and ferocity were nothing compared to inside the station. It wasn’t difficult for Shi Youzhi and the others to handle them. However, She Ping, Ai Jia, and the others covering the rear had a bit more trouble before they could withdraw.

The closer they got to the city, the fewer Gold Sand Scorpions there were in the surroundings. Only after confirming they were safe did She Ping speak up, “These Gold Sand Scorpions were being controlled by someone, which is why they ignored our instruments. Damned bastards causing trouble for no reason. Even if they snatched the repair device, they couldn’t use it. Just giving us unnecessary headaches.”

The expressions of the other team members weren’t great either, because not only was one instrument destroyed, but when it self-destructed earlier, it damaged part of the track. The subsequent repairs would require even more time.

“Can’t you just directly use an item to seal off this area?” Wan Tingfang asked doubtfully. “There should be items that can do that, right?”

“The responsibility scope of the Track Supply Department is only the train and the station. Areas outside the station don’t fall under our jurisdiction,” Ai Jia explained. “Generally, base staff cannot use spatial items to seal off territories outside the station.”

In other words, they couldn’t seal the area beforehand, nor could they concentrate firepower to bombard it afterward. The matter had to be handed over to the District 011 government to handle.

Typically, it would be resolved by the Enforcement Department.

“This station is going to be idle for a long time again.”

“Who’s going to hand over to the Enforcement Department?” She Ping asked.

The other team members all wore expressions of polite refusal. It was Shi Youzhi who said, “I’ll handle this matter. First, arrange for a vehicle to transport the repair devices back.”

He went to contact someone using his communicator, while the others rested nearby.

Xu Huo privately asked Wan Tingfang, “Is the relationship between the Enforcement Department and the base not very good?”

“I haven’t been here long either. I’ve only heard that some high-level officials in the District 011 government have friction with the base,” Wan Tingfang lowered her voice. “Like today’s attack, logically speaking, those people didn’t even dare show their faces, so they definitely wouldn’t stay guarding this place. But according to District 011 government regulations, after an attack incident occurs, it must be reported to the government immediately. The Enforcement Department comes to handle it, and only after that is the second opening time notified.”

“The two sides don’t get along, you understand.”

If the relationship is bad, the Enforcement Department might drag its feet, and who knows how long the base would have to wait before it could attempt a second repair.

After listening, Xu Huo nodded slightly, but still felt something was off. The players who came to steal things today didn’t feel particularly strong. They were well-prepared, fired a shot and ran. They did manage to steal one transport vehicle, but compared to the earlier phase, the later efforts against the repair device only involved driving some Gold Sand Scorpions over. It all felt a bit anticlimactic.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep