V2 Chapter 26 - They Noticed
A group of Madana's team was hiding among the reeds in the swamp. The boy, Dipa, was peering through binoculars.
"There really is a big camp here."
Madana activated her suit's system, zooming in on the scene ahead. Five hundred meters away, dozens of tents were visible, along with a large snake-like creature wrapped around ropes and wedged into the ground.
"Is that Nyangkong? They have surrounded Nyangkong," she mused.
Dipa turned to Madana, disbelief etched on his face. "Your suit has a telescoping system? How did you do it without binoculars?"
Madana shrugged. "It's not traditional lens technology. It uses advanced video clarity tech that enhances and brightens images. Think of it as a super technology that converts a low-res image into something resembling 4K."
"I can't keep up." Fu Tuhai shook his head, clearly lost.
"I'm going to report." Dipa opened the communication system used by the Suvarna Army to communicate with other groups. He quickly realized other teams were also in contact.
"Lieutenant Dipa... we think we've found their camp. There's a group setting a campfire in Butterfly Valley and killing butterflies."
"The enemy's camp is at the old cliff. The monkeys are caged."
"All the foxes at the foot of Blue Moon Mountain have been skinned. We can see their tents."
Hearing that others had also found camps made Dipa uneasy. "Everyone... we found a group in the swamp capturing a Nyangkong. They might be using fake camps as a feint strategy. Be careful and approach cautiously to see if any important members are there. Report back if you find any centipedes mutant."
Dipa was proving to be a talented leader, able to assess the situation quickly. Madana, however, was not optimistic. "Are there dangerous mutant beasts in other regions, but no S-ranks?"
Dipa nodded. "Most beasts in their ranks aren't that strong. Their leaders will be A-ranks, but they can pose a threat to S-ranks."
Madana continued, "We need to tread carefully. The enemy may not be as vulnerable as they seem. They might have ways to control these mutant beasts and monitor all four areas quietly."
Dipa climbed back onto his silver ant, which instantly shifted from shiny metallic to an opaque black. "Brother, wait here. The more of us there are, the easier it is for the enemy to notice us."
Though unsure, Madana decided to trust Dipa's instincts; no one else in their group had experience sneaking into camps.
Dipa approached the camp stealthily. As Madana monitored the situation, he noted that five hundred meters wasn't far, and soon Dipa reached the nearest tent. Despite the presence of armed guards, he managed to stay hidden.
He whispered through the comms, "There are about twenty Russian mercenaries here, all with House Dimitri's insignia. There's also a shapeshifter with a shark hood."
Madana recalled Sofia mentioning an A-rank member who had transformed into a mutant with a shark mouth. "Be careful. Have you seen any other members?"
"I don't see anyone yet, but wild reeds are too strong. I'll keep moving forward." Dipa edged closer to the creature the Mutant Science team had captured.
As he neared Nyangkong, the ant trembled, hesitant to move. "The monster isn't dead; they've hibernated it with freezing gas. It's immature for its size. They must have forced it into hibernation to prevent it from waking."
Dipa contemplated releasing the creature, thinking it might cause chaos among the camp and reveal whether it was a real or fake setup. However, Madana urged him to return as the shark's jaws began to move, sensing something.
"Come back... they're going to notice you." Sharks could smell blood from miles away, and though they were on land, Madana feared the shark mutant could still detect them.
"But... just for a moment." Dipa retrieved a small landmine from his pack and placed it on the creature. Just then, a voice called to him from behind.
"Is this what you're looking for?" A girl with bunny ears held up the bomb's trigger. Dipa's face fell.
"Die..." The girl launched a powerful kick at Dipa's chest, sending him crashing into a tent, which collapsed around him.
The silver ant moved to protect Dipa, but the patrolling mercenaries turned toward the commotion. The bunny-eared girl, dressed in short jeans, ordered them to lower their weapons. "Nothing, just an unimportant child thief entering the camp." Then her tone turned menacing. "But those who came with him must be caught."
She quickly removed the wireless earpiece of Dipa and spoke urgently. "Hey, faraway team, come save us or the boy will die. You heroes don't abandon your team members, do you?"
Larry exchanged glances with Madana, looking worried. "How did that mutant notice us?"
Madana sighed. "Rabbits have long ears. They must have known we were coming."
Fu Tuhai asked, "Should we save them or retreat?"
"We need to rescue Dipa, but we still haven't confirmed whether this camp is real or fake. Let the other groups know."
Madana activated her suit's Void Streams, darting toward the camp. Suvarna Special Forces were equally formidable, deploying folding weapons made from metal branches. Suvarna was the only country capable of crafting mass of weapons from real zect metal.
The Suvarna warriors charged in, shouting, "Rescue the prince!"
Larry shrugged at Fu Tuhai, revealing part of his original form. His skin turned yellow, bone spikes jutted from his flesh, and cockroach-like wings sprouted from his back. He stood two meters tall, his teeth sharp as a carnivore's.
"Wow... are you a shapeshifter?" Fu Tuhai asked, astonished.
Larry snorted, "Don't compare me to those halflings," before leaping into battle.
---
Meanwhile, Fatty Wan was coordinating efforts with Sophia, the leader of their operation. "Urgent... The prince of the realm has fallen into enemy hands at the swamp camp. The enemy may already know we're coming."
Sophia closed her eyes briefly, then opened them, her green gaze intense. "That's smart… Keep an eye on this camp. I'll go help them."
Before long, one of the Suvarna soldiers reported, "Leader, the ground in front of us is moving like a tunnel. Something is coming."
Before he could finish, a creature burst from the earth, its knife-like hand slicing through the air and decapitating the soldier. Blood sprayed the grass of Butterfly Valley.
Fatty Wan stared at the giant red shell crab, about one and a half meters tall, that confronted him. "Less crab; I think I'm about to have some good seafood."
He drew his large cleaver.
"Hmm... How many true mutants are in your ranks?" He swung the sword, severing one of the crab's legs.
"You... what kind of swordsmanship is that?" the crab replied, astonished. It was an A-rank mutant, known for its hard shell, yet it had succumbed to a single slash.
"Crab slicing knife..." Fatty Wan said, somewhat pleased, but his expression quickly soured as the crab regenerated its lost limb.
"Have you never seen healing abilities, fat guy?" the crab taunted.
Just then, another mist emerged—a large, round eight-eyed spider with the body of an attractive girl. "Is he the only A-rank here, Pansa?"
"He's outnumbered, Echna," the spider replied.
Chaos ensued as Fatty Wan and Dipa weren't the only ones fighting. The Mutant Science team had somehow anticipated their moves, igniting a fierce battle across the camp.
---
Fralita, at the monkey-dwelling cliff, used her cannon to block the enemy's advance. But a giant bull-cheep charged forward, challenging her.
"Archmega... you are Europe's toughest mutant. Fight me!"
"No... we have to do this properly," a cat mutant dressed as a ninja descended the cliff.
Fralita bit her lip, pressed a button, and aimed her cannon. "I will roast you alive."
---
At the foot of Blue Moon Mountain, Group 2 lay devastated. The limbs of Suvarna warriors were scattered, blood pooling around them. Hong Weilin, the group leader, was gravely injured, her cane broken, her body entwined with vines.
The mutant they faced was formidable—Venus, queen of vimes, had emerged, ready to decimate the remaining forces. Despite her supposed recovery, she had become a more powerful threat.
Venus sampled a drop of blood from her fingers, relishing it. "Huh... mortally wounded but now stronger thanks to new medicine. Hahaha..."
Vines sprouted from her back, resembling wings, while the remains of the slain foxes lay nearby, their blood dried, even Alpha fox couldn't escape. Venus was back in the fray, more dangerous than ever.