In a flash, Ethan charged into the crevice of the towering rock, pushing forward two or three meters before stopping to swiftly place a magazine beside him. Cedricl followed suit.
"Crouch down, get ready to fight," Ethan commanded as he quickly checked his firearm and then aimed it toward the entrance of the crevice. The space was limited, preventing the golden-winged lice from swarming in all at once. And now, their delayed return to camp must have alerted Marshal. Perhaps, if they could hold out just a bit longer, reinforcements would arrive.
Outside the crevice, the buzzing of wings grew louder as the golden-winged lice followed. The fog caused many to fly over the pile of rocks, searching for Ethan and Cedricl like headless flies. With his 'Barrier Breaking Eye,' Ethan observed this scene and breathed a sigh of relief.
However, there were still plenty of golden-winged lice lingering outside the rock, at least a hundred. In an open area, a swarm of that size could strip Ethan and Cedricl to the bone. Fortunately, many were crawling over the rocks, with only one or two approaching the crevice.
Ethan thought for a moment, set down his rifle, and drew his military knife, pressing a hand on Cedricl's shoulder before flipping to the front to lie in ambush at the entrance. As a cluster of gray light crawled in, Ethan swiftly delivered a brain-splitting blow, followed by a horizontal slash that decapitated the golden-winged louse.
Witnessing this, Cedricl's breathing quickened, and he regarded Ethan with a newfound respect. Using his 'Barrier Breaking Eye,' Ethan had silently eliminated several lice. But the good times didn't last long. Whether it was the blood of their own kind that drew their attention, the hundred or so lice roaming the rocks began to converge on the crevice.
Ethan knew the game was up. He returned to his original position and whispered to Cedricl, "They're coming."
Cedricl, lacking the 'Pupil Technique' and with nightfall upon them, could see nothing in the pitch-black crevice. But the sounds were audible—the hissing and clicking of the golden-winged lice as they communicated, growing denser at the entrance.
Clenching his rifle, Cedricl prepared for battle. The academy-issued rifle was a light machine gun, easy to carry and suitable for tight spaces. Its compact grip and trigger guard were integrated into a rotary bolt design, with firing modes adjustable between single and automatic fire. The magazine held a standard 30 rounds, and since it was a collection mission, each person only had two magazines.
To conserve ammunition, Ethan should have used single fire, but he opted for automatic. His marksmanship had improved since his time on the surface, but he was far from a sharpshooter. Using single fire in such a situation could be disastrous if he made a mistake.
As time ticked away, finally, a golden-winged louse poked its head through the crevice. Around the opening, lice swarmed, their wings buzzing incessantly. Using his 'Barrier Breaking Eye' to track the enemy, Ethan adjusted his aim and pressed the trigger.
Bang! The sound exploded above Cedricl's head, accompanied by a burst of light and a falling shell that bounced off his shoulder to the ground. Using the muzzle flash for illumination, Cedricl saw a golden-winged louse's head burst open at the entrance, but more lice scrambled to enter. Their carapaces were pitch black, with golden patterns on their wings. Their heads resembled locusts, but with four small green eyes.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Gunfire erupted above Cedricl's head, and the lice that entered the crevice exploded into mists of blood. Then he heard Ethan's roar.
"Fire!" Ethan bellowed. "You take the bottom!"
Cedricl, snapping out of his daze, shouted as he opened fire. He remained composed, remembering Ethan's instructions to lower the gun barrel, sweeping fire across the lice crawling in from the ground. The bullets tore through the parasites, severing their wings and limbs.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! The crevice echoed with continuous gunfire, the flashes of light flickering. One after another, the lice fell, and soon the entrance was piled with their carcasses. Despite the death of many, more lice continued to pour in. Thankfully, the space in the crevice was limited, and the lice, not small in size, could only enter four or five at a time, with the rest squeezed outside.
Soon, Ethan emptied one magazine and quickly loaded the last one. Within less than a minute of the battle, the second magazine was also spent.
"I'm out of bullets!" Ethan shouted.
Cedricl's rifle ceased firing the next second. "Me too."
Ethan decisively drew his military knife and charged at the lice squeezing in from outside. "Switch in one minute," he commanded as his blade fell, severing the head of a louse. Looking up, he saw two more parasites lunging at him. Using the armor on his arm as a shield, he deflected one to the side and thrust his knife into the belly of the other, flicking his wrist to fling it away. The louse's abdomen split open, spilling its guts. Without pausing, Ethan turned and delivered a fatal blow to the louse pinned against the rock, decapitating it in an instant.
Ethan looked up, now with his 'Barrier Breaking Eye' deactivated. The gunfire had ignited some grass, providing light. In the glow, he saw three lice charging in a straight line due to the limited space. A cold glint flashed in Ethan's eyes as his knife left a streak of silver-white lightning across the bodies of the three lice.
Sword Technique: Thunder Strike!
This was a combat technique personally taught to him by Victor after Bryce had challenged him to a duel. There were two moves: the sword technique 'Thunder Strike' and the fist technique 'Bone Shatter.'
In an instant, the bodies of the three lice split open, and insect blood poured down, drenching Ethan's head, shoulders, and body. Cedricl, watching from behind, saw Ethan bathed in blood amidst the firelight, as formidable as Shura.
Surrounded by carcasses, blood, and the stench of death, Ethan seemed to return to his days of survival on the surface. His expression was blank, his gaze icy, his actions decisive, holding the line. He began to sustain injuries, to bleed, but he did not retreat a step.
If he could avoid an attack, he did; if not, he used less vital parts of his body to block, then traded wounds for kills. In just one minute, Ethan was covered in blood, his hair matted with it. The ground around him was littered with carcasses, and his military knife was so battered it had developed notches.
After barely managing to decapitate another louse, Ethan flung his knife, turning it into a streak of cold light that impaled a louse just entering the crevice. Then, pebbles fell on Ethan. Looking up, he saw a shaky rock above the crevice, pockmarked with bullet holes and stained with blood, its structure likely compromised by a previous volley of gunfire.
Buzzing sounds announced the arrival of more lice. Ethan quickly formed a hand seal and pointed at the rock. Yuan Force surged between his fingers, transforming into a black rope.
Number One Mystical Technique: Black Rope!
Like combat techniques and Visualization Techniques, Mystical Techniques were discovered, organized, and modified in 'that world' to be usable by humans. There were nearly a hundred types of Mystical Techniques, each with a number and requiring a specific hand seal to use. Ethan had spent two whole days just practicing the hand seal for 'Black Rope.'
Now was the time to show the fruits of his labor!
The rope of Yuan Force instantly wrapped around the rock. With a strong tug, the already teetering rock crashed down, smashing the lice beneath it into a pulp. And just then, one minute had passed!