Chapter 148 Too Late

Chapter 148 No Time

Fu Yanhua remained silent, switching a corner of the screen to display the view outside the vehicle door.

The screen flickered, and the image slowly materialized.

Outside, there were only a few fallen trees, a patch of scorched grass, and white mist swirling in the air.

Not a soul in sight.

"Knock, knock, knock."

Yet the knocking persisted.

Zhong Wan jolted in fright, instinctively grabbing Fang Ran's hand.

"What on earth is out there?"

Fang Ran patted his hand reassuringly. "It's alright. We're safe inside the vehicle."

"Ignore it," Lu Tianlin told Fu Yanhua. "Let's just head straight back. There are too many hidden dangers here."

"Mm."

Fu Yanhua nodded, activating the hovercar's AI system.

"Immediate course change. Destination: new rendezvous point, coordinates WJT-45W."

「Command confirmed. Estimated arrival time: 23 minutes.」

Just then, the sound of hurried footsteps approached.

On the front screen, several tall figures suddenly appeared.

Cui Ming, accompanied by a few Guardian sentinels, emerged swiftly from the woods ahead, their steps urgent.

Their faces were unusually pale, and they were all wounded. Cui Ming's right shoulder and arm were a mangled, bloody mess, staining most of his combat suit crimson.

Spotting the hovercar on the open ground, preparing for takeoff, their faces lit up with relief. They waved and shouted from where they stood.

"Stop! Stop!"

"We are Guardian sentinels!"

"Our captain is severely injured! We need help!!!"

At that moment, Cui Ming seemed to have lost too much blood and collapsed with a "thud." His teammates quickly helped him up and continued to shout towards the hovercar:

"Please open the door! We need help!"

Seeing this scene, Fu Yanhua and Lu Tianlin both frowned, exchanging a glance.

Too suspicious.

Why appear now, of all times?

Fu Yanhua pondered for a moment, pausing the hovercar's takeoff sequence but not opening the door.

Fang Liyu, staring at the screen, also furrowed her brow.

"We encountered these individuals at the old rendezvous point. They are indeed Guardian sentinels, but... it's too suspicious."

Lu Tianlin turned to her and said, "Notify the Guardians of these coordinates and the situation, and request immediate backup."

Fang Liyu nodded. "Understood."

"Let's just leave directly," Lu Tianlin decided. "No more wasting time."

"Alright." Fu Yanhua issued another command to the AI.

"Resume course for the new coordinates."

The system AI immediately responded:

「Command confirmed.」

The vehicle then emitted a low hum, preparing for ascent.

Fang Ran, staring at the screen, noticed the blood-soaked Cui Ming suddenly stir.

He had been slumped over his teammate's shoulder, but now he abruptly lifted his head, staring directly at the hovercar. The look in his eyes sent a shiver down their spines.

Fang Ran shuddered, a sudden chill creeping up his back.

Beside him, Zhong Wan was also trembling, gripping his hand tightly—clearly, he too had noticed the man's abnormality.

Both blurted out simultaneously.

"This person... something's wrong! Get away quickly!"

"Go now! He's not right!"

Fu Yanhua paused, glancing back at them. Seeing the terror on their faces, as if they had discovered something, he instinctively issued another command to the AI.

"Increase speed, ascend immediately."

「Command confirmed.」

「...」

「Obstruction detected below. Takeoff procedure paused.」

「Obstruction detected below. Takeoff procedure paused.」

"Obstacles detected?" Fang Liyu frowned. "What's happening?"

No sooner had she spoken than the vehicle emitted a series of groaning sounds, as if something had tightly coiled around its undercarriage and was continuously tightening its grip.

Fu Yanhua quickly switched to the undercarriage camera feed.

Because it was almost flush with the ground, the light was dim, but through the lens, they could still see the ground beneath the vehicle cracking open wide. Countless slender tree roots surged from the fissures, coiling layer upon layer around the chassis's base.

Not the roots again!

Fang Ran remembered that Cui Ming's ability was plant manipulation.

Could it really be him?

At that moment, Cui Ming, displayed on the main screen, along with several sentinels behind him, slowly advanced towards the hovercar.

A strange, unsettling smile played on his lips, sending a chill down one's spine.

"Hey!" he shouted loudly.

"Didn't the people inside hear us? Why won't you open the door?"

As he spoke, the muffled thumping from beneath the car grew more frequent, as if the roots were about to pierce the vehicle and burst inside at any moment.

Spooked by the sounds, Zhong Wan clutched Fang Ran's hand tightly and looked at Fang Liyu. "Sister Fang, what do we do now?"

"Don't be afraid."

Fang Liyu tried to keep her voice calm and reassuring. "I've already contacted District 5, and they're dispatching nearby sentinels."

She glanced down at her terminal. "They should arrive in about three minutes."

"But..." Zhong Wan looked at Cui Ming on the screen again. "This person is an S-class sentinel, right? And the sentinels behind him don't seem weak either..."

"The car's hull is made of special metal," Fu Yanhua turned and told them. "It should hold up until support arrives."

"Worst case, I was once an S-class," Lu Tianlin said. "Though I'm older now, I can still protect you for a while."

Zhong Wan finally nodded in relief, silently praying for the supporting sentinels to arrive quickly.

Just then, a commotion erupted from the forest ahead.

Fang Ran quickly looked up, eyes fixed on the screen.

Was it the supporting sentinels?

Or...

The next moment.

A massive figure burst out from the forest.

It was the mutant wild boar from earlier!

Fang Ran's eyes widened in terror.

Most of the boar's fur was charred, bloodstained, and it was blind in one eye.

Spotting Cui Ming and the others, it let out an enraged roar, stomped the ground, and charged wildly towards them with its four sharp tusks.

Cui Ming glanced back but neither dodged nor moved, remaining rooted to the spot.

The boar was incredibly fast, reaching him in an instant.

At that moment, Cui Ming leaped back, effortlessly floating into the air.

His movements were agile, completely unlike his earlier feigned weakness—his injuries were clearly an act!

The wildly charging boar couldn't stop in time.

"Bang!"

A deafening crash followed, and the entire hovercar shuddered violently.

The boar's tusks had sunk half an inch into the vehicle's body.

"Aow! Aow!"

It roared again, frantically shaking its head and pushing back with its hind legs.

A moment later, the boar finally broke free, but it left a jagged hole in the hovercar's interior wall.

Fang Ran stared at the light-streaked gap, a bad feeling surging through him once more.

Something bad is about to happen!

Sure enough.

A moment later, rustling sounds began.

The roots coiled beneath the vehicle started snaking wildly upward.

Oh no!

Seeing this, Lu Tianlin tried to use his ability to seal the hole.

But it was too late.