Dual wielding volcanoes, killing through the west

Page 494

Zhang Wusheng felt panicked and instinctively reached out, trying to grab something. But as soon as he changed his posture, his body suddenly flew out uncontrollably.

"Where's the ground?!"

He then realized that he hadn't been standing on "ground" at all, but had been in a static position. Now, as soon as he moved, he felt as if he had no weight, and he floated away! This feeling of not being able to touch the ground, as if he were grabbing at something in deep water, terrified him.

No matter what you do, you can't stop; no matter how hard you step, you can't reach the bottom.

His body spun uncontrollably as he watched the dark world turn upside down and spin in his pupils. He wanted to scream, but no sound came out.

so quiet.

No sound.

There is no light.

Nothing at all.

As his initial panic subsided, Zhang Wusheng couldn't help but wonder if he was already dead. After all, such a scene of the underworld could probably only be seen by the dead.

"If so, is this... the world after death?"

It's different from what they said.

There are no angels to welcome the good, no hell to torment the wicked, no ferrymen across the River Styx, and no gods to weigh hearts.

There was nothing, only darkness, nothing at all.

He suddenly realized that humanity is like a child afraid of loneliness, weaving all sorts of myths and arranging a full schedule for the time after death: enjoying bliss in heaven or suffering in hell. Few people can accept that death is death, and that the world after death is nothing but darkness and nothingness.

"What will happen to me?" Zhang Wusheng murmured, looking at his hands. "Will I just keep drifting like this?"

The next moment, a sudden burst of bright light almost blinded his retina.

"Woo..."

His pupils, accustomed to the darkness, were seared with a burning pain. Zhang Wusheng instinctively covered his eyes, but despite the physical discomfort, an uncontrollable surge of ecstasy welled up deep within him.

bright.

Whatever it may be, compared to endless loneliness, the source of this light is undoubtedly a kind of hope.

He waited quietly until his pupils adjusted to the light before he withdrew his hand.

With the light source in place, he was surprised to find that the dark space wasn't entirely empty. There were also some strangely shaped, narrow pebbles floating in a line: some were the size of pebbles, while others were as large as a mountain.

Nevertheless, compared to the boundless deep space, it is no different from a grain of sesame.

He is smaller than a sesame seed, not even worth a speck of dust.

What lies within that dazzling light?

Zhang Wusheng wanted to find out more, but he couldn't control his body at all and could only passively move closer and closer to the dazzling light.

……

"..."

“...Mars..."

……

"Mars".

A muffled voice resounded directly in his mind.

As Zhang Wusheng approached the center of the light source, the voice became clearer and clearer—a gentle yet authoritative female voice. Zhang Wusheng wasn't quite sure what "Mars" was, but he had a strange premonition that the voice was calling for him.

He wanted to speak, but no sound came out. He could only stare blankly at the light that was still some distance away from him.

The female voice that rang directly in his mind was like magic; he felt he had heard it somewhere before, but upon closer inspection, he couldn't quite place it.

"...Did you receive the gift I sent you?"

Did you receive the gift I sent you?

----

"??!"

Zhang Wusheng took a deep breath, just like a drowning person who had just been rescued from the water.

Yinshuang, standing before him, still held her fingertips lightly touching his forehead. Her surprised expression made him realize that, in her mind, only a moment had passed.

"Are you alright?" Silver Frost looked at him worriedly. "I only had a tiny bit injected... Are you feeling unwell anywhere?"

"I……"

At this moment, Zhang Wusheng completely understood Yinshuang's feelings—he also didn't know how to explain everything he had just seen.

dark.

light.

sound.

This tremor, as if he had returned from another world, still permeated his body and internal organs!

"Just now I……"

----

"boom--------!!!!"

Their conversation was interrupted by a sudden loud noise.

"Enemy attack?!"

Yinshuang's expression changed instantly. She picked up the steel sword and rushed out of the tent.

……

"How could this be? That sound... it must be at least at the level of a breech-loading cannon. There should be sentries near the camp, how could they let enemy artillery get so close and not detect it? This is not the level of skill expected of the Lamon Raiders..."

Zhang Wusheng bit his lip, muttering to himself, and with a kick, stood up without grabbing anything.

In his panic, he didn't even realize it and instinctively picked up his cane.

Chapter 1003: Ball Lightning?

After the loud bang, a thick column of smoke rose from the southeast of the temporary camp, towards the woods.

Such a commotion naturally woke up everyone in the camp.

The soldiers on the sentry post were recalled and questioned. It was confirmed that they were not from the Federal Army. However, no one could say for sure who they were. Only one sentry vaguely saw the source of the explosion. According to him, a bright fireball streaked across his vision. It fell very fast, and before he could react, it exploded with a loud bang.

"A fireball..." Zhang Wusheng looked up at the starry night sky and pondered, "Did it fall from the sky?"

"We can't completely rule out the possibility of an enemy, after all, the explosion site is too close to our camp," Silverfrost said in a deep voice. "I think it's still necessary to go and investigate. The forest terrain is quite complicated, so let's get a few skilled riders."

"I!"

"I'll go! My horse is fast!"

“I’m a licensed professional hunter in New Austin. When I’m in the woods, it feels like I’m back home. I volunteer to do these missions.”

In a short time, many soldiers volunteered to carry out reconnaissance missions. Yinshuang selected seven people from them, and together with herself, they formed a temporary squad. Since it was a reconnaissance mission, there was no need for a large number of people; the focus was on agile and mobile tactics.

"We'll investigate the source of the explosion." After counting the men, Silverfrost also checked her own weapons and equipment, and said in a deep voice, "I'm entrusting the affairs of the temporary camp to you..."

“No.” Zhang Wusheng unusually rejected her opinion. “I will go with you.”

……

"?!" Silver Frost was clearly taken aback and said with some displeasure, "Don't joke about things like this."

“I’m not joking, Ms. Silverfrost. My offer to go with you is purely based on practical considerations.”

Zhang Wusheng pointed to the smoking forest in the distance and said in a deep voice, "Such a huge explosion can rule out the possibility of it being a breech-loading cannon or a field gun."

"Then, is it possible that this is a completely new weapon developed by the Northern Federation government based on this war?"

Upon hearing this reasoning, everyone's expressions and eyes changed.

Upgrading weapons means escalating war.

No one wants to lose their life on the battlefield for no apparent reason. Yet, the Civil War thirty years ago, relying solely on firearms, already resulted in such a horrifying casualty rate. At that time, Gatling guns, Maxim guns, and even various artillery pieces hadn't yet been truly deployed on the battlefield.

When it comes to killing each other, no other species can compare with humans.

And now... perhaps another incredibly powerful weapon has entered the war.

Even just the possibility of it sends chills down my spine when I think about it deeply.

Yinshuang also realized the key point, frowned, and stopped objecting.

"If, unfortunately, my prediction comes true, then intelligence will be our greatest asset. Before the enemy attacks us with new weapons, we must gather as much intelligence as possible about them and then adjust our existing combat strategies accordingly. This is my responsibility as the commander."

“I can’t just sit in the tent and wait,” Zhang Wusheng said in a low voice, very seriously. “Every minute, every second is precious.”

"I must go to the scene as soon as possible to confirm the latest situation, which is the basis for commanding operations."

After much deliberation, Silver Frost's gaze fell upon the thick smoke rising from the forest.

nodded.

----

As the night wind blew by, Zhang Wusheng smelled a sulfurous odor, though he wasn't sure if it was just his imagination.

Since birth, he had almost never engaged in any strenuous exercise, let alone ridden a horse. This was the first time he had experienced the feeling of galloping on horseback. The scenery before him rushed past, and only he was moving forward. The once calm air suddenly became a gust of wind, brushing against his skin.

"How's the speed? Is it okay?"

Yinshuang turned around and looked at him with some concern, afraid that she was riding too fast and would trigger his asthma again.

Unable to ride a horse, Zhang Wusheng's only way to reach the explosion site was to ride with someone else.

This crucial task ultimately fell to Yin Shuang, the soldier with the best horsemanship among them. She and her old horse, "Radish," had been partners for many years, to the point of being one with each other. She didn't even need to tighten the reins; the horse knew its own speed.

"I...I'm fine..." Zhang Wusheng pressed his pulse and found it to be surprisingly steady, which surprised him.

Under normal circumstances, at this speed, although it might not cause asthma, the heart should be beating faster.

But now, his heartbeat is as calm as if he were asleep.

"Please don't slow down the team just to accommodate me."

Regardless, Zhang Wusheng insisted, "Every second counts. Arriving a minute early is always a good thing."

"..."

The wind in the woods made the silence seem exceptionally long.

"It's not certain yet, but it must be a new weapon from the enemy, right?"

“What could that be?” Zhang Wusheng asked in return.

"It could very well be something else. You might not believe it, but I once received a case where the client claimed that one evening she heard a loud bang and found her husband burned into a blackened shadow by a fireball that had entered the house."

"I was completely baffled, so I asked Shan, and he told me that it was something called 'ball lightning,' which floats in the air and looks like a large, orange-red fireball. That gentleman was unlucky; after being struck, his entire body turned to carbon. This time it's probably similar, just a natural phenomenon like ball lightning."

"In short... what I mean is, without conclusive evidence," Silverfrost finally decided to speak after a moment, "why are you insisting on this?"

……

Better safe than sorry. For the safety of all the soldiers, he had to go in person—he wanted to quickly move on with such righteous words.

But deep down, Zhang Wusheng knew very well that it wasn't like that.

Of course, this reason plays a part, but it doesn't constitute his motivation for coming in person.

He came because he wanted to.

He hasn't figured out why he wanted to come yet, but deep down, he felt that he had to come this time.

The woman's voice echoed in my mind.

Did you receive the gift I sent you?

……

----

His silence can be considered a form of response.