Chapter 83: Mission – The Loch Ness Monster

Chapter 83: Mission: The Loch Ness Monster

The road from Santiago to Camelback Mountain was broad and smooth, stretching northwestward. After passing through Camelback Mountain, it merged with the Jingnan Avenue. Heading north, one could traverse 1,300 kilometers to reach the intersection of the central and southern regions. To the south, the road extended to the southernmost tip of the Jialin Continent, crossing more than ten medium and large cities.

Leaving aside Jingnan Avenue, let us first consider the four-lane highway and its most significant locations—there were three.

At the 21-kilometer mark.

At 55 plus 335 kilometers.

And at 72 kilometers.

The latter two were, respectively, the headquarters of the Black Lion Legion at Camelback Mountain, and the southern tourist and adventure hotspot: the Fuluo Mountain Range.

As for the first, though neither large nor dazzling, it was absolutely not to be underestimated. This place was called the Red Forest Line, under the command of a certain division of the Holy Light Angel Legion. In peacetime, the two major legions jointly guarded the Jialin Continent, and the ten subordinate legions enjoyed amicable relations. The demarcation of their positions was thus less rigid.

When war suddenly broke out, the small reinforced regiment at the 21-kilometer mark, numbering less than three thousand, relied on the defensible Red Forest military garrison and became a thorn in the side of the Black Lion Legion.

How many people were at the headquarters of the Black Lion Legion at Camelback Mountain?

About thirty thousand, excluding miscellaneous departments and logistics; the combat units numbered around twenty thousand.

Twenty thousand soldiers, equipped with powerful weapons and an air force, attacking a small garrison of three thousand—shouldn’t this be a piece of cake?

It was not so simple. Less than three kilometers west of the Red Forest garrison was a small town. If the Black Lion Legion launched an air raid, the town would surely suffer, perhaps even face total destruction.

It had been mentioned: the two major legions were guardians of the Jialin Continent, and war was not to touch the innocent populace.

Thus, the Red Forest garrison became a sword in the hands of the Holy Light Angel Legion, perpetually threatening the Black Lion Legion headquarters.

The Red Forest Line, in just one year, became renowned throughout the southern continent.

In the early hours, traffic on the road was sparse, so the three vehicles of the Soaring Adventure Team sped rapidly. It took half an hour to leave the city, and only a little over ten minutes on the road. Around 4:45, with less than five kilometers to the Red Forest Line, the three Soaring Team cars took a side road, entering a rugged country lane.

The jolting was severe. Li Xin was awakened by the shaking, squinting at the darkness outside the window; trees lined both sides, pitch black, visibility less than ten meters.

"Are we heading to complete the first mission?" he asked softly to his companion.

"Yes," Fei Li replied with a courteous smile, maintaining the polite demeanor expected of a B-class adventure team.

"Well, then I wish you success." Li Xin made a gesture of encouragement, then reclined again, dozing off.

"Quite the carefree soul," Fei Li teased, then ignored him. Soon, Li Xin’s snores sounded, and Gerald glanced over with a helpless chuckle. For a C-class strongman, he displayed none of the expected bearing—truly an odd fellow.

All three vehicles extinguished their lights simultaneously; the drivers proceeded cautiously, maintaining a three-meter distance between them. The road was uneven, and tonight the moon was obscured by clouds, making the journey all the more difficult. After nearly forty minutes of bumping along, the dense, dark forest ahead suddenly gave way to a vast open space. Looking closer, faint, colorful lights seemed to shimmer in the darkness above.

Ahead lay a lake, its surface rippling, crisscrossed with reflected moonlight, creating the earlier illusion.

Without local knowledge, one might easily plunge straight into the river.

Loch Ness.

A famed tourist gem of the southern continent, once thriving and bustling with crowds. Yet, a month ago, with a sudden anomaly on the water's surface, everything changed in a flash.

An unknown creature appeared, claiming the lives of six innocent people. Panicked tourists fled in terror.

The Santiago Adventurer Guild classified the mission as D-class; at least ten adventure teams came to hunt it, but all failed without exception. It was then upgraded to C-class, and adventurers suffered defeat for four days. At B-class, the outcome was the same.

The Loch Ness Monster became notorious, striking fear into hearts. Not a single surviving adventurer had managed to see its true form.

It only appeared at night or before dawn, revealing itself in the moonlight as a creature about fifteen meters long, resembling a serpent. Yet it had legs and a pair of enormous wings. Often, before the adventure teams could even form an attack formation, the monster would sweep through, forcing them to flee in panic.

At the Santiago Adventurer Guild, at least five B-class teams waited for a chance to claim this A-class mission, but an out-of-town Soaring Team snatched it away.

Tonight, just before dawn, the Soaring Team would give it their all, aiming to subdue the monster and then continue northeastward.

The vehicles quietly parked at the edge of the woods for concealment. Twelve adventurers disembarked, splitting into three groups, advancing in a wedge formation. Ten meters, thirty, fifty, a hundred… They were about to reach the shore of Loch Ness.

Inside the car, Li Xin still slept soundly. He was merely a fare-paying passenger hitching a ride, not required to participate.

"Captain Fei Yang, shall we prepare?" Vice Captain Wen Hui kept his eyes fixed on the lake's center, pressing his earpiece and whispering.

A hundred meters away, Fei Yang frowned in thought for a moment, then asked, "How’s that man?"

"Still asleep in the car. Looks like he won’t meddle."

"Good. Then prepare and send the signal," Fei Yang nodded quietly. Wen Hui immediately ordered the team to fire a red flare.

Bang!

The flare exploded high in the sky, blooming like fireworks—brilliant and beautiful.

Loch Ness was about ten kilometers in diameter, its western side connected to a river with constant inflow and outflow. News of the B-class Soaring Team’s planned assault at dawn had already spread. Along the dark shores, a considerable number of adventurers waited to witness victory firsthand.

But truthfully, most doubted their chances.

The Soaring Team was strong, but their numbers were few—just twelve, hardly enough to fill the monster’s breakfast plate.

Still, whatever the outcome, a B-class team tackling such a mission was a topic for lively discussion, and everyone hoped to glean some experience.

The flare’s glow slowly faded; the once dazzling sky was about to return to darkness. At the far end of Loch Ness, the sky was tinged with blue and white; nearly six in the morning, the first light was about to rise, dawn was at hand.

Over a hundred people watched anxiously, ready for battle or observation.

A sudden, savage roar shattered the calm—from the heart of the lake it surged, breaking through the tranquil surface and churning up wild waves.

The roar grew louder, spreading in all directions, infused with the fury of the Loch Ness Monster, determined to find the one who disturbed its dreams.