159: Chapter 159 Cautious Austin

After returning to the base, Wei He quickly recalled the remaining Self-Destruct Trucks. The black-red vehicles slowly drove back towards the base right under Austin's watchful eyes.

In the base's command room, Wei He watched Austin on the screen, a trace of worry in his heart. Staring at the lost bracelet on the display, he let out a sigh of relief and said, "Luckily he didn't discover this treasure. System, send the Radiation Engineers to retrieve this treasure immediately!"

"As you command, Commander!" the system's mechanical voice sounded once more.

"Only Radiation Engineers can walk safely on the ground now!" Wei He watched as the Radiation Engineers, carrying their radiation cannons, walked atop the green radiation layer, a hint of a smug smile appearing on his face.

Austin, hovering above the Self-Destruct Trucks, watched with interest as the vehicles below him moved. He casually flung several wind blades at the Self-Destruct Trucks. As a Dark Mage, he had absorbed the strengths of many schools, and the power from numerous Ability Users allowed him to wield various abilities for attack at will.

"Thud! Thud! Thud!" The wind blades struck the Self-Destruct Trucks, producing only dull thumps. The damage Austin expected did not materialize; instead, the Self-Destruct Trucks remained completely unscathed.

"Argh!" Austin roared in fury, unleashing several bolts of lightning from his hands towards the Self-Destruct Trucks. Blue lightning continuously struck the trucks' cabs, the resulting thunderous booms causing his own ears to ring. Yet, the black-red Self-Destruct Trucks still showed not a single scratch.

"These Puppet Beasts are incredibly sturdy, no wonder they survived the Forbidden Spell!" Austin's pupils were filled with disbelief. His attacks, whether against mountains, stones, or metal, or even some defensive treasures, would never leave something completely undamaged. Yet, these Puppet Beasts beneath his feet perfectly withstood his assault.

Wei He watched Austin's actions, feeling both smug and resentful. He was smug because even a mage at the Saint Archmage level couldn't breach the Iron Curtain's defense. He was resentful because if not for the Iron Curtain effect, he would have detonated the Self-Destruct Trucks right then, using a nuclear explosion to eliminate Austin, this Dark Mage.

Although Zhang Yong, Ravich, and Xie Yanwen died under Emperor Alexander's Forbidden Spell, this Austin was in cahoots with those old fellows and couldn't escape blame either.

"This old thing in black robes is still following the Self-Destruct Trucks. Let me send you on your way!" Wei He smirked sinisterly, selecting the several Self-Destruct Trucks with his mouse.

Austin, who had been following the Self-Destruct Trucks, saw them change direction and head north. Hovering in the air, he now appeared extremely hesitant.

"This time, the attack on Wei He failed even when he had no powerful guards nearby. Emperor Alexander and Grand Duke James are likely already dead. Even if I follow these Puppet Beasts and find Wei He now, he's surely surrounded by formidable enemies and numerous experts. I shouldn't do something so foolish. The urgent task now is to find the lost bracelet first. Only then can I contend with Wei He's many powerful allies!" Austin's eyes darted around as he quickly analyzed the situation clearly.

He watched the Self-Destruct Trucks depart, intending to return to Laiseluo City and quietly wait for the green energy on the ground to dissipate so he could search for the lost bracelet. However, upon turning, he spotted three Radiation Engineers walking leisurely on the green radiation layer below, completely unaffected by the green energy.

"They were definitely the ones who cast this Forbidden Spell! Others turn into green pus upon contact with this energy, yet they can walk freely on it. I mustn't let them discover me!" Austin trembled inwardly, hastily distancing himself from the three Radiation Engineers, fearing they might notice him and hit him with a Forbidden Spell too. What Austin didn't know was that Radiation Engineers couldn't engage in aerial combat, and this nuclear explosion power wasn't created by them either; it was merely a coincidence that both weapons utilized nuclear radiation.

Wei He had spotted him early on through the Gods Eye View. When he saw the Radiation Engineers encounter Austin, he also broke into a cold sweat for them. Fortunately, Austin flew away promptly, allowing Wei He to finally breathe a sigh of relief.

If Austin had known these three Radiation Engineers were going to retrieve the lost bracelet, he would probably have been furious enough to explode.

Just as Wei He was about to go and rest, a large hole appeared in the ground outside the base. Huang Yichen, holding the hands of Tang Xiaowei and Linlin, jumped out from the hole.

"Commander, I'm back!"

"Wei He, I truly didn't expect you to still be alive. The strength of those three old fellows was formidable!"

"Brother Wei He, it's so good to see you again! And this earth escape technique is so much fun!"

The three of them wore excited smiles of having survived a calamity, eagerly greeting Wei He.

"Good, it's good that you're back. Go back to your rooms and rest for now. We'll discuss everything tomorrow." After saying this, Wei He dragged his exhausted body back to his own room.

"What's wrong with Brother Wei He? He doesn't seem very happy. Is he still not recovered from his injuries?" Linlin watched Wei He's retreating figure, pouting and blinking her big, watery eyes as she spoke.

"Perhaps he's just too tired from this big battle. Don't think too much about it. Let's go back and rest too." Tang Xiaowei also stared blankly in the direction Wei He had left, slowly letting out a sigh.

"But my injuries healed themselves long ago. And we're all three-star Red Alert Warriors now. How could he be tired?" Linlin remembered Wei He had told her that being a three-star red alert soldier meant some system helped them maintain a healthy state.

"Even if he's not tired, let's go back. Let him have some peace and quiet." Ever since returning to the base, Tang Xiaowei had seen only Wei He alone. Ravich, who usually attended Wei He like a shadow, wasn't by his side. She seemed to already know what had happened.

"Oh, alright then. I won't bother him. Sister Xiaowei, let's go drink some flower wine! We can't sleep anyway!" Linlin closed one eye, stuck out her tongue, her adorable look softening Tang Xiaowei's heart.

"No, we can't do something like that now. Besides, Laiseluo City has become a dead city now. Where would you find flower wine to drink?" A faint blush tinged Tang Xiaowei's small face. Although she was from an assassin organization, her father had disciplined her strictly. Even during assassination missions, she had never visited those unsavory places.

"Hmm... Laiseluo City is out of the question, but Fite City, which is relatively close by, we could still go!" Linlin wrapped her delicate, fair hands around Tang Xiaowei's arm, gently shaking it. "Sister Xiaowei, please come with me. What if we encounter a powerful expert like a Grand Duke? I couldn't beat him!"

"Alright then, I'll accompany you on this trip, lest you get taken advantage of by those foul men!" Looking at Linlin's pitiful expression, Tang Xiaowei couldn't bring herself to refuse.