53: AWP Heavy Sniper Rifle

"This strange method of attack does indeed resemble Wei He's troops. If it really is him, we just need to find his units. The key now is that we have absolutely no idea where the enemy is," Carlos said with a heavy expression.

"When I fought Wei He's troops, he had a Space Mage. I clearly felt the fluctuations of spatial magic energy. Could he be using spatial magic to hide their location?" Jian asked doubtfully.

"Impossible. With so many of us here, not a single person sensed any spatial magic energy fluctuations. If that were the case, it would mean his magician's level is already far higher than ours!" a buck-toothed general countered.

"In any case, there are two important issues to resolve now. First, our provisions were destroyed by bombs falling from the sky; the remaining food won't last more than a few days. Second, we must quickly locate the enemy's position. Otherwise, we'll be stranded and die here before we even reach our destination!" Alice also suspected Wei He was behind this, but she couldn't understand how he had stolen military secrets or how he had managed to set up an ambush so early.

"As for the provisions, our only option is to have Laiseluo City continue transporting more. We'll wait here and find the nearby enemies; they must be using the forest as cover to launch sneak attacks from the shadows!" Carlos replied.

"Whether it's sending a message to Laiseluo City or searching for the enemy, it must be done by magicians. Otherwise, it will only lead to more unnecessary casualties!" Jian said calmly.

"Then Jian will go to Laiseluo City to deliver the message. The rest of the magicians will conduct a search of the forest and strive to eliminate them completely!" Alice commanded.

"Yes!" everyone stood up and replied.

"Alice, don't worry, I will definitely deliver the message safely!" Jian said, his eyes shining as he looked at Alice.

"Mhm, be careful on the road! The matter of the provisions depends entirely on you!" Alice said with a smile.

"Mhm, then I'm off!" Jian said playfully.

On the road through Ande Valley, Jian rode a swift horse, advancing rapidly toward Laiseluo City. To help him deliver the letter as quickly as possible, Alice had lent him her own mount, so his face was beaming with an infatuated smile.

By the side of the road ahead, Huang Yichen was roasting venison with several Yuris. Jian sped past them, but suddenly his horse stopped, turned around, and ran toward Huang Yichen.

"Hey, hey, why are you turning around? Keep running forward! What's wrong with you, horse? Is there a mare behind us or something?" No matter how much Jian whipped it, the horse beneath him refused to obey and continued running backward.

The Yuri by the roadside chuckled sinisterly. As the culprit, he was likely thinking: *I might not be able to control you, an Intermediate Magician, but I can certainly control a horse.*

As the horse drew closer, Jian also spotted Huang Yichen by the road.

"So it's you, Wei He's lackey. It really was you lot making trouble. You're quite capable; why are you risking your life for a demon like Wei He?" Jian said angrily the moment he saw Huang Yichen.

"I am loyal only to the Commander!" Huang Yichen said flatly.

Jian nearly rolled his eyes to the back of his head. In his mind, Huang Yichen had been brainwashed into stupidity, so he looked at Huang Yichen with a gaze full of pity.

"The Commander truly is as brilliant as a god; someone really did go to Laiseluo City for reinforcements. Unfortunately, you'll never make it!" Huang Yichen looked at Jian calmly, as if looking at a corpse.

"This place is quite far from your camp, and Alice won't be able to sense the energy fluctuations here! Hehehehe!" Huang Yichen said triumphantly.

"You even know about Alice. Well, since you've set an ambush here, of course you'd know who the enemy Commander is!" Jian said resentfully.

"You're going back to fetch reinforcements, aren't you? Is it because you've run out of food? Hahahaha!" Huang Yichen mocked with a loud laugh.

"You are despicable and shameless, only capable of hurting people from the shadows. If you have the guts, face me in a direct confrontation!" Jian said, his eyes full of rage.

"Fine. Since you've asked so sincerely, I shall show mercy and grant your wish!" Huang Yichen lunged forward, launching a kick at Jian on his horse.

Jian's face instantly contorted in terror. He immediately activated his Magic Shield, though he knew it would be of little use. Ever since their last encounter, he knew Huang Yichen's strength far exceeded his own.

As expected, the Magic Shield was shattered by Huang Yichen's kick. Jian was sent flying to the ground, spitting blood as he said painfully, "The injuries from last time haven't even healed yet... I'm really finished this time!"

"Didn't you want a direct confrontation? Are you giving up already?" Huang Yichen mocked while gnawing on his venison.

"Spirits of Ice, please aid me—Freezing Art!" Jian struggled to his feet, chanting. A white, circular Magic Array appeared before him, its edges radiating a white, frigid aura.

Suddenly, a blast of cold air erupted from the Magic Array, directly covering Huang Yichen. Huang Yichen was instantly frozen solid, including the venison in his hand, all encased in a layer of transparent ice.

Jian knew the ice wouldn't hold him for long, so he tried to mount his horse. However, the horse disobeyed and ran off. With no other choice, he had to head toward Laiseluo City on foot.

"It's over. I lost Alice's warhorse. What am I going to do? She's going to hate me to death now!" Even at a time like this, Jian was actually worried about whether Alice would be angry.

Only after Jian had gone far away did Huang Yichen break through the ice. With the corners of his mouth turned up, he said, "Mission accomplished! If it weren't for the Commander's orders, do you really think you could have escaped?"

"The Commander has ordered us to retreat now," Yuri said in a low voice as he slowly stepped out from behind a tree.

"Copy that!" Huang Yichen and Yuri slowly walked toward a nearby night hawk helicopter.

Inside the lush forest, Alice led a group of magicians, conducting a carpet search area by area.

"Found one! I found one, right here!" Carlos said excitedly. He immediately fired a bolt of lightning from his wand, hitting a Sniper perched on a tree trunk.

The Sniper fell to the ground with a thud. Alice quickly ordered, "Don't kill him, take him alive!"

"It's no use. I've fought them before. They've all been brainwashed by Wei He. You won't get any useful information out of them!" Carlos quickly reminded Alice.

"The two of you take him back first. The rest of you follow me to continue the search. We'll interrogate him tonight!" Alice didn't take Carlos's words to heart and spoke in a tone that brooked no argument.

In the face of a powerful Magister, Carlos could only obey.

They dragged Wei He's Red Alert Soldiers out one by one from the bushes, tree trunks, and various hidden spots. The entire Ande Valley underwent a massive purge.

No wonder Wei He had moved Huang Yichen and Yuri out of Ande Valley; the Yuris and Snipers throughout the valley were being wiped out. Some were electrocuted into dust, some had their heads pierced by holy light, and others were burned to ashes, nearly causing a forest fire.

That night in the Magic Empire's camp, an AWP Heavy Sniper Rifle with a silencer lay before Alice. The rifle was long and equipped with a scope, capable of achieving precise long-range shots.

Of course, Alice knew none of this; she simply stared at the strange weapon in front of her.