Chapter 116: Deep Behind Enemy Lines

Chen Hao shook his head, rejecting Xia Weiwei’s suggestion. “This time, we don’t defend; we attack.”

“Attack?” Xia Weiwei’s face showed surprise. “Isn’t our mission to protect the railway? The enemy’s target is the railway, so we have to attack? Even if we do attack, we have no clear target!”

The pale prodigy and the others looked puzzled as well, but they trusted Chen Hao, knowing he wouldn’t act without a plan. The pale prodigy urged, spurring his horse forward disdainfully, “Brother Chen, stop teasing us. Just tell us what you’re planning!”

After enjoying the suspense for a moment, Chen Hao smiled. “The mission officially is to protect the railway’s power lines, but in reality, the burning of the railway and power lines has nothing to do with us. This is a dual-sided task. The system rewards us based on the number of hostile players we kill. So, crossing over and launching a deep attack to the south won’t affect mission completion.”

Xia Weiwei still looked confused. “If we guard near the railway, any player entering within a kilometer of the railway will have a red halo under their feet, so we know they’re enemies. If we go more than a kilometer south, how do we tell who’s an enemy?”

“Why bother distinguishing who’s an enemy?” Chen Hao chuckled. “Even if we kill non-task players in the wilderness, as long as the authorities don’t catch us, we won’t be punished. If we’re unlucky and run into government patrols, we’re technically doing Lord Nie’s task and the penalties will be much lighter than normal.”

Xia Weiwei hesitated. “Isn’t it too cruel to randomly kill players who haven’t accepted the sabotage task?”

Chen Hao shook his head. “It’s not that serious. Once we cross the railway, we’ll operate between the location of the Boxer Rebellion NPC who gives the task and the railway itself. That area is a wasteland, and 90% of players heading toward the railway there have accepted the sabotage mission. The chance of accidental kills is very low.”

Chen Hao was telling the truth, but even if the risk of accidental kills was high, he would still proceed. He wasn’t as soft-hearted as Xia Weiwei. This large-scale mission was a rare chance to level up. Leading a cavalry unit across the railway deep into enemy lines would allow them to kill many hostile players and earn generous experience rewards.

Chen Hao dared to act boldly because he had confidence in his team. Beyond the harmonious quartet of Xia Weiwei and Shuanghui, his small team, whom he had worked with for over two months, had greatly improved their individual combat abilities.

Chen Hao himself had fired over a hundred thousand bullets, acquiring all 30 shooting attribute points from practicing marksmanship, plus 4 more from training in archery. His shooting attribute had now reached 51 points.

The six members of the pale prodigy’s group regularly ran A-level dungeons with Chen Hao, earning far more than average players. Most of their money went to buying cheap ammunition from Chen Hao. They all fed their shooting skills with bullets, gaining over 20 shooting attribute points, plus a few from archery training. The highest was Yudie, with 64 points, able to hit fixed targets at 50 meters nearly every time with a pistol.

Since Lin Xiaofeng had learned cooking, the team’s food costs had dropped substantially, and Chen Hao insisted every meal be hearty. After two months, Chen Hao’s strength attribute had increased by 20 points, adding to the 1 point from before and leveling bonuses, reaching 38 points. Others were slightly lower due to a few deaths, but still far above most players.

For this major mission, Chen Hao spent money to buy 11 cavalry sabers, distributing one to each, including Xia Weiwei. All twelve had at least standard rifles and pistols. Shuanghui’s four members’ firearms were supplied by Chen Hao, though he made it clear that future loot rewards would be deducted to repay him.

Chen Hao’s group of seven were top-tier players in the game, with equipment and attributes to match. The five newcomers were slightly weaker but still above average. All had horses, and with Huluwa’s Long Drive skill, operating deep behind enemy lines was no problem.

The dual-sided mission had defenders guarding the entire railway line. Enemies entering within one kilometer of the railway would have red halos beneath their feet. Similarly, if defenders moved more than a kilometer south of the railway, red halos would appear, making it impossible to disguise themselves and sneak through.

Those tasked with railway sabotage dared not go more than a kilometer north because beyond that, they couldn’t tell who was an enemy. Defenders could identify them by the red halo. Defenders also avoided going more than a kilometer south, as their halos would be revealed, exposing them to attacks from hostile players and possibly the Boxer Rebellion NPCs.

Players who accepted the dual-sided mission tacitly operated within one kilometer north and south of the railway. Chen Hao intended to break this tacit agreement. He didn’t need to hide—any enemy encountered would be wiped out immediately. Once the cavalry started killing enemies to the south, the fallen players would surely report on forums that enemies had penetrated the southern line, prompting Boxer Rebellion players to unite in a counterattack.

Currently, few players rode horses. No matter how many joined the counterattack, Chen Hao was unafraid. He knew the terrain intimately. Using the cavalry’s mobility, they could easily evade encirclement by large enemy groups, then pick off foes one by one. If the enemy formed their own cavalry, it wouldn’t matter. Huluwa’s Long Drive skill boosted the team’s movement speed by 10%, allowing them to outrun larger enemy cavalry units and ambush any isolated pursuers during retreat.

Finding a secluded spot, Chen Hao sent Chen Feng ahead to scout across the railway. After confirming no one was there, he led the cavalry across. The chosen area had no nearby villages; south of the railway was flat, rocky ground unsuitable for hiding, so no sabotage players lingered nearby.

After crossing the rocky area, Chen Hao found a small path along the ridge, galloping south. Yudie, with the Eagle Eye skill, spotted six players advancing toward the railway at the foot of the mountain and whispered to Chen Hao, “Brother Chen, those players at the mountain’s base have definitely accepted the sabotage task. Should we take them out?”

Chen Hao shook his head. “Stay hidden and don’t let them notice. If we kill them now, we’ll alert the enemy. Let’s move another two kilometers south before striking.”

Zhongming Village lay four kilometers south of the Jingshan Railway and was the largest settlement within ten miles. Players assigned to sabotage often used it as a supply point. After accepting the task in the city, those intending to damage this railway segment would gather in Zhongming Village to form teams and resupply before heading to the railway.

“Shooter, level 32, using a Hanyang rifle, ample ammo, need extraction.”

“Fighter, level 41, any team needing assault members call out.”

“One slot left in a team above level 14. Player with Eagle Eye skill and scouting expertise, speed up…”

Nearly a hundred players, still unteamed, gathered at the village entrance, shouting and making noise to cover the sound of approaching hooves. Less than a hundred meters from the village entrance, around a bend, the twelve riders halted. They drew pistols from their saddlebags and assumed a charging stance.