Under Savage's orders, three routes and three teams were quickly formed. Bai Qi led his personal guards along the first route. Dao Long and Savage, along with the fourth squad, took the second route. Bob, Artemis, and Weber led the second squad on the third route.
If one were to ask which of these three teams was the least reliable, it would undoubtedly be the third team composed of Bob and Artemis. Therefore, Savage specifically assigned his trusted subordinate, Weber, a professionally trained mutant, to be with the other two to prevent any unforeseen incidents.
Once preparations were complete, the three teams embarked on their journey to the ruins.
However, a serious problem soon arose.
Harry, frowning at the electronic navigation device in his hand, walked up to Bai Qi and said, "Master, the magnetic field of this ice island is too peculiar. Look, the machine simply cannot function."
Bai Qi took the device and indeed, the needle and various readings fluctuated wildly, rendering it useless. He scanned the surroundings, seeing nothing but vast expanses of white – ice and snow, with no discernible landmarks.
Even an experienced explorer could easily lose their way under such circumstances.
While Harry and his men had learned wilderness survival skills from the Mimic Master, the current situation was far too extreme for their knowledge to be of any use.
Although Bai Qi wasn't a wilderness survival expert, and in terms of survival knowledge, he was even less proficient than Harry, he didn't worry at all. He tossed the device back to Harry and said, "It's fine, just follow me."
Harry looked at the confident Bai Qi and said, "Sir, it's not that I don't trust you, but perhaps we should call for aerial support?"
Bai Qi shook his head and said, "No need for such trouble. Just follow me."
With that, Bai Qi strode forward.
Harry, with no other choice, led his men to follow.
Bai Qi walked ahead, stopping at intervals, closing his eyes as if sensing something. A few seconds later, he would open them and continue. Su Dan Novel Network.
After advancing for about two hours, a small hill about ten meters high appeared in the distance. At the summit of the hill lay the magic crystal fragment, emitting a dazzling glow under the sunlight.
"This is incredible, sir. How did you determine the direction?"
Bai Qi smiled without elaborating.
The reason Bai Qi could accurately locate the magic crystal fragment wasn't due to any exceptional directional ability, but rather because he could sense the magical fluctuations.
As a demon, Bai Qi possessed a strong affinity for magic. The magic crystal fragment itself emitted powerful magical waves. By skillfully utilizing this, Bai Qi could clearly sense the fluctuations from the fragment and simply follow the direction from which they originated.
Along the way, Bai Qi stopped and started, continuously calibrating his direction based on the incoming magical waves.
With the target in sight, Harry wouldn't miss an opportunity to impress Bai Qi.
Thus, Harry volunteered, saying, "Sir, please allow me to retrieve this crystal fragment for you."
"Go," Bai Qi nodded. "Go and don't disappoint me."
Harry didn't understand what difficulty there could be in climbing a small hill to retrieve a piece of rock, but he still nodded and said to his men, "Men, follow me!"
What appeared to be a small hill was not a true mountain, but merely an illusion from afar. Upon closer inspection, it became apparent that the "hill" was formed by a large accumulation of shells and barnacles.
The closer they got to the mound, the more humid the air became, carrying the scent of the sea.
Unfortunately, Harry, eager to quickly retrieve the crystal fragment to present to Bai Qi, failed to notice this and led his squad in a charge.
When they were less than two meters from the mound, a member of the squad was seemingly grabbed by something and fell to the ground, followed by the second and third.
Even Harry's dull senses picked up on the situation.
"What is this!"
As a team member cried out, the ice beneath them cracked, and a hand covered in moss and barnacles emerged, gripping the team member's leg, attempting to drag them in.
Fortunately, Harry was quick-witted. He rushed to his teammate's side, pulled him up, and delivered a kick, shattering the grotesque hand.
But a bizarre scene unfolded. The shattered hand rapidly regenerated, and a second hand emerged. Both hands pressed against the ice, and gradually, a terrifying face appeared before them.
It was a broken, tattered body, with large parts missing, revealing its internal organs and beating heart. Its pale skin looked as if it had been submerged in seawater for a thousand years. Even more bizarrely, even on land, the creature's hair floated around it as if it were still in the sea.
Like its hands, the creature was covered in various shells and barnacles, and a pungent fishy odor emanated from it upon close approach.
"What in the devil is this?!"
There was no time for Harry to marvel. The creature produced a rapier from somewhere and lunged at Harry.
"Is this what sir meant by 'don't disappoint me'?"
Dodging the attack, Harry finally understood the meaning behind Bai Qi's words.
"If that's the case, then let's fight!"
With that, Harry's body rapidly expanded, swelling to three times its size in mere seconds, his face transforming into that of a wolf. His combat suit also changed with his transformation.
The suit quickly retracted, splitting into several metal armor modules that protected Harry's vital areas, offering as much protection as possible without hindering his mobility.
Without outsiders present, Harry and his men saw no need to maintain their human forms. In their current state, their strength was somewhat limited, so they all reverted to their true forms.
Now a werewolf, Harry moved swiftly, appearing before the creature. With a swipe of his claw, he crushed its head like a watermelon.
The headless creature did not die. Its bodiless form quickly swung its sword at Harry.
Facing the rapier, Harry defended with offense. He ducked to evade the sword and simultaneously swiped a claw, severing the creature's sword-wielding arm. He then delivered a sweeping kick, breaking both of the creature's legs.
Even so, the creature remained alive, and its broken parts rapidly regenerated amidst a cloud of dark energy.
Harry's battle with the creature was just the beginning. At this moment, more of the creatures emerged from the ice fissures. Their numbers far surpassed the third squad, and they were fearless, posing a significant challenge to Harry and his men.