Chapter 179 Breakout

"This stuff should last about five days. Eat sparingly, and if you hear the Sprout search team passing by, don't make a sound," Han Xiao instructed.

Aurora nodded timidly, burying her head between her knees, staring at their departing figures. Suddenly, she said, "Sister, I'll wait for you to come pick me up."

Hella paused, taking a deep breath before steeling her heart and walking out.

Camouflaging the cave entrance and leaving a locator, Han Xiao had Hella drive. He dealt with the tire tracks behind the car, eliminating clues so the Sprout people couldn't track their route.

Once back on the main road, Han Xiao returned to the car. Hella turned to look at him, her eyes burning, "Are you really sure?"

Han Xiao nodded.

"I never joke around with my life."

Hella was silent for a moment, then suddenly said, "If I die, I'm leaving my sister to you. With your strength, you have a better chance of escaping alone than I do."

"If you say a few more words like that, entrusting me with your last wishes, you might actually die."

Han Xiao glared with his long-lost dead fish eyes.

While he was making a sarcastic remark, he understood Hella's feelings. Every step she took was filled with danger. She didn't have his strength, and she didn't know what the future held. Only her sister was her anchor. Her whole heart was on Aurora, and she was even willing to sacrifice her life for it, which led to a pessimistic view of her fate.

However, saying these words also meant that Han Xiao had completely gained Hella's trust. This was the goal he had set when he initially intervened in this matter.

"I contacted the Six Nations' support troops. They've already arrived nearby. I've arranged a location with them. If we fail to break through tomorrow, we'll have reinforcements. If everything goes smoothly, we might not even need support to break through."

"Hopefully."

Hella glanced at Han Xiao and said nothing more.

...

An hour later, the car stopped on a relatively hidden hill.

"There are still ten hours until the agreed time. The breakout direction is east. The plan is this…" Han Xiao took out the Viper-X and placed it in front of Hella, saying, "You'll be using this mech. In these ten hours, you must familiarize yourself with the various weapons on the mech."

Hella was surprised. "What about you?"

"To break through, we need to cause a riot. I'll go blow up their vehicles and ammunition. They're definitely prepared for my disguise equipment, but I have a way to become invisible." Han Xiao was referring to the Dean character card he had used once at headquarters.

Hella understood. "So, I'll use the mech to disguise myself as you, attracting the enemy's attention, because you're their most important target."

Han Xiao nodded. This tactic exploited conventional thinking, making a feint to deceive the enemy. It wasn't brilliant, but it was effective.

He adjusted the mech, opened the access permissions, and taught Hella how to put it on.

Putting on the mech was a completely new experience. Observing the outside world through the display screen felt like opening the door to a new world. Hella tried moving her hands and feet and discovered that it came with extra strength. Following Han Xiao's instructions, she called up the operating methods for the mech's various equipment on the built-in screen, which was extremely complicated and dazzling.

"So complicated… Did you make all of this?" Hella's tone rippled with a hint of surprise.

"Did it fall from the sky?" Han Xiao said irritably.

Han Xiao guided Hella to familiarize herself with the Viper-X's operating mode. Hella knew that time was short, so she learned very diligently.

Han Xiao didn't need her to be proficient, just to be able to hold out for a while under siege.

The night faded, the sun rose, and time passed quickly in training.

Neither of them slept all night.

Han Xiao looked at the sky and said, "It's about time. Don't take off the mech. Remember the plan, and don't make any mistakes."

...

The New Stone Wasteland encirclement was like a large net, covering all gaps with a strict defense. The troops were evenly distributed in all directions, receiving unified dispatch from headquarters. As the encirclement narrowed, the thickness of the formation increased, making it even more difficult to break through. There were also rapid reaction forces, ready to quickly support any area under attack.

In the eastern part of the New Stone Wasteland, a large number of ground vehicles were slowly advancing, coordinating man and machine, constantly vigilant about the surrounding movements.

Devonte was the executive officer and captain of this unit. He wasn't a veteran executive officer, but a body-enhanced esper. During combat, the bones of his body would protrude and cover his body surface, causing his entire person to swell up, turning into a bone-armored mini-giant about two and a half meters tall, greatly increasing his strength and stamina.

Although this ability was fierce, the enemy they were facing was the notorious Black Phantom. Devonte felt completely unsure.

"I hope that guy doesn't break through in my direction. I can't beat him," Devonte prayed secretly.

The executive officer team following him basically had the same idea, worried about encountering Han Xiao. Sprout's situation was getting worse and worse. The loyalty of some people had begun to waver, and they were becoming increasingly perfunctory with the tasks assigned by their superiors. This was a vicious cycle of the disadvantaged. Only the die-hard loyalists who regarded Sprout as a belief hadn't wavered. Sprout's internal philosophy was to overthrow the Six Nations. The so-called die-hards were extremist exiles of the old era. They couldn't wait to die fighting the Six Nations and didn't care about their lives. The more tragic the war, the more their hatred could be expressed.

Suddenly, the lookout shouted loudly.

"Anomaly in the northwest! A car is driving towards us, not slowing down!"

Everyone looked over and saw an off-road vehicle charging forward, dragging dust, with the driver wearing that black combat suit mech.

"Attention, attention, target spotted! Target spotted!"

Why, out of so many directions, did he have to choose this one!

Devonte's mouth was dry, and he cursed his bad luck. He even had the intention of retreating. Dozens of executive officers had been killed by Han Xiao, earning him a fierce reputation. Devonte didn't want to be next.

At this moment, the tank fired, the shell leaving the barrel!

Bang—

The sound shook the sky, and a fiery explosion enveloped in thick smoke erupted around the off-road vehicle, shaking eardrums and causing them to buzz.

The off-road vehicle twisted erratically, narrowly passing through the barrage.

When it reached five hundred meters away, the off-road vehicle was finally unable to avoid it and was hit by a shell, exploding into a cloud of debris!

At the same time, Hella, wearing the mech, jumped up, activated the electromagnetic skateboarding shoes and the jet device, and charged at high speed. Being smaller made her more flexible, dodging shells, and crashed into the Sprout troops with a roar, smashing more than a dozen soldiers.

The sounds of collisions, gunfire, roars, and screams made the scene extremely chaotic.

The fierce battle broke out!

The situation here was immediately transmitted back to the command headquarters. The leader, who had been waiting for news, suddenly stood up in front of the screen showing the chaotic battle.

"He finally couldn't resist showing himself!" the leader said in a deep voice, "Rapid reaction force, immediate support! The encirclement will be centered on the east, everyone gather!"

The other units of the encirclement received the order and immediately took action. The leader stared intently at the changing deployment map, which was rapidly closing like a cage, about to leave Han Xiao with no way out.

Victory was within reach.

In the eastern area, Hella, wearing the mech, moved around, making a huge commotion.

To imitate Han Xiao, she didn't use her Esper ability, relying entirely on the mech to fight.

She wasn't a mechanic, and the power of the mech in her hands was far inferior to Han Xiao's. She didn't know how to use many of its functions, so she had to use the most basic combat mode and fight the enemy at close quarters, finding it very difficult.

Ordinary soldiers couldn't stop the enemy, and the executive officer team had to take action.

"Kara Kara…" the sound of twisting bones rang out as Devonte expanded, his bones piercing through his skin and turning into bone armor, becoming a mini-giant. He suppressed his unease and fear, swinging his fist to meet the "Black Phantom". Their fists collided heavily, bursting out a circle of invisible air currents.

Bang!

"What great strength." Hella's breath hitched, barely able to stand firm. Strength wasn't her forte, and she didn't have mechanical affinity, so she could only exert the mech's basic attributes and couldn't withstand Devonte's strength.

Devonte had been mentally prepared to be knocked flying, but he was stunned to find himself standing still, while the "Black Phantom" couldn't withstand his attack.

"How can he be so weak?"

Devonte was suspicious.