Chapter 17: IMUC-CHAPTER 17: DARING ESCAPE
At the entrance of Warehouse No. 2 in the German military base:
A multitude of nearly a hundred German soldiers, armed with top-notch German rifles, stood in solemn formation in the expansive space before the warehouse. The commotion attracted additional patrolling soldiers, who quickly gathered around.
"Captain Leo is unresponsive on the radio. Repeat, unable to establish contact with Captain Leo."
"Sir, should we forcefully enter the warehouse and conduct a search?"
"Absolutely! There's likely only one person on the other side, and they have no grounds to intimidate us on our own territory. But proceed with caution. The warehouse contains highly flammable and dangerous ammunition. Let's avoid any mishaps. If you encounter the enemy, subdue them with bayonets first."
After the officer in charge of base patrols finished his instructions, he waved his hand, signaling the two soldiers closest to the warehouse door to open it.
With deliberate care, the soldiers gradually pushed open the warehouse door, revealing an abyss of darkness within. Several patrol teams swiftly entered, their weapons at the ready, their helmet lights piercing the gloom, scanning every direction.
"Step, step, step—"
As the sound of footsteps reverberated from above, Kyle knew that the enemy soldiers had already infiltrated the ammunition warehouse. Coincidentally, he had just converted the final energy cube in the box into a card.
A total of twenty-five energy cubes, equivalent to twenty-five Blue Item Cards, were now in his possession.
"Now it's time to make our escape." Kyle remained composed, casting a glance at the decaying flesh that was once the enemy commander and transforming the nearby Evil Dog, whose tongue dangled, back into a card.
The dog wouldn't serve its purpose in the upcoming situation.
Generally, Lifeform Cards could be reused, with the exception of special ones like the Toxic Hornet's Nest. This significantly enhanced the value of Lifeform Cards.
"I wonder what kind of Lifeform Cards are available in higher qualities than green. Could I draw monster cards from otherworldly creatures, like King Kong or Godzilla?"
A whimsical thought fleetingly crossed Kyle's mind, only to be dismissed promptly as he focused on leaving the basement. Little did he know that this fantastical idea would soon manifest into reality in the not-so-distant future.
At that moment, a substantial number of German soldiers had completed their search of the upper levels of Warehouse No. 2 and redirected their attention to the final underground passage.
"Throw a smoke bomb inside."
A soldier held a smoke bomb, ready to hurl it, while another positioned his hand at the entrance to the hidden door leading to the basement.
Just as they opened the door to the basement, preparing to toss the smoke bomb, a billowing cloud of black mist billowed forth, causing the smoke bomb to tumble outside the basement.
"Cough, what the hell is this?"
One of the German soldiers coughed and aimed his flashlight at the swirling black mist. As the patrol team caught sight of the objects before them, their scalps tingled, and their faces blanched in terror.
It was no ordinary black mist; it consisted of hundreds of dark brown hornets, each larger than a marble, densely congregated together.
"Hornets! Poisonous hornets inside!"
"Oh my god! Run! Get out of here!"
Panic swept through the German soldiers within the warehouse as they desperately fled, hoping they hadn't disturbed the hornets. However, once the venomous insects escaped the basement, they relentlessly pursued the soldiers, launching attacks on their unprotected faces with their venomous stingers.
Within moments, dozens of soldiers broke down and sprinted out of the warehouse. Many of those stung writhed in agony on the ground, clutching their faces and emitting anguished wails.
Emerging from the basement behind the swarm of hornets, Kyle witnessed the chaotic scene. He muttered softly to himself, "Just a Rare Green Lifeform Card, yet it proves to be incredibly formidable."
"Nevertheless, it's time to fulfill the raid mission. I don't have the luxury of playing with all of you. I must escape this place swiftly."
Disregarding the German soldiers, Kyle gripped the Nepalese military knife tightly and swiftly vanished into the abyss of darkness.
Kyle, in his Nightcrawler state, capitalized on the pandemonium unfolding within and outside Warehouse No. 2, deftly navigating between the swarming hornets and disoriented soldiers as he stealthily made his way back to the parked military vehicle.
With the central area of the base consumed by the lively spectacle, patrol teams were scarce in the outer parking lot, allowing Kyle to move swiftly and undetected as he returned to the spot where he had commandeered the enemy's vehicle.
Pushing open the rear compartment's iron door, he was greeted by the sight of six lifeless bodies. Hastily, he leaped into the rear compartment and, to his immense relief, discovered the slumbering girl within the wooden crate. Finally, he could exhale a sigh of relief.
"Wake up! We need to leave. Get up quickly!" Kyle nudged her, but the girl remained unresponsive, her fragile form limp and unyielding.
Could she be dead?
Pressing his finger against her nostrils, Kyle detected a faint breath, confirming her survival, albeit in an unconscious state due to her weakened condition.
However, transporting an unconscious and injured person in her current state would only amplify the danger they faced.
After a brief moment of hesitation, Kyle gritted his teeth and made his decision, "Consider yourself fortunate to have crossed paths with me. Since I promised to get you out of here, then…"
He carefully hoisted the girl onto his back, improvising with ropes to securely fasten her to him. Her body was delicate and supple, akin to a luxurious quilt.
"This weight is lighter than a package," Kyle murmured as he carried the girl, then turned around and departed from the blood-tinged rear compartment of the vehicle.
However, just as he reached the edge of the rear compartment, he swiftly recoiled, shutting the iron door behind him.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
In an instant, the iron door of the vehicle's rear compartment was riddled with bullet holes.
Pressed against the iron wall of the compartment, Kyle furrowed his brow. It appeared that unexpectedly, there were three or four patrol teams outside the vehicle, exemplifying the German soldiers' combat prowess.
"I cannot allow myself to be trapped here!" Kyle thought urgently, quickly grabbing one of the corpses inside the vehicle and using his foot to forcefully kick the iron door halfway open. Then, summoning all his strength, he hurled the lifeless body out.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
Mistaking the corpse for an escaping enemy, the German soldiers unleashed a barrage of intense gunfire, reducing the body to a mangled mass of flesh and bone in mid-air.
And this was only the beginning.
Shortly after, the second corpse was flung out, drawing the concentrated fire of the German soldiers once again.
Without affording the German soldiers the opportunity to reload their ammunition, Kyle swiftly discarded the third corpse!
The bullets that struck the third corpse noticeably diminished by half. As the body descended toward the ground, a figure suddenly burst forth from behind it, sprinting in the opposite direction!
It was Kyle!
By exploiting the first two corpses to deplete the enemy's ammunition and employing the third corpse as a makeshift shield, Kyle skillfully transitioned from a perilous hail of gunfire to a momentary respite while the enemy soldiers scrambled to reload their magazines!
(End of Chapter)