Chapter 128: Ambushing the Robots!

Wang Yan sipped some water while pulling two packs of compressed biscuits from her pocket, handing them to Chu Xiao.

"Brother Xiao, please open these for me. I can't get them open!"

Chu Xiao was rendered speechless. By day, she was capable of destroying Pluto’s robots, yet by night, she couldn't even open a pack of biscuits. With a sigh of resignation, he took the biscuits, opened them, and handed them back to her.

After finishing her meal, Wang Yan leaned against Chu Xiao’s shoulder and fell asleep, while Chu Xiao kept his eyes on the swamp ahead, contemplating a way through.

Early the next morning, Chu Xiao circled the edge of the swamp and discovered numerous animal skeletons, likely victims who had wandered in and become trapped. This served as a grim reminder of the swamp’s lethality; they would have to proceed with extreme caution. However, Chu Xiao noticed that while the swamp was vast, it was also covered in dense tree roots. The ground beneath these roots was generally firmer and less prone to sinking, though movement would be agonizingly slow.

Once the soldiers had finished breakfast, Chu Xiao led them to the swamp. He ordered them to bring out their ropes, organizing them into groups of ten. Each soldier tied a rope around their waist, forming a line to enter the mire.

"Everyone, you must stick to the path of the tree roots. Use branches to probe the ground before every step. If someone sinks, those behind must pull the rope with all their might!"

The soldiers took out their ropes and found sturdy branches. Once ready, they began to make their way into the swamp one by one. The swamp stretched for about ten kilometers; it would take an entire day to cross, and the terrain was physically exhausting.

The soldiers moved with meticulous care, pausing after every step to ensure safety before proceeding. Even so, soldiers frequently sank, though they were always rescued in time by those behind them. By noon, they had only covered about four kilometers, with a long way still to go. Some soldiers began to lose heart, believing the space capsule wasn't there at all and that Wang Yan’s calculations had been wrong.

"Lieutenant General Chu, look! What is that?"

Chu Xiao raised his binoculars and looked ahead. Sure enough, the space capsule was right in front of them.

"We found it! That’s the space capsule!"

Everyone cheered. Chu Xiao ordered the soldiers to rest, drink some water, and eat, hoping to clear the swamp before nightfall. By the time they reached the capsule, however, darkness had already fallen. They were exhausted, with two kilometers of swamp left to traverse.

"They say you can see a mountain but die before reaching it—we thought we’d make it before dark, but here we are," someone remarked.

Wang Yan was completely drained. Although she excelled in every discipline, her physical stamina could not match that of the men. Yet, resting was not an option; they had to push through the fatigue to escape the swamp. Chu Xiao ordered the soldiers to keep two days' worth of rations and discard everything else. They packed the meteorite to save energy, desperate to return to the Nine Provinces; in Pluto's territory, they were vulnerable to attack at any moment.

After a brief rest, they secured the meteorite and pressed on toward the edge of the swamp. It was well past midnight by the time they emerged. The soldiers collapsed onto the ground, utterly spent. Fearing they might catch cold, Chu Xiao tasked several officers with gathering firewood to keep everyone warm. Having just come from the frigid swamp, sleeping on the damp grass invited illness, and Chu Xiao was determined to look after every single one of his men.

When Chu Xiao returned, he found the soldiers asleep. After the fire was lit, he ordered the officers to rest while he took the first watch. Seeing Wang Yan curled up in her sleep, he walked over and built a fire specifically for her.

The next morning, Chu Xiao woke the soldiers, and after a quick meal, they continued their journey. On their way back, they encountered Pluto’s robots escorting American prisoners of war.

"Prepare to rescue them!"

A day earlier, the Americans had been ambushed by Pluto; over a hundred were killed, and fifty were wounded. Now, the survivors were being marched toward Pluto's main base. Chu Xiao would not stand by and watch them be turned into mindless, robotic slaves. There were nearly a hundred robots in the escort party.

"Snipers, ready! Fire!"

At Chu Xiao’s command, dozens of snipers pulled their triggers in unison. Dozens of robots collapsed instantly. The remaining robots, realizing they were under attack, opened fire on Chu Xiao’s unit, claiming the lives of over a dozen of his soldiers.

Wang Yan picked up a rifle from the ground and began firing with lethal precision, hitting a target with almost every shot. Even Chu Xiao was stunned; he doubted he could match her marksmanship.

One of Pluto's mechanical giant snakes charged rapidly toward Chu Xiao. Wang Yan fired at it, but three consecutive shots only wounded the beast without stopping it. Chu Xiao drew his specialized dagger, sprinted toward the snake in a zigzag pattern, and with a powerful leap, landed right on its "seven-inch" vital point.

Just as one strikes a snake at its heart to kill it, the same held true for Pluto's robots: the control board was located at that exact spot. Chu Xiao drove his dagger deep into the snake’s neck. With a heavy thud, the mechanical creature collapsed and went still.

Suddenly, a mechanical fire-breathing bird swooped down, unleashing a torrent of flames. Chu Xiao ducked, narrowly avoiding being scorched, then leaped up and grabbed the bird’s legs, hauling himself onto its back. The bird thrashed wildly, trying to shake him off, but Chu Xiao held on tight. Seeing a cave entrance ahead, the bird dove, intending to crush him against the rock. Just before impact, Chu Xiao plunged his blade into the bird, neutralizing it.

No sooner had he landed than two mechanical dogs lunged at him. Chu Xiao swerved to dodge one, but the other sank its teeth into his left arm. As he struggled to shake it off, the second dog clamped onto his leg. With his right hand, Chu Xiao drove his dagger into the dog on his arm, killing it. He then stabbed the dog on his leg, but its jaws remained locked. Gritting his teeth against the pain, Chu Xiao pried the mechanical jaws open by force.

He stood up, sheathed his dagger, and limped out of the cave. Looking down the mountain, he saw the battle nearing its end. Pluto’s robots were nearly wiped out, with only a few dozen left holding their ground. The prisoners, having broken free of their ropes, swarmed the remaining robots, beating them with stones and sticks. Wang Yan charged down the mountain, and the others followed suit.