As the enemy approached within about six kilometers, Wei Huan "panicked" and fled, maintaining a speed just matching theirs. After half an hour of escape, he accelerated, easily shaking off the pursuers.
In one of the chasing vehicles, a short, lean captain with a mustache cursed after losing Wei Huan's trail. "He got away! Who'd have thought ruins would spawn in our mountains? Our territory's loot, stolen—what a loss!"
Another vehicle chimed in, "Let's go back. Can't catch him—what else can we do? Could be a diversion."
"Diversion? What diversion? We only sent a few people. If someone breaks into headquarters, they'll regret it so much they'll shove their brain up their ass. We'll kill 'em!"
"Careful. I heard Wei Huan's in the Fourth-Level World. He's got a grudge against us, no provocation needed. He's already destroyed two of our landing points and leveled a candidate saint's base. The Holy Lord's furious, but guess what? He ordered all War Clan to return for the War Clan Festival. Some festival—clearly scared of Wei Huan, hiding. I heard it from the Holy Lord's inner circle. Wei Huan won't stay long in this world. Once he's gone, we'll spread out again."
"No way. Wei Huan's just one guy, one vehicle. The festival's annual, just timed right. How's it about him?"
"Trust me, I've got connections…"
The three chasing vehicles, losing Wei Huan, turned back, unaware that thirty kilometers away, a vehicle silently trailed them.
Thirty kilometers was the max detection range of an upgraded Super AI system. Fearing the enemy had high-level AI, Wei Huan ordered the butler to track at this limit.
He believed only two Super AIs existed in the Challenge World: one with Mu Zhong, one on his vehicle. No one could see farther.
The pursuit lasted over two hours.
The three vehicles rejoined the two left behind, their red dots moving on the map, likely inspecting Wei Huan's traces.
After a long time, unsure what they found, they departed.
They headed back to their origin, braving a blizzard. Fierce winds obscured tracks within three meters, quickly erasing wheel marks.
One of the five vehicles had a mid-level AI, its safe scan radius keeping them relaxed as they expertly navigated the treacherous path.
The winding mountain road, seemingly impassable, was solid rock, suitable even for ground vehicles, let alone their hovering ones.
Wei Huan's butler, from thirty kilometers, meticulously mapped their route, including every minor detour, until they vanished deep into the mountains.
Finally, Wei Huan reached the secret passage.
"There's definitely something here," Xu Qingqiang noted, sensing the anomaly. "Bombing the mountain actually flushed someone out. Not good news—hidden in such a secret place. Did Mu Zhong say what's hiding here?"
"Guessed it might be the War Clan," Wei Huan revealed cautiously.
Xu Qingqiang was shocked. "The War Clan's secret base? No wonder—rats everyone hates would hide in a remote corner. Whoever spotted this anomaly is a genius. This was a hell of a trek."
Seeing Wei Huan order the butler to take the path, Xu Qingqiang stopped him. "Something's off."
"What?"
"You're not planning a solo raid, are you? A small outpost is one thing, but if it's a major base with hundreds of frail folks like Aunt Peng, we can't stop them or kill them. This needs the legion."
Wei Huan glanced at him, surprised a lone wolf like Xu would suggest teamwork.
He asked, "Dangerous in there?"
Xu Qingqiang rubbed his nose, shaking his head. "I'm not a cannibal—how would I know?"
Wei Huan looked at Dou Lin.
Dou Lin, watching a documentary, perked up at "Aunt Peng," staring over.
Wei Huan said, "Assess it."
"Are you going to fight? Lots of Aunt Pengs? No, no," Dou Lin shook his head.
Wei Huan paused, realizing his miscalculation.
He'd never fought humans, even War Clan. They were human, and this wasn't as simple as he thought.
The War Clan seemed pitiable—Blue Star exiles, stuck in the Challenge World.
Storming in would put him on the wrong side of "momentum."
Explaining the War Clan's future threat and the need to dismantle them was tough.
His initial plan for a swift strike wouldn't work.
The mission's goal had to change.
A portal opened outside, but not with an army. Only Sister Crow, a few Ghost Crows, two Demon Eye Lords carrying four Kobolds, set out.
Tier Four undead moved slowly in this harsh environment but didn't need the passage, flying directly into the mountains.
Reaching his summoning limit, Wei Huan ordered the vehicle to follow the passage.
The passage's snow-covered ground was solid, but its winding, complex route risked abysses with one wrong step. How the discoverer found it was unimaginable.
Wei Huan's vision shifted from the road to the Demon Eye Lords.
Flying through fog-like conditions, the Lords moved slower. The Kobolds, fearing the wind, clung to their eyeballs, so Wei Huan's view opened to an upside-down Kobold close-up.
He stared for two seconds. The Kobold kept its squinting smile, a typical expression, but Wei Huan probed it anyway—no anomalies.
His first elite Kobold consumed others, converting them into controllable smaller Kobolds, but the success rate was low—one or two in ten. Direct recruitment was more cost-effective.
Lately, Wei Huan focused on Flying Monkeys, neglecting Kobolds. His undead army's Kobold count hadn't changed, with no mutations.
Regretfully shifting focus, he let the Kobold occupy a corner of his vision, looking ahead.
The vast mountain range stretched fifty kilometers, accessible only by this hazardous passage, with abysses elsewhere. No wonder the War Clan's guards responded slowly to his mountain attacks—these were their territory's edges.
The undead scout team, at Wei Huan's summoning limit, avoided vehicle radar, reaching the destination after dark.
A massive blue shield covered a valley, unmistakable.
The valley had little snow, even green plants near the base—rare in this world.
The target was ahead, but the shield posed a problem.
As a faction's headquarters, a Fifth- or Sixth-Level shield wasn't surprising.
It blocked extreme temperatures and Challenge World monsters, with alarms and attacks for enemy vehicles.
Wei Huan's scouting ended here—his undead couldn't enter without triggering defenses, exposing themselves.
How to fight?
Wei Huan felt rare uncertainty.
Lacking moral ground, a direct assault was unjustified.
He didn't want to bear the burden of innocent lives, like Aunt Peng's.
The battle's core should be capturing the leader—dismantling the War Clan's core to prevent the siege four years later.
This was a "special ops" battle he'd never fought: investigation, infiltration, rapid advance, and decapitation.
"Anyone with special ops experience? Call them," Wei Huan told Xu Qingqiang.
Xu pointed at himself. "Me? What do I know?"
Wei Huan: "…"
Without logistics management, the crew functioned due to short outings and Wei Huan's authority.
Logistics seemed simple until needed.
After a staring match, the AI butler said, "Captain, I have crew details and can summon qualified members. Where should they report?"
"Here," Wei Huan said. "Find a safe spot to stop. We're staying overnight, max scanning power."
"Yes, Captain."
Soon, the cockpit door was knocked. A group in Azure Dragon Legion combat gear stood before Wei Huan, saluting.
"Are you all here?" Wei Huan asked.
A resolute crew member stepped forward. "Yes, I'm Xing Fei, former instructor of Azure Dragon Legion's 123rd Brigade Special Ops. Most here are from my unit. Captain, your orders!"
"Instructor Xing, I need your expertise for a classic special ops mission. Your advice is crucial."
Xing's eyes lit up, voice booming. "Honored to serve, Captain!"
"Sit," Wei Huan nodded.
In the long night, Wei Huan, Xu Qingqiang, Xing Fei, and Xing's recommended strategist Liu began an urgent planning session.
Bombing the War Clan headquarters with an undead calamity was inhumane and cruel.
Special ops solved this, and the crew understood, eager to assist.
As professional soldiers, they'd obey a slaughter order, but it would cause endless pain.
This was the best approach.
All contributed, analyzing intelligence. Before midnight, a solid plan emerged.
Wei Huan reviewed it, nodding. "Good. We'll proceed with this."
The first day, Wei Huan didn't return. Mu Zhong contacted him via Heart of Steel, learning his actions. "A War Clan base? How'd you know?"
Wei Huan, mindful of his lie, faltered. "Unexpected intel, checking it out."
Mu Zhong didn't doubt, only worried. "Be careful, it's the Fourth-Level World. Should Azure Dragon's lord send reinforcements?"
"Just investigating. I'll call if fighting's needed."
"Alright, stay cautious. I'll wait for you."
"Mm."
The second day, Wei Huan stayed.
Mu Zhong messaged, "No progress?"
"Waiting for an opportunity."
Mu Zhong, frowning with concern, ended the call.
The third day, still no return.
Mu Zhong's face darkened. They'd never been apart so long. Rubbing his forehead, he gave a shy smile. "I feel like a lovesick kid. I miss you. Didn't sleep well."
Wei Huan said, "I'll be back soon. Can't sleep? Message me anytime."
"I know, but you're not here."
Looking into Mu Zhong's eyes, Wei Huan felt a rare tenderness, wanting to embrace him.
On the fourth day, the awaited "perfect timing" arrived.
Snow beasts gathered in the mountains.
The War Clan periodically cleared stragglers to delay tides.
Wei Huan preempted them, collecting beasts via Kobold teleportation, relocating—not killing—them to unpatrolled depths.
He was crafting a massive beast tide.
Unnoticed, a formidable force amassed, awaiting eruption.
Fourth-Level World monsters were pack-based. A silver chest spawned hundreds of snow beasts, easily forming tides of thousands.
City mercenary guilds offered "snow beast cleanup" tasks, one point per kill, to curb tides, especially large ones.
Excess beasts spawned General- or King-level snow beasts, triggering "large" or "super-large" tides.
Cities like Azure Dragon could handle super-large tides.
Wei Huan didn't know if the War Clan could, but he was certain they couldn't handle an "enhanced super-large tide."
The idea came from the War Clan's past life tactic—using summoned beasts in a tide to destroy Black Tortoise City.
Then, with humanity in the Fifth-Level World, rushing for the Sixth, most experts were gone, leaving Tier Three and Four challengers like Wei Huan, unable to stop the siege, losing over 60,000.
Unsure of the War Clan's grudge, their mass slaughter warranted retribution.
Wei Huan vividly recalled the faces of the War Clan's core on the wanted list.
This time, none would escape.
As snow beasts reached critical mass, a massive bear-shaped beast, over five meters, emerged—stronger, with half-meter tusks like a crocodile's, terrifying.
Every 10,000 beasts spawned a Beast General, boosting the tide's strength.
But a General-led tide wasn't enough.
Across a hundred-mile range, Wei Huan had gathered over ten such tides, kept apart yet close, using Kobold traits to amass them.
Four days pushed the limit.
As Generals appeared, the herds grew frenzied, merging at around 12,000 each.
Drawn by fate, they surged toward the human-heavy War Clan headquarters.
The valley base covered 100 hectares on the surface, with underground layers housing at least 50,000.
Criminals, addicts, and fugitives from Blue Star, drawn like moths, gathered here.
Their numbers, like fragrant bait, lured the tide.
The tide swelled to 100,000, spawning a ten-meter, snow-white unicorn with a two-meter horn.
Its appearance electrified the beasts, inflating their bodies, eyes bulging, fur bristling, fangs gleaming.
"King-level emerged," Wei Huan observed via Demon Eye Lord.
The unicorn seemed to sense him, glancing at his Lord's position.
But one man paled against the War Clan's allure. Challenge World's programming drove the beasts.
The unicorn reared, shrieking.
The tide, like a juggernaut, churned snow toward the valley.
"Prepare," Wei Huan ordered his team.
Countless Facehuggers, carrying Kobolds, hid within the tide, advancing.
As enemies, Facehuggers drew beast attacks, but once the charge began, the beasts focused solely ahead.
Facehuggers blended in, attacking only if provoked. Being crushed was common if they didn't dodge.
Snow-white with six green dorsal spots, they merged seamlessly with the tide.
The War Clan's guards didn't notice.
Fewer beasts around the base recently had raised suspicion.
Humanity knew what triggered larger tides.
But the War Clan reacted too slowly.
Their scouting team, sent to investigate, was stunned by the blizzard, spotting the tide and fleeing in terror.
"Beast tide! Beast tide!"
"At least a large tide—alert the Holy Lord!"
"All units, weapons ready, prepare for battle!"
The blue shield covered low houses, but the walls were surprisingly tall and robust.
The base used a maze-like wall structure—three layers, high to low, with complex entry routes. Attackers hitting one spot faced three barriers, needing vast numbers to breach.
Running through the maze risked heavy losses.
Sirens blared. Vehicles emerged from low houses—elevators to underground.
The War Clan lived below, each vehicle a house. Building a city wasn't hard, but crowds drew tides.
Without strong protectors, ordinary people couldn't resist, so points went to walls and weapons. Facing a tide, groups like this had to mobilize fully.
Wei Huan's Demon Eye Lord, above the tide, saw the base's surface layout.
From on high, he watched the King-level tide's siege unfold.