Otherworld Advance Team
Chapter 408 - 401: Luo’er’s Selfishness

Chapter 408: Chapter 401: Luo’er’s Selfishness

The group hurried after Fu’en and his comrades along the open plain road. Being on the plain allowed the horse carriage to utilize its speed advantage.

The primary mode of transportation in Otherworld was animal-drawn carriages, primarily horse carriages. Before developing an engine suitable for the Otherworld, they still couldn’t get rid of the need for draft animals. However, even if the power problem couldn’t be solved, ancillary facilities could learn from Earth’s experience.

For instance, the carriage that Luo’er and the others were riding was equipped with a shock absorption system and used rubber tires to alleviate the bumpiness from uneven ground, greatly enhancing the comfort of the ride.

In terms of enjoyment, the gap between the two worlds wasn’t large, each chasing the perfect lifestyle. In Yazhi City, the Blaiqi, who have had long-term contact with Earthlings, greatly admired Earth culture, and were willing to pay heavily for Earthlings to come to the Otherworld to teach, allowing their descendants to grasp Earth’s advanced culture. To them, this was a fashionable trend, and Earth, as a developed civilization, was always an object of their admiration.

In fact, Earthlings could totally develop an engine suitable for the Otherworld environment, but they chose not to help the Otherworlders out of fear.

While the Otherworld civilization lags behind, their home field advantage is undeniably present. Firstly, the Otherworld environment suppresses Earth’s technology while allowing Otherworlders to use magic, which leaves Earthlings without any good countermeasures. Therefore, until they have full control of the Otherworld, it’s unlikely that Earthlings will provide Otherworlders with too many advanced technological products, particularly transformative power systems.

Previously, under the help of headquarters, the High-peak people of Ronisca had developed steam-powered devices. They tried to miniaturize the steam engine and install it on a small reconnaissance aircraft, but it failed. The steam power could only be used as the power system for large airships.

However, with the help of the headquarters, the High-peak people have begun to develop the next generation of indigenous power system and prepare to install it on the new generation of large airships, which is a matter for later.

The carriage galloped along the road under the coachman’s guidance. The carriage’s shock absorption system, while not as reliable as Earth’s hydraulic suspension, was certainly better than nothing. After a day of bumping, everyone was groggy as if their bones had all been shaken apart.

Since their arrival in the Otherworld, Murong felt they had been enduring hardship almost every day, never enjoying any peaceful days. Sometimes, he felt glad that Luo’er’s group was chosen as the Advance Team, and not himself.

The reason he initially resented Luo’er’s group was simply because he felt slighted. Thinking about it now, had he insisted on vying for the spot on the Advance Team back then, that would have been foolish.

It was impossible to travel at night with horse carriages. Not to mention that the carriages didn’t have searchlights. The road safety in the Otherworld alone was enough to make anyone apprehensive. Running into ferocious nocturnal animals was still tolerable, but if you encountered bandits, they’d strip you down to your underwear. However, in the more than a year since the Advance Team entered the Otherworld, they had seldom encountered any bandits.

Those heading for the pursuit were not only the Advance Team but also a few Church Court knights who were mainly responsible for communicating with the Church reconnaissance soldiers tracking Fu’en. The two parties could only communicate through magic messengers, and the Advance Team couldn’t establish a connection with the Church people.

When they camped and rested at night, the Church knights and coachmen gathered together, eating dry food. Luo’er cooked canned meat stew for the Advance Team, eaten with hard bread. The taste was somewhat similar to lamb stew with flatbread.

He didn’t enthusiastically invite the knights and coachmen to dine with them. After all, their dry food was also limited, and Luo’er’s goodwill towards the Church was still negative.

The plan to apprehend Fu’en was actually the first cooperation between the headquarters and the Church Court. Both sides were more or less reserved, but the voices opposing it within the Church had been incessant. Therefore, it was normal for the Advance Team to suffer setbacks on this matter.

Most people in the Church are currently unaware of the importance of the headquarters to the Church. Although these Earthlings can vote against the United Nations’ proposal to send troops. However, these Church people always felt that even if the Earthlings dispatched troops again, they would still be defeated. So there is no need for too much contact with the headquarters.

How should I put it, those in high positions can often see the overall interest. While those at the bottom can always only see the immediate benefits. The Pope of the Church of Light has a reason for cooperating with the headquarters. It’s rather ridiculous to insist on opposing cooperation and preserving so-called purity and independence.

Fortunately, the Pope of their Church has strong executive power in the entire Northern region, so they can suppress the voices from the bottom and resolutely carry out in-depth cooperation with the headquarters.

After a silent night, the Advance Team continued their journey early the next morning, pursuing Fu’en. They first took a ship downstream, then fled on foot. According to the speed of the Advance Team, they should be able to catch up with them in four days at the fastest.

If that doesn’t work, let the Church people detain these people first, and make a final decision when the Advance Team arrives. However, Luo’er doesn’t want that, because if Fu’en is detained by the Church, they can only arrest him back to Yazhi City when they arrive. What Luo’er wants is Fu’en’s life.

As long as the Advance Team can catch up with Fu’en, and then avoid the eyes of the Church to conduct a solitary arrest battle. In this way, Luo’er can directly kill Fu’en under the guise of resisting arrest.

Luo’er was this kind of petty person, he never showed mercy to enemies who made him suffer.

When they rested on the second day, the Church knights received a magic message from the front. After exchanging information, one of the knights walked up to Luo’er and respectfully said, "Captain Luo’er, we just received the latest news about Fu’en."

"What news?" Luo’er inquired.

"The men up front have reported that Fu’en and his group seem to have halted their journey. They are currently setting up camp in an open field. It’s uncertain what they’re planning to do," the rider replied, wearing a frown.

"They haven’t uncovered your tracks, have they?" Luo’er asked.

Luo’er asked this because they had suffered on several occasions before. From what he currently understood about Fu’en, the man seemed to have a strong sense of counter-intelligence and could easily recognize when they had been spotted.

"Well..." the rider hesitated before finally saying seriously, "the men in front told us that the group appears to be drawing a magical array. We don’t know what they intend to do."

"Drawing a magic array?" Luo’er found this information somewhat puzzling when he heard it.

"Fu’en is a summoner, he wouldn’t be drawing a magic array if he didn’t have ulterior motives. I suspect it’s a summoning array!" Cheng Ziang interjected from the side.

"He’s not planning to summon some chaotic mess again, is he?" Luo’er asked with a solemn expression.

When summoning arrays were mentioned, Luo’er instinctively thought of the hundred-year darkness. The chaos caused by summoners lasted for a century, after which the Church Court, unable to tolerate it any longer, abolished summoning magic throughout the Northern territory, declaring it a forbidden art.

"It’s hard to say. If they’ve discovered someone tailing them, they might aim to summon some creature to create confusion, thus allowing them to escape amidst the chaos," Cheng Ziang reasoned.

His analysis was not without merit; the Church Court often flaunted its power, but it was they who came into play in times of crisis.

If Fu’en indeed summoned some creature, then it would be the Church Court who would be left to clean up the mess. In this way, Fu’en and his party could disappear without a trace at a time when the Church Court had their hands full.

"Are there any more detailed reports?" After hearing Cheng Ziang’s deduction, Luo’er turned to face the rider and asked.

"Er, it seems they also have magic crystals..." After hearing Cheng Ziang’s words, the rider’s face also turned grim as he hesitantly spoke.

"No doubt about it. Fu’en’s group is certainly planning mischief!" Luo’er affirmed.

Magic crystals are usually used to replenish magic, such as when they’re embedded into magic arrays, serving as magic input points. This greatly reduces the array’s demand for atmospheric magic, allowing it to unleash its power more quickly.

"Everyone, rest up. We’ll check our equipment first thing tomorrow and then set out immediately. Ideally, we’ll reach our destination within the day and deal with them," Luo’er instructed, his face serious.

"Understood!" The rest nodded in response.

After issuing the orders, Luo’er closed his eyes to rest, leaning against a tree. This pursuit of Fu’en was like a cat chasing a mouse. However, unlike a cat and mouse, their headquarters demanded live captures whenever possible. This presented a massive challenge for the advance team.

Fu’en was not a mouse; he was a living, crafty human. Capturing him alive would require significant efforts. The first time the advance team tried to apprehend Fu’en, he outsmarted them, and the second time, the hunting dogs interfered.

And for this third time, Luo’er didn’t want to fail again. He also realized that it was nearly impossible to capture Fu’en alive; the best course of action would be to kill him.

For the headquarters, as long as Fu’en was alive, he would always pose a threat. If he could connect the Otherworld Gate of Lipei to the Earth, he could potentially establish connections from other Otherworld Gates as well.

Although the headquarters hoped to obtain him and learn the method to open the Otherworld Gate, if capturing him was not feasible, the best course of action would be to kill him to prevent him from posing any more threats to their homeland.

Fu’en was probably the first fugitive of the headquarters ever since its establishment. However, unlike thirty years ago, the headquarters was no longer fighting alone. To the east, they had the High-peak people as allies and to the west, they had managed to ally with the Church Court. As long as Fu’en hadn’t escaped from the Northern region, it would be difficult for him to evade capture by the headquarters.

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