Chapter 106: Long time no see

He knew it—guys with hair that literally emitted bright green light were never up to any good!

Astin, still deep in a sweet, peaceful slumber, was yanked up by Liam like an unwelcome intruder and forcefully jolted awake.

The green-haired youth was hurled through the air in a clean parabolic arc straight out of the tent. Aside from the sentinels out on patrol, every team member in the dead of night heard Liam’s furious roar:

"You shameless, despicable homewrecker, go to hell!"

Bunny didn’t tell anyone else that she had bound herself to Astin; she figured he was only changing his mind temporarily due to hormones. She would give the young crocodile time to cool off and clear his head.

In Liam’s eyes, however, every man who tried to charm his wife was a homewrecker.

The blonde guy was one, the green-haired guy was one, and that old scheming bastard Cyrus needed to back off even further!

Six hours later, the rising sun pierced through the dawn mist, painting the eastern horizon in pale shades of white.

Fully geared up, the team members checked their firearms and ammunition. Clad in complete tactical armor, they split into three teams—A, B, and C—according to the plan, deploying in a trident formation to intercept the oncoming alien tide at the narrow pass.

Team A was assigned to the frontal breach, the most dangerous position, led by the strike unit of Cyrus, Liam, San, and Astin.

Teams B and C were responsible for flanking the mountain ridge to secure the left and right wings.

Team B consisted of Orion, Illai, Arden, and Tyr.

Bunny was placed in Team C alongside Xander, Rain, and Brandon.

After loading up their ammo, Bunny approached the passenger side of the heavy armored vehicle. Xander reached out with his tactical-gloved right hand and pulled her up into the cab in one smooth motion.

The off-road armored vehicle was toweringly tall—a single one of its tires reached nearly up to her waist.

Sitting in the back seat, Brandon immediately thrust his fluffy dog head forward. "Hey, we’re in the same group this time!"

His hair was undeniably soft and fluffy, brushing against Bunny’s cheek and tickling her skin.

"The puppy and I will keep you safe!"

Rain, who was busy wrapping his wrist bandages nearby, rolled his eyes at him. "Could you tone down the high-pitched baby talk for once?"

Brandon shot back over his shoulder, "Mind your own business! As long as Sister likes hearing it, that’s all that matters."

Xander buckled her seatbelt securely, offering a gentle word of caution. "Hold on tight."

Bunny soon learned that his warning was no exaggeration. Xander fired up the engine, and after a thirty-second warm-up, the massive armored vehicle launched forward like an arrow released from a bow.

Nuclear-powered engine, turbocharging, sheer mechanical power, paired with top-tier holographic navigation—it was a high-performance beast in every sense.

The vehicle crushed low hills and muddy hollows under its massive treads, speeding across the barren desert. Xander’s driving skills were exceptionally refined—drifting around sharp bends, climbing steep inclines, and leaping over dips effortlessly.

Clutching her rifle, Bunny felt as though she were strapped into a drop tower ride, tumbling upside down until her stomach threatened to turn inside out.

And this was with Xander actively holding back his driving intensity.

The infrared radar screen flashed, showing a dense cluster of thermal signals approaching rapidly. As Xander maneuvered the vehicle up a sandy ridge, swarms of black dots broke into view along the horizon.

In the back, Brandon and Rain popped out from the roof hatch, launching a rocket shell that blasted open a gaping hole at the front of the swarm.

Upon reaching the interception point, everyone disembarked, setting up a fan-shaped defensive line at the narrow entrance of the bottlenecked valley.

Bunny and Xander held the center, while Brandon and Rain took up positions on the left and right. Standing high on the jagged cliff edge, the four of them looked like resolute, solitary knights clad in black.

The encroaching alien horde kicked up massive plumes of dust into the sky, dyeing the distant sunlight a hazy, pale yellow. Wearing her tactical helmet with only her dark eyes exposed, Bunny held her laser rifle steady, firing continuous strafes.

Drones arrived overhead in waves, raining down concentrated fire to suppress the skies.

Deafening explosions, gunshots, and guttural roars echoed repeatedly across the wide, empty canyon.

On the dust-swept battlefield, piles of enemy remains quickly stacked up.

When the alien horde managed to break through the second line of defense, Brandon and Rain summoned their spirit beasts and leaped off the cliff one after another.

As Bunny prepared to follow them down, her footing suddenly went light—Xander scooped her up with his left arm, and the two of them rappelled down together.

Their nano-tactical suits engaged their ejection buffers, allowing Xander to land smoothly with Bunny in tow just as a hideous alien beast lunged straight at them from ahead.

With a single hand, Xander reloaded and chambered a round, completing a point-blank kill within 1.5 seconds.

Back-to-back, Bunny and Xander cleared out the initial ring of enemies before fanning out toward Brandon and Rain with seamless coordination.

Bunny ran out of ammunition just as Rain fought his way to a spot barely three meters away. At that moment, two smaller alien beasts came tumbling from opposite sides, attempting a joint ambush on him.

"Rain!"

Without hesitation, she drew the double-barreled handguns strapped to her back, stepping up like a seasoned dual-wielding shooter to blast both stealthy attackers out of the air.

Rain turned around, sweeping an arm around her waist as he drew his blade to slice clean through an alien that had been about to spray acid at her back.

Her feet left the ground, and she was lifted into a quick spin before being set down safely—just as a soft, damp kiss landed on her cheek.

"Good job, Bunny."

The man’s voice was instantly swallowed by the roar of overhead drones and blasting artillery.

It took Bunny a beat to realize she had just been sneaked a kiss.

You rogue!

Relying on seamless teamwork, the four of them waged an intense, high-octane battle at this ambush point for several hours. Managing their repair and energy serums was crucial, but by dusk, they successfully intercepted the main force of this alien tide’s branch.

All that remained was the cleanup.

Bunny’s hair was completely drenched in sweat. Just as the four of them began regrouping to head back, a violent surge of spiritual energy erupted from behind the sand dunes.

As a barrage of high-velocity rounds sliced through the air, Xander’s eyes widened. He tackled Bunny to the ground instantly, shielding her beneath his body.

"Ten o’clock position—ambush!"

Brandon snapped his rifle around, returning fire at the origin point and forcing the figures hidden behind the dunes to retreat into the open.

A tall, broad-shouldered Sentinel with blonde hair and striking blue eyes stepped out first, a cool, mocking glint dancing in his gaze.

A far-from-friendly greeting echoed through the air:

"Xander... long time no see."