Enlightenment: Attaining the Dao at Age 8

”Boss, my gun’s about to give out! I’m almost out of ammo!” Sun Yang yelled, sweat pouring down his face as he continued to fire his Pulse Gun nonstop.

”Just hold on a little longer! Reinforcements will be here soon!” Li Chang’an’s voice remained calm, his Saw Chain Sword a constant blur in his hands, each swing kicking up a spray of blood.

”Whoa, my life is really on a knife’s edge here!” Sun Yang mocked himself as he kept firing. There wasn’t a trace of fear on his face; instead, he was filled with excitement.

Just then, a roar echoed from the distance. Several armed aircraft screamed into view overhead. Heavy machine-gun fire rained down from the sky, instantly suppressing the Insect Race’s assault.

”Reinforcements are here!” Sun Yang yelled excitedly. He stopped firing his Pulse Gun and collapsed behind his cover, panting heavily.

”They’re finally here. What a bunch of lifesavers!” Han Ruoxi let out a long sigh of relief, and the glow from her Electric Power Bracelet slowly dimmed.

Li Chang’an looked up at the aircraft in the sky, a slight smile playing on his lips. ”Good work, everyone. The reinforcements have arrived. The Insect Race’s attack has been contained!”

”Whew, we made it,” Shen Qiuyue said, gently wiping the sweat from her forehead as she sheathed her Dueling Sword.

The members of the Insect Hunter Squad all breathed a sigh of relief. Although they had just endured a difficult battle, every one of them wore a victorious smile.

”Now that was a rush! Boss, today’s battle was awesome!” Sun Yang said excitedly, a huge grin on his face.

Li Chang’an clapped him on the shoulder. ”Don’t celebrate too early. We’ve got more missions waiting for us.”

”Heh heh, no problem. The more missions, the better. I’m never afraid!” Sun Yang grinned like a child, looking full of energy.

”Alright, everyone head back and rest. The coming missions will be even tougher, so be prepared,” Li Chang’an said, his gaze sweeping over the other team members, his tone calm but firm.

The members of the Insect Hunter Squad all nodded.

「Time flew by, and a while passed.」

Li Chang’an and his squad slowly adapted to their new environment. The team members grew closer, and their days were full.

”Captain Li, think we could go out and get some real practice today? We can’t just stay cooped up training at the base all the time, right?” Sun Yang asked, looking at Li Chang’an with anticipation while chewing on his breakfast.

”What’s the rush to get out there? Isn’t training here good enough?” Li Chang’an glanced at him, casually popping his own breakfast into his mouth. He chewed slowly, looking like he was in no hurry.

”Come on, Captain Li, this training stuff is way too basic! I’m about to start growing moss over here!” Sun Yang slapped his own head dramatically. ”Besides, my marksmanship is getting rusty. What’s the point of just shooting at targets all the time?”

”Marksmanship getting rusty?” Han Ruoxi chimed in, her eyes lighting up. ”You’d better not say that. If we really go out there, don’t come crying to mommy and daddy when the Insect Race is kicking your butt!”

”Me, crying to my mommy and daddy?!” Sun Yang immediately straightened up, as if he’d been gravely insulted. ”Han Ruoxi, you take that back! When we get on the battlefield, I’ll be the one knocking their teeth out!”

”Don’t get ahead of yourself. Let’s see you do it first,” Li Chang’an said with a smile. He put down his tray and stood up. ”However, we do actually have a mission today. It’s not a big one, so we can go stretch our legs.”

”Huh? We really have a mission?!” Sun Yang was so excited he nearly jumped out of his seat. He immediately rushed over to Li Chang’an. ”What is it? Tell me, tell me! I can’t wait!”

”Settle down,” Li Chang’an said, holding up a hand to calm him. ”The Commander just issued an order for us to patrol a nearby abandoned mine. Recent intel suggests signs of Rebel Army activity there, but it’s not confirmed. We’re just going to check out the situation, so don’t act like we’re heading into a major battle.”

”Patrolling a mine? Such a simple mission?” Shen Qiuyue said calmly, crossing her arms. ”What if the Rebel Army is too well hidden for us to find?”

”It’s simple, but we can’t let our guard down,” Li Chang’an agreed with a nod. ”If there’s an ambush, we have to be ready. Otherwise, it’s a suicide run.”

Han Ruoxi moved a little closer, asking with a hint of doubt, ”Isn’t that mine a bit dangerous? I heard the Insect Race has been active in that area before. We’re not going to run into them, are we?”

”I doubt the Insect Race would be too interested in the mine,” Li Chang’an said with a shrug, his expression relaxed. ”Its resources have been almost completely depleted. I wouldn’t even want what’s left.

Do you think the Insect Race would waste their time scavenging for scrap metal?”

”Hm, that makes sense,” Han Ruoxi nodded, though still hesitant. ”But what if something unexpected happens...”

”Relax, I’ll be there,” Li Chang’an said with a smile, as if talking about something trivial. ”Besides, the Insect Hunter Squad is no pushover. We’re more than enough to handle the Rebel Army.”

”Tsk, Captain Li, you’re talking so big, I almost want to see you eat your words!” Sun Yang teased, slapping Li Chang’an on the shoulder. ”But hey, it’s fine by me. I’ve been itching to get out there and cause some trouble!”

”Don’t get your hopes up. We might patrol the whole area, find nothing, and come right back to training,” Li Chang’an replied coolly, glancing at Sun Yang.

”Don’t be such a buzzkill, Captain Li!” Sun Yang pouted, looking dejected. ”Can’t you let a guy have some hope? What if there really are rebels?”

”It’d be good if there were,” Shen Qiuyue said flatly. ”I find training too boring anyway. I’d like to see if my sword is actually useful.”

”Alright, alright, enough complaining,” Li Chang’an said with a wave of his hand. ”Get ready. We leave in half an hour.

Bring your weapons and gear, but don’t pack too much else. Travel light.”

”Got it!” Sun Yang immediately leaped up and ran off to get his Pulse Gun, muttering to himself, ”Finally, a mission... finally, a mission...”

Han Ruoxi watched Sun Yang’s retreating back and shook her head. ”The moment that guy hears ’mission,’ he’s like he’s had a shot of adrenaline. I don’t know where he gets all that energy.”

Li Chang’an smiled. ”That’s just how he is. The more downtime he has, the more he looks for some excitement.”

”You men are all the same!” Han Ruoxi rolled her eyes. ”Always thinking about fighting and killing. I wonder when you’ll ever settle down.”

”We’re soldiers. How can we not fight?” Li Chang’an teased. ”Besides, your Electric Energy is pretty handy, isn’t it? If we really run into enemies later, don’t you dare hold back.”

”Hmph, as if I would!” A smirk played on Han Ruoxi’s lips. ”When I make my move, I’m way more dangerous than you guys who just swing swords around.”

”We’ll be counting on you, then. Looking forward to seeing you in action,” Li Chang’an said with a chuckle. He then turned and walked toward Shen Qiuyue. ”Shen Qiuyue, check your weapon. Don’t drop the ball when it counts.”

Shen Qiuyue nodded, her expression blank. ”I know. You don’t have to remind me.”

Li Chang’an didn’t say any more and turned to another member of the team. ”Bai Lin, any news from the mission system?”

Bai Lin, busy operating a terminal, replied, ”Everything’s normal for now. The intel hasn’t been updated, but I’ll keep monitoring the situation.”

”Good. Stay in touch.” Li Chang’an nodded, then walked to the side to wait quietly for the team to finish their preparations.

Half an hour later, the entire Insect Hunter Squad assembled at the base entrance. Li Chang’an scanned the group. ”Everyone ready?”

”Ready!” they answered in unison.

”Move out!” With Li Chang’an’s command, the squad headed toward the mine.

Along the way, Sun Yang couldn’t resist a bit of banter. ”Captain Li, you think we could maybe wipe out an entire Rebel Army camp while we’re at it?”

”In your dreams!” Li Chang’an couldn’t help but laugh. ”Our mission is just a patrol. Don’t get carried away.”