novelraw Chapter 318: A Taste of Their Own Medicine
Chapter 318: A Taste of Their Own Medicine
The night was ink-black, the stars dim.
A cold wind moved slowly through the dark. Clumps of withered grass drifted across the earth like ownerless ghosts.
In the small city base, 80 kilometers west of Li Wei's territory, a figure slipped through the shadows like a specter and appeared before the twenty-story high-rise.
The figure stood there in silence, wearing a distinctive robe that seemed to melt into the darkness.
A chorus of squeaking.
Moments later, hundreds of grey rats crawled out of the building. The figure crouched, extending a withered, root-like arm — and the grey rats climbed up it and disappeared into the folds of the robe, vanishing in an instant.
The figure slowly rose. A gust of wind caught the hood, pulling it back slightly — revealing half a face of breathtaking, almost painted beauty, and half a face that looked like a demon's mask. Grotesque and terrifying.
A moment later, two more figures swept in from the distance. The three gathered and entered the building.
This appeared to be their hiding place.
Of the three, only the Casting Witch had formidable strength — her presence deep and unreadable. The other two were Four-Star players."What did either of you find today?"
The Witch with the angel-and-demon face spoke quietly.
"Senior Alice — not much on my end. That Li Wei's crow hunting pet is genuinely terrifying. I nearly got spotted several times today, so I kept completely still until deep in the night before I dared move. But I can confirm — Li Wei is currently in his territory."
A small, sharp-featured man gave a wry smile.
"Same here. I'm a Four-Star Hunter, but my hunting pet didn't dare fly at all. I'm convinced Li Wei's crow is a Five-Star hunting pet."
The other man sighed. No wonder this man had killed Scar Glenn and broken through from among the seed players. A genuine dark horse.
Though it was precisely that which had forced two factions to cooperate.
Yes — the three of them actually belonged to two different factions.
Plague Witch Alice, a Second-Order Casting Witch, was affiliated with Zhao Kewu's faction. The other two belonged to Socrates's faction.
They hadn't originally been working together. The two scouts had been sent by Socrates to reconnoiter. A full-scale assault wasn't appropriate right now — getting raided in return would be disastrous. So reconnaissance was the priority. As long as they weren't carrying a bound Pioneering Card and didn't initiate an attack, they'd be classified as passersby and wouldn't trigger any alerts.
They had run into Witch Alice by chance. She appeared to have come off slightly worse in an encounter with the Widow, which had brought the three of them together in a natural alliance.
This kind of arrangement was technically permissible — no rule against it. Alliances of convenience, formed and dissolved freely.
Normally, open offensive-defensive alliances only emerged clearly in the third year. But Li Wei's disruption had thrown everything into chaos.
For both Zhao Kewu and Socrates, eliminating Li Wei was the optimal move. The top three on the Pioneering Scoreboard all had hidden rewards.
"Senior Alice — I suggest we wait a bit longer. Wait for reinforcements from home. That would give us more certainty." The sharp-featured man spoke carefully. He sounded cautious, but the truth was he had no confidence — because this woman actually wanted to hunt Li Wei.
It wasn't that they thought it was unreasonable. It was that their mission was reconnaissance. She was escalating things on her own initiative. They'd get an earful when they reported back.
And if they died, they'd have nothing to show for it.
Li Wei was terrifying. They had initially assumed he was just a lucky general — turns out he really was a lucky general, one who had personally killed Scar Glenn.
Which meant Li Wei was effectively unbeatable at Four-Star level, capable of trading blows with Five-Star Cross-Border experts.
The year's dark horse was not to be underestimated.
Witch Alice said nothing. She reached into her sleeve, pulled out a grey rat, and slapped it dead. A tool card flew out — playing back the rat's memories like a recording.
The footage was from that afternoon: Li Wei test-driving the Enchanted Chariot, from the moment he got in to the moment he stepped out. The little grey rat had watched every detail clearly.
The next sequence showed an electric bus being brought out and hitched to the Enchanted Chariot, with Freemen loading large quantities of supplies.
"See clearly? Li Wei can't hold back anymore. He wants to hold his territory and also occupy Scar Glenn's camp simultaneously — that's a resource-producing location."
"But that fortress suffered a fire recently. A large amount of supplies was likely destroyed. That's why the Widow has been fishing every day — I estimate her food reserves are under two weeks."
"Winter has arrived, and heating is a problem. So look — that bus is loaded with at least five tons of coal, plus large quantities of daily supplies, mechanical components, and some construction materials. The bus is packed to the point where there's no room for passengers."
"But that strange modified vehicle in front has serious power — enough to tow the bus 250 kilometers to the port camp."
"I'd bet Li Wei plans to support them just this once, then endure the winter. So whoever he sends will be his best people."
"So — Senior, are you suggesting we intercept this supply convoy and eliminate whoever Li Wei sends out along the way?"
"That's one approach. But it's usually the kind of thing only petty thieves think of." Witch Alice said it flatly — no mockery, no sarcasm. Everyone understood. This was just flattering banter to keep her engaged.
Both scouts had sharp eyes. They knew how to read the room.
"That assembled vehicle is unusual. The interior is electric-drive, yes — but the entire exterior shell is definitely Enchanted Steel Plates. That means it's very hard to penetrate, and magic attacks won't work on it. They just need to sit quietly inside and drive at a steady 80 kilometers per hour. We can't catch them."
"Of course, another option is to destroy the road in advance — but that's equally unrealistic. Li Wei's big crow makes a daily round trip and knows every detail of the road. We can't cut the road a day in advance without being detected."
"And when that supply convoy departs, the big crow will certainly be with them. At its terrifying flight speed, it can scout 15 to 20 kilometers ahead. Setting an ambush is a fantasy."
"Could we dig a concealed position nearby and strike when the vehicle passes?" The other scout played along. The senior wanted to lecture — why fight it? A few words of encouragement cost nothing.
"That approach is equally difficult. Setting aside whether the excavated soil and other traces could escape the crow's notice — even if they couldn't be detected, what then?"
"Their tires have anti-spike guards built in. The enchanted cab is immune to magical attacks. At 80 kilometers per hour, with a self-weight of at least six or seven tons — can either of you stop it?"
"Definitely not."
Both shook their heads in unison. The only person who could stop it would be a Strength-type player with a giant iron hammer, fully wound up in advance, with perfect timing, speed, angle, and accuracy — a single devastating blow like Zhang Liang's legendary assassination attempt. Only then might the armored vehicle be stopped.
At that, Witch Alice fell silent, thinking. After a long pause, she raised her head and spoke slowly. "This Li Wei is a very dangerous opponent. I know the Widow — sharp, unpredictable, fierce, a little mad. Anyone who can command that kind of woman is not simple. I've actually been here for eighteen days. I originally intended to find an opening from this location, but I couldn't find a breakthrough. So I went to the Widow's end — and the result was predictable."
"The Widow's strength hasn't just recovered — she's stronger than before. I came back here in the end, because after many simulations, I found one opportunity to kill Li Wei. And it's probably his only weakness right now."
"That is — he must send supplies to the Widow. The people he sends will be his best and most trusted. And he must also send his big crow. That already weakens part of his support."
"But he will certainly remain in the territory himself. He won't leave a single step. To kill him, I still need to launch a direct assault."
At that, Witch Alice fell silent again. The two scouts exchanged a glance, both quietly worried about the senior's mental state.
If it can't be done, don't force it. All this talking isn't going to change anything.
"Senior Alice — my suggestion is to wait. Wait for reinforcements from home. Numbers and strength are what matter. Strike decisively, take the walls. Let's not take unnecessary risks."
"Right, right. Senior Alice — we two are scouts, not combat specialists. If the three of us worked together, maybe there'd be a chance."
"You both make very good points. We really can't kill Li Wei through conventional means. I was just analyzing that with both of you — the odds are essentially zero." Witch Alice suddenly raised her head, a brilliant smile spreading across her face.
"Right, right, exactly — Senior Alice, we think we've completed our mission. We'd like to withdraw now. We'll meet again when fate allows."
The two scouts were genuinely on edge. But it seemed they were too late. Both men's expressions suddenly changed. They collapsed to the ground, unable to move.
"That's exactly why I need your help. Don't worry — once the mission is done, I'll give you both compensation."
Before the words had finished, hundreds of rats poured out of Witch Alice's sleeves in a frenzy, biting and gnawing...
"A taste of their own medicine. Li Wei — you used a monster-baiting method to breach Scar Glenn's fortress. I hope you won't mind if I do the same."
Beneath the deep hood, a mad smile bloomed.
Shortly after, screams began to echo from the underground base of the small city — lasting for hours, until finally, silence.
Because they had all become Ability Users.