Chapter 49: Detonation

Everyone almost thought they had misheard.

The situation was already dire.

Before the military rescue could arrive, their options were extremely limited.

Abandoning the transport vehicles carrying the Odegaard ore seemed like the only possible solution.

Consultant Luo?

Although this new consultant’s abilities had gradually gained recognition along the way—and Luo Yan now held some authority within the team—she was still just a beautiful woman in their eyes.

Could a crisis like this really be solved with just words?

The mutated monsters didn’t care about beauty.

If they fell into the hands of the armed mobs, the consequences would probably be…

Zhou Jianzhong glanced at Luo Yan and asked, “Consultant Luo, the situation is grim and urgent. Do you know what you’re doing?”

His usually gentle tone now carried a stern edge. But Luo Yan didn’t waver.

She simply nodded, looked around at everyone, and said calmly, “Admittedly, I can’t handle a mutated beast tide of this scale. The only thing we can do now is stall for time—stall until the first rescue team arrives.”

Lin Yuanyao shook her head. “They won’t make it. Even if the rescue team left immediately, it would still take at least—”

“I know they won’t make it in time.”

Luo Yan interrupted her, her eyes sharp as she met Lin Yuanyao’s gaze. “So before they arrive, I’ll help you hold off the Corpse Hounds—and the armed mobs that might already be lying in ambush ahead.”

“You?”

“Consultant Luo?”

Everyone stared at her in disbelief.

What she was proposing sounded like pure fantasy.

Even a Luminous-level ability user would hesitate to guarantee they could turn the tide in such a desperate situation.

Xiao Wang was also stunned.

He had just pledged to protect her—yet now it was Luo Yan who intended to protect them.

Zhou Jianzhong stepped forward. “Captain, Consultant Luo’s thinking may be disordered due to excessive mental stress. I still insist that abandoning the ore—and the mission—is the most reasonable choice. And look…”

He turned sideways and motioned for Lin Yuanyao to look behind them.

The black tide was already approaching.

Under the descending twilight, the countless pairs of glowing crimson eyes surged forward like a wave—a wave of the abyss itself.

“In less than five minutes, we’ll be completely surrounded by Corpse Hounds,” Zhou Jianzhong warned. “By then, it’ll be too late to do anything.”

“Uncle Zhou, I…”

Lin Yuanyao’s lips moved slightly.

On one hand stood a colleague who had fought beside her for years.

On the other, a newly appointed consultant whose background was still a mystery.

The choice seemed obvious.

She couldn’t let everyone die because of hesitation…

“Three minutes. Give me three minutes.”

Amidst the roaring gunfire, Luo Yan’s voice rang out again.

At the same time, she extended a slender hand toward her.

“During these three minutes, I’ll take full command—combat included. After that, I’ll unconditionally accept whatever decision you make.”

Lin Yuanyao stared at the young, beautiful consultant in front of her.

Memories of Luo Yan’s earlier warnings—each one uncannily accurate—flashed through her mind.

She still didn’t know how Luo Yan had done it, but she had indeed done something she herself couldn’t.

After a moment’s silence, Lin Yuanyao asked quietly, “Besides command… what else do you need?”

“A pistol, an assault rifle, and a grenade launcher.”

“You know how to use them?”

“A little.”

“…And?”

“That’s all.”

Zhou Jianzhong still looked unconvinced. “Captain Lìn—!”

But this time, Lin Yuanyao didn’t hesitate.

She solemnly placed the walkie-talkie in Luo Yan’s hand.

“Consultant Luo, you have three minutes. When time’s up, I’ll stop you immediately.”

“No problem.”

Luo Yan took the rifle, then pointed to the roof of the armored vehicle.

“The first thing you need to do is get me up there.”

Time was tight.

Now was a race against the clock.

No one felt optimistic about Luo Yan, but since Captain Lin had already given her approval, they had no choice but to follow along.

The matter of losing two hundred tons of raw ore—while justifiable—would still cast a long shadow over their careers.

The place of Neo Aonan was neither small nor vast.

But a failure of this scale on a mission would inevitably impact how other companies viewed them.

Everyone here had once been a leader in their respective industries.

They understood the situation with clarity.

Since there was still a chance to fight, they didn’t object too strongly.

Yet, when it came time to truly take the risk, an unprecedented tension settled over them.

“Consultant Luo has been up there for a while. Why’s there no movement? She didn’t fall off, did she? Maybe she couldn’t stand properly—she is wearing high heels…”

“Shut your stinking mouth.”

Hansen fired a shot and dropped a Corpse Hound that had leapt onto the vehicle. He scowled.

“I just hope that woman gives us a surprise. No matter what—at least she had the guts to stand up.”

“If she really pulls this off, I’ll back Consultant Luo without question from now on.”

“Cut the crap. Where are you aiming that gun? That’s not Consultant Luo—it’s a Corpse Hound trying to take your head off. No need to be so gentle!”

Just then, a calm yet commanding voice cut through the static on every transport team member’s walkie-talkie:

“Everyone, listen up. We’re changing formation now. The transport vehicles must follow my instructions to the letter—no deviation.”

Lin Yuanyao, finally freed from the burden of command, threw herself into the fray.

Amidst the relentless gunfire and the sharp howls of the Corpse Hounds, she listened closely to that voice’s directions.

It’s been so long since I felt like this… the feeling that, even if the sky falls, someone is standing beside me to hold it up.

Something unfamiliar surged in her chest. She didn’t resist it.

Luo Yan was lying flat on the roof of the vehicle.

There was a mounted machine gun, but that position was assigned to the team’s gunner.

Instead, she chose a more dangerous location—completely exposed, in full view of the enemy.

The roof of the vehicle.

The wind howled. Her long black hair whipped in every direction, making her briefly regret not having a habit of carrying a hair tie.

If only I could tie it up now, it’d be much easier to focus.

The vehicle roared beneath her—pedal nearly to the floor—its speed and the high wind pressure making the rooftop incredibly unsafe.

A single misstep could send her flying.

If she weren’t an ability user, and if this body didn’t possess exceptional balance and reflexes, she would never have dared to take this position.

It was dangerous—but the view was perfect.

And that gave her a far better chance of executing her plan.

Use their strength against them. That was all.

Under her command, the transport formation had already changed completely.

The armored vehicles had spread to both flanks.

The transport trucks in the middle were isolated.

And the armored vehicles’ route was no longer a straight line—it curved, as though avoiding something far more dangerous than Corpse Hounds.

She released the rifle’s safety, lined up the scope with the Corpse Hounds chasing the convoy, and slowly dragged the sightline toward the ground.

There was nothing there.

Nothing—except the constant pounding of clawed feet against earth.

Based on the mob’s equipment… it’s at least twenty years behind current military tech. That means it’s probably not cast TNT…

The thought passed in a flash.

Luo Yan took a deep breath and gently pulled the trigger.

There was a bang.

Barely audible in the howling wind.

The bullet slipped through the swarm of Corpse Hounds, struck the dirt, and—
—pierced straight into the buried fuse.

Boom!

An earth-shattering explosion split the world apart.

Mud exploded into the sky.

And in the shower of sparks, the supposedly “immortal” bodies of countless Corpse Hounds were torn violently to shreds.