FI CH 16

Chapter 16: Rainforest Siege (X)

Meeting the enemy again was within expectations.

At this point, the two of them were already very close to the outer edge of the spatial barrier. As usual, Bai Hua signaled for Kurosawa to go ahead while he stayed behind to cover.

But this time, the brown-haired sentinel refused. Past experiences had taught him that the closer these two got to the outside, the more unpredictable and shocking their next move would be. However, he didn’t attack them immediately. Instead, he broke off a branch and drew a line on the ground. He made it clear: if they crossed this line—or even approached any area beyond its extension—he would make a move.

He then stood behind that line, watching them with a casual demeanor.

As long as the two of them couldn’t escape from the mental landscape, no matter how hard the outside world tried, they wouldn’t be found. A mental landscape was nearly impossible to break from the outside—unless someone else also possessed perceptive abilities. Otherwise, without the original creator’s permission, no one could enter. The two were still trapped inside.

Kurosawa finally understood the brown-haired sentinel’s plan. He intended to keep them trapped here indefinitely. It didn’t matter if it took days—so long as the rescue team couldn’t find them, they’d eventually give up and leave.

Rather than pursuing them directly, this method applied even greater psychological pressure.

At first, Bai Hua had suggested that they split up and try to break through separately. But every time they did, the sentinel would always go after Kurosawa. Under this kind of standoff, Kurosawa’s ability was almost completely suppressed. If he made even the slightest move, the watcher—also a guide—would immediately alert the sentinel. The sentinel would initially pretend to fall for it, only to suddenly attack mid-pursuit. Kurosawa was nearly caught several times, and Bai Hua barely made it in time to save him.

Eventually, Bai Hua stopped suggesting they split up. He finally understood—if Kurosawa was captured, they’d have no chance of escape.

The sentinel clearly knew this too, which is why he never took his eyes off Kurosawa from the start.

The two sides dragged the standoff on for a while. When they were tired, Bai Hua and Kurosawa would sit down to rest, but they could never fully let their guard down. The sentinel’s rules had too many loopholes—no one could guarantee he’d obediently stay put and not launch a surprise attack.

One could tell a lot about a person’s character through their tactics. The brown-haired sentinel was an exceptionally difficult opponent.

Still, neither of them intended to give up. They fell into their own silences, both focused on figuring out how to break through the current deadlock.

Kurosawa suddenly looked up at the sky, where several birds were flying overhead. Even though they were inside a mental landscape, everything appeared incredibly real—it didn’t feel like it was simply conjured up from thin air. A new train of thought surfaced in Kurosawa’s mind, inspired by the mental scene the tracker had created. Without saying a word, he quietly scooped up a handful of dirt, then suddenly turned to Bai Hua and said, “Let’s try again—this time, together.”

Bai Hua glanced at Kurosawa. “Alright.”

He knew Kurosawa never acted without reason. Every move was part of his plan—Bai Hua simply had to follow his lead.

The two stood up at the same time. The brown-haired sentinel seemed to take notice of the dirt in Kurosawa’s hand—likely because the watcher had been nagging him about keeping an eye on Kurosawa’s hands for a while now, repeatedly warning him not to let his guard down. That teammate was usually a bit of a chatterbox, but the sentinel had gotten used to it. He rarely made careless mistakes—just once in his life, and he had regretted it ever since. That mistake had taught him to always be cautious.

The two launched a direct assault at once. Bai Hua moved slightly faster, swinging a punch straight at the sentinel’s face. The sentinel ducked to dodge, and out of the corner of his eye, he saw Kurosawa tightening his fist. The next moment, just as expected, the guide flung the dirt at his eyes. The sentinel quickly turned his head aside, raising an arm to block Bai Hua’s follow-up strike. After countering, he reached out to grab the guide—but Bai Hua intercepted him in time, blocking the move.

Just then, a gust of wind swept through, and something quickly flew past both of their shoulders. The sentinel reflexively reached out to catch it, but seeing it was just a bird, he let it go.

The ambush failed again. The two retreated back behind the line.

The watcher’s nagging voice buzzed in the sentinel’s ear again, probably saying something like, “I knew that brat would try something.”

The sentinel ignored him out of habit.

After that, the pair tried to break through several more times, only to end in repeated failure. They had been stuck here for quite a while—judging by the time, it was probably nightfall outside already.

On missions, the Sentinel-Guide Association usually distributed nutrient tablets—one tablet per meal. When too busy to eat, they’d rely on these instead. After eating his share, Bai Hua accidentally came across his vial of guide suppressant. He hesitated for a moment, then put it back without taking it.

No one knew how much time had passed when Kurosawa suddenly called Bai Hua’s name and said, “It’s time for us to move.”

Bai Hua was already prepared.

Kurosawa added, “This time, we have to succeed no matter what.”

Bai Hua glanced at him and saw the determination in his eyes. “Alright.”

The two once again rose to face the brown-haired sentinel. This tug-of-war was a brutal test of stamina—and stamina had always been the sentinel’s advantage.

The sentinel had expected the opposing guide to be the first to collapse. Sure enough, it wasn’t long before they made a move.

He hadn’t actually planned to drag this out for several days. Judging by the guide’s physical and mental endurance, he figured they wouldn’t last much longer. But he was still surprised they acted so soon.

This time, Kurosawa took the initiative. Although guides weren’t usually skilled at close combat, after several encounters, the brown-haired sentinel had to admit—even begrudgingly—that Kurosawa’s swift and agile moves were impressive.

You could always tell if someone had experienced a real battlefield by the look in their eyes and the way they moved.

But… he’s still too green^[1].

The moment the sentinel got hold of Kurosawa, he believed it was over.

However, the guide merely smiled at him—and before the watcher could issue a warning, Kurosawa launched a spiritual attack.

At such a close distance, it was impossible to dodge. But the sentinel hadn’t intended to. With a powerful mental shield in place, he was prepared. Every sentinel, from the moment of awakening, had to train daily to resist mental attacks. No matter how much potential Kurosawa had, he wasn’t strong enough yet.

The sentinel blocked Kurosawa’s attack effortlessly and was just about to counter when—unbeknownst to him—Bai Hua had already appeared behind him and delivered a solid kick to his back.

Any seasoned sentinel had fought countless battles. Bai Hua didn’t aim for any vital spots—those would be heavily guarded by instinct. Some sentinels trained themselves to reflexively counter any attack aimed at those areas. Going for the weak points could trigger a trap or make them more aggressive.

But no amount of training could erase a human body’s natural reflexes. For instance, when someone starts to fall, their arms will instinctively move to brace the impact.

As expected, the brown-haired sentinel staggered forward from the force of the kick, unintentionally loosening his grip on Kurosawa.

Bai Hua quickly pulled Kurosawa away.

In that instant, their positions reversed—they were now inside the line, while the sentinel stood outside of it.

Without a moment’s hesitation, Bai Hua gave Kurosawa a hard push, urging him to keep running toward the outer boundary.

Kurosawa barely had time to exchange a glance with Bai Hua before turning and sprinting toward the destination. And the moment he moved, so did the brown-haired sentinel.

Now the situation had completely flipped. Their one slim chance of escape rested solely on Kurosawa’s shoulders. Bai Hua had to stop the sentinel from crossing the line, no matter what.

Instead of waiting for the sentinel to approach, Bai Hua took the initiative and met him head-on. He had to buy Kurosawa time at all costs.

The sounds of fierce combat rang out behind Kurosawa, but he had no time to look back. His mental preparation was complete—only the final step remained.

Just a little more. Whoever was coming to their rescue…

Please, hurry…

(To be continued…)