FI CH 15

Chapter 15: Rainforest Siege (IX)

If they could see the helicopter, then the brown-haired sentinel must have seen it too.

Yet his demeanor remained calm and confident, as if he didn’t believe the helicopter’s arrival would mean the two of them could escape.

If before spotting the helicopter, they had still considered avoiding combat, now they had even more reason to create as much noise as possible to attract the attention of the rescue team.

But before they could even make a move, the enemy acted first.

The captor’s mental landscape once again closed in around them. This time, the range extended for several kilometers—they had no chance of escape. It was the first time either of them had seen someone able to create such a vast mental landscape and seamlessly blend it with the real environment. The terrain around them appeared unchanged, yet they could clearly feel that the space they occupied was no longer the same.

If not for Kurosawa’s presence, Bai Hua might not have been able to tell whether they were in reality or in an illusion.

But even Kurosawa was now frowning—things were clearly more difficult than he had expected. The enemy had pulled out all the stops; it was obvious they were determined to take them back.

Being trapped in the opponent’s mental landscape, it was useless no matter how much noise they made. They couldn’t just wait for help—they had to reach out for it themselves.

At that moment, Bai Hua spoke up, “Kurosawa…”

“Yeah.”

Though they hadn’t discussed it, it was as if they already understood each other completely.

Kurosawa suddenly said, “Forget the proper exit. Let’s just find a weak point in the barrier and force our way out.”

He didn’t bother hiding this statement from the brown-haired sentinel—it was as if he deliberately wanted the other man to hear it. The sentinel raised an eyebrow but said nothing.

Bai Hua glanced at him.

Inside a mental landscape, there were still spatial limitations. But if you couldn’t find the correct path, it was no different from being trapped in a maze. Kurosawa’s confidence in making that statement didn’t just come from being a Guide, but because he possessed the ability to see through the essence of things. Kurosawa had admitted it before—this ability was linked to his mental entity, which was why he was certain he wouldn’t lose his way inside. And when a person expanded the scope of their mental landscape to its limit, the surrounding barriers would become very thin. Seen from that perspective, breaking through the mental landscape wasn’t entirely impossible.

Bai Hua didn’t dwell on it too long and simply said, “I’ll follow your lead.”

Unexpectedly, the brown-haired sentinel let out a rare laugh and said, “You two are really something.”

This man was usually extremely reserved—even when they’d first been captured, he had barely said a word. That brief smile softened his sharp and rugged features considerably. Bai Hua found himself staring a little; somehow, that smile overlapped with a face in his memories, but it remained too hazy to recall clearly.

Before he could think any further, the sentinel’s expression turned serious again. “But this time, I won’t let you escape.”

Kurosawa honestly wanted to ask why.

Ever since he’d come into contact with these three people, his questions only multiplied. Why were they being hunted? Why use Jing He as bait? And where had they taken Jing He?

But every time they met again, there was no time for questions—just battles, chases, and escapes. In this tense situation, their hostility was obvious, and peaceful communication was out of the question. As long as both sides remained cautious, neither would lay their cards on the table.

He also understood there was no point in staying any longer. No matter how many doubts he had, no answers would come. What they needed now was to end this and get out.

At the sentinel’s words, Kurosawa chuckled, a rare flash of provocation crossing his face. “Try me.”

There was no more talking—The first to launch an attack was the brown-haired sentinel.

He went straight for Kurosawa. Kurosawa took a step back but didn’t dodge. Just as he was about to be caught, Bai Hua intercepted the sentinel’s hand from the side. The two immediately engaged in a rapid back-and-forth exchange.

By now, daylight had broken. Bai Hua’s vision was fully restored, and the one-sided beatdown from before was no longer the case. Agile by nature and adept at using the terrain to his advantage, he darted nimbly between the thick trees. In this forested environment, he was proving to be a real challenge.

Kurosawa paid no attention to the fight between Bai Hua and the sentinel. His focus was solely on scouting ahead, carefully observing the changes in their surroundings and keeping an eye out for any subtle movements from the other two Guides. His pressure was no less than Bai Hua’s—perhaps even greater—since if necessary, he might have to face both Guides alone.

Maybe it was because this mental landscape was simply too vast, requiring the user to expend an excessive amount of mental power, so there hadn’t been any direct attacks. That might have been a small blessing. But the downside was that it made finding a weak point to break through much more difficult. Still, since he’d already given up on the idea of using a predetermined exit, maintaining the current situation might actually be the better option.

He sprinted swiftly through the forest, not at all worried about whether Bai Hua could keep up.

In fact, Bai Hua hoped Kurosawa would run as far as possible—ideally, beyond the sentinel’s line of sight. At this point, all he could manage was to barely hold the other off, and from here, he’d need to think of a way to shake him off entirely.

But after fighting for a while, it became clear that the brown-haired sentinel wasn’t showing any signs of fatigue. On the contrary, it was Bai Hua who was gradually wearing down—his movements beginning to slow.

The sentinel finally caught an opportunity. With one hand, he clamped Bai Hua by the neck and slammed him to the ground.

Bai Hua’s gaze remained locked on him. At that moment, he suddenly asked, “Have we met somewhere before?”

The sentinel was stunned for a moment, then replied, “No.”

But Bai Hua continued, “I’m sure I’ve seen you somewhere.”

“Maybe,” the sentinel answered vaguely, but he didn’t seem interested in Bai Hua’s persistence. Instead, he said, “Once I catch you, your partner will come back on his own.”

“No, he won’t. He’s already far enough away. And…” Bai Hua suddenly smiled and added, “I won’t give you that chance.”

The sentinel raised an eyebrow, sensing that the man beneath him was beginning to struggle with renewed force. He tightened his grip on Bai Hua’s neck, almost pinning him entirely into the ground.

But Bai Hua didn’t give up. He suddenly grabbed the sentinel’s wrist, and with that leverage, kicked upward—his foot slamming hard into the sentinel’s back.

The force sent the sentinel staggering forward and loosening his hold, though he wasn’t injured.

Bai Hua sprang up from the ground and quickly climbed the nearest tree. The trees here were tall, and their thick canopy nearly blocked out the sky, but Bai Hua moved with remarkable speed. Within moments, he had vanished from the sentinel’s line of sight, leaving only the rustling sounds of his passage through the treetops. Clearly, all the fatigue he had shown earlier was an act.

Everyone has strengths—and just as surely, weaknesses.

Bai Hua had somehow figured out the brown-haired sentinel’s weakness—and he was right. This man wasn’t good at climbing trees.

The brown-haired sentinel stood beneath the tree, surprisingly calm and unbothered. Within the confines of the Captor’s mental landscape, he could communicate with his teammates at any time. He asked the Watcher, “Tell me the Guide’s current position.”

After shaking off the sentinel, Bai Hua immediately set off to find Kurosawa.

He didn’t truly believe he could escape the sentinel completely—they were still inside the enemy’s mental landscape, which meant that any of their movements were essentially exposed. But what he could do was buy Kurosawa more time—every second counted.

His neck still throbbed with pain, and even without checking, he knew the man’s grip had definitely left marks. He reflexively touched the area but didn’t dwell on it. Instead, he followed the scent trail of pheromones forward.

By this time, Kurosawa had already run quite a long distance. His judgment was precise—every step brought him closer to the spatial boundary of the mental landscape.

When he sensed Bai Hua’s pheromones growing stronger, he knew the other had caught up.

He wasn’t sure what had changed over the past few days, but Bai Hua’s pheromones had grown noticeably more potent. Perhaps it was due to their constant proximity and the way they had spent every moment together—triggering a chain reaction.

Such subtle resonance was typical between high-compatibility sentinel-guide pairs. They could perceive each other’s presence at all times, as if the other had always been a part of their lives.

And that was exactly why Kurosawa didn’t even need to say where he was—he knew Bai Hua would find him.

He didn’t even have to turn around to know Bai Hua’s location. Still, out of habit, he glanced back—and when he saw the purplish bruises on Bai Hua’s neck, he couldn’t help frowning. “Have you been taking your Guide inhibitors these past few days?”

Bai Hua paused, caught off guard that this was the first thing Kurosawa would ask. But judging by his serious expression, it was clear he wasn’t joking. “No.”

“How many days has it been?”

Bai Hua calculated silently. He had taken one before the mission began, but ever since their capture—three days ago—he hadn’t taken another dose. “This is the fifth day.”

“For now… don’t take it yet.” Kurosawa seemed to realize the request was unreasonable and added, “Let’s wait until we’re safe.”

Bai Hua understood his reasoning. Their pheromones allowed them to track each other’s location, preventing them from getting separated in the mental landscape. Although… it also meant they ran the risk of triggering a heat period due to their high compatibility…

Kurosawa added, “That was my oversight.”

But Bai Hua didn’t understand what he meant by that. Unbonded Sentinels typically took Guide suppressants regularly—especially before missions, they would increase the dosage to avoid accidents. But Bai Hua was a bit different. He had excellent emotional control and almost never took suppressants. If it weren’t for meeting someone like Kurosawa, with such a high compatibility, he might never have needed them.

Still, he didn’t want to explain all that—there were more complicated reasons, and this awkward topic was better dropped sooner than later.

“It’s fine. I can endure it.”

(To be continued…)