Epoch of Twilight

As the date of his departure loomed closer, his training got more and more frequent and intense. He did not neglect even a single detail. Not only did Luo Yuan feel the pressure of the mission, even the Reconstruction Area was really tense.

Even though he knew how difficult the mission was, he knew time would not wait for him to be ready, regardless of how worried he felt.

Three days before his departure, a premium Honour Award ceremony was held at New Capital City. Only a small number of high profile guests attended the ceremony. Most of them were chancellors of the high council and members of the military service. Luo Yuan was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant general during the ceremony. At the same time, he was released from his duties as a Vice-Captain and appointed as the Vice-Minister of the unit.

The Vice-Minister was the highest position an evolved man could achieve in the unit. As compared to the previous two Vice-Ministers, he was seen as one of the most respected leaders in the Reconstruction Area. But, with all the awards bestowed upon him, his position within the office would only take place when he returned from his mission, alive.

After the ceremony, one of the officers led Luo Yuan to an underground warehouse. Both of them were asked to wear a protective hazmat suit before entering the warehouse.

The warehouse was very small with only 12 shelves. Each of the shelves was stacked with all sorts of rare treasures and a variety of weapons.

There was also thick glass cases protecting some of the high-order materials that emitted strong energy waves.

This lead-containing glass was used to isolate radiation emitted by those materials.

As Luo Yuan walked around the warehouse, he recognized that most of the weapons on the shelves were level seven weaponry, and some of them were level eight.

Basically, he knew each and every one of them from memory, as those were the weapons that Luo Yuan had seen before on the unit’s intranet database.

To own a level eight weapon, he needed at least ten thousand counters. But now, he would be given whatever he chose, to the that he contemplated emptying the warehouse!

It was a matter of life and death to Luo Yuan and the Reconstruction Area. As long as it was within their capabilities, they gave not only the honor but every kind of benefit, generously.

"Please remove all the cases!" Luo Yuan said coldly, masking his excitement.

"Yes, General Luo!" The officer replied politely. He quickly stepped forward and flipped a switch. The system was immediately activated and the glass cases were all opened. The energy waves soon diffused and rippled through the air.

He evaluated the weapons and eventually picked up a long sword. The sword was black in color and had a shiny, sharp surface. It consisted of a blade and a handle. He gently waved the sword in the air, accommodating its weight and balance to his skill and expertise.

"Let’s go!" Luo Yuan sheathed the black blade and moved toward the exit.

The officer quickly followed after him, surprised by his sudden instruction to leave. Suddenly, there was a crash behind them! It sounded like the shelves in the room, shattering. The officer spun around and realized that he had forgotten to turn off the switch to arm the security system, and had left the glass cases opened. The cases and shelves were broken into half.

He shivered as he glanced at the black sword that Luo Yuan was holding at the ready to kill, a dead stony expression in his eyes.

......

The dinner before the day he was leaving was half an hour late.

The dining room was silent as the tense atmosphere petrified the tongues of the people present. The sound of chopsticks hitting bowls echoed throughout the hall.

After Luo Yuan had finished eating, he sighed and said, "As you all know, I am in the process of secondment and I might only be coming home after a few months. Please take good care of yourselves and advice Shishi not to be reckless in my absence. Tell her to seek help from Fang Peibin or Chen Xinjie from the Sword Unit if she encountered any problems."

"Brother Luo, when did I act recklessly?" Wang Shishi whined with a pout.

He stared at her and recalled how Sun Youde died.

"I will take good care of your family." Wang Jing responded to assure him.

He felt relieved to have Wang Jing to look after his family as she was a representative of the high committee. Luo Yuan nodded and said, "That’s good."

Luo Yuan’s nod of approval overwhelmed Wang Jing and she was stirred as Luo Yuan had always been cold to her.

Huang Jiahui lost her appetite as she heard what Luo Yuan was saying. She was worried and couldn’t let him go. She even forgot to think about Chen Xinjie who was obviously still an inexperienced girl. "Can’t we go along with you?" She asked.

"The mining area is too dangerous. If you come along with me, I will not be able to concentrate, and be consumed by worry about you." This was just an excuse to keep everything confidential and also avoid his family any worry about his safety.

"I will not be able to take care of you as I will be away searching the mining area every day. It will be better for you to stay here. Perhaps when the area is less of a risk, I will be home in a month or two."

"You have to take care of yourself then. Remember to call home at least once every day!" Zhao Yali said as she stifled a sob.

Luo Yuan and Wang Jing exchanged glances with one another. "The mining area mines Magnetite and phone signals will have severe interference. I don’t think he can make phone calls there, but he can write us letters. Mining areas will normally be equipped with courier services." she explained to Zhao Yali.

Those letters were of course not written by Luo Yuan but some professional that could mimic Luo Yuan’s handwriting. Wang Jing stayed here for almost a month and was really fond of the 3 girls. She believed that with her protective instinct for them, and her intelligence, she could keep the secret for Luo Yuan.

"What lousy place is that? He can’t even make a phone call." Wang Shishi complained but did not say more as she knew it was the truth. "Don’t forget to write letters to use at least once a week. You must write more than one letter, for each of us. We will miss you and I will miss you the most!" Wang Shishi said with tears in her eyes.

Luo Yuan felt bad. Still, he forced a smile and said, "Don’t worry. I will write letters every day."

It was a promise he could make because he was not the one who was going to write those letters! He almost smiled at the thought but composed himself in time.

After dinner, the women cleared the plates and cleaned the table. Although, Wang Jing did not help them. As they were going into the kitchen, she said softly Luo Yuan, "All of the equipment needed is already here. I placed them under my bed. When are you leaving tomorrow? I will pass them to you!"

"That would probably be 3 am in the morning," he told her. He hated to face the sadness of leaving and decided to leave quietly, in the dead of night.

"Alright!" Wang Jing replied and quickly headed to the kitchen.

Luo Yuan walked into Huang Jiahui’s bedroom and started to prepare his luggage. All of his necessities had been prepared, and he only needed a few pairs of clothes to pack for himself. One of them was:-

"The Green Hidden Creature’s Sharp Horn"

"Rarity: Light green."

"Additional Properties 1: Absorbs various energy waves"

"Additional Properties 2: Creates visual illusions"

He still had no idea about how the small horn created visual illusions, but its ability to absorb various energy waves was very valuable. Other than its Sensory Perception ability, it could also shield radio waves, infrared, and various types of energy waves. It was impossible for any existing technology on Earth to detect its presence even if it happened to appear right in front of its radar. However, no one knew its effect if it was brought to other civilizations.

He shifted his gaze from the small horn to the eyeballs of the soul eater mutated beast that was at the corner of the room.

He did not know why they started to shrink rapidly since he brought them home. They were initially as big as a basins but they were as small as a fists now. Its weight nevertheless remained the same as it was still 2-3 kilograms heavy. In addition to that, it’s density was close to the density of steel.

It was said to have the ability to assist in dream walking, the ability to enter dreams. Luo Yuan had tried it a few times and felt it was useless to him. Ordinary people’s dreams were constantly changing and could only be passively viewed. The dream would end if there were any interactions.

However, it might be useful this time as it was used in the investigation of mutants.

At night, Luo Yuan looked at the clock and got out of bed quietly. Wang Shishi who was still asleep suddenly shivered as if she dreamt Luo Yuan was going to leave. She tightly grasped Luo Yuan’s shoulder and muttered, "Brother Luo, please don’t go!"

The feelings he had for Zhao Yali and Huang Jiahui was a gentle affection. As compared to Wang Shishi, she was so attached to him. Among the 3 of them, Wang Shishi depended on him the most.

Luo Yuan sighed and gently removed her grip from his arm. He put on his clothes and took his Zhanmadao that he had just synthesized yesterday. He opened the door quietly.

Wang Jing was awake sitting on the sofa. Looking at the red in her eyes, he knew that the woman who had always struggled to get out of bed did not even sleep last night, worried she might miss him before he left.

As soon as she saw Luo Yuan coming out, she stood up and said, "Your backpack is here. Check if there is anything else you might need."

She tried to stifle her yawn, but couldn’t help herself. Still, she was glad she managed to stay awake there to see him before he left.

It was a multifunction backpack that was around a meter long and made of tough animal skin. It was a waterproof bag and not easily damaged. He opened up the bulging bag to check what was inside.

There were 5 sets of clothes and 2 leather-made tents. Luo Yuan was curious and inspected its quality. He was surprised that they were all a Light Green Level.

Also, there was 20 jars of salt, a small water purifier, 3 bottles of drinking water, a foldable pan, a shovel, a box of lighters, compass, waterproof map, and also 5 bottles of pesticides.

There were some other daily needs such as toothbrushes, toothpaste, towels, and also razors.

"There are some additional items that I might need, but everything that I need is here, for now. I got to go," he said, as he zipped his backpack.

"Most importantly, you have what you need." Wang Jing replied and changed her tone of voice, "General Luo, I wish you all the best!"

Luo Yuan nodded his head coldly and picked up his backpack and swung it over his shoulder. He opened the door and glanced at the living room for what might have been the last time. He then turned away and left with a heavy heart.