Chapter 567

Chapter 567: Capturing the Dragon Knight

The Black driver, who called himself “Old Jack,” took them from the harbor of Santa Monica onto a motor sailboat. A Humvee riddled with bullet holes was casually tossed onto the dock, and someone would naturally deal with it.

Several identical sailboats formed a fleet and set out to sea, rolling towards the Pacific Ocean. After mingling together in a certain place, they scattered in different directions. Even satellites in the sky couldn’t tell which sailboat was pursuing Lin Mo and Qi Fei.

The sailboat swayed as it left the harbor, making a small loop southward. The beautiful scenery of blue seas and skies captivated Qi Fei for a long time, making her entirely forget that she was being taken away by Lin Mo.

What work? What business? All thoughts vanished in the endless, horizon-less ocean.

Her usual preoccupation with intrigue and meticulous planning was replaced by sitting on the edge of the boat, fishing for sea fish and thinking about how to prepare a sumptuous dinner for that wooden-headed guy. Qi Fei simply treated this entire trip as a vacation; after all, she hadn’t spent a dollar, so it wasn’t a loss, right?

Lin Mo’s luck had run out; he caught nothing but a few small catfish that willingly went for the hook, out of respect for the Dragon Knight. They weren’t even enough to fill his stomach.

On the other hand, Qi Fei kept catching fish one after another, enjoying it immensely. Did the fish really recognize beauty?

Forget about the saying that beautiful women and fishing have nothing to do with each other.

If only he had brought the Yuan-class submarine "Jing Ke" to the East Pacific, fishing for sharks along the North American coast could have been an option. Perhaps he could leverage the “Jing Ke’s” luck to catch a big shark with treasures in its belly.

But that was just a thought. Who knows, he might attract America’s “Sea Wolf,” and the fishing line could get tangled in the submarine’s propeller. The Dragon Knight would undoubtedly be the one caught!

The sea was always filled with laughter and joy. Lin Mo watched as Qi Fei danced around on the deck with her delicate little feet or wielded a kitchen knife to cut the fresh fish she had caught, cooking up a fragrant seafood soup.

After two days at sea, the sailboat finally docked in San Diego. A business van awaited them at the dock. The Black driver "Old Jack" returned to his role, driving Lin Mo north into the interior of North America, making their way along the border between America and Mexico, passing through El Centro and heading northeast on Highway 78.

The journey was desolate, with few vehicles on the road. There were only a handful of gas stations and small towns to replenish food and fuel.

The monotonous barren scenery outside the window was hardly interesting, and both Qi Fei and Lin Mo were feeling drowsy.

Meanwhile, driver "Old Jack" wore headphones, enjoying lively jazz music while tapping his fingers on the steering wheel to pass the time. He even cracked a joke or two for his two passengers, acting just like any long-distance driver.

This was the experience Lin Mo and Qi Fei had for the past few days.

They encountered no more attacks, but the journey was not without its troubles. The vehicle faced a minor mishap, and “Old Jack,” claiming he could fix it quickly, dragged out a toolbox and waved around wrenches of various sizes.

After fussing over the engine for several hours, as the sun set, “Old Jack,” covered in grease, could only weakly declare that the vehicle was done for.

What unexpected twists of fate! No one expected the vehicle to break down in this wilderness. The Dragon Knight also found himself helpless, lacking spare parts or specialized equipment. Without his gold giant dragon Gold Coin, he couldn’t help at all.

It became a matter of waiting for the next day, hoping a passing vehicle would come by this desolate area to offer them some assistance.

They still had some food and daily necessities in the car, which proved useful.

The crackling campfire gave off heat and light, illuminating Lin Mo and Qi Fei’s faces. The Black driver snored thunderously on a mat.

Dinner consisted of warmed canned food and biscuits, and Qi Fei, nestled against Lin Mo’s arm, drifted into sleep, a sweet smile on her face. She wished time would stand still at that moment, wanting to stay with Lin Mo forever.

With his eyes half-closed in a light doze, Lin Mo suddenly opened his eyes and quickly murmured a spell.

In the flames of the campfire, a disc of the Light Mirror appeared, floating in the air, ignoring the flames. Lin Mo frowned at the image coming from the mirror.

After chanting softly for a few seconds, a light ring suddenly exploded from the center of the mirror, rapidly expanding along the ground in all directions. The pale silver ring grew larger and larger, quickly spreading out for nearly a thousand meters.

This was the maximum range of Lin Mo’s mental recovery. If it were a magician, they could easily send a "Light Ring Shock" spell over ten kilometers in the blink of an eye.

Common combat-type Dragon Knights’ spell achievements were limited to this, not to mention that the gold giant dragon’s enhancement to Lin Mo’s abilities amounted to almost nothing.

Lin Mo’s magical foundation relied solely on his talent and hard work.

Nightfall shrouded the earth. The images provided by the Light Mirror were not perfect. Years of war experience had given Lin Mo a sensitivity to danger.

The Light Mirror Technique initially yielded no results, but the detailed search required more time. Lin Mo quickly decided to use another basic spell, which consumed more light element energy, and combined it with the Light Mirror Technique.

The "Light Ring Shock" instantly consumed one-third of Lin Mo’s Battle Energy.

The expanding light ring resembled a tide, washing over to reveal the outlines of more than twenty human figures, slowly encircling the campfire where Lin Mo was located.

Lin Mo’s pupils slightly contracted; they had finally caught up with him.

They utilized optical cloaking gear. In the skies and oceans, humans typically relied on electromagnetic stealth due to limited visibility. However, on the ground, optical camouflage technology was often used.

He counted a total of twenty-five targets. The Light Ring Shock acted like ultrasound detection, revealing the outline of any protrusion it passed over.

The light mirror by the campfire gently wobbled, transforming into spots of scattered light that vanished into the air like bubbles.

Lin Mo picked up a small stone from beside the blanket and flicked it toward the snoring Black driver, "Old Jack." Rather than waking up like a normal person, Jack remained snoring, yet quietly extended a hand behind him to give Lin Mo a V sign while his fingers brushed against the handgun tucked behind his back, indicating he had realized something was amiss.

"Wake up! Wake up!"

Lin Mo gently placed Qi Fei’s blanket aside and softly tapped her face.

He put on the "Dragon Guard" tactical helmet and activated the infrared mode. Blurry colors appeared on the visor display; the opponents’ tactical gear also featured anti-infrared design. If they remained still or blended into an environment with similar infrared levels, they would be nearly indistinguishable.

Lin Mo quickly switched to another detection method. Whether using the low-light night vision system or electromagnetic scanning, he clearly saw the figures of his enemies.

Twenty-five armed personnel cloaked in non-reflective black tactical gear approached slowly. Their guns were coated with black paint, blending seamlessly into the night of the wilderness. Each person wore night vision goggles, but because of the campfire’s brightness, they hadn’t adjusted their goggles to their eyes, giving Lin Mo a chance.

Clearly, they meant no good.

His scanning confirmed their weapons as night combat AK-74 assault rifles, equipped with LED flashlight attachments and sights. Perhaps they hadn’t yet reached a sufficient distance to activate their laser guiding beams.

"Ah! What’s going on?"

Qi Fei slowly opened her eyes, looking at Lin Mo and seeing a tactical helmet that made him resemble an Alien.

"There are enemies! When the gunfire starts, hide under the car," Lin Mo said, pulling out the MK-23 handgun to hand it to Qi Fei. "Here, hold this for self-defense. This is the safety—once it’s unlocked, don’t point the muzzle at yourself. If you see an enemy, don’t hesitate—just aim and pull the trigger. Remember to grip the gun with both hands and press the muzzle downward when firing. The muzzle will kick up when you shoot, and it might hit you in the forehead, so don’t hesitate or fear hitting me. My tactical armor can take bullets, really."

"Oh! No, wait, you keep the gun; I have one too."

Qi Fei seemed to remember something and quickly pulled out her handbag, taking out a women’s handgun from within. Following Lin Mo’s guidance, she unlocked the safety.

This was the Lady Hawk pistol procured with the help of Susan, her contact from the Hollywood Dragoon store. It had an M1911 lineage, featuring a finer and more comfortable grip, firing nine 9mm Parabellum rounds, with considerable firepower.

"Good, protect yourself and get under the car. I’ll be back soon."

Lin Mo nodded at Qi Fei, reclaimed the MK-23, then kicked off hard against the ground, leaping into the night.

"They’ve spotted him; open fire!"

The attackers suddenly noticed that one figure was missing from beside the campfire. Before they could think too much, they immediately sensed something was wrong. Although they hadn’t completed the optimal encirclement, they swiftly aimed their guns in the direction of the campfire and fired.

In the darkness, flickers of light flashed like fireflies, courtesy of the silencers. While suppressors muffled the sound and flame of the gunfire to some extent, they also reduced the range; otherwise, the attackers could have fired from a distance but at the cost of accuracy, especially at night.

Suddenly, a burst of rapid crackling erupted near the campfire, the sound like raindrops, sending countless small rocks and dirt flying.