Chapter 119: The Pursuit

The Dark Mage is a hidden class among mages, and Yang Fan was not entirely sure of its specifics. At this moment, seeing that black radiance trailing behind Li Qiang’s bus like a tentacle, Yang Fan felt a profound sense of eeriness. He had prevented Fu Gaobin from coming over, fearing that if Fu were to witness this, he might let out a sound of surprise and invite unnecessary trouble.

"There is definitely something fishy going on here. It is fortunate that I noticed it. I must identify who these people are to avoid suffering a loss later. As the saying goes, 'know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated in a hundred battles.' That is exactly what this is about."

Yang Fan thought to himself. He did not act rashly; instead, he watched the situation unfold from where he was, intending to find the culprit and uncover who was planning to steal Li Qiang’s bus. If it were one of the three factions he already knew, that would be manageable, but if not, there appeared to be no conflict on the surface. However, if a conflict were to arise later, having some insight into their background would serve as a safeguard for the future.

The wind and snow howled. Due to the blizzard, the nights were significantly longer than the days; he estimated it wouldn't be until eight o'clock that the sky would begin to brighten. If not for Yang Fan’s eyesight—which was forty times that of an ordinary person, equivalent to the stats of a max-level Tier 1 human—this "save-scumming" experience could be considered both a blessing and a curse.

The good part was that his timing and strength remained largely unchanged, allowing him to seize the initiative. The bad part, however, was that all his money was gone. If he still had his funds, he wouldn't need to be so stealthy; he could have purchased items like Invisibility Talismans from the mysterious merchant.

An Invisibility Talisman was different from equipment-based skills. Once worn, even in the middle of a blizzard, it would leave no trace. Unlike the stealth provided by equipment skills, which would leave footprints on the ground or reveal the user if they were splashed with paint, an Invisibility Talisman required nothing else once activated. Unless someone had purchased a [True Eagle Eye] and reinforced it to level three, it was impossible for them to be detected. That was why Yang Fan felt this way now.

Putting that thought aside, Yang Fan decided to stick to honest observation, using his own eyes. It would be more troublesome and required extra caution, so he curled up on a low hillside. Between the blinding wind and snow and the darkness of the night, it was nearly impossible to detect his presence.

Moreover, Yang Fan’s expertise in investigation was no mere hobby. While he couldn't compare to a professional scout, his anti-reconnaissance awareness was strong. He simply needed to keep observing to see exactly who was planning to steal the bus.

After waiting for a while, Yang Fan only dared to move occasionally, worried that they might possess something akin to a [True Eagle Eye]. If they did, exposing even a trace of himself would mean disaster. Adhering to the principle that it is better to be safe than sorry, he kept a vigilant watch.

About ten minutes later, Yang Fan keenly noticed that the black radiance had attempted to make a move several times, only to suddenly stop. He wondered why. At the same time, he pondered: what did they want with military buses? And if they had the capability to steal two, why not take three, four, or five at once? According to Li Qiang, each bus could hold three or four hundred people, meaning two buses could carry away nearly a thousand people without a sound. What was happening here? Who had such great power?

These doubts compelled Yang Fan to find the truth; otherwise, his curiosity would drive him mad.

"The black light has been trailing behind them, but the convoy is traveling in a straight line, so it cannot be directly behind them. Perhaps it's on the flank. It might be a Dark Mage or some sort of necromancer-type class, trying to carry out something underhanded. I suspect they are just like me, hiding to the side of the bus and using telekinetic skills. The distance probably isn't very far."

With this hypothesis in mind, Yang Fan didn't waste any time. He lowered his voice and spoke to Fu Gaobin: "You need to leave immediately. Listen to me, no questions asked. Go back to the vehicles, and I will come find you later."

"Alright, no problem." Fu Gaobin didn't know why Yang Fan was saying this, but he knew Yang Fan would never harm him, so he left without a word. He crawled along the ground, inch by inch, afraid of making any sound or being discovered.

Watching Fu Gaobin leave, Yang Fan did not rush. First, Fu was still crawling slowly; he had to wait until Fu had covered over a hundred meters and stood up to run before he could move himself. Second, Li Qiang’s convoy was still there; trying to cross behind them would be a waste of time.

He waited for Fu Gaobin to reach safety and for the convoy to gain some distance before he moved to follow those with ill intentions. That way, he could advance or retreat as the situation demanded, keeping everything under his control and avoiding any traps set by the enemy.

This was the benefit of his "save-scumming." Yang Fan’s mind was meticulous. He couldn't say his actions were flawless, but he would plan ahead and simulate the scenarios several times before executing them. This was the essence of thinking thrice before acting.

Having experienced two brief rebirths, Yang Fan had learned a great deal. His patience had grown, his temper and irritability had faded, and his capacity for strategic thought had expanded.

He remained curled up like a dead object, motionless, squinting his eyes against the snow. He watched Fu Gaobin until he disappeared from sight, then saw him stand up and sprint back the way he came. Despite the blizzard, there were enough structures along the road that even a pathologically directionless person like Fu Gaobin wouldn't get lost.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Yang Fan didn't let his guard down. Instead, he watched the military buses that had already passed him by twenty or thirty meters with even greater vigilance. He crouched down and moved bit by bit through the snow.

The distance between him and the buses increased as they moved forward, but it still wasn't enough. With a gap of only fifty or sixty meters, Yang Fan planned to wait until they were a hundred meters away before rolling down the slope to the other side to tail them and see who was playing these tricks.

Ten minutes later, the distance reached over a hundred meters. Without hesitation, Yang Fan protected his head and rolled down the three-meter slope. Surrounded by heavy snow and a pitch-black sky, he was certain no one would notice him. Even if someone did, they would only assume it was a tree branch tumbling down. He landed in the snow and lay perfectly still for several minutes before daring to open his eyes and rise. If he were caught even then, he would simply have to accept his bad luck.

This level of caution was far beyond his years; he looked like a veteran who had spent decades navigating the underworld.

Fortunately, after scanning his surroundings and confirming there was nothing amiss, Yang Fan followed them. He moved to the right-hand slope, doing his best to remain silent, using the cover of trees to mask his movements.

His caution was not for show—it was the result of his [Investigation Mastery] training. He even left small marks along the way, just in case he needed to know how to retreat. This was the apocalypse, where magical items and bizarre classes emerged in endless variety. One never knew what anomalies might appear, so it was better to be prepared than to regret it later.

With this thought, Yang Fan proceeded step by step. As he finally caught up to the buses, he stood beneath a large tree, watching the vehicles thirty or forty meters away with heightened care. He knelt and crept forward, knowing the culprits were likely nearby.

"Invisibility."

Without hesitation, Yang Fan activated his Cloak of God skill. Turning invisible, he moved rapidly, searching in all directions to find the source of the anomaly. The buses hadn't been stolen yet, but it seemed imminent.

At that thought, Yang Fan felt a surge of excitement, and his vigilance intensified.

After a quick search, he found no one in the immediate vicinity. He couldn't help but feel suspicious. He found it hard to believe that someone could control two buses from several hundred meters away. In the post-apocalyptic world, classes were generally balanced.

There were no overly broken abilities. It had only been thirteen days since the apocalypse; how could anyone be that powerful? This wasn't Yang Fan lying to himself; it was simply an impractical notion.

Frowning as he scanned the surroundings, a realization suddenly struck him. A smile appeared on his face, and after whispering the word "Invisibility," he vanished from the spot.