Reboot: Mechanic

As the soldiers halted their movement in place, Shi Tian was somewhat dazed at what to do.

'They can't have discovered me, right?' Shi Tian thought to himself.

Carefully, Shi Tian adjusted his position slightly, ensuring he remained concealed in the tall grasses while still having a clear line of sight on the approaching soldiers.

His fingers tightened around the grip of his pistol, ready to act at a moment's notice. 

Theobold's elite soldiers were renowned for their discipline and combat prowess. Any sudden move from them could spell danger.

As he watched, the soldier who had signaled the halt seemed to be engaged in silent communication with another soldier beside him. It was as if they were assessing the situation, deciding on their next course of action.

Shi Tian's mind raced. He had to remain patient, not giving away his position prematurely. 

The traps he had set were strategically placed to take advantage of the soldiers' momentary distraction. If they let their guard down for even a moment, it could be their downfall.

The seconds ticked by like hours, and Shi Tian's senses were heightened to the max. 

Every rustle of the wind, every distant sound, became amplified in his ears. He was acutely aware that this moment would determine the outcome of their encounter.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the soldiers seemed to reach a decision. The leader signaled again, this time in a different manner. It was a series of hand gestures, clearly indicating they would proceed with caution.

They first split off into two teams on different sides, and as they walked off the path, the leader placed his hand down.

At first, Shi Tian didn't understand the signal implication, but his doubt was soon answered.

One of the soldiers by the left fired its gun at the precise spot where they had halted. 

BOOM!

The bullet landed directly on one of the concealed Claymore Mines that Shi Tian had laid earlier, causing an explosion on the scene.

The sudden explosion rocked the area, sending a shower of dirt and debris into the air. 

Theobold's elite soldiers had acted swiftly, deploying their shields to protect themselves from the blast. It was clear that they were well-prepared and experienced in dealing with such situations.

Shi Tian, still hidden in the tall grass, watched as the soldiers maintained their composure despite the explosion. They moved with precision and discipline, their training evident in their every action.

The soldier who had fired the shot that triggered the explosion signaled to the others, and they continued to advance, albeit more cautiously. They were now aware that they were walking into a potentially dangerous area.

Seeing the scene happening, Shi Tian remained unfazed, clearly not a bit surprised that they had managed to detect a hidden trap.

"Leader, do you think they have realized us tracking them down?" One of the soldiers suddenly asked the leader. 

The leader paused for a moment before shaking his head. "It's quite unlikely since they have no idea of the badge's tracking method and their drone detection range isn't enough to catch us." 

"Then why are there Claymore Mine laid in this path?" 

"It can be the other people that have been stranded here and placed there as safety measures. Don't forget, the Claymore Mines have now been popularized by Optic Mech, so it's not rare to see people owning them." The leader said. 

It became clear that the leader didn't suspect Shi Tian's group to suspect a thing. After all, they didn't doubt their commander's scheming method and strategic prediction.

Not to mention, they believed that Shi Tian's group's only detection capability would be the drone that could only scan 800 meters maximum. 

Their confidence was commendable, but also laughable in Shi Tian's mind.

Some elite soldiers they were!

They can't even calculate the possibility of a variable that might go wrong or anything. An elite soldier would always determine all possibilities before making any decision and action. 

Yet the supposed leader was quick to dismiss the opinion of another soldier, who clearly had some intelligence to ponder whether they were discovered already or not.

Shi Tian's confidence grew as he overheard the conversation among Theobold's elite soldiers. Their dismissive attitude towards the possibility that they had been discovered was an advantage he could exploit.

He watched as the soldiers continued to advance, albeit more cautiously than before. 

They believed that the Claymore Mines were likely placed by other survivors in the area, not suspecting that it was Shi Tian who had laid the traps. 

This misconception played in his favor. The more overbearing his enemies were, the more advantageous it was to him.

However, Shi Tian knew that he needed to act swiftly and decisively. The soldiers were still a formidable force, and their shields and training made them a tough adversary.

As the soldiers moved closer, Shi Tian carefully selected one of the stun grenades and Blv-21 from his belt. 

These grenades emitted blinding flashes of light and disorienting shockwaves upon detonation, and they could be a valuable asset in disrupting the soldiers' formation.

He waited for the soldiers to approach a critical point, ensuring that they were tightly grouped together. The earlier Claymore Mine that the elite soldiers had discovered was merely a bait.

He had purposely placed one to be easy to detect so that the group of soldiers would split into teams. After all, by making them split, their defense would turn lighter and not compressed into a single group. 

In addition, it would also make the soldiers more wary, thinking that there might be more Claymore Mines laid in the tall grasses. 

'It's a shame that I've sold most of my Claymore Mines, so there are only a few left in the arsenal.' Shi Tian exclaimed inwardly. So far everything that had happened was within his calculation.

At first, he was quite worried that the bait might not work and that the soldiers would think it was a deceiving trap. 

But who would have thought the leader of these elite soldiers was such an arrogant person.