Chapter 145
Chapter 145: Specializing in fancy whistles
"You…you, what exactly do you see them as?"
Luo Kun's voice was trembling.
"Teammates? Or…expendables to be discarded at any moment?"
The moment he heard the word "expendables," Liu Ruyan suddenly laughed.
There was no trace of guilt at being exposed in that smile.
It was filled entirely with contempt for Luo Kun.
"Luo Kun, you're so hypocritical it makes me sick."
Liu Ruyan stepped forward.
"You say I see them as expendables? What about you?"
"Just now, on the flying sword, you told Iron Bull to hold on a little longer—that as long as we found the Iron Wall Squad, we could save him."
"Luo Kun, put your hand on that so-called conscience of yours and ask yourself."
"When you said those words, did you genuinely believe he could still survive?!"
"You're a tactical genius—you memorize more monster data than anyone else!"
"You knew more clearly than anyone that it was an unsolvable dead end!"
"You deliberately painted him a picture of something that didn't exist!"
"It was nothing more than self-indulgence and self-consolation!"
"You just wanted to feel better inside while watching him die!"
"That kind of hypocrisy of yours—hiding behind a moral facade—is ten thousand times more nauseating than anything I do!"
Luo Kun was struck right at the core of his pain. He stumbled backward a large step.
"I didn't! I genuinely wanted to save him!"
"That Tribulation Flame was a counterfeit! There must be a solution!"
"Heh."
Liu Ruyan pressed forward step by step, sneering relentlessly, firing on all fronts.
"If that's the case, since you're so capable and so self-sacrificing."
"Then when Iron Bull jumped off just now, why didn't you jump down with him?!"
"Since you're so loyal and sentimental, when Liu Feng was rolling on the ground begging for help."
"Why didn't you stay behind that ice wall and face that monster alongside him?!"
"Luo Kun, drop that pitiful victim's expression of yours!"
Liu Ruyan pointed directly at Luo Kun's nose.
"Put your hand on your conscience and tell me—other than standing here lecturing me with boring moral platitudes, in what way are you better than me?!"
"What right do you have to accuse me?!"
"It was I who saved you all!"
Luo Kun's face instantly flushed a deep crimson.
"You…you're twisting my words, shifting the concept!"
He fired back in fury: "I'm the vice-captain! I have to be responsible for the team's overall situation!"
"Iron Bull and Liu Feng are already dead. I can't let your selfishness cause more people to die for nothing!"
"Oh? Responsible?"
Liu Ruyan raised an eyebrow.
"Then tell me, Vice-Captain Luo—what about now?"
"Open your eyes and look. How many people does the team have left?"
"Me, you, Shadow."
"Only 3 living people remain!"
"According to that righteous logic of yours!"
"What you should be doing right now is protecting me and Shadow with everything you have—even at the cost of your own life!"
"But what are you doing right now?"
Liu Ruyan smiled coldly. "You're arguing with me."
"You're wasting the stamina we barely managed to escape with!"
"Wasting pointless, self-righteous emotions!"
"Wasting time that could be spent searching for hope!"
"And this is what you call…"
"Being responsible for the team? Laughable to the extreme."
Luo Kun was shaking all over from being torn apart, unable to find a single word to say.
He opened his mouth, wanting to fight back, only to realize with wretched despair…
He couldn't refute a single word.
Every sentence Liu Ruyan said, every single word, was correct.
Using the ice wall to block Liu Feng was to prevent the Tribulation Flame on his body from spreading.
Deliberately abandoning Iron Bull was to buy time for the rest of them to survive.
And he himself…
had been playing the role of a saint who did nothing but waste time.
Yet precisely in this trial where only the strong devoured the weak—
he couldn't find a single reason to refute her.
"Enough, stop fighting."
Shadow, who had been watching coldly from the side, finally spoke and broke the standoff.
She knew that both of them were fundamentally correct. The only thing wrong was this world.
"What matters most right now is to quickly find the surviving squads from the other nations."
"Otherwise, once that thing catches up to us, we won't even make it through tonight."
"At the very least…"
Shadow analyzed the situation rationally.
"We still have one piece of good news."
"We're the 2nd squad in this Death Wheat Field to be attacked."
"Setting aside the annihilated Black Shark, the Iron Wall and the White Eagle are, in all likelihood, still at full strength."
"As long as we can link up with one squad."
"With the numerical advantage, we still have a chance to turn things around."
Shadow turned her head, gazing at that swaying golden wheat field in the distance.
"Otherwise…"
"If only the 3 of us go to face that No Words Needed Scarecrow…"
"Plus the Black Shark Squad and Liu Feng and Iron Bull…"
"Our only value would be to serve as a speed bump."
"To use our corpses to help that monster roll its snowball even larger."
Luo Kun listened to Shadow's analysis and forced himself to calm down.
"Shadow is right. Internal conflict solves nothing."
Luo Kun turned his head, forcing down his revulsion, and looked at Liu Ruyan.
"Liu Ruyan, I'll set aside what happened before for now."
"We must put aside our differences and face this together."
"No need."
Liu Ruyan cut him off without mercy.
"What did you say?" Luo Kun was taken aback.
Liu Ruyan turned around, her back to Luo Kun.
"From now on, you walk your narrow plank bridge, I'll walk my open road."
"We go our separate ways."
"Are you out of your mind?!"
Luo Kun's eyes went wide.
"There are only 3 of us left, and you still want to split up?! Are you in that much of a hurry to die?!"
"So what if there are only 3?"
"I, Liu Ruyan, can survive longer than you even on my own."
"And besides…"
"What makes you so confident that Shadow will follow you?"
Liu Ruyan didn't even turn her head.
"Fine! Fine! Fine!"
"You incorrigible madwoman!"
Luo Kun was completely enraged, pointing at Liu Ruyan's retreating figure and cursing.
"Get out! Leave right now! I won't stop you!"
"I'd like to see just how long you can last alone in this wheat field!"
"Heh, that's none of your concern."
Liu Ruyan didn't waste another half-word.
She shouldered that battered Frost Sword Case and was about to walk off alone into the depths of the wheat field.
And just at the moment she was about to take that step.
"Wait."
Shadow spoke again.
Liu Ruyan paused, not turning around. "What? Shadow, you want to come with me?"
Luo Kun also turned his head. "Shadow, you'd better think this through! Following this madwoman is the same as looking for death!"
Both were pressing her to make a choice.
In this fractured team…
this girl who always had an almost nonexistent presence had, against all expectations, become the final weight tipping the scales.
"Hah…"
Shadow didn't answer immediately. Instead, she raised her hand and pulled off her mask.
It was a face—sickly pale.
"Who am I going with?"
Shadow's voice suddenly shot upward, shattering her usual silence!
"Shut the hell up, both of you!!!"
That single roar made Liu Ruyan and Luo Kun both freeze at the same time.
In their memory, Shadow had always been a docile, marginal figure.
This was the first time they had ever seen this girl lose control and explode like this!
"Go our separate ways? Each going our own path?"
Shadow pointed at both Liu Ruyan's and Luo Kun's noses, spittle flying.
"What are the two of you playing at—acting so high and mighty?! Acting like lords?!"
"Do you think we're playing house?!"
"Do you think this is still the greenhouse of the First Base?"
"Playing those regular trials where you die and respawn, and pretend the whole thing's a performance?!"
Shadow pointed at the wheat field.
"People die out there for real! Iron Bull is dead! Liu Feng is dead!"
"If the two of you idiots want to die, just pick up a knife and slit your own throats!"
"This old lady hasn't lived enough yet!!!"
"Stop talking nonsense!"
Faced with Shadow's sudden emotional explosion.
The originally domineering Liu Ruyan and the furious Luo Kun miraculously fell silent.
The two of them stood on opposite sides, neither refuting the other, and neither bringing up another word about going their separate ways.
Not because they had suddenly grown a conscience.
But because they had suddenly remembered…
Within the Blade Squad…
this girl with almost zero presence was the most senior person in the entire team.
Shadow had been crawling through the trenches of the Blade Squad for 3 years.
While the others' time in the squad…
didn't even amount to half a year.
According to the First Base's rules and seniority, the position of Blade Squad captain…
should have belonged to this veteran who had survived countless missions.
But due to certain reasons…
she had proactively stated she could not serve as captain.
And so, the positions of captain and vice-captain had fallen to Liu Ruyan, whose ability talent was the highest, and Luo Kun, who had placed 1st on the written examination.
But when it came to experience walking the edge between life and death…
Liu Ruyan and Luo Kun combined couldn't measure up to even one of Shadow's fingers.
Now, as this veteran who had truly experienced despair tore off her mask and erupted in fury—
it finally made these 2 youngsters who didn't know the height of the sky sober up somewhat.
Watching the expressions on their faces gradually ease.
Shadow covered her mouth and let out 2 dry coughs.
Cough, cough!
Looking at the blood on her hand, she simply wiped it carelessly onto a wheat stalk.
Then she put her mask back on.
"From now on, everyone follows my command!"
Shadow turned around and took the lead, stepping into the wheat field, brooking no argument.
"Follow me! If anyone dares to utter half a word of argument over personal grudges again…"
"Don't wait for the Scarecrow to do it—I'll personally sew their mouth shut!"
Liu Ruyan bit down on her teeth, let out a cold snort, and ultimately held back her temper.
Luo Kun also quietly shut his mouth.
The 2 of them kept a distance of 5 or 6 meters from each other.
Without a single word, they followed behind Shadow and disappeared into the wheat field…
At the same time.
In another area of the Death Wheat Field, over 10 kilometers away.
Huff…huff…
Hu Xiaoxiao unscrewed a military canteen and gulped down a large mouthful of water.
"Captain Xin, when exactly are we going to find someone?"
"My legs are almost broken from running! Didn't you say the radar was already showing blue dots?"
Xin An walked at the very front of the formation, brow slightly furrowed, and nodded. "That's right."
"According to the scan feedback, within the vicinity of several hundred meters from here, there are 5 blue dots representing humans currently in motion."
"And…"
"Their movement speed is very fast."
"Moving very fast?"
Zhao Yan, walking alongside, rubbed his chin.
"Could it be the Blade Squad?"
"That girl called Liu Ruyan does have quite the skill for sword-riding flight."
"She can carry the entire squad in high-altitude rapid transfers."
Yet before Zhao Yan could finish his speculation—
Whirr, whirr, whirr!!!
A roar of engines suddenly rang out!
"Everyone, look over there!!!"
Mai Zijian, who was positioned on the flank handling defense, pointed at the billowing dust rolling toward them and shouted.
Lu Qi raised a sniper rifle and peered through the high-magnification night-vision scope to make out what was inside the dust cloud.
"That looks like…"
"An off-road vehicle?!"
Before the words had even finished—
Screech!
Accompanied by the sound of braking, the off-road vehicle stopped right in front of the 5 members of the Iron Wall Squad.
The driver's side window slowly rolled down.
A white, elderly face wearing aviator sunglasses poked out.
The moment he saw Zhao Yan and the others, the old white man's face was equally written all over with surprise.
"Oh! My God!"
"Isn't this the Iron Wall Squad from Huaxia's Second Base?!"
The old white man pulled off his sunglasses and called out.
"How did you lot end up in the same trial as us?"
"And…"
His gaze passed over Xin An and landed on Zhao Yan.
"Where's that Tang Sirui, whose mouth is fouler than a cesspit?"
"Why's he been swapped out for an old man?"
The corner of Xin An's mouth twitched, and she stepped forward.
"Andre, Tang Sirui didn't come due to certain reasons."
"And this is not some decrepit old man—this is our Second Base's Chief of Staff Zhao."
This old white man was none other than Andre—the ace captain of Eagle Nation's First Base's White Eagle Squad!
"Andre, the situation is extremely urgent right now. I'll keep it brief!"
Xin An was in no mood for pleasantries.
"We've all been deceived by the Sky Screen!"
"This trial is not some single-target suppression at all—it's a Battle Royale!"
"And moreover…just about half an hour ago."
"Eagle Nation's Eleventh Base's Black Shark Squad has, in all likelihood, been completely wiped out."
This was a process of elimination.
Since Eagle Nation's White Eagle had appeared here at full strength.
And Huaxia's Blade Squad, with its well-rounded hexagonal configuration, could absolutely not have been annihilated within 10 minutes of the start.
Then those 5 blue dots that had vanished from the map in Xin An's mind could only belong to Eagle Nation's other squad.
Rex's Black Shark!
"What?!"
Upon hearing this news, Andre immediately removed his sunglasses.
"You're saying Rex…is dead?!"
Andre's hands gripped the steering wheel white-knuckled.
Rex was not just his colleague—he was also his friend!
He did not doubt Xin An's intelligence.
The 2 squads had clashed countless times in the past.
Andre understood all too well the value of Xin An's S-Grade ability, Full Map Unlock.
That radar network with a god's-eye view, combined with what he knew of Xin An—
there was absolutely no way it could be lying.
"F***! Damn b**** Sky Screen! That liar!!!"
Andre's eyes went wide with fury, and he slammed a fist down on the steering wheel.
"Calm down! Anger solves nothing!"
Xin An cut him off with a sharp shout.
"What we need to do right now, as the top priority, is to immediately form an alliance between 2 full-strength squads!"
"To weave our firepower together and jointly resist that monster army!"
"Otherwise, the moment it pulls us apart into isolated spaces, we'll only be picked off one by one with superior numbers!"
"And we'll share the same fate as the Black Shark!"
Xin An extended her hand toward Andre inside the off-road vehicle.
However.
Faced with this entirely reasonable proposal, Andre's reaction was beyond everyone's expectations.
He shook his head with a sigh.
"No…Xin An."
Andre put his aviator sunglasses back on.
"I know you're correct, but…"
"I'm sorry. I can't agree to your alliance request."
"Why?!"
Lu Qi beside her couldn't hold back and spoke up to question him.
"To use one of your Huaxia proverbs—every family has its own difficult scripture to recite."
Andre glanced at the vice-driver seat and those few mysterious squad members in the back seat—all shrouded from head to toe in black cloaks.
Silent from beginning to end.
"The only thing I can tell you is…"
"The White Eagle Squad today is completely different from the team you were familiar with in the past."
Andre lowered his voice.
"Just like your Huaxia's Blade Squad, the current version of us…"
"...carries top-level secrets that absolutely cannot be exposed in front of other nations."
The moment those words fell, Xin An instantly understood!
Unlike the Iron Wall Squad with its clearly defined role as a standard squad.
Huaxia's First Base's Blade Squad—the detailed abilities and backgrounds of all its members—were classified top secret!
Because those who could enter that squad, outside of dying in battle, had only 3 paths ahead of them.
Either ascend to join a Dragon Squad.
Or be deployed externally as the captain of another Tiger-Grade squad.
Or stay in the squad as veterans to mentor the new generation—to nurture the next generation of seeds.
It was an incubator that a nation used to cultivate its ultimate combat force!
And Andre's veiled implication just now was clearly announcing—
after so long apart, Eagle Nation's military had quietly cloned this same cultivation model!
In other words, the current White Eagle Squad sitting inside the off-road vehicle…
very likely had Eagle Nation's hidden next-generation genius combat assets embedded within it!
Or to put it plainly—
there was a Divine Chosen!!!
"So please understand my difficulty, Captain Xin."
Andre started the engine again.
"I'll personally avenge Rex's death!"
"As for that Scarecrow…"
"There's no need for your concern."
The corner of Andre's mouth curved.
"Because this time, we came bearing the wrath of God!"
"So, my old friend, do me a favor."
Andre's gaze was sharp as a blade.
"Use your Full Map Unlock and mark the position of that bastard Scarecrow for me!"
"The cleanup work afterward…leave it to our White Eagle."
"This…"
Xin An was somewhat hesitant.
"We can help you with the positioning."
Zhao Yan, who had been silent until now, finally spoke.
He stepped forward. "However, Captain Andre, you'll need to first produce a show of sincerity that convinces us."
"Otherwise…"
"You rushing over recklessly would only be feeding that monster, adding to our difficulty for no reason."
Andre felt a jolt in his chest.
‘What terrifying pressure!’
Just from making eye contact—
he could clearly sense it!
This unremarkable-looking Huaxia elder's strength was absolutely above his own!
But he still shook his head and refused through gritted teeth.
"I'm sorry. This is Eagle Nation's highest state secret."
"My family is still under the President's protection. I cannot disobey my orders."
"The location—are you giving it or not?"
"What if we don't?"
Zhao Yan's eyes went cold.
Once the White Eagle Squad was fed to the monster and converted into Scarecrow puppets, the snowball would be completely rolling!
Andre's gaze turned frigid.
"If you're unwilling to cooperate, then I'll have to resort to some unconventional measures."
Klang!
A blade cry sliced through the night sky!
Zhao Yan drew his tactical long knife with ferocious resolve, the blade aimed directly at Andre.
"Then none of you are leaving. Stay in this wheat field."
Almost simultaneously, all 4 members of the Iron Wall Squad snapped their weapons out.
They absolutely could not allow the situation to continue sliding toward the worst possible outcome!
"All units, battle ready! We'll see it through to the end!"
Andre also refused to back down, and the White Eagle Squad members inside the off-road vehicle all prepared for combat.
In the blink of an eye, the boat of friendship between the 2 nations capsized entirely.
Right at the edge of that razor-sharp standoff.
One of the White Eagle Squad members suddenly reached out, tapped Andre on the shoulder, and passed over a slip of paper.
【It's fine, Captain. Let these frogs at the bottom of the well see for themselves what the wrath of God looks like.】
Andre read the note and nodded.
He raised his hand, signaling his squad members to put away their weapons.
"Since God himself has agreed, then I suppose I can't be blamed for violating the secrecy protocol."
Andre's expression flipped in an instant, and he looked toward Zhao Yan.
"Let us show you then!"
"This individual, rated by our internal evaluations as…"
"absolutely no inferior to that No Words Needed—a Divine Chosen!"
Click.
The car door was pushed open.
Under the intensely wary gazes of Zhao Yan and the others, what stepped out…
was a beautiful little boy no taller than 1.3 meters, with a head full of snow-white cropped hair!
"This so-called wrath of God…"
"…is a little brat?!"
Lu Qi stared in dumbstruck disbelief.
However, before the Iron Wall Squad could voice their doubts, the white-haired little boy raised his blue eyes first.
He swept a cold gaze across the crowd, thin lips parting slightly: "Get down."
Boom!!!
The instant the sound reached their ears, a tremendous force crashed down!
All 4 members of the Iron Wall Squad didn't even have a sliver of room to resist—they were face-down in the wheat field!
"What's happening?! My body…won't move!"
Xin An's face was full of horror. She exerted every ounce of strength she had, only to find that her body wouldn't obey her at all!
"Heh."
The white-haired little boy clasped his hands behind his back, looking down at the 4 people on the ground, laughing arrogantly.
Andre pushed open the car door and stepped out, making a loud announcement.
"Did you see that, our Huaxia friends?!"
"This is the wrath of God! A Rule-Type Ability! Sequence 039: Imperial Edict!"
"Whoever hears the command issued must execute it accordingly!"
But in the very next moment.
The wild laughter on Andre's face froze.
The little boy was also dumbstruck.
They stared at what lay ahead as if they had seen a ghost.
Because he discovered with horrified disbelief that among the Iron Wall Squad members lying sprawled across the ground—
one person still stood upright in place!
It was Zhao Yan!
One hand planted on his long blade!
He had not been affected by Imperial Edict in the slightest!
"How is this possible?!"
Andre's eyes went wide.
The next second!
Bang!!!
He hadn't even caught a glimpse of the afterimage when Zhao Yan's kick landed squarely in the center of his chest!
The whole person was sent flying backward, slamming into the off-road vehicle's hood and caving it in, spitting blood from his mouth in large mouthfuls!
And that white-haired little boy, who just a moment ago had been lording above everyone, certain he controlled the entire situation—
was now drenched in cold sweat down to his back!
Because…
the very same instant Andre was kicked flying!
A blade's edge had pressed itself against his throat!
The blade moved so fast it even severed a strand of his white hair.
If the other party had wanted to kill him, they could have separated his head from his body in an instant!
Drip…drip…
Overwhelming terror made this young God wet himself on the spot.
A large patch of his trousers went damp, dripping down into the wheat field.
Zhao Yan looked down at him from above.
Like Satan descending.
He tilted his head to one side, and smiled coldly.
"My apologies, little brat."
"This old man, in his entire life, specializes in dismantling flashy nonsense!"
"Except for the Commander's orders, I don't answer to anyone!"
Bunny-Bunny