The Young Soldier Bullet (Seeking Follow-up Reads!)

The name of this country has long been forgotten.

Nowadays, people generally refer to this country as the Land of Endless War.

Although it is nominally a country, it has been divided for decades.

The two factions occupying either side of the island both claim to be the rightful heirs to the kingdom, and they have been fighting fiercely for nearly a century.

Roa walked through a field of ruins.

According to Dylan, before the civil war, this was the most prosperous port in the country. But now, it's just a pile of rubble, long abandoned.

Dylan, following behind, spoke calmly, "Due to the prolonged warfare, both sides of the civil war have implemented strict military control over their territories. All residents of this country have been forcibly gathered into various settlements."

Roa took a deep breath. The black energy in this country was so dense that it was present even in these uninhabited ruins.

"It seems they've done a pretty good job then."

Roa smiled and said, "Let's find someone to ask for directions first."

Passing through the ruins, Roa emerged into a vast expanse of farmland. The lush green wheat seedlings swayed in the gentle breeze, giving Roa the feeling of being on a prairie, quite refreshing.

Many farmers were watering the fields at this time.

Roa noticed that the farmers were either frail old men, sallow-faced children, or even pregnant women.

There were no young and middle-aged adults.

Oh, wait, there were some young people.

Soldiers armed with guns patrolled the roads along the fields, and overseers wielding whips and long knives closely watched the laborers in the fields.

Roa saw several slow-moving elders and children immediately draw the overseers' whips.

Roa took a deep breath.

The dense black energy surged towards him.

"Ooh!"

Roa squinted his eyes in delight.

So good.

But there's something even better.

Roa looked up towards the distance of the farmland.

There stood a large fortress surrounded by a high wall. That must be the settlement Dylan mentioned.

The black energy floating above the fortress was even more concentrated.

Roa unconsciously licked his lips.

"Who are you people!"

Angry shouts echoed from afar as the patrolling soldiers spotted Roa and his companions. They quickly approached, aiming their guns at them.

Roa raised an eyebrow.

These soldiers were excessively young, only about fourteen or fifteen years old.

"Lord Roa?"

Dylan asked softly, his right hand already transforming into a palm strike.

"No, no, no,"

Roa waved his hands. "They're doing a great job. We're just asking for directions."

As he spoke, he took a step forward.

Buzz!

An invisible aura spread out, and the rushing soldiers collapsed like cut wheat.

Dylan felt the powerful aura washing over him. Although his face remained calm, he was actually clenching his fists in excitement.

Conqueror's Haki!

As expected, Lord Roa is also a peerless overlord among millions!

This was only natural. If anything, it would be strange if Lord Roa didn't have Conqueror's Haki!

"Excuse me,"

Roa looked gently at the soldiers lying on the ground, almost unconscious. "Could you take us to see the person in charge here?"

Later.

In the center of the fortress stood a castle that could be described as luxurious.

Roa stood on the balcony of the second floor, quietly observing the scene inside the fortress.

There were no residential buildings visible. The interior of the fortress was filled with factories.

Clothing processing plants, food processing plants, weapon factories, and pharmaceutical factories.

Wisps of black energy rose, a spectacular sight.

The only building not emitting black energy was at the entrance of the fortified village.

When they entered, the soldier who guided them introduced it as the nursery.

After children were born in the fortified village, they were sent here to be raised collectively until they could be put to use.

"What a system," Roa said in surprise.

The two factions in this country were both implementing the most thorough military control system, with everything under their command serving the war effort.

To both factions, the populace were merely bullets to be fired at the enemy.

Those with combat ability became soldiers; those without but with production capability – referring to most adult women – went to factories, and those with relatively less production capability went to farming or logistics.

"Roa-sama, it's done."

Dylan's calm voice came from behind him.

Roa turned around and saw Dylan, his hands stained crimson, dragging a bruised and swollen man onto the balcony.

"Thank you for your hard work, Dylan."

The polite Roa first thanked his follower sincerely.

Then, he looked at the bruised and swollen man with a look of regret. "Can you answer my question now?"

The man, who had gathered his army a few minutes ago, arrogantly declaring he would eliminate Roa, was now as humble as a stray dog, crawling on the ground with his forehead touching the earth, his body trembling uncontrollably. "Please, please ask!"

"Wonderful, as expected, communication is the best way to reach consensus."

Roa nodded with satisfaction. "Do you know a man named Douglas? He should be the commander of a young soldier unit."

"Douglas—"

The man paused, then immediately replied, "You, you mean Douglas Gray? I know him, I know him! The young soldiers he leads have been active on the front lines and are quite famous within our army!"

"Excellent!"

Roa clapped his hands happily. "Then quickly take me to someone who can lead me to him!"

Douglas Gray wasn't important; the young soldier who inherited his surname was.

Artillery roared, fireworks rose amidst the smoke, bullets whistled, dancing a metallic storm.

This was a battlefield where two armies clashed.

Amidst the chaotic battlefield, Bullet was charging.

He carried a satchel of explosives and was charging towards the enemy fortress.

The seven-year-old boy moved with practiced zigzags, sometimes rolling, sometimes leaping. Bullets whizzed past his sides, shells exploded nearby, but they were always a step behind him.

The soldiers blocking his path couldn't even react to his speed before he closed the distance and casually snapped their necks.

Bullet was a young soldier.

He was an orphan abandoned by his mother, adopted by Officer Gray, and thus he was meant to serve the army as a soldier.

Bullet had no objections.

He had never experienced life outside the military, so he had no longing for it.

Bullet's only desire was the "medal" awarded by Officer Gray.

Medals were only given to soldiers who performed great service, and all young soldiers yearned for it, for it was not just honor, but also allowed young soldiers to be promoted to officers.

For the young soldiers, used as cannon fodder, only responsible for leading the charge, stepping on mines, or clearing the way with explosives, the allure of the medal was unparalleled.

Bullet wasn't fixated on promotion; he merely craved that honor.

Having been surrounded only by weapons since childhood, Bullet always envied those who received medals and were surrounded by praise.

He wanted someone to approach him too.

But only one medal was awarded each year.

So Bullet worked harder than anyone.

Bullet, whose physique was far larger and stronger than his peers, suddenly leaped, throwing the satchel of explosives into a gap in the fortress.

BOOM!

With a thunderous roar, the fortress was blown into the sky.

In the oncoming blast wave, Bullet's medium-length hair flew high.

The young child let out a happy smile.

I'm getting close, aren't I?

The medal!

The battle ended. The young soldiers left the battlefield early. They led the charge, but cleaning up the battlefield wasn't their concern, let alone thinking about spoils of war.

The young soldiers, gathered once again, were all dejected. After all, they had lost nearly a third of their numbers in this battle, and those who survived were all wounded.

Bullet was the only exception; a look of anticipation was on his face, eagerly awaiting the day he would receive his medal.

"Bullet!"

It was Officer Gray's voice.

Bullet's head shot up.

What did the officer want him for?

Could it be that he was going to be awarded a medal?

Bullet looked over expectantly.

He saw his most respected Officer Gray approaching with two strangers.

An unfamiliar man and an unfamiliar boy.

"Yo! You're Douglas Bullet, right?"

The unfamiliar boy, who looked about the same age as Bullet, said with a smile, "Nice to meet you. From now on, you're with me."