Danger Descends

"It feels good to be alive."

Sitting in the back of the military vehicle, Xiao Yunlong relaxed as a deep exhaustion washed over him. It was a side effect of the Adrenaline injection, and even being a Tier 2 Psionic User couldn't spare him from it.

"Yeah."

Qin Dadi sighed. The operation had been a failure: they hadn't captured the Golan Heights, and their casualties had been heavy. The Cannon Fodder Troops of the clones had been reduced to barely a tenth of their original number, elite Warriors had suffered over thirty percent casualties, and more than a few Special Forces Squads had been completely wiped out.

The fact that they'd survived without anyone being seriously injured was already incredibly lucky.

On the way back to the Barracks, the inside of the vehicle was rather quiet. Even the usually chatty Xiao Yunlong barely said a word. Their thoughts were still stuck on that brutal battlefield, and they couldn't move on just yet.

Beep, beep~~

Just as they were about to reach the Barracks, all three of their Smart Watches chimed at the same time. They checked them and immediately looked delighted.

"Holy crap, that's a lot of Military Merit Points."

Xiao Yunlong sat bolt upright, his face alight with excitement.

Liu Zhaozhao's eyes sparkled, and her tired-looking face instantly brightened.

"We have Qin Tian to thank for this."

Qin Dadi looked at Qin Tian and smiled. "If it weren't for him, we wouldn't have even gotten this much."

In the battle just now, the Earth Dragon Squad had actually completed only one mission: successfully killing a Tier 2 Spirit Cat.

By rights, they shouldn't have earned many Military Merit Points.

However, Qin Tian had distinguished himself in the fighting. He'd killed hundreds of Orcs, and although the three of them hadn't been the ones to kill those Orcs, they were members of the same team and could still claim a share of the Military Merit Points Qin Tian had earned.

"Haha, Qin Tian, I love you!"

Xiao Yunlong wrapped an arm around Qin Tian's shoulders and excitedly tried to kiss him on the cheek. But Qin Tian reacted quickly, pushing his face away with one hand and saying with disgust:

"Get away from me."

"Aw, so coldhearted."

Xiao Yunlong pretended to be heartbroken, but he couldn't keep it up for even two seconds before breaking into a grin.

Pfft~

Seeing Xiao Yunlong's rapid change of expression, Liu Zhaozhao couldn't help laughing.

Having a clown like him on the team really was fun.

She also noticed that Qin Tian wasn't as cold and aloof as before. He seemed to be getting more and more "human." He could be speechless, he could get nervous, and he could show concern for his teammates...and even irritation.

Qin Dadi smiled. Then he seemed to remember something and said, "Qin Tian, the Military Department is fair. You'll get the Military Merit Points you've earned, too. It's just that your identity is special. Since you haven't registered your identity with the Empire yet, they can't issue the points to you for now."

"But don't worry. Once we get back, I'll report it to the Logistics Department right away and help you complete your Identity Registration as soon as possible."

Qin Tian was a clone who had only been born three days ago. Of course, no one had registered his identity for him.

In the Empire, being without an identity didn't make it impossible to get around, but it did mean he couldn't use regular transportation, travel, or lodging, or enjoy any of the usual benefits.

"Okay."

Qin Tian nodded. To be honest, he was looking forward to finding out how many Military Merit Points he would get. He also wanted to see what kinds of good things he could exchange them for.

Not long afterward, the main force arrived at the Barracks.

The Command Center issued orders for everyone to pack their belongings immediately. In two hours, the Legion would withdraw from the Camp and retreat to Scorching Sun Valley.

"Looks like the Legion has completely given up on the Golan Heights."

Qin Dadi sighed. So many people had died, and in the end they still hadn't taken the Golan Heights. He couldn't help feeling frustrated.

"Captain, there's nothing we can do. We just don't have enough people."

Xiao Yunlong was taking it in stride. He wasn't attached to the Golan Heights. As long as he stayed alive and earned plenty of Military Merit Points, he'd achieved his goal in enlisting.

He'd already saved up as many Military Merit Points as he'd hoped for. From now on, he'd be happy if he didn't have to fight.

"Ah, I just feel like it's a bit of a shame."

Qin Dadi shook his head. If the Legion had more Psionic Users or Ability Users, they could definitely have taken the Golan Heights.

In the thousand years of conflict with the Orc Empire, the Galactic Empire had always held the upper hand in conventional warfare, thanks to its superior technology and weapons.

But Psionic Users and Ability Users had an enormous impact on war. If their High-end Combat Power couldn't match their opponents', no matter how powerful their weapons were, they couldn't change the course of the war.

This was a world that belonged to the strong.

High-ranking Psionic Users could destroy an entire Legion, a city, or even a continent on their own. No weapon could compare.

"Forget it. There's no point talking about it now. Let's pack."

Qin Dadi waved a hand and went inside to pack his belongings. Xiao Yunlong and Liu Zhaozhao went in to do the same.

Qin Tian entered the room and quickly sorted through the belongings of Huang Xun, the former Sharpshooter. He put the useful items in a suitcase and tossed everything he didn't need for now into the Space Bag.

As he did so, he kept experimenting. He discovered that aside from his hands, he could put things into the Space Bag by touching them with any part of his body.

This also solved a problem for him.

On the battlefield, he'd wanted to collect some scattered guns, War Blades, and gear and put them into the Space Bag. But picking them up meant crouching or bending over, which was inconvenient and could make his teammates suspicious.

But if he could use his feet, all he'd have to do in the future was walk up to an item and give it a light kick. He'd be able to put it away without anyone noticing.

Half an hour later, the Earth Dragon Squad carried their luggage and headed to Scorching Sun Valley with the main force.

Night fell.

The Legion didn't travel through the night. Instead, they set up camp where they were.

The Earth Dragon Squad moved into a large tent, just a few dozen meters from the important logistical supplies.

That was the mission they'd just received: guard the logistics area.

"Heh, we're in luck. They didn't assign us a patrol shift tonight."

Xiao Yunlong lay down on the carpet. He hadn't even chatted for long before his eyelids grew heavy, and soon he was fast asleep.

Qin Dadi and Liu Zhaozhao fell asleep soon after.

After enduring a brutal and dangerous battle, everyone was exhausted. They'd held on until now by sheer willpower. The moment their heads hit the pillow, fatigue swept over them like a flash flood and a tsunami, overwhelming their resolve.

Hoo~ hoo~

A chorus of snores filled the tent.

Qin Tian lay with his hands clasped behind his head, staring at the top of the tent. For some reason, he couldn't fall asleep.

Scenes from the rich, colorful life he'd lived in his previous life mingled with images of the brutal, bloody battles of this one. They played on repeat in his mind like a slideshow cut together at random.

For a moment, he felt as if he were falling into a dream, unable to tell whether what was happening was real or an illusion.

Deep into the night, it was pitch-black outside the military camp.

Drones patrolled the sky, and infrared radar covered every inch of the area for several kilometers around.

Puff~ puff~

A small mound suddenly rose from the ground a hundred meters outside the camp. A massive snake's head slowly emerged from the earth. Its body was cold to the touch, completely shielding it from infrared detection.

Beneath it, the Shadow Cat troops stood ready to strike. Their pairs of ghostly green eyes flickered like will-o'-the-wisps, gleaming with cunning and cruelty.